Suction Gripper Airflow Reversal for Dusty Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suction grippers face challenges in environments with high dust or particulates, such as recycling facilities, where the target objects are dirty and have irregular surfaces, making it difficult to establish a vacuum seal due to the small scale of gripping elements, which limits the suction force and leads to contamination of the gripper's internal components.
Innovation Solution
A robotic vacuum sorting system with a suction gripper mechanism featuring an enlarged gripping port diameter and airflow reversal to achieve a sufficient vacuum hold on target objects, while minimizing contamination, comprising a suction gripper pivotally mounted to robotic arms, a vacuum system, and robot control logic that outputs control signals for capture and airflow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the gripping port diameter is kept small, then the suction gripper can maintain a compact structure, but the vacuum seal becomes difficult to establish on dirty and irregular surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining a small gripping port for compactness, the patent inverts the approach by enlarging the gripping port diameter. This allows the suction cup to better accommodate dirty and irregular surfaces, establishing reliable vacuum seals even in challenging environments like recycling facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the critical parameter of gripping port diameter from small to large. This parameter change enables the suction gripper to maintain effective sealing on contaminated and irregular surfaces while still achieving sufficient suction force through the enlarged aperture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the suction gripper operates in dusty environments, then it can handle target objects in recycling facilities, but dust and particulates contaminate the internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful dust and particulates from the internal components by implementing airflow reversal. During operation, the system periodically reverses the airflow direction to purge accumulated contaminants from the interior, preventing contamination-related malfunctions while maintaining environmental adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies periodic airflow reversal to clean internal components. Rather than continuous operation, the system periodically switches airflow direction to expel dust and particulates from the interior, maintaining cleanliness in dusty environments through intermittent self-cleaning cycles.
3Device complexity
If the suction gripper uses conventional vacuum strength, then it can operate with standard components, but it cannot sufficiently hold target objects with imperfect seals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the vacuum strength parameter by implementing airflow reversal that creates enhanced negative pressure. This parameter change allows the system to maintain sufficient suction force on objects with imperfect seals while avoiding the need for complex additional sealing mechanisms or higher vacuum generators.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively lifts and sorts target objects with an increased vacuum force, even with imperfect seals, and self-cleans by reversing airflow to purge dust and contaminants, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing maintenance needs in dusty environments.
Implementation Method 1
a suction gripper mechanism pivotally mounted to one or more robotic arms of a sorting robot; a vacuum system coupled to the suction gripper mechanism... the vacuum system pulls a vacuum at the gripping port of the suction gripper mechanism as the suction gripper mechanism is applied to capture and hold the target object
Implementation Method 2
subsequently reverses air pressure to purge air from the gripping port of the suction gripper mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2~2A
AI summary
In one example embodiment, a robotic vacuum sorting system comprises: a suction gripper mechanism mounted to a sorting robot; a vacuum system coupled to the suction gripper mechanism; robot control logic and electronics coupled to the sorting robot and the vacuum system; and an imaging device coupled to the robot control logic and electronics. In response to an image signal from the imaging device, the robot control logic and electronics outputs robot control signals to control the sorting robot, and outputs one or more airflow control signals to the vacuum system to execute a capture action on a target object using the suction gripper. During the capture action, the robot control logic and electronics outputs control signals such that the vacuum system pulls a vacuum at the gripping port of the suction gripper mechanism as the suction gripper mechanism is applied to capture and hold the target object.