Vacuum Cup Assembly with Electric Pump for Quiet Operation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cup assemblies, particularly venturi-operated ones, are noisy, generate contaminants, require significant maintenance, and often need a compressed air source, which can be inconvenient and unsuitable for quiet or clean environments.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cup assembly with a housing containing a variable volume chamber and a moveable piston or flexible membrane, powered by a prime mover like a rotary motor or solenoid, which creates a temporary suction force without the need for external air sources, allowing for precise picking and releasing of objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If venturi-operated cup assemblies are used to create vacuum, then vacuum force is generated, but noise is produced that can damage human auditory systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the venturi-operated mechanical vacuum system with an electrically-driven vacuum pump. The vacuum pump uses an electric motor to drive a rotor that creates vacuum through rotational motion and centrifugal force, eliminating the need for high-velocity compressed air flow through venturi channels. This substitution of the mechanical vacuum generation mechanism removes the primary noise source while maintaining vacuum force generation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of vacuum generation from high-velocity gas flow (venturi effect) to controlled rotational motion of a pump rotor. By changing from compressible fluid dynamics at high speed to mechanical rotation at controlled speeds, the noise level is reduced while still achieving the required vacuum force through different physical mechanisms.
2Force
If venturi-operated cup assemblies are used to create vacuum, then vacuum force is generated, but air flow moves particles that become contaminants in medical and electronic products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the venturi-operated system that moves large volumes of air (and suspended particles) with a sealed vacuum pump system. The pump creates vacuum through internal rotor motion without requiring open air flow paths, thereby preventing environmental particles from being mobilized and deposited on medical or electronic products nearby.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum pump system operates with a contained fluid environment, creating a controlled atmosphere that prevents external particulate contamination. By enclosing the vacuum generation mechanism and using sealed pathways, the system avoids the open air flow that would otherwise transport contaminants to sensitive products.
3Force
If venturi-operated cup assemblies are used to create vacuum, then vacuum force is generated, but compressed air systems require significant maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the complex compressed air system (requiring air compressors, dryers, filters, and distribution infrastructure) with a self-contained electric vacuum pump. This eliminates the upstream compressed air generation and distribution infrastructure, reducing maintenance requirements to routine pump servicing while maintaining vacuum force generation.
4Force
If venturi-operated cup assemblies are used to create vacuum, then vacuum force is generated, but gas hoses are required to connect to vacuum sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vacuum generation function directly into the cup assembly unit by integrating a small electric vacuum pump within or adjacent to the cup mechanism. This integration eliminates the need for external vacuum sources and connecting gas hoses, as the cup assembly becomes self-sufficient in generating its own vacuum force.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum cup assembly performs its own vacuum generation function through an integrated pump, eliminating dependence on external vacuum infrastructure. The self-contained design generates vacuum locally at the point of use, removing the need for hose connections to remote vacuum sources.
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
Enables quiet, contamination-free operation with precise control over suction force, eliminating the need for compressed air and allowing for the use of batteries or other energy storage devices, thus providing a reliable and efficient solution for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
Displacement of the sidewall modifies the volume of the variable volume chamber and thereby modifies the fluid pressure in the fluid chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cup assembly that generates a local vacuum using a prime mover that may be an electrical motor or a solenoid. The vacuum cup may have one or more ports to remove and vent air between the cup and the atmosphere. The prime mover drives a piston or a flexible membrane, which may be a diaphragm, through one or more reciprocating cycles to generate the local vacuum. The vacuum cup assembly may be used to form a temporary attachment to a work piece, the act on the work piece, such as by moving the work piece, and then release the work piece from the vacuum cup assembly. The vacuum cup assembly disclosed herein is self-contained inasmuch as the assembly may have a power source, such as a battery, located on a housing. This makes its operation quiet and effective.