Vacuum Gripper With Merged Distributor Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum grippers have complex structures that lead to increased assembly and maintenance efforts, making them unreliable and costly to operate.
Innovation Solution
A large-area vacuum gripper design featuring a gripper base body with suction points grouped into chambers, each connected to a distributor chamber via valve modules, allowing independent control of suction groups without separate connections to each suction chamber, reducing the need for hoses and interfaces, and enabling easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each suction chamber is connected to the vacuum source via separate hoses and interfaces, then each suction chamber can be independently controlled, but the device complexity and maintenance effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate vacuum connections into a single common vacuum connection that supplies all suction chambers. The distributor chamber receives vacuum pressure through one connection and distributes it to multiple suction chambers via internal flow channels, eliminating the need for separate hoses and interfaces for each chamber while maintaining independent controllability through valve modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributor chamber acts as an intermediary component between the vacuum source and the multiple suction chambers. It receives vacuum pressure through a single connection and uses internal flow channels to distribute the vacuum pressure to individual suction chambers, mediating the connection and reducing the number of external interfaces required.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate vacuum connections are provided for each suction chamber, then independent control is achieved, but the reliability decreases due to more potential leakage points
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple vacuum connections into a single common connection point, the patent reduces the number of potential leakage interfaces. The single seal at the distributor chamber is more reliable than multiple seals that would be required if each suction chamber had its own separate vacuum connection.
3Productivity
If a large number of suction points are provided on the suction surface, then the gripper can handle large-surface objects and multiple objects simultaneously, but the structure becomes more complex and assembly effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large suction surface into multiple smaller suction chambers, each containing a group of suction points. This segmentation allows the system to handle large surfaces and multiple objects simultaneously while keeping each chamber's structure manageable and simplifying assembly compared to a single large complex chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple suction points into groups within individual chambers and merges the vacuum supply system into a single distributor chamber. This merging approach reduces overall structural complexity while maintaining the capability to handle large surfaces and multiple objects through coordinated operation of the chamber groups.
4Ease of operation
If separate vacuum connections are provided for each suction chamber, then selective suction control is possible, but the maintenance effort and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vacuum distribution function into a single distributor chamber with internal flow channels, eliminating the need for multiple external hose connections. This reduces assembly effort significantly while maintaining selective suction control through valve modules that can be integrated into the simplified structure.
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 design results in a reliable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective vacuum gripper with reduced maintenance requirements, fewer interfaces for potential leakage, and a compact, lightweight structure suitable for automated processing plants.
Implementation Method 1
The suction points can be subjected to negative pressure for the suction of an object
Implementation Method 2
a large-area vacuum gripper for suctioning and handling objects
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum gripper comprising a base body having a suction side and an upper side, the suction side having a plurality of suction points and in each case a fixed number of suction points being combined to form a suction point group, a number of suction chambers (SC) corresponding to the number of suction point groups, each SC being assigned a suction point group, a distributor chamber (DC), the DC having at least a number of DC openings corresponding to the number of SC and a DC opening being flow-connected to a respective SC opening of a SC assigned thereto, and a plurality of valves, a valve being assigned to each suction point group and each valve having a valve channel. The respective valve is designed as a valve module having its own valve housing and the valve housing can be arranged on the upper side of the base body.