GRIPPING ELEMENT FOR MANIPULATORS

• US 20140161582A1
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gimatic SPA (Barnes Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Gimatic SPA (Barnes Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Maffeis, Giuseppe
• Application Number:
  US14/094,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/800
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0683 Details of suction cup structure, e.g. grooves or ridges

Abstract

A gripping element is provided for industrial manipulators adapted for gripping items at high temperatures, in particular composite and nylon laminates. The gripping element includes a first portion coupling to a manipulator and a second elastically deformable portion intended to interact directly with the item to be manipulated. The second portion includes a substantially flat base and a perimetrical edge which extends around the base. An air intake duct opens at the base to activate the gripping element by depression. At rest, in a first not-deformed configuration, the lying plane of the perimetrical edge and the lying plane of the base are parallel and separated. In use, in a second deformed configuration, the lying plane of the perimetrical edge and the lying plane of the base are coincident are in abutment on the caught item.

Claims

1. A gripping element (1) having a body (2) comprising:

a first portion (3) coupling with a manipulator and

a second portion (4), at least in part elastically deformable, intended to interact directly with the item (W) to be manipulated, wherein said second portion (4) comprises in its turn a substantially flat base (5) and a perimetrical edge (6), the latter extending around said base (5), and

at least one duct (7) for the air intake extending in the body (2) of the gripping element (1) and opening at the base (5),

wherein the perimetrical edge (6) and the base (5) lie on respective lying plane, and

wherein, in a first non-deformed configuration of said second portion (4), the lying plane of the base (5) is above and parallel to the lying plane of the perimetrical edge (6), and

wherein, in a second deformed configuration of said second portion (4), the lying planes of the perimetrical edge (6) and base (5) are coincident.

2. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the non-deformed configuration corresponds to the gripping element (1) at rest and the deformed configuration corresponds to the gripping element (1) in use, with the perimetrical edge (6) and the base (5) both abutting against a surface of the item (W) to be manipulated and the air at the base (5) is drawn to create a depression constraining the item (W) to the gripping element (1).

3. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a) a single intake duct (7) opens into the base (5) centrally, and a plurality of substantially circular grooves (8), fluidically connected one to the other by least one transversal groove (9), are obtained in the base (5) to convey towards the intake duct (7) the air contained in the volume closed between the base (5), the perimetrical edge (6) and the surface of the item (W) to be manipulated on which the gripping element (1) abuts;

-or—

b) a chamber (14), fluidically connected to the intake duct (7), is defined in the body (2) of the gripping element (1) and several through holes (13) are obtained in the base (5) in order to convey towards the chamber (14) the air contained in the volume defined between the base (5), the perimetrical edge (6) and the surface of the item (W) to be manipulated on which the gripping element (1) abuts.

4. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the perimetrical edge (6) is defined by a prominence of said base (5) or belongs to a portion (10) extending cantileverly from said base (5).

5. The gripping element (1) according to claim 4, wherein said portion (10) extending cantileverly is at least partially flexible to facilitate the deformation that moves the base (5) into abutment against the item (W) to be manipulated when the air is drawn through the intake duct (7).

6. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the base (5) and the perimetrical edge (6) define a sucker-like shape.

7. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (3) comprises a thread (11) for screwing the gripping element (1) to a manipulator.

8. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (3) and the second portion (4) are made in one item or are made of distinct and connectible elements.

9. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least the second portion (4), and the first portion (3), are made of PTFE, or in a ceramic material, resisting against high temperatures.

10. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least the second portion (4), and the first portion (3), are made in an anti-adherent material, which do not leave residues on manipulated items (W) and, in turn, do not smear when interacting with manipulated items (W).

11. The gripping element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first (3) and the second (4) portion are elements mutually distinct and operatively coupled by a resilient connecting element (20) that generally operates as a swivel or ball joint between said first (3) and second (4) portion.

12. Gripping element (1) according to claim 11, wherein said connecting element is a bushing (20) having a substantially rounded or barrel-like shape, said bushing (20) comprises ending edges (21) opposed one to another and assembled in hooking seats (22) obtained on the first (3) and the second (4) portion, respectively, wherein the bushing (20) keeps the first (3) and the second (4) portion substantially separate one from another between which a chamber (23), fluidically connected to the intake ducts (7) of the first (3) and the second (4) portion, is defined.

13. A method for handling an item whose temperature is higher than 200°

C., by means of an industrial manipulator, comprises the steps of;

arranging on the manipulator a gripping element (1) according to claim 1;

connecting the intake duct (7), or ducts, of the gripping element (1) to an intake line of the manipulator;

moving the perimetrical edge (6) of the gripping element (1) into abutment against a surface of the item (W) to be manipulated;

drawing the air contained in the volume defined between the base (5), the perimetrical edge (6) and the surface of the item (W) to be manipulated, causing the elastic deformation of the second portion (4) of the gripping element (1) that moves the base (5) into abutment against the surface of the item (W), on the same lying plane of the perimetrical edge (6);

displacing the item (W) and releasing it by interrupting the air drawing.