SPRING LOADED SUCTION CUP ARRAY GRIPPER
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An object holder for a 3-D printing system, comprising:
- a vacuum box, said vacuum box including a bottom plate and openings therein;
a locking plate attached to and having openings therein in line with said openings in said bottom plate;
a suction array of slidably adjustable tubes adapted to slide within said openings within said vacuum box and locking plate, said slidably adjustable tubes including deformable suction cups attached to one end thereof; and
springs surrounding each of said suction array of slidably adjustable tubes with one end of said springs resting against said suction cups.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses an array of suction cups reciprocally connected to a vacuum box to acquire objects from a staging platen while in a horizontal position and then pivot into a vertical position for movement of the objects past print heads. A plenum connected to the vacuum box is valve controlled to allow a low flow rate to the vacuum box to acquire objects and then a high flow rate pulse to close off all un-sealed suction cups with ball valves.
8 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object holder for a 3-D printing system, comprising:
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a vacuum box, said vacuum box including a bottom plate and openings therein; a locking plate attached to and having openings therein in line with said openings in said bottom plate; a suction array of slidably adjustable tubes adapted to slide within said openings within said vacuum box and locking plate, said slidably adjustable tubes including deformable suction cups attached to one end thereof; and springs surrounding each of said suction array of slidably adjustable tubes with one end of said springs resting against said suction cups. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for holding 3-D objects for printing thereon, comprising:
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an array of suction cups adapted to contact and adhere to an object, said suction cups being attached to a first end of hollow tubes; a spring surrounding each of said hollow tubes; a cap with an opening therein enclosing a second end of each of said hollow tubes; a ball supportably positioned within each of said hollow tubes; and a vacuum source for applying vacuum pressure through said hollow tubes to said array of suction cups to attach said array of suction cups to said object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification