Air pressure loaded membrane and pin array gripper
First Claim
1. An object holder for a printing system, comprising:
- a pickup head configured to grip an object at a first location, move said object to a second location and return said object to said first location;
wherein said pickup head includes a first chamber separated from a second chamber by an elastomer biasing membrane with said second chamber being enclosed by an object membrane having minimal holes in a central portion thereof for vacuum access, said first chamber including an air pressure source and said second chamber including a vacuum source; and
wherein said second chamber includes a pin array positioned between said elastomer biasing membrane and said object membrane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A universal gripper of objects includes two elastomer membranes separating a bed of rounded tipped nails that allow for object conformation. The object is pushed into a membrane that contacts the object with a known air pressure behind an inner membrane inside the gripper. The air pressure provides conformance and maximum resolution of object curvature to the bed of nails. At least one pin guide and locking plate having flexure fingers is actuated causing a small displacement which clamps each nail in its deformed position. The air pressure on the inner membrane is now removed and afterwards, a vacuum blower is turned ON causing the object to be gripped for removal from a staging platen and moved to a position to receive an image from a printer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An object holder for a printing system, comprising:
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a pickup head configured to grip an object at a first location, move said object to a second location and return said object to said first location; wherein said pickup head includes a first chamber separated from a second chamber by an elastomer biasing membrane with said second chamber being enclosed by an object membrane having minimal holes in a central portion thereof for vacuum access, said first chamber including an air pressure source and said second chamber including a vacuum source; and wherein said second chamber includes a pin array positioned between said elastomer biasing membrane and said object membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An universal gripper for gripping and holding objects, comprising:
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a support member; a member mounted to said support member for vertical movement; and a pickup head mounted to said member and configured for rotary movement from a first position parallel to an object staging platen before gripping an object into a second position orthogonal to said first position after an object has been gripped, said pickup head including a pressure chamber adapted to receive pressurized air and a vacuum chamber with a vacuum source attached thereto, said pressure chamber being separated from said vacuum chamber by an elastomer membrane, said vacuum chamber including a pin array with an upper end of said pin array contacting a bottom surface of said elastomer membrane and a lower end of said pin array contacting an object membrane, and a locking plate for securing said array of pins once they have moved. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification