US-12623361-B2 - Gripper head apparatus for transporting components

Abstract

A gripping apparatus is provided for transporting components from one location to another. The gripping apparatus includes a body defining a chamber and an exhaust at a first end of the body. The apparatus also includes a gripper head configured to be attached to a second end of the body opposite to the first end. The gripper head defines one or more openings and a nest having a profile configured to locate and releasably hold a component based on an air flow generated within the chamber and discharged through the exhaust. The apparatus also includes an air conveyor positioned within the chamber. The air conveyor is configured to generate the air flow through an inlet and out through the exhaust. The air conveyor defines a central bore and an exhaust port. The inlet includes an inlet port with a nozzle in communication with the central bore and the exhaust port.

Inventors

• Mark Knight Robinson

Assignees

• THE GILLETTE COMPANY LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221110

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A gripping apparatus comprising: a body defining a chamber and including an exhaust at a first end of the body; a gripper head configured to be attached to a second end of the body opposite to the first end, wherein the gripper head defines one or more openings and a nest having a profile configured to locate and releasably hold a component based on an air flow generated within the chamber and discharged through the exhaust; and an air conveyor positioned within the chamber, wherein the air conveyor is configured to generate the air flow through an inlet and out through the exhaust, wherein the air conveyor defines a central bore and an exhaust port and wherein the inlet includes an inlet port with a nozzle in communication with the central bore and the exhaust port.
2. 2 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the body includes an attachment mechanism configured to secure the first end to a component of an automated system configured to move the gripping apparatus in one or more dimensions.
3. 3 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the body is configured to removably attach to the gripper head using one or more of bolts, clips, magnets or an air vacuum.
4. 4 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nest is rigid.
5. 5 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gripper head comprises an O-ring that is configured to form a vacuum seal with the second end of the body.
6. 6 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle and the inlet port are oriented orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the air conveyor defined by the central bore.
7. 7 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the central bore.
8. 8 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body is configured to securely surround and encase the air conveyor within the chamber.
9. 9 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port of the air conveyor is positioned at one end of the chamber adjacent the first end of the body such that the exhaust at the first end of the body is in communication with the exhaust port and the central bore of the air conveyor and such that the air flow generated within the central bore is discharged through the exhaust at the first end of the body.
10. 10 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust at the first end of the body defines a plurality of exhaust openings that are spaced apart along an outer surface of the first end of the body such that the generated air flow is dissipated through the plurality of exhaust openings.
11. 11 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gripper head comprises a plurality of gripper heads including: a first gripper head having one or more first openings and a first nest that is configured to locate and releasably hold a first component when attached to the second end of the body; and a second gripper head having one or more second openings that is different from the one or more first openings and a second nest that is different from the first nest and wherein the second gripper head is configured to locate and releasably hold a second component that is different from the first component when attached to the second end of the body.
12. 12 . The gripping apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising the first component and the second component.
13. 13 . The gripping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gripper head defines a single opening that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gripper head, wherein the single opening and the nest are configured to locate and releasably hold the component based on the generated air flow.
14. 14 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a width of the single opening is tapered over the gripper head.
15. 15 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a width of the single opening is non-tapered over the gripper head ( 120 a ).
16. 16 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the single opening is elongated along a transverse axis of the gripper head that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
17. 17 . The gripping apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said elongated single opening is dimensioned to distribute a suction force across the component along the transverse axis based on the generated air flow.
18. 18 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the nest of the gripper head is a profiled surface that is elongated along a traverse axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and is in communication with the single opening, wherein the profiled surface is configured to be received within a recess defined by the component.
19. 19 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the single opening is circular in shape.
20. 20 . The gripping apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the nest of the gripper head includes a profiled pocket in communication with the single opening, wherein the profiled pocket is configured to receive a portion of the component releasably engaged by the gripper head.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to grippers used in conjunction with vacuum generators to suction components in order to transport them from one location to another. BACKGROUND Standard suction cups or mechanical grippers are available which are used in conjunction with vacuum generators to suction one or more components and transport them from one location to another. However, these standard suction cups require the component have a minimum surface area in order to generate the necessary suction to hold the component. Additionally, these standard suction cups only work with components capable of withstanding a threshold suction force established by the suction cup. Hence, these conventional suction cups are not suitable for transporting components that have minimal surface area and/or which are delicate and not capable of withstanding these threshold suction forces. Additionally, in addition to a primary valve that is used to establish the vacuum suction, these standard suction cups typically feature a secondary valve to provide an ejection pulse to release the component from the suction cup after transport. Hence, by introducing these secondary valves, these conventional suction cups increase a cycle time of the unit in transporting components between locations. These conventional suction cups also require a large suction rate that necessitates an increased weight and size of the end of an arm tooling on which the suction cup is positioned. This increased size and weight necessarily reduces the performance of the system. SUMMARY Various embodiments solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a gripper head apparatus for transporting components from one location to another, especially those components having a minimal surface area or are delicate such that they are not capable of withstanding threshold suction forces established by conventional suction cups. Various embodiments also provide a kit including a plurality of gripper heads to be used with the gripper head apparatus. Various embodiments also provide a method for transporting components from one location to another using the gripper head apparatus. Various embodiments also provide a method for forming multiple gripper heads for use in the method for transporting the components. In a first set of embodiments, a gripping apparatus is provided for transporting components from one location to another. The gripping apparatus includes a body defining a chamber and an exhaust at a first end of the body. The apparatus also includes a gripper head configured to be attached to a second end of the body opposite to the first end. The gripper head defines one or more openings and a nest having a profile configured to locate and releasably hold a component based on an air flow generated within the chamber and discharged through the exhaust. The apparatus also includes an air conveyor positioned within the chamber. The air conveyor is configured to generate the air flow through an inlet and out through the exhaust. The air conveyor defines a central bore and an exhaust port. The inlet includes an inlet port with a nozzle in communication with the central bore and the exhaust port. In a second set of embodiments, a kit is provided for a gripping apparatus. The gripping apparatus includes a body defining a chamber and an exhaust at a first end of the body. The gripping apparatus also includes an air conveyor positioned within the chamber. The air conveyor is configured to generate an air flow through an inlet and out through the exhaust. The kit includes a plurality of gripper heads each configured to be attached to a second end of the body opposite to the first end. Each gripper head defines a respective interchangeable nest that is different among the plurality of gripper heads. Each gripper head is configured to locate and releasably hold one of a plurality of components based on the air flow generated within the chamber and discharged through the exhaust. In a third set of embodiments, a method is provided for transporting components from a first location to a second location using a gripping apparatus. The gripping apparatus includes a body defining a chamber and includes an exhaust at a first end of the body. The gripping apparatus also includes an air conveyor positioned within the chamber. The method includes attaching one of a plurality of gripper heads to a second end of the body opposite to the first end. The gripper head defines one or more openings and a nest. The method further includes generating an air flow through an inlet of the air conveyor and out through the exhaust. The method further includes applying suction via the one or more openings in the gripper head to locate and releasably hold one of the plurality of components with the gripper head at the first location based on the generating step. The method further includes transporting the component releasably held to the gripper head from the first location to a second loca