# US 10,308,038 B2 · Universal part holder with conformable membranes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,038 B2 - Document ID: US10308038B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/645,216 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2019-01-10 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-10 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Linn C Hoover; Paul M Fromm; Erwin Ruiz; Jeffrey J Bradway - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308038B2 ## CPC - B41J 3/4073: {Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112)} - B25B 11/00: Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders (for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00) - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B41J 3/40731: {Holders for objects, e. g. holders specially adapted to the shape of the object to be printed or adapted to hold several objects} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract An apparatus for holding three-dimensional parts for printing includes a frame with sides and a solid bottom and a part gripping membrane mounted across the face of the frame. A biasing membrane is mounted at the midpoint of the frame height to form an air chamber between the frame bottom and the biasing membrane and a vacuum chamber between the biasing membrane and the part gripping membrane positioned on the face of the frame. To grip a part, the gripping membrane is stretched over the part, positive pressure is applied to the air chamber to compress the granular material within the air chamber and further stretch the gripping membrane over the part, and then vacuum is applied to the vacuum chamber between the two membranes to maintain the granular material compression and grip on the part when air pressure is relieved from the air chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An object holder for positioning objects in a predetermined location, comprising: a support; a pivotable pickup head movably mounted to said support and 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 comprises a frame that includes a bottom portion with legs extending therefrom and a biasing membrane configured in a concave resting position connected to said legs forming a first chamber, said first chamber including air pressure access from an air pressure source and separated from a second chamber by said biasing membrane, said second chamber having only a vacuum pressure access thereto with said second chamber being defined by said biasing membrane and a gripping membrane connected to said legs of said frame and configured in a convex resting position; and wherein only said second chamber includes ribs on an inside surface thereof and granular material therein, said ribs being configured once vacuum pressure is applied to said second chamber to anchor said granular material, biasing and gripping membranes and said object to prevent shifting when said pickup head is moved. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The object holder of claim 1, wherein said biasing and gripping membranes are made of an elastomer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The object holder of claim 2, wherein said gripping membrane is stretched over said object by lowering said pickup head onto said object and simultaneously causing said granular material to compact and biasing membrane to conform to the shape of said gripping membrane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The object holder of claim 3, wherein pressurized air is applied within said first chamber to further compact said granular material and gripping membrane around said object. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The object holder of claim 4, wherein vacuum pressure is applied to said second chamber to maintain compaction of said granular material when said pressurized air is released from said first chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The object holder of claim 5, wherein said biasing membrane is mounted at a midpoint of said frame. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The object holder of claim 5, wherein said gripping membrane is mounted on the face of and connected to ends of said legs of said frame. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The object holder of claim 1, wherein said granular material includes plastic beads. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The object holder of claim 8, including a carriage and wherein said pivotable pickup head is connected to said carriage member. ### Claim 10 An object holding apparatus, comprising: a pickup head 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 a biasing membrane having a concave shape in a non-contacting position, said vacuum chamber including a gripping membrane having a convex shape in a non-contacting position and including granular material and a plurality of protrusions extending out from only an inside surface thereof, and wherein vacuum pressure from said vacuum source causes said granular material to compact around said plurality of protrusions and thereby prevent said biasing membrane, said gripping membrane and said object from shifting once said pickup head is moved. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein vacuum is applied to said vacuum chamber after pressurized air has been added to said pressure chamber and is maintained after pressurized air is released from said pressure chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said pickup head includes a frame having a bottom portion with legs extending therefrom and said gripping membrane enclosing said legs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said biasing membrane is positioned at a midpoint between said bottom portion of said frame and said gripping membrane to form an air cavity between said frame and said biasing membrane to facilitate unimpeded deformation of said biasing membrane and said gripping membrane during contacting of an object by said gripping membrane. ### Claim 14 A part holding apparatus comprising: a frame with sides and a bottom enclosing one end of said frame; a biasing membrane mounted at a predetermined point within said frame to form an air cavity between said bottom of said frame and said biasing membrane; a part gripping membrane mounted across an opposite end of said sides; granular material positioned within a space between said biasing membrane and said gripping membrane; a series of ribs attached to said sides of said frame positioned only between said biasing membrane and said gripping membrane; and wherein said biasing membrane simultaneously conforms to the shape of said gripping membrane when said gripping membrane is pressed against an object. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The universal part holding apparatus of claim 14, including an air pressure source for providing air pressure to said air cavity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The universal part holding apparatus of claim 15, including a vacuum pressure source for providing vacuum pressure to said space between said biasing membrane and said gripping membrane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The universal part holding apparatus of claim 16, wherein said granular material includes plastic beads. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The universal part holding apparatus of claim 16, wherein said air pressure source is adapted to apply air pressure to said biasing membrane to compact said granular material and press said gripping membrane against a part, and wherein vacuum pressure is applied afterwards to maintain said compaction of said granular material and gripping membrane while in contact with said part. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The universal part holding apparatus of claim 14, wherein said universal part holding apparatus is incorporated into a printer that prints on 3-D objects.