# US 10,369,709 B1 · Flexible suction device, robot system and method using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,709 B1 - Document ID: US10369709B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/137,705 - Filed: 2018-09-21 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-21 - Assignees: Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co., Ltd.; JD.com American Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co., Ltd.; JD.com American Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Hui Cheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369709B1 ## CPC - B25J 18/06: flexible - B25J 9/104: {with cables, chains or ribbons} - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B25J 15/0683: {Details of suction cup structure, e.g. grooves or ridges} - 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 A flexible suction device and a robot system using the same are provided. The flexible suction device includes a flexible tube portion, and a suction cup connected to one end of the flexible tube portion, such that the suction cup may grasp an object by a suction force. The flexible tube portion is controllable to switch between a straight state and at least one bending state, such that the flexible tube portion is configured to bend from the straight state to the at least one bending state in order to swing and flip the object being grasped by the suction cup. In operation, the flexible suction device is controlled to grasp and lift the object in the straight state, and then switch to the bending state in order to swing the object being grasped. Thus, the flexible suction device may release the object, such that the object is flipped. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot system, comprising: a controller; and a plurality of flexible suction devices each being configured to grasp an object, wherein each of the flexible suction devices comprises: a flexible tube portion; and a suction cup connected to one end of the flexible tube portion, and configured to grasp the object by a suction force, wherein the flexible tube portion is switchable between a straight state and at least one bending state, such that the controller is configured to control the flexible tube portion to bend in the at least one bending state in order to swing and flip the object being grasped by the suction cup. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot system of claim 1, wherein the flexible tube portion comprises: a plurality of flexible sections flexibly connected to one another; and a plurality of strings, each penetrating a periphery of the flexible sections to control the flexible sections to switch between the straight state and the at least one bending state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot system of claim 2, wherein an end of each of the strings is fixed to the suction cup. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The robot system of claim 2, wherein each of the flexible sections is a ring structure having a plurality of holes at the periphery thereof, and each of the strings penetrates through a corresponding one of the holes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The robot system of claim 2, wherein the flexible tube portion comprises: a plurality of sections; and at least one joint structure connecting the plurality of sections to control one of the sections to rotate relatively to another of the sections. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises: a processor; and a storage device storing computer executable code, wherein the controller is configured to execute the computer executable code at the processor to perform: controlling one of the flexible suction devices to grasp the object by the suction force or to release the object being grasped; controlling one of the flexible suction devices to switch to the straight state; controlling one of the flexible suction devices to switch to the at least one bending state; and controlling one of the flexible suction devices to move. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robot system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to flip the object by: controlling one of the flexible suction devices in the straight state to grasp the object by the suction force; controlling the flexible suction device to lift the object being grasped; controlling the flexible suction device to switch from the straight state to the at least one bending state in order to swing the object being grasped; and controlling the flexible suction device in the at least one bending state to release the object being grasped, such that the object is flipped. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The robot system of claim 7, wherein when the flexible suction device is in the straight state, a vertical projection of a center of mass of the object is located on a bottom surface of the object, and when the flexible suction device is switched to the at least one bending state, the vertical projection of the center of mass of the object is located on a different surface from the bottom surface of the object, such that the object is flipped when the flexible suction device releases the object. ### Claim 9 A method of flipping an object using a robot system, comprising: providing a flexible suction device to the robot system, wherein the flexible suction device comprises: a flexible tube portion; and a suction cup connected to one end of the flexible tube portion, and configured to grasp the object by a suction force, wherein the flexible tube portion is switchable between a straight state and at least one bending state; controlling the flexible suction device in the straight state to grasp the object by the suction force; controlling the flexible suction device to lift the object being grasped; controlling the flexible suction device to switch from the straight state to the at least one bending state in order to swing the object being grasped; and controlling the flexible suction device in the at least one bending state to release the object being grasped, such that the object is flipped. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the flexible tube portion comprises: a plurality of flexible sections flexibly connected to one another; and a plurality of strings, each penetrating a periphery of the flexible sections to control the flexible sections to switch between the straight state and the at least one bending state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein an end of each of the strings is fixed to the suction cup. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each of the flexible sections is a ring structure having a plurality of holes at the periphery thereof, and each of the strings penetrates through a corresponding one of the holes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the flexible tube portion comprises: a plurality of sections; and at least one joint structure connecting the plurality of sections to control one of the sections to rotate relatively to another of the sections. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the robot system comprises a controller, and the controller comprises: a processor; and a storage device storing computer executable code, wherein the controller is configured to execute the computer executable code at the processor to perform: controlling the flexible suction devices to grasp the object by the suction force or to release the object being grasped; controlling the flexible suction device to switch to the straight state; controlling the flexible suction device to switch to the at least one bending state; and controlling the flexible suction devices to move. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein when the flexible suction device is in the straight state, a vertical projection of a center of mass of the object is located on a bottom surface of the object, and when the flexible suction device is switched to the at least one bending state, the vertical projection of the center of mass of the object is located on a different surface from the bottom surface of the object, such that the object is flipped when the flexible suction device releases the object.