# US 10,369,806 B2 · Universal part gripper with conformable gripper ball with vacuum assist > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,806 B2 - Document ID: US10369806B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/645,189 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2019-01-10 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-10 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Linn C Hoover; Erwin Ruiz; Jeffrey J Bradway; Paul M Fromm - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369806B2 ## 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 A universal object holder device for securing 3-D objects for printing on the objects includes one or more ball shaped conformable grippers filled with irregular-shaped granular material with the one or more ball shaped conformable grippers each possessing an integrated vacuum gripper extending through an outer surface thereof. The combination of ball and vacuum gripper enables the universal object holder device to pick up a wider range of objects including those whose diameter is larger than the diameter of each gripper ball. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A universal part holder, comprising: a part holder plate; at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper, said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper including granular particles therein; a loading plate spaced a predetermined distance away from said part holder plate, said loading plate including at least one hole therein, and wherein said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper is mounted within and extends orthogonally through said at least one hole in said loading plate; said loading plate is configured to be biased to move said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper horizontally into and out of engagement with a part positioned within said part holder plate; a vacuum source for applying negative pressure into said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper such that said granular particles within said at least one conformable gripper become semi-rigid and grips said part positioned within said part holder plate; and wherein said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper includes at least one integrated vacuum gripper positioned within an outer surface portion of said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The universal part holder of claim 1, including a pair of shaft mounted conformable grippers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The universal part holder of claim 1, wherein said loading plate is configured to be biased with springs. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The universal part holder of claim 3, wherein said granular particulates within said at least one shaft mounted conformable gripper are irregular in shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The universal part holder of claim 4, wherein said irregular shaped granular particles are beads. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The universal part holder of claim 5, wherein said beads are made of plastic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The universal part holder of claim 5, wherein said universal part holder is placed within a printer that prints on 3-D parts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The universal part holder of claim 1, wherein said integrated vacuum gripper is an elastomer. ### Claim 9 A printer part holder for securely gripping parts for printing thereon, comprising: a holder plate; a loading plate and spacers separating said holder plate and loading plate a predetermined distance; collapsible spherical grippers loaded orthogonally within said loading plate and extending towards said holder plate, said collapsible spherical grippers including granular material therein; vacuum grippers integral with an outer surface of and extending into said collapsible spherical grippers; and a vacuum source adapted to apply a vacuum to said collapsible spherical grippers and collapse said collapsible spherical grippers under atmospheric pressure and thereby compress said granular material around a part while simultaneously forming a semi-rigid support against a back portion of the part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The printer part holder of claim 9, wherein said vacuum grippers are made of an elastomer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The printer part holder of claim 10, wherein said loading plate is biased towards said holder plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The printer part holder of claim 11, wherein said loading plate is biased towards said holder plate with springs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The printer part holder of claim 12, wherein said granular material comprises irregular shaped beads. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The printer part holder of claim 13, wherein said irregular shaped beads are made of plastic. ### Claim 15 A part holder for gripping a part for transfer to a predetermined location, comprising: a holder plate into which said part is placed; a loading plate having holes therein, said loading plate being spaced from and connected to said holder plate; a pair of spherical flexible grippers loaded orthogonally within said holes in said loading plate, said pair of spherical flexible grippers including granular material therein; wherein said loading plate and said pair of spherical flexible grippers configured to be biased to slide towards said holder plate; vacuum grippers integral with an outer surface of and extending into said pair of spherical flexible grippers; and a vacuum source adapted to apply a vacuum to said pair of spherical flexible grippers and collapse said pair of spherical flexible grippers under atmospheric pressure to compress said granular material around a part and thereby forming a semi-ridge support against a back portion of said part. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The part holder of claim 15, wherein said granular material within said pair of spherical flexible grippers includes irregular shaped beads that facilitate locking of said irregular shaped beads together when vacuum is applied and atmospheric pressure compresses a covering material of said pair of spherical flexible grippers against said irregular shaped beads. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The part holder of claim 16, wherein said irregular shaped beads are made of plastic. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The part holder of claim 17, wherein said loading plate and said pair of spherical flexible grippers are configured to slide towards and away from said holder plate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The part holder of claim 18, wherein said vacuum grippers are adapted to hold a 3-D part within said holder plate while configured to move said 3-D part in front of print heads of a printer that prints on said 3-D part. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The part holder of claim 19, wherein said pair of spherical flexible grippers are attached to said loading plate.