# US 10,501,273 B2 · Workpiece transfer apparatus and workpiece transfer method

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- Number: US 10,501,273 B2
- Document ID: US10501273B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/029,882
- Filed: 2018-07-09
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-31
- Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Takahiko Nishibun; Takuya Haraguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501273B2

## CPC

- B25B 11/005: {Vacuum work holders}
- B65H 3/0816: {separating from the top of pile}
- B65G 59/02: De-stacking from the top of the stack
- B65G 59/045: {with a stepwise upward movement of the stack}
- B65H 3/14: Air blasts producing partial vacuum
- B65G 2201/02: Articles
- B65G 2814/031: Removing from the top
- B65H 2406/12: producing gas blast
- B65H 2406/122: Nozzles
- B25B: TOOLS OR BENCH DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, FOR FASTENING, CONNECTING, DISENGAGING, OR HOLDING
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A workpiece transfer apparatus includes a mounting surface, a non-contact chuck, and an extracting mechanism. The mounting surface receives workpieces stacked one above the other. The non-contact chuck is located above the workpieces to draw the uppermost workpiece. The extracting mechanism extracts the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece in a predetermined extracting direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A workpiece transfer apparatus comprising:
a mounting surface for receiving a plurality of workpieces stacked one above the other;
a non-contact chuck located above the workpieces to draw an uppermost workpiece; and
a roller or a gripper configured to extract the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece in a predetermined extracting direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chuck is one of a plurality of chucks that are arranged in the extracting direction and are spaced apart from each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a blocking member located adjacent to the workpieces, wherein
the blocking member extends over a distance between the mounting surface and a lower surface of the chuck, and
the blocking member restricts the uppermost workpiece from laterally sliding in a direction different from the extracting direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a displacing mechanism, which selectively lifts and lowers at least one of the mounting surface and a lower surface of the chuck in such a manner that the distance between the uppermost workpiece and the lower surface of the chuck is within a predetermined range that allows the uppermost workpiece to be drawn.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the roller or the gripper is further configured to extract the uppermost workpiece in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 6

A method for transferring a plurality of workpieces stacked one above the other on a mounting surface in order from the top, the method comprising:
drawing an uppermost workpiece using a non-contact chuck; and
extracting the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck in an extracting direction by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece using a roller or a gripper.