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US 10,800,601 B2Granted
Feeder for a robotic workcell
AssigneeElite Robotics
InventorsZachary Francis, Anthony Vanni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for the acceptance of loose components and feeding of individual components in a known position and orientation are disclosed.
Claims11
An apparatus for feeding a component to a robot, comprising:
- a hopper, and
- a piston configured to reciprocate with respect to the hopper, the piston comprising:
- a receptacle configured to accept a component in a determined orientation, and
- a first position selected such that a component accepted in the receptacle will be in a determined position when the piston is in the first position,
- wherein the receptacle is configured to allow the robot to retrieve the component from the determined position when the piston is in the first position.
2 more elements
A method for feeding a component to a robot, comprising the steps of:
- placing a plurality of components in a bin having a bottom,
- lowering a piston within a channel that passes through the bottom of the bin until an upper end of the piston is below the bottom of the bin,
- applying a brief upward force to the bin,
- allowing one of the plurality of components to fall into the channel and then into a receptacle that is formed in the upper end of the piston, and
- raising the piston until the component is in a determined position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.