Back to results
US 11,091,355 B1Granted
Mechanically intelligent end-of-arm tool
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLeonard Thomas Lilliston, III, Beth A. Marcus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanically intelligent end-of-arm tool includes a valve that is actuated by the action of the arm, such that a force applied to the object to be grasped opens the valve to expose a suction cup to the vacuum pressure. A spool valve, poppet valve, and butterfly valve, et al., can perform the valve function. The tool may include a button that has a rigid contact surface or may be deformable to provide a smoothing force to the object.
Claims20
A spool valve assembly, comprising:
- a housing defining apertures;
- a spool assembly at least partly within and moveable within the housing, the spool assembly including:
- a hollow piston including a shaft wall defining ports formed therethrough, the hollow piston being biased to a rest position;
- a seal formed between the piston shaft wall and the housing when the hollow piston is in the rest position, the seal configured to block air flow between the housing apertures and the shaft wall ports;
- and
- a button forming a bottom face of the housing;
- and
- a suction cup having a sidewall positioned circumferentially around the button,
- wherein the hollow piston is configured to be displaceable, against the bias, in response to a force applied through the button, thereby enabling air flow between the housing apertures and the shaft wall ports.
6 more elements
A tool configured to engage an object, the tool comprising:
- a housing defining a plenum and a vacuum inlet configured to provide vacuum to the plenum;
- a valve assembly including an inlet open to ambient air, an outlet in fluid communication with the plenum, an actuator, and a valve that is biased toward a rest position in which the valve blocks air flow between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a suction cup having a sidewall positioned circumferentially around the valve inlet, the suction cup mounted to at least one of the housing or the valve assembly,
- wherein the actuator is configured to be displaceable relative to housing, against the bias and in response to the valve assembly engaging an object, thereby enabling air flow between the inlet and the outlet, and
- wherein the tool is configured to apply a force to an item and/or label of a package, upon engagement of the tool with the package, before application of vacuum pressure through the suction cup.
3 more elements
A spool valve assembly, comprising:
- a housing defining apertures;
- a spool assembly at least partly within and moveable within the housing, the spool assembly including:
- a hollow piston including a shaft wall defining ports formed therethrough, the hollow piston being biased to a rest position;
- at least one seal formed between the piston shaft wall and the housing when the hollow piston is in the rest position, the at least one seal configured to block air flow between the housing apertures and the shaft wall ports;
- and
- a button having a planar bottom contact face;
- and
- a suction cup positioned about the button,
- wherein the hollow piston is configured to be displaceable, against the bias, in response to a force applied through the button, thereby enabling air flow between the housing apertures and the shaft wall ports, and
- wherein the button includes oriented fingers that are configured to, in response to the force applied through the button upon engagement with a package, move radially outwardly over the package.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.