Automated grasping apparatus and method for precise and clean assembly of large-aperture optical element

An automated grasping apparatus for a precise and clean assembly of a large-aperture optical element, characterized in that:

• comprising:
• a reconfigurable end effector (1) arranged for generating a vacuum suction force;
• a manipulating robot arm (12) driving said end effector (1) to move;
• a code scanning recognizer (15) for reading specifications of the optical element;
• a task management software and process database system (14);
• an electrical auxiliary support system (16);
• and
• a computer control unit (13) retrieving data from said task management software and process database system (14) and controllably operating said end effector (1), said manipulating robot arm (12) and said electrical auxiliary support system (16),
• said end effector (1) comprises a central spindle unit (3), a flange connecting disk (2) coupled at a top side of said central spindle unit (3) to couple with said manipulating robot arm (12), a vacuum suction array unit (4) comprising a plurality of discrete members being moved independently, and a support rod system (5) radially extended from said central spindle unit (3) to said discrete members, wherein said discrete members are driven to move independently and are axially moved along said central spindle unit (3) by said support rod system (5),
• said central spindle unit (3) comprises a hollow spindle (7), an upper retention ring (8), a movable ring (9), a lower retention ring (10), and a single degree of freedom servo cylinder system (11) wherein said upper retention ring (8), said movable ring (9) and said lower retention ring (10) are sequentially coupled at said hollow spindle (7) from top to bottom, wherein single degree of freedom servo cylinder system (11) is coaxially provided in said hollow spindle (7) and is coupled to said movable ring (9), wherein said movable ring (9) is controllably moved up and down along an axis of said hollow spindle (7) according to an input displacement command, wherein said support rod system (5) comprises three rod sets, wherein a first end of each of said rod sets is coupled to at least one of said upper retention ring (8), said movable ring (9) and said lower retention ring (10),
• said rod set of said support rod system (5) is pivotally connected via a single degree of freedom pivot hinge, such that said rod set is adapted to pivotally move up and down with respect to a pivot shaft of said pivot hinge, wherein two rods form a pair as on said rod set, wherein a second end of said rod set is pivotally coupled to another pivot hinge of a positioning frame of each said discrete member of said vacuum suction array unit (4),
• said discrete members of said vacuum suction array unit (4) are divided into two operational groups, wherein said discrete members in each operational group are moved up and down synchronously, wherein when said movable ring (9) is moved up and down by said single-degree-of-freedom servo cylinder system (11), said discrete members in said two operational groups are moved asynchronously, during an operating, said discrete members are arranged for automatically grasping the optical element that an arrangement of said discrete members of said vacuum suction array unit (4) is correspondingly changed with respect to a diameter size of an aperture of the optical element, so as to achieve the reconfigurable ability of said end effector (1).