Manufacturing pickup tool
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsAdam Montoya, Raymundo Alatorre Mercado
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum powered pickup tool with mechanically moveable discrete nozzles allows for selective activation of the nozzles through the mechanical movement of the nozzles relative to a vacuum manifold. The movement of a nozzle from an inactive position where an inlet port of the nozzle is fluidly decoupled with the vacuum manifold to an active position where the inlet port is fluidly coupled with the vacuum manifold allows for independent activation of discrete nozzles of the pickup tool. Aspects also contemplate varying an associate manifold through movement of the manifolds accessible to the inlet port of the nozzle when in the active position.
Claims15
A method of moving material with a pickup tool, the method comprising:
- moving a first nozzle of a plurality of nozzles relative to a vacuum manifold of the pickup tool to fluidly couple an inlet port of the first nozzle with a sleeve port of the vacuum manifold;
- positioning the pickup tool such that the first nozzle is positioned proximate a component to be picked up by the pickup tool at a first location;
- moving the component as maintained to the pickup tool by at least the first nozzle;
- placing the component at a second location;
- moving the first nozzle relative to the vacuum manifold to fluidly decouple the inlet port from the sleeve port;
- and
- moving a positive manifold relative to the first nozzle such that the inlet port of the first nozzle is in fluid communication with a positive sleeve port of the positive manifold.
A method of moving material with a pickup tool, the method comprising:
- moving a first nozzle of a plurality of nozzles relative to a vacuum manifold of a pickup tool to fluidly couple an inlet port of the first nozzle with a sleeve port of the vacuum manifold;
- positioning the pickup tool such that the first nozzle is positioned proximate a component to be picked up by the pickup tool at a first location;
- moving the component as maintained to the pickup tool by at least the first nozzle;
- placing the component at a second location;
- and
- moving a positive manifold relative to the first nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.