Deformable gripper arm
AssigneeThe Heil Co.
InventorBryan Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refuse collection vehicle includes a refuse grabber assembly, a lift arm coupled to the refuse grabber assembly, and a hopper configured to receive refuse from the refuse container. The lift arm is operable to position the refuse grabber assembly. The refuse grabber assembly includes a first grabber arm and a second grabber arm that are configured to cooperate to engage the refuse container. The first grabber arm includes a first gripper and a first support arm coupled to the first gripper. The first gripper includes a first deformable structure configured to contact a first surface of a refuse container. The second grabber arm includes a second gripper and a second support arm coupled to the second gripper. The second gripper includes a second deformable structure configured to contact a second surface of the refuse container.
Claims17
A method of manufacturing a gripper configured to grip a refuse container, the method comprising:
- placing an insert in a mold, the insert comprising a first plurality of openings extending through the insert;
- injecting a flowable material into the mold surrounding the insert;
- flowing the flowable material along the insert and through the first plurality of openings extending through the insert;
- and
- curing the flowable material to form a deformable structure of the gripper, the deformable structure surrounding and coupled to the insert by at least the first plurality of openings, the deformable structure of the gripper configured to contact a surface of the refuse container and to deform in response to application of a threshold force to a surface of the deformable structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.