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.
Claims20
A pickup tool, the tool comprising:
- a base member;
- a plurality of independently activated nozzles;
- a plurality of nozzle movement mechanisms coupled to the base member;
- a vacuum manifold fluidly coupled with the vacuum source;
- a positive manifold;
- and
- a manifold movement mechanism, wherein the manifold movement mechanism is configured to collectively adjust a distance of the vacuum manifold and the positive manifold, relative to the base member, between a first position and a second position.
A pickup tool, the tool comprising:
- a base member;
- a plurality of independently activated nozzles;
- a plurality of nozzle movement mechanisms coupled to the base member;
- a vacuum manifold fluidly coupled with the vacuum source;
- a positive manifold;
- and
- a manifold movement mechanism, wherein the manifold movement mechanism is configured to collectively adjust a distance of the vacuum manifold and the positive manifold, relative to the base member, between a first position and a second position,
- wherein, when in the second position, at least a portion of the plurality of independently activated nozzles are adapted to fluidly couple or decouple with the positive manifold.
A pickup tool, the tool comprising:
- a base member;
- a plurality of independently activated nozzles;
- a plurality of nozzle movement mechanisms coupled to the base member;
- a vacuum manifold fluidly coupled with the vacuum source;
- a positive manifold;
- and
- a manifold movement mechanism, wherein the manifold movement mechanism is configured to collectively adjust a distance of the vacuum manifold and the positive manifold, relative to the base member, between a first position and a second position, and wherein the manifold movement mechanism is coupled to the base member and to the vacuum manifold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.