Non-contact suction cup device with flow recycling
AssigneeWcb Robotics Inc.
InventorUjjawal Aggarwal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-contact suction cup device (100) with flow recycling. The device is based on the recycling flow of fluid through one or more passage(s) (12) provided inside a suction cup chamber (51). The device further optionally includes a flow diverter (4) configured to divert the flow of fluid, and suction means (5) either directly or indirectly attached with the suction cup of the device (100), configured to suck or draw the fluid (11) from the periphery (52). The said passage (12) allow part of fluid to recirculate within the device chamber, hence causing a recycling effect on fluid used to create suction, which provides lower acoustic noise and higher energy efficiency.
Claims17
A non-contact suction cup device with flow recycling, wherein the non-contact suction cup device comprises:
- a suction cup with an outer shell;
- optionally, one or more flow diverter(s);
- one or more suction means;
- a chamber formed at one side of the suction cup, facing a surface to be sucked by action of fluid flow enabling adherence of the non-contact suction cup device onto the surface, and other side of the suction cup forms the outer shell of the non-contact suction cup device;
- wherein the chamber of the suction cup comprises one or more passage(s) that allow a portion of suction fluid to recirculate within the chamber, hence causing a recycling effect on fluid used to create suction;
- wherein, the passage comprises one or more split point(s) inside the chamber that acts as fluid inlet of the passage, and one or more merge point(s) at an outer periphery of the chamber that acts as fluid outlet of the passage;
- wherein, in operation of the non-contact suction cup device, a main fluid flow from the outer periphery enters inside the chamber and at said split point, the main fluid flow splits into parts forming:
- (i) a secondary fluid flow path that recirculates said portion of suction fluid through said one or more passage(s), and
- (ii) a primary fluid flow path that flows out other portion of suction fluid outside the non-contact suction cup device through an exhaust.
A method for non-contact suction using a non-contact suction cup device, wherein the method comprises:
- providing one or more passage(s) in a chamber of a suction cup, that allow a portion of suction fluid to recirculate within the chamber, hence causing a recycling effect on fluid used to create suction;
- wherein, when one or more suction means conjugated with the suction cup is operated and function to create suction, a main fluid flow from the outer periphery enters inside the chamber, diverted by a flow diverter and at a split point, the main fluid flow splits into parts forming:
- (i) a secondary fluid flow path, wherein a portion of fluid enters into the passage via an inlet at the split point, flowing therethrough exits out from the passage via an outlet at a merge point where said portion of fluid merges, and is mixed with the main fluid flow which continues to flow and thus a portion of main suction fluid flow recirculates through said one or more passage(s);
- and
- (ii) a primary fluid flow path that flows out other portion of suction fluid outside the non-contact suction cup device through an exhaust provided at a suction means attachment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.