Double acting fluidic cylinder for material handling
AssigneeIntelligrated Headquarters, LLC
InventorsMichael Girtman, Kenneth S. Wales
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dual action cylinder for a robotic arm comprises a hollow cylinder having a front end and a rear end enclosing a chamber within. A rod and piston are reciprocatingly movable within the chamber and with a tip of the rod protruding through the front end of the cylinder. A passageway extends through the dual acting cylinder from the rear end to the protruding tip of the rod. Wherein the passageway provides open communication between the tip and the rear end, and changes length along the direction of reciprocation as the rod and piston move.
Claims18
A dual acting fluidic cylinder comprising:
- a hollow cylinder having a front end and a rear end enclosing a chamber within;
- a rod and piston are reciprocatingly movable within the chamber and with a tip of the rod protruding through the front end of the cylinder;
- and
- a passageway extends through the dual acting cylinder from the rear end to the protruding tip of the rod, wherein the passageway provides open communication between the tip and the rear end, and changes length along the direction of reciprocation as the rod and piston move.
A dual acting fluidic cylinder comprising:
- a hollow cylinder having a front end and a rear end enclosing a chamber within;
- a rod and piston reciprocatingly movable within the chamber of the hollow cylinder with a tip of the rod protruding through the front end of the cylinder;
- the rod and cylinder having an open rigid passageway extending through the rod and the piston;
- and
- an open flexible passageway connecting between the rear end and the rigid passageway in the piston, the flexible portion changing length when the rod and piston moves in a reciprocating direction.
A method of controlling a robot arm configured to passively conform to a plurality of irregular articles, the robot arm comprising a manipulator movable with the robot arm with a plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator, each of the dual acting cylinders having a front chamber and a rear chamber and each having a vacuum cup movable as the dual acting cylinder extends and retracts, each of the vacuum cups connected to a passageway extending through the dual acting cylinder with each passageway changing length as the dual acting cylinder extend and retract, a vacuum source is switchably connected to the vacuum cups through the passageway and a compressed air source is switchably connected to each of the front and rear chambers to respectively retract and extend the vacuum cups, comprising the steps of:
- extending dual acting cylinders from the manipulator by pressurizing the rear chamber;
- preparing dual acting cylinders to be proximally, passively moved by opening front and rear cylinders to atmosphere;
- actuating each vacuum source of each dual acting cylinder to provide suction to a respective vacuum cup;
- moving the manipulator distally with the robot arm to conform to the plurality of irregular articles, the movement causing each dual acting cylinder to passively and proximally retract from contact of the vacuum cup with a respective irregular article to passively conform the vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders into contact with the plurality of irregular articles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.