# US 2019/0168398 A1 · Food handling gripper > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168398 A1 - Document ID: US20190168398A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/148,170 - Filed: 2018-10-01 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-26 - Assignees: Soft Robotics, Inc. - Applicants: Soft Robotics, Inc. - Inventors: Joshua Aaron LESSING; Ryan Richard KNOPF; Daniel Vincent HARBURG; Kevin ALCEDO; Grant Thomas SELLERS; Mark CHIAPPETTA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168398A1 ## CPC - B25J 15/12: with flexible finger members - B25J 9/142: {comprising inflatable bodies} - B25J 15/0023: {Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid (flexible fingers B25J15/12)} - B25J 15/0475: {Exchangeable fingers} - B25J 15/10: with three or more finger members {(B25J15/0009 takes precedence)} - B25J 19/0075: {Means for protecting the manipulator from its environment or vice versa} - Y10S 901/39: Jaw structure - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in robotic systems to reduce biological or chemical harborage points on the systems. For example, in exemplary embodiments, robotic actuators, hubs, or entire robotic systems may be configured to allow crevices along joints or near fasteners to be reduced or eliminated, hard corners to be replaced with rounded edges, certain components or harborage points to be eliminated, shapes to be reconfigured to be smoother or flat, and/or or surfaces to be reconfigurable for simpler cleaning. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -25. (canceled) ### Claim 26 A soft actuator comprising: an elastomeric body that extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the elastomeric body: surrounding a void configured to receive an inflation fluid, comprising a plurality of accordion extensions, and being tapered from the proximal end to the distal end in a breadth direction and a thickness direction. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The soft actuator of claim 26, wherein the soft actuator comprises a gripping surface on a base of the soft actuator, the gripping surface configured to extend to create a textured surface on the base when the actuator is in an inflated state, and configured to retract to create a smooth surface when the actuator is not in an inflated state. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The soft actuator of claim 27, wherein the gripping surface is formed by an internal channel configured to receive inflation fluid independently of a remainder of the soft actuator. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The soft actuator of claim 27, further comprising a control system for applying a predetermined amount of vacuum to the soft actuator, the predetermined amount corresponding to at least one of a configuration of a target object to be grasped or an environment in which the target object is located. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The soft actuator of claim 26, wherein the elastomeric body tapers to different degrees along the width of the actuator to alter lateral actuator stability as compared to an untapered actuator. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The soft actuator of claim 26, wherein the elastomeric body tapers to different degrees along the length of the actuator to alter axial stability as compared to an untapered actuator. ### Claim 32 (depends on 26) The soft actuator of claim 26, wherein a wall thickness of elastomeric body tapers to different degrees to alter a gradient change in expansion upon actuation as compared to an untapered actuator. ### Claim 33 (depends on 26) The soft actuator of claim 26, wherein amplitudes of respective accordion extensions exhibit different amplitudes, resulting in a gradient change in curvature response when compared to an untampered actuator. ### Claim 34 A soft actuator comprising: an oval-shaped elastomeric body that extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the elastomeric body: surrounding plurality of teardrop-shaped voids configured to receive an inflation fluid, comprising a plurality of accordion extensions, and configured to bend along a major axis extending in a circumferential direction of the soft actuator and a minor axis extending in an axial direction of the soft actuator when inflated to create a cupping shape. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The soft actuator of claim 34, wherein the elastomeric body is tapered in a thickness direction from the proximal end to the distal end. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The soft actuator of claim 34, further comprising a central opening extending through the actuator in a thickness direction. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The soft actuator of claim 34, wherein the teardrop-shaped voids include a relatively narrow region that expands into a relatively wider region. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The soft actuator of claim 37, wherein the relatively narrow region is disposed closer to a center of the actuator as compared to the relatively wider region. ### Claim 39 (depends on 34) A robotic gripper comprising a plurality of the soft robotic actuators of claim 34 arranged in a circular or rectangular arrangement and configured to fully enclose a target object when inflated, the soft robotic actuators having a predetermined breadth selected to for an enveloping sphere when the soft robotic actuators are inflated with the inflation fluid.