Device for mechanically gripping and loading cylindrical objects
AssigneeABB Automation Inc.
InventorsRobert S. Grams, Scott K. Haddix
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for mechanically gripping, transporting, loading and unloading cylindrical containers of various sizes for attachment to a robotic arm. The containers may be bottles including drinking water bottles. The device includes a plurality of gripping mechanisms for gripping the containers. Support pins are also provided for supporting the rotational motion of full bottles. A system for efficiently removing empty containers from racks and simultaneously loading full containers is also disclosed.
Claims15
An apparatus for gripping, transporting and loading a container having side walls and a neck, the apparatus comprising:
- a pair of parallel rails spaced at a predetermined distance from one another;
- a plurality of gripper mechanisms, each gripper mechanism being affixed to one of said parallel rails;
- a plurality of support pins, each pin being attached to one of said rails;
- and
- each gripper mechanism having a plurality of fingers, and each said finger being capable of moving from an open position to a clamped position.
A robotic end of an arm tool for an industrial robot, said robotic end-effector comprising:
- a plate capable of being coupled to the robot;
- a pair of rails mounted on said plate and arranged for laterally spaced relative movement;
- a plurality of gripper mechanisms, each gripper mechanism being attached to one of said rails;
- a plurality of support pins, each pin being attached to one of said rails;
- and
- each gripper mechanism having a plurality of fingers, said fingers capable of moving from an open position to a clamped position.
A system for gripping, transferring and loading containers from a pick-up position, said system comprising:
- a supply of full containers at said pickup position;
- a rack, said rack filled with empty containers;
- an industrial robot with an end-effector, said end-effector having a pair of rails spaced a predetermined distance from one another, a plurality of gripper mechanisms, each gripper mechanism being affixed to one of said rails, a plurality of support pins, each pin being attached to one of said rails, each gripper mechanism having a plurality of fingers, each said finger being capable of moving from an open position to a clamped position;
- and
- an unloading station adjacent to said pick-up position whereby empty containers are gripped by said end-effector, removed from said rack and transferred to said unloading station where full containers are substantially simultaneously gripped by said end-effector and transferred to said rack.
A method for unloading a first set of containers from a rack and loading a second set of containers into said rack, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a robotic end of an arm tool having a pair of rails spaced at a predetermined distance from one another, a plurality of gripper mechanisms, each gripper mechanism being affixed to one of said rails, a plurality of support pins, each pin being affixed to one of said rails, each gripper mechanism having a plurality of fingers, said fingers being capable of moving from an open position to a clamped position;
- removing a first container from said first set of containers from said rack;
- transferring said first container to a drop-off station;
- substantially simultaneously releasing said first container at said drop off station while gripping a second container from said second set of containers at an adjacent pick-up station;
- and
- transporting said second container to said rack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.