The present invention relates to a vacuum suction pad applied to a vacuum transfer system. The vacuum suction pad has a structure in which a plurality of suction cells are formed by flexible partition walls. The vacuum suction pad includes a coil spring that is coaxially installed at a central portion in a longitudinal direction in each of the suction cells and spaced a distance from the partition wall and a pipeline flow control valve coupled to a lower end of the spring. The suction pad is coupled with a separately provided body to constitute a vacuum gripper of the present invention, and the gripper is connected to a vacuum pump through an exhaust port defined at one side of the body.

Described herein is an end effector for picking up and placing an object on a rigid tool. The end effector comprises a plate and an internal seal attached to the plate. The internal seal comprises an internal permeable layer and an internal impermeable film. The end effector further comprises at least one vacuum port extending through the plate and open to the internal permeable layer. Additionally, the end effector may comprise an external seal attached to the plate. The external seal comprises an external permeable layer and an external impermeable film.

An end effector is disclosed for an articulated arm. The end effector includes a valve assembly including a plurality of supply channels, each supply channel including a supply conduit, a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the supply conduit, and a supply conduit plug. The supply conduit is in fluid communication with a vacuum source. During use, each supply conduit is either at vacuum such that the pressure within the supply conduit is substantially at a vacuum pressure, or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum pressure because the supply conduit plug has moved to block a portion of the supply conduit. The pressure sensor of each supply conduit provides a pressure sensor signal responsive to whether the pressure in the conduit is either substantially at vacuum or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum.

The present disclosure relates to a material handling system for manipulating items. The material handling system includes a repositioning system comprising a robotic tool which includes a robotic arm portion and an end effector. The robotic tool is configured to manipulate an item in a first orientation and reorient the item to a second orientation. The material handling system further includes a vision system having one or more sensors positioned within the material handling system. The vision system is configured to generate inputs corresponding to the characteristics of the items. The material handling system may further include a controller executing instructions to cause the material handling system to identify the item in the first orientation, based on the one or more characteristics of the item, initiate, by the repositioning system, picking of the item in the first orientation, and re-orient the item in the second orientation.

A head of chip picker is disclosed. The head has a clipping seat and an elastic block. The clipping seat has a body and two arms. The arms are respectively and downwardly extended from two opposite sides of an inner top surface of the body, so a cavity with a wide-top and narrow-bottom shape is constituted among the inner top surface and the arms. The elastic block matches the cavity and is laterally inserted into the cavity. The elastic block is not deformed after inserting into the cavity and provides a flat bottom surface.

A suction board includes a nonwoven fabric sheet that has a uniform thickness and is formed into a disk shape, and a ring-shaped holding body that movably supports the nonwoven fabric sheet to an attaching adapter. The suction surface is formed by the flat surface of the nonwoven fabric sheet, and the nonwoven fabric sheet is provided with an air-impermeable region in the outer peripheral portion and an air-permeable region excluding the outer peripheral portion, and the density of the air-impermeable region is higher than the density of the air-permeable region.

An end effector is disclosed for an articulated arm. The end effector includes a valve assembly including a plurality of supply channels, each supply channel including a supply conduit, a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the supply conduit, and a supply conduit plug. The supply conduit is in fluid communication with a vacuum source. During use, each supply conduit is either at vacuum such that the pressure within the supply conduit is substantially at a vacuum pressure, or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum pressure because the supply conduit plug has moved to block a portion of the supply conduit. The pressure sensor of each supply conduit provides a pressure sensor signal responsive to whether the pressure in the conduit is either substantially at vacuum or is at a pressure that is substantially higher than vacuum.

A foam vacuum gripper device comprising at least a vacuum gripper body and at least one foam layer arranged on a bottom surface of the vacuum gripper body, at least the foam layer is secured to the vacuum gripper body by way of a magnetic attraction between the bottom surface of the vacuum gripper body and the foam layer.

A control device comprises a first interface, a second interface, a processor, and a third interface. A first interface is configured to acquire a captured image of an article. A second interface is configured to transmit and receive data to and from an input/output device. A processor is configured to cause the input/output device to display an article image based on the captured image, receive an input of a position and an angle of a grip portion model of a grip portion that grips the article from the input/output device through the second interface, display the grip portion model on the article image, and generate a gripping plan. A third interface configured to transmit the gripping plan to a control unit of a gripping device including the grip portion.

A vacuum gripper sealing element allows a vacuum gripper to suitably conform to irregular surface topology without compromising vacuum conditions. The sealing element utilizes a compressible sealing element which at least partially encapsulates an elastic sealing element. Upon being pressed against an object surface, the compressible sealing element will conform within and around macroscopic peaks, valleys and other irregular physical features. While conforming to macro-scale features, the compressible sealing element applies pressure isotropically upon the encapsulated elastic sealing element, which elastically conforms to micro-scale features while pressed thereagainst. The elastic sealing element has a fluid-filled interior that is surrounded by an elastic outer layer. While under pressure against an irregular surface topology, the fluid-filled interior displaces so as to redistribute internal forces, conforming the elastic outer layer to the micro-scale features of the object surface.