Actuating an air conveyor device is disclosed, including: causing an airflow to be generated by an airflow generator of an air conveyor device, wherein the airflow generator is configured to cause the airflow to enter an intake port of the air conveyor device and exit from an outlet port of the air conveyor device in response to receiving air at an air input port of the air conveyor device; causing a target object to be captured by the air conveyor device using the airflow; activating a positioning actuator mechanism to position the air conveyor device; and causing the target object to be ejected from the air conveyor device.

The present disclosure relates to a suction device including a shell with a chamber, the chamber including an opening. A fan is disposed in the chamber, and a power component for driving the fan to rotate is disposed on the shell. An external fluid source holding an additional fluid is connected to the chamber. The additional fluid of the external fluid source flows into the chamber to occupy a volume in the chamber and at least partially forces a first fluid originally present in the chamber out of the chamber. The fan drives fluids in the chamber to rotate so that a stepped negative pressure is generated in the chamber, with a magnitude of the negative pressure decreasing as a distance to a periphery of the chamber decreases. Thereby, a pressure difference between an inside and an outside of the shell is decreased, decreasing vacuum leakage of the suction device.

System and methods for manipulating and sorting of objects being moved along a conveyor are disclosed, whereby control of the object is achieved through the application of one or more of vacuum, impaling, or mechanical grasping. One embodiment is directed to a robotic arm and vision detection system operable for detecting a target object to be grasped from a stream of objects being moved on a conveyor, and moving a suction head into position over the target object that has been detected on the conveyor, the suction head having a flexible cup section disposed at a distal end thereof, the vacuum item pick-up system/method using high subsonic air flow (e.g., on the order of 60 scfm or more) through a suction cup having a flow opening area large enough that an airflow of 60 scfm does not result in an airspeed exceeding Mach 0.2 under standard conditions of temperature and pressure, and further having a flow opening area whose ratio to cup opening area falls between 0.36 and 1.44 for applying a desired vacuum suction force for grasping the target object. Either as a primary grasping mechanism, or as an optional supplemental grasping mechanism, a piercing mechanism may be inserted into the object and used to manipulate the object in space. Alternate systems/methods for manipulating and sorting objects via hitting, flicking, or pushing are also disclosed.

System and methods for manipulating and sorting of objects being moved along a conveyor are disclosed, whereby control of the object is achieved through the application of one or more of vacuum, impaling, or mechanical grasping. One embodiment is directed to a robotic arm and vision detection system operable for detecting a target object to be grasped from a stream of objects being moved on a conveyor, and moving a suction head into position over the target object that has been detected on the conveyor, the suction head having a flexible cup section disposed at a distal end thereof, the vacuum item pick-up system/method using high subsonic air flow (e.g., on the order of 60 scfm or more) through a suction cup having a flow opening area large enough that an airflow of 60 scfm does not result in an airspeed exceeding Mach 0.2 under standard conditions of temperature and pressure, and further having a flow opening area whose ratio to cup opening area falls between 0.36 and 1.44 for applying a desired vacuum suction force for grasping the target object. Either as a primary grasping mechanism, or as an optional supplemental grasping mechanism, a piercing mechanism may be inserted into the object and used to manipulate the object in space. Alternate systems/methods for manipulating and sorting objects via hitting, flicking, or pushing are also disclosed.

A non-contact handler includes an upper body portion and a lower body portion movably coupled to the upper body portion. The lower body portion includes a non-contact puck configured to lift an object and a plurality of containment fences extending downward from the puck. The plurality of containment fences are arranged around a periphery of the object to be lifted.

This disclosure is directed to automated warehouse facilities that are configured to assemble mixed pallets. The warehouse facilities can include one or more layer handling devices that are configured to remove layers from pallets in a delayering operational mode, and to add layers to pallets in a palletizing operation mode. The warehouse facilities also may include one or more item retrieval devices that are configured to retrieve individual items from storage racks. The warehouse facilities can include other automated devices as well.

A substrate processing apparatus may include a substrate jig device and a transfer unit, which is configured to hold a substrate in a non-contact state and move the substrate toward the substrate jig device. The substrate jig device may include a supporter, which is configured to support an edge of the substrate and have an opening, a first suction part, which overlaps with a center region of the opening and is configured to move in a first direction, and a plurality of second suction parts, which overlap with an edge region of the opening and are configured to move toward the opening. Here, the first direction may be a direction passing through the opening.

Swirl flow-forming body includes main body, first end face that is formed at main body and faces a member to which suction is applied, hole that opens on first end face, jetting port that is formed on inner periphery of main body, inner periphery facing hole, and fluid passage that allows fluid to be discharged into hole via jetting port so as to form a swirl flow that generates negative pressure for applying suction to the member. Inner periphery is formed so as to guide fluid discharged via jetting port, in a direction away from the member, to be discharged from hole.

A sample transfer device includes a sample container holder including at least one jet that ejects air, and the sample container holder holds an upper surface of a sample container in a non-contact state by a negative pressure generated due to horizontally outward flow of the air ejected from the jet.

An adjustable joint for insertion into a linkage of a substrate handler utilized for substrate processing. The adjustable joint allows for adjusting the pitch and roll of an attached link. Such adjustment may permit aligning a pickup surface of an end effector to a desired plane. Once adjusted, the joint may be fixed to maintain the desired orientation of the attached link. The adjustable joint allows for correcting deflection of a pickup surface of an end effector relative to a desired pickup plane due to, for example, drooping caused by high temperature usage, mechanical tolerances and/or installation errors.