A GRIPPER DEVICE

Abstract

A gripper device is configured to pick up a pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick-up area and releasing it at a releasing area, where a support is provided. A pair of jaws is mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws. A tail bender device is attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws. The tail bender device is moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick-up area until releasing it at the releasing area.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A gripper device configured to pick up a pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick up area and releasing it at a releasing area, comprising: a support, a pair of jaws mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws, and a tail bender device attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws, the tail bender device being moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick up area until releasing it at the releasing area, wherein the movement of the tail bender device relative to the pair of jaws comprises a movement of the tail bender device at least partly below the pair of jaws when being in closing position such that said bending of the tail-like part comprises pushing the tail-like part downward.

16. The gripper device according to claim 15, wherein the tail bender device comprises a plate structure connected to a spring load mechanism, the plate structure being configured to carry out said pushing of the tail-like part downward.

17. The gripper device according to claim 16, wherein the spring load mechanism is designed such that at a rest position the plate structure extends at least partly below the distal ends of said pair of jaws, and where when picking up the pliable product the plate structure initially comes in contact with the tail-like part followed by an upward movement of the plate structure via a compression in the spring load mechanism as the pair of jaws move to pick up area surface followed by a movement of the distal ends towards each other.

18. The gripper device according to claim 17, wherein subsequent to picking up the food product and moving the pair of jaws away from the pick up area surface the potential energy in the spring load mechanism is automatically released via downward movement of the plate structure back to said rest position.

19. The gripper device according to claim 15, wherein the tail bender device is arranged at one end of the pair of jaws, where at the opposite end each of the pair of jaws comprises a side portions at one end of the pair of jaws such that when the pair of jaws are in a closing position the side portions meet and define an end wall portion at one end of the pair of jaws.

20. The gripper device according to claim 15, wherein the tail bender device is operable connected to the support such that when moving the distal ends of the pair of jaws towards each other said downward movement of the tail bender device is automatically provided.

21. The gripper according to claim 15, wherein the tail bender device is arranged at both ends of the pair of jaws.

22. The gripper according to claim 15, further comprising a belt arranged to extend directly across the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the food product to be picked up and to extend around the food product when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the food product such that their distal ends penetrate between the food product and the support surface.

23. The gripper device according to claim 15, further comprising a blowing device arranged in the vicinity of the tail bender device configured to provide a downward blowing function between the tail bender device and the tail-like part when releasing the food product at the releasing area.

24. The gripper according to claim 15, wherein moving the tail bender device relative to the pair of jaws comprises moving the tail bender device sidewise towards the food product such that said bending of the tail-like part comprises compressing the food product into a shorter shape.

25. A method of picking up a pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick up area and releasing it at a releasing area using a gripper which comprises: a support, a pair of jaws mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws, and a tail bender device attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws, the tail bender device being moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick up area until releasing it at the releasing area, wherein the step of moving the tail bender device in relation to the pair of jaws comprises moving the tail bender device at least partly below the pair of jaws when being in closing position such that said bending of the tail-like part comprises pushing the tail-like part downward.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the step of moving the tail bender device in relation to the pair of jaws comprises moving the tail bender device sidewise towards food product such that said bending of the tail-like part comprises compressing the food product into a shorter shape.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the orientation of the tail bender device is controlled by a control unit in response from image data indicating the position of the tail-like part.

28. A robotic system comprising: a position detection means for detecting positions of incoming pliable food products having a tail-like part, a gripper device comprising: a support, a pair of jaws mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws, and a tail bender device attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws, a control unit for controlling the movement of the gripper device in accordance to the detected positions of the pliable food products when picking up the pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick up area and releasing it at a releasing area, wherein the tail bender device is moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick up area until releasing it at the releasing area, wherein the step of moving the tail bender device in relation to the pair of jaws comprises moving the tail bender device at least partly below the pair of jaws when being in closing position such that said bending of the tail-like part comprises pushing the tail-like part downward.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

[0041] FIGS. 1 and 2 show two different embodiments of a gripper device according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0042] FIG. 1a-c shows one embodiment of a gripper device 100 according to the present invention configured to pick up a pliable food product having a tail-like part 107 from a pick up area surface and releasing it at a releasing area. The gripper device 100 comprises a support 101, a pair of jaws 102a,b mounted to the support 101 for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws, and a tail bender device 103 attached to the support and adjacent to at least one end of the pair of jaws, or at shown here at one end of the pair of jaws 102a,b. The tail bender device 103 is moveable in relation to the pair of jaws 102a,b and is configured to move at least partly below the pair of jaws when being in closing position and thus to push the tail-like part downward while transferring the food product from the pick up area until releasing it at the releasing area.

[0043] A vision system or the like may be provided to determine at which end the tail-like part is, and this data may then be used by a control unit (not shown) to ensure that the tail bender device is positioned above the tail-like part.

[0044] In the embodiment shown here, the tail bender device comprises a plate structure 104 slidable attached to a rail 105 and connected to a spring load mechanism 106 where the plate structure 104 is configured to carry out said pushing of the tail-like part downward. The spring load mechanism is designed such that at a rest position the plate structure 104 extends below the distal ends of said pair of jaws.

[0045] FIG. 1b shows where the gripper device has been moved adjacent to the pick up area surface 116 with the tail bender device on the same side as the tail-like part 107. Since the plate structure extends below the pair of jaws, it comes initially in contact with the tail-like part followed by an upward movement of the plate structure as indicated by the arrow 108 via a compression in the spring load mechanism as the pair of jaws move to the pick up area surface 116, where they move from said open position to said closing position where distal ends move towards each other and under the pliable food product (not shown here).

[0046] FIG. 1c shows where the gripper device after picking up the food product and moves the pair of jaws away from the pick up area surface 116. The potential energy stored in the spring load mechanism is automatically released via downward movement of the plate structure back to said rest position.

[0047] The gripper device may in one embodiment further comprise a belt (not shown) arranged to extend directly across the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the food product to be picked up and to extend around the food product when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the food product such that their distal ends penetrate between the food product and the support surface.

[0048] It should be noted that the spring load may easily be replaced with an air piston, pneumatic driven cylinder and similar devices well known to a person skilled in the art.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the gripper device shown in FIG. 1, where the tail bender device 203 is operable connected to the support 201 such that when moving the distal ends of the pair of jaws towards each other said movement of the tail bender device is provided in more like an arc movement as shown by the arrow 210 causing the pushing of the tail-like part downward.

[0050] Although not shown here, the gripper device is preferably part of a robotic system comprising a position detection means, e.g. any kind of a vision system, for detecting positions of incoming pliable food products having a tail-like part, e.g. a robotic arm to which the gripper device is attached to, a control unit for controlling the movement of robotic arm and the gripper device in accordance to the detected positions of the pliable food products when picking up the pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick up area and releasing it at a releasing area. This may be of particular relevance when the tail bender device is located at only one end of the gripper device so as to ensure that the tail bender device is at the same end as the tail-like part of the pliable product.

[0051] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article a or an does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.