GECKO CARRIER

Abstract

The present disclosure describes carriers for carrying products, connected with reusable stickiness (adhesive) to grab and release different surfaces (products) and also includes the gecko conveyor, gecko cylinder, mechanical gecko arm etc. While the gecko's glue holds the product on the carrier strongly in one direction, one can easily pull the product out to the other direction and no extra motor or vacuum is needed, hence saving on costs and on extra parts that can be damaged. The shape of the product can be changed and is not necessarily symmetric. The carrier can come as a complete new product or the gecko adhesive can be as an add-on a belt of an existing carrier and includes a carrier that has reusable adhesive made out of carbon nanotubes mimicking a gecko foot. The present invention is directed to all carriers such as in factories, construction, cranes and conveyor belts in airports.

Claims

1. A carrier comprising: a least one actuator or motor; and a carrier-to-item contact surface including microstructure or nanostructure or picostructure based adhesive and adapted to reversibly adhere to a surface of the item.

2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said carrier-to-item surface is part of a conveyer belt.

3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said carrier-to-item surface is part of a robotic arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0019] FIG. 1: pillars of carbon nanotubes mimicking the setae.

[0020] FIG. 2: individual carbon nanotubes as the spatula.

[0021] FIG. 3: non-limiting example of the gecko conveyor, regular conveyor and the direction of products on the conveyors.

[0022] FIG. 4A: non-limiting example of gecko cylinder side view.

[0023] FIG. 4B: non-limiting example of gecko cylinder carrying products.

[0024] FIG. 5A: non-limiting example of the mechanical gecko arm.

[0025] FIG. 5B: non-limiting example of the mechanical gecko arm carrying a product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The principles and operation of the apparatus and method according to a present embodiment may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. A present invention is an apparatus for an adhesive carrier. The apparatus facilitates moving a product on a carrier, using an innovative gecko glue. The gecko carrier holds the surface of the product with reusable adhesive material that does not leave residue, in order to stick and unstick. The carriers shapes with the gecko adhesive can change due to the possibility of the gecko carrier to pick the products perpendicular to the ground (i.e. against gravity) unlike a regular carriers that can only move the products parallel to the ground (i.e. gravity holds the product on the conveyor) or use extra motor for holding tips or vacuum etc.

[0027] Current research in the field is focused on improving conventional technics such as different materials for saving costs, vacuum or finger grips for carrying products in unconventional direction. A gecko carrier can carry products in all directions parallel perpendicular or upside down compared to gravity without the use of an extra motor for grabbing or vacuum, thus saving on locations in factories airports etc. As well, the gecko carrier helps to avoid vibrations of the product while it is carried.

[0028] Refer to FIG. 1, non-limiting example of a top view SEM picture of pillars contain out of carbon nanotubes. The pillars act as the setae in order to create adhesive mimicking the gecko's foot. The pillars size and shape can be adjusted to a specific product in order to get the best adhesive.

[0029] Refer to FIG. 2, non-limiting example of a side view zoom of a pillar a cluster of carbon nanotubes, individual carbon nanotube can be seen. The individual carbon nanotubes act as the spatula in order to create adhesive mimicking the gecko's foot. The carbon nanotube size and height can be adjusted to a specific product demands.

[0030] Refer to FIG. 3, non-limiting example of a conveyor with gecko adhesive 301. Note: the gecko conveyor can also pick the products 302 perpendicular to the ground or any other dirction i.e. against gravity 305 unlike a regular conveyor 303 that can only move the products parallel to the ground (i.e. gravity holds the product on the conveyor). The conveyor belt is covered by the gecko adhesive 304 (zoom on the facet of the conveyor belt with the gecko adhesive) in order to hold the product without the use of an extra motor or vacuum. The gecko conveyor can be adjusted as a new product or by adding the gecko adhesive to an existing conveyor belt. By using the gecko conveyor locations that where unreachable before can be used.

[0031] Refer to FIG. 4, non-limiting example of a gecko cylinder 401. (A) Gecko cylinder 402 side view covered by gecko adhesive 403. The cylinder belt is covered by gecko adhesive in order to grab products 302 without the use of an extra motor grabber or vacuum. (B) Non-limiting example of a system for products 302 that are moving in one direction (on a regular conveyer 303), are grabbed by the gecko cylinder 401 and moved to different direction, this way products can move on the vertical direction as well on the horizontal direction. (note: in this scenario the cylinder is moving counterclockwise).

[0032] Refer to FIG. 5, non-limiting example of mechanical gecko arm 501. (A) Non-limiting example of a mechanical gecko arm 501 where the base 502 is stationary and it is connected to the mechanical arm 503 (note: there can be several arm parts that can move to different direction depending on the needs of moving the product). At the mechanical arm facet instead of having a griper or vacuum (that uses extra motors) gecko adhesive is added 504, the gecko adhesive can be added or dispersed on different locations (not only on the facet) on the mechanical arm depending on the way the product is grabbed. (B) A non-limiting example of a product 302 carried by a mechanical arm 501 at the facet with the gecko adhesive 504.

[0033] A gecko carrier has been shown to provide improved and easier way to move products compared to conventional techniques, and is a preferred implementation. Alternatively, the shape of the carrier can change due to the lack of extra motor or vacuum in order to grab the product. Both different directions and no vibration on the product can be achieved.

[0034] The choices used to assist in the description of this embodiment should not detract from the validity and utility of the invention. It is foreseen that more general choices including, but not limited to materials, different shape size and configuration can be used, depending on the application.

[0035] The use of simplified calculations to assist in the description of this embodiment should not detract from the utility and basic advantages of the invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the above-described examples, numbers used, and exemplary calculations are to assist in the description of this embodiment. Inadvertent typographical and mathematical errors should not detract from the utility and basic advantages of the invention.

[0037] It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples, and that many other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.