US 11,731,290 B2
Suspension device of suction pads of manipulators
Giuseppe Bellandi, Roncadelle (IT)
Assigned to GIMATIC S.R.L., Roncadelle (IT)
Appl. No. 16/955,929
Filed by GIMATIC S.R.L., Roncadelle (IT)
PCT Filed Nov. 20, 2018, PCT No. PCT/IB2018/059134
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 19, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/123047, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 27, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102017000149264 (IT), filed on Dec. 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0316790 A1, Oct. 8, 2020
Int. Cl. B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B25J 17/02 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0616 (2013.01) [B25J 17/0225 (2013.01); B25J 19/0004 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A suspension device (1) of suction pads (2) of manipulators, the suspension device comprising:
a body (4) fixable to a manipulator;
a stem (5) passing through the body (4), or telescopically constrained thereto, and sliding with respect to the body (4) between a retracted position and an extended position, along a longitudinal axis (X-X);
an elastic element (8) to counter the movements of the stem (5), and wherein a distal end (6) of the stem (5) is constrainable to a suction pad (2) and the stem (5) is hollow to allow the air to be suctioned from said suction pad (2), and
a braking device (20) having a pad (29) movable between a forward position, at which it applies a pressure onto the stem (5) sufficient to slow down the travel thereof or stop it completely, and a rearward position, at which the braking device pad (29) does not interact with the stem (5) or at most it rests on the stem (5) without hindering the movements thereof, in response to the stresses imparted by an actuator (26), wherein the braking device (20) comprises a cylindrical seat (25) and the actuator (26) is an air piston movable in said cylindrical seat (25) in response to the thrust applied by a pressurized fluid supplied to the braking device (20), and wherein the piston (26) comprises at least one contact surface (31) intended to interact with an inclined back surface (29′) of the braking device pad (29) in order to apply the thrust necessary to move the braking device pad (29) in abutment against the stem (5), and wherein the at least one contact surface (31) is an inclined plane, or a wedge, or a cylinder mounted on board the piston (26).