US 11,945,102 B2
End effector device and system for suction-based grasping of bagged objects
David Gealy, Berkeley, CA (US); Stephen McKinley, Berkeley, CA (US); and Jeffrey Mahler, Berkeley, CA (US)
Assigned to Ambi Robotics, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed by Ambi Robotics, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/220,694.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/003,728, filed on Apr. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308875 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0683 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0052 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An end effector for a pick-and-place system comprising:
a body structure with a vacuum line opening and an object engagement region, the vacuum line opening being configured to couple at least one pressure line of a vacuum pressure system to a defined internal channel of the body structure;
the body structure comprising a defined concave inner chamber with a chamber opening at the object engagement region;
a lip structure extending from the body structure and at least partially defining the chamber opening to the defined concave inner chamber; and
an array of inlets positioned along walls of the defined concave inner chamber and oriented multidirectionally relative to the defined concave inner chamber, wherein each inlet defines an opening in the body structure to the defined internal channel, and wherein at least one inlet is formed through an inner portion of the lip structure and oriented away from the object engagement region.