US 12,134,527 B2
Automated vacuum gripper and method for securely gripping components
Kabir Secibovic, Gunskirchen (AT)
Assigned to TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Pasching (AT)
Appl. No. 17/274,970
Filed by TRUMPF Maschinen Austria GmbH & Co. KG., Pasching (AT)
PCT Filed Sep. 16, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AT2019/060303
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/056437, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. A 50803/2018 (AT), filed on Sep. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0033199 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 13/06 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B65G 47/91 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/917 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0061 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B25J 15/0641 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated vacuum gripper (1) for components (3), comprising
a plurality of suction elements (4), which are arranged at a support part (5),
a first vacuum generator (8) for forming a first vacuum circuit (9),
a second vacuum generator (10) for forming a second vacuum circuit (11),
at least one switching element connected to a system controller (14) for automated switching of the first vacuum circuit (9) to the second vacuum circuit (11),
at least one compressed air supply (15) connected to at least the first and the second vacuum generators (8),
at least one sensor device (16, 17),
wherein
the first vacuum generator (8) is associated with a first predeterminable group (12) of suction elements (4), and the second vacuum generator (10) is connected to a vacuum tank (18) for forming the second vacuum circuit (11), configured to be activated in case of emergency and is redundant to the first vacuum circuit (9), and at least one first sensor device (16) is formed for monitoring the vacuum at least at the first vacuum circuit (9), and
at least one second sensor device (17) has an optical sensor for detecting a relative movement of the component (3) during a conveying operation.