FR3059926A1 - TOOL FOR TITANIUM ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ROBOT - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tool (1) for an articulated arm of a bottle handling robot, characterized in that it comprises a body (2) integral with at least one upper face (3) and one lower face ( 4) generally flat and horizontal and adapted to cooperate with the upper face of suckers, and comprising at least a median portion (5), a plurality of suction cup supports (6) arranged regularly along said middle portion (5), and a main suction channel arranged in said middle portion (5) for sucking air inside each suction cup, each suction cup support (6) having an extension (12) disposed on either side of the middle part (5) and extending horizontally symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said middle part (5) from the latter outwards so that the horizontal section of the body (2) has a general shape in "double crenellations".

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to the general field of bottling, and more particularly to a tool for a bottle handling robot.

Prior art

In the field of bottling, it is known to use robots to handle the bottles and deposit them in particular on filling units.

Conventionally, said robots comprise at least one tool secured to an articulated arm, and provided with a plurality of suction cups and a vacuum duct connecting each suction cup to a pump to create vacuum at the level of the suction cups in order to grasp bottles and transport them from one point to another.

Conventionally, said tool is manufactured by mechanical assembly, mainly by screwing, of several parts previously machined. This type of tool is therefore heavy, which represents a serious drawback, when it is necessary to replace it with another model of tool to adapt the handling robot to a new format of bottles: half-bottle ( 37.5 centiliters), bottle (75 centiliters) or magnum (1.5 liters). The relatively high weight of each tool makes it difficult to handle and the replacement work requires more time and energy for operators.

Furthermore, the excess weight of the tool generates an increase in the energy consumption necessary for setting it in motion.

Finally, the high number of machined parts constituting the tool increases the risk of failure, the time to manufacture said tool, and consequently its price.

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- 2 returns and maintenance.

Statement of the invention

The purpose of the present invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above and to present an alternative to the known tools for a robot for handling bottles which is lighter, reliable, easy to manufacture and to implement.

In accordance with the first object of the invention, a tool for an articulated arm of a bottle handling robot is therefore proposed, remarkable in that it comprises a monobloc body provided with at least one upper face and one lower face overall. flat and horizontal and able to cooperate with the upper face of suction cups, and comprising at least one elongated middle part, a plurality of suction cup supports regularly arranged along said middle part, and a main suction channel arranged in said middle part allowing the air to be sucked inside each suction cup, each suction cup support comprising an extension disposed on either side of the middle part and extending horizontally symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said suction cup middle part from the latter outwards so that the horizontal section of the body has a general shape in double crenellation, the faces in respective upper and upper sides of the middle part and extensions of each support respectively constituting said lower and upper faces.

Each extension advantageously has a generally triangular horizontal section and has an internal cavity.

The middle part preferably comprises at least one outlet orifice arranged to be connected to a group

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- 3 suction and an inlet port arranged on its underside and arranged in line with each of the suction cup supports, each of said inlet ports for sucking the air inside the associated suction cup.

Advantageously, the upper face of the body is shaped to have no concave shape in order to avoid any retention zone.

The body also comprises at least one armature arranged to secure the tool to an articulated arm of the handling robot.

According to an alternative embodiment, the tool comprises at least one retractable suction cup support.

Preferably, the retractable support comprises, on the one hand, a lever pivoting at one of its ends around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body and integral with one of the ends of the upper face of the latter and, on the other hand, at its free end, a plate allowing the attachment of the suction cup on the retractable support, said lever being generally tubular hollow and opening at each of its ends to allow the suction of air to the interior of the associated suction cup, said lever pivoting between a working position in which it extends in the extension of the body, the lower face of the plate then being coplanar with the lower face of said body, and a raised position in which it is folded up towards the middle part of the body.

The body advantageously comprises a secondary suction channel arranged in a protrusion formed projecting from the top of its upper face.

The protuberance of the body comprises at least one outlet orifice arranged to be connected to a suction group and an inlet orifice arranged at the side of the lever and being able to be connected to the lever by

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- 4 piping to allow the suction of air to the right of the suction cup associated with the retractable support.

The body is preferably made of metal thanks to an additive manufacturing process.

The body is advantageously made of titanium.

Brief description of the figures

Other advantages and characteristics will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, of a particular example of embodiment, given by way of nonlimiting example, of a tool for a robot for handling bottles in accordance with the invention, with reference to the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 is an external perspective view of a tool for bottle handling robot according to the invention;

- figure 2 East a side view of 1 tool of the figure 1 ; - Figure 3 East a detail view of the figure 2 r - Figure 4 East a side view of The tool of the Figure 2; - Figure 5 East a section view of The tool of of figure 2 on 1 'axis IV-IV; - Figure 6 East a detail view of the figure 5.

Best way to realize the technical invention

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, there is shown the tool 1 according to the invention for articulated arm of bottle handling robot not shown in the figures.

The tool 1 comprises a body 2 comprising at least one upper face 3 and a lower face 4 which is generally planar, horizontal and able to cooperate with the upper face of suction cups, not shown in the figures, arranged to grip bottles and allow them to be

DUGUI5-FR-1_TEXTE DEPOSE_RG / GE transport from one point to another.

A tool 1 according to the invention is described here, the lower surface 4 of said body 2 is, under normal conditions of use, horizontal and oriented downwards so as to have the suction cups under said body 2. However, said face 4 may be more or less inclined, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the terms lower, upper, horizontal or even vertical will then have to be adapted.

Said body 2 comprises at least one elongated middle part 5, a plurality of suction cup supports 6 advantageously arranged at regular intervals along said middle part 5, and a main suction channel 7 arranged in said middle part 5.

The middle part 5 comprises at least one outlet orifice 8 advantageously arranged on its upper face 9 arranged to be connected to a suction unit, not shown, and an inlet orifice 10 arranged on its lower face 11 and arranged at right each of the suction cup supports 6, each of said inlet orifices 10 making it possible to draw the air inside the associated suction cup. To do this, each of said outlet 8 and inlet 10 openings opens on one side outside of the middle part 6, and therefore of the body 2, and on the other in the main suction channel 7.

The terms inlet and outlet are defined here as a function of the air circulation during suction, namely suction cups in the suction group.

Each suction cup support 6 has an extension 12 arranged on either side of the middle part 5 symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the latter. Each extension 12 extends horizontally from the middle part 5 outwards so that the horizontal section of the body 2 has a

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- 6 general shape in double crenellation. Indeed, each extension 12 is separated from the following by a space 13 corresponding to the space between two consecutive supports 6 (see FIG. 4). This double crenellated shape is particularly interesting because it allows a significant reduction in body 2.

The respective lower 11, 14 and upper faces of the middle part 5 and the extensions 12 of each support 6 respectively constitute said lower 4 and upper 3 faces of the body 2.

To increase the weight gain of the body 2, each extension 12 advantageously has a generally triangular horizontal section and has an internal cavity (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, to allow the attachment of a suction cup on the associated support 6, each extension 12 has an orifice 16 arranged on its underside 14 and opening on one side outside of the extension 12, and therefore of the body 2, and the other in its internal cavity 15.

The upper face 3 of the body 2 is shaped so as to have no concave shape in order to avoid any deposit and any area of retention of unwanted dirt, this characteristic being advantageous in particular in the food industry.

In addition, the body 2 also comprises at least one and preferably two frames 17 arranged to secure the tool 1 on an articulated arm, not shown in the figures, of the bottle handling robot. For obvious reasons of reducing the weight of the body 2, these frames 17 are advantageously tubular.

The body 2 of the tool 1 is preferably made of metal using an additive manufacturing process, commonly called 3D printing or printing.

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- 7 three-dimensional, consisting of cutting the virtual object in three dimensions, which one wishes to achieve, in 2D strips of very thin thickness, the latter then being deposited one by one by fixing them on the previous ones, so as to reconstitute a real object corresponding to the initial virtual object.

Given the working environment, the body 2 of the tool 1 must be very robust. For this, it is advantageously made of titanium. This metal has the best weight-resistance ratio, which makes it possible, by reducing the thicknesses, to significantly reduce the weight of the tool 1 according to the invention, compared to a tool of the Prior Art of the same configuration.

In addition, the manufacturing process preferentially implemented makes it possible to obtain a tool 1 comprising a reduced number of parts and consequently a reduction in the assembly time of said tool 1. Thus, the elements of the body 2, namely the middle part 5, supports 6 and its extensions 12, main channel 7

suction and the frames 17, born form a alone and same room monobloc obtained by only one and even operation of manufacturing. According to a fashion of production advantageous and for

being able to adapt to the different formats of pallets or racks of bottles, the tool 1 according to the invention comprises at least one retractable support 18 of suction cup. The latter comprises a lever 19 pivoting at one of its ends about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body 2 and integral with one of the ends of the upper face 3 of the latter.

Said lever 19 is generally hollow tubular and opening at each of its ends to allow the suction of air in line with the associated suction cup and comprises at least at its free end a plate 20

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- 8 provided with two orifices 21 similar to the orifices 16 of the extensions 12 of each support 6 previously described and allowing the fixing of said suction cup on the retractable support 18.

Said lever 19 of the retractable support 18 pivots thanks to an actuator 22 between a working position in which the lever 19 extends in the extension of the body 2, the lower face of the plate 20 then being coplanar with the lower face 4 of said body 2 , and a raised position in which said lever 19 is folded up towards the middle part 5 of the body 2.

The actuator 22 is preferably a single-acting air cylinder disposed between the lever 19 and the body 2 in general, and more particularly an armature 18. However, this actuator 22 could also be any other type of actuator providing the same effects without departing from the scope of the present invention.

To create a vacuum at the suction cup of the retractable support 18, the body of the tool 1 comprises a secondary suction channel 23. The latter is arranged in a protrusion 24 formed projecting from the top of the upper face 3 of said body 2. For obvious reasons of mechanical strength, the protrusion 24 is located in line with a frame 18. The protrusion 24 comprises in addition at least one outlet orifice 25 arranged on its upper face 26 arranged to be connected to a suction group, not shown, and an inlet orifice 27 arranged at its end situated on the side of the lever 19, said inlet orifice 27 being able to be connected to the lever 19 by a pipe 28 (see FIG. 1) to allow the suction of air at the level of the suction cup associated with the retractable support 18.

The respective outlet openings 8, 25 of the part

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- 9 middle 5 and the projection 24 may not be arranged on the upper face 9, 26 respectively of the latter, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is understood that the tool 1 according to the invention may also include a second retractable support disposed at the other end of the body 2 and similar to the retractable support 18 previously described

The projection 24 will then comprise a second inlet orifice connected to said second retractable support by a second pipe.

The tool 1 may not have a secondary channel 23. In this case, the piping 26 associated with each retractable support 18 would then be directly connected to the main suction channel 7. However, this alternative embodiment requires the installation of a solenoid valve on the tool 1 in order to suck the air in line with the suction cup associated with the retractable support 18 only when necessary, which has the drawback significantly increase said tool 1.

Possibility of industrial application

It will be understood that the tool 1 for a handling robot according to the invention is preferably used for handling bottles. However, it is obvious that the tool 1 according to the invention can be adapted and used to handle other types of objects such as for example metal parts.

Finally, it goes without saying that the examples of tools according to the invention which have just been described are only particular illustrations, in no way limiting of the invention.

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- Tool (1)

Claims (11)

CLAIMS for articulated arm of a robot for handling bottles, characterized in that it comprises a one-piece body (2) provided with at least upper face (3) and a generally planar and horizontal lower face (4) capable of cooperating with the upper face of suction cups, and comprising at least one elongated middle part (5), a plurality of suction cup supports (6) regularly arranged along said middle part (5), and a main suction channel (7) arranged in said central part (5) making it possible to draw the air inside each suction cup, each suction cup support (6) comprising an extension (12) arranged on either side of the middle part (5) and extending horizontally symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of said middle part (5) from the latter towards the outside so that the horizontal section of the body (2) has a general shape in double crenellation, the lower faces (1 1, 14) and upper (9) respectively of the middle part (5) and the extensions (12) of each support (6) respectively constituting said lower (4) and upper (3) faces. 2 - Tool (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that each extension (12) has a generally triangular horizontal section and has an internal cavity (15). 3 - Tool (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in the middle (5) comprises at least one outlet orifice (8) arranged to be connected to a suction group and an inlet orifice (10) arranged on its underside (11) any of the part DUGUI5-FR-1_TEXTE depose_rq / qe - ii and arranged in line with each of the suction cup supports (6), each of said inlet orifices (10) making it possible to draw the air inside the associated suction cup. 4 - Tool (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper face (3) of the body (2) is shaped to have no concave shape in order to avoid any retention area. 5 - Tool (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the body (2) comprises at least one frame (17) arranged to ensure the attachment of the tool (1) on an articulated arm of the handling robot. 6 - Tool (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises at least one retractable support (18) of suction cup. 7 - Tool (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the retractable support (18) comprises, on the one hand, a lever (19) pivoting at one of its ends around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body (2) and integral with one of the ends of the upper face (3) of the latter and, on the other hand, at its free end, a plate (20) allowing the attachment of the suction cup on the retractable support (18), said lever (19) being generally tubular hollow and opening at each of its ends to allow the suction of air inside the associated suction cup, said lever (19) pivoting between a working position in which it extends in the extension of the body (2), the lower face of the plate (20) then being coplanar with the lower face (4) of said body (2), and a DUGUI5-FR-1_TEXTE depose_rq / qe - 12 raised position in which it is folded up towards the middle part (5) of the body (2). 8 - Tool (1) according to any one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the body (2) comprises a secondary suction channel (23) arranged in a protrusion (24) formed projecting from the top of its upper face (3). 9 - Tool (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the projection (24) of the body (2) comprises at least one outlet orifice (25) arranged to be connected to a suction group and an orifice d inlet (27) arranged at the side of the lever (19) and being able to be connected to the lever (19) by a pipe (28) to allow the suction of air at the level of the suction cup associated with the retractable support (18). 10 - Tool (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the body (2) is made of metal thanks to an additive manufacturing process. 11 - Tool (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the body (2) is made of titanium. DUGUI5-FR-1 TEXT DEPOSE_RQ / QE 1/2 2/2