JPH06335877A - Vacuum suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit a support member to be sucked at a suction surface always at a specific angle thereto without inclination caused by the deformation of an elastic member even if an external force acts on the support member for a sucker by improving a suction property of the sucker itself with a simple construction. CONSTITUTION:A sucker sucked at the surface of an object is composed of an annular elastic member 12 stuck to a flexible suction surface and provided on the peripheral side part of a support member 11 to be connected therein connected to a vacuum source. A suction position regulating hard material ring 15 not projecting from the elastic member 12 to the suction surface side is disposed inside the elastic member 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum suction device suitable for use in various handling mechanisms for sucking and transporting using a vacuum suction mechanism, a wall-walking robot using scanning suckers for legs, and the like. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Suckers that are vacuum-adsorbed on the surface of an object are
The whole is configured by a flexible bowl-shaped suction member, or, as shown in FIG. 4, a flexible annular elastic member 2 for pressure-contacting a suction surface is provided on the periphery of a disk-shaped support member 1. The inside of the elastic member 2 is connected to a vacuum pump for negative pressure supply.

[0003] In such a suction cup, it is usual that the support member 1 supporting the suction cup cannot maintain a fixed posture with respect to the suction surface 3 of the suction cup in the suction state on the target surface.
That is, in the figure, when an external force (moment M) is applied to the support member 1, the compressive force acting side of the elastic member 2 is partially compressed and deformed, and at the same time, the tensile force acting side is partially extended and the support member 1 is attracted. The surface 3 is inclined like a chain line.

As a result, for example, JP-A-63-2219
No. 84, a scanning type suction plate (see FIG.
5, a pair of legs 5 and 6 on the machine body 4 are alternately protruded forward in a wall-walking robot, as shown in FIG. In the state where the suction of the other leg 6 is released and only the other leg 6 is attracted to the wall surface 7, the one leg 5 is lifted and the upper wall surface 7
However, even if it is attempted to adsorb to the suction cup, the machine body cannot always maintain a constant posture with respect to the suction surface of the suction cup, and the weight of the machine body 4 acts on the leg 6 that is currently adsorbed, and the machine body 4 tilts downward.
The suction surface of the suction cup of the leg 5 lifted upward cannot contact the target surface, and it becomes difficult to suction and the walking operation becomes impossible.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The technical problem of the present invention is to improve the suction characteristics of the suction cup itself with a simple structure, and even if an external force acts on the support member of the suction cup, the support member is deformed by the deformation of the elastic member. An object of the present invention is to obtain a vacuum suction device in which a support member is always held at a desired angle with respect to the suction surface without being inclined with respect to the suction surface and suction is performed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vacuum suction device of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is provided with a suction ring for sucking on the surface of an object, which has a flexible ring shape for press-contacting a suction surface around a supporting member. An elastic member is provided, and the inside of the elastic member is connected to a vacuum source. A ring made of a hard material for restricting the suction position that does not project to the suction surface side of the elastic member is formed inside the elastic member. It is characterized by being arranged. The ring made of a hard material for regulating the suction position can be made detachable in order to replace it with one having a different size and shape.

[0007]

In the vacuum suction device having the above structure, the ring for regulating the suction position is arranged inside the elastic member. Therefore, when the inside of the elastic member is connected to the suction source and a negative pressure is applied, the ring is It becomes a state of being pinched between the target surface and the support member,
Even if an external force acts on the support member, the compression force acting side of the elastic member is not compressed and deformed due to the presence of the ring, and along with that, the tension force acting side is also restrained from expanding, and the support member is attached to the suction surface. There is no inclination. Further, if the ring for controlling the suction position is exchangeable with a ring having a different size, shape, etc., and an optimum ring is used according to the surface to be sucked, the use range and application range of the suction cup can be expanded. it can.

[0008]

1 and 2 show the structure of an embodiment of a vacuum suction device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a suction cup for adsorbing on the surface of an object such as a wall surface is attached to a peripheral portion of a disk-shaped support member 11 in an airtight manner by a flexible elastic ring 12 for adsorbing surface pressure contact such as rubber. And support member 1
The suction port 14 that opens in the elastic member 12 on the upper part of the first structure is connected to a vacuum source.

Inside the elastic member 12, a ring 15 made of a hard material for restricting the suction position, which does not project to the suction surface side of the elastic member 12, is arranged in close contact with the inside of the elastic member 12. I have set up. The suction position regulating ring 15 may be formed integrally with the support member 11, but is formed of, for example, plastic or the like, and may have different types and properties of the suction target surface of the vacuum suction device as described below. Correspondingly, we prepare those with different dimensions and shapes,
They can be made removable so that they can be exchanged according to the surface to be attracted.

In the vacuum suction device having the above construction, the ring 15 for regulating the suction position is provided inside the elastic member 12.
Since the inner side of the elastic member 12 is connected to the suction source to make a negative pressure, as shown in FIG.
Becomes a state of being clamped between the target surface and the support member 11, and as described above with reference to FIG. 4, even if an external force (moment M) acts on the support member 11, the compression force of the elastic member 12 is generated. The acting side is not compressed and deformed due to the presence of the ring 15, and the extension of the acting side of the pulling force is also suppressed accordingly, so that the support member 11 is not inclined with respect to the suction surface 13.

As a result, a wall-walking robot as shown in FIG. 5 is constructed using this vacuum suction device, and the other leg is lifted while only the vacuum suction device of one leg is sucked onto the wall surface. Even when trying to adsorb to the upper wall, the machine always keeps a certain posture with respect to the suction surface of the suction cup, and the machine does not tilt downward. The suction surface comes into contact with the target surface and is vacuum-sucked, so that the walking motion can be easily performed. Further, according to an experiment by the present inventor, the ring 1
It has been confirmed that in No. 5, the airtightness of the suction cup is increased and the suction force is increased.

As the ring 15 for controlling the suction position, for example, when the suction target surface of the suction cup is a smooth surface such as glass, the width of the ring 15 is large and the surface in contact with the target surface is rough. It is possible to increase the frictional resistance between the surface and the target surface such as glass so that slipping does not occur. Further, when the suction target wall surface has irregularities, it is desirable to use a short ring 15 to increase the protrusion amount of the elastic member 12 so that the elastic member 12 is sufficiently fitted to the suction target surface.

The use of the vacuum suction device can be effectively applied not only to the legs of the wall-walking robot described above but also to gripping a product in a handling mechanism such as suction transfer of an iron plate or other various products. Further, in particular, when it is necessary to incline the support member with respect to the object to be adsorbed and to adsorb it, as shown in FIG. 3, the support member 21 and the elastic member 22 are used.
Is formed in the same manner as described above, and the contact surface of the ring 25 for regulating the suction position arranged inside the elastic member 22 with the target surface may be inclined, whereby the support member 21 can be formed as desired. It becomes possible to make it stick to the target surface in a posture.

[0014]

According to the vacuum suction device of the present invention described in detail above, the suction characteristics of the suction cup itself are remarkably improved with a very simple structure in which a suction position regulating ring is provided in the suction cup. Even if an external force acts on the support member of the suction cup, the support member does not incline with respect to the suction surface due to the deformation of the elastic member, and the support member is always held at the desired angle with respect to the suction surface and sucked. be able to. Further, the suction position regulation ring can be replaced with a ring having a different size, shape, etc., and by using a ring having an optimum shape and structure according to the suction target surface, the suction cup usage range and application range Can be significantly expanded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a vacuum suction device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a suction state of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another embodiment of the vacuum suction device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional vacuum suction device.

5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an operating state when the vacuum suction device of FIG. 4 is used for a leg of a wall-walking robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 21 Support member, 12, 22 Elastic member, 13 Adsorption surface, 15, 25 Ring.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A suction cup for adsorbing to a surface of an object is provided by providing a flexible annular elastic member for pressure contact with an adsorbing surface on a peripheral portion of a supporting member, and connecting the inside of the elastic member to a vacuum source. The vacuum suction device is characterized in that a ring made of a hard material for restricting the suction position, which does not project to the suction surface side from the elastic member, is arranged inside the elastic member. 2. The vacuum suction device according to claim 1, wherein a ring made of a hard material for restricting the suction position is detachable for replacement.