Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

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OT-2026-000007797

Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007797
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: 16ce315f2ea820ac546725a11a809a224205964a39d8d7e358bad5995765adbb

Abstract

A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: three bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, taking up height differences at the face and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations.

2. Components, construction and connections

[0002]One tool-change interface. The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock.

[0003]Three bellows cups. Each bellows cup is folded so that it shortens under vacuum and takes up a height difference between the face and the workpiece. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has three folds.

[0004]One ejector. The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has two stages.

[0005]One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common.

[0006]One manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets.

[0007]One contact detector. The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face.

[0008]One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down.

[0009]The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0010]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0011]The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0012]The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply.

[0013]The manifold inlet is connected to the isolation valve outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold.

[0014]Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups.

[0015]The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0016]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0017]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0018]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0019]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0020]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0021]The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0022]

After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller.

[0023]

When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector.

[0024]

After the bellows cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller.

[0025]

While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face.

[0026]

Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface.

[0027]

The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit.

[0028]The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0029]Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); folds of the bellows cups: three (sets the travel taken up between the face and the workpiece, and the lateral stiffness of the cup under load); material of the bellows cups: plastic (sets the friction at the lip and the resistance of the folds to fatigue); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0030]The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here.

[0031]The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away.

[0032]The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement.

5. Provenance and status

[0033]This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4489564-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination.

Publication information

Plain text Markdown Manifest Integrity record

Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000007797, “Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007797.

To cite specific content, add the paragraph or figure numbers.

Terms

Published through OpenTechnical, which means it has been made publicly available here. It is not a statement that the design has been built, tested or independently validated. Content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. See the publication policy.

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007797" title: "Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007797" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/tool-changers" keywords: - "bellows compliant vacuum tool" - "tool-change interface" - "bellows cup" - "ejector" - "isolation valve" - "manifold" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "common isolation" --- # Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: three bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, taking up height differences at the face and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. ## 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] **One tool-change interface.** The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] **Three bellows cups.** Each bellows cup is folded so that it shortens under vacuum and takes up a height difference between the face and the workpiece. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has three folds. [0004] **One ejector.** The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has two stages. [0005] **One isolation valve.** The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] **One manifold.** The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets. [0007] **One contact detector.** The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face. [0008] **One blow-off valve.** The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0013] The manifold inlet is connected to the isolation valve outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0014] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups. [0015] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0016] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0017] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0018] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. - When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. - After the bellows cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); folds of the bellows cups: three (sets the travel taken up between the face and the workpiece, and the lateral stiffness of the cup under load); material of the bellows cups: plastic (sets the friction at the lip and the resistance of the folds to fatigue); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. ## 5. Provenance and status [0033] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4489564-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007797 Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007797 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: three bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, taking up height differences at the face and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] One tool-change interface. The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] Three bellows cups. Each bellows cup is folded so that it shortens under vacuum and takes up a height difference between the face and the workpiece. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has three folds. [0004] One ejector. The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has two stages. [0005] One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] One manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets. [0007] One contact detector. The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face. [0008] One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0013] The manifold inlet is connected to the isolation valve outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0014] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups. [0015] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0016] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0017] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0018] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0022] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0023] - When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. [0024] - After the bellows cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. [0025] - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. [0026] - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. [0027] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); folds of the bellows cups: three (sets the travel taken up between the face and the workpiece, and the lateral stiffness of the cup under load); material of the bellows cups: plastic (sets the friction at the lip and the resistance of the folds to fatigue); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. 5. Provenance and status [0033] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4489564-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007797 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007797 { "abstract": "A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. 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OT-2026-000007798

Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 1a91f7e21753c8023acf9e9d36d67278e588f347ff7c37142f1a29cecbf7c538

Abstract

A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, one suction cup, one ejector, one isolation valve, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a suction-cup vacuum gripping tool: one suction cup carried on a mounting flange, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact and clearing the face at release. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations.

2. Components, construction and connections

[0002]One mounting flange. The mounting flange carries the whole assembly and presents the bolt pattern that meets the robot.

[0003]One suction cup. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The suction cups are of the flat form.

[0005]One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common.

[0006]One pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line.

[0009]The suction cup is carried on the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0010]The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0011]The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply.

[0012]The suction cup is connected to the isolation valve outlet by a single vacuum line, so that the face is evacuated through that line.

[0013]The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the suction cup and reads the pressure of the whole circuit.

[0014]The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0015]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0016]The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange.

[0017]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0018]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0019]The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0020]

After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller.

[0021]

When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector.

[0022]

When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor.

[0023]

The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip.

[0024]

After the vacuum level has exceeded the gripping threshold, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller.

[0025]

While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face.

[0026]

Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface.

[0027]

The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit.

[0028]The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0029]Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cup: flat (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cup: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: three (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0031]The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away.

[0032]Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference.

5. Provenance and status

[0033]This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination.

Publication information

Plain text Markdown Manifest Integrity record

Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000007798, “Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798.

To cite specific content, add the paragraph or figure numbers.

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007798" title: "Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/force-and-pressure-sensing/vacuum-sensors" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" keywords: - "discrete suction cup tool" - "mounting flange" - "suction cup" - "ejector" - "isolation valve" - "pressure sensor" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "common isolation" --- # Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down ## Abstract A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, one suction cup, one ejector, one isolation valve, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a suction-cup vacuum gripping tool: one suction cup carried on a mounting flange, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact and clearing the face at release. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. ## 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] **One mounting flange.** The mounting flange carries the whole assembly and presents the bolt pattern that meets the robot. [0003] **One suction cup.** Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The suction cups are of the flat form. [0004] **One ejector.** The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has three stages. [0005] **One isolation valve.** The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] **One pressure sensor.** The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line. [0007] **One contact detector.** The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] **One blow-off valve.** The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The suction cup is carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0011] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0012] The suction cup is connected to the isolation valve outlet by a single vacuum line, so that the face is evacuated through that line. [0013] The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the suction cup and reads the pressure of the whole circuit. [0014] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0015] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0016] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0017] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. - When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. - After the vacuum level has exceeded the gripping threshold, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cup: flat (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cup: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: three (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. ## 5. Provenance and status [0033] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007798 Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, one suction cup, one ejector, one isolation valve, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a suction-cup vacuum gripping tool: one suction cup carried on a mounting flange, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact and clearing the face at release. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] One mounting flange. The mounting flange carries the whole assembly and presents the bolt pattern that meets the robot. [0003] One suction cup. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The suction cups are of the flat form. [0004] One ejector. The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has three stages. [0005] One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] One pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line. [0007] One contact detector. The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The suction cup is carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0011] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0012] The suction cup is connected to the isolation valve outlet by a single vacuum line, so that the face is evacuated through that line. [0013] The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the suction cup and reads the pressure of the whole circuit. [0014] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0015] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0016] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0017] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0020] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0021] - When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. [0022] - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. [0023] - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. [0024] - After the vacuum level has exceeded the gripping threshold, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. [0025] - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. [0026] - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. [0027] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cup: flat (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cup: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: three (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. 5. Provenance and status [0033] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007798 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798 { "abstract": "A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, one suction cup, one ejector, one isolation valve, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cup reaches the workpiece, the suction cup is evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.", "canonical_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798", "categories": [ "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers", "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing", "sensors-controls-machine-vision/force-and-pressure-sensing/vacuum-sensors", "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" ], "extent": { "figures": 0, "paragraphs": 33, "words": 1167 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 18923, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "74745702b593f711831f16000f004031d088300a0cfab4c7356737a7326ade47" }, { "bytes": 8388, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "fc8a54d3adf8e91c9733dd8aff877b48b3da5c125c4c6cf90b7444deebad4a66" }, { "bytes": 8084, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "1a91f7e21753c8023acf9e9d36d67278e588f347ff7c37142f1a29cecbf7c538" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007798/integrity", "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519", "signature_file": "manifest.sig", "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify" }, "keywords": [ "discrete suction cup tool", "mounting flange", "suction cup", "ejector", "isolation valve", "pressure sensor", "contact detector", "blow-off valve", "blow off release", "common isolation" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000007798", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Single cup vacuum gripper, common isolation valve, three stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down", "uuid": "01a0ae62-8d39-71b3-b089-f552cac40af3" } GT5rePrIM2xhWhIlvm8OAhOscd59EesJUhp8bq5NLXYPPdEhtt+q228osxMTy697P3C+0/24SFr73DgANJZWAg== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: GT5rePrIM2xhWhIlvm8OAhOscd59EesJUhp8bq5NLXYPPdEhtt+q228osxMTy697P3C+0/24SFr73DgANJZWAg== {"files":[{"bytes":19536,"name":"index.html","sha256":"3585a8349a0ac02fae75fae399cf38402c349543ac3c462fee69679627b27ef6"},{"bytes":8944,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"09e8a490a5d18e3abe8d330213e597a01c52986ea0ba0569307f634dcf13225f"},{"bytes":8604,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"1e64fee302169840dd5d3b487dc77291e5e5bed030975d2a79130d52dff0ae90"},{"bytes":2869,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"52ef5158106b9297cfde503cf809f1e2a6c447f33fd49f9455ea70bd65f18aa6"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"c6ddfb35073ade299229e662ad3e185403d95b8c1db5ed297b44199ba74a89a0"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"b86a8bb79c5eb6dbf4e1c039385c4511db0d13c55657acb5a85579279f6f0f74"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000007799"} Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000007799

OT-2026-000007799

Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007799
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 1e64fee302169840dd5d3b487dc77291e5e5bed030975d2a79130d52dff0ae90

Abstract

A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, two foam pads, one ejector, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: two foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations.

2. Components, construction and connections

[0003]Two foam pads. The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of closed cell foam.

[0005]One manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has two outlets.

[0006]One pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line.

[0009]The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0010]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0011]The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0012]The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold.

[0013]Each manifold outlet feeds one foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the two outlets feed two foam pads.

[0014]The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the distribution and reads the pressure of the whole circuit.

[0015]The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0016]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the ejector outlet, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0017]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0018]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0019]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0020]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0021]The blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0022]

After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller.

[0023]

When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector.

[0024]

When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor.

[0025]

The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip.

[0026]

Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface.

[0027]

The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit.

[0028]The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0029]Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); material of the foam pads: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pads: closed cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); stages of the ejector: one (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); outlets of the manifold: two (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0031]The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away.

[0032]The closed-cell foam does not pass air through its body; the face is evacuated through openings cut through the pad into the distribution chamber, and the foam around each opening forms the seal against the workpiece.

[0033]The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement.

[0034]Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference.

5. Provenance and status

[0035]This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination.

Publication information

Plain text Markdown Manifest Integrity record

Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000007799, “Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007799.

To cite specific content, add the paragraph or figure numbers.

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007799" title: "Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007799" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/force-and-pressure-sensing/vacuum-sensors" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" keywords: - "foam area gripping tool" - "tool-change interface" - "foam pad" - "ejector" - "manifold" - "pressure sensor" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "compressed air supply" --- # Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, two foam pads, one ejector, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: two foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. ## 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] **One tool-change interface.** The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] **Two foam pads.** The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of closed cell foam. [0004] **One ejector.** The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has one stage. [0005] **One manifold.** The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has two outlets. [0006] **One pressure sensor.** The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line. [0007] **One contact detector.** The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] **One blow-off valve.** The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0013] Each manifold outlet feeds one foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the two outlets feed two foam pads. [0014] The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the distribution and reads the pressure of the whole circuit. [0015] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0016] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the ejector outlet, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0017] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0018] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. - When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); material of the foam pads: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pads: closed cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); stages of the ejector: one (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); outlets of the manifold: two (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] The closed-cell foam does not pass air through its body; the face is evacuated through openings cut through the pad into the distribution chamber, and the foam around each opening forms the seal against the workpiece. [0033] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. [0034] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. ## 5. Provenance and status [0035] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007799 Two pad foam vacuum gripper, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, supply line pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007799 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, two foam pads, one ejector, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: two foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for verifying that the workpiece is held before the arm moves, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release, holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] One tool-change interface. The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] Two foam pads. The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of closed cell foam. [0004] One ejector. The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has one stage. [0005] One manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has two outlets. [0006] One pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured in the supply line. [0007] One contact detector. The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0013] Each manifold outlet feeds one foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the two outlets feed two foam pads. [0014] The pressure sensor is tapped into the line between the ejector and the distribution and reads the pressure of the whole circuit. [0015] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0016] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the ejector outlet, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0017] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0018] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0022] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0023] - When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. [0024] - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. [0025] - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. [0026] - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. [0027] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the common supply line) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); material of the foam pads: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pads: closed cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); stages of the ejector: one (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); outlets of the manifold: two (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the pressure sensor: in the supply line (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0030] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0031] The blow-off is a sustained blast: the valve stays open for the whole release so that the face is cleared of dust and the workpiece is pushed positively away. [0032] The closed-cell foam does not pass air through its body; the face is evacuated through openings cut through the pad into the distribution chamber, and the foam around each opening forms the seal against the workpiece. [0033] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. [0034] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. 5. Provenance and status [0035] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007799 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007799 { "abstract": "A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, two foam pads, one ejector, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. 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OT-2026-000007800

Three cup vacuum gripper, three zone face, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007800
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: e77670109de40844b0e20412c46f1cff37cd6087f5642a54bede1c382aed35ab

Abstract

A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three suction cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, three zone branches, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a zoned vacuum gripping tool: three suction cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations.

2. Components, construction and connections

[0003]Three suction cups. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per zone branch. The suction cups are of the oval form.

[0005]One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common.

[0006]Three zone branches. Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into three zones, each fed by its own branch.

[0008]One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a short pulse. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down.

[0009]The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0010]The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0011]The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply.

[0012]The three zone branches are taken from a branch junction on the isolation valve outlet, so that each branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only.

[0013]Each suction cup is connected to its own zone line, one suction cup per zone, and is evacuated through that line.

[0014]The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0015]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0016]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0017]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0018]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0019]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0020]The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0021]

After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller.

[0022]

When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector.

[0023]

After the suction cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller.

[0024]

While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face.

[0025]

Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface.

[0026]

The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit.

[0027]The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0028]Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); form of the suction cups: oval (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cups: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: three (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a short pulse (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0029]The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here.

[0030]The blow-off is a short pulse: the valve opens for a fraction of a second, long enough to break the seal and clear the face, and closes again.

[0031]The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement.

5. Provenance and status

[0032]This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4, WO-2026020244-A1; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination.

Publication information

Plain text Markdown Manifest Integrity record

Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000007800, “Three cup vacuum gripper, three zone face, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007800.

To cite specific content, add the paragraph or figure numbers.

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007800" title: "Three cup vacuum gripper, three zone face, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007800" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/tool-changers" keywords: - "zoned vacuum tool" - "tool-change interface" - "suction cup" - "ejector" - "isolation valve" - "zone branch" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "common isolation" --- # Three cup vacuum gripper, three zone face, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three suction cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, three zone branches, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a zoned vacuum gripping tool: three suction cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. ## 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] **One tool-change interface.** The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] **Three suction cups.** Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per zone branch. The suction cups are of the oval form. [0004] **One ejector.** The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has two stages. [0005] **One isolation valve.** The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] **Three zone branches.** Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into three zones, each fed by its own branch. [0007] **One contact detector.** The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] **One blow-off valve.** The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a short pulse. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0012] The three zone branches are taken from a branch junction on the isolation valve outlet, so that each branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only. [0013] Each suction cup is connected to its own zone line, one suction cup per zone, and is evacuated through that line. [0014] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0015] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0016] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0017] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. - When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. - After the suction cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0027] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0028] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); form of the suction cups: oval (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cups: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: three (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a short pulse (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0029] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0030] The blow-off is a short pulse: the valve opens for a fraction of a second, long enough to break the seal and clear the face, and closes again. [0031] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. ## 5. Provenance and status [0032] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4, WO-2026020244-A1; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007800 Three cup vacuum gripper, three zone face, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007800 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three suction cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, three zone branches, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a zoned vacuum gripping tool: three suction cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, cutting part of the circuit while the rest holds vacuum, starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and exchanging the tool without rewiring the cell. One concrete embodiment is described; every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations. 2. Components, construction and connections [0002] One tool-change interface. The tool-change interface splits the tool into a robot side and a tool side, so the tool can be exchanged without dismantling it. The tool-change interface has a pneumatic lock. [0003] Three suction cups. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per zone branch. The suction cups are of the oval form. [0004] One ejector. The ejector draws the circuit down by passing compressed air through a nozzle; it has no moving part at the tool and consumes air for as long as it runs. The ejector has two stages. [0005] One isolation valve. The isolation valve sits in the line it controls; closing it cuts that line without disturbing the rest of the circuit. Isolation is common. [0006] Three zone branches. Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of three follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into three zones, each fed by its own branch. [0007] One contact detector. The contact detector reports the moment a workpiece is present at the gripping face; its sensing technology is not fixed by this arrangement. The contact detector is mounted on the frame. [0008] One blow-off valve. The blow-off valve drives compressed air back through the circuit to the face, which clears the face instead of waiting for the circuit to refill. The blow-off is a short pulse. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0009] The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the ejector, so that closing the valve cuts the whole circuit from the supply. [0012] The three zone branches are taken from a branch junction on the isolation valve outlet, so that each branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only. [0013] Each suction cup is connected to its own zone line, one suction cup per zone, and is evacuated through that line. [0014] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0015] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0016] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0017] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0021] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0022] - When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. [0023] - After the suction cups have reached the workpiece, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. [0024] - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. [0025] - Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. [0026] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0027] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0028] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: pneumatic (sets what has to be present at the interface for the tool to stay attached); form of the suction cups: oval (sets the shape of the contact area and the behaviour of the lip on a curved workpiece); material of the suction cups: polyurethane (sets the friction at the lip and the tolerance of the lip to oil and heat); stages of the ejector: two (sets the flow drawn at low vacuum and the compressed air consumed while a sealed face is held); control of the isolation valve: common (sets which part of the circuit the valve cuts: one branch line on its own or the whole circuit); material of the isolation valve: steel; material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: three (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the contact detector: on the frame (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a short pulse (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0029] The workpiece is released while it is still above the receiving surface and falls the remaining distance onto it. This sequence is for a workpiece and a receiving surface that tolerate that drop, for example a part released into a container or onto a conveyor; the drop height is set by the application and is not fixed here. [0030] The blow-off is a short pulse: the valve opens for a fraction of a second, long enough to break the seal and clear the face, and closes again. [0031] The lock is engaged by compressed air acting on the locking piston and is held only while that air pressure is applied; what the lock does on loss of air pressure is not fixed by this arrangement. 5. Provenance and status [0032] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are US-10163334-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8132312-B2, WO-2008134339-A4, WO-2026020244-A1; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007800 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:29.414051Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007800 { "abstract": "A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three suction cups, one ejector, one isolation valve, three zone branches, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the ejector. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. 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OT-2026-000007801

Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:29 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007801
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: 8725b85bc3784bbb34d7877dfdb3227c514e57841800142f5fe8ecd301294262