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

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OT-2026-000060028

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

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: b2af9e81c2e0c735568f562b66ee336c26de6f47fff4aca9f138d53a4d54858c

Abstract

A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, 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. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. 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 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 two 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 manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets.

[0006]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.

[0007]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 after set-down.

[0008]The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

[0009]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

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

[0011]The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold.

[0012]Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups.

[0013]The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0014]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.

[0015]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0016]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0017]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0018]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0019]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

[0020]

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

[0021]

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

[0022]

After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve.

[0023]

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

[0024]The cell controller reads 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

[0025]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: two (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); outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); 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: after set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0026]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.

[0027]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

[0028]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-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

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Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000060028, “Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off after set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028.

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-2026-000060028" title: "Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off after set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028" 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" - "manifold" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "compressed air supply" - "contact sensing" --- # Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off after set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, 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. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. 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 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 two 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 manifold.** The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets. [0006] **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. [0007] **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 after set-down. [0008] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0009] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0012] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups. [0013] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0014] 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. [0015] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0016] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0017] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] 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 workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0024] The cell controller reads 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 [0025] 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: two (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); outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); 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: after set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0026] 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. [0027] 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 [0028] 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-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-2026-000060028 Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off after set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028 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 manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. 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 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 two 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 manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has three outlets. [0006] 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. [0007] 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 after set-down. [0008] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0009] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0010] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0012] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three bellows cups. [0013] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0014] 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. [0015] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0016] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0017] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0018] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0019] 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 [0020] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0021] - When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the ejector. [0022] - After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. [0023] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0024] The cell controller reads 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 [0025] 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: two (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); outlets of the manifold: three (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); 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: after set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0026] 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. [0027] 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 [0028] 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-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-2026-000060028 Published 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028 { "abstract": "A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three bellows cups, one ejector, 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. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve. 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-2026-000060028", "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" ], "extent": { "figures": 0, "paragraphs": 28, "words": 974 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 17396, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "74f0de38f5028646da0bb45be0e1b293c2946310c74c885e7dbc9be76aa49676" }, { "bytes": 7248, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "d44c33102cae263c2238ecccbd4ade909faa615138e26bc459c72e70783a3778" }, { "bytes": 6937, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "b2af9e81c2e0c735568f562b66ee336c26de6f47fff4aca9f138d53a4d54858c" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060028/integrity", "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519", "signature_file": "manifest.sig", "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify" }, "keywords": [ "bellows compliant vacuum tool", "tool-change interface", "bellows cup", "ejector", "manifold", "contact detector", "blow-off valve", "blow off release", "compressed air supply", "contact sensing" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000060028", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Three bellows cup vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, two stage ejector, sustained blow-off after set-down, on a tool changer", "uuid": "01a0ae8a-5a70-7f3f-a1d8-f719758fd0b7" } bLe4UVWqJcnBBn6zX+t1EZQEKkxDrHXCIxlwzEtq7hxYm4HzB5FPwr0Jmg8ZUg7BIc1HgmCRIOO80czoOgoHCA== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: bLe4UVWqJcnBBn6zX+t1EZQEKkxDrHXCIxlwzEtq7hxYm4HzB5FPwr0Jmg8ZUg7BIc1HgmCRIOO80czoOgoHCA== {"files":[{"bytes":14795,"name":"index.html","sha256":"97100c984cff38044edee5c148cfbd42f3a9616ca2e53d7e872a867aaae26c4a"},{"bytes":5101,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"2ede64e803f7620ed453f10a3f3930033dbf9526db75d34ad584c45f322e2525"},{"bytes":4828,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"0448fbf26a236840fdb425f85478ea07ef077afb0f8be82d93194bded29a0983"},{"bytes":2722,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"5ac7b22aef8942d0e7deb5fcf582281d4065a3cea7a41f61727dd338df2745c4"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"ce30299ed7bb087c0bd1881cac9c771243432fd1c418def7ebfc09551f38653f"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"3dfe30269102eaf5ebf4410e6cd4a842e448ab7daa8bbd29270dcbdfc8fe0139"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000060029"} Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000060029

OT-2026-000060029

Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Valves and Manifolds, Vacuum Supply, Vacuum Safety Systems
Document SHA-256: 0448fbf26a236840fdb425f85478ea07ef077afb0f8be82d93194bded29a0983

Abstract

A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six suction cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold and one vent valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. 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: six suction cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for controlling the moment of 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]Six suction cups. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The suction cups are of the flat form.

[0004]One plant vacuum connection. The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own.

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

[0006]One vent valve. The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented after set-down.

[0007]The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0008]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0009]The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold.

[0010]Each manifold outlet feeds one suction cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six suction cups.

[0011]The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated.

[0012]The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange.

[0013]The vent valve is switched by the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0014]

When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection.

[0015]

After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve.

[0016]

The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit.

[0017]The cell controller commands the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0018]Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cups: flat (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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); timing of the vent valve: after set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface).

[0019]The tool carries no valve between the plant line and the face, so the plant vacuum is applied to the face whenever the plant line is live; release relies on the release element alone.

5. Provenance and status

[0020]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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-8006968-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-2026-000060029, “Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029.

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

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--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000060029" title: "Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" - "industrial-components-safety-infrastructure/plant-utilities/vacuum-supply" - "lifting-positioning-manipulation/vacuum-lifting/vacuum-safety-systems" keywords: - "discrete suction cup tool" - "mounting flange" - "suction cup" - "plant vacuum connection" - "manifold" - "vent valve" - "plant vacuum supply" - "release control" - "vacuum" --- # Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down ## Abstract A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six suction cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold and one vent valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. 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: six suction cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for controlling the moment of 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] **Six suction cups.** Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The suction cups are of the flat form. [0004] **One plant vacuum connection.** The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own. [0005] **One manifold.** The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has six outlets. [0006] **One vent valve.** The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented after set-down. [0007] The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0008] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0009] The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0010] Each manifold outlet feeds one suction cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six suction cups. [0011] The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated. [0012] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0013] The vent valve is switched by the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. - After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. - The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit. [0017] The cell controller commands the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0018] Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cups: flat (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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); timing of the vent valve: after set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface). [0019] The tool carries no valve between the plant line and the face, so the plant vacuum is applied to the face whenever the plant line is live; release relies on the release element alone. ## 5. Provenance and status [0020] 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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-8006968-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000060029 Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down Published: 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six suction cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold and one vent valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. 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: six suction cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for controlling the moment of 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] Six suction cups. Each suction cup presents a sealing lip to the workpiece and is evacuated through its own connection. The count of six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The suction cups are of the flat form. [0004] One plant vacuum connection. The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own. [0005] One manifold. The manifold receives the vacuum at one inlet and distributes it to its outlets. The manifold has six outlets. [0006] One vent valve. The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented after set-down. [0007] The suction cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0008] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0009] The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0010] Each manifold outlet feeds one suction cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six suction cups. [0011] The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated. [0012] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0013] The vent valve is switched by the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0014] - When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [0015] - After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. [0016] - The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit. [0017] The cell controller commands the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0018] Parameter values of this embodiment: form of the suction cups: flat (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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); timing of the vent valve: after set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface). [0019] The tool carries no valve between the plant line and the face, so the plant vacuum is applied to the face whenever the plant line is live; release relies on the release element alone. 5. Provenance and status [0020] 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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2016214812-A1, US-8006968-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000060029 Published 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029 { "abstract": "A suction-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six suction cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold and one vent valve. When the suction cups reach the workpiece, the suction cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. After the workpiece has reached the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve. 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-2026-000060029", "categories": [ "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers", "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds", "industrial-components-safety-infrastructure/plant-utilities/vacuum-supply", "lifting-positioning-manipulation/vacuum-lifting/vacuum-safety-systems" ], "extent": { "figures": 0, "paragraphs": 20, "words": 640 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 14795, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "97100c984cff38044edee5c148cfbd42f3a9616ca2e53d7e872a867aaae26c4a" }, { "bytes": 5101, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "2ede64e803f7620ed453f10a3f3930033dbf9526db75d34ad584c45f322e2525" }, { "bytes": 4828, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "0448fbf26a236840fdb425f85478ea07ef077afb0f8be82d93194bded29a0983" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060029/integrity", "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519", "signature_file": "manifest.sig", "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify" }, "keywords": [ "discrete suction cup tool", "mounting flange", "suction cup", "plant vacuum connection", "manifold", "vent valve", "plant vacuum supply", "release control", "vacuum" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000060029", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Six cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, vented after set-down", "uuid": "01a0ae8a-5a70-77d7-b5f3-de48d08cf33c" } SRtPymJuAv+inw8XSusrfaDtmJGewgnfeXUtN1gbwCzvaOdxQUwz+ZZbm4Bx7TSeCoQw9+tSGV7+oqwFDSJ6Bw== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: SRtPymJuAv+inw8XSusrfaDtmJGewgnfeXUtN1gbwCzvaOdxQUwz+ZZbm4Bx7TSeCoQw9+tSGV7+oqwFDSJ6Bw== {"files":[{"bytes":19589,"name":"index.html","sha256":"279b94e0626884ca80f066945f6d81da44b0211aac34ead22f05c7286b6598c3"},{"bytes":8947,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"e085f31f4e12d3497e56105503a49414f6b818a055b0c8893a326b3a8f036ea4"},{"bytes":8606,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"7227c4bfbc13b81e2fbb0fc863e9dab70cef0e1b21d91083c8cb108757cc5e0b"},{"bytes":2933,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"edf8ebfc78569747685296ca8449682431265d6420ac2b54472d23c0db6b3317"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"6ef879eb8d1ee980d19b1afedf5e223c05933303e2f505a5c0c002d5e33c418f"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"a1a3af117c3267accaf64c992f7665976af13bbb62f43d2476ffdf9bf2c2d550"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000060030"} Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000060030

OT-2026-000060030

Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 7227c4bfbc13b81e2fbb0fc863e9dab70cef0e1b21d91083c8cb108757cc5e0b

Abstract

A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one vent valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent 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: three foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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, controlling the moment of 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]Three foam pads. Each 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 three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of open cell foam.

[0004]One plant vacuum connection. The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own.

[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 pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured at the manifold.

[0008]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.

[0009]One vent valve. The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented before set-down.

[0010]The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

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

[0012]The isolation valve is placed in the line from the plant vacuum connection, 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 foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three foam pads.

[0015]The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet.

[0016]The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0017]The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated.

[0018]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0019]The isolation valve and the vent 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 foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection.

[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 vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface.

[0027]

The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit.

[0028]The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the isolation valve, the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0029]Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: mechanical (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: open cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); 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 pressure sensor: at the manifold (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); timing of the vent valve: before set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface).

[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 open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area.

[0032]The lock is engaged by a manually operated lever on the interface; no supply crosses the interface for the lock, and tool exchange needs an operator at the tool.

[0033]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

[0034]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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-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-2026-000060030, “Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030.

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

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000060030" title: "Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030" 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" - "plant vacuum connection" - "isolation valve" - "manifold" - "pressure sensor" - "contact detector" - "vent valve" - "common isolation" --- # Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one vent valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent 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: three foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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, controlling the moment of 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 mechanical lock. [0003] **Three foam pads.** Each 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 three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of open cell foam. [0004] **One plant vacuum connection.** The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own. [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 pressure sensor.** The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured at the manifold. [0008] **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. [0009] **One vent valve.** The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented before set-down. [0010] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the plant vacuum connection, 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 foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three foam pads. [0015] The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet. [0016] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated. [0018] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The isolation valve and the vent 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 foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. - 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 vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. - The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the isolation valve, the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: mechanical (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: open cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); 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 pressure sensor: at the manifold (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); timing of the vent valve: before set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface). [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 open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area. [0032] The lock is engaged by a manually operated lever on the interface; no supply crosses the interface for the lock, and tool exchange needs an operator at the tool. [0033] 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 [0034] 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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000060030 Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one vent valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent 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: three foam pads carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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, controlling the moment of 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 mechanical lock. [0003] Three foam pads. Each 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 three follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. The pad is of open cell foam. [0004] One plant vacuum connection. The plant vacuum connection takes vacuum from the plant line, so the tool carries no generator of its own. [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 pressure sensor. The pressure sensor taps the line it is placed in and reports the vacuum level in that line. The pressure is measured at the manifold. [0008] 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. [0009] One vent valve. The vent valve opens the circuit it is connected to towards atmosphere, which ends the grip. The circuit is vented before set-down. [0010] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The isolation valve is placed in the line from the plant vacuum connection, 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 foam pad by its own vacuum line, so that the three outlets feed three foam pads. [0015] The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet. [0016] The contact detector is mounted on the frame and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The vent valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve and opens that circuit to atmosphere when it is actuated. [0018] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The isolation valve and the vent 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 foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [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 vacuum circuit is vented by the vent valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. [0027] - The workpiece is held until the vent valve has opened the circuit. [0028] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the frame) and commands the isolation valve, the vent valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0029] Parameter values of this embodiment: locking of the tool-change interface: mechanical (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: open cell (sets whether air passes through the pad body or only through openings cut through it); 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 pressure sensor: at the manifold (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); timing of the vent valve: before set-down (sets whether the workpiece is released before or after it is supported by the set-down surface). [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 open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area. [0032] The lock is engaged by a manually operated lever on the interface; no supply crosses the interface for the lock, and tool exchange needs an operator at the tool. [0033] 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 [0034] 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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, WO-2008134339-A4; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000060030 Published 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030 { "abstract": "A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, three foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one vent valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the vacuum circuit is vented by the vent 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-2026-000060030", "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": 34, "words": 1233 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 19589, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "279b94e0626884ca80f066945f6d81da44b0211aac34ead22f05c7286b6598c3" }, { "bytes": 8947, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "e085f31f4e12d3497e56105503a49414f6b818a055b0c8893a326b3a8f036ea4" }, { "bytes": 8606, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "7227c4bfbc13b81e2fbb0fc863e9dab70cef0e1b21d91083c8cb108757cc5e0b" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060030/integrity", "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519", "signature_file": "manifest.sig", "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify" }, "keywords": [ "foam area gripping tool", "tool-change interface", "foam pad", "plant vacuum connection", "isolation valve", "manifold", "pressure sensor", "contact detector", "vent valve", "common isolation" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000060030", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Three pad foam vacuum gripper, three outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, vented before set-down, on a tool changer", "uuid": "01a0ae8a-5a70-71f7-9a74-6d67323a0374" } rxyp4XkXvAIxiNNBe79xRd73/MRSqt2PkxdVXSFf0ecPumwRNnqa79/15yS0mkfOw7KYg+bpHDZsNj8UuSmsBA== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: rxyp4XkXvAIxiNNBe79xRd73/MRSqt2PkxdVXSFf0ecPumwRNnqa79/15yS0mkfOw7KYg+bpHDZsNj8UuSmsBA== {"files":[{"bytes":20221,"name":"index.html","sha256":"a7c6a80e43a8e24acac8c70708bbf0f88c51d698881ea633b4b1dd560f8ca216"},{"bytes":9504,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"37e796c183a872970436f0573866e1a804be8610ffe2d8651e4bea747869c594"},{"bytes":9171,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"7562a4dc020477589dfdf9634cc1b9bc015ab4d8cd8a6fa00c4749830448ee40"},{"bytes":2872,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"6121756882af1772d588f4df494aca846b4c0e1a19def73c311ba3b9746ffe23"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"02e3001042cd094287fca6745fe5143f592b0d57485208c3d213c164da63e77a"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"78fbb8190f8d88037fe94454e846da648599c4175792ab611f6d35291e013182"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000060031"} Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000060031

OT-2026-000060031

Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060031
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 7562a4dc020477589dfdf9634cc1b9bc015ab4d8cd8a6fa00c4749830448ee40

Abstract

A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, one foam pad, one ejector, one manifold, two zone branches, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad 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 zoned vacuum gripping tool: one foam pad carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, 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]One foam pad. 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 pad is of open 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]Two zone branches. Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into two zones, each fed by its own branch.

[0007]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 at the manifold.

[0009]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.

[0010]The foam pad is carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface.

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

[0012]The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface.

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

[0014]Each of the two zone branches is taken from its own manifold outlet, so that the branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only.

[0015]Each zone line opens into its own section of the distribution chamber behind the porous face of the foam pad, so that the pad is evacuated zone by zone.

[0016]The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet.

[0017]The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0018]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.

[0019]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0020]The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0021]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0022]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0023]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

[0024]

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

[0025]

When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad is evacuated by the ejector.

[0026]

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

[0027]

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

[0028]

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.

[0029]

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

[0030]The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0031]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 pad: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pad: open 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); material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: two (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the pressure sensor: at the manifold (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); 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 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).

[0032]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.

[0033]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.

[0034]The open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area.

[0035]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.

[0036]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

[0037]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, 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-2026-000060031, “Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060031.

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

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000060031" title: "Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060031" 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: - "zoned vacuum tool" - "tool-change interface" - "foam pad" - "ejector" - "manifold" - "zone branch" - "pressure sensor" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" --- # Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, one foam pad, one ejector, one manifold, two zone branches, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad 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 zoned vacuum gripping tool: one foam pad carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, 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] **One foam pad.** 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 pad is of open 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] **Two zone branches.** Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into two zones, each fed by its own branch. [0007] **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 at the manifold. [0008] **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. [0009] **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. [0010] The foam pad is carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0013] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0014] Each of the two zone branches is taken from its own manifold outlet, so that the branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only. [0015] Each zone line opens into its own section of the distribution chamber behind the porous face of the foam pad, so that the pad is evacuated zone by zone. [0016] The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet. [0017] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0018] 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. [0019] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0020] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0022] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0023] 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 pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad 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. - 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. [0030] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0031] 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 pad: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pad: open 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); material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: two (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the pressure sensor: at the manifold (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); 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 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). [0032] 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. [0033] 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. [0034] The open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area. [0035] 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. [0036] 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 [0037] 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, WO-2026020244-A1; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000060031 Foam pad vacuum gripper, two zone face, two outlet manifold, single stage ejector, manifold pressure sensor, pulsed blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060031 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, one foam pad, one ejector, one manifold, two zone branches, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad 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 zoned vacuum gripping tool: one foam pad carried on a tool-change interface, fed by an ejector. It is arranged for handling workpieces that do not cover the whole gripping face, 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] One foam pad. 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 pad is of open 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] Two zone branches. Each zone branch carries the vacuum of one zone of the face and no other. The count of two follows from the arrangement: one branch per zone. The distribution is divided into two zones, each fed by its own branch. [0007] 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 at the manifold. [0008] 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. [0009] 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. [0010] The foam pad is carried on the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0012] The ejector is fixed to the tool side of the tool-change interface. [0013] The manifold inlet is connected to the ejector outlet, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0014] Each of the two zone branches is taken from its own manifold outlet, so that the branch carries the vacuum of its own zone only. [0015] Each zone line opens into its own section of the distribution chamber behind the porous face of the foam pad, so that the pad is evacuated zone by zone. [0016] The pressure sensor is tapped into the manifold body and reads the pressure common to every outlet. [0017] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0018] 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. [0019] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0020] The ejector is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0022] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0023] 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 [0024] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0025] - When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad is evacuated by the ejector. [0026] - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. [0027] - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. [0028] - 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. [0029] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0030] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the tool-change interface; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0031] 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 pad: sponge (sets the compliance of the sealing face); porosity of the foam pad: open 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); material of the zone branches: plastic; zones of the zone branches: two (sets how much of the face can be treated separately); placement of the pressure sensor: at the manifold (sets where in the circuit the reading is taken and what it describes); 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 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). [0032] 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. [0033] 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. [0034] The open-cell foam passes air through its whole face, so an uncovered part of the face draws air through the pad itself; the supply is sized for that continuous flow and the pad relies on flow restriction through the foam, not on a seal, to hold vacuum behind a covered area. [0035] 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. [0036] 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 [0037] 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, WO-2026020244-A1; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000060031 Published 2026-09-17T08:44:57.976275Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060031 { "abstract": "A zoned vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, one foam pad, one ejector, one manifold, two zone branches, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pad reaches the workpiece, the foam pad 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. 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OT-2026-000060032

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

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:44:57 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000060032
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: 9b906470d1ac4036341e58e88efbef2213b21d07ee1c3aa1aabb37edcdb51d9e