Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down

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OT-2026-000007497

Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007497
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Vacuum Supply
Document SHA-256: 84aaa1b6a254b5b184c59d2f4bd35c6e9aca8f038d1fc358f2c081fbda0af550

Abstract

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

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and taking up height differences at the face. 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 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 six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has two folds.

[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 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.

[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 before set-down.

[0008]The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0009]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0010]The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold.

[0011]Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups.

[0012]The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0013]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0014]The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange.

[0015]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0016]The blow-off valve is switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0017]

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

[0018]

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

[0019]

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.

[0020]

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

[0021]The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0022]Parameter values of this embodiment: 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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0023]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.

[0024]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.

[0025]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

[0026]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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; 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-2026-000007497, “Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007497.

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-2026-000007497" title: "Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007497" categories: - "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers" - "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing" - "industrial-motion-power-transmission/fluid-power/valves-and-manifolds" - "industrial-components-safety-infrastructure/plant-utilities/vacuum-supply" keywords: - "bellows compliant vacuum tool" - "mounting flange" - "bellows cup" - "plant vacuum connection" - "manifold" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "compressed air supply" - "contact sensing" --- # Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down ## Abstract A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and taking up height differences at the face. 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 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 six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has two folds. [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 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. [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 before set-down. [0008] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0009] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0010] The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0011] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups. [0012] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0013] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0014] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0015] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0016] The blow-off valve is 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 plant vacuum connection. - 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. [0021] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0022] Parameter values of this embodiment: 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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0023] 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. [0024] 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. [0025] 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 [0026] 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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007497 Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007497 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a mounting flange, fed by a plant vacuum connection. It is arranged for starting the cycle at the moment of contact, clearing the face at release and taking up height differences at the face. 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 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 six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has two folds. [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 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. [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 before set-down. [0008] The bellows cups are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0009] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [0010] The manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0011] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups. [0012] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0013] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0014] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0015] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0016] The blow-off valve is switched by the cell controller; the contact detector reports to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0017] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0018] - When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [0019] - 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. [0020] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0021] The cell controller reads the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0022] Parameter values of this embodiment: 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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0023] 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. [0024] 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. [0025] 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 [0026] 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-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007497 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007497 { "abstract": "A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. 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-2026-000007498

Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 15237c537c7a41fdb67fdcbff30614ad68abb361f61d177d0e0dfb44760b5fed

Abstract

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

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six foam pads carried on a mounting flange, 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, clearing the face at release and holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against. 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 foam pads. The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of six 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 six 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 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 sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down.

[0010]The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange.

[0011]The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange.

[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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0017]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0018]The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange.

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

[0020]The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller.

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0021]

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

[0022]

When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection.

[0023]

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

[0024]

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

[0025]

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

[0026]

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

[0027]

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.

[0028]

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

[0029]The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly.

4. Parameters and operating assumptions

[0030]Parameter values of this embodiment: 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0031]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.

[0032]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.

[0033]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.

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

5. Provenance and status

[0035]This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination.

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Citation

OpenTechnical Publication OT-2026-000007498, “Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498.

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

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007498" title: "Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498" 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" - "mounting flange" - "foam pad" - "plant vacuum connection" - "isolation valve" - "manifold" - "pressure sensor" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" --- # Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down ## Abstract A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six foam pads carried on a mounting flange, 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, clearing the face at release and holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against. 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 foam pads.** The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of six 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 six 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 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 sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0010] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0018] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. ## 3. Operating sequence and conditions - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. - When the 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 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. [0029] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. ## 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0030] Parameter values of this embodiment: 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0031] 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. [0032] 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. [0033] 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. [0034] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. ## 5. Provenance and status [0035] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007498 Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six foam pads carried on a mounting flange, 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, clearing the face at release and holding a workpiece that a rigid lip cannot seal against. 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 foam pads. The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of six 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 six 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 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 sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given before set-down. [0010] The foam pads are carried on the tool side of the mounting flange. [0011] The manifold is fixed to the tool side of the mounting flange. [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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0018] The robot side of the mounting flange is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The isolation valve and the blow-off valve are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0021] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0022] - When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [0023] - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. [0024] - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. [0025] - After the vacuum level has exceeded the gripping threshold, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. [0026] - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. [0027] - 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. [0028] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0029] The cell controller reads the pressure sensor (the manifold) and the contact detector (on the gripping face) and commands the blow-off valve, the isolation valve; no sensor drives an actuator directly. 4. Parameters and operating assumptions [0030] Parameter values of this embodiment: 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0031] 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. [0032] 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. [0033] 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. [0034] Vacuum levels are stated as gauge pressure below atmosphere. A stronger vacuum is a larger pressure difference below atmosphere, and the vacuum level 'exceeds the gripping threshold' when that difference is at least the threshold difference. 5. Provenance and status [0035] This document is an original combination composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks. Each block was derived from a published patent and carries typed connection points, the parameters its source states, and its own construction and operating description. The combination described here is proposed and has not been constructed. The published documents behind the blocks used in this arrangement are EP-4385681-B1, US-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-10549431-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007498 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498 { "abstract": "A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one mounting flange, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.", "canonical_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498", "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": 35, "words": 1247 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 19632, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "52722e7e8cdaaf33a56aa003c80ba82950606926d8fd92f5e8fdb43d66019cdb" }, { "bytes": 8967, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "3aec2a05f469cd9f0da584c266b6435e2c3e82854a13dd2ddc13a28cf070cabe" }, { "bytes": 8639, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "15237c537c7a41fdb67fdcbff30614ad68abb361f61d177d0e0dfb44760b5fed" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007498/integrity", "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519", "signature_file": "manifest.sig", "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify" }, "keywords": [ "foam area gripping tool", "mounting flange", "foam pad", "plant vacuum connection", "isolation valve", "manifold", "pressure sensor", "contact detector", "blow-off valve", "blow off release" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000007498", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down", "uuid": "01a0ae62-4df4-7a8e-a45e-55fdc81c6d29" } W+g+gN6+67h387h+KirBlotgsWwHvWNILeE0ZgZmCitgo6qgcSS+pygBRRgQGdfeujaf5BNe14v4jXjetgzwBA== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: W+g+gN6+67h387h+KirBlotgsWwHvWNILeE0ZgZmCitgo6qgcSS+pygBRRgQGdfeujaf5BNe14v4jXjetgzwBA== {"files":[{"bytes":20460,"name":"index.html","sha256":"f9b5b53cf8abfe97b7ead631ff871417203fde5fd4193d7ab544aa12a52afac2"},{"bytes":9677,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"9e477278bd1adebf044c6c8433624bee9e839cc8c51a2bdd0e856b8e0b235e68"},{"bytes":9324,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"86b2380433bfb3c07ea1428195960a7a3b4f48e5e7fcaf4beab37d41a79e86a2"},{"bytes":2949,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"987691918535d2eac1c37b59a89009616fd2e5631fb60ef59416753e1e554887"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"bb002050a2c049785cf89cd149bed04569f68086f1df2be0e3b36c493bb369fc"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"bbd7ee220b4aec82b44e4c2f02c6b48d4bacf250a9c43d8b132da4dba34a6871"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000007499"} Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000007499

OT-2026-000007499

Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Vacuum Sensors, Valves and Manifolds
Document SHA-256: 86b2380433bfb3c07ea1428195960a7a3b4f48e5e7fcaf4beab37d41a79e86a2

Abstract

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

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six 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, 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.

[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 six 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.

[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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0017]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

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

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

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

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

3. Operating sequence and conditions

[0022]

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

[0023]

When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection.

[0024]

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

[0025]

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

[0026]

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

[0027]

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

[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 isolation 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 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[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 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.

[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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; 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-2026-000007499, “Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499.

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

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007499" title: "Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499" 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" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" --- # Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six 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, 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] **Six foam pads.** The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of six 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 six 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 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 sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given 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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0018] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the 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 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 isolation 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 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [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 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. [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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007499 Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a foam-pad vacuum gripping tool: six 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, 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] Six foam pads. The foam pad presents a compliant face to the workpiece; the holding force is spread over the contact area rather than concentrated at a lip. The count of six 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 six 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 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 sustained blast. The blow-off pulse is given 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 six outlets feed six 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 gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0017] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the line downstream of the isolation valve, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0018] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0019] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0020] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0021] The isolation valve, the blow-off valve and the lock of the tool-change interface are switched by the cell controller; the pressure sensor and the contact detector report to the cell controller. 3. Operating sequence and conditions [0022] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0023] - When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [0024] - When the vacuum level exceeds the gripping threshold, a secure grip is signalled by the pressure sensor. [0025] - The workpiece may not be lifted unless the pressure sensor signals a secure grip. [0026] - After the vacuum level has exceeded the gripping threshold, the isolation valve is closed by the cell controller. [0027] - While the isolation valve is in the closed state, the vacuum downstream of the valve is maintained by the sealed gripping face. [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 isolation 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 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: six (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 gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [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 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. [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-10163334-B1, US-10259123-B2, US-11427405-B1, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007499 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499 { "abstract": "A foam-pad vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six foam pads, one plant vacuum connection, one isolation valve, one manifold, one pressure sensor, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the foam pads reach the workpiece, the foam pads are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.", "canonical_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499", "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": 37, "words": 1352 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 20460, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "f9b5b53cf8abfe97b7ead631ff871417203fde5fd4193d7ab544aa12a52afac2" }, { "bytes": 9677, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "9e477278bd1adebf044c6c8433624bee9e839cc8c51a2bdd0e856b8e0b235e68" }, { "bytes": 9324, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "86b2380433bfb3c07ea1428195960a7a3b4f48e5e7fcaf4beab37d41a79e86a2" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007499/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", "blow-off valve", "blow off release" ], "language": "en", "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "publication_id": "OT-2026-000007499", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Six pad foam vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, common isolation valve, plant vacuum fed, manifold pressure sensor, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer", "uuid": "01a0ae62-4df4-7386-a376-f60424967e50" } susyq+XHvKiANFOgSS8f8NVjvgJcWJrfmzpm32N6AJzM+BazKsVKS9vA5p/nm9B+cks4wewwQ471PSo5sx5XCA== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: susyq+XHvKiANFOgSS8f8NVjvgJcWJrfmzpm32N6AJzM+BazKsVKS9vA5p/nm9B+cks4wewwQ471PSo5sx5XCA== {"files":[{"bytes":17769,"name":"index.html","sha256":"5f6930617ca99536b198e8a50bda22040e43579702ff410f44c1e898d47abec9"},{"bytes":7645,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"85f744e2d59ee7c86ee91dc3bccda672589baeaada76c42d3cb3d140bb705983"},{"bytes":7322,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"e3fb6e51f66d936df207581a0337ac198c5201dcb13bd8e4b0e951d9833a35c7"},{"bytes":2861,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"5be26ea1487e6461af3295ffe90aa82d586920817279173426e6db5294fd3411"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"0f04be750ab9cf31250f882a7838ef3ed26541b63b1b049ed7470efa6b2b31d0"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"f628731d5c5bac1e587aca0d315b204683a73a0aac9dd99876e8354e37cff396"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000007500"} Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000007500

OT-2026-000007500

Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: e3fb6e51f66d936df207581a0337ac198c5201dcb13bd8e4b0e951d9833a35c7

Abstract

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

1. Purpose and arrangement

[0001]This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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

[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.

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

[0011]Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups.

[0012]The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face.

[0013]The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face.

[0014]The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange.

[0015]The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0016]The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell.

[0017]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

[0018]

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

[0019]

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

[0020]

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.

[0021]

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

[0022]The cell controller reads 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

[0023]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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down).

[0024]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.

[0025]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.

[0026]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.

[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-10259123-B2, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; 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-2026-000007500, “Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer,” published September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC, https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500.

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

Terms

--- publication_id: "OT-2026-000007500" title: "Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer" published_at: "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z" canonical_url: "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500" 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" - "plant vacuum connection" - "manifold" - "contact detector" - "blow-off valve" - "blow off release" - "compressed air supply" - "contact sensing" --- # Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer ## Abstract A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. ## 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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] **Six 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 six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has two folds. [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 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. [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 before 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 manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0011] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups. [0012] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0013] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0014] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0015] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0016] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0017] 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 plant vacuum connection. - 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. [0022] The cell controller reads 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 [0023] 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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0024] 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. [0025] 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. [0026] 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. [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-10259123-B2, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. OPENTECHNICAL PUBLICATION OT-2026-000007500 Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer Published: 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500 Categories: Robotics & Automation > End Effectors > Vacuum Grippers ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed. 1. Purpose and arrangement [0001] This disclosure describes a bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool: six bellows cups carried on a tool-change interface, fed by a plant vacuum connection. 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] Six 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 six follows from the arrangement: one gripping element per manifold outlet. Each bellows cup has two folds. [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 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. [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 before 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 manifold inlet is connected to the plant vacuum connection, which supplies every outlet of the manifold. [0011] Each manifold outlet feeds one bellows cup by its own vacuum line, so that the six outlets feed six bellows cups. [0012] The contact detector is mounted on the gripping face and reports the moment a workpiece is present against the gripping face. [0013] The blow-off valve is connected to the circuit at the plant vacuum connection, so that compressed air can be driven back through the circuit to the face. [0014] The robot side of the tool-change interface is bolted to the robot flange. [0015] The blow-off valve is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0016] The locking piston of the tool-change interface is fed from the compressed air supply of the cell. [0017] 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 [0018] - After the contact detector has detected the workpiece, the vacuum supply is actuated by the cell controller. [0019] - When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. [0020] - 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. [0021] - The workpiece is held until the blow-off valve has opened the circuit. [0022] The cell controller reads 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 [0023] 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); outlets of the manifold: six (sets how many lines can be fed from one inlet); placement of the contact detector: on the gripping face (sets where the presence of the workpiece is detected); duration of the blow-off valve: a sustained blast (sets how quickly the face clears and how much air each release costs); timing of the blow-off valve: before set-down (sets whether the pulse assists a drop release or clears the face after set-down). [0024] 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. [0025] 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. [0026] 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. [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-10259123-B2, US-11858125-B2, US-2022339798-A1, US-8006968-B2, US-8132312-B2; their text is not reproduced, and the description above is generated from the structure of the combination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OpenTechnical publication OT-2026-000007500 Published 2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500 { "abstract": "A bellows-cup vacuum gripping tool comprising one tool-change interface, six bellows cups, one plant vacuum connection, one manifold, one contact detector and one blow-off valve. When the bellows cups reach the workpiece, the bellows cups are evacuated by the plant vacuum connection. Before the workpiece reaches the set-down position, the workpiece is blown off by the blow-off valve while the workpiece is above the receiving surface. The arrangement is a proposed configuration composed from a typed library of mechanism blocks derived from published patents; it has not been constructed.", "canonical_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500", "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": 1033 }, "figures": [], "files": [ { "bytes": 17769, "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8", "name": "index.html", "sha256": "5f6930617ca99536b198e8a50bda22040e43579702ff410f44c1e898d47abec9" }, { "bytes": 7645, "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.md", "sha256": "85f744e2d59ee7c86ee91dc3bccda672589baeaada76c42d3cb3d140bb705983" }, { "bytes": 7322, "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8", "name": "publication.txt", "sha256": "e3fb6e51f66d936df207581a0337ac198c5201dcb13bd8e4b0e951d9833a35c7" } ], "integrity": { "hash_algorithm": "sha256", "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys", "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007500/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", "plant vacuum connection", "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-2026-000007500", "published_at": "2026-09-17T08:01:13.261569Z", "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited", "record_type": "disclosure", "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0", "supersedes": null, "title": "Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer", "uuid": "01a0ae62-4df4-72c4-9c60-e174da8c4367" } vBo/vkTTGwUotfL19P4N76Lnv8nL1QdH4PfysXGklFeJQaNsF2gAph5j0bCBBuxfyFA1bDZxhbwMHTNkUS5pAg== algorithm: Ed25519 key_id: OT-SIGN-2026-01 public_key: https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys signed_file: manifest.json signature_b64: vBo/vkTTGwUotfL19P4N76Lnv8nL1QdH4PfysXGklFeJQaNsF2gAph5j0bCBBuxfyFA1bDZxhbwMHTNkUS5pAg== {"files":[{"bytes":17516,"name":"index.html","sha256":"3d4bd975efed70da61f04ea5a936df5009a93cd0ef7d4d6187ca3a6f56adafed"},{"bytes":7435,"name":"publication.md","sha256":"132f6320ded83806c2d36562bff6c0f43c046638cd1331d497daadaa0c53fa98"},{"bytes":7112,"name":"publication.txt","sha256":"7c4d9c6db2ffc8fd6ee622c75b2a4f30eed5e4e3aeced1725736b7f5a58d0477"},{"bytes":2860,"name":"manifest.json","sha256":"b515e4115a2eaba66f3d28ef06564cb0822caa72f705a9d9f71d8cbef806ac2b"},{"bytes":89,"name":"manifest.sig","sha256":"3bd93b4bae36e89c3b2cae688a832cb13478fd2ce3d41bab23a51093be7f7df9"},{"bytes":227,"name":"manifest.sig.txt","sha256":"402a4dec90d278093d43a25df604d82ab62e306ff9a4bc813ae76f5cf0c6995e"}],"publication_id":"OT-2026-000007501"} Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer - OpenTechnical OT-2026-000007501

OT-2026-000007501

Six bellows cup vacuum gripper, six outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, sustained blow-off before set-down, on a tool changer

Published: September 17, 2026 at 08:01:13 UTC
Permanent URL: https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000007501
Classification: Robotics & Automation › End Effectors › Vacuum Grippers
Also classified in: Position and Presence Sensing, Valves and Manifolds, Tool Changers
Document SHA-256: 7c4d9c6db2ffc8fd6ee622c75b2a4f30eed5e4e3aeced1725736b7f5a58d0477