{
  "abstract": "An end effector for vacuum end-of-arm tooling with compliant bellows cups is described. The tool comprises a tool-change interface (10), a bellows cup (12), a plant vacuum connection (14), a isolation valve (16), a manifold (18), and a contact detector (20), a pressure sensor (22), a blow-off valve (24). The arrangement addresses starting the vacuum at the right moment in the approach, where evacuating before the face touches the workpiece wastes air and pulls dust into the circuit, and evacuating late leaves the tool pressing on a workpiece it has not yet gripped. The description covers what detects contact, what that detection starts, and the order of the two events. Every connection is stated with the medium it carries, and the operating sequence is given as conditions on named operations.",
  "canonical_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000004831",
  "categories": [
    "robotics-automation/end-effectors/vacuum-grippers",
    "lifting-positioning-manipulation/vacuum-lifting/sealing-and-suction-pads",
    "lifting-positioning-manipulation/vacuum-lifting/vacuum-safety-systems",
    "sensors-controls-machine-vision/position-and-presence-sensing/inductive-sensors"
  ],
  "extent": {
    "figures": 3,
    "paragraphs": 40,
    "words": 1984
  },
  "figures": [
    {
      "caption": "Block diagram of the tool, with the medium carried by each connection.",
      "file": "figures/fig-001.svg",
      "number": "FIG-001",
      "sha256": "2677d566e236e1bddcdd1c1b2d04f357ddf62f9da9a567b7eec03bd253a6e612"
    },
    {
      "caption": "Elevation of the gripping face on its mounting.",
      "file": "figures/fig-002.svg",
      "number": "FIG-002",
      "sha256": "9ec5d7e2d75544665173aabc1dfb3c7d7e618e6ffa6a4c0674aeeb27112e100b"
    },
    {
      "caption": "Signal path between the controlled elements and the cell controller.",
      "file": "figures/fig-003.svg",
      "number": "FIG-003",
      "sha256": "224d1c3f4f178f56c61425c98ae57354423d5536d042f44b92ce4cd3cc121574"
    }
  ],
  "files": [
    {
      "bytes": 8638,
      "media_type": "image/svg+xml",
      "name": "figures/fig-001.svg",
      "sha256": "2677d566e236e1bddcdd1c1b2d04f357ddf62f9da9a567b7eec03bd253a6e612"
    },
    {
      "bytes": 4252,
      "media_type": "image/svg+xml",
      "name": "figures/fig-002.svg",
      "sha256": "9ec5d7e2d75544665173aabc1dfb3c7d7e618e6ffa6a4c0674aeeb27112e100b"
    },
    {
      "bytes": 5165,
      "media_type": "image/svg+xml",
      "name": "figures/fig-003.svg",
      "sha256": "224d1c3f4f178f56c61425c98ae57354423d5536d042f44b92ce4cd3cc121574"
    },
    {
      "bytes": 25753,
      "media_type": "text/html; charset=utf-8",
      "name": "index.html",
      "sha256": "2bec04d469cd514cd4bcb0d21b1854f3af80e47e77acadf7ae6696c0a31adc09"
    },
    {
      "bytes": 13063,
      "media_type": "text/markdown; charset=utf-8",
      "name": "publication.md",
      "sha256": "aab745322bf0178f2eb81400659550e3a47b2ced04ecc8db2aa7b499127a40a7"
    },
    {
      "bytes": 13001,
      "media_type": "text/plain; charset=utf-8",
      "name": "publication.txt",
      "sha256": "79c9fa41060ce86918177276db8521bc9421f730b8719066f5308b2904bbdccd"
    }
  ],
  "integrity": {
    "hash_algorithm": "sha256",
    "keys_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/keys",
    "record_url": "https://opentechnical.org/p/OT-2026-000004831/integrity",
    "signature_algorithm": "Ed25519",
    "signature_file": "manifest.sig",
    "verify_url": "https://opentechnical.org/integrity/verify"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "bellows cup",
    "blow-off valve",
    "contact detector",
    "plant vacuum connection",
    "isolation valve",
    "manifold",
    "pressure sensor",
    "tool-change interface",
    "approach detection",
    "end of arm tooling"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "license": {
    "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "publication_id": "OT-2026-000004831",
  "published_at": "2026-09-16T07:35:50.894177Z",
  "publisher": "Nebula Innovations Limited",
  "record_type": "disclosure",
  "schema": "opentechnical-publication-manifest/1.0",
  "supersedes": null,
  "title": "Bellows cup vacuum gripper, per zone isolation, three outlet manifold, plant vacuum fed, pressure verified",
  "uuid": "01a0a924-b76b-702c-8e05-36e1526f1e4d"
}