Soft robotic actuators for positioning, packaging, and assembling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154992-B2
Application number	US-201815956804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2018
Priority date	May 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to applications for soft robotic actuators in the manufacturing, packaging, and food preparation industries, among others. Methods and systems are disclosed for packaging target objects using soft robotic actuators, for moving and positioning target objects and/or receptacles, and/or for diverting or sorting objects. By using soft robotic actuators to perform the fixing, positioning, and/or diverting, objects of different sizes and configurations may be manipulated on the same processing line, without the need to reconfigure the line or install new hardware when a new object is received.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
placing an object on a packaging material comprising a base and a soft robotic actuator, the soft robotic actuator comprising one or more accordion extensions that include a series of ridges and troughs arranged to cause the soft robotic actuator to curl around a central axis when inflated and a gripping surface opposite the one or more accordion extensions, and being constructed of a plastic- or elastomer-sheet-material having a reservoir and configured to be inflated by supplying an inflation fluid to the reservoir, wherein the base and actuator are arranged in a configuration so that upon receiving the inflation fluid, the actuator is configured to curl and wrap around a portion of the object to exert a gripping force on the object between the gripping surface of the actuator and a corresponding area of the base;
delivering the inflation fluid to the soft robotic actuator via a coupling to a control unit, causing the soft robotic actuator to curl around the central axis and wrap around the portion of the object;
sealing the soft robotic actuator in an inflated state; and
decoupling the soft robotic actuator from the control unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inflation fluid is sulfur hexafluoride.

3. The method of claim 1 , the packaging material comprising a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged to wrap around the object when in the inflated state.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of soft robotic actuators are arranged symmetrically on the packaging material.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of soft robotic actuators are arranged asymmetrically on the packaging material.

6. The method of claim 3 , comprising inflating each of the plurality of soft robotic actuators to a fluidic pressure independent of a fluidic pressure of the other soft robotic actuators.

7. The method of claim 3 , comprising inflating each of the plurality of soft robotic actuators to a same fluidic pressure.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material comprises a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged in a plane parallel to a plane of a base of the packaging material.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packaging material comprises a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged in a plane perpendicular to a plane of the base of the packaging material.

10. A packaging comprising:
an inflatable base configured to be inflated by suppling an inflation fluid to the base, and
one or more soft robotic actuators each comprising one or more accordion extensions that include a series of ridges and troughs arranged to cause the soft robotic actuator to curl around a central axis when inflated and a gripping surface opposite the one or more accordion extensions, and being constructed of a plastic- or elastomer-sheet-material having a reservoir and configured to be inflated by supplying the inflation fluid to the reservoir, wherein the plastic- or elastomer-sheet material is selected based on a desired diffusion rate of the inflation fluid to an outside environment;
a coupling providing a fluid connection between a control unit, the base, and the reservoir, wherein
the control unit is configured to deliver the inflation fluid to the base and reservoir via the coupling to cause the one or more soft robotic actuators to curl around their respective central axes, the base and one or more soft robotic actuators sized and configured so that upon receiving the inflation fluid, the actuator is configured to curl and wrap around a portion of a target object placed on top of the base, to exert a gripping force on the target object between the gripping surface of the actuator and a corresponding area of the base, the control unit releasably coupled to the soft robotic actuator.

11. The packaging of claim 10 , further comprising an inlet or valve configured to be permanently or temporarily sealed to prevent the inflation fluid from escaping the one or more soft robotic actuators.

12. The packaging of claim 10 , wherein the inflation fluid is sulfur hexafluoride.

13. The packaging of claim 10 , the packaging material comprising a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged to wrap around the object when in the inflated state.

14. The packaging of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of soft robotic actuators are arranged symmetrically on the packaging material.

15. The packaging of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of soft robotic actuators are arranged asymmetrically on the packaging material.

16. The packaging of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured to inflate each of the plurality of soft robotic actuators to a fluidic pressure independent of a fluidic pressure of the other soft robotic actuators.

17. The packaging of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of soft robotic actuators are configured to be inflated to a same fluidic pressure via a common inlet.

18. The packaging of claim 10 , wherein the packaging material comprises a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged in a plane parallel to a plane of the base.

19. The packaging of claim 10 , wherein the packaging material comprises a plurality of soft robotic actuators arranged in a plane perpendicular to a plane of the base.

Assignees

• Soft Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Lessing Joshua Aaron
• Harburg Daniel V
• Singh Sarv Parteek
• Chiappetta Mark
• Knopf Ryan

Classifications

• B25J15/10

  with three or more finger members {(B25J15/0009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B25J15/12

  with flexible finger members · CPC title

• B25J9/0093

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B25J11/0045

  Manipulators used in the food industry · CPC title

• B25J15/0023 Primary

  Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid (flexible fingers B25J15/12) · CPC title