Systems and methods for providing dynamic vacuum pressure at an end effector using a single vacuum source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12365100-B2
Application number	US-202217848199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2022
Priority date	Nov 7, 2017
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A system including a programmable motion device and an end effector for grasping objects to be moved by the programmable motion device is disclosed. The system includes a vacuum source that provides a high flow vacuum such that an object may be grasped at an end effector opening while permitting a substantial flow of air through the opening, and a dead-head limitation system for limiting any effects of dead-heading on the vacuum source in the event that a flow of air to the vacuum source is interrupted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing objects comprising:
providing a programmable motion device including an end effector with a vacuum cup that is coupled via a valve to a high flow vacuum source;
providing a plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the vacuum cup, each object being associated with a quality of a vacuum seal that the vacuum cup is known to form with the vacuum cup;
actuating a valve disposed inline between a vacuum source and the vacuum cup to provide a vacuum at the vacuum cup; and
selecting a sequence of the plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the end effector based on the quality of the vacuum seal formed between the vacuum cup and each of the plurality of heterogenous objects such that objects known to form a good seal with the vacuum cup are not chosen for processing successively.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes estimating a temperature of the high flow vacuum source.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the estimating a temperature of the high flow source is responsive to recent history of pressure, flow and vacuum source control signals as well as valve control signals, in combination with knowledge of high flow vacuum source thermal properties.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes limiting a period of time that a seal is formed with an object that is associated with a good seal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes requiring that the flow of air to the vacuum source occur for a minimum period of time between picking objects.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high flow vacuum source includes a side-channel blower.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the valve is any of a linear valve or a rotary valve.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes providing a relief valve for providing cooling fluid to the high flow vacuum source.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the relief valve is coupled to a coolant source, where the relief valve is responsive to sensed pressure, flow, temperature or time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes providing via a sensor at the end effector any of flow sensor data, pressure sensor data, force sensor data and temperature sensor data.

11. A method of processing objects comprising:
providing a programmable motion device including an end effector with a vacuum cup that is coupled via a valve to a high flow vacuum source;
providing a plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the vacuum cup, each object being associated with a quality of a vacuum seal that the vacuum cup is known to form with the vacuum cup;
actuating a valve disposed inline between a vacuum source and the vacuum cup to provide a vacuum at the vacuum cup;
choosing a first object of the plurality of heterogenous objects for processing with programmable motion device that is known to form a good seal with the vacuum cup; and
subsequently choosing a second object of the plurality of heterogenous objects for processing with the programmable motion device that is known to form a poor seal with the vacuum cup.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further includes estimating a temperature of the high flow vacuum source.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the estimating a temperature of the high flow source is responsive to recent history of pressure, flow and vacuum source control signals as well as valve control signals, in combination with knowledge of high flow vacuum source thermal properties.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further includes limiting a period of time that a seal is formed with an object that is associated with a good seal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further includes requiring that the flow of air to the vacuum source occur for a minimum period of time between picking objects.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the high flow vacuum source includes a side-channel blower.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the valve is any of a linear valve or a rotary valve.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further includes providing a relief valve for providing cooling fluid to the high flow vacuum source.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the relief valve is coupled to a coolant source, where the relief valve is responsive to sensed pressure, flow, temperature or time.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the method further includes providing via a sensor at the end effector any of flow sensor data, pressure sensor data, force sensor data and temperature sensor data.

21. An object processing system comprising:
a programmable motion device including an end effector with a vacuum cup that is coupled via a valve to a high flow vacuum source;
a plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the vacuum cup, each object being associated with a quality of a vacuum seal that the vacuum cup is known to form with the vacuum cup;
a valve disposed inline between a vacuum source and the vacuum cup to provide a vacuum at the vacuum cup; and
a control system for reducing effects of dead-heading on the high flow vacuum source by selecting a sequence of the plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the end effector based on the quality of the vacuum seal formed between the vacuum cup and each of the plurality of heterogenous objects such that objects known to form a good seal with the vacuum cup are not chosen for processing successively.

22. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the control system further estimates a temperature of the high flow vacuum source.

23. The object processing system as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the temperature of the high flow source is estimated responsive to recent history of pressure, flow and vacuum source control signals as well as valve control signals, in combination with knowledge of high flow vacuum source thermal properties.

24. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the control system further limits a period of time that a seal is formed with an object that is associated with a good seal.

25. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the control system further requires that the flow of air to the vacuum source occur for a minimum period of time between picking objects.

26. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the high flow vacuum source includes a side-channel blower.

27. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the valve is any of a linear valve or a rotary valve.

28. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the system further includes a relief valve for providing cooling fluid to the high flow vacuum source.

29. The object processing system as claimed in claim 28 , wherein the relief valve is coupled to a coolant source, where the relief valve is responsive to sensed pressure, flow, temperature or time.

30. The object processing system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the system further includes a sensor at the end effector for providing any of flow sensor data, pressure sensor data, force

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Thomas
• Ahearn Kevin
• Amend Jr John Richard
• Cohen Benjamin
• DAWSON-HAGGERTY Michael
• Fort William Hartman
• GEYER Christopher
• King Jennifer Eileen
• Koletschka Thomas
• Koval Michael Cap
• MARONEY Kyle
• Mason Matthew T
• McMahan William Chu-Hyon
• Price Gene Temple
• Romano Joseph
• Smith Daniel
• SRINIVASA Siddhartha
• Velagapudi Prasanna
• Allen Thomas

Classifications

• B25J15/065

  provided with separating means for releasing the gripped object after suction · CPC title

• B66C1/0256

  Operating and control devices · CPC title

• B65G47/917

  control arrangements · CPC title

• B66C1/02

  by suction means {(suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00)} · CPC title

• B66C1/0218

  Safety measures, e.g. sensors, duplicate functions · CPC title