Systems, methods, and vacuum chucks for transferring flexible elongate bodies
US9663247B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 27, 2015 |
| Grant date | May 30, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 27, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB66C1/0281
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Systems, methods, and vacuum chucks for transferring flexible elongate bodies are disclosed herein. The vacuum chucks include an elongate rigid support, a vertically oriented vacuum surface, a vacuum manifold, and a skirt seal. The systems include an elongate horizontal support structure, a transfer structure, a plurality of vertical linkages, which are operatively attached to the elongate horizontal support structure, and a plurality of vacuum chucks. Each of the plurality of vacuum chucks is operatively attached to a respective one of the plurality of vertical linkages. The methods include suspending an elongate horizontal support structure with a transfer structure, aligning each of a plurality of vacuum chucks with a respective portion of a vertical surface of a flexible elongate body, selectively actuating each of the plurality of vacuum chucks to retain the respective portion of the vertical surface of the flexible elongate body, and lifting the flexible elongate body.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.