Patent ID: 11969885
Assignee: MUJIN, INC.
Field: nan (nan)
Classification: CPC nan | IPC B

Claim 7:
8. An object handling unit comprising:
a robotic arm; and
an end-effector configured for grasping an object, the end-effector including:
a suction cup assembly including a housing and configured to engage the object; and
a contact limit sensor apparatus, including a contact limit sensor, configured to detect a pressure associated with the engagement between the suction cup assembly and the object based on registering an amount of displacement of a housing; and
a stopper plate located above the contact limit sensor apparatus,

wherein the contact limit sensor transmits contact information when the contact limit sensor detects the pressure exceeding a contact threshold,
wherein the transmitted contact information causes movement of the end-effector toward the object to be limited,
wherein the suction cup assembly further includes:
a first suction cup coupled to a vacuum pressure generating source via a first suction shaft movable through the housing to displace the first suction cup relative to the housing; and
a second suction cup coupled to the vacuum pressure generating source via a second suction shaft movable through the housing to displace the second suction cup relative to the housing,

wherein, in a moving direction of the second suction shaft, an amount of a protrusion of the second suction shaft, from an uppermost surface of the housing toward the vacuum pressure generating source, is more than an amount of a protrusion of the first suction shaft from the uppermost surface of the housing toward the vacuum pressure generating source, and
wherein the housing is configured to be displaced up to the stopper plate, in the moving direction of the second suction shaft, from an initial position to a contact limit position,
wherein the housing includes an offset step including:
a first upper surface of the housing through which the first suction shaft passes on opposing sides of the housing;
a second upper surface of the housing through which the second suction shaft passes on opposing sides of the housing; and
a side surface that connects the first upper surface of the housing to the second upper surface of the housing, and

wherein, with respect to a bottommost surface of the housing, the second upper surface of the housing is located higher than the first upper surface of the housing;
wherein the stopper plate includes another offset step including:
a first bottom surface of the stopper plate located above the first upper surface of the housing;
a second bottom surface of the stopper plate located above the second upper surface of the housing;
another side surface that connects the first bottom surface of the stopper plate to the second bottom surface of the stopper plate, and

wherein, with respect to the bottommost surface of the housing, the second bottom surface of the stopper plate is located higher than the first bottom surface of the stopper plate.