Patent ID: 6065789
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: B25J,B41F,B65B,B65G,B66C,Y10S

Abstract:
A suction apparatus comprising:a pad section for attracting a workpiece as a result of a negative pressure of a fluid applied to said pad section;an opening/closing valve with a valve rod provided in a fluid passage for supplying the fluid having a negative pressure to the pad section, wherein a valve plug formed at the valve rod is separated from or seated on a seat section so as to open/close the fluid passage; anda detecting section comprising a detecting element for detecting a change in one of a magnetic field and an electric current provided integrally with the pad section, for detecting, as a result of said change in the magnetic field or said electric current, that the opening/closing valve is changed from a valve-closed state to a valve-opened state by displacement of the valve rod when a projection formed at one end of the valve rod abuts against the workpiece.