Patent Publication Number: US-2022234174-A1

Title: Vacuum clamping nozzle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of China Patent Application No. 202110086728.0, filed Jan. 22, 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The application relates in general to a vacuum clamping nozzle, and in particular, to a vacuum clamping nozzle used to apply suction to a locking member. 
     Description of the Related Art 
       FIG. 1  is a conventional locking device L, including a sucking mechanism  10 , a vacuum generator  20 , and a locking means  30 . The sucking mechanism  10  includes a channel  11  extending from the upper end  12  of the sucking mechanism  10  to its lower end  13 . The vacuum generator  20  passes through the case of the sucking mechanism  10 , so as to communicate with the channel  11 . The locking means  30  can enter the channel  11  from the upper end  12  of the sucking mechanism  10 . For example, the locking means  30  can be a screwdriver, an automatic screwing machine, or a riveting machine. 
     When the user desires to use the locking device L, the vacuum generator  20  can operate and exhaust the gas from the channel  11 , and a locking member  40  (such as a screw or a rivet) can be mounted to a vacuum clamping nozzle  14 , which is disposed on the lower end  11  of the sucking mechanism  11 . However, the suction force may be reduced due to an unstable vacuum source or the tolerance of the screw member. Moreover, when the screwing machine moves or suctions the screw at high speed, the suctioned screw may move into an incorrect position, or the screw may fall. This may cause the locking screw to fail or the workpiece surface to be damaged due to collision. Therefore, how to address the aforementioned problem has become an important issue. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A vacuum clamping nozzle is provided. The vacuum clamping nozzle is connected to a vacuum generator and configured to apply suction to a locking member. The vacuum clamping nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, an accommodating space, a gap, and a clamping assembly. The first housing includes a first lateral wall, a first lower surface, a channel, a through hole, and a first opening. The first lateral wall is connected to the first lower surface, and surrounds the channel The through hole and the first opening are respectively formed on the first lateral wall and the first lower surface, and are opened onto each other. The second housing is fixedly connected to the first housing, and includes a second lateral wall, a second lower surface, and a second opening. The second lateral wall is connected to the second lower surface, and surrounds the first lateral wall. The second opening is formed on the second lower surface, and corresponds to the first opening. The accommodating space is formed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, and the through hole is opened onto the channel and the accommodating space. The gap is formed between the first lower surface and the second lower surface, and opened onto the first opening and the second opening. The accommodating space is opened onto the gap. The clamping assembly is disposed in the accommodating space. When the vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel, and the locking member covers the first opening, the clamping assembly moves relative to the first housing, and is in contact with the locking member via the gap. 
     A vacuum clamping nozzle is also provided. The vacuum clamping nozzle is connected to a vacuum generator and configured to apply suction to a locking member. The vacuum clamping nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, an accommodating space, a movable member, and a contact member. The first housing includes a first lateral wall, a channel, a through hole, and a first opening. The first lateral wall surrounds the channel. The through hole is formed on the first lateral wall, and the first opening is opened onto the channel. The second housing is fixedly connected to the first housing, and includes a second lateral wall, a second lower surface, and a second opening. The second lateral wall surrounds the first lateral wall, and the second opening corresponds to the first opening. The accommodating space is formed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall. The through hole is opened onto the channel and the accommodating space. The movable member is disposed in the accommodating space, and the contact member is connected to the first housing. When the vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel, and the locking member covers the first opening, the movable member moves relative to the first housing and pushes the contact member, and the contact member is in contact with the locking member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a conventional locking device; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a vacuum clamping nozzle according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum clamping nozzle according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram that represents that a locking member is mounted on the vacuum clamping nozzle and a vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum clamping nozzle according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of a vacuum clamping nozzle according to another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram that represents that a locking member is mounted on the vacuum clamping nozzle and a vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel according to another embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum clamping nozzle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     The making and using of the embodiments of the vacuum clamping nozzle are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodiments provide many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the embodiments, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. 
     Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should be appreciated that each term, which is defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning conforming to the relative skills and the background or the context of the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless defined otherwise. 
     The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the subject matter provided. Specific examples of solutions and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Furthermore, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated  90  degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′. The vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′ can be used to replace the vacuum clamping nozzle  14  in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′ includes a first housing  100 , a second housing  200 , and a clamping assembly  300 . 
     The first housing  100  includes a first lateral wall  110 , a first lower surface  120 , a channel  130 , a first opening  140 , and a through hole  150 . The first lateral wall  110  is connected to the first lower surface  120 , and surrounds the channel  130 . It should be noted that, the channel  130  forms a part of the channel  11  of the sucking mechanism  10 , so that the vacuum generator  20  can directly exhaust the gas in the channel  130 . The first opening  140  is formed on the first lower surface  120 , and is communicated with the channel  130 . The through hole  150  is formed on the first lateral wall  110 , and is communicated with the channel  130  too. 
     The second housing  200  is detachably affixed to the first housing  100 , and includes a second lateral wall  210 , a second lower surface  220 , and a second opening  240 . The second lateral wall  210  is connected to the second lower surface  220 , and the second opening  240  is formed on the second lower surface  220 . The position of the second opening  240  corresponds to the position of the first opening  140 . In XY-plane, the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the second opening  240  are greater than or the same as the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the first opening  140 . In other words, as seen from the central axis  131  of the channel  130 , the first opening  140  is disposed inside the outline of the second opening  240 . In this embodiment, the dimensions of the second opening  240  are substantially the same as the dimensions of the first opening  140 , and the second opening  240  has a chamfer. 
     At least a portion of the second lateral wall  210  is separated from the first lateral wall  110 , so that an accommodating space R is formed between the first lateral wall  110  and the second lateral wall  210 . Similarly, the second lower surface  220  is separated from the first lower surface  120 , so that a gap G is formed between the first lower surface  120  and the second lower surface  220 . In this embodiment, the gap G is communicated with the first opening  140 , the second opening  240 , and the accommodating space R, and the through hole  150  is communicated with the channel  130  and the accommodating space R. 
     The clamping assembly  300  is disposed in the accommodating space R, and includes a rotatable member  310  and a sealing member  320 . The rotatable member  310  can be a longitudinal structure having metal. An end of the rotatable member  310  is rotatably connected to the second housing  200 , and the other end of the rotatable member  310  is hang in the accommodating space R and adjacent to the gap G. In detail, the rotatable member  310  can be divided into a pivot portion  311  and a clamping portion  312 . An end of the clamping portion  311  is rotatably connected to the second housing  200 , and the other end of the clamping portion  311  is connected to the clamping portion  312 . The clamping portion  312  protrudes from the pivot portion  311  toward the gap G. As shown in  FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the end of the pivot portion  311  connected to the second housing  200  is hang in a recess  211 . The recess  211  is formed on the inner surface of the second lateral wall  210 , and the dimensions of the recess  210  are greater than the thickness of the pivot portion  311 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the clamping assembly  300  can also move relative to the first housing  100 . 
     The sealing member  320  is disposed on the rotatable member  310 , and its position corresponds to the through hole  150  on the first lateral wall  110 . In this embodiment, the sealing member  320  includes soft material, such as rubber. In some embodiments, the sealing member  320  can include metal material. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the user does not use the locking device L to apply suction to the locking member  400 , the clamping assembly  300  is in a predetermined position, and the clamping assembly  300  is spaced away from the through hole by a distance. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the user uses the locking device L to apply suction to the locking member  40 , the locking member  40  can pass the second opening  240 , the gap G, and the first opening  140  in sequence and then be mounted on the vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′. The vacuum generator  20  can exhaust the gas from the channel  130 . Since the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the first opening  140  in XY-plane are substantially the same as the dimensions of the locking portion  41  of the locking member  40 , and the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the channel  130  in XY-plane is less than the dimensions of the first opening  140 , the locking member  40  can cover the first opening  140 , and can be affixed by the suction force of the vacuum generator  20 . Moreover, since the through hole  150  is formed on the first lateral wall  110 , the vacuum generator  20  can provide suction force to the clamping assembly  300 , and the clamping assembly  300  can rotate and/or move relative to the first housing  100 . Thereby, the clamping portion  312  of the clamping assembly  300  can be in contact with the locking portion  41  of the locking member  40  to provide a further clamping force to the locking member  40 . 
     It should be noted that, when the clamping assembly  300  rotates and/or moves relative to the first housing  100  due to the attraction of the suction force, the sealing member  320  enters the through hole  150  and entirely seals the through hole  150 . Therefore, when the locking member  40  is suctioned, the whole suction force of the vacuum generator  20  can be applied on the locking member  40 . The suction force will not be reduced due to the through hole  150 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in another embodiment of the invention, the vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′ further includes a plurality of clamping assemblies  300 . A plurality of through holes  150  corresponding to the clamping assemblies  300  are formed on the first lateral wall  110  of the first housing  100 , and the clamping assemblies  300  are arranged in a rotational symmetric manner relative to the central axis  131  of the channel  130 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′ according to another embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the clamping assembly  300  includes a movable member  330  and at least one contact member  340 . The movable member  330  is disposed in the accommodating space R and surrounds the first housing  100 , and is slidable relative to the first housing  100  along the central axis  131  of the channel  130 . Furthermore, the movable member  330  has an inclined surface  331  facing the contact member  340 . 
     It should be noted that, the cross-section of at least a portion of the movable member  330  in XY-plane is substantially the same as the cross-section of the accommodating space R in XY-plane, so that the accommodating space R can be divided into an upper region R 1  and a lower region R 2  when the movable member  330  disposed in the accommodating space R. The upper region R 1  is communicated with the channel  130  via the through hole  150 . The contact member  340  is disposed in the lower region R 2 . 
     The contact member  340  is affixed to the first housing  100 , and is flexible. The contact member  340  has an inclined surface  341  and a protruding portion  342 , wherein the inclined surface  341  faces the inclined surface  331  of the movable member  330 , and the protruding portion  342  protrudes toward the gap G. In this embodiment, the slope of the inclined surface  341  of the contact member  340  is substantially the same as the slope of the inclined surface  331  of the movable member  330 . The contact member  341  and the first housing  100  can be integrally formed in one piece. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the user uses the locking device L to apply suction to the locking member  40 , the locking member  40  can pass the second opening  240 , the gap G, and the first opening  140  in sequence and then be mounted on the vacuum clamping nozzle  14 ′. The vacuum generator  20  can exhaust the gas from the channel  130 . Since the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the first opening  140  in XY-plane are substantially the same as the dimensions of the locking portion  41  of the locking member  40 , and the dimensions (the cross-sectional area) of the channel  130  in XY-plane is less than the dimensions of the first opening  140 , the locking member  40  can cover the first opening  140 , and can be affixed by the suction force of the vacuum generator  20 . 
     Furthermore, the vacuum generator  20  can generate the suction force in the upper region R 1  via the through hole  150 , and the movable member  330  of the clamping assembly  300  therefore slides upwardly along the central axis  131  of the channel  130 . 
     When the movable member  330  slides upwardly, its inclined surface  331  is in contact with the inclined surface  341  of the contact member  340  and pushes the contact member  340 . The contact member  340  is then deformed. Therefore, the protruding portion  342  of the contact member  340  can be in contact with the locking portion  41  of the locking member  40  to provide a further clamping force to the locking member  40 . In this embodiment, both the movable member  330  and the contact member  340  include metal material, so as to reduce the debris created by the contact between the members. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, the clamping assembly  300  includes a plurality of contact members  340 . These contact members  340  are arranged in a rotational symmetric manner relative to the central axis  131  of the channel  130 . 
     In summary, a vacuum clamping nozzle is provided. The vacuum clamping nozzle is connected to a vacuum generator and configured to apply suction to a locking member. The vacuum clamping nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, an accommodating space, a gap, and a clamping assembly. The first housing includes a first lateral wall, a first lower surface, a channel, a through hole, and a first opening. The first lateral wall is connected to the first lower surface, and surrounds the channel The through hole and the first opening are respectively formed on the first lateral wall and the first lower surface, and are communicated with each other. The second housing is fixedly connected to the first housing, and includes a second lateral wall, a second lower surface, and a second opening. The second lateral wall is connected to the second lower surface, and surrounds the first lateral wall. The second opening is formed on the second lower surface, and corresponds to the first opening. The accommodating space is formed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, and the through hole is communicated with the channel and the accommodating space. The gap is formed between the first lower surface and the second lower surface, and communicated with the first opening and the second opening. The accommodating space is communicated with the gap. The clamping assembly is disposed in the accommodating space. When the vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel, and the locking member covers the first opening, the clamping assembly moves relative to the first housing, and is in contact with the locking member via the gap. 
     A vacuum clamping nozzle is also provided. The vacuum clamping nozzle is connected to a vacuum generator and configured to apply suction to a locking member. The vacuum clamping nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, an accommodating space, a movable member, and a contact member. The first housing includes a first lateral wall, a channel, a through hole, and a first opening. The first lateral wall surrounds the channel. The through hole is formed on the first lateral wall, and the first opening is communicated with the channel. The second housing is fixedly connected to the first housing, and includes a second lateral wall, a second lower surface, and a second opening. The second lateral wall surrounds the first lateral wall, and the second opening corresponds to the first opening. The accommodating space is formed between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall. The through hole is communicated with the channel and the accommodating space. The movable member is disposed in the accommodating space, and the contact member is connected to the first housing. When the vacuum generator exhausts the gas in the channel, and the locking member covers the first opening, the movable member moves relative to the first housing and pushes the contact member, and the contact member is in contact with the locking member. 
     Although some embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that many of the features, functions, processes, and materials described herein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. Moreover, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.