U.S. patent application number 17/141584 was filed with the patent office on 2021-04-29 for grabbing mechanism.
The applicant listed for this patent is LOON LLC. Invention is credited to Keegan Gartner, Mathew Tabor.
Application Number | 20210122613 17/141584 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005316514 |
Filed Date | 2021-04-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210122613 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tabor; Mathew ; et
al. |
April 29, 2021 |
GRABBING MECHANISM
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate to grabbing, holding and
releasing an object including a pull stud. For instance, a grabbing
mechanism may include a piston chamber having a piston configured
to move within the piston chamber when the piston chamber is
pressurized. The mechanism may also include a collet attached to
the piston such that the collet and piston move together when the
piston moves. The collet may include a groove. The mechanism may
also include ball cage including a plurality of balls arranged at
least partially within respective ball chambers of the ball cage.
The ball cage may be arranged at least partially within the collet
such that movement of the piston and collet causes the groove to
align with the respective ball chambers. The plurality of balls may
be configured to move into and out of the groove and to lock the
pull stud within the mechanism.
Inventors: |
Tabor; Mathew; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Gartner; Keegan; (Los Gatos,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LOON LLC |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005316514 |
Appl. No.: |
17/141584 |
Filed: |
January 5, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16365919 |
Mar 27, 2019 |
10934137 |
|
|
17141584 |
|
|
|
|
15910224 |
Mar 2, 2018 |
10287135 |
|
|
16365919 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66C 1/62 20130101; B25J
15/00 20130101; B64B 1/58 20130101; B66C 1/66 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B66C 1/66 20060101
B66C001/66; B25J 15/00 20060101 B25J015/00; B66C 1/62 20060101
B66C001/62 |
Claims
1. A system for grabbing an object including a pull stud, the
system comprising: a grabbing mechanism including: a piston chamber
having a piston configured to move within the piston chamber when
the piston chamber is pressurized; a collet attached to the piston
such that the collet and piston move together when the piston
moves, the collet including a groove; a ball cage including a
plurality of balls arranged at least partially within respective
ball chambers of the ball cage, the ball cage being arranged at
least partially within the collet such that movement of the piston
and collet causes the groove to align with the respective ball
chambers, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to move
into and out of the groove and to lock the pull stud within the
grabbing mechanism; and an ejector pin configured to contact the
pull stud to eject the pull stud from the grabbing mechanism.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the grabbing mechanism further
includes a spring configured to bias the piston in a first
direction such that pressurization of the piston chamber causes the
piston to overcome a force of the spring on the piston.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the spring is arranged around a
portion of the ball cage such that the portion of the ball cage is
within the spring.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the ejector pin pushes a head
portion of the pull stud to eject the pull stud.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ejector pin is arranged
within an opening of the ball cage.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the ejector pin is configured to
move within the opening of the ball cage.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the grabbing mechanism further
includes a plunger including a plunger body and a plunger pin, the
plunger pin being configured to mate with a depression in the
ejector pin such that a force on the plunger body causes the
plunger pin to move the ejector pin.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the grabbing mechanism further
includes an ejection cylinder having an ejection chamber, wherein
the plunger body is arranged within the ejection chamber, such that
pressurization of the ejection cylinder causes the force on the
plunger body.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an air source
configured to pressurize the ejection cylinder.
10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a sensor configured
to send a signal indicating a location of the plunger body.
11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a computing device,
wherein the sensor is configured to send the signal to the
computing device, and wherein the computing device is configured to
determine a position of the plunger body.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein in response to receiving the
signal, the computing device is configured to cause the piston
chamber to be pressurized.
13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism
including a crane.
14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air source
configured to pressurize the piston chamber.
15. The system of claim 1, further comprising the pull stud.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pull stud includes a head
portion configured to force the plurality of balls to move into the
groove when the groove is aligned with the respective ball
chambers.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the pull stud includes a neck
portion configured to allow the plurality of balls to lock the pull
stud in the grabbing mechanism.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the pull stud includes a
shoulder portion arranged to limit movement of the pull stud within
the ball cage.
19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the object.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the object is a balloon
including a top cap, and the pull stud is attached to the top cap.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/365,919, filed Mar. 27, 2019, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/910,224, filed
Mar. 2, 2018, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,287,135, the disclosures
of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Various systems, such as cranes and other devices, employ
grabbing mechanisms to grab, hold, lift, and move objects. These
mechanisms may include hooks, pneumatically operated claws or
grabbers, etc. However, few grabbing mechanisms allow for reliable
and rapid grabbing and releasing of those objects. This can be
especially important in situations in which the grabbing mechanism
is attached to a crane under high loads. Moreover, identifying the
state of the grabbing mechanism, including whether an object is
properly engaged and released is critical to safe operation of such
systems.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] Aspects of the present disclosure provide a system for
grabbing an object including a pull stud. The system includes a
grabbing mechanism including a piston chamber having a piston
configured to move within the piston chamber when the piston
chamber is pressurized; a collet attached to the piston such that
the collet and piston move together when the piston moves, the
collet including a groove; and a ball cage including a plurality of
balls arranged at least partially within respective ball chambers
of the ball cage. The ball cage is arranged at least partially
within the collet such that movement of the piston and collet
causes the groove to align with the respective ball chambers,
wherein the plurality of balls are configured to move into and out
of the groove and to lock the pull stud within the grabbing
mechanism.
[0004] In one example, the grabbing mechanism further includes a
spring configured to bias the piston in a first direction such that
pressurization of the piston chamber causes the piston to overcome
a force of the spring on the piston. In this example, the spring is
arranged around a portion of the ball cage such that the portion of
the ball cage is within the spring. In another example, the
grabbing mechanism further includes a plunger body, and the system
further comprises a sensor configured to send a signal indicating a
location of the plunger body. In this example, the sensor is a
magnetic reed sensor. In addition or alternatively, the grabbing
mechanism further includes an ejection cylinder including an
ejection chamber, wherein the plunger body is arranged within the
ejection chamber and the sensor is arranged adjacent to the
ejection cylinder. In addition or alternatively, the system also
includes a computing device, wherein the sensor is configured to
send the signal to the computing device, and the computing device
is configured to determine a position of the plunger body. In this
example, in response to receiving the signal, the computing device
is configured to cause the piston chamber to be pressurized. In
another example, the system also includes a lifting mechanism
including a crane. In another example, the grabbing mechanism
further includes an ejector pin configured to eject the pull stud
from the grabbing mechanism. In this example, the grabbing
mechanism further includes a plunger including a plunger body and a
plunger pin. The plunger pin is configured to mate with a
depression in the ejector pin such that a force on the plunger body
causes the plunger pin to force the ejector pin to move within the
ball cage and to eject the pull stud from the grabbing mechanism.
In addition, the grabbing mechanism further includes an ejection
cylinder, and the plunger body is arranged within the ejection
cylinder, such that pressurization of the ejection cylinder causes
the force on the plunger body. In addition, the system also
includes an air source configured to pressurize the ejection
cylinder. In another example, the system also includes an air
source configured to pressurize the piston chamber. In another
example, the system includes the pull stud. In this example, the
pull stud includes a head portion configured to force the plurality
of balls to move into the groove when the groove is aligned with
the respective ball chambers. In addition or alternatively, the
pull stud includes a neck portion configured to allow the plurality
of balls to lock the pull stud in the grabbing mechanism. In
addition or alternatively, the pull stud includes a shoulder
portion arranged to limit movement of the pull stud within the ball
cage. In this example, the system also includes the object. In
addition, the object is a balloon including a top cap, and the pull
stud is attached to the top cap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a functional diagram of a system in accordance
with aspects of the present disclosure.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a grabbing mechanism and
pull stud in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the
grabbing mechanism with a piston removed in accordance with aspects
of the disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a grabbing mechanism and
pull stud in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a grabbing mechanism
and pull stud in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 5B is a detail view of a portion of FIG. 5A in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a grabbing mechanism
and pull stud in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 6B is a detail view of a portion of FIG. 6A in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a grabbing
mechanism with an attached sensor in accordance with aspects of the
disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the portion of a grabbing
mechanism with the attached sensor as depicted in FIG. 7A in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of a grabbing mechanism
and pull stud in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 8B is a detail view of a portion of FIG. 8A in
accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the
grabbing mechanism with a piston removed in accordance with aspects
of the disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 10 is an example of a balloon being lifted by a grabber
mechanism in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The technology relates to mechanisms for grabbing, holding,
and releasing an object including a pull stud under high loads. For
instance, a grabbing mechanism may enable a lifting mechanism to
grab, lift, move, and release an object. An air source or
compressor can provide pressurized air or gas to the grabbing
mechanism in order to control the functions of the grabbing
mechanism. A computing device may receive signals from the grabbing
mechanism and control the operation of the air source and thereby
control the functions of the grabbing mechanism.
[0020] The grabbing mechanism may include a plurality of structural
features, which may include a mounting plate, a base, and a release
cylinder. The release cylinder may include a cylinder housing, a
piston chamber, and a piston. The piston may be configured to move
within the piston chamber between first and second positions with
respect to the cylinder housing.
[0021] A first end of the grabbing mechanism may include an
ejection cylinder attached to the mounting plate. The ejection
cylinder may allow for pneumatic operation of the grabbing
mechanism via air or gas from the air source. The ejection cylinder
may include an opening leading to an ejection chamber. This opening
may be connected to the air source. When pressurized air or gas
from the air source is forced through the opening into the ejection
chamber, this may cause a force on a plunger within the ejection
cylinder. This force causes the plunger to move away from the
opening, thereby ejecting any pull stud within the grabbing
mechanism assuming the mechanism is open.
[0022] The plunger may include a plunger pin which passes through
respective openings in the mounting plate and base. The plunger pin
may mate with an opening, slot or depression in a first end of an
ejector pin. A second end of the ejector pin may be configured to
contact an end of a pull stud. The ejector pin may be arranged to
move within an opening in a ball cage.
[0023] The ball cage may include a plurality of balls each of which
may rest within a ball chamber of the ball cage. The balls may be
allowed to move in and out of a groove in collet to allow an
opening through the ball cage to expand and contract laterally. The
ball cage may be fixed against the base and biased away from a
bottom ledge of the piston via one or more springs arranged around
the ball cage.
[0024] A first end of the collet may include an opening to allow
for the insertion of the pull stud into the collet and the ball
cage. The collet also includes a groove. A second end of the
collet, opposite of the first end, may be attached to the piston,
such that the piston and collet may move together. Movement of the
piston may be controlled by pressurizing or depressurizing the
piston chamber within the cylinder housing.
[0025] The pull stud may include an enlarged head portion, a neck
portion, and a shoulder portion. These features may allow for ease
of attachment and release of the grabbing mechanism. The pull stud
may be attached to any number of different objects in order to
allow for quick and easy attachment to such objects.
[0026] A sensor may be attached to the ejection cylinder and used
to detect determine the location and movement of a body of the
plunger within the cylinder. The computing device may use a signal
from the sensor to determine to detect whether or not the pull stud
is inserted within the grabbing mechanism. This information may
then be displayed to a human operator and used to control
pressurization of the grabbing mechanism.
[0027] In order to insert and lock the pull stud into the grabbing
mechanism, the first end of the grabbing mechanism may be placed
over and aligned with the pull stud. Once aligned, the piston
chamber may be pressurized. The pressurization may overcome the
force of the spring on the piston, moving the piston within the
piston chamber which also causes the collet to move over the ball
cage. This movement may cause the ball chambers of the ball cage to
align with the groove of the collet allowing the head portion of
the pull stud to move through and beyond the balls. At the same
time, the head portion of the pull stud may press into the ejector
pin which causes the body to move within the ejection chamber into
position adjacent to the sensor. The sensor may detect the change
in the position of the body and send a signal to the computing
device.
[0028] The computing device may determine from the signal that the
pull stud is inserted into the grabbing mechanism. The computing
device and/or a human operation may activate and cause the air
source to again pressurize the piston chamber. As a result, the
piston may automatically move within the piston chamber which may
cause the collet to move over the ball cage. As such, the ball
chambers will move out of alignment with the groove and lock the
pull stud at the neck portion of the pull stud.
[0029] In order to release the pull stud, the air source may be
used to pressurize the ejection chamber of the cylinder, pushing
the body, plunger pin, and ejector pin against the head of the pull
stud. In addition, the collet may move over the ball cage causing
the ball chambers to align with the groove. As the head portion of
the pull stud is pushed by the ejector pin, the head portion also
forces the balls outward and into the groove. The head portion of
the pull stud may now fit between the balls. The ejector pin may
continue to push on the head portion of the pull stud until the
pull stud is fully ejected from the collet
[0030] The features described herein allow for quick and easy
attachment and release of an object including a pull stud while
also allowing for high load retention. For instance, the movement
of an ejector pin when ejecting a pull stud may prevent the pull
stud from binding up or getting stuck upon release. A sensor also
allows for clear determination of the state of the grabbing
mechanism. Also, as actuation of the mechanism is independent of
the load path and the actuation cylinder has a high surface area to
size ratio, the mechanism can withstand extremely high loading,
failing only due to material limitations. And, in the event of a
pneumatic or electrical failure, the mechanism is spring loaded
shut which allows the mechanism to fail closed and hold, rather
than drop, the load.
[0031] Aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will be
appreciated when considered with reference to the foregoing
description of embodiments and accompanying figures. The same
reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or
similar elements. Furthermore, the following description is not
limiting; the scope of the present technology is defined by the
appended claims and equivalents.
[0032] FIG. 1 depicts an example system in which a grabbing
mechanism 100 as described above may be used to grab, lift, move,
and release an object 30. This example should not be considered as
limiting the scope of the disclosure or usefulness of the features
described herein. For instance, a lifting mechanism 10 may include
any device that can be used to lift objects, such as robotic arms,
assembly machine parts, construction equipment, sorting machines,
pick and place robots, various types of cranes, including gantry
cranes and jib cranes, etc. The lifting mechanism 10 may be
attached to or include an air source 20 or compressor which can
provide pressurized air or gas to the grabbing mechanism as
discussed further below. The arrows 50, 52 each represent
mechanical connections, between the lifting mechanism 10 and
grabbing mechanism 100 and between the grabbing mechanism 100 and
the object 30, respectively, as discussed in further detail below.
Data connections 60 and 62 each represent data connections (wired
or wireless), between computing device 40 and lifting mechanism 10
and/or air source 20 and between computing device 40 and grabbing
mechanism 100 respectively, as discussed further below.
[0033] The system also includes a computing device 40 which can
receive signals from the grabbing mechanism 100. The computing
device 40 may also be able to communicate with and control the
lifting mechanism 10 manually (by a human operator) or
autonomously. In this regard, the computing device 40 may include
one or more processors, memory, and other components typically
present in general purpose computing devices.
[0034] The memory may store information accessible by the one or
more processors, including instructions and data that may be
executed or otherwise used by the processor. For instance, these
instructions may include instructions for display information to a
human operator and/or instructions for controlling aspects of the
lifting mechanism 10. The memory may be of any type capable of
storing information accessible by the processor, including a
computing device-readable medium, or other medium that stores data
that may be read with the aid of an electronic device, such as a
hard-drive, memory card, ROM, RAM, DVD or other optical disks, as
well as other write-capable and read-only memories. Systems and
methods may include different combinations of the foregoing,
whereby different portions of the instructions and data are stored
on different types of media.
[0035] The instructions may be any set of instructions to be
executed directly (such as machine code) or indirectly (such as
scripts) by the processor. For example, the instructions may be
stored as computing device code on the computing device-readable
medium. In that regard, the terms "instructions" and "programs" may
be used interchangeably herein. The instructions may be stored in
object code format for direct processing by the processor, or in
any other computing device language including scripts or
collections of independent source code modules that are interpreted
on demand or compiled in advance. Functions, methods and routines
of the instructions are explained in more detail below.
[0036] The data may be retrieved, stored or modified by processor
in accordance with the instructions. For instance, the data may
include information regarding the status of the lifting mechanism
10, air source 20, and/or grabbing mechanism 100 as discussed
further below. Although the claimed subject matter is not limited
by any particular data structure, the data may be stored in
computing device registers, in a relational database as a table
having a plurality of different fields and records, XML documents
or flat files. The data may also be formatted in any computing
device-readable format.
[0037] The one or more processor may be any conventional
processors, such as commercially available CPUs. Alternatively, the
one or more processors may be a dedicated device such as an ASIC or
other hardware-based processor. The processor, memory, and other
elements of computing device 40 may be arranged within the same
block or device, or alternatively, may be arranged remotely from
one another. In addition, the processor, computing device, or
memory may actually include multiple processors, computing devices,
or memories that may or may not be stored within the same physical
housing.
[0038] Computing device 40 may all of the components normally used
in connection with a computing device such as the processor and
memory described above as well as a user input (e.g., a mouse,
keyboard, touch screen and/or microphone) and various electronic
displays (e.g., a monitor having a screen or any other electrical
device that is operable to display information in accordance with
the instructions and data to a human operator).
[0039] Computing device 40 may also include one or more wired
connections and/or wireless network connections, such as
transmitters and receivers, to facilitate communication with other
computing devices, such as the lifting mechanism 10, air source 20,
and grabbing mechanism 100 as discussed below. The wireless network
connections may include short range communication protocols such as
Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy (LE), cellular connections, as well
as various configurations and protocols including the Internet,
World Wide Web, intranets, virtual private networks, wide area
networks, local networks, private networks using communication
protocols proprietary to one or more companies, Ethernet, WiFi and
HTTP, and various combinations of the foregoing.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the grabbing mechanism 100 may include a
plurality of structural features, including a mounting plate 110, a
base 120, and a release cylinder 130. The mounting plate 110, base
120, and release cylinder 130 are fixed relative to or rather
secured to one another via screws 114, 116.
[0041] The release cylinder 130 includes a cylinder housing 132, a
piston chamber 134, and a piston 136. The release cylinder 130 may
be a high load release cylinder having a high surface area to size
ratio, enabling high load release, (for instance, up to 200 pounds
or more or less) of an object, such as object 30, attached to the
pull stud 200. The piston 136 may be configured to move within the
piston chamber 134 between a first position with respect to the
cylinder housing 132 shown in FIG. 2 and a second position with
respect to the cylinder housing shown in FIG. 5A.
[0042] A first end 102 of the grabbing mechanism 100 includes an
ejection cylinder 140 attached to the mounting plate 110. The
ejection cylinder 140 may allow for pneumatic operation of the
grabbing mechanism 100. For instance, the ejection cylinder 140
includes an opening 142 (clearly visible in FIG. 4) leading to an
ejection chamber 144. This opening may be connected to the air
source 20. When pressurized air or gas from the air source 20 is
forced through the opening 142 into the ejection chamber 144, this
may cause a force on a plunger 146 within the ejection cylinder
140. This force causes the plunger 146 to move away from the
opening 142, and eventually ejecting any pull stud within the
grabbing mechanism.
[0043] The plunger 146 includes a plunger pin 148 which passes
through respective openings 112, 122 in the mounting plate 110 and
base 120. The plunger pin 148 may mate with an opening, slot or
depression 152 in a first end 154 of an ejector pin 150. A second
end 156 of the ejector pin 150 is configured to contact an end of a
pull stud 200 as shown in FIG. 2. The ejector pin 150 may be
arranged to move within an opening 162 in a ball cage 160.
[0044] The ball cage 160 may include a plurality of balls 164, 165,
each of which may rest at least partially within a respective ball
chamber, such as ball chambers 166, 167 of the ball cage. Five or
more or less balls may be used depending upon the size of the
balls, a collet 170, and ball cage 160 as well as the mechanical
properties of the grabbing mechanism. The balls 164, 165 may be
allowed to move in and out of a groove 174 in collet 170 to allow
the ball cage to expand and contract laterally as discussed further
below.
[0045] The ball cage 160 may be fixed against the base and biased
away from a bottom ledge of the piston 136 via one or more springs,
such as spring 180, arranged around the ball cage 160. For
instance, FIG. 3 provides a detail view of spring 180 arranged
around or encircling the ball cage 160. In other words, a portion
of the ball cage is arranged within the spring 180. The spring 180
biases the piston 136 away from the first end 102. This
configuration including the one or more springs may prevent the
grabbing mechanism 100 from "failing open" and dropping object 30
an inopportune moment which could potentially be dangerous. Rather,
if there is a loss of pressure in the piston chamber 134, the
grabbing mechanism 100 may automatically close.
[0046] A first end 172 of the collet 170 may include an opening to
allow for the insertion of the pull stud 200 into the collet 170
and the ball cage 160. The collet 170 also includes a groove 174.
Turning to the detail view of FIG. 5B, the first end 172 of the
collet 170 includes an attached ring or collar 570 which includes a
first projection 572 which interferes with a corresponding first
interference area 560 on the ball cage 160 in order to keep the
collet 170 concentric with respect to the ball cage 160. Similarly,
as shown in FIG. 3, towards the second end 176 of the collet 170 is
a second interference area 370 which interferes with a
corresponding second projection 360 on the ball cage 160 in order
to keep the collet 170 concentric with respect to the ball cage
160. These features may enable "straight" sliding of the collet
with respect to the ball cage.
[0047] A second end 176 of the collet 170, opposite of the first
end 172, may be attached to the piston 136 via screws, welding, or
other connection devices or methods, such that the piston 136 and
collet 170 may move together. Movement of the piston 136 may be
controlled by pressurizing or depressurizing the piston chamber 134
within the cylinder housing 132. In this regard, the piston chamber
134 may also include one or more openings 137, 138 (shown in FIG.
4) connected to the air source 20 or a different air source (not
shown).
[0048] Turning to the detail view of FIG. 6B, the pull stud 200
includes a head portion 620, a neck portion 622, and a shoulder
portion 624. These features may allow for ease of attachment and
release of the grabbing mechanism 100. As discussed further below,
the pull stud 200 may be attached to any number of different
objects in order to allow for quick and easy attachment to such
objects.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 7A, a sensor 700 may be attached to or
located adjacent to the ejection chamber 144. The sensor may be
used to detect determine the location and movement of a body 147 of
the plunger within the cylinder. In this regard, the sensor 700 may
be used to detect whether or not the pull stud 200 is inserted
within the grabbing mechanism 100 based on the position of the body
147. As an example, the sensor 700 may include a magnetic reed
sensor or switch. In this regard, the body 147 may be magnetized.
Thus, when the body 147 is directly adjacent to a pair of reeds
with the sensor 700, the magnetic field from the body may cause the
pair of reeds within the sensor 700 to contact one another and pass
a signal. This signal may indicate that the pull stud 200 has been
inserted into or is within the grabbing mechanism 100.
[0050] For instance, when a pull stud 200 is initially inserted as
shown in FIG. 5A, the head of the pull stud 200 may push on the
ejector pin 150 when moved in the direction of arrow 600. The
ejector pin 150 may, in turn, push on the plunger pin 148 which
causes the body 147 to move within the ejection chamber 144 back
towards the opening 142 as shown in FIG. 6A which corresponds to
the position of the body 147 shown in FIG. 7A. As such, the body
147 is directly adjacent to the pair of reeds of the reed sensor
causing the reeds to contact one another and pass a signal. This
positioning of the body 147 may indicate, for instance, that the
pull stud 200 has been inserted or is within the ball cage 160 as
shown in FIG. 2, 6A, or 7A. FIG. 6A represents a same state of the
grabbing mechanism 100 and the pull stud 200 as FIG. 2 from a
different perspective. In FIG. 8A, the pull stud 200 is locked into
the ball cage 160. This signal (or a corresponding signal generated
at the sensor in response to the signal) may be sent, for instance
via a transmitter, to the computing device 40.
[0051] The computing device 40 may use the signal, data and
instructions to determine that the body 147 is adjacent to the pair
of reeds and therefore in the positions shown in any of FIG. 2 or
6A. This information may then be displayed to a human operator. As
soon as the body 147 is moved away from and no longer directly
adjacent to the pair of the reeds of the sensor 700, the contact
between the pair of reeds is broken, and the signal is no longer
passed. In this regard, the computing device 40 would not receive a
signal or would receive a different signal from the sensor 700, and
the computing device 40 may determine that the pull stud 200 is not
in the position shown in any of FIG. 2 or 6A. In this regard, the
pull stud 200 may be as shown in FIG. 4.
[0052] If the sensor 700 include multiple pairs of reeds at
different positions within the sensor, these additional pairs of
reeds may be used in a similar manner to that discussed above in
order to allow the computing device differentiate between the
positions of the body 147 in FIG. 2 or 6A when the pull stud 200 is
within the ball cage 160, but not yet locked, and FIG. 8A when the
pull stud is locked within the ball cage. Though this may not be
necessary as the period of time between when the pull stud 200 is
inserted and when the pull stud is locked is so brief. However, the
computing device may display this information to a human operator
and/or use the information to control the lifting mechanism 10, for
instance to move the object 30 up, down, laterally, etc. Thus, a
magnetic reed sensor may provide an inexpensive and highly reliable
way to determine the state of the grabbing mechanism.
Alternatively, rather than using a magnetic reed sensor, inductive
proximity switches, laser sensing, vision sensing or any number of
other common sensing techniques may be used to detect the state of
the plunger and determine the state of the grabbing mechanism.
[0053] In addition, to increase the load capabilities of a lifting
mechanism 10, a plurality of grabbing mechanisms 100, such as 3 or
4 or more or less, may be used in conjunction with a plurality of
pull studs, such as pull stud 200, to grab and lift an object. For
instance, the mounting plates of the plurality of grabbing
mechanisms may be attached via fasteners, welding, or other
attachment configurations to a support structure such as a mounting
plate, bracket or other structure which allows for attachment to
the lifting mechanism 10. Each of the grabbing mechanisms 100 may
be activated individually in order to grab and release a
corresponding pull stud, the same or similar to pull stud 200,
attached to an object, such as object 30.
[0054] In order to insert and lock the pull stud 200 into the
grabbing mechanism 100, the second end 104 of the grabbing
mechanism 100 may be placed over and aligned with the pull stud
200. For instance the opening 173 of the collet 170 may be aligned
with the head portion 620 of the pull stud 200 as shown in FIG.
4.
[0055] Once aligned, the piston chamber 134 may be pressurized. For
instance, an operator may use the computing device 40 to activate
and cause the air source 20 to pressurize the piston chamber 134
within the release cylinder 130. For instance, airsource 20 may
force gas through opening 137 in order to pressurize the piston
chamber. The pressurization may overcome the force of the spring
180 on the piston 136. Eventually, the pressurization may cause the
piston 136 to move within the piston chamber 134 from the position
shown in FIG. 4 in the direction of arrow 500 to the position shown
in FIG. 5A. This movement may cause the ball chambers 166, 167 of
the ball cage 160 to will align with the groove 174 of the collet
170. This may allow the pull stud 200 to move through and beyond
the balls 164, 165 and further into the ball cage 160 in the
direction of arrow 600 to the position shown in FIG. 6A.
[0056] At the same time, the head portion 620 of the pull stud 200
to press into the ejector pin 150. Because the plunger in 148 is
within the depression 152 of the ejector pin 150, the ejector pin
may push upward on the plunger pin 148 moving the plunger pin away
from the opening 173 of the collet 170 in the direction of arrow
600 of FIG. 6A. This movement of the plunger pin 148 may cause the
body 147 to move within the ejection chamber 144 into position
adjacent to the sensor 700. The sensor 700 may detect the change in
the position of the body 147 as discussed above and send a signal
to the computing device 40 indicating the position of the body
147.
[0057] The computing device 40 may determine from the signal that
the pull stud 200 is inserted into the grabbing mechanism 100. The
computing device 40 may display this information to an operator who
may activate and cause the air source 20 to again pressurize the
piston chamber 134 within the release cylinder 130. In this
instance, air source 20 may force gas through opening 138 in order
to pressurize the piston chamber. Alternatively, the computing
device 40 may automatically send a signal to the air source 20 in
order to activate and cause the air source 20 to pressurize the
piston chamber 134 within the release cylinder 130.
[0058] The pressurization may cause the piston 136 to move within
the piston chamber 134 from the position shown in FIG. 6A in the
direction of arrow 800 to the position shown in FIG. 8A. This, in
turn, may cause the collet 170 attached to the piston 136 to move
over the ball cage 160. As the collet 170 moves, the ball chambers
166, 167 will move out of alignment with the groove 174 as shown in
FIGS. 8A and 8B. In this regard, FIG. 8B is a detail view of FIG.
8A. This may also cause the balls 164, 165 to be pushed back into
or towards the center of the ball cage 160 and thereby locking the
balls at the neck portion 622 of the pull stud 200. The head
portion 620 may take various shapes, but may be enlarged relative
to the neck portion 622 of the pull stud 200 in order to prevent
the pull stud 200 from inadvertently sliding through the balls. The
shoulder portion 624 of the pull stud 200 and an edge 660 of an
open end 662 of the ball cage 160 may limit movement of the pull
stud 200 within the ball cage 160 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 8A, and
there prevent the pull stud 200 from moving too far into the ball
cage 160 and collet 170. At this point, a lifting mechanism, such
as lifting mechanism 10, may be used, for instance by an operator
using computing device 40, in order to lift and/or move the object,
such as object 30, attached to the pull stud 200.
[0059] In order to release the pull stud 200, the air source 20 may
be used to pressurize the piston chamber 134 of the release
cylinder 130. The pressurization may force the piston 136 and the
collet 170 in the direction of arrow 900 towards the mounting
plate. In addition, the ejection chamber 144 of the ejection
cylinder 140 may be pressurized, pushing the body 147, plunger pin
148, and ejector pin 150 against the head of the pull stud 200 in
the direction of arrow 910. In addition, the collet 170 may move
over the ball cage 160 causing the ball chambers 166, 167 to align
with the groove 174. As the head portion 620 of the pull stud 200
is pushed in the direction of arrow 910, the head portion also
forces the balls 164, 165 outward and into the groove 174 as shown
in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The head portion 620 of the pull stud 200 may
now fit between the balls 164, 165. The ejector pin 150 may
continue to push on the head portion 620 of the pull stud 200 until
the pull stud is ejected or otherwise released from the collet as
shown in FIG. 9. Eventually, the ejection chamber 144 will
depressurize, for instance automatically through opening 142 and
the piston chamber 134 may again be pressurized though opening 138
to allow the grabber mechanism 100 to be used to grab another (or
the same) pull stud.
[0060] As noted above, as the piston 136 and collet 170 move in the
various directions with respect to the ball cage 160, the first
projection 572 of the collar 570 may interfere with the
corresponding first interference area 560 on the ball cage 160 in
order to keep the collet 170 concentric with respect to the over
the ball cage 160 (as shown in FIG. 5B), and the second
interference area 370 of the collet 170 may interfere with the
corresponding second projection 360 on the ball cage 160 in order
to keep the collet 170 concentric with respect to over the ball
cage 160 (as shown in FIG. 3).
[0061] As noted above, object 30 may be any type of object with an
attached pull stud configured the same as or similarly to pull stud
200. The above-described aspects of the technology may be of
particular use advantageous for lifting a balloon envelope of a
high-altitude balloon. For instance, the pull stud may be attached
to a balloon, and the grabbing mechanism used to lift and hold the
balloon during manufacture, during inflation (for instance,
straight out of a shipping or storage box), and just prior to
launch.
[0062] As an example, and referring to the example balloon 1000 of
FIG. 10, one or more pull studs 1010, which may be the same as or
similar to pull stud 200, may be attached to a top cap 1020 of a
balloon envelope 1030. The top cap 1020 may provide a mounting
location for structural tendons 1040 of the balloon envelope 1030.
One or more grabbing mechanisms 100 may then be used to grab, lift,
and/or move the balloon 1000 at the pull studs 1010. Lifting from
the top cap 1020 may allow the balloon envelope 1030 to be inflated
without the need to lay the balloon envelope out on the ground and
thereby protect the balloon envelope 1030 from damage that can
short the flight life of the balloon 1000. Moreover, the various
components of the grabbing mechanism 100 may be modified to further
manage and facilitate lifting and filling the balloon envelope 1030
while it is being inflated.
[0063] Most of the foregoing alternative examples are not mutually
exclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations to
achieve unique advantages. As these and other variations and
combinations of the features discussed above can be utilized
without departing from the subject matter defined by the claims,
the foregoing description of the embodiments should be taken by way
of illustration rather than by way of limitation of the subject
matter defined by the claims. In addition, the provision of the
examples described herein, as well as clauses phrased as "such as,"
"including" and the like, should not be interpreted as limiting the
subject matter of the claims to the specific examples; rather, the
examples are intended to illustrate only one of many possible
embodiments. Further, the same reference numbers in different
drawings can identify the same or similar elements.
* * * * *