Enhanced Non-Contact Grip Force and Swirl Stability by a Combined Venturi–Vortex Air Head

A combination of the venturi module and the vortex cup was proposed to solve vortex instability and to enhance grip capacity. Mounting a venturi suction pad inside the vortex cup improved vacuum generation efficiency. When the vortex cup properly maintained the non-contact air gap and generated an equivalent vacuum to achieve a sealing effect around the open gap of the suction pad, the combined head improved grip capacity and stabilized the non-contact environment. Furthermore, the flow patterns around the venturi chamber and the swirl inside the vortex cup were analyzed based on the design elements of each module. In a module that integrated some of the venturi’s features internally, increased air consumption of the vortex cup was required than that of the venturi. However, it supported a wide range of non-contact grips. The coupled model effectively protected the vacuum suction features of the venturi suction pad in all non-contact environments in that range.