Granted Patent B2

US 12,377,556 · App. 17/607,882 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Michael Peter Flynn (Palo Alto, CA); Merritt Jonathan Jenkins (Cambridge, MA); Gage Goodspeed Coffin (Los Altos Hills, CA); Alexandre Le Roux (Redwood City, CA); Charles Dylan Karr (San Francisco, CA); Nadav Sahar Hendel (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: MJNN LLC

B25J15/0033A01G9/143A01G31/045

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. An apparatus for releasably grasping a grow tower, comprising

a beam; and

first and second gripper assemblies attached to respective opposite ends of the beam, wherein each of the first and second gripper assemblies comprises

a first arm having a substantially L-shaped configuration and a first grip element at a distal end thereof;

a second static arm having a substantially L-shaped configuration and a second grip element at a distal end thereof; and

an actuator mechanism for moving the first arm between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the closed position, the first and second grip elements are configured to engage respective opposing grooves of a grow tower.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator mechanism comprises a four-bar linkage mechanism and a linear actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the four-bar linkage mechanism comprises a bracket member attached to and extending from the beam; wherein the first arm is pivotally attached to the bracket member at an end opposite the distal end; and wherein the four-bar linkage mechanism further comprises a first linkage member and a second linkage member, wherein the first linkage member is pivotally attached at a first end to the first arm and at a second end to the second linkage member, wherein the second linkage member is pivotally attached at a first end to the bracket member and at a second end to the linear actuator, wherein the linear actuator is attached to the bracket member at an end opposite the pivotal attachment to the second linkage member.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first linkage member has an S-shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate mounted substantially at the middle of the beam.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a robotic actuator attached to the mounting plate.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the robotic actuator comprises a robotic arm movable in six axes.

8. An apparatus for releasably grasping a grow tower, comprising

a beam; and

first and second gripper assemblies attached to respective opposite ends of the beam, wherein each of the first and second gripper assemblies comprises first and second fingers spaced to receive a grow tower between the first and second fingers,

wherein the first finger comprises an engagement feature configured to engage a corresponding feature of the grow tower, and

wherein the second finger comprises an actuator operative, when activated, to press the grow tower against the first finger.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first gripper assembly further comprises a catch plate attached to the first end of the beam adjacent to and outside of the first and second fingers.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the actuator is a pneumatic actuator.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a mounting plate mounted substantially at the middle of the beam.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a robotic actuator attached to the mounting plate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the robotic actuator comprises a robotic arm movable in six axes.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising one or more tower support arms extending from the beam and mounted to the beam between the first and second gripper assemblies.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (18)