US 10,335,885 B2Granted

Stud welding gun set up teaching tool

AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

InventorsDung Tien Bui, Aditya Nitin Dhora

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for teaching a programmed controlled robot at least one of two set up position coordinates by use of a tool having a first surface aligned with the end of a stud welding gun collet when the tool is mounted in the collet, a second surface on the tool spaced from the first surface by a predetermined set up distance. A probe carried by the stud welding engagable with the second surface on the tool to establish a predetermined set up distance. A third surface on the tool spaced from the first surface and engagable with a work piece to establish a minimum stud-welding gun set up dimension. The coordinates of the stud-welding gun when the third surface is engaged with the work piece are transmitted to a robot control program to establish the predetermined stud weld gun travel distance dimension.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A teaching tool for providing a dimensional set up of a stud-welding gun, the teaching tool comprising:

a main body defining a first surface and a second surface;
a shaft configured to be received within a collet of the stud-welding gun, the shaft being integrally formed as a one-piece component with the main body and extending a distance from the first surface of the main body;
a first bore defined in a center of the main body and extending from a first end of the main body, opposite the shaft, and continuing through to an end of the shaft;
a movable stem having a cylindrical shape and received in the first bore defined in the main body, the movable stem defining a second bore opposite from an end of the moveable stem defining a third surface;
a biasing spring disposed in the first bore of the main body and in the second bore of the movable stem, the biasing spring being engaged with the movable stem to normally bias the movable stem in a direction opposite from the shaft;
and
an attachment pin to couple the movable stem to the main body,
wherein a first distance between the first surface and the second surface defines a distance representative of a predetermined probe set up dimension, and a second distance between the first surface and the third surface defines a distance representative of a minimum weld set up dimension.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.