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US 10,369,706 B2Granted
End effectors carrying plies of limp material for shaping by a mandrel
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorGoce Petrovski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for enhancing picking and placement of plies of material. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes an end effector of a robot. The end effector includes a frame, and cup assemblies that are attached to the frame. The cup assemblies each include a shaft and a head. The end effector also includes Bernoulli cups attached to the heads of the cup assemblies, and grippers attached to heads of the cup assemblies.
Claims17
A method for conforming a ply to a mandrel, the method comprising:
- holding a ply in contact with an end effector of a robot via cup assemblies that each include at least one gripper and at least one Bernoulli cup;
- positioning the ply over a mandrel having a curved surface, without shaping the ply while applying negative pressure, via the at least one gripper, that holds the ply in a position relative to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies;
- reducing the negative pressure applied to the at least one gripper of the cup assemblies;
- applying positive pressure to Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies;
- and
- slipping the ply relative to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies when conforming the ply to the mandrel, while the negative pressure is reduced and while positive pressure is applied to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies.
3 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions, including:
- instructions for holding a ply in contact with an end effector of a robot via cup assemblies that each include at least one gripper and at least one Bernoulli cup;
- instructions for positioning the ply over a mandrel having a curved surface, without shaping the ply while applying negative pressure, via the at least one gripper, that holds the ply in a position relative to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies;
- instructions for reducing the negative pressure to the at least one gripper of the cup assemblies;
- instructions for applying positive pressure to Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies;
- and
- instructions for slipping the ply relative to the at Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies when conforming the ply to the mandrel, while the negative pressure is reduced and while positive pressure is applied to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.