# US 10,369,706 B2 · End effectors carrying plies of limp material for shaping by a mandrel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,706 B2 - Document ID: US10369706B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/672,550 - Filed: 2017-08-09 - Published: 2019-02-14 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-09 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Goce Petrovski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369706B2 ## CPC - B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum} - B25J 15/0061: {mounted on a modular gripping structure} - B65G 47/91: incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers - B65G 47/918: {with at least two picking-up heads} - B65G 47/917: {control arrangements} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the grippers are at floating cup assemblies and apply vacuum pressure without shaping the ply. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: slipping the ply causes the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies to float along the ply, pivot, and deflect vertically as the ply changes shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: controlling pressure applied via pressure regulators to the grippers, by: maintaining negative pressure while the end effector is transporting the ply; and reducing negative pressure after the ply has been positioned over the mandrel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 further comprising: applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies in response to reducing negative pressure, thereby enabling the ply to float with respect to each of the cup assemblies. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein: reducing negative pressure is performed simultaneously with applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cups. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: holding the ply via the grippers of the cup assemblies comprises applying negative pressure through the grippers to ports that face the ply at extenders of the Bernoulli cups. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the holding, positioning, and slipping are performed in accordance with a Numerical Control (NC) program directing operations of the end effector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel comprises pressing the ply onto the curved surface of the mandrel via the end effector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: holding the ply is further performed via a suction cup contacting a center portion of the ply, wherein the cup assemblies surround the center portion of the ply. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The medium of claim 11 wherein the medium further includes: instructions for controlling pressure applied via pressure regulators to the grippers of the cup assemblies, by: instructions for maintaining negative pressure while the end effector is transporting the ply; and instructions for reducing negative pressure after the ply has been positioned over the mandrel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The medium of claim 12 wherein the medium further includes: instructions for applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cups of the cup assemblies in response to reducing negative pressure, thereby enabling the ply to float with respect to each of the cup assemblies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The medium of claim 11 wherein: reducing negative pressure is performed simultaneously with applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cups. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The medium of claim 11 wherein: holding the ply via the grippers comprises applying negative pressure through the grippers to ports that face the ply at extenders of the Bernoulli cups. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The medium of claim 11 wherein: the holding, positioning, and slipping are performed in accordance with a Numerical Control (NC) program directing operations of the end effector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The medium of claim 11 wherein: conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel comprises pressing the ply onto the curved surface of the mandrel via the end effector.