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US 11,458,641 B2Granted
Robotic arm assembly construction
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAndrew Crispin Graham, David Scott Diwinsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for constructing a robotic arm includes positioning a wire in a formation zone for the robotic arm; and forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the wire such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of the wire.
Claims21
A method for constructing a robotic arm comprising:
- positioning a plurality of wires in a formation zone for the robotic arm;
- and
- forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the plurality of wires such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of each of the plurality of wires and defines a plurality of openings with each wire in the plurality of wires extending through at least one respective opening of the plurality of openings,
- wherein the plurality of wires comprises one or more control wires,
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the plurality of wires comprises forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires such that the one or more control wires are moveably positioned within at least a portion of the body of the robotic arm enclosing the one or more control wires,
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires comprises forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires using an additive manufacturing process, wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises building up successive layers of additive materials, and wherein the additive materials comprise at least one of plastic, metal, ceramic, polymer, epoxy, and photopolymer resin,
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the plurality of wires such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of the plurality of wires comprises forming a plurality of links of the body of the robotic arm and a plurality of joints movably coupling the plurality of links, and
- wherein each control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a corresponding link in the plurality of links, wherein a first control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a first link of the plurality of links and a second control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a second link of the plurality of links.
5 more elements
A method for constructing a robotic arm comprising:
- positioning a plurality of wires in a formation zone for the robotic arm;
- and
- forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the plurality of wires such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of each of the plurality of wires and defines a plurality of openings with each wire in the plurality of wires extending through at least one respective opening of the plurality of openings,
- wherein the plurality of wires comprises one or more control wires,
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the plurality of wires comprises forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires such that the one or more control wires are moveably positioned within at least a portion of the body of the robotic arm enclosing the one or more control wires,
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires comprises molding a continuous component around the plurality of wires, and removing sequential portions of the continuous component to form a plurality of individual links moveably coupled by a plurality of joints, and
- wherein each control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a corresponding link in the plurality of individual links, wherein a first control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a first link of the plurality of individual links and a second control wire of the one or more control wires terminates at a second link of the plurality of individual links.
4 more elements
A method for constructing a robotic arm comprising:
- positioning a wire in a formation zone for the robotic arm, wherein an anchor is coupled to the wire;
- holding the wire at least partially in place through a positioning line attached to the anchor;
- forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the wire such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of the wire, wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the wire further comprises forming the body of the robotic arm around the anchor and enclosing the anchor;
- and
- removing the positioning line attached to the anchor subsequent to forming the body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the wire.
2 more elements
A method for constructing a robotic arm comprising:
- positioning a plurality of wires in a formation zone for the robotic arm;
- forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the plurality of wires such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of each of the plurality of wires and defines a plurality of openings with each wire in the plurality of wires extending through at least one respective opening of the plurality of openings,
- wherein the plurality of wires comprises one or more control wires, and
- wherein forming the body of the robotic arm around the plurality of wires comprises forming the body of the robotic arm around the one or more control wires such that the one or more control wires are moveably positioned within at least a portion of the body of the robotic arm enclosing the one or more control wires;
- holding a first plurality of ends of the one or more control wires using a first jig assembly;
- and
- holding a second plurality of ends of the one or more control wires using a second jig assembly.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.