# US 11,981,044 B2 · Shapeable hot scoop for material removal

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- Number: US 11,981,044 B2
- Document ID: US11981044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/640,794
- Filed: 2018-08-21
- Published: 2021-02-04
- Granted: 2024-05-14
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-22
- Applicants: Viswesh Srinivasan
- Inventors: Viswesh Srinivasan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11981044B2

## CPC

- B26D 5/005: {Computer numerical control means}
- B23Q 15/12: Adaptive control, i.e. adjusting itself to have a performance which is optimum according to a preassigned criterion
- B26D 5/007: {Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems}
- B26F 3/12: with heated wires
- G05B 19/182: {characterised by the machine tool function, e.g. thread cutting, cam making, tool direction control (G05B19/21 - G05B19/40 take precedence)}
- G05B 19/188: {characterised by special applications and not provided for in the relevant subclasses, (e.g. making dies, filament winding)}
- G05B 2219/33099: Computer numerical control [CNC]; Software control [SWC]
- G05B 2219/45042: Hot wire cutting, use of polystyrene or similar material
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04)
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The shapeable hot scoop is required to remove material by cutting and scooping. It is necessary to change the shape of the scooping tool automatically. This invention proposes several mechanisms for changing shape of the scooping tool automatically. Method of detection & correction of cutting wire lag is also proposed in this invention.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A Computer Numeric Control (CNC) material cutting system (100), comprising:
a cutting wire (803) used to cut a block of material (804),
the cutting wire (803) connected from a first pole (806) to a second pole (806A),
wherein the cutting wire (803) is heated by passing current from the first pole (806) to the second pole (806A),
a first ring sensor (801) held by a clamp (807) to the first pole (806) and a second ring sensor (802) held by clamp (807A) to the second pole, (806A) where the cutting wire (803) passes through the first ring sensor (801) and second ring sensor (802), wherein the first and second ring sensors (801,802) comprise metallic rings, placed concentric to the cutting wire (803), such that if the cutting wire (803) deflects by a cutting force, the cutting wire (803) will touch one of the first or second ring sensors (801, 802), which causes one of the first or second clamps (807,807A) to short circuit a portion of the cutting wire (803), thus an effective length of the cutting wire (803) decreases, producing more current and heat in the cutting wire (803), wherein the cutting wire (803) is able to cut the material (804) without deflection, and
a camera sensor (809)
wherein the cutting wire (803) is along Z-axis (813), used to cut a block of material (804), with the camera sensor (809), the camera sensor (809) is placed perpendicular and co-axial to the cutting wire (803), viewing at and detecting a position deviation of a conical bead of material (810), stringed on to the cutting wire (803), thus detecting wire deflection due to cutting forces in any 360 degrees in XY plane (814), the camera sensor also using deflection data to adjust the cutting speed of the cutting wire (803) to reduce the wire deflection.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The CNC material cutting system with the cutting wire (803) and the camera sensor (809), as claimed in claim 1, comprises: the camera sensor (809) measuring the Kerf width of the path cut by the cutting wire (803), wherein the CNC material cutting system (100) adjust the current through the wire or cutting feedrate to achieve a constant consistent kerf width during the entire cutting process.