Systems and methods of servicing equipment
AssigneesGeneral Electric Company, Oliver Crispin Robotics Limited
InventorsAndrew Crispin Graham, David Scott Diwinsky, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr.
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Abstract
Systems and methods of servicing engines including a method of servicing an engine, the method including navigating at least a portion of a robotic assembly to a location associated with the engine; applying, from the robotic assembly, a medium to one or more adjustable components of the engine while the engine is at an elevated temperature; waiting a duration of time; and with the robotic assembly, operating on the one or more adjustable components.
Claims20
A method of servicing an engine, the method comprising:
- navigating at least a portion of a robotic assembly comprising a medium dispenser to a location associated with the engine;
- determining when the engine has cooled, after a use of the engine, from an initial temperature from the use of the engine to a temperature appropriate to apply a medium comprising a lubricant prior to an initial application of the lubricant from the medium dispenser of the robotic assembly;
- move, with a robotic arm of the robotic assembly, a dispenser head of the medium dispenser into position with respect to one or more adjustable components of the engine;
- applying, from the robotic assembly, the lubricant to the one or more adjustable components of the engine while the engine is at elevated temperatures;
- waiting a duration of time for the lubricant to penetrate while the engine is at the elevated temperatures above a human safety threshold temperature;
- and
- operating, with the robotic assembly, on the one or more adjustable components after the duration of time.
A robotic assembly for servicing engines, the robotic assembly comprising:
- a robotic arm;
- a medium dispenser disposed on the robotic arm, the medium dispenser being configured to dispense a medium comprising a lubricant to one or more fasteners of an engine;
- and
- a tool configured to operate on the one or more fasteners,
- wherein the robotic assembly is configured to:
- detect that the engine has cooled from an initial temperature from a use of the engine to an appropriate engine temperature for applying the medium prior to initially dispensing, at least partially-autonomously, the lubricant;
- move, with the robotic arm of the robotic assembly, a dispenser head of the medium dispenser into position with respect to the one or more fasteners of the engine;
- wait a duration of time for the lubricant to penetrate while the engine is at elevated temperatures above a human safety threshold temperature;
- and
- operate on the one or more fasteners before the engine cools to the human safety threshold temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.