# US 11,999,069 B2 · End effector, and control device for controlling end effector

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- Number: US 11,999,069 B2
- Document ID: US11999069B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/716,544
- Filed: 2022-04-08
- Published: 2022-07-21
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-11
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hideyuki Kouno; Yuzuka Isobe; Tetsuo Sakata; Ryoga Sakaguchi; Masashi Eguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999069B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems}
- B25J 19/023: {including video camera means}
- B05C 1/02: for applying liquid or other fluent material to separate articles {(B05C1/006 takes precedence)}
- B05C 1/06: by rubbing contact, e.g. by brushes, by pads {(brushes in general A46B)}
- B25J 9/1653: {parameters identification, estimation, stiffness, accuracy, error analysis}
- B25J 9/1664: {characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning}
- B25J 11/0075: {Manipulators for painting or coating}
- B25J 15/0066: {with different types of end effectors, e.g. gripper and welding gun (B25J15/0057 and B25J15/0061 take precedence)}
- B25J 15/022: {actuated by articulated links}
- 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})
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)

## Abstract

An end effector connectable to a robot arm includes a camera, a support member that includes a marker and supports a workpiece, and a brush that performs coating on the workpiece. The camera is arranged at a position allowing the camera to capture a brush tip of the brush and the marker simultaneously.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An end effector that is connectable to a robot arm, the end effector comprising:
a camera;
a support member that includes a marker and supports a workpiece; and
a brush that performs coating on the workpiece,
wherein the camera is arranged at a position allowing the camera to capture a brush tip of the brush and the marker simultaneously.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The end effector according to claim 1, wherein in a coating state in which the brush performs the coating, the brush tip of the brush further protrudes toward the workpiece than the support member does.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The end effector according to claim 1, wherein the camera and the support member are not positioned on a same side of the brush.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system comprising the end effector according to claim 1 and a control device for controlling the end effector, the control device comprising a controller that determines that the coating has succeeded in a case where a shape of the brush tip of the brush in a captured image captured by the camera when the coating is performed by the brush is changed from an initial shape of the brush tip.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller determines that the coating has succeeded when a position of a distal end portion of the brush changes in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the brush in the coating.