Method for pushing a tool at the end of an articulated arm against a surface without slipping and device for implementing same

A device (10) comprising a tool (1) with:

• a support body (11) provided with means for measuring a reaction force (R) of a surface (3) on said tool (1), when the tool (1) bears against said surface,
• means for bearing (12) the tool (1) against said surface (3), configured so as to achieve bearing of the tool (1) on said surface (3) with a variable orientation of the axis (B) of the tool (1) with respect to the normal (N) to the surface (3),
• means for measuring said orientation of the axis (B) of the tool (1) with respect to the normal (N) of said surface (3),
• a tool operative portion (17), intended to be implemented to perform a manufacturing operation on said surface (3),
• said device (10) also comprising an articulated arm (2) at the end of which said tool (1) is fastened, the articulated arm (2) being configured so as to apply a push force with an axis (A) to the tool (1), and
• monitoring means including a processor, a storage and a set of instructions configured to cooperate with the processor and the storage to:
• (a) position the tool (1) against said surface (3), so as to make the axis (B) of the tool coincide with said axis (A) of the force (F), the axis (A) being directed according to a pair of angles (Θ0, β0) with respect to the normal (N),
• (b) apply an increasing force to the tool (1) until reaching a value (Fn), corresponding to a fraction of the force (F), the value of the applied force (Fn) being monitored via means for measuring the reaction force (R) of the surface (3) on the tool (1),
• (c) measure the pair of angles (Θn, βn) of the axis (B) of the tool (1) with respect to the normal (N), after having reached said force value (Fn),
• (d) redirect the tool (1) such that the tool's axis (B) recovers said orientation according to said pair of angles (Θ0, β0) with respect to the normal (N), and
• iterate, by repetition of actions (b) to (d), while progressively increasing the force (Fn) at each iteration, and until reaching the force value (F), the increase increment (ΔFn) between two successive steps (Fn) corresponding to the difference between the value (Fn) of one iteration and the value (Fn−1) of the previous iteration, said increment being smaller than a determined value, so as to prevent slipping of the tool (1) on the surface (3) throughout increase of the force, from positioning of the tool (1) on the surface (3) during action (a) and until obtaining the desired force (F) on completion of action (d) of a last iteration.

A method for pushing, with a force (F′) according to an axis (A′), a tool (1′) at the end of an articulated arm (2′) against a surface (3′) with a normal (N′), wherein the tool (1′) is adapted to pivot relative to the surface (3′) when positioned against said surface (3′), according to two distinct centers of rotation:

• a first center of rotation (O′) located on said surface (3) and a second center of rotation (O18) away from said surface (3′),
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a′) positioning the tool (1′) against said surface (3′), so as to make the axis (B′) of the tool coincide with said axis (A′) of the force (F′), the axis (A′) being directed according to a pair of angles (A0, B0) with respect to the normal (N′) and the line (O′O18) being directed according to a pair of angles (C0, D0) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′),
• (b′) applying an increasing force to the tool (1′) until reaching a value (Fn′) corresponding to a fraction of the force (F′), the value of the applied force (Fn′) being monitored via means for measuring the reaction force (R′) of the surface (3′) on the tool (1′),
• (c′) after having reached said force value (Fn′):
• measuring the pair of angles (An, Bn) of the inclination of the normal (N′) of the surface (3′) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′), and
• measuring the pair of angles (Cn, Dn) of the inclination of the line (O′O18) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′),
• (d′) redirecting the tool (1′) with respect to the surface (3′) according to two combined rotations about each of the two centers of rotation (O′, O18) such that:
• the axis (B′) of the tool (1′) recovers said orientation according to said pair of angles (A0, B0) with respect to the normal (N′) to the surface (3′),
• the pair of angles (Cn, Dn) is assigned the value (0°, 0°), so as to ensure the alignment of the line (O′O18) with the axis (B′) of the tool (1′), and
• the method wherein iteration is carried out to proceed, by repetition of steps (b′) to (d′), while progressively increasing the force (Fn′) at each iteration, and until reaching the force value (F′), the increase increment (ΔFn′) between two successive steps (Fn′) corresponding to the difference between the value (Fn′) of one iteration and the value (Fn′−1) of the previous iteration, said increment being smaller than a determined value, so as to prevent slipping of the tool (1′) on the surface (3′) throughout the method, from positioning of the tool (1′) on the surface (3′) during step (a′) and until obtaining the desired force (F′) on completion of step (d′) of the last iteration of the method.

A device (10′) comprising a tool (1′) with:

• a support body (11′) provided with means for measuring a reaction force (R′) of a surface (3′) on said tool (1′), when the tool (1′) bears against said surface,
• means for bearing the tool (1′) against said surface (3′), configured so as to achieve bearing of the tool (1′) on said surface (3′) with a variable orientation of the axis (B′) of the tool (1′) with respect to the surface (3′), according to two distinct centers of rotation:
• said first center of rotation (O′) being located at said surface (3′) and said second center of rotation (O18) away from said surface (3′),
• first measuring means configured to measure said orientation of the normal (N′) of the surface (3′) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′), and
• second measuring means configured to measure the orientation of the line (O′O18) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′),
• a tool operative portion (17′), intended to be implemented to perform a manufacturing operation on said surface (3′),
• said device (10′) also comprising an articulated arm (2′) at the end of which said tool (1′) is fastened, the articulated arm (2′) being configured so as to apply a push force with an axis (A′) to the tool (1′), and
• monitoring means including a processor, a storage and a set of instructions configured to cooperate with the processor and the storage to:
• (a′) position the tool (1′) against said surface (3′), so as to make the axis (B′) of the tool coincide with said axis (A′) of the force (F′), the axis (A′) being directed according to a pair of angles (A0, B0) with respect to the normal (N′) and the line (O′O18) being directed according to a pair of angles (C0, D0) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′),
• (b′) apply an increasing force to the tool (1′) until reaching a value (Fn′) corresponding to a fraction of the force (F′), the value of the applied force (Fn′) being monitored via means for measuring the reaction force (R′) of the surface (3′) on the tool (1′),
• (c′) after having reached said force value (Fn′):
• measure the pair of angles (An, Bn) of the inclination of the normal (N′) of the surface (3′) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′), and
• measure the pair of angles (Cn, Dn) of the inclination of the line (O′O18) with respect to the axis (B′) of the tool (1′),
• (d′) redirect the tool (1′) with respect to the surface (3′) according to two combined rotations about each of the two centers of rotation (O′, O18) such that:
• the axis (B′) of the tool (1′) recovers said orientation according to said pair of angles (A0, B0) with respect to the normal (N′) to the surface (3′),
• the pair of angles (Cn, Dn) is assiged the value (0°, 0°), so as to ensure the alignment of the line (O′O18) with the axis (B′) of the tool (1′), and
• iterate, by repetition of actions (b′) to (d′), while progressively increasing the force (Fn′) at each iteration, and until reaching the force value (F′), the increase increment (ΔFn′) between two successive steps (Fn′) corresponding to the difference between the value (Fn′) of one iteration and the value (Fn′-1) of the previous iteration, said increment being smaller than a determined value, so as to prevent slipping of the tool (1′) on the surface (3′) throughout the method, from positioning of the tool (1′) on the surface (3′) during action (a′) and until obtaining the desired force (F′) on completion of action (d′) of a last iteration.