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US 12,420,411 B2Granted
Device for the automated establishment of a plug-in connection
AssigneeLiebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH
InventorsJan Pollmann, Lukas Hiemer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure shows a device for the automated establishment of a plug-in connection of a plug arranged at a cable to a plug mating element, such as for cabling battery modules, and in the manufacture of vehicles having hybrid and/or electric drives, comprising: a gripper for gripping the plug, a handling unit having a plurality of axes for moving the gripper, with it being a multi-axis robot and/or a surface portal, and a control for controlling the gripper and the handling unit. Provision is made in this process that the gripper comprises a plug-in actuator for moving the plug into a plugged-in position with the plug mating element.
Claims14
A device for automated establishment of a plug-in connection of a plug arranged at a cable to a plug mating element, the device comprising:
- a gripper connected to a handling unit, said gripper for gripping the plug;
- wherein the handling unit is a multi-axis robot and comprises a plurality of axes for moving the gripper;
- and
- a control comprising a microprocessor and a program code stored in a memory, the control being electrically connected with the gripper and the handling unit for controlling the gripper and the handling unit, the control further configured for controlling, by processing of the program code on the microprocessor, the gripper and the handling unit to establish the plug-in connection of the plug to the plug mating element;
- wherein the gripper comprises a plug-in actuator operatively coupled to a pushing element for pushing the plug into a plugged-in position with the plug mating element, wherein the pushing element is movable relative to the gripper by actuation of the plug-in actuator, and
- wherein the control is configured to:
- control the gripper to grip the plug;
- control the handling unit to move the plug into an engagement position with the plug mating element while the gripper is holding the plug in a grip;
- control the gripper to loosen or release the grip;
- and
- control the plug-in actuator to push the plug relative to the gripper by pushing the plug into the plugged-in position with the plug mating element.
8 more elements
A device for automated establishment of a plug-in connection of a plug arranged at a cable to a plug mating element, the device comprising:
- a gripper connected to a handling unit, said gripper for gripping the plug;
- wherein the handling unit is a multi-axis robot comprises a plurality of axes for moving the gripper;
- and
- a control comprising a microprocessor and a program code stored in a memory, the control being electrically connected with the gripper and the handling unit for controlling the gripper and the handling unit, the control being configured for controlling, by processing of the program code on the microprocessor, the gripper and the handling unit to establish the plug-in connection of the plug to the plug mating element;
- the gripper comprising a plug-in actuator for moving the plug into a plugged-in position with the plug mating element;
- wherein the control is configured to control the gripper to grip the plug, control the handling unit to move the plug into a position in front of the plug mating element, and control the plug-in actuator to move the plug into the plugged-in position with the plug mating element,
- wherein the gripper is a mechanical gripper for gripping the plug, said gripper comprises at least two mechanical gripping elements which are movable relative to one another by an actuator, with an axis of movement of the plug-in actuator being perpendicular to an axis of movement of the gripping elements;
- and
- wherein the gripper further comprises a latching mechanism for latching a latching element of at least one of the plug and the plug mating element, and wherein the latching mechanism comprises a contact element for contacting the latching element in the plugged-in position of the plug and the gripper configured to move the contact element relative to the plug.
6 more elements
A device for automated establishment of a plug-in connection of a plug arranged at a cable to a plug mating element, the device comprising:
- a gripper connected to a handling unit, said gripper for gripping the plug;
- wherein the handling unit is a multi-axis robot and comprises a plurality of axes for moving the gripper;
- and
- a control comprising a microprocessor and a program code stored in a memory, the control being electrically with the gripper and the handling unit for controlling the gripper and the handling unit, the control being configured for controlling, by processing of the program code on the microprocessor, the gripper and the handling unit to establish the plug-in connection of the plug to the plug mating element;
- the gripper comprising a plug-in actuator for moving the plug into a plugged-in position with the plug mating element and the control being configured to control the plug-in actuator for moving the plug into the plugged-in position;
- wherein the gripper is coupled to the handling unit by a compensation element, and the compensation element is moveable such that the gripper is movable relative to the handling unit during at least a first operating mode, and
- wherein a compensation unit is configured to switch between the first operating mode in which the compensation unit permits a compensation movement of the gripper with respect to the handling unit and a second operating mode in which the gripper is rigidly coupled to the handling unit.
4 more elements
A method for operating a device for automated establishment of a plug-in connection of a plug arranged at a cable to a plug mating element;
- wherein
- the device includes a gripper connected to a handling unit, said gripper for gripping the plug, and the gripper comprising a plug-in actuator for moving the plug into a plugged-in position with the plug mating element;
- wherein the handling unit is a multi-axis robot and comprises a plurality of axes for moving the gripper;
- and
- wherein
- the device includes a control comprising a microprocessor and a program code stored in a memory, the control being electrically connected with the gripper and the handling unit for controlling the gripper and the handling unit, the control being configured for controlling, by processing of the program code on the microprocessor, the gripper and the handling unit to establish the plug-in connection of the plug to the plug mating element;
- wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- controlling, with the control by processing of the program code on the microprocessor, the gripper and the handling unit for the automated establishment of the plug-in connection of the plug with the plug mating element, the controlling comprising:
- controlling the gripping element to grip the plug;
- controlling the handling unit to move the plug into a position in front of the plug mating element while the gripper is holding the plug in a grip;
- controlling the gripper to loosen or release the grip of the gripper;
- and
- controlling the plug-in actuator to move the plug relative to the gripper into the plugged-in position with the plug mating element by the plug-in actuator of the gripper.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.