Recessed drawer opening apparatus
AssigneeHexagon Metrology, Inc.
InventorsJie Zheng, Gregory Klein, Jonathan J. O'Hare, Jonathan Dove
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drawer opening system includes a hitch on a robot arm, and a block assembly disposed within a cavity on an external face of a first drawer, such that the hitch is configured to approach the external face of the drawer, enter the recess, and securely engage the block assembly within the cavity. In illustrative embodiments, when not engaged with the hitch, no part of the block assembly extends beyond the external face of the drawer such that it would impede access of a robot to a second open drawer disposed beneath the first drawer.
Claims17
A container apparatus for holding workpieces to be inspected, the container apparatus configured to movably mate to a storage apparatus, the container apparatus comprising:
- a storage apparatus interface assembly configured to movably mate the container apparatus to the storage apparatus;
- a container assembly defining a workpiece storage volume, the container assembly comprising a front panel having a three-dimensional panel volume and an external surface facing away from the workpiece storage volume, and a cavity opening through the external surface of the front panel from space external to the workpiece storage volume and extending into the three-dimensional panel volume;
- and
- a block assembly rigidly fixed to the container assembly and exposed to an environment external to the workpiece storage volume, the block assembly comprising a coupling block configured to removably mate with a corresponding hitch from the environment external to the workpiece storage volume, wherein the block assembly is rigidly fixed to the container assembly within the three-dimensional panel volume.
A storage apparatus comprising:
- a set of container assemblies, each container assembly of the set of container assemblies movably coupled to a frame, wherein at least one container assembly of the set of container assemblies defines a workpiece storage volume and comprises:
- a front panel having a three-dimensional panel volume and an external surface facing away from the workpiece storage volume, and a cavity opening through the external surface of the front panel from space external to the workpiece storage volume and extending into the three-dimensional panel volume, and also comprises:
- a storage apparatus interface assembly configured to movably mate the container assembly to the frame;
- and
- a block assembly rigidly fixed to the container assembly and exposed to an environment external to the workpiece storage volume, the block assembly comprising a coupling block configured to removably mate with a corresponding hitch from the environment external to the workpiece storage volume.
A method comprising:
- providing a movable container assembly, the container assembly defining a workpiece storage volume, and the container assembly comprising a container assembly interface configured to movably mate the container assembly to a storage apparatus and comprising a front panel having a three-dimensional panel volume and an external surface facing away from the workpiece storage volume, and a cavity opening through the external surface of the front panel from space external to the workpiece storage volume and extending into the three-dimensional panel volume;
- providing a block assembly rigidly fixed to the container assembly and exposed to an environment external to the workpiece storage volume, the block assembly comprising a coupling block configured to removably mate with a corresponding hitch from the environment external to the workpiece storage volume, wherein the block assembly is rigidly fixed to the container assembly within the three-dimensional panel volume;
- providing a robot apparatus having a hitch configured to removably couple to the block assembly;
- and
- automatically moving the robot apparatus to removably couple the hitch to the block assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.