US 12,692,101 B2 · Automated production work cell

Abstract

A robotic work cell uses an object separating mechanism to disperse bulk objects into a 2D arrangement on a horizontal surface and uses a vision system to generate pick-up (positional) data and rotational orientation data for each sequentially selected target object of the 2D arrangement. A pick-and-place robot mechanism uses the positional data to pick-up each target object and uses the rotational orientation data to reorientate the target object during transfer to a designated hand-off location. A carousel-type robotic end-tool disposed on a 4-axis object-processing robot mechanism rotates a gripper mechanism around a vertical axis to move the target object from the hand-off location to a designated processing location, where an associated processing device performs a desired process (e.g., label application) on the target object. In one embodiment the gripper mechanism is selectively rotatable around a horizontal axis to facilitate processing on opposing surfaces of the target object.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A robotic end-tool configured for use by a robot mechanism, the robot mechanism including a base portion, an arm portion having a first end connected to the base portion and an end-shaft connected to a second end of the arm portion and being aligned in and rotatable around a first axial direction, the arm portion being movable in a direction that is perpendicular to the first axial direction, the robotic end-tool comprising:

a central hub fixture configured for fixedly fixed connection to the end-shaft;
a plurality of mounting flanges respectively fixedly connected to the central hub fixture, each said mounting flange being an integral structure;
and
a plurality of gripper mechanisms respectively connected to the central hub fixture by an associated mounting flange of said plurality of mounting flanges such that all of said plurality of gripper mechanisms remain disposed in a plane when said robotic end-tool central hub fixture is fixedly connected to the end-shaft and the end-shaft is rotated around the first axial direction, said plane being perpendicular to the first axial direction, wherein each gripper mechanism of said plurality of gripper mechanisms is rotatably connected to its associated mounting flange such that said each gripper mechanism is rotatable around a corresponding second axial direction that is parallel to said plane.

1 more element

A robotic end-tool configured for use by a four-axis robot mechanism, the four-axis robot mechanism including an arm portion having a first end connected to a base portion and an end-shaft connected to a second end of the arm portion, the end-shaft aligned in and rotatable around a vertical axis, the arm portion being movable in a horizontal direction the robotic end-tool comprising:

a central hub fixture;
a first gripper mechanism connected to the central hub fixture by a first mounting flange such that said first gripper mechanism is rotatable around a corresponding first horizontal axis and includes a pair of opposing first gripper structures that extend in a first horizontal direction that is parallel to the corresponding first horizontal axis;
and
a second gripper mechanism connected to the central hub fixture by a second mounting flange such that said second gripper mechanism is rotatable around a corresponding second horizontal axis and includes a pair of opposing second gripper structures that extend in a second horizontal direction that is parallel to the corresponding second horizontal axis and opposite to the first horizontal direction, wherein each of said first and second mounting flanges is an integral metal structure, and wherein the robotic end-tool is configured such that said first and second gripper mechanisms remain disposed in a horizontal plane when the central hub fixture is fixedly connected to the end-shaft and said end-shaft is rotated around the vertical axis.

1 more element

A method for sequentially performing a designated process on a plurality of target objects using a robot mechanism and a robotic end-tool, the robot mechanism having an arm portion configured to move in a horizontal direction and an end-shaft connected to the arm portion and configured to rotate around a vertical axis, the robotic end-tool including a central hub fixture fixedly connected to the end-shaft and a plurality of gripper mechanisms respectively connected to the central hub fixture by an associated mounting flange such that the plurality of gripper mechanisms are maintained in a horizontal plane, wherein each said associated mounting flange is an integral metal structure, the method comprising:

controlling the robot mechanism to rotate the arm end-shaft around the vertical axis such that a first gripper mechanism of the plurality of gripper mechanisms is positioned adjacent to a designated first location;
controlling the first gripper mechanism to grasp a first target object disposed in the designated first location;
controlling the robot mechanism to rotate the end-shaft around the vertical axis such that the first gripper mechanism moves the first target object from the designated first location to a designated second location;
and
performing said designated process on the first target object while the first target object is positioned in the designated second location.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated production work cell

Life of this patent

Automated production work cell

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20