# US 2019/0168395 A1 · Low-profile manipulator interface system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168395 A1 - Document ID: US20190168395A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/829,619 - Filed: 2017-12-01 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01 - Assignees: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation - Applicants: Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc. - Inventors: GAVIN HAY; MICHAEL ROBERT HONEYBROWN; PETER KRIMBALIS; JUSTIN CHARBONNEAU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168395A1 ## CPC - B25J 15/0408: {Connections means} - B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases} - B64G 1/6462: {characterised by the means for engaging other vehicles} - H01R 13/629: Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} - H01R 33/00: Coupling devices specially adapted for supporting apparatus and having one part acting as a holder providing support and electrical connection via a counterpart which is structurally associated with the apparatus, e.g. lamp holders; Separate parts thereof - H01R 43/26: for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) - Y10S 901/27: Arm part - 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}) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a low mass system for releasably securing a robotic arm to a spacecraft and also securing various payloads to the robotic arm and to each other, permitting the robotic arm to be both moved from one location to another suitably equipped location on a spacecraft to another and to allow the free end of the robotic arm to be secured to any payload also similarly equipped such that this payload may be manipulated by the robotic arm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interface coupling system for releasably securing a selected object to a spacecraft and securing various payloads to the selected object and to each other, comprising: a) an active interface assembly including a first coupling located at its proximal end for structurally attaching it to the selected object, electrical connections for electrically connecting it to said selected object, a second coupling located at its distal end, an active interface assembly latch mechanism; an active interface assembly alignment mechanism; a computer control system connected to said active interface assembly latch mechanism; b) a passive interface assembly including a first coupling located at its proximal end complementary to said second coupling on the active interface assembly for structurally attaching said passive interface assembly to said second coupling, a second coupling located at its distal end for affixing said passive interface assembly to a desired object, a passive interface assembly alignment mechanism complementary to said active interface assembly alignment mechanism; passive latch features complementary to, and engageable with, said active interface assembly latch mechanism; and c) a sensor mechanism mounted and configured for sensing the forces and moments that occur during a sequence of aligning the active and passive interface assemblies together, said sensor mechanism being connected to said computer control system; and d) said computer control system being programmed with instructions to use the sensed forces and moments output from said sensor mechanism to control the alignment of said active and passive interface assemblies until they are sufficiently aligned to initiate a latching sequence to releasibly and rigidly lock said active and passive interface assemblies together. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor mechanism is mounted in said active interface assembly, and wherein said sensor mechanism does not run through a primary structural load path of the passive and active interfaces or selected object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The interface coupling system according to claim 2, wherein said sensing mechanism is a force moment sensor operably coupled to said active interface assembly alignment mechanism and configured to sense forces and moments on said active interface assembly alignment mechanism during alignment and engagement of said active interface assembly alignment mechanism to said passive interface assembly alignment mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor mechanism is mounted in said passive interface assembly, and wherein said passive interface assembly includes electrical connections configured to connect said sensor mechanism to said computer control system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor mechanism is mounted in said selected object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said selected object is a robotic manipulator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor system mounted on one or both of said active and passive interface assemblies for enabling remote operator control of all activities associated with aligning and latching the active and passive interface assemblies together based on feedback from said sensor system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The interface coupling system according to claim 7, wherein said sensor system comprises any one or combination of a camera based vision system, radar and LIDAR. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said second coupling on said active interface assembly and said first coupling on said passive interface assembly are matched halves of a Hirth coupling. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said passive interface assembly mechanism includes one or more elongate alignment pins, and wherein said active interface assembly alignment mechanism comprises one or more elongate alignment sockets having a size and shape to accept said one or more elongate alignment pins. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The interface coupling system according to claim 1, wherein said latch mechanism includes an actuator connected to said computer control system and latch arms wherein once the active and passive interface assemblies have come into sufficient contact, based on feedback from said sensor mechanism, said computer control system instructs the actuator to advance thereby forcing the latches outwards and into engagement with said passive latch features within said passive interface assembly to lock the active and passive interface assemblies together.