Method for automatically scheduling the timing of brake tests, and associated robot
AssigneeKUKA Deutschland GmbH
InventorsMarkus Finke, Thomas Neff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, a robot, and a robot controller for automatically scheduling the timing of a plurality of brake tests, that succeed one another at time intervals, at a plurality of brakes of a robot arm equipped with a plurality of joints and a plurality of links connecting the joints to one another and is connected to a robot controller which is designed and configured to control the joints and the brakes, in order to move the robot arm. At least one individual parameter is configured for each of the brakes. A brake test method associated with the robot arm is automatically initialized, and the initialized brake test method is automatically carried out in accordance with the configured parameters.
Claims17
1-12. (canceled)
A method for automatically scheduling the timing of a plurality of brake tests that succeed one another at time intervals, at a plurality of brakes of a robot arm that is equipped with a plurality of joints and a plurality of links connecting the joints to one another, and the arm is connected to a robot controller that is designed and configured to control the joints and the brakes in order to move the robot arm, the method comprising:
- configuring at least one individual parameter for each individual brake of the plurality of brakes, or jointly for at least two groups of the brakes, wherein the at least one parameter is assigned at least one criterion that is a property relevant for the safe operation of the brake;
- automatically initializing a brake test procedure that is associated with the robot arm and which is provided to control the joints and the brakes of the robot arm via the robot controller, thereby automatically moving the links of the robot arm according to a brake test program predetermined by the brake test procedure, and automatically controlling the brakes as a function of the configured parameters;
- and
- executing the initialized brake test procedure based on the configured parameters and during an operating time of the robot arm in which the robot arm is configured for its application-specific intended use.
The method of 25, wherein the signal supplied externally of the robot is associated with a spatial trigger, and the spatial trigger corresponds to reaching an axis limit or an axis stop of a joint of the robot arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.