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US 8,695,958 B2Granted
Flexible fixture
AssigneePaR Systems, Inc.
InventorsThomas E. Marrinan, Côme René-Bazin De Jouy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for supporting a workpiece includes a plurality of support assemblies with movable heads. Positional errors are ascertained for the heads based on different positions thereof and used to properly position the heads to support the workpiece. Other inventive aspects are directed to features of the support assemblies and heads thereof.
Claims23
A system for supporting a workpiece, the system comprising:
- a holding assembly comprising a plurality of support assemblies, each support assembly comprising a head adapted to support a portion of the workpiece, each head being movable from a reference position to a position remote from the reference position;
- and a controller configured to access a model of the holding assembly having at least some of the support assemblies and a model of the workpiece to be supported by the holding assembly, wherein the controller is configured to ascertain a positional error associated with each support assembly, the positional error being based on a difference from a presumed remote position of the head when the head is moved from the reference position and an actual remote position when the head is moved from the reference position, and wherein the controller is configured to ascertain a desired position of each head of each of said at least some of the support assemblies based on the model of the holding assembly and the model of the workpiece to be supported and based on the positional error associated with the support assembly, the controller being configured to provide output signals related to the desired positions of the heads.
A system for supporting a workpiece, the system comprising:
- a holding assembly comprising a plurality of support assemblies, each support assembly comprising a head adapted to support a portion of the workpiece, each head being movable from a reference position to a position remote from the reference position;
- and a controller configured to ascertain a positional error associated with each support assembly, the positional error being ascertained from a presumed remote position of the head when the head is moved from the reference position and an actual remote position when the head is moved from the reference position, the controller being further configured to use the positional error to adjust a desired position of each respective head in order to support the portion of the workpiece, each desired position being different than any of the reference position, presumed remote position or actual remote position associated with the support assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.