# US 8,770,247 B2 · Masking system using masking piece > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,247 B2 - Document ID: US8770247B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/293,491 - Filed: 2011-11-10 - Published: 2012-08-09 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-09 - Assignees: Fanuc Corporation - Applicants: Masaru Oda; Kazuhisa Otsuka; Mitsuhiro Okuda; Eiichirou Nagasue - Inventors: Masaru Oda; Kazuhisa Otsuka; Mitsuhiro Okuda; Eiichirou Nagasue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770247B2 ## CPC - B32B 37/30: Partial laminating - B05D 1/32: using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - B25J 11/0075: {Manipulators for painting or coating} - B25J 15/0066: {with different types of end effectors, e.g. gripper and welding gun (B25J15/0057 and B25J15/0061 take precedence)} - B32B 37/0046: {characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus} - B32B 37/12: characterised by using adhesives - B05B 12/20: Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated - B05B 13/0431: {with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces} - B05C 21/005: {Masking devices (stencils B05C17/06; masking devices for which the means for applying liquids or other fluent material is spraying or is not important B05B12/20)} - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - 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}) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) ## Abstract In a masking system a robot performs first conveyance work of making an object gripping unit grip an object and set the object at a predetermined position based on positional information of the object which was detected by a first detection unit, coating work of making a coating unit coat an adhesive on a masking location of the object which is set at the predetermined position, and second conveyance work of making a masking piece gripping unit adhere a masking piece to the masking location of the object based on positional information of the masking piece which was detected by a second detection unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A masking system comprising: a first detection unit configured to detect positional information and posture information of an object, an object gripping unit configured to grip said object, a coating unit configured to coat an adhesive, a masking piece gripping unit configured to grip a masking piece and to attach the masking piece to a masking location of said object, a second detection unit configured to detect positional information and posture information of said masking piece gripped by said masking piece gripping unit, and a robot with a robot controller, wherein said robot controller is configured to control the robot to perform first conveyance work of making said object gripping unit grip said object and set the object at a predetermined position based on the positional information of said object detected by said first detection unit, coating work of making said coating unit coat the adhesive on the masking location of the object which is set at said predetermined position, and second conveyance work of making said masking piece gripping unit adhere said masking piece to the masking location of said object based on the positional information of said masking piece detected by said second detection unit and the positional information of said object detected by said first detection unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive is water soluble and has the property of increasing in viscosity by a decrease in water content and wherein said masking piece includes a water absorbing material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein said masking piece is cardboard. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein said adhesive is a material mainly comprised of natural rubber latex. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein said first conveyance work is executed by a first robot and said second conveyance work and said coating work are executed by a second robot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The masking system according to claim 2, wherein said first conveyance work is executed by a first robot and said second conveyance work and said coating work are executed by a second robot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The masking system according to claim 3, wherein said first conveyance work is executed by a first robot and said second conveyance work and said coating work are executed by a second robot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The masking system according to claim 4, wherein said first conveyance work is executed by a first robot and said second conveyance work and said coating work are executed by a second robot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein the robot comprises a first robot including the first detection unit and the object gripping unit; and a second robot including the coating unit and the masking piece gripping unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The masking system according to claim 1, wherein the first detection unit is configured to detect the positional information of the object from above, and the second detection unit is configured to detect the positional information of the masking piece from below.