End effectors carrying plies of material for shaping by a mandrel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099385-B2
Application number	US-201715425879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for carrying plies of material. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes an end effector of a robot. The apparatus includes a frame, and a fixed cup assembly that is attached to the frame. The fixed cup assembly includes a suction cup for holding a ply, a pneumatic line, and a shaft that is coupled with the suction cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the suction cup to translate vertically. The apparatus also includes floating cup assemblies. Each floating cup assembly includes a Bernoulli cup, a pneumatic line applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cup, a shaft that is coupled with the Bernoulli cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the Bernoulli cup to translate vertically, and a bearing that enables the Bernoulli cup to pivot about an end of the shaft to conform with a surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an end effector of a robot, comprising:
a frame;
a fixed cup assembly that is attached to the frame, comprising:
a suction cup for holding a ply;
a pneumatic line applying negatively pressurized gas to an interior of the suction cup; and
a shaft that is coupled with the suction cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the suction cup to translate vertically; and

floating cup assemblies that are attached to the frame, each comprising:
a Bernoulli cup;
a pneumatic line applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cup;
a shaft that is coupled with the Bernoulli cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the Bernoulli cup to translate vertically; and
a bearing that enables the Bernoulli cup to pivot about an end of the shaft to conform with a surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one heating element that heats the ply to a tacking temperature of at least one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
each of the at least one heating element is mounted at a different floating cup assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
each floating cup assembly further comprises a pneumatic actuator that controllably actuates a corresponding heating element into contact with the ply.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
at rest, the suction cup of the fixed cup assembly is coplanar with the Bernoulli cups of the floating cup assemblies.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the fixed cup assembly secures a ply of carbon fiber to the suction cup; and
the floating cup assemblies each draw the ply to a Bernoulli cup while floating horizontally with respect to the ply.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
each Bernoulli cup comprises an extender that acts as a lever arm, thereby reducing an amount of force needed to pivot the Bernoulli cup to a new orientation.

8. A method for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, comprising:
holding a ply of carbon fiber in contact with an end effector of a robot via a suction cup and multiple Bernoulli cups without shaping the ply;
positioning the ply over a mandrel having a curved surface, without shaping the ply; and
conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel, causing the Bernoulli cups to float along the ply, pivot, and deflect vertically as the ply changes shape.

9. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, further comprising:
applying suction via the suction cup as the ply is conformed to the curved surface of the mandrel, thereby preventing the ply from displacing and rotating.

10. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, wherein:
the holding, positioning, and conforming are performed in accordance with a Numerical Control (NC) program directing operations of the end effector.

11. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, wherein:
conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel comprises pressing the ply onto the curved surface of the mandrel via the end effector.

12. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, wherein:
positioning the ply over the mandrel is performed by action of the Bernoulli cups.

13. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, further comprising:
heating the ply to a tacking temperature of at least one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit, wherein the ply of carbon fiber is a ply of dry carbon fiber.

14. The method of claim 13 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, wherein:
heating the ply is performed via heating elements located at each floating cup assembly.

15. The method of claim 14 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, further comprising:
pneumatically actuating the heating elements into contact with the ply.

16. The method of claim 8 for transporting a ply of carbon fiber, further comprising:
utilizing a compression spring to return the Bernoulli cups to a default position after the Bernoulli cups have been deflected.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying programmed instructions which, when executed by a processor, are operable for performing a method for transporting a ply of dry carbon fiber, comprising:
holding a ply of dry carbon fiber in contact with an end effector of a robot via a suction cup and multiple Bernoulli cups without shaping the ply;
positioning the ply over a mandrel having a curved surface, without shaping the ply; and
conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel, causing the Bernoulli cups to float along the ply, pivot, and deflect vertically as the ply changes shape.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the method for transporting a ply of carbon fiber further comprises:
applying suction via the suction cup as the ply is conformed to the curved surface of the mandrel, thereby preventing the ply from displacing and rotating.

19. The medium of claim 17 wherein:
the holding, positioning, and conforming are performed in accordance with a Numerical Control (NC) program directing operations of the end effector.

20. The medium of claim 17 wherein:
conforming the ply to the curved surface of the mandrel comprises pressing the ply onto the curved surface of the mandrel via the end effector.

21. The medium of claim 17 wherein:
positioning the ply over the mandrel is performed by action of the Bernoulli cups.

22. The medium of claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:
heating the ply to a tacking temperature of at least one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

23. The medium of claim 22 wherein:
heating the ply is performed via heating elements located at each floating cup assembly.

24. The medium of claim 23 wherein the method for transporting a ply of carbon fiber further comprises:
pneumatically actuating the heating elements into contact with the ply.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Petrovski Goce
• Klimovski Andrew

Classifications

• B25J15/0616 Primary

  with vacuum · CPC title

• B29C70/38

  Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns {(application heads for tyres B29D30/28)} · CPC title

• B29C70/541

  Positioning reinforcements in a mould, e.g. using clamping means for the reinforcement (positioning inserts in moulds B29C33/12; lay-up on a mould B29C70/30) · CPC title

• B29C31/08

  of preforms {to be moulded, e.g. tablets, fibre reinforced preforms, extruded ribbons, tubes or profiles; Manipulating means specially adapted for feeding preforms, e.g. supports conveyors (B29C31/066, B29C37/001, B29C43/085 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B25J15/0052

  multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors · CPC title