Device and method for checking and correcting the position of an operating device with respect to a piece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654142-B2
Application number	US-201615543036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2016
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A device and method for monitoring and correcting the position and orientation of an operating device (2) with respect to a piece (P). A measuring device (5) including a plurality of sensors (505) connected to the operating device is used to measure through contactless technology the distances of the sensors from a surface (π) of the piece along respective directions (l, r, s) having given orientations. The sensor measurements are compared to predetermined desired values and the position of the operating device (2) is selectively changed to maintain a desired positional relationship between a main operative axis (X1) of the operative device and operation axis (X2) defined by the surface of the piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring and correcting the position of an operative device relative to a piece, the system comprising:
a multi-axis manipulator device ( 1 ) having a connector flange (F) and a controller (RC) operative to position the connector flange in selected predetermined three dimensional coordinate positions;
an operating device ( 2 ) connected to the manipulator device flange (F) having a main operative axis (X 1 );
a measuring device ( 5 ) removably connected to the operating device ( 2 ), the measuring device further comprising:
a plate ( 501 , 503 ) removably connected to the operating device ( 2 );
a distance sensor ( 505 ) connected to the plate, the sensor operable to project a beam to a piece plane surface portion (π) to measure a distance between the distance sensor and the piece plane surface portion;
a first processor ( 506 ) in electronic communication with the distance sensor, the first processor operable to receive information from the distance sensor and calculate an angle indicating an angular orientation differential value between the main operative axis (X 1 ) to an operation axis (X 2 ) defined by the piece plane surface portion (π); and
a second processor ( 507 ) in electronic communication with the first processor and the manipulator device controller (RC), the second processor operative to selectively change the locational position of the operative device ( 2 ) through movement of the manipulative device ( 1 ) such that the main operative axis (X 1 ) coincides with the operation axis (X 2 ) to maintain a desired orientation between the operating device ( 2 ) and the piece (P) during production operation.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plate further comprises a pair of side plates ( 501 ) and a front plate respectively positioned about three different sides of the main operative axis; and
the sensor comprises three sensors, each of the three sensors connected to a respective side or front plate along respective directions (l, r, s) having predetermined orientations, each beam of the respective sensor convergent toward the piece plane surface portion and the operation axis (X 2 ).

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a theoretical points of intersection of the directions (l, r, s) with the piece plane surface portion are located along a circumference having a radius (R) having a value less than a distance (d) defined by a predetermined distance between the main operative axis (X 1 ) and an edge of the piece (P).

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the distance sensors, the first processor, the second processor and the manipulator controller continuously measure and selectively adjust the position of the operative device ( 2 ) relative to the piece to maintain coincidence of the main operative axis (X 1 ) to the operation axis (X 2 ).

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the operative device ( 2 ) is a riveting device.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the operative device ( 2 ) is a spot welding gun (W).

7. The system of claim 3 wherein multi-axis manipulator comprises a programmable industrial robot.

Assignees

• Comau Spa

Inventors

• Di Stefano Giovanni
• Navarria Filippo

Classifications

• G05B2219/40555

  Orientation and distance · CPC title

• G05B19/402 Primary

  characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B21J15/28

  Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• B23K11/311

  the actuating device comprising an electric motor · CPC title

• G05B2219/45088

  Riveting robot · CPC title