Methods for loading and unloading brushes to and from end-effector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11123761-B2
Application number	US-201916513695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2019
Priority date	Oct 15, 2015
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A method of manipulating a brush relative to a brush-arm assembly of an end-effector comprises locating a carriage in one of a first position or a second position relative to a stationary component. The method also comprises, with the carriage in one of the first position or the second position, different from the first position, relative to the stationary component, locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component so that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component. The method further comprises moving the carriage in a second direction toward the stationary component, from the first position to a third position, to load the brush onto the brush-arm assembly, or moving the carriage in a first direction away from the stationary component from the second position to the first position to unload the brush from the brush-arm assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manipulating a brush relative to a brush-arm assembly of an end-effector, the method comprising steps of:
locating a carriage, comprising a brush receptacle, in one of a first position or a second position relative to a stationary component, wherein the carriage is selectively movable relative to the stationary component along a first axis;
with the carriage in one of the first position or the second position, different from the first position, relative to the stationary component, locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component so that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component; and
moving the carriage in a second direction along the first axis toward the stationary component, from the first position to a third position, to load the brush onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, or moving the carriage in a first direction along the first axis away from the stationary component from the second position to the first position to unload the brush from the brush-arm assembly,
wherein:
when the carriage is in the first position relative to the stationary component, the step of locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component, such that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component, comprises mating the brush-arm assembly with a slot of the stationary component,
the slot of the stationary component is spaced from a tool receptacle in a direction of a second axis, parallel to the first axis, wherein the tool receptacle contains a calibration tool, having a symmetry axis and a tool tip;
the method further comprises selectively preventing movement of the calibration tool in the second direction relative to the carriage; and
the step of selectively preventing movement of the calibration tool relative to the carriage in the second direction comprises selectively engaging at least one pin with the calibration tool.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the carriage is in the first position relative to the stationary component, the step of locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component, such that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component, comprises mating the brush-arm assembly with a second slot of the stationary component, wherein the second slot of the stationary component is spaced from the brush receptacle, which contains the brush, in a direction of a third axis, parallel to the first axis.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, with the carriage in the first position relative to the stationary component and the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector mated with the second slot of the stationary component, a step of loading the brush, located in the brush receptacle of the carriage, onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector by selectively moving the carriage in the second direction relative to the stationary component from the first position to the third position.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of, with the carriage in the second position and the brush loaded onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, selectively moving the carriage relative to the stationary component and the brush-arm assembly, in the first direction, into the first position to remove the brush from the brush receptacle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the carriage is in the second position relative to the stationary component, the step of locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component so that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component comprises resting the brush-arm assembly on a tool-support arm, fixed relative to the stationary component.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising a step of, with the carriage in the second position, placing a portion of the brush, loaded onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, between two blades, opposing each other and fixed to the carriage, wherein the portion of the brush between the two blades is between a portion of a head of the brush and a portion of a shank of the brush, wherein a gap, defined between the two blades, is narrower than at least the portion of the head of the brush and wherein at least the portion of the head of the brush and at least the portion of the shank of the brush are on opposite sides of the two blades.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising a step of, with the carriage in the second position and the portion of the brush, loaded onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, between the two blades and between the portion of the head of the brush and the portion of the shank of the brush, moving the carriage in the first direction to the first position to unload the brush from the brush-arm assembly.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of, with the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector mated with the slot of the stationary component, selectively moving the carriage relative to the stationary component and the brush-arm assembly, in the second direction, into the second position to load the calibration tool onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
disengaging the at least one pin from the calibration tool to selectively enable the movement of the calibration tool in the second direction relative to the carriage; and
with the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector mated with the slot of the stationary component, selectively moving the carriage relative to the stationary component and the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, in the second direction, into the second position to load the calibration tool onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one pin is coupled to the carriage and co-movable with the carriage relative to the stationary component.

11. A method of manipulating a brush relative to a brush-arm assembly of an end-effector, the method comprising steps of:
locating a carriage, comprising a brush receptacle, in one of a first position or a second position relative to a stationary component, wherein the carriage is selectively movable relative to the stationary component along a first axis;
with the carriage in one of the first position or the second position, different from the first position, relative to the stationary component, locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component so that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component; and
moving the carriage in a second direction along the first axis toward the stationary component, from the first position to a third position, to load the brush onto the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector, or moving the carriage in a first direction along the first axis away from the stationary component from the second position to the first position to unload the brush from the brush-arm assembly,
wherein:
when the carriage is in the first position relative to the stationary component, the step of locating the brush-arm assembly of the end-effector with respect to the stationary component, such that the brush-arm assembly is in contact with the stationary component, comprises mating the brush-arm assembly with a slot of the stationary component;
the slot of the stationary component is spaced from a tool receptacle in a direction of a second axis, parallel to the first axis, wherein the tool receptacle contains a calibration tool, having a symmetry axis

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Tomuta Raul
• Davancens Angelica
• Frontiera Frederick B
• Guirguis Martin
• Trend Don D
• Weinmann Jake B

Classifications

• A46B11/06 Primary

  connected to supply pipe {or to other external supply means (A46B11/0003 and A46B11/0006 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C1/06 Primary

  by rubbing contact, e.g. by brushes, by pads {(brushes in general A46B)} · CPC title

• Y10S483/901

  Robot end effectors · CPC title

• B05C11/1002

  Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves · CPC title

• B23Q3/15566

  the tool being inserted in a tool holder directly from a storage device, i.e. without using transfer devices · CPC title