End effectors and methods of raising and lowering vehicle components using end effectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377333-B2
Application number	US-201916552528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

An end effector includes an elongated body that is non-circular in cross section. A guide rail is mounted on a top surface of the elongated body. A hook carriage includes a linear motion guide that moves linearly along the guide rail to position a hook member. A locking mechanism locks the hook carriage at a preselected position along a length of the guide rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An end effector comprising:
an elongated body that is non-circular in cross section;
a guide rail mounted over an outer facing top surface of the elongated body, the guide rail being shorter in length than the elongated body and comprising a recessed track extending along opposite sides of the guide rail;
a hook carriage comprising a linear motion guide that moves linearly along the track of the guide rail to position a hook member, the hook carriage comprising a housing that completely surrounds the guide rail and elongated body, the housing is formed by a pair of separate housing portions that are connected together forming a divide; and
a locking mechanism that locks the hook carriage at a preselected position along the length of the guide rail.

2. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking pin that is received within a locking opening positioned along a length of the elongated body.

3. The end effector of claim 2 , wherein the locking opening is provided by a side rail member that is mounted on a side of the elongated body.

4. The end effector of claim 2 further comprising a hook member that is pivotally connected to the hook carriage.

5. The end effector of claim 4 , wherein the locking pin is located on the hook member such that rotation of the hook member moves the locking pin into and out of the locking opening.

6. The end effector of claim 4 , wherein the hook member is sized to engage a rear portion of a transmission housing.

7. The end effector of claim 1 further comprising a chain carriage comprising a linear motion guide that moves linearly along the length of the guide rail.

8. The end effector of claim 7 comprising a locking pin that locks the chain carriage at a preselected position along the guide rail.

9. The end effector of claim 1 further comprising a front transmission engagement structure comprising at least one pin assembly connected to the elongated body that is sized to be received within a bolt opening of a transmission housing.

10. The end effector of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a pair of C-shaped housing portions that are connected to the linear motion guide.

11. A method of lifting a transmission using an end effector, the method comprising:
inserting a pin assembly into a bolt opening at a front portion of a transmission housing;
adjusting a position of a hook carriage along a length of a guide rail that is mounted over an outer facing top surface of an elongated body, the guide rail being shorter in length than the elongated body and comprising a recessed track extending along opposite sides of the guide rail, the hook carriage comprising a housing that completely surrounds the guide rail and elongated body the housing is formed by a pair of separate housing portions that are connected together forming a divide;
locking the position of the hook carriage; and
engaging a rear portion of the transmission housing with a hook member that is pivotally connected to the hook carriage.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a locking pin is located on the hook member such that rotating the hook member moves the locking pin into and out of a locking opening.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising adjusting a position of a chain carriage along a length of the guide rail.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising locking the position of the chain carriage.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of locking the position of the chain carriage comprises inserting a pin connector through the chain carriage and into a locking opening.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising adjusting a position of the pin assembly.

17. The method of claim 11 comprising inserting another pin assembly into another bolt opening at the front portion of the transmission housing.

18. The end effector of claim 7 , wherein the track is spaced above the top surface of the elongated body such that the linear motion guide is located above the top surface of the elongated body.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Hollowell Mary C

Classifications

• B66F9/075 Primary

  Constructional features or details · CPC title

• B66C1/107

  for lifting engines · CPC title

• B66C1/22 Primary

  Rigid members, e.g. L-shaped members, with parts engaging the under surface of the loads; Crane hooks · CPC title