Robotic paint repair systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897083-B2
Application number	US-201917279726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A robotic paint repair system that can comprise: a consumable abrasive product configured to abrade a substrate, a tool configured to drive the consumable abrasive product to abrade, a robotic device configured to manipulate the tool and a compliant accessory actuator positioned between the tool and the substrate, wherein the compliant accessory actuator is driven to apply a desired force and a desired stiffness to the consumable abrasive product in response to sensed data collected between the tool and the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic paint repair system, comprising:
a consumable abrasive product configured to abrade a substrate;
a tool configured to drive the consumable abrasive product to abrade;
a robotic device configured to manipulate the tool; and
a compliant accessory actuator positioned between the tool and the substrate, wherein the compliant accessory actuator is driven to apply a desired force and a desired stiffness to the consumable abrasive product in response to sensed data collected between the tool and the substrate.

2. The robotic repair system of claim 1 further comprising:
a pressure supply;
a backup pad configured to couple with the consumable abrasive product; and
a pressure controller coupled with the pressure supply, wherein the compliant accessory actuator is driven by a pneumatic pressure from the pressure supply to apply the desired force and the desired stiffness to the consumable abrasive product, and wherein the pressure controller is configured to measure an implementation force of the robotic device and is configured to control the pneumatic pressure within the pressure supply based upon the implementation force.

3. The robotic repair system of claim 2 , wherein the implementation force is measured at a flange between the robotic device and the tool.

4. The robotic repair system of claim 3 , further comprising a sensor configured to couple to one of the backup pad, the tool and the flange.

5. The robotic repair system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure supply can be one of internal to or external of the tool.

6. The robotic repair system of claim 1 , wherein the compliant force actuator comprises a plurality of internal pressure chambers encapsulated by a deformable material, and wherein the plurality of internal pressure chambers are arranged in a multitude of different configurations to achieve the desired force and desired stiffness.

7. The robotic repair system of claim 6 , wherein the desired force comprises a range, and wherein the desired stiffness comprises one or more of an angular stiffness and a lateral stiffness.

8. The robotic repair system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device is directly coupled to the tool with no intermediate component.

9. The robotic repair device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned in the backup pad and configured to measure a force exerted on the backup pad.

10. A system, comprising:
a consumable abrasive product configured to abrade a substrate;
a backup pad configured to couple with the consumable abrasive product such that the consumable abrasive product can be driven along with the backup pad;
a tool configured to drive the backup pad and the consumable abrasive product to abrade; and
a sensor mounted on or within the backup pad such that the sensor spins along with the backup pad and the consumable abrasive article when driven by the tool, wherein the sensor is configured to measure operation related data of the backup pad that occurs during abrading the substrate with the consumable abrasive product.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the backup pad has a recess therein, wherein the sensor is disposed in the recess in the backup pad and sealed within a deformable volume at a first relative pressure, and wherein the operation related data includes one or more of an applied force on, an applied pressure on, an applied magnetic field on, an applied acceleration on, a resistance of, a capacitance of and a rotational speed of the backup pad.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the backup pad is formed of a deformable material that deflects under the applied force, and whereby the deformation of the backup pad causes a squeezing of the deformable volume within the recess thereby increasing a pressure within the deformable volume from the first relative pressure to a second relative pressure.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the deformable volume is formed of an elastomeric material.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor is powered by a battery that is charged by energy harvesting as a result of the spinning and vibration of the backup pad.

15. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a processor communicating wirelessly with the sensor.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a processor configured to determine a strain across the backup pad as a function of a change in density of the backup pad.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the strain is determined as a function of a change in capacitance between at least to films as measured in a first state with a first amount of force is applied to the backup pad and a second state where a second force is applied to the backup pad, wherein the at least two films are separated by a deformable foam of the backup pad.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the strain is determined as a function of a change in resistance of a conductive particle foam where a resistance of the conductive particle foam changes as a function of a change in density of the conductive particle foam.

19. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a robotic device configured to manipulate the tool;
wherein the robotic device is configured to change an operation or a parameter related to manipulation of the tool based on data derived from the measured one or more of the applied force on, the applied pressure on, the applied magnetic field on, the applied acceleration on, the resistance of, the capacitance of and the rotational speed of the backup pad.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the robotic device, the tool, the consumable abrasive product, and the backup pad comprise first components of a tool stack, and further comprising:
a deformable component that comprises another component of the tool stack; and
a second sensor within the deformable component, wherein the second senor is configured to measure one or more of a resistance of and a capacitance of the deformable component.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Hemes Brett R
• Henderson John W
• Mielke Erich A
• Crestik Lucas D

Classifications

• B24B41/002 Primary

  Grinding heads · CPC title

• B24B49/16

  taking regard of the load · CPC title

• B24D9/08

  Circular back-plates for carrying flexible material · CPC title

• B24B49/006 Primary

  taking regard of the speed · CPC title

• B24B49/10

  involving electrical means (B24B49/02, B24B49/08 take precedence) · CPC title