Overspray-free paint system including AGV/AMR-based fixture lifting, positioining and orienting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12042925-B2
Application number	US-202217963306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2022
Priority date	Oct 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

A robotic lifting and orienting system for an overspray-free paint system includes: a base coupled to wheels; and an automated carrier coupled to the base. The automated carrier includes: a fixture assembly configured to hold an object to be painted; one or more manipulators configured to move the fixture assembly relative to a paint robot; a propulsion system connected to the wheels and configured to move the robotic lifting and orienting system; and a control module configured to control the one or more manipulators and the propulsion system to control positioning and orienting of the object relative to at least one of the paint robot and an overspray-free paint applicator of the paint robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic lifting and orienting system for an overspray-free paint system, the robotic lifting and orienting system comprising:
a base coupled to a plurality of wheels;
an automated carrier coupled to the base, the automated carrier comprising
a fixture assembly configured to hold an object to be painted,
one or more manipulators configured to move the fixture assembly relative to a paint robot, and
a propulsion system connected to the plurality of wheels and configured to move the robotic lifting and orienting system,

at least one control module configured to i) control the one or more manipulators and the propulsion system to control positioning and orienting of the object relative to at least one of the paint robot and an overspray-free paint applicator of the paint robot, ii) control movement of the at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator, and iii) control movement of the object synchronized with movement of at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator; and
a steering system,
wherein the at least one control module is configured to control the steering system to steer the plurality of wheels when moving the object relative to the at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator.

2. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the automated carrier has six degrees-of-freedom movement of the fixture assembly.

3. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more manipulators comprises:
a plurality of couplers connected to the fixture assembly and a body of the automated carrier;
a plurality of linkages connected to the plurality of couplers; and
one or more actuators configured to move the plurality of linkages from stowed to partially or fully deployed states.

4. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more manipulators comprises a plurality of manipulators configured to adjust roll and pitch of the fixture assembly and the object such that surfaces of the object to be painted are horizontal and perpendicular to the overspray-free paint applicator when painted.

5. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the fixture assembly comprises:
a fixture base connected to the one or more manipulators; and
a fixture configured to hold the object and mounted on the fixture base.

6. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the robotic lifting and orienting system and the automated carrier is configured to move independently relative to the paint robot.

7. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the base is weighted to counterbalance weight of the fixture assembly and the object.

8. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the object is at least one of a vehicle component and a body-in-white, and
the automated carrier is configured to move the at least one of the vehicle component and the body-in-white in X, Y, Z directions relative to the paint robot and adjust roll and pitch of the at least one of the vehicle component and the body-in-white relative to a body of the automated carrier.

9. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one control module is configured to determine a target location of the object relative to the at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator, and to control the propulsion system and the one or more manipulators to move the object to the target location relative to the at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator.

10. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic lifting and orienting system is implemented as an autonomous mobile robot.

11. The robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one control module is configured to control positioning and orienting of the object relative to at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator prior to and during painting of the object via the overspray-free paint applicator.

12. A robotic lifting and orienting system for an overspray-free paint system, the robotic lifting and orienting system comprising:
a base coupled to a plurality of wheels;
an automated carrier coupled to the base, the automated carrier comprising
a fixture assembly configured to hold an object to be painted,
one or more manipulators configured to move the fixture assembly relative to a paint robot, and
a propulsion system connected to the plurality of wheels and configured to move the robotic lifting and orienting system, and
a control module configured to control the one or more manipulators and the propulsion system to control positioning and orienting of the object relative to at least one of the paint robot and an overspray-free paint applicator of the paint robot; and

a steering system,
wherein
the control module is configured to control the steering system to steer the plurality of wheels when moving the object relative to the at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator,
the base comprises
at least one rail along which one or more weights are moved, and
at least one actuator configured to move the one or more weights along the at least one rail, and

the control module is configured to control operation of the at least one actuator to move the one or more weights based on movement of the object.

13. An overspray-free paint system comprising:
the robotic lifting and orienting system of claim 1 ; and
the paint robot.

14. The overspray-free paint system of claim 13 , further comprising a central monitoring station configured to at least one of monitor and control operation of the robotic lifting and orienting system and the paint robot.

15. An overspray-free paint system comprising:
a paint robot comprising
a first base,
an overspray-free paint applicator,
a plurality of arms extending from the first base to the overspray-free paint applicator,
a plurality of motors connected to the plurality of arms, and
a first control module configured to control the plurality of motors to move and orient the overspray-free paint applicator; and

a robotic lifting and orienting system comprising an automated carrier, the automated carrier comprising
a fixture assembly configured to hold an object to be painted,
one or more manipulators configured to move the fixture assembly relative to the paint robot,
a propulsion system configured to move the robotic lifting and orienting system, and
a second control module configured to control the one or more manipulators and the propulsion system to control positioning and orienting of the object relative to at least one of the paint robot and the overspray-free paint applicator,

wherein the first control module and the second control module are configured to control movement of the object synchronized with movement of the overspray-free paint applicator.

16. The overspray-free paint system of claim 15 , wherein:
the first control module is configured to control the plurality of motors to provide six degrees-of-freedom movement of the overspray-free paint applicator; and
the robotic lifting and orienting system and the automated carrier provide six degrees-of-freedom movement of the fixture assembly and the object.

17. The overspray-free paint system of claim 14 , wherein:
the robotic lifting and orienting system comprises a second base coupled to a plurality of wheels;
the auto

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zhao Xiang
• Fan Hua-Tzu

Classifications

• B66F7/0683

  Scissor linkage plus tilting action · CPC title

• B05B13/0285

  Stands for supporting individual articles to be sprayed, e.g. doors, vehicle body parts · CPC title

• B66F7/22

  with tiltable platforms (tilting vehicles for unloading B65G67/34) · CPC title

• B05B13/0228

  the movement of the objects being rotative (B05B13/0242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B13/0221

  characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title