System and method for applying force to a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12442740-B2
Application number	US-202318092387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2023
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for applying force to at least one device at least one force actuator including a processor accessing at least one description of the at least one device, the processor creating command information based at least on the at least one description, and a controller accessing the command information, the controller creating at least one motion command based on the command information, the controller issuing the at least one motion command, the motion command enabling the testing of the at least one device by controlling the at least one force actuator based on the at least one motion command.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for testing a device comprising: a device cage housing the device;
at least one pressure actuator assembly having at least a first actual characteristic and at least a second actual characteristic, the at least one pressure actuator assembly substantially aligned with the device cage at pre-selected test points; and
at least one controller setting a first and second target characteristic, the at least one controller adjusting the at least one pressure actuator assembly until the at least one first actual characteristic or the at least one second actual characteristic substantially equals the second target characteristic, the at least one controller adjusting the first actual characteristic to maintain the target second characteristic substantially constant, and testing the device by monitoring the first actual characteristic over time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actual characteristic is an actual force and the first target characteristic is a target force.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second actual characteristic is an actual position and the second target characteristic is a target position.

4. The system of claim 2 , the at least one pressure actuator assembly further comprising:
an actuator arm moving and positioning a pin actuator, the pin actuator providing the target force on the device.

5. The system of claim 4 , the actuator arm further comprising:
a pivot member being displaced from a neutral position with a change in force; at least one spring returning the pivot member to the neutral position;
at least one gap formed by movement of a displacement block determining a displacement of a force member;
a mounting member operably coupled with an end effector offset; a sensor detecting displacement of the pivot member; and electronics receiving data from the sensor.

6. The system of claim 4 , the at least one pressure actuator assembly further comprising:
an arm adapter coupling the actuator arm with a linear actuator, the arm adapter having shaped edges, the shaped edges enabling variable placement of the actuator arm.

7. The system of claim 4 , the at least one pressure actuator assembly further comprising:
a linear actuator moving the actuator arm towards the target position, the actuator arm forcing the device based at least on commands provided by the at least one controller.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor accessing at least one description of the device, the processor creating command information based at least on the at least one description, the processor receiving feedback from the at least one pressure actuator assembly,
wherein the controller accesses motion information, the controller creating at least one control command based on the command information, the controller testing the device by controlling the at least one pressure actuator assembly based on the at least one control command.

9. The system of claim 8 , the at least one description comprising: a computer-aided design file.

10. The system of claim 8 , the controller further comprising:
a group processor managing at least one group, each of the at least one group being either active or inactive, each of the active of the at least one group including at least one node object, the group processor accessing one of the at least one control command for each of the at least one node objects;
a node processor updating the at least one node object based on the command information; and
at least one actuator driver relaying the at least one control command between the updated at least one node object and at least one hardware device, the at least one actuator driver communicating the at least one control command to the at least one hardware device through at least one hardware driver.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a command interface providing control information to at least one node processor and receiving sensor information from at least one sensor processor.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
simultaneously controlling a plurality of the at least one pressure actuator assemblies.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one force actuator being substantially aligned with the device cage at pre-selected test points;
at least one platform;
at least one holder mount operably coupled with the at least one platform;
at least one device holder operably coupled with the at least one holder mount;
and
at least one device cover operably coupled with the at least one holder mount, wherein the at least one device cage being insertably coupled with the at least one device holder.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp
• Deka Products Ltd Partneship

Inventors

• Langenfeld Christopher C
• Van Der Merwe Dirk A
• Peret Grant A
• Anastasiou John C
• Parker Jonathan
• Baker Michael A

Classifications

• G01N3/42 Primary

  by performing impressions under a steady load by indentors, e.g. sphere, pyramid (G01N3/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N3/20

  by applying steady bending forces (G01N3/26, G01N3/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N3/08 Primary

  by applying steady tensile or compressive forces (G01N3/28 takes precedence) · CPC title