Device for attaching a sprayer to a robotic arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540693-B2
Application number	US-202217951005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2021
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

An attachment device configured for attaching a product sprayer for coating workpieces onto a robotic arm, the attachment device including a cover which is rigidly attached to the robotic arm and which has a substantially cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis, a nut with a substantially cylindrical shape mounted on the cover and including a first helical portion, a substantially annular flange mounted rigidly attached to the sprayer, including a second helical portion arranged for mating with the first helical portion of the nut, and a deformable ring mounted on the nut and including an annular portion providing an axial stop of the ring with respect to the nut, and a deformable portion configured for being deformed by interacting with the flange so as to provide a connection between the flange and the ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An attachment device for attaching, onto a robotic arm, a sprayer for products for coating workpieces, the attachment device comprising:
a cover for attaching to (i) the sprayer or (ii) the robotic arm, the cover having a substantially cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis; a nut able to slide and rotate, mounted on said cover, comprising:
a first helical portion; and
a cover stop axially stopping the nut relative to said cover;
a deformable ring mounted on said nut, the ring comprising:
a deformable portion; and
an annular portion, the annular portion comprising at least one stop member interacting with a ring stop formed on said nut, so as to provide an axial stop of the ring with respect to said nut; and
a flange for attaching to (i) the sprayer if the cover is attached to the robotic arm, or to (ii) the robotic arm if the cover is attached to the sprayer, the flange comprising:
a second helical portion mating with said first helical portion of said nut; and
an interfacing portion interacting with said deformable ring in such a way that, when tightening said nut for locking the flange onto said cover, said deformable portion is deformed so as to interact with said interfacing portion to provide a connection between the flange and said deformable ring.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said cover comprises a coupling portion, and said nut comprises a second coupling portion matching said coupling portion of said cover, to selectively rotationally couple said cover and said nut along the longitudinal axis.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said cover interacts, during disassembly of said flange, with said deformable portion of said deformable ring to release the connection between said ring and said flange.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said deformable portion of said deformable ring comprises an annular distribution of claws extending substantially longitudinally from said annular portion of said deformable ring either away from or towards the longitudinal axis, in such a way that the ends of the claws define a circle with a first diameter, said interfacing portion of said flange defining a circle with a second diameter different from the first diameter, the first diameter and the second diameter and the claws being configured in such a way that the claws remain in the elastic deformation range thereof during actuation of the device.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.

6 . A sprayer robot comprising an attachment device according to claim 1 .

7 . An attachment device for attaching, onto a robotic arm, a sprayer for products for coating workpieces, the attachment device comprising:
a cover for attaching to (i) the sprayer or (ii) the robotic arm, the cover having a substantially cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis, and the cover comprising, on an outer surface, at least one recess for mating with a tool; a nut able to slide and rotate, mounted on said cover, comprising:
a first helical portion; and
a cover stop axially stopping the nut relative to said cover;
a deformable ring mounted on said nut, the ring comprising:
a deformable portion; and
an annular portion, the annular portion comprising at least one stop member interacting with a ring stop formed on said nut, so as to provide an axial stop of the ring with respect to said nut; and
a flange for attaching to (i) the sprayer if the cover is attached to the robotic arm, or to (ii) the robotic arm if the cover is attached to the sprayer, the flange comprising:
a second helical portion mating with said first helical portion of said nut; and
an interfacing portion interacting with said deformable ring in such a way that, when tightening said nut for locking the flange onto said cover, said deformable portion is deformed so as to interact with said interfacing portion to provide a connection between the flange and said deformable ring.

8 . An attachment device for attaching, onto a robotic arm, a sprayer for products for coating workpieces, the attachment device comprising:
a cover for attaching to (i) the sprayer or (ii) the robotic arm, the cover having a substantially cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis, and the cover comprising a first helical portion arranged for interacting with a matching portion on the robot arm, for attaching the device onto the robot arm; a nut able to slide and rotate, mounted on said cover, comprising:
a second helical portion having an inverse pitch with respect to the pitch of said first helical portion; and
a cover stop axially stopping the nut relative to said cover;
a deformable ring mounted on said nut, the ring comprising:
a deformable portion; and
an annular portion, the annular portion comprising at least one stop member interacting with a ring stop formed on said nut, so as to provide an axial stop of the ring with respect to said nut; and
a flange for attaching to (i) the sprayer if the cover is attached to the robotic arm, or to (ii) the robotic arm if the cover is attached to the sprayer, the flange comprising:
a third helical portion mating with said second helical portion of said nut; and
an interfacing portion interacting with said deformable ring in such a way that, when tightening said nut for locking the flange onto said cover, said deformable portion is deformed so as to interact with said interfacing portion to provide a connection between the flange and said deformable ring.

9 . An attachment device for attaching, onto a robotic arm, a sprayer for products for coating workpieces, the attachment device comprising:
a cover for attaching to (i) the sprayer or (ii) the robotic arm, the cover having a substantially cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis, and the cover comprising:
a first end;
a second end; and
a disassembly portion arranged at said second end;
a nut able to slide and rotate, mounted on said cover, comprising:
a first helical portion; and
a cover stop axially stopping the nut relative to said cover;
a deformable ring mounted on said nut, the ring comprising:
an annular portion comprising at least one stop member interacting with a ring stop formed on said nut, so as to provide an axial stop of the ring with respect to said nut; and
a deformable portion comprising an annular distribution of claws extending substantially longitudinally from said annular portion either away from or towards the longitudinal axis, in such a way that the ends of the claws define a circle with a first diameter; and
a flange for attaching to (i) the sprayer if the cover is attached to the robotic arm, or to (ii) the robotic arm if the cover is attached to the sprayer, the flange comprising:
a second helical portion mating with said first helical portion of said nut; and
an interfacing portion interacting with said deformable ring in such a way that, when tightening said nut for locking the flange onto said cover, said deformable portion is deformed so as to interact with the interfacing portion to provide a connection between the flange and said deformable ring, the interfacing portion defining a circle with a second diameter different from the first diameter, the first diameter and the second diameter and the claws being configured in such a way that the claws remain in the elastic deformation range thereof during actuation of the device, and wherein said disassembly portion comprises a section with a third diameter interacting with the claws of said ring so as to move the claws away from the position thereof, so as to release said interfacing portion from the flange when

Assignees

• Exel Ind

Inventors

• Tarantini Joseph
• Perinet Sylvain

Classifications

• B25J15/045

  having screw means · CPC title

• B25J15/0019 Primary

  End effectors other than grippers · CPC title

• B25J11/0075

  Manipulators for painting or coating · CPC title

• B05B13/0431

  with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to three-dimensional [3D] surfaces · CPC title

• F16L19/065 Primary

  the wedging action being effected by means of a ring · CPC title