Methods and apparatus for controlled material application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12544909-B2
Application number	US-202318357709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 24, 2023
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for controlled material application. An example apparatus includes a pool to carry the application material, a thinning sheet, a roller mounted on an electronically controlled robot arm, machine readable instructions, and controller circuitry to at least one of execute or instantiate the machine readable instructions to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to maneuver the roller to contact the application material in the pool, at least partially submerge the roller in the application material, maneuver the roller to contact the thinning sheet to distribute the application material to surround the roller, and apply the application material to the component by moving the roller across at least a portion of the component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for applying application material to a component, the apparatus comprising:
a pool to carry the application material; a thinning sheet; a porous sheet to cover the pool and the thinning sheet, the porous sheet to enable the application material in the pool to flow through the porous sheet; a roller mounted on an electronically controlled robot arm; machine readable instructions; and controller circuitry to at least one of execute or instantiate the machine readable instructions to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to:
maneuver the roller to contact the application material in the pool,
at least partially submerge the roller in the application material,
maneuver the roller to contact the thinning sheet to distribute the application material to surround the roller, and
apply the application material to the component by moving the roller across at least a portion of the component.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to rotate the roller to a first rotational position when the roller contacts the pool and a second rotational position different from the first rotational position when the roller contacts the thinning sheet.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to push the roller on the porous sheet to extract the application material.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to maneuver the roller across the porous sheet from the pool to the thinning sheet.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is to direct the electronically controlled robot arm to maneuver the roller in a first direction across the pool and a second direction across the thinning sheet, the second direction transverse to the first direction.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the roller rotates along the pool in the first direction.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is to maneuver the roller through a cleaning material.

8 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause programmable circuitry to at least:
cause an end effector of a robotically controlled arm to contact application material, the application material to adhere to at least a portion of the end effector; cause the end effector to at least partially depress a porous sheet to extract the application material from a pool carrying the application material, the porous sheet covering the pool, the application material to flow through the porous sheet; direct the robotically controlled arm to maneuver the end effector to roll on a thinning sheet, the thinning sheet enabling the end effector to spread the application material; and cause the end effector to contact at least a portion of a workpiece for distribution of the application material thereon.

9 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to contact the thinning sheet to distribute the application material to surround an outer surface of the end effector.

10 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to at least partially depress the thinning sheet to distribute the application material.

11 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to rotate about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation aligned to a longitudinal axis of the robotically controlled arm.

12 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to:
rotate to a first rotational position when the end effector contacts the pool; and rotate to a second rotational position different from the first rotational position when the end effector contacts the thinning sheet.

13 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to roll across the porous sheet from the pool to the thinning sheet.

14 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the programmable circuitry is to cause the end effector to at least partially depress the porous sheet with a force that is power force limiting.

15 . A method comprising:
causing a roller mounted to a robotic arm to contact a pool having application material disposed therein, the roller to retain at least a portion of the application material; causing the robotic arm to push the roller on a porous sheet to extract the application material from the pool, the porous sheet covering the pool and the thinning sheet; maneuvering the roller from the pool to a thinning sheet; maneuvering the roller to contact the thinning sheet to distribute the application material around the roller; and causing the robotic arm to maneuver the roller to contact a workpiece, the roller distributing the application material to a portion of the workpiece.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further including:
causing the robotic arm to maneuver the roller in a first direction across the pool; and causing the robotic arm to maneuver the roller in a second direction across the thinning sheet, the second direction transverse to the first direction.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further including causing the robotic arm to change a rotational position of the roller after the robotic arm maneuvers the roller away from the pool.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further including causing the roller to contact the porous sheet when the roller maneuvers from the pool to the thinning sheet.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further including causing the robotic arm to push the roller on the porous sheet to enable contact between the thinning sheet and the roller.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the workpiece is an aircraft component.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Destories Jason G
• Mercer Michael R
• Penuelas Basilio
• Bruno Ashley B
• Mitanoski Blaze
• Tompkinson Jared C

Classifications

• B25J9/0084 Primary

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• B25J9/042 Primary

  comprising an articulated arm · CPC title