System and method for processing a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700978-B2
Application number	US-201414174331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Jan 27, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A system for processing a workpiece, including a rotary drive having a path along which a flow of a fluid is established during operation, a sensor in communication with the path, to generate a signal responsive to the flow of the fluid and not to generate the signal responsive to an absence of the flow, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor to enable the operation of the rotary drive subsequent to a termination of the signal if a duration interval thereof is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and to prevent the operation if the duration interval of the signal is less than the predetermined value. The rotary drive may include a drill.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for processing a workpiece, the system comprising:
a rotary drive having a path along which a flow of a fluid is associated during operation thereof,
wherein the rotary drive has a rotational axis;

a rotary-drive sensor in communication with the path,
wherein the rotary-drive sensor generates a signal responsive to the flow of the fluid when the rotary drive is in operation and does not generate the signal responsive to an absence of the flow of the fluid when the rotary drive is not in operation, the signal having a duration interval corresponding to an actual operation duration of the rotary drive;

a controller communicatively coupled to the rotary-drive sensor, wherein:
the controller is configured to enable the operation of the rotary drive subsequent to a termination of the signal generated by the rotary-drive sensor if the duration interval of the signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined value corresponding to an expected operation duration of the rotary drive; and
the controller is configured to prevent the operation of the rotary drive subsequent to the termination of the signal if the duration interval of the signal is less than the predetermined value.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an elongated rotary-drive handle coupled to the rotary drive and having a longitudinal rotary-drive handle axis,
wherein the rotational axis of the rotary drive is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal rotary-drive handle axis.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the elongated rotary-drive handle comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a support therebetween, the support configured to enable the rotary drive to be urged toward a processing location on the workpiece by manipulating the proximal end of the elongated rotary-drive handle.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the workpiece includes a plurality of processing locations, and the system further comprises a rotary-drive jig configured to selectively locate the rotary drive at one of the plurality of processing locations.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of rotary-drive-jig location identifiers on the rotary-drive jig.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a rotary-drive location identifier on one of the rotary drive and the elongated rotary-drive handle.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the rotary-drive location identifier is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader operable to interrogate one or more RFID tags on the workpiece,
the rotary-drive location identifier comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting identification signals, generated by the rotary-drive location identifier, to the controller, and
the controller is further configured to enable the operation of the rotary drive or to prevent the operation of the rotary drive based on the identification signals from the rotary-drive location identifier.

8. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a probe including a probe sensor configured to determine at least one parameter of a hole in the workpiece,
wherein the probe has a probe insertion axis; and

an elongated probe handle having a longitudinal probe-handle axis substantially perpendicular to the probe insertion axis with the probe coupled to the elongated probe handle.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a probe jig and a plurality of probe-jig location identifiers on the probe jig.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a probe location identifier on one of the probe and the elongated probe handle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the probe sensor is communicatively coupled with the controller to transmit signals associated with the at least one parameter of the hole.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a torque tool having a torque-tool rotational axis; and
an elongated torque-tool handle coupled to the torque tool having a longitudinal torque-tool-handle axis substantially perpendicular to the torque-tool rotational axis.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the workpiece includes a plurality of processing locations, and
the system further comprises a torque-tool jig configured to selectively locate the torque tool at one of the plurality of processing locations.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of torque-tool-jig-location identifiers on the torque-tool jig.

15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a torque-tool-location identifier on one of the torque tool and the elongated torque-tool handle.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the torque tool comprises a torque sensor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the torque sensor is communicatively coupled with the controller to transmit thereto signals associated with an applied torque.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rotary-drive sensor is a flow sensor.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the rotary-drive sensor is a pressure sensor.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the path is an internal fluid path of the rotary drive.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Deland James Albert
• Jones Darrell Darwin

Classifications

• B25B23/0085

  Counterholding devices · CPC title

• B23P2700/01

  Aircraft parts · CPC title

• B23B45/04

  driven by fluid-pressure or pneumatic power · CPC title

• B23B2215/04

  Aircraft components · CPC title

• B25F5/00 Primary

  Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for · CPC title