Wire harness formboard manipulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9782900-B1
Application number	US-201314020463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2013
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, an apparatus for manipulating a sheet includes a base portion, and an elevator portion coupled to the base portion, where the elevator portion is vertically movable relative to the base portion. The apparatus also includes a tilting portion pivotably coupled to the elevator portion, where a virtual plane is parallel to the tilting portion. In addition, the apparatus includes at least one first holder and at least one second holder coupled to the tilting portion, where at least one first holder and at least one second holder oppose each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for manipulating a sheet, the apparatus comprising:
a base portion;
an elevator portion coupled to the base portion, wherein the elevator portion is vertically movable relative to the base portion;
a tilting portion pivotably coupled to the elevator portion, the tilting portion comprising at least one roller arranged to facilitate translational movement of the sheet relative to the tilting portion along an axis, wherein a virtual plane is parallel to the tilting portion and the axis, and wherein the tilting portion is pivotable relative to the elevator portion between, inclusively, a first orientation, in which the virtual plane is vertically oriented, and a second orientation, in which the virtual plane is horizontally oriented; and
at least one first holder and at least one second holder coupled to the tilting portion, wherein the at least one first holder and the at least one second holder are laterally opposed from each other with respect to the axis, wherein the at least one first holder is restrained from moving relative to the tilting portion along any direction in the virtual plane and, in the virtual plane, the at least one second holder is movable relative to the tilting portion along one direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a sliding portion coupled to the tilting portion, wherein
the sliding portion is movable relative to the tilting portion along the one direction in the virtual plane,
the at least one first holder is coupled to the tilting portion, and
the at least one second holder is coupled to the sliding portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising
means for vertically translating the elevator portion relative to the base portion;
means for pivoting the tilting portion relative to the elevator portion; and
means for translating the sliding portion relative to the tilting portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
in the virtual plane, the at least one first holder and the at least one second holder are movable relative to the tilting portion along one direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further including a first sliding portion and a second sliding portion coupled to the tilting portion, wherein
in the virtual plane, the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion are movable relative to the tilting portion along the one direction,
the at least one first holder is coupled to the first sliding portion, and
the at least one second holder is coupled to the second sliding portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising
means for vertically translating the elevator portion relative to the base portion;
means for pivoting the tilting portion relative to the elevator portion; and
means for translating the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion relative to the tilting portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises a lower support.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the lower support comprises at least one roller.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the lower support comprises a plurality of rollers.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a self-contained power source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first holder and the at least one second holder are configured to clamp the sheet to the tilting portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises at least one wheel.

13. A method of manipulating a sheet using an apparatus, the method comprising:
positioning the sheet in a substantially vertical orientation onto a base portion of the apparatus;
positioning a tilting portion of the apparatus, vertically movable relative to and pivotably coupled to the base portion via an elevator portion, in the substantially vertical orientation;
clamping the sheet to the tilting portion using at least one first holder coupled to the tilting portion and at least one second holder coupled to the tilting portion, wherein the first holder and the second holder are laterally opposed from each other with respect to an axis, wherein the at least one first holder is restrained from moving relative to the tilting portion and the at least one second holder is movable relative to the tilting portion along one direction;
tilting the sheet to a substantially horizontal orientation by pivoting the tilting portion; and
with the sheet in the horizontal orientation, sliding the sheet relative to the tilting portion along the axis.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein positioning the sheet onto the base portion further comprises receiving the sheet onto at least one roller coupled to a lower support of the base portion.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising lifting the sheet relative to the base portion in the substantially vertical orientation.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising unclamping the sheet from the tilting portion.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein sliding the sheet relative to the tilting portion along the axis comprises sliding the sheet along at least one roller coupled to the tilting portion.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base portion comprises a lower support and the lower support comprises at least one roller.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising moving the base portion to transport the sheet.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sheet is a wire-harness formboard.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Penuelas Basilio
• Klingler Thomas G

Classifications

• B62B2203/10

  comprising lifting means · CPC title

• B25J11/00 Primary

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B62B3/0612

  power operated · CPC title

• B65G47/252

  about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction · CPC title

• B65G7/08

  for tilting the loads · CPC title