End effector adjustment systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862073-B2
Application number	US-201414470882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2014
Priority date	Aug 27, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Systems and related methods are provided for adjusting the position and orientation of an end effector of a multi-axis machine (e.g., a manipulable cutting head of a fluid jet cutting machine) relative to a base reference frame. Systems include an adjustable tool mount having a base structure that includes portions or regions that are selectively deformable to adjust a position and an orientation of a tool supported by the adjustable tool mount.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutting head assembly of a fluid jet cutting system having a positioning system for moving the cutting head assembly, the cutting head assembly comprising:
a cutting head through which fluid passes during operation to generate a high-pressure fluid jet for processing a workpiece; and
an adjustable mount for the cutting head which is manipulable in space by the positioning system to position and orient the cutting head relative to the workpiece during processing of the workpiece, the adjustable mount having a base structure including a plurality of resiliently compressible structures that are selectively deformable via at least one respective adjustment mechanism provided for and associated with each resiliently compressible structure to adjust a position and an orientation of the cutting head relative to a base reference frame prior to processing of the workpiece in order to improve system accuracy and performance when the cutting head and the adjustable mount are manipulated in space by the positioning system during processing of the workpiece.

2. The cutting head assembly of claim 1 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust an angular orientation of the cutting head with respect to at least two rotational degrees of freedom.

3. The cutting head assembly of claim 1 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust a pitch, a yaw and a roll of the cutting head.

4. The cutting head assembly of claim 1 wherein each resiliently compressible structure comprises a serpentine body.

5. The cutting head assembly of claim 1 wherein a respective pair of independently adjustable adjustment mechanisms are provided for and associated with each of the resiliently compressible structures.

6. The cutting head assembly of claim 5 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is configured such that differential adjustment of each pair of adjustment mechanisms causes the base structure to bend away from a neutral configuration.

7. The cutting head assembly of claim 5 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is configured such that equal adjustment of each pair of adjustment mechanisms causes the base structure to extend or contract linearly along a respective orthogonal direction.

8. The cutting head assembly of claim 1 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is a unitary structure that is translationally adjustable in each of a plurality of orthogonal directions and adjustably bendable in at least two primary directions.

9. The cutting head assembly of claim 8 wherein the unitary structure is adjustably bendable in lateral, vertical and torsional directions.

10. A machine comprising:
a tool for processing a workpiece;
a tool positioning system for manipulating the tool in space to carry out the processing of the workpiece; and
an adjustable mount coupled between the tool and the tool positioning system, the adjustable mount having a base structure including a plurality of resiliently compressible structures that are selectively deformable via at least one respective adjustment mechanism provided for and associated with each resiliently compressible structure to adjust a position and an orientation of the tool relative to a base reference frame prior to processing of the workpiece in order to improve system accuracy and performance when the tool and the adjustable mount are manipulated in space by the tool positioning system during processing of the workpiece.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust an angular orientation of the tool with respect to at least two rotational degrees of freedom.

12. The machine of claim 10 wherein the base structure of the adjustable mount is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust a pitch, a yaw and a roll of the tool.

13. An adjustable tool mount for coupling a tool to a tool positioning system that is operable to manipulate the tool in space for processing a workpiece, the adjustable tool mount comprising:
a base structure including a plurality of resiliently compressible structures that are selectively deformable via at least one respective adjustment mechanism provided for and associated with each resiliently compressible structure to adjust a position and an orientation of the tool relative to a base reference frame prior to processing of the workpiece in order to improve system accuracy and performance when the tool and the adjustable mount are manipulated in space by the tool positioning system during processing of the workpiece.

14. The adjustable tool mount of claim 13 wherein the base structure is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust an angular orientation of the tool with respect to at least two rotational degrees of freedom.

15. The adjustable tool mount of claim 13 wherein the base structure is asymmetrically deformable at a plurality of locations corresponding to the resiliently compressible structures to adjust a pitch, a yaw and a roll of the tool.

16. The adjustable tool mount of claim 13 wherein the base structure is a unitary structure that is translationally adjustable in each of a plurality of orthogonal directions and adjustably bendable in at least two primary directions.

17. A method of adjusting a position and an orientation of a tool supported in a cantilevered manner by an adjustable tool mount of a multi-axis machine prior to processing of a workpiece in order to improve system accuracy and performance when the tool and the adjustable tool mount are manipulated in space by the multi-axis machine during processing of the workpiece, the method comprising:
prior to processing of the workpiece, selectively deforming at least one resiliently compressible region from among a plurality of resiliently compressible regions of the adjustable tool mount via one or more associated adjustment mechanisms to adjust the position of the tool; and
selectively deforming at least one resiliently compressible region from among the plurality of resiliently compressible regions of the adjustable tool mount asymmetrically via one or more associated adjustment mechanisms to adjust the orientation of the tool.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein selectively deforming the at least one resiliently compressible region from among the plurality of resiliently compressible regions of the adjustable tool mount to adjust the position of the tool includes adjusting a tension of each of a pair of independently adjustable adjustment mechanisms that pass through and are associated with the at least one resiliently compressible region.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein selectively deforming the at least one resiliently compressible region from among the plurality of resiliently compressible regions of the adjustable tool mount asymmetrically to adjust the orientation of the tool includes applying differential tensioning to a pair of independently adjustable adjustment mechanisms that pass through and are associated with the at least one resiliently compressible region.

20. A meth

Assignees

• Flow Int Corp

Inventors

• Niblock Robert

Classifications

• B24C5/02 Primary

  Blast guns, e.g. for generating high velocity abrasive fluid jets for cutting materials {(perforating by fluid jet B26F1/26)} · CPC title

• B24C1/045

  for cutting (energy dissipating devices therefor B26F3/008) · CPC title