APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN ADJUSTABLE POSITIVE STOP IN SPACE
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical positioner for an end-effector; and
first and second stops controllable by a drive mechanism to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner and thereby to constrain the ability of a user to manipulate the end-effector outside a predetermined range of motion, and wherein the first and second stops are controllable by the drive mechanism to permit movement of the end-effector within the predetermined range of motion.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for constraining motion of an end-effector in space. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a mechanical positioner and first and second stops. The first and second stops are controllable by a drive mechanism to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner and thereby to constrain the ability of a user to manipulate an end-effector outside a predetermined range of motion. The first and second stops are further controllable by the drive mechanism to permit movement of the end-effector within the predetermined range of motion.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a mechanical positioner for an end-effector; and first and second stops controllable by a drive mechanism to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner and thereby to constrain the ability of a user to manipulate the end-effector outside a predetermined range of motion, and wherein the first and second stops are controllable by the drive mechanism to permit movement of the end-effector within the predetermined range of motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for constraining movement of an end-effector in space, the method comprising:
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permitting a linkage joint to move freely when the end-effector is positioned a distance greater than a first predetermined value from a predetermined location in space; permitting the linkage joint to move freely within a predetermined range of motion defined by first and second stops when the end-effector is positioned a distance less than or equal to the first predetermined value and greater than a second predetermined value from the predetermined location in space; and constraining the linkage joint from moving in a specific direction by one of the first and second stops when the end-effector is positioned a distance approximately equal to or less than the second predetermined value from the predetermined location in space, the constraining of the linkage joint constraining the movement of the end-effector in space. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A robot comprising:
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an end-effector; a base; and a robot arm having a positive stop apparatus comprising a proximal link, a distal link, and a joint assembly for controlling the relative position of the two links, wherein the joint assembly comprises an actuated linkage joint including a pair of stops; and a passive linkage joint including a mechanical positioner located between the stops. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus comprising:
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a mechanical positioner for an end-effector; and first and second stops controllable by a drive mechanism to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner and thereby to constrain the ability of a user to manipulate the end-effector into a forbidden region of a workspace, and wherein the first and second stops are controllable by the drive mechanism to permit movement of the end-effector within a desired region of the workspace.
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Specification