Door Opener Arrangement for Use with an Industrial Robot

• US 20090204260A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Abb As (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Abb As (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Anfindsen, Ole Arnt, Bryne, Gisle
• Application Number:
  US11/664,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204260A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0292 devices for holding several workpieces to be sprayed in a spaced relationship, e.g. vehicle doors spacers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0452 the conveyed articles being vehicle bodies

Abstract

A door opener arrangement for a robot coating device, used for detecting a position of a part (6) of a door (7) so that the door can be opened and/or closed for interior painting. The door opener is arranged with at least one non-contact sensor member (1), preferably for detecting changes in a field strength of a magnetic or electromagnetic field in a Z and vertical direction, and may be arranged with a plurality of sensors to detect a collision etc. A method, system and computer program are also described.

Claims

1. A door opener arrangement of a robot coating device for detecting a position of at least one door of a vehicle, said door opener arrangement comprising:

at least one first and non-contact sensor member, wherein said first sensor member is arranged mounted on a door opener arm of said door opener arrangement and wherein said first sensor member is arranged for determining a distance to said position of said at least one door.

2. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor member is arranged in a recess of the door opener arm or of a grip finger.

3. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor member is arranged inside a recess of the grip finger such that the sensor has a limited a field of view and a reduced exposure to the surroundings.

4. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one second sensor member for determining a deflection force applied to the door opener arrangement or to the door opener arm or to a part of the first sensor member.

5. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the second member for determining a deflection force comprises an electromagnetic sensor.

6. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the second member for determining a deflection force comprises a sensor which is any from the list of:

strain gauge, optical, capacitive, inductive, magnetoelastic, soft sensor.

7. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the second sensor member is arranged on the door opener arm for detecting a door position dependent on changes in a field strength of a magnetic or electromagnetic field in a z and vertical direction lying in a plane perpendicular to a direction of travel towards said part of a door dependent on mechanical deflection of the door opener arm.

8. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein a second sensor member is for detecting changes in a field strength of a magnetic or electromagnetic field in first and Y horizontal direction perpendicular to the first vertical direction.

9. The door opener arrangement according to claim 8, wherein two or more second sensor members are for measuring a deflection of the door opener arm in one or more horizontal directions.

10. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein a second sensor member is for measuring a deflection of the door opener arm in the vertical direction dependent on a deflection of one part of the door opener arrangement relative to another part of the door opener arrangement.

11. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein any of the second sensor members for detecting a deflection force on the door opener arm comprises a soft sensor for providing a calculated value for a deflection applied to the door opener arrangement.

12. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the door opener arm is mounted on a moveable member which is arranged as a non-coating member or spray applicator.

13. The door opener arrangement according to claim 4, wherein at least one second sensor member is arranged to cooperate with a magnetic or ferromagnetic member attached to a part of the door opener arrangement.

14. The door opener arrangement according to claim 13, wherein at least one ferromagnetic member is mounted on the door opener arrangement with a magnetic surface flush with the surrounding adjacent part of the door opener arrangement.

15. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said at least one non-contact sensor member is a member for detecting changes in a field strength of a magnetic or electromagnetic field.

16. The door opener arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said at least one non-contact sensor member comprises a sensor which is any from the list of:

an ultrasound detector, a photoelectric, CCD, laser or IR other optical-based detector for detecting a distance to a position of at least one door.

34. Use of a door opener arrangement according to claim 1 for coating a part of a vehicle interior and/or a vehicle exterior with a painting robot or a reciprocator.

35. Use of a door opener arrangement according to claim 1 for determining for the purpose of coating a vehicle interior and/or exterior a position on a vehicle of from the list of:

window, door, trunk lid, hood, hatch, roof cover, fuel door.

17. A method for operating a robot coating process with at least one door opener arrangement for detecting a position of at least one door of a vehicle, the method comprising:

moving a non-contact sensor member of the door opener arrangement along a path toward said at least one door,

detecting a change in a value sensed in a first vertical direction,

detecting a maximum and/or minimum in signal strength dependent on a distance moved by the sensor member, and

determining a distance between a part of the door opener arrangement and a part of the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

detecting the change in value of a magnetic or electromagnetic field in the proximity of said at least one door.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining a magnitude of an applied force or estimated applied force by means of one or more additional sensor members during a time when the non-contact sensor member is on a path toward, or away from, said door.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

determining a mechanical force applied to a sensor member along a horizontal and/or vertical direction lying a plane perpendicular to the path towards, or away from, said door.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

comparing the sensed or estimated mechanical force to a predetermined value and generating a control signal to insert a grip finger in said part of a door.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

generating an insertion movement of a grip finger in said part of a door and

generating a second control signal for the purpose of moving the door to a desired position.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

determining a magnitude of a mechanical force applied to the sensor member along a horizontal and/or vertical direction lying a plane perpendicular to the path towards said part of a door during the movement of the door to the desired position.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

comparing the magnitude of the sensed mechanical force during the movement of the door to the desired position to a predetermined value and

generating a control signal for control of the movement of the door dependent on the comparison of force values.

25. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

providing a position of the door determined by the door opener to a control unit of a robot for the purpose of controlling an operation of the robot.

26. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

selecting a value for the desired position of the door dependent on a predetermined type of vehicle to be coated.

27. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a computer or processor to carry out a method comprising

moving a non-contact sensor member of the door opener arrangement along a path toward said at least one door,

detecting a change in a value sensed in a first vertical direction,

detecting a maximum and/or minimum in signal strength dependent on a distance moved by the sensor member, and

determining a distance between a part of the door opener arrangement and a part of the vehicle.

28. (canceled)

29. A system for robot coating of vehicles, comprising:

a robot for coating, and

a door opener arrangement for detecting a position of at least one door of a vehicle, said door opener arrangement including at least one first and non-contact sensor member, wherein said at least one non-contact sensor member is arranged for determining a distance to said position of said at least one door and comprising at least one door opener arrangement with at least one second sensor member for determining a deflection force applied to the door opener arrangement or to the door opener arm or to a part of the first sensor member.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein a plurality of sensors arranged for measuring a force applied to the door sensor or the door opener arm or assembly on which the door sensor is arranged.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein one or more sensor members for detecting a deflection force on the door opener arm comprises a soft sensor for providing a calculated value for a deflection applied to the door opener arrangement or of the door opener arrangement.

32. The system according to claim 29, further comprising:

at least two manipulator arms arranged to process the same object or part thereof.

33. The system according to claim 29, further comprising:

a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a computer or processor to carry out a method comprising moving a non-contact sensor member of the door opener arrangement along a path toward said at least one door, detecting a change in a value sensed in a first vertical direction, detecting a maximum and/or minimum in signal strength dependent on a distance moved by the sensor member, and determining a distance between a part of the door opener arrangement and a part of the vehicle.