Aircraft maintenance robot

• US 5,490,646 A
• Filed: 06/28/1993
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conceptual Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Conceptual Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Payne-Shaw, Marlee, Shaw, E. Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARQUIS, LISSI MOJICA
• Application Number:
  US08/084,857
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 244/117 A, 244/134 R, 244/134 C, 901/1, 901/43, 901/4, 901/42, 901/4, 901/42
• US Class Current: 244/134.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/20 Ground installations for de-icing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/23 by liquid application; Spraying installations therefor, e.g. fitted on vehicles

Abstract

An aircraft maintenance robot (20) for maintaining aircraft surfaces is described, that includes a maintenance tool (228), for example a nozzle (78), conduits and a pump, which supply fluid to the maintenance tool, which sprays the fluid on aircraft surfaces; movable arm with rotatable hinges and wrists such that a manifold to which the maintenance tools are coupled may be positioned in response to control signals; and a processor which, after accounting for the position of the aircraft, the weather conditions, and the physical dimensions of the aircraft, generates the control signals used to position the maintenance tool such that, after positioning the aircraft, the maintenance operation may be performed without human intervention. The preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses the use of the maintenance robot (20) for deicing aircraft. A wide variety of interchangeable end effectors, however, may be used for a wide variety of applications. These may include various cleaning, painting, paint removing, and even firefighting applications.

Claims

1. An aircraft maintenance robot for maintaining aircraft surfaces, comprising:

a processing means for generating control signals;

a maintenance tool operable to support a plurality of nozzles operable to spray a plurality of maintenance substances on the aircraft surfaces and to perform video inspections of the aircraft surfaces;

means for delivering the substances to said maintenance tool responsive to the control signals for spraying the substances on aircraft surfaces;

means for sensing weather and adjusting the control signals to account changing conditions;

a plurality of arms coupled with one another and having a first and second free end with said first free end coupled to said wrist for positioning said wrist responsive to said control signals;

wherein said plurality of arms is further operable to position said video inspection apparatus responsive to the control signals so that the aircraft surfaces are video inspected; and

wherein the control signals generated by said processing means controls spraying substances on and inspecting aircraft surfaces without substantial intervention of a human operator.

5. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 1 wherein the substance comprises paint.

12. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 1 wherein the substance comprises deicing fluid.

13. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 1 wherein the substance comprises a cleaning fluid.

2. An aircraft maintenance robot for maintaining aircraft surfaces, comprising:

a processing means for generating control signals;

a maintenance tool comprising an array of nozzles operable to spray substances and a video inspection apparatus operable to perform video inspections of aircraft surfaces, said nozzles and video inspection apparatus are responsive to said control signals;

a wrist connected to said maintenance tool allowing pivotal movement of said tool and responsive to said control signals;

a plurality of arms coupled with one another and having a first and second free end with said first free end coupled to said wrist for positioning said wrist responsive to said control signals, said arms operable to fold for facilitating transportation of the robot;

means for delivering the substances to said nozzles responsive to the control signals for spraying the substances on aircraft surfaces;

means for transporting the robot;

means for recovering a portion of the sprayed substances;

means for reconditioning the recovered substances for reuse;

wherein said video inspection apparatus is further operable to record the spraying of the substances on aircraft surfaces;

means for sensing weather and adjusting the control signals to account for changing conditions;

means for producing power needed to operate the robot;

means for accepting weather information from a ground facility;

wherein said plurality of arms is further operable to position said video inspection apparatus responsive to the control signals so that aircraft surfaces are video inspected; and

wherein the control signals generated by said processing means controls spraying substances on and inspecting aircraft surfaces without substantial intervention of a human operator.

9. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 2 wherein the substance comprises deicing fluid.

10. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 2 wherein the substance comprises paint.

11. The aircraft maintenance robot of claim 2 wherein the substance comprises a cleaning fluid.

3. A method for deicing an aircraft'"'"'s surfaces with an aircraft maintenance robot, the method comprising the steps of:

entering into a controller an aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location;

generating control signals with the controller corresponding to and representing the aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location;

positioning nozzles in a manner responsive to the control signals corresponding to and representing the aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location so that the nozzles may deliver deicing fluid to the aircraft'"'"'s surfaces;

delivering the deicing fluid to the aircraft'"'"'s surfaces with the nozzles; and

performing said generating, positioning, and delivering steps without substantial intervention of a human operator.

4. The method of claim 3, and further comprising the step of recovering a portion of the deicing fluid and reconditioning the recovered deicing fluid for reuse.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said positioning step further comprises the steps of:

aligning the aircraft on a plurality of reference marks; and

positioning the nozzles for delivering the deicing fluid with a plurality of arms having actuators that are responsive to the control signals corresponding to and representing the aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said delivering the deicing fluid step further comprises the steps of:

heating the deicing fluid;

pumping the deicing fluid from a reservoir to the nozzles; and

spraying the aircraft surfaces with the deicing fluid from the nozzles.

8. A method for deicing an aircraft having a plurality of surfaces, comprising the steps of:

locating the aircraft in a deicing area;

generating control signals with a controller corresponding to the aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location in the deicing area;

positioning nozzles responsive to the control signals corresponding to and representing the aircraft'"'"'s physical dimensions and location so that the nozzles may deliver deicing fluid to the aircraft;

s surfaces;

heating the deicing fluid;

delivering the deicing fluid to the nozzles;

spraying the aircraft'"'"'s surfaces with the deicing fluid from the nozzles;

recovering a portion of the deicing fluid after delivery to the aircraft'"'"'s surfaces and reconditioning the recovered deicing fluid for reuse;

documenting the deicing of the surfaces; and

performing said generating, positioning, heating, delivering, spraying, recovering, and documenting steps without substantial intervention of a human operator.