Robotic tool changer alignment modules
First Claim
1. A method of aligning a robot arm with a robotic tool, wherein a master unit of a tool changer is affixed to the robot arm and a tool unit of the tool changer is affixed to the robotic tool, comprising:
- sensing a spatial orientation of the tool unit along three orthogonal axes;
adjusting an orientation of the robot arm to align the master unit to the sensed spatial orientation of the tool unit with respect to the three orthogonal axes;
projecting one or more optical indicators from one of the master and tool units to the other; and
adjusting a position of the robot arm in two orthogonal directions transverse to a coupling axis centered on the tool unit, in response to the one or more optical indicators, so as to center the master unit on the coupling axis; and
moving the robot arm along the coupling axis until the master unit contacts the tool unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Alignment modules attached to a robotic tool changer assist spatial orientation and alignment of a robot arm relative to a robotic tool for location training. A three-axis spatial orientation sensor is first attached to an alignment module affixed to a tool unit. The sensor is “zeroed,” or calibrated to the spatial orientation of the tool unit. The sensor is transferred to a corresponding surface of an alignment module affixed to a master unit. The orientation of the robot arm is adjusted to eliminate sensor error signals indicating deviations from the zeroed orientation of the tool unit. An optical signal, such as a cross line laser beam, is then projected between the alignment modules. The x- and y-axis position of the robot arm is adjusted to align the optical signal with alignment markings. When the master and tool units are aligned, the robot arm is advanced in the z-axis direction until the master unit abuts the tool unit.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of aligning a robot arm with a robotic tool, wherein a master unit of a tool changer is affixed to the robot arm and a tool unit of the tool changer is affixed to the robotic tool, comprising:
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sensing a spatial orientation of the tool unit along three orthogonal axes; adjusting an orientation of the robot arm to align the master unit to the sensed spatial orientation of the tool unit with respect to the three orthogonal axes; projecting one or more optical indicators from one of the master and tool units to the other; and adjusting a position of the robot arm in two orthogonal directions transverse to a coupling axis centered on the tool unit, in response to the one or more optical indicators, so as to center the master unit on the coupling axis; and moving the robot arm along the coupling axis until the master unit contacts the tool unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A robotic tool changer, comprising:
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a master unit operative to be affixed to one of a robot arm and a robotic tool; a tool unit operative to be affixed to the other of the robot arm and the robotic tool; a first alignment module affixed to a ledge of one of the master and tool units, the first alignment module including an optical source; a second alignment module affixed to a corresponding ledge of the other of the master and tool units, the second alignment module including one or more optical targets on a surface facing the first alignment module; and a spatial orientation sensor operative to be attached to corresponding surfaces of the first or second alignment modules, the spatial orientation sensor operative to sense a spatial orientation, along three orthogonal axes, of the alignment module to which it is attached. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions for assisting a user to align a robot arm with a robotic tool, said instructions operative to cause a processing circuit of a computing device to perform the steps of:
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capturing a spatial orientation of a tool unit of a tool changer along three orthogonal axes by commanding a spatial orientation sensor initially mounted on the tool unit to sense its spatial orientation; and directing the user to adjust an orientation of the robot arm to align a master unit to the sensed spatial orientation of the tool unit with respect to the three orthogonal axes by receiving, from the same spatial orientation sensor now mounted on the master unit of the tool changer, error signals indicative of a deviation from the spatial orientation sensed along each axis when the spatial orientation sensor was mounted on the tool unit; outputting the indications to the user; and in response to the user adjusting the orientation of the robot arm, monitoring outputs of the spatial orientation sensor and indicating to the user when the spatial orientation of the master unit deviates from the sensed spatial orientation of the tool unit by less than a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification