Mobile platforms for performing operations along an exterior of a fuselage assembly

• US 10,737,316 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Oberoi, Harinder S., Reese, IV, Richard Griffith, Barrick, Kevin Marion, Do, Quang T., Miller, Jeffrey Lawrence, Stojanoski, Vanco
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US16/031,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20180318911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/02 Riveting procedures
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/10 Riveting machines electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/142 Aerospace structures
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/28 Control devices specially adapted to riveting machines not restricted to one of the preceding subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/32 Devices for inserting or holding rivets in position with or without feeding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 15/40 for forming rivet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/002 the units stationary whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/00 Indexing scheme relating to the articles being treated, e.g. manufactured, repaired, assembled, connected or other operations covered in the subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/01 Aircraft parts
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 5/163 Jaws or jaw attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/005 Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/007 Riveting
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1687 Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14368 holes with means for anchoring the injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/026 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/10 : incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles coating a surface by casting in general B05D1/30, B29C39/126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/123 : Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/22 : Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 : Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/70 : by moulding using a particular moulding technique, see the relevant technique , e.g. by injection B29C45/14467
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2715/00 : Condition, form or state of preformed parts, e.g. inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/748 : Machines or parts thereof not otherwise provided for conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; driving belts B29L2031/7094; bearings B29L2031/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 : on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/418 : Bearings, e.g. ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/8207 : by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 : Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/145 : the arm forming the axle housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/001 : Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features B60G7/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/008 : Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/025 : the object being a shop, cafeteria or display the object being a theatre or stagethe object being a workshop B60P3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/00 : Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/06 : Frames; Stringers; Longerons ; Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/068 : Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/069 : Joining arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 : Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/50 : Handling or transporting aircraft components
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/06 : Solid rivets made in one piece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41805 : characterised by assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45071 : Aircraft, airplane, ship cleaning manipulator, paint stripping
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/12 : using feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 : Tool

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing an assembly operation. A tool may be macro-positioned relative to an exterior of a fuselage assembly. The tool may be micro-positioned relative to a particular location on the exterior of the fuselage assembly. An end effector is removably associated with an external robotic device associated with an external mobile platform. The tool is removably associated with the end effector. An assembly operation may be performed at the particular location on the panel using the tool.

Claims

1. A method for performing an assembly operation, the method comprising:

macro-positioning a tool relative to an exterior of an assembly, wherein the assembly is supported on an assembly fixture, and wherein macro-positioning comprises driving an external mobile platform including the tool into a position relative to the assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of the assembly;

micro-positioning the tool relative to a particular location on the exterior of the assembly; and

performing the assembly operation at the particular location using the tool.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

exchanging the tool with another one of a number of tools being held by a tool magazine station associated with a platform base of the external mobile platform.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removably associating an end effector with an external robotic device associated with the external mobile platform;

removably associating the tool with the end effector; and

exchanging the end effector with another one of a number of end effectors being held in an end effector storage associated with a platform base of the external mobile platform.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a macro-positioning system comprising an external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven into a position relative to an assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of an assembly supported on the assembly fixture;

a micro-positioning system associated with the external mobile platform; and

an external robotic device associated with the external mobile platform, wherein a tool is associated with the external robotic device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

an end effector that is removably associated with the external robotic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tool is removably associated with the end effector.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the tool is selected from one of an external riveting tool for performing a riveting operation, a drilling tool for performing a drilling operation, a fastener insertion tool for performing a fastener insertion operation, and a fastener installation tool for performing a fastener installation operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the external riveting tool is a hammer.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the micro-positioning system comprises a movement system comprising at least one of an actuator device, a motor, a rail system, a track system, a slide system, a roller, a wheel, an elbow movement system, a wrist movement system, a swivel system, or an X-Y table.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the external mobile platform comprises:

a coupling unit that is coupleable to a corresponding coupling unit associated with a cradle fixture, wherein the coupling unit comprises;

a number of utility connections for a number of utilities.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the number of utilities include at least one of power, air, communications, water, or hydraulic fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a tool exchange station associated with the external mobile platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the tool exchange station retains a number of tools.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

an end effector storage associated with the external mobile platform.

15. An external mobile platform comprising:

a platform base;

a macro-positioning system associated with the platform base, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises the external mobile platform having a tool that is configured to be driven into a position relative to an assembly fixture such that the tool is positioned relative to the exterior of an assembly supported on the assembly fixture; and

a micro-positioning system associated with the platform base.

16. The external mobile platform of claim 15, wherein the macro-positioning system comprises:

an autonomous vehicle that is fixedly associated with the platform base.

17. The external mobile platform of claim 15, wherein the micro-positioning system comprises at least one of an external robotic device or a movement system.

18. The external mobile platform of claim 17, wherein the movement system comprises at least one of an actuator device, a motor, a rail system, a track system, a slide system, a roller, a wheel, an elbow movement system, a wrist movement system, a swivel system, or an X-Y table.

19. The external mobile platform of claim 18 further comprising:

an end effector storage, wherein an end effector is exchangeable with one of a number of end effectors stored in the end effector storage.

20. The external mobile platform of claim 15 further comprising:

a tool exchange station, wherein a tool is exchangeable with one of a number of tools retained by the tool exchange station.