Utility fixture for creating a distributed utility network

• US 10,744,554 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Oberoi, Harinder S., Gerosa, Alfredo Jose, Barrick, Kevin Marion, Do, Quang T., Hu, Yuanxin Charles, Sarh, Branko, Mackay, Scott Allen, Miller, Jeffrey Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Jr., Tyrone V
• Application Number:
  US15/864,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• 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 distributing a number of utilities. The number of utilities may be coupled between a number of utility sources and a utility fixture. The number of utilities may be coupled between the utility fixture and a mobile system.

Claims

1. A coupling unit comprising:

a quick-change device;

a coupling element; and

an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises;

a guidance fork for receiving a roller associated with a mobile system, and

a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to the guidance fork along at least one axis.

2. The coupling unit of claim 1, wherein the quick-change device is a male quick-change device.

3. The coupling unit of claim 1, wherein the coupling element comprises a power coupling element, an air coupling element, a hydraulic coupling element, a communications coupling element, or a water coupling element.

4. The coupling unit of claim 1, wherein the coupling unit is associated with a base structure of a utility fixture.

5. The coupling unit of claim 1, wherein the alignment system further comprises:

a set of movement systems that move the guidance fork towards the roller based on the data generated by the sensor device.

6. The coupling unit of claim 1, wherein the mobile system comprises a tower.

7. A coupling unit comprising:

a quick-change device;

a coupling element; and

an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises;

a roller, and

a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to a guidance fork along at least one axis.

8. The coupling unit of claim 7, wherein the alignment system further comprises:

a set of movement systems that move the roller towards and guide the roller within the guidance fork based on the data generated by the sensor device.

9. The coupling unit of claim 7, wherein the coupling unit is associated with a utility fixture.

10. The coupling unit of claim 7, wherein the coupling element comprises a power coupling element, an air coupling element, a hydraulic coupling element, a communications coupling element, or a water coupling element.

11. A method for mating a coupling unit with a corresponding coupling unit, wherein the coupling unit comprises a quick-change device, a coupling element, and an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises a guidance fork for receiving a roller associated with the corresponding coupling unit on a mobile system and a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to the guidance fork along at least one axis, and wherein the corresponding coupling unit comprises the corresponding quick-change device and the corresponding coupling element, the method comprising:

driving the corresponding coupling unit on the mobile system towards the coupling unit;

using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with the corresponding coupling element autonomously; and

mating the corresponding coupling unit to the coupling unit to couple a number of utilities between the coupling unit and the corresponding coupling unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein driving the corresponding coupling unit comprises:

driving the mobile system with which the corresponding coupling unit is associated towards the coupling unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein driving the mobile system comprises:

driving a tower with which the corresponding coupling unit is associated towards a location of a utility fixture with which the coupling unit is associated.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein driving the mobile system comprises:

driving a tower with which the corresponding coupling unit is associated autonomously towards a location of a utility fixture with which the coupling unit is associated.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with the corresponding coupling element comprises:

guiding the roller associated with the corresponding coupling unit within the guidance fork associated with the coupling unit to align the corresponding coupling unit with the coupling unit.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein mating the corresponding coupling unit to the coupling unit comprises:

mating the quick-change device of the coupling unit with the corresponding quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the quick-change device of the coupling unit is a male quick change device and the quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit is a female quick change device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein mating the corresponding coupling unit to the coupling unit comprises:

mating the male quick-change device of the coupling unit with the female quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit to thereby mate the coupling element with the corresponding coupling element.

19. A method for distributing a number of utilities to a tower, the method comprising:

driving the tower towards a location of a utility fixture comprising a coupling unit comprising a quick-change device, a coupling element, and an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises a roller and a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to a guidance fork along at least one axis;

using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device of a corresponding coupling unit associated with the tower and to align the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element of the corresponding coupling unit; and

mating the quick-change device of the coupling unit with the corresponding quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

distributing the number of utilities from the utility fixture to the tower.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with the corresponding coupling element comprises:

guiding the roller within the guidance fork.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the quick-change device of the coupling unit is a male quick-change device and the corresponding quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit is a female quick change device.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

mating the coupling element associated with the coupling unit with the corresponding coupling element associated with the corresponding coupling unit.