B - Operations – Transporting – 23 – K
Patent
B - Operations, Transporting
23
K
327/107, 88/46
B23K 11/08 (2006.01) B23K 9/127 (2006.01) B25J 19/02 (2006.01) G05B 19/425 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 1193332
IMPROVED SENSING AND WELDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR MANIPULATOR WELDING APPARATUS Abstract Manipulator apparatus with weld seam tracking capabilities is provided with a sensing hand attached to the manipulator arm. The manipulator apparatus traverses a taught welding path on a workpiece to determine any deviation between the workpiece path and the taught path. The sensing hand includes a projection unit for projecting an optical slit pattern onto the workpiece. The sensing hand also includes a path sensing unit including an objective lens and a fiber optic cable for receiving by reflection from the workpiece the projected optical slit pattern. The fiber optic cable is connected to a camera located remotely from the sensing hand. The image received by the camera is utilize by the manipulator apparatus during a sensing step to determine the deviation between the path traversed by the manipulator during sensing and the actual workpiece path. The devi- ation is then utilized to calculate the workpiece path datafor welding the desired weld seam with a welding hand attached to the manipulator arm. In a first arrangement, a welding hand and sensing hand are provided at a hand holder station at the work station adjacent the workpiece. The manipulator auto- matically and selectively exchanges the hands at the hand holder station in accordance with the particular programmed operation to be performed. In another arrangement, the manipulator arm carries a welding hand and a sensing hand. The sensing hand is movably controlled by the manipulator apparatus between an operative sensing position and an inoperative welding position.
411911
Gorman Robert R.
Masaki Ichiro
Shulman Burt H.
Smart & Biggar
Unimation Inc.
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