US20060084363A1 - Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications - Google Patents
Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications Download PDFInfo
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- US20060084363A1 US20060084363A1 US11/224,710 US22471005A US2006084363A1 US 20060084363 A1 US20060084363 A1 US 20060084363A1 US 22471005 A US22471005 A US 22471005A US 2006084363 A1 US2006084363 A1 US 2006084363A1
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- fingers
- pair
- finger
- implant
- working surface
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
- A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
- A61F2/30—Joints
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B29/00—Machines or devices for polishing surfaces on work by means of tools made of soft or flexible material with or without the application of solid or liquid polishing agents
- B24B29/02—Machines or devices for polishing surfaces on work by means of tools made of soft or flexible material with or without the application of solid or liquid polishing agents designed for particular workpieces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
- B24B—MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- B24B41/00—Component parts such as frames, beds, carriages, headstocks
- B24B41/06—Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
- A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
- A61F2/30—Joints
- A61F2/30767—Special external or bone-contacting surface, e.g. coating for improving bone ingrowth
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
- A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
- A61F2/30—Joints
- A61F2/3094—Designing or manufacturing processes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
- A61F2/00—Filters implantable into blood vessels; Prostheses, i.e. artificial substitutes or replacements for parts of the body; Appliances for connecting them with the body; Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents
- A61F2/02—Prostheses implantable into the body
- A61F2/30—Joints
- A61F2/38—Joints for elbows or knees
- A61F2/3859—Femoral components
Definitions
- FIG. 14 is a side view of a gripper and finger assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
- the height of the part support 314 is also carefully selected to provide sufficient clearance between the implant 500 and the mounting plate 306 to allow the implant 500 o be tipped toward the mounting plate 306 during the grabbing sequence. This enables the implant 500 to clear the tang 322 and be removed from the support part 314 . This clearance is also carefully selected to limit the maximum tipping of the implant 500 toward the mounting plate 306 within a given tolerance. The tolerance is controlled so that the implant 500 tends to return to horizontal during the grabbing sequence. In this event, the tang 322 acts as a stop.
Abstract
A direct clamp robotic finishing system is provided including a robot, a gripper secured to the robot, and a pair of fingers secured to the gripper. A tray assembly is also provided for supporting a plurality of implants for picking up by the fingers. An implant reorientation station is provided for supporting the implant being maneuvered by the robot as the robot re-grips the implant from a new direction. The fingers directly clamp the implant thereby eliminating the need for dedicated implant support bars.
Description
- This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/967,914 filed on Oct. 18, 2004. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention relates to robotic finishing systems and, more particularly, to direct clamp tooling for robotic prosthetic knee finishing systems.
- Metalworking of cast metal articles such as prosthetic knee implants typically requires surface finishing such as buffing, polishing, deburring, grinding and satin finishing. Traditionally, these finishing steps were performed by hand. More recently, however, automated processing replaced most manual operations. As compared to manual finishing, automated finishing provides greater efficiency, precision, and safety.
- An important aspect of robotic finishing knee implants is the need to manipulate the implant to expose all surfaces to a finishing device such as a wheel or belt. To accomplish this, the implant must be held by the robot and maneuvered to various orientations relative to the finishing device. Importantly, the robot must hold the implant against the finishing device with pressure yet not mar the surface of the implant when picking it up or putting it down.
- One technique for enabling a knee implant to be picked up and manipulated by a robot in a finishing operation is to mount the knee implant to a metal support bar. In this technique, the knee implant is fixed to a central region of a metal bar through the use of fasteners such as screws. The bar laterally extends beyond the both outboard edges of the knee implant to provide two graspable handles for the robot. The robot may then use jaws to clamp onto one handle of the bar and manipulate the knee implant relative to the finishing device. The knee implant and bar assembly may then be set down while the robot repositions its jaws to the other graspable handle of the bar. The knee implant may then be further manipulated relative to the finishing device.
- While the use of support bars for finishing knee implants has been widely accepted, there is room for improvement in the art. For example, each knee implant must be fixed to a dedicated support bar by way of fasteners such as screws. This is a labor intensive process. Also, one support bar must be provided for every knee implant in a particular batch to be finished. Assuming that twelve knee implants are provided in each batch and finishing operations continue throughout the various working shifts, a large number of bars must be kept in stock. Also, since the finishing process wears the support bars, each support bar must be periodically replaced. Given the large number of bars in a typical inventory, this can be expensive.
- In view of the forgoing, it would be desirable to provide a tooling system for enabling the direct clamping of knee implants to thereby eliminate the need for support bars.
- The above and other objects are provided by a direct clamp robotic finishing system comprising a robot, a gripper secured to the robot, and fingers secured to gripper. The gripper and fingers are operable in an open mode and a closed mode for gripping an implant. A tray assembly is also provided for supporting a plurality of implants for picking up by the fingers. An implant reorientation station supports the implant being maneuvered by the robot as the robot re-grips the implant from a new direction.
- In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, at least one implant is moved from a loading area to the interior of a robotic cell by way of the tray assembly. The tray assembly is configured to support the knee implants in a pre-selected orientation and with minimum contact so as not to mar the surface of any pre-finished surfaces. The robot moves the fingers to the implant in an open mode and when properly oriented relative to the implant, switches the fingers to a closed mode so that the fingers abutingly engage clampable surfaces of the implant. The robot may then lift and manipulate the implant relative to a finishing device. Upon completion of a first finishing process, the robot places the implant on the implant reorientation station and moves the fingers to an open mode. The implant reorientation station minimally contacts the implant so not to mar any pre-finished surfaces. The robot then re-orients the fingers and re-grips the implant from a direction 180 degrees relative to the initial gripping direction. A subsequent finishing process may then be performed. Advantageously, no implant support bar need be secured to the implant for the finishing process. Further, improved trays and implant reorientation stations are employed since an implant support bar no longer needs to be accommodated.
- Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
- The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a robotic cell including the tooling of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a front view of a tray assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a side view of the tray assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 4 is a plan view of part of the tray assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 5 is a front view of a gripper and finger assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the gripper and finger assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 is a front view of a finger assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 8 is a side view of one finger of the finger assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 9 is a top view of the finger assembly of the present invention with the fingers shown in an open and closed mode. -
FIG. 10 is a side view of the other finger of the finger assembly of the present invention. -
FIG. 11 is a front view of an implant reorientation station of the present invention. -
FIG. 12 is a side view of the implant reorientation station of the present invention. -
FIG. 13 is a plan view of the implant reorientation station of the present invention. -
FIG. 14 is a side view of a gripper and finger assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. - The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
- Referring to the drawings,
FIG. 1 illustrates arobotic cell 10 used for robotically finishing metal articles such as knee implants. Thecell 10 includes arobot 100, a revolvingimplant supply device 200, animplant reorientation station 300, and twofinishing devices 400 in the form of stacked wheel heads. In operation, therobot 100 picks up a knee implant from the revolvingpart supply device 200 and manipulates the implant relative to the finishingdevices 400 to perform buffing, polishing, and the like. To expose all surfaces of the implant to the finishingdevices 400, therobot 100 sets the implant down on theimplant reorientation station 300 and picks it back up from an opposite side. Finishing operations are thereafter continued. - Although other robots may be employed, it is presently preferred to employ a Fanuc M16iB Robot with a 20 kg payload. Further, although stacked wheel heads are described above as the finishing
devices 400, other finishing apparatuses may substitute therefore. Finally, although a knee implant is used throughout this description as an example of the part to be finished, the present invention is not limited to tooling for finishing knee implants. - Turning now to
FIGS. 2-4 , atray assembly 302 of the revolvingimplant supply device 300 is illustrated. Thetray assembly 302 includes a vertically orientedbase plate 304 formed of, for example, aluminum. A plurality of vertically spaced apart mountingplates 306 are independently fixed to thebase plate 304 byfasteners 308 such as screws. In the illustrated example, sixbase plates 304 are cantilevered to thebase plate 304. - Each mounting
plate 306 includes aslide block 310 mounted to afirst channel 312 a formed along a first outboard edge of the top surface of the mountingplate 306 by fasteners such as recessed screws. Theslide block 310 may be formed of, for example, hot rolled steel. Each mountingplate 306 also includes apart support 314 mounted to a second channel 312 b formed along a second outboard edge of the top surface of the mountingplate 306 by fasteners such as recessed screws. Thepart support 314 may be formed of, for example, Teflon (Registered Trademark) and is preferably disposed parallel to and laterally spaced apart from theslide block 310. - A pair of
adjustable part locators 316 are mounted to each slide block 310 by way offasteners 318 in the form of, for example, knurled head screws. Eachpart locator 316 includes aslot 320 to accommodate the associatedfastener 318 and enabling fore and aft movement relative to theslide block 310. Eachpart locator 316 also includes atang 322 projecting therefrom and adapted to abuttingly engage a relieved surface of theimplant 500. Thetang 322 preferably projects orthogonally relative to theslide block 310 to position theimplant 500 in a pre-selected location and orientation on thepart support 314 for consistent gripping by thegripper 102. Thetang 322 also prevents theimplant 500 from tilting in one direction when rotating with thebase plate 304 or when grabbing by thegripper 102. Thetang 322 provides a stop that can be exploited when applying pressure to theimplant 500 during the grabbing sequence. - The
part support 314 includes a pair of chamferededges 324 for abuttingly engaging theimplant 500 along pre-selected areas which will later be subject to polishing. This ensures that thepart support 314 does not mar the surface of theimplant 500 which could require further processing. The width of thepart support 314 and, in particular, the pair of chamferededges 324 is carefully selected relative to the patella groove of theimplant 500. In particular, the chamferededges 324 support theimplant 500 without contacting the inboard flat surfaces along the patella groove which are typically pre-finished. - The height of the
part support 314 is also carefully selected to provide sufficient clearance between theimplant 500 and the mountingplate 306 to allow the implant 500 o be tipped toward the mountingplate 306 during the grabbing sequence. This enables theimplant 500 to clear thetang 322 and be removed from thesupport part 314. This clearance is also carefully selected to limit the maximum tipping of theimplant 500 toward the mountingplate 306 within a given tolerance. The tolerance is controlled so that theimplant 500 tends to return to horizontal during the grabbing sequence. In this event, thetang 322 acts as a stop. - The
part support 314 is laterally spaced apart from theslide block 310 by a distance more than adequate to support thewidest implant 500 expected to be finished. Morenarrow implants 500 can be supported equally as well by adjusting the position of thepart locators 316. Advantageously,implants 500 of all widths are supported along a common center line by thepart support 314. - Turning now to
FIGS. 5 and 6 , a detailed view of thegripper 102 of therobot 100 is illustrated. Thegripper 102 is preferably a Schunk Parallel Gripper, PGN series,stroke 1, with a spring to close (#PGN Plus 125 1/AS #371-403). Thegripper 102 is fixed to the end of therobot 100 by anadapter plate 104. Preferably, screws 106 pass through theadapter plate 104 and into therobot 100 whilescrews 108 pass through theadapter plate 104 and into a first end of thegripper 102. - A pair of L-shaped fingers 110 is fixed to a second end of the
gripper 102 opposite therobot 100. The first finger 110 a is fixed to oneoutboard end 112 a of thegripper 102 while the second finger 110 b is fixed to a second outboard end 112 b of thegripper 102. Thegripper 102 is pneumatically operated to move the fingers 110 between an open mode (shown in phantom inFIG. 6 ) and a closed mode (shown in solid inFIG. 6 ). In an open mode, the fingers 110 are pneumatically biased outwardly to allow the fingers 110 to fit on opposite sides of aclampable surface 502 of theimplant 500. In a closed mode, the fingers 110 are pneumatically biased inwardly to allow the fingers 110 to abutingly engage theclampable surface 502 of theimplant 500. - The
clampable surface 502 is not particularly limited to any specific configuration and most projections will suffice. In some versions, theimplant 500 is provided withposts 504 used during an operation to secure theimplant 500 to a patient.Posts 504 provide an idealclampable surface 502. In other versions, threaded openings are provided within theimplant 500. These threaded openings can be fit with threaded members (seeFIG. 14 ) to provide theclampable surface 502. In yet another version, a box-shaped projection may be present within theimplant 500. This box may also serve as theclampable surface 502. - The
gripper 102 preferably includes a spring (not shown) biasing the fingers 110 toward one another. In the unlikely event pneumatic force is lost, the spring urges and/or maintains the fingers 110 in the closed mode. This prevents theimplant 500 from being dropped and potentially damaged. Thegripper 102 also preferably includes a proximity switch (not shown) that senses the relative position or state of the fingers 110. In this way, the proximity switch can be used to determine whether or not theimplant 500 is being clamped by the fingers 110. - It should be noted that the
gripper 102 has a fully open position, a fully closed position, and a working position between the fully open and fully closed positions. In the working position, thegripper 102 is in a state suitable for clamping the clamping surface of theimplant 500 but still has a distance to go to reach the fully closed position. The fingers 110 do not abut one another in the working position. Advantageously, this “gapped” working position prevents the fingers 110 from wearing on one another to increase their usable working life. - Turning now to
FIGS. 7-10 , an exemplary embodiment of the fingers 110 is illustrated. Although other materials are available, it is presently preferred that the fingers 110 be made of a pre-hardened alloy steel. Each of the fingers 110 is generally L-shaped and includes a mountingleg 114 extending essentially orthogonally relative to aclamping leg 116. The inboard transition between the mountingleg 114 and the clampingleg 116 is preferably radiused to increase strength and wearability. - As best viewed in
FIG. 9 , theoutboard edge 118 of each mountingleg 114 extends substantially perpendicular to a mountingsurface 120. Thefront face 122 of each mountingleg 114 extends substantially perpendicular to theoutboard edge 118 and parallel to the mountingsurface 120. The transition between theoutboard edge 118 and thefront face 122 is chamfered to form acorner surface 124. Preferably, thecorner surface 124 angles at about 45 degrees relative to theoutboard edge 118 and thefront face 122. - An
outboard face 126 of each clampingleg 116 extends substantially perpendicular to the mountingsurface 120. A workingsurface 128 of each clampingleg 116 extends substantially parallel to theoutboard face 126. Each workingsurface 128 includes a pair of spaced apart clampingchannels 130. Thechannels 130 compliment one another to form a clam shell gripping surface when the fingers 110 are brought close together. Although thechannels 130 are illustrated with a constant depth relative to the workingsurface 128, thechannels 130 may be tapered to provide a tapered clam shell gripping surface. Thechannels 130 preferably compliment the shape of the clampable surface of the implant as much as possible. - As best seen in
FIG. 7 , chamfered sidewalls 132 extend at an angle between the workingsurface 128 and theoutboard face 126. Similarly, chamfered sidewalls 134 extend at an angle between thefront face 122 and the mountingsurface 120. This yields a substantially trapezoidal cross section to the mountingleg 114 and clampingleg 116. Of course, a relatively smalltop surface 136 and a relatively smallbottom surface 138 are provided between thesidewalls 132 and the workingsurface 128. Similarly, a top surface 140 and a bottom surface 142 are provided between thesidewalls 134 and the mountingsurface 120. - As best seen in
FIGS. 8 and 10 , each clampingleg 116 includes afront end face 144 extending substantially perpendicular to the workingsurface 128 and parallel to the mountingsurface 120. Anangled surface 146 extends between thefront end face 144 and thetop surface 136. A substantially square shapedopening 148 is formed within each clampingleg 116 from the workingsurface 128. Theopening 148 accommodates a box that is often provided within knee implants (between the clampable surfaces) so that the box and the fingers 110 do not interfere. - A pair of
pins 150 extends from the clampingleg 116 orthogonal to the workingsurface 120 of the first finger 110 a.Complimentary slots 152 are provided in the second finger 110 b for receiving the pins 150 (both modes are illustrated inFIG. 9 ). Thepins 150 provide a greater contact surface area compared to the bottom surfaces 138 of the fingers 110 which are separated by a gap. As such, a line contact can be established with the implant just prior to clamping. - The many chamfered surfaces of the fingers 110 increase the clearance between the fingers 110 and the finishing devices used to finish the implant gripped by the fingers 110. Maximum attention is paid to robustness and wearability juxtaposed with interference concerns.
- Turning now to
FIGS. 11-13 , theimplant reorientation station 300 is shown in greater detail. Thestation 300 includes a base 302 securable to a floor and a generallyU-shaped riser 304 extending substantially vertically from thebase 302. Atop plate 306 is secured to theriser 304 opposite and substantially parallel to thebase 302. - A
turnaround support 308 is fixed to thetop plate 306 by fasteners such as screws. Theturnaround support 308 includes a, e.g., Teflon, stand 310 projecting away from amajor surface 312. Thestand 310 includes a pair ofparallel sidewalls 314 extending substantially perpendicular to themajor surface 312 so as to be substantially vertical. Atop surface 316 extends substantially perpendicular to thesidewalls 314. The transitions between thetop surface 316 and thesidewalls 314 are chamfered to yield angled contact surfaces 318. The width of thestand 310 is carefully controlled relative to the finished surfaces implant 500 so that theimplant 500 is only supported by the contact surfaces 318 at pre-selected locations. These locations are selected to avoid pre-finished surfaces and are designated to be finished in later processing steps. - A
bracket 320 is fixed to theturnaround support 308 at a first end and supports aproximity switch 322 at a second end. Theproximity switch 322 senses whether or not animplant 500 is located on theturnaround support 308. - Referring now to
FIG. 14 , an alternateembodiment gripper assembly 1000 is shown. Thegripper assembly 1000 includes a 90degree angle bracket 1002 fixed to an end of arobot 100′, agripper 102′ fixed to thebracket 1002, and fingers 110′ fixed to thegripper 102′. Thebracket 1002 includes afirst bar 1004 extending perpendicular to anend face 1006 of therobot 100′. Asecond bar 1008 extends perpendicular to thefirst bar 1004 and is coupled thereto. A corner flange 1010 is provided at the interface of the first andsecond bars - The
gripper 102′ is preferably identical to thegripper 102 of the first embodiment and therefore its description will not be repeated here. The fingers 110′ include first and second fingers 110 a′ and 110 b′. The fingers 110′ slide open and closed under the operation of thegripper 102′. Inasmuch as the fingers 110′ extend perpendicular to thegripper 102′, it is preferably that the first finger 110 a′ is mounted flush to thegripper 102′ while the second finger 110 b′ is offset from thegripper 102′ by at least the width of the first finger 110 a′. - A
guide pin 1012 is fixed to the second finger 110 b′ and is accommodated by aslot 1014 formed in the first finger 110 a′. Theguide pin 1012 prevents the first and second fingers 110′ from becoming offset relative to one another. In other words, theguide pin 1012 keeps the fingers 110′ in a preselected orientation relative to one another. - The first and second fingers 110′ include
reliefs 1016 which are shaped to complement theclampable surfaces 502′ of theknee implant 500′. In the illustrated embodiment theknee implant 500′ includes pins that are screwed into theimplant 500′. As such, thereliefs 1016 mirror the shape of the screw heads and shafts. Anotch 1018 is provided in the second finger 110 b′ to allow the second finger 110 b′ to fit over theclampable surface 502′ of theimplant 500′. Thereafter, the fingers 110′ slide outboard to abutingly grip theimplant 500′ by nesting theclampable pins 502′ in thereliefs 1016. - From the foregoing description it can be appreciated that tooling for a direct clamp robotic system is provided. The tooling centers around the provision of fingers for a gripping robot that eliminate the need for an implant support bar to be mounted to each implant. By eliminating the bar, more sophisticated trays and implant reorientation stations can also be employed. This provides an important cost savings measure for implant manufacturers.
- The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (15)
1. A pair of fingers adapted to be coupled to a robotic system for finishing a part, the pair of fingers comprising:
a first finger including:
a first mounting surface adapted to be coupled to said robotic system; and
a first working surface adapted to engage said part; and
a second finger including:
a second mounting surface adapted to be coupled to said robotic system; and
a second working surface adapted to engage said part;
wherein said first working surface includes a first clamping channel and said second working surface includes a second clamping channel, said first and second clamping channels having a shape corresponding to a shape of at least one projection of said part.
2. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein:
said first finger further comprises:
a first mounting leg including said first mounting surface; and
a first clamping leg including said first working surface, said first clamping leg being substantially orthogonal to said first mounting leg; and
said second finger further comprises:
a second mounting leg including said second mounting surface; and
a second clamping leg including said second working surface, said second clamping leg being substantially orthogonal to said second mounting leg.
3. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein said first working surface and said second working surface face one another and cooperate when converged to grip said at least one projection.
4. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein said first finger includes a pair of pins extending substantially orthogonally relative to said first working surface and said second finger includes a pair of openings for receiving said pins.
5. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein said first working surface and said second working surface face opposite directions and cooperate when diverged to grip said part by engaging at least two of said projections.
6. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide pin coupled to said first finger and slidably engaging said second finger to maintain said first and second fingers in a preselected orientation relative to one another.
7. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second fingers includes an opening to accommodate a non-engaged surface of said part.
8. The pair of fingers of claim 1 , wherein said first and second fingers comprise a pre-hardened alloy steel.
9. A pair of fingers adapted to be coupled to a robotic system for finishing a part, the pair of fingers comprising:
a first finger including:
a first mounting surface adapted to be coupled to said robotic system; and
a first working surface extending generally orthogonally relative to said first mounting surface and adapted to engage said part; and
a second finger including:
a second mounting surface adapted to be coupled to said robotic system; and
a second working surface extending generally orthogonally relative to said first mounting surface and adapted to engage said part;
wherein each of said first working surface and said second working surface includes a clamping surface engageable with at least one clampable surface of said part.
10. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , wherein said clamping surfaces face one another and cooperate when converged to grip said at least one clampable surface.
11. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , wherein said first finger includes a pair of pins extending substantially orthogonally relative to said first working surface and said second finger includes a pair of openings for receiving said pins.
12. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , wherein said clamping surfaces face opposite directions and cooperate when diverged to grip said part by engaging at least two of said clampable surfaces.
13. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , further comprising:
a guide pin coupled to said first finger and slidably engaging said second finger to maintain said first and second fingers in a preselected orientation relative to one another.
14. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , wherein at least one of said first and second fingers includes an opening to accommodate a non-engaged surface of said part.
15. The pair of fingers of claim 9 , wherein said first and second fingers comprise a pre-hardened alloy steel.
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US11/224,710 US20060084363A1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2005-09-12 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
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US10/967,914 US6966818B1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2004-10-18 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
US11/224,710 US20060084363A1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2005-09-12 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
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US10/967,914 Division US6966818B1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2004-10-18 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
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US10/967,914 Expired - Fee Related US6966818B1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2004-10-18 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
US11/224,710 Abandoned US20060084363A1 (en) | 2004-10-18 | 2005-09-12 | Direct clamp tooling for robotic applications |
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Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080251613A1 (en) * | 2004-06-16 | 2008-10-16 | Akira Akabane | Electromagnetic Fuel Injection Valve |
US9981379B1 (en) | 2016-05-12 | 2018-05-29 | X Development Llc | Detachable support member for robot gripper |
CN109382752A (en) * | 2018-10-16 | 2019-02-26 | 徐州市久发工程机械有限责任公司 | A kind of burnishing device of engineering instrument accessory |
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Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080251613A1 (en) * | 2004-06-16 | 2008-10-16 | Akira Akabane | Electromagnetic Fuel Injection Valve |
US7731108B2 (en) * | 2004-06-16 | 2010-06-08 | Keihin Corporation | Electromagnetic fuel injection valve |
US9981379B1 (en) | 2016-05-12 | 2018-05-29 | X Development Llc | Detachable support member for robot gripper |
CN109382752A (en) * | 2018-10-16 | 2019-02-26 | 徐州市久发工程机械有限责任公司 | A kind of burnishing device of engineering instrument accessory |
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US6966818B1 (en) | 2005-11-22 |
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