Robotic system and drilling end effector for robotic system

{
  "publication_number": "US9789549B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Robotic system and drilling end effector for robotic system",
  "abstract": "A drilling end effector may include a motor operative to drive a drilling member, a housing surrounding the motor, and a vacuum shroud coupled to the housing and surrounding the drilling member, wherein the vacuum shroud has a variable length.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A drilling end effector comprising: a motor operative to drive a drilling member; a housing surrounding said motor; a vacuum shroud coupled to said housing and surrounding said drilling member, wherein said vacuum shroud has a variable length; and a platform removably coupling the drilling end effector to a robotic arm, the platform including a vacuum passageway removably coupling to a vacuum conduit of the robotic arm, wherein the vacuum passageway is in fluid communication with an area defined by an interior of said vacuum shroud.",
    "2. The end effector of claim 1 wherein said vacuum passageway extends through said housing.",
    "3. The end effector of claim 2 wherein: said motor is coupled to said platform, said housing is coupled to said platform, and said vacuum passageway extends through said platform.",
    "4. The end effector of claim 1 wherein: said vacuum shroud comprises a first end coupled to said housing and a second end opposite said first end, said second end of said vacuum shroud is initially positioned proximate an end of said drilling member, and said vacuum shroud is collapsible in response to said second end of said vacuum shroud being in contact with a drilled surface and said drilling member being driven through said drilled surface.",
    "5. The end effector of claim 4 further comprising a seal coupled to said second end of said vacuum shroud.",
    "6. The end effector of claim 1 wherein said vacuum shroud comprises shroud segments coupled to one another, and wherein said shroud segments are collapsible between a telescopically extended position and a telescopically collapsed position.",
    "7. The end effector of claim 6 wherein said shroud segments are biased to said telescopically extended position.",
    "8. The end effector of claim 1 wherein: said housing comprises a housing receptacle, and said vacuum shroud comprises: a first shroud segment telescopically collapsible within said housing receptacle, wherein said first shroud segment comprises a shroud receptacle; and a second shroud segment telescopically collapsible within said shroud receptacle.",
    "9. The end effector of claim 8 wherein: said housing further comprises a first spring disposed within said housing receptacle, said first spring biases said first shroud segment outwardly from said housing, said first shroud segment further comprises a second spring disposed within said shroud receptacle, and said second spring biases said second shroud segment outwardly from said first shroud segment.",
    "10. A robotic system comprising: a robotic arm having a vacuum conduit; and a drilling end effector removably coupled to said robotic arm, wherein said drilling end effector comprises: a motor operative to drive a drilling member; a housing surrounding said motor; a vacuum shroud coupled to said housing and surrounding said drilling member, wherein said vacuum shroud has a variable length; and a vacuum passageway removably coupled to said vacuum conduit of the robotic arm, wherein the vacuum passageway is in fluid communication with an area defined by an interior of said vacuum shroud.",
    "11. The system of claim 10 further comprising an automated guided vehicle configured to travel along a predetermined travel path, wherein said robotic arm is coupled to said automated guided vehicle.",
    "12. The system of claim 10 wherein said vacuum passageway extends through said housing.",
    "13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a vacuum source fluidly coupled to said vacuum passageway, wherein said vacuum source is configured to generate a vacuum airflow within said interior of said vacuum shroud.",
    "14. The system of claim 10 wherein: said vacuum shroud comprises a first end coupled to said housing and a second end opposite said first end, said second end of said vacuum shroud is initially positioned proximate an end of said drilling member, and said vacuum shroud is collapsible in response to said second end of said vacuum shroud being in contact with a drilled surface and said drilling member being driven through said drilled surface.",
    "15. The system of claim 14 wherein said drilling end effector further comprises a seal coupled to said second end of said vacuum shroud.",
    "16. The system of claim 10 wherein: said vacuum shroud comprises shroud segments coupled to one another, said shroud segments are collapsible between a telescopically extended position and a telescopically collapsed position, and said shroud segments are biased to said telescopically extended position.",
    "17. The system of claim 10 wherein: said housing comprises a housing receptacle, and said vacuum shroud comprises: a first shroud segment telescopically collapsible within said housing receptacle, wherein said first shroud segment comprises a shroud receptacle; a second shroud segment telescopically collapsible within said shroud receptacle; and a seal coupled to an end of said second shroud segment opposite said first shroud segment.",
    "18. The system of claim 17 wherein: said housing further comprises a first spring disposed within said housing receptacle, said first spring biases said first shroud segment outwardly from said housing, said first shroud segment further comprises a second spring disposed within said shroud receptacle, and said second spring biases said second shroud segment outwardly from said first shroud segment.",
    "19. The system of claim 10 wherein said robotic arm comprises a wrist, and wherein said vacuum conduit extends through said wrist.",
    "20. A method for performing a drilling operation on a manufactured article, said method comprising: coupling a drilling end effector to a robotic arm; manipulating said drilling end effector adjacent to a work surface of said manufactured article, wherein said drilling end effector comprises: a motor operative to drive a drilling member; a housing surrounding said motor; a vacuum shroud coupled to said housing and surrounding said drilling member, wherein said vacuum shroud has a variable length; and a platform removably coupling the drilling end effector to a robotic arm, the platform including a vacuum passageway removably coupling to a vacuum conduit of the robotic arm, wherein the vacuum passageway is in fluid communication with an area defined by an interior of said vacuum shroud; extending said drilling member into drilling engagement with said work surface; contacting said vacuum shroud to said work surface around a drilling location and said drilling member; collecting debris created by said drilling member within an interior of said vacuum shroud; generating a vacuum within said vacuum shroud; removing said debris from within said vacuum shroud; telescopically collapsing said vacuum shroud in response to said drilling member passing through said work surface; decoupling said drilling end effector from said robotic arm; and coupling another end effector to said robotic arm."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure is generally related to robotic systems and, more particularly, to a robotic system and a drilling end effector for a robotic system capable of capturing debris created during a drilling operation.\n\nMany repetitive manufacturing operations are now automatically performed by robotic systems. For example, a programmable mechanical arm may manipulate various types of end of arm tooling to drill holes, install fasteners or perform other types of manufacturing operations. In areas where space is limited or access is restricted, those same manufacturing operations may need to be performed by hand. Certain manufacturing operations, whether performed manually (e.g., by hand) or automatically (e.g., by a robot) create debris. In certain manufacturing environments, such as in the aerospace industry, debris created from a drilling operation can potentially cause damage to the manufactured article if allowed to remain. In order to ensure that all the debris created by the drilling operation is removed, the debris removal process is often performed manually. As such, considerable time and labor must be devoted to the removal of any debris following the drilling operation.\n\nAccordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of robotic systems configured to perform drilling operations.\n\nIn one embodiment, the disclosed drilling end effector may include a motor operative to drive a drilling member, a housing surrounding the motor, and a vacuum shroud coupled to the housing and surrounding the drilling member, wherein the vacuum shroud has a variable length.",
  "cpc": [
    "B23B 47/34",
    "B23B 2251/68",
    "B23B 2270/30",
    "B23B 2270/62",
    "B23B 39/14",
    "B25J 11/005",
    "B25J 5/007",
    "Y10T 408/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B23B 39/14",
    "B23B 47/34",
    "B25J 11/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Boeing Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Tuong Q. Nguyen",
    "John W. Pringle, IV"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-07-07",
  "publication_date": "2017-10-17",
  "grant_date": "2017-10-17",
  "priority_date": "2015-07-07",
  "application_number": "US-201514793148-A",
  "family_id": "57681821",
  "cited_by_count": 10,
  "citations": [
    "US3638737A",
    "US4209069A",
    "US4518307A",
    "JPS61219509A",
    "US5033917A",
    "US5213454A",
    "US5356245A",
    "US5395187A",
    "US5947661A",
    "US5482411A",
    "US5688082A",
    "US5584618A",
    "US5848859A",
    "US6079078A",
    "US6503029B1",
    "US6514018B2",
    "US7168894B2",
    "US7901164B2",
    "US7419341B2",
    "US7740086B2",
    "US8019472B2",
    "US20090136309A1",
    "US8337124B2",
    "US8496416B1",
    "US20110008118A1",
    "US20110008117A1",
    "US8751147B2",
    "US20120063856A1",
    "US8696267B2",
    "US8676426B1",
    "GB201419182D0"
  ]
}