Patents by Inventor Lars E. Blacken
Lars E. Blacken has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230344185Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are provided for automated insertion of a wire contact into an insertion hole of a connector. Methods include: controlling a robot having an end-effector to position a wire contact proximate to a connector using a wire gripper and a separator device of the end-effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to align the wire contact with a insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2022Publication date: October 26, 2023Inventors: Lars E. BLACKEN, Heiko HOFFMANN, Damien O. MARTIN, Jeffrey MCCASKEY, Bradley J. MITCHELL
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Patent number: 11742113Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Bradley J. Mitchell, Grace L. Duncan, Eerik J. Helmick
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Patent number: 11640862Abstract: A method utilizes a funnel system and robotic end effector grippers to feed an unjacketed portion of a shielded cable through a sleeve. The funnel is designed with one or more thin extensions (hereinafter “prongs”) on which a sleeve is placed prior to a cable entering the funnel. Preferably two or more prongs are employed, although a single prong may be used if properly configured to both guide a cable and fit between the sleeve and cable. The prongs close off the uneven surface internal to a sleeve and provide a smooth surface for the cable to slide along and through the sleeve, preventing any damage to the exposed shielding. The sleeve is picked up and held on the prongs using a robotic end effector. If the sleeve is a solder sleeve, the robotic end effector has grippers designed to make contact with the portions of the solder sleeve that are between the insulating rings and the central solder ring.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2021Date of Patent: May 2, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Grace L. Duncan, Lars E. Blacken, Keith M. Cutler, Bradley J. Mitchell
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Patent number: 11610702Abstract: Methods and apparatus for temporarily holding one end of a wire on a harness form board during automated transfer from one robot to another robot. The apparatus includes a wire holding device which is designed to facilitate the transfer of a wire end from a first end effector of a first robot to a second end effector of a second robot. The wire holding devices have different structures, but share the common feature that opening of the wire holding device (to enable wire insertion) involves applying a contact force which overcomes a spring force that urges the wire holding device to be closed. The end effectors are designed and their movements are controlled in a manner such that the moving end effector applies the contact force necessary to overcome the closure-inducing spring force being exerted.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2019Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Jeffrey A. McCaskey
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Patent number: 11489309Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Bradley J. Mitchell, Grace L. Duncan, Eerik J. Helmick, Keith M. Cutler, Randall V. Fraker, Alexey S. Meerov, John R. Porter
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Patent number: 11404183Abstract: Apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin
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Publication number: 20220234208Abstract: Systems and methods for automated wire pickup using image-based robot guidance. The machine vision-based system includes: a robot arm; a tool head coupled to the distal end of the robot arm and including a wire gripper motor; a wire gripper movably coupled to the tool head and operatively coupled to the wire gripper motor; a wire holder configured for clamping a wire; camera means mounted to the distal end of the robot arm and having first and second fields of view which intersect in a volume of space that includes the tip of the wire gripper and the wire holder; and a computer system configured to control operation of the robot arm motors and wire gripper motor. More specifically, the computer system is configured for visually estimating the position and orientation of a contact-equipped wire being held by the wire holder and then generating robot guidance to enable automated pickup of the end section of the wire by the wire gripper.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2021Publication date: July 28, 2022Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Heiko Hoffman, Jeffrey A. McCaskey, Lars E. Blacken, Bradley J. Mitchell, Damien O. Martin
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Patent number: 11328842Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin, Eerik J. Helmick, Keith M. Cutler, John R. Porter
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Patent number: 11264152Abstract: Methods and apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin
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Patent number: 11232887Abstract: A method for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group (WBAG) is disclosed. The method includes placing a first grouping of components of a first WBAG on a first assembly panel of a fabrication table. The method also includes assembling the first WBAG from the first grouping of components and attaching the first WBAG to the first assembly panel. The method also includes actuating a pivot of an assembly frame supporting the first assembly panel to rotate the first assembly panel about a longitudinal axis. The method further includes placing a WBAG receiving panel of a transport tool adjacent the first WBAG and the first assembly panel. The method also includes releasing the first WBAG from the first assembly panel and dropping the WBAG onto the WBAG receiving panel. Finally, the method includes attaching the first WBAG to the WBAG receiving panel.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Shawn D. Mohlman, Bret H. Livingston, Tinh V. Truong, Lars E. Blacken
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Publication number: 20210383950Abstract: A method utilizes a funnel system and robotic end effector grippers to feed an unjacketed portion of a shielded cable through a sleeve. The funnel is designed with one or more thin extensions (hereinafter “prongs”) on which a sleeve is placed prior to a cable entering the funnel. Preferably two or more prongs are employed, although a single prong may be used if properly configured to both guide a cable and fit between the sleeve and cable. The prongs close off the uneven surface internal to a sleeve and provide a smooth surface for the cable to slide along and through the sleeve, preventing any damage to the exposed shielding. The sleeve is picked up and held on the prongs using a robotic end effector. If the sleeve is a solder sleeve, the robotic end effector has grippers designed to make contact with the portions of the solder sleeve that are between the insulating rings and the central solder ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Grace L. Duncan, Lars E. Blacken, Keith M. Cutler, Bradley J. Mitchell
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Patent number: 11120928Abstract: A method utilizes a funnel system and robotic end effector grippers to feed an unjacketed portion of a shielded cable through a sleeve. The funnel is designed with one or more thin extensions (hereinafter “prongs”) on which a sleeve is placed prior to a cable entering the funnel. Preferably two or more prongs are employed, although a single prong may be used if properly configured to both guide a cable and fit between the sleeve and cable. The prongs close off the uneven surface internal to a sleeve and provide a smooth surface for the cable to slide along and through the sleeve, preventing any damage to the exposed shielding. The sleeve is picked up and held on the prongs using a robotic end effector. If the sleeve is a solder sleeve, the robotic end effector has grippers designed to make contact with the portions of the solder sleeve that are between the insulating rings and the central solder ring.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2018Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Grace L. Duncan, Lars E. Blacken, Keith M. Cutler, Bradley J. Mitchell
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Patent number: 11070019Abstract: An automated system for processing an end of a cable. The system includes: a cable delivery system; a cable processing module; a pallet supported by the cable delivery system; a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the pallet; a motor operatively coupled for driving rotation of the drive wheel; and an idler wheel rotatably coupled to the pallet and forming a nip with the drive wheel. The cable processing module includes cable processing equipment and a computer system. The computer system is configured to: (a) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pushing direction to cause a specified length of cable to be inserted into the cable processing equipment; (b) activate the cable processing equipment to operate on the cable end; and (c) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pulling direction to cause the length of cable to be removed from the cable processing equipment.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Grace L. Duncan, Bradley J. Mitchell, Damien O. Martin, Dinh X. Tran, Eerik J. Helmick, Aphea Ann Thornton, Nick S. Evans, David S. Wright, Lars E. Blacken, Keith M. Cutler
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Patent number: 11070007Abstract: A system configured to position a tip of a cable. The system includes: a cable delivery system; a cable tip positioning module situated at a workstation in proximity to the cable delivery system; a pair of wheels operable to push a cable into the cable tip positioning module when a cable is in a nip between the wheels; an apparatus configured to hold the wheels; a motor operatively coupled to drive rotation of the wheels; and a proximity sensor configured to issue a cable present signal indicating the proximity of a conductor in the cable. The cable tip positioning module comprises a computer system configured to activate the motor to drive rotation of the wheels in a cable pulling direction in response to issuance of the cable present signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Grace L. Duncan, Bradley J. Mitchell, Lars E. Blacken, Keith M. Cutler
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Publication number: 20210183541Abstract: Methods and apparatus for temporarily holding one end of a wire on a harness form board during automated transfer from one robot to another robot. The apparatus includes a wire holding device which is designed to facilitate the transfer of a wire end from a first end effector of a first robot to a second end effector of a second robot. The wire holding devices have different structures, but share the common feature that opening of the wire holding device (to enable wire insertion) involves applying a contact force which overcomes a spring force that urges the wire holding device to be closed. The end effectors are designed and their movements are controlled in a manner such that the moving end effector applies the contact force necessary to overcome the closure-inducing spring force being exerted.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2019Publication date: June 17, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Jeffrey A. McCaskey
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Publication number: 20210126418Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Bradley J. Mitchell, Grace L. Duncan, Eerik J. Helmick, Keith M. Cutler, Randall V. Fraker, Alexey S. Meerov, John R. Porter
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Publication number: 20210125752Abstract: Methods and apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin
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Publication number: 20210125749Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Damien O. Martin, Lars E. Blacken, Bradley J. Mitchell, Grace L. Duncan, Eerik J. Helmick
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Publication number: 20210125750Abstract: Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin, Eerik J. Helmick, Keith M. Cutler, John R. Porter
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Publication number: 20210125751Abstract: Methods and apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2019Publication date: April 29, 2021Applicant: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Bradley J. Mitchell, Lars E. Blacken, Damien O. Martin