Patents Assigned to ABB AB
-
Patent number: 7872436Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a control system for controlling an industrial robot with at least one axis of rotation and/or translation. The robot includes at least one actuator or motor at each of the axes for driving a movement of an arm of the robot and at least one sensor at each of the rotatable shafts. A dither-signal generator for generation of a periodic signal is used to provide a varying dither signal to a servo of the actuator. Automatic adaption of the dither signal is provided. A computer program for carrying out the method and a graphical user interface.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2004Date of Patent: January 18, 2011Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Sönke Kock, Christian H Müller, Torgny Brogårdh, Jesper Bergsjö, Andreas Olevik, Stig Moberg
-
Patent number: 7863848Abstract: An industrial robot system including at least one industrial robot including at least one manipulator located in a robot cell, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the manipulator, a detecting unit detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell, and a warning generator producing a warning to the operator upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves the robot cell.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2006Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Ralph Sjöberg
-
Patent number: 7849761Abstract: A wrist unit to be arranged in an industrial robot including a control system and a manipulator. The manipulator includes a robot arm and a wrist unit arranged on the robot arm and including a wrist housing arranged for rotation about a fourth axis of rotation, a wrist part/tilt pivotally journalled in the wrist housing for rotation about a fifth axis of rotation. A second transmission is configured to transmit rotation form a second drive unit to the turn disc about the sixth axis of rotation where the control system controls the first and second drive units.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Karl-Erik Forslund, Catarina Forssén, legal representative
-
Patent number: 7836783Abstract: A device for measuring mechanical forces comprising a sensor adapted to measure difference of stresses in two orthogonal measuring directions. The device comprises at least one force receiving element adapted to receive the forces to be measured, and the sensor is adapted to measure the forces applied to the force receiving element. The device further comprises a converter of a tubular shape, adapted to transfer the forces from the force receiving element to the sensor and to convert the forces received by the receiving element into forces suitable for the sensor, the force receiving element comprises a flange extending outward in a radial direction from the converter, and the force receiving element and the sensor are mounted at a distance from each other along the longitudinal axis of the converter.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2008Date of Patent: November 23, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Ulf A. Lifvenborg
-
Patent number: 7812615Abstract: A method for fault detection in a power transformer/autotransformer and/or interconnected power lines, which are within the zone protected by the differential protection, and particularly suitable for detecting turn-to-turn faults in power transformer/autotransformer windings. All individual instantaneous phase currents of the protected object are measured, individual phase currents as fundamental frequency phasors are calculated, the contributions of the individual protected object sides negative sequence currents to the total negative sequence differential current are calculated by compensating for the phase shift of an eventual power transformer within the protected zone, the relative positions of the compensated individual sides negative sequence currents in the complex plane are compared, in order to determine whether the source of the negative sequence currents, i.e.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Zoran Gajic, Ivo Brncic
-
Patent number: 7806020Abstract: A robot arm for an industrial robot. The robot arm includes a wrist housing, a wrist, and a turn disc. The wrist is rotatably connected to the wrist housing and the turn disc is rotatably connected to the wrist. A first motor drives the wrist and a second motor drives the turn disc. A first driving rope transmits the motor rotation to the wrist, and a second driving rope transmits the motor rotation to the drive pulley.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2004Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Karl-Erik Forslund, Annika Thyselius, legal representative, Ove Kullborg
-
Publication number: 20100249973Abstract: A method and a device for optimization of flatness control in the rolling of a strip using any number of mill stands and actuators. A mill model is used represented by a mill matrix that includes information of the flatness effect of each actuator. Each actuator's flatness effect is translated into a coordinate system having a dimension less than or equal to the number of actuators used. The actual flatness values are monitoring/sampling across the strip. A vector of the flatness error/deviation is computed as the difference between the monitored/sampled strip flatness and a reference flatness vector. The flatness error is converted into a smaller parameterized flatness error vector. A dynamic controller is used to calculate optimized actuator set-points in order to minimize the parameterized flatness error, thereby achieving the desired strip flatness. Also a system for optimization of flatness control in rolling a strip.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2006Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: ABB ABInventor: Pontus Bergsten
-
Publication number: 20100236362Abstract: A furnace plant including at least one furnace vessel comprising side walls, a bottom and a roof. At least one heater is configured to heat metal in the furnace vessel. A compartment includes sidewalls lined with refractory material. The compartment forms an extension of the furnace vessel. At least one electromagnetic stirrer is arranged outside and adjacent to the compartment. A refractory plate is arranged inside the compartment. The refractory plate includes an upper edge configured to be positioned below a meniscus of molten metal and includes a lower edge positioned spaced apart from a bottom of the compartment. The plate is arranged such that a gap between the plate and a wall of the compartment increases toward the bottom of the compartment.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2008Publication date: September 23, 2010Applicant: ABB ABInventors: Bengt Rydholm, Erik Svensson, Alf Lundström, Helmut Hackl, Olof Sjödén, Jan-Erik Eriksson, Tord Kroon, Tord Lindblad
-
Publication number: 20100217434Abstract: A method for controlling a multi-axis industrial robot or manipulator arranged with a robot control unit. The robot or the control unit includes at least one first computer running a servo controller. A motion limit is configured for at least one axis of the robot arm. A reference signal for a robot position is sent to a robot controller together with a measurement of a position of the robot arm. The reference position is processed and the measured position and the processed reference position are then compared in an evaluator for the purpose of limiting the motion of an arm of the robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2006Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: ABB ABInventors: Magnus Hellberg, Mats Thulin, Michael Fors, Pierre Mikaelsson, Tommy Thors, Sönke Kock, Kevin Behnisch, Peter Eriksson, Jan Bredahl, Bo Toressen
-
Patent number: 7756608Abstract: A method for calibration of an industrial robot including a plurality of movable links and a plurality of actuators effecting movement of the links and thereby of the robot. The method includes mounting a measuring tip on or in the vicinity of the robot, moving the robot such that the measuring tip is in contact with a plurality of measuring points on the surface of at least one geometrical structure on or in the vicinity of the robot, reading and storing the positions of the actuators for each measuring point, and estimating a plurality of kinematic parameters for the robot based on a geometrical model of the geometrical structure, a kinematic model of the robot, and the stored positions of the actuators for the measuring points.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2006Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Torgny Brogårdh
-
Patent number: 7738996Abstract: A method for joining together at least two sheets with a tool controlled by an industrial robot and including a first arm and a second arm that are mutually movable in relation to each other. An actual position of the sheets is detected by bringing one of the arms to sense the actual position of the sheets. The distance between an ideal position and the actual position is calculated and the actual position of the tool is moved the calculated distance, whereafter the sheets are joined together.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2004Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Colin Luthardt
-
Patent number: 7732943Abstract: A method for determining/dimensioning measures for restoring an electrical power system, which experiences or is heading for a voltage instability, to a steady-state condition, wherein there is no immediate risk of instability. An actual voltage/phase angle in the electrical power system is determined. The power unbalance within at least one sub-area in the electrical power system is determined. Suitable power-balancing measures are determined. The extent of the respective measures is determined. The power-balancing measures are carried out. Also, a device for carrying out the method.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2004Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Daniel Karlsson, Sture Lindahl
-
Patent number: 7717477Abstract: A manipulator operative in hygienic environments. A swivel operative to flexibly transport gas includes a fixed part comprising a plurality of members divisible to permit the swivel to be cleaned, a moveable part journaled in the fixed part, and a cavity arranged between the fixed part and the moveable part, the cavity operative to decrease a speed of gas flow whereby particles present in the gas are stopped and deposited in the cavity.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2000Date of Patent: May 18, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Mats Thulin
-
Publication number: 20100109766Abstract: A method and device are provided for demodulation of an output signal from a transducer (1) driven by an alternating excitation signal having an excitation frequency. The transducer produces an amplitude-modulated output signal (y(t)) containing the quantity to be measured. The device has sampling units (5,6,7) to sample the output signal from the transducer and the output signal from the excitation unit, and a computation unit (8) to compute a first complex valued quantity ( Y) including information on the amplitude and phase of the output signal at the excitation frequency based on sampled values of the output signal from the transducer, compute a second complex valued quantity (?, ?) including information on the amplitude and phase of the excitation signal at the excitation frequency based on sampled values of the excitation signal, forming a complex valued output quotient between the first and second complex valued quantities, and compute the demodulated output signal (Od) based on the output quotient.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2007Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: ABB ABInventors: Jan Nilsson, Jarl R. Sobel
-
Patent number: 7707893Abstract: An industrial robot including a tool flange at an end of an outer arm of the robot. A tool is secured to the tool flange. A sensor is configured to sense forces and/or torques applied to a tool secured to the tool flange. The sensor is built into the structure of the robot in the region of the tool flange.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2006Date of Patent: May 4, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Görgen Johansson, Ingvar Jonsson
-
Patent number: 7701205Abstract: A method for non-contact measurement of a dimension and/or an electrical property in an electrically conducting object to be measured by using electromagnetic induction. An electromagnetic field is brought to penetrate through the object to be measured. A transmitter coil is place on one side of the object to be measured. A receiver coil is placed on the other side of the object to be measured. A magnetic field is generated in the transmitter coil. A sudden change is generated in the magnetic field generated in the transmitter coil from one level to another. The voltage induced in the receiver coil is detected. The period of time that elapses from the time of the change of the magnetic field in the transmitter coil up to the time when a voltage starts to be induced in the receiver coil is determined. The magnitude of the induced voltage is determined. The thickness and/or electrical conductivity of the object to be measured is calculated.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Sten Linder
-
Patent number: 7701206Abstract: A method for non-contact determination of sought properties of an object to be measured by using electromagnetic induction. An electromagnetic field is generated in a transmitter coil placed on one side of the object to be measured. The magnetic field penetrates through the object to be measured and is detected by a receiver coil placed on the other side of the object to be measured. A control coil is placed near the transmitter coil generating a change in the magnetic field of the transmitter coil. A field change in the detecting is detected in the control coil. The field is detected in the receiver coil. The difference in time is determined for the detection of the field change in the control coil and in the receiver coil, respectively. The time of penetration through the object to be measured is determined, and the thickness or electrical conductivity of the object to be measured is determined therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2004Date of Patent: April 20, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventor: Sten Linder
-
Patent number: 7692537Abstract: A method and an alarm processing system for deciding what alarm, out of a number of alarms generated in an industrial plant or process, to present to a system operator. The method includes creating hiding rules, associating each hiding rule with a real-world object, storing these rules in a storage means, receiving an alarm related to a real-world object, determining if a hiding rule is associated with the real-world object evaluating the hiding rule, deciding from the hiding rule whether to present or hide the alarm, selectively and actively hide such alarms that are decided to be hidden and not presenting the alarm to the system operator. The invention also includes an alarm processing system and a computer program for carrying out the method.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2005Date of Patent: April 6, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Mikael Sköld, Magne Hansen, Jan Gjerseth
-
Patent number: 7685902Abstract: An industrial robot including a parallel kinematic manipulator of an object in space. The manipulator includes a stationary platform, a movable platform for carrying the object, and at least three arms connecting the platforms. Each arm includes a first arm part connected to the stationary platform for manipulating the movable platform.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2003Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Sönke Kock, Roland Oesterlein, Torgny Brogårdh
-
Patent number: 7669638Abstract: A control system for regulating the flow of liquid metal in a device for casting a metal. A detector measures a process variable. A control unit evaluates data from the detector. At least one process parameter is automatically varied in order to optimize casting conditions. The detector measures a characteristic of the meniscus at at least two points on the meniscus instantaneously throughout the casting process.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2003Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: ABB ABInventors: Sten Kollberg, Jan-Erik Eriksson, Carl-Fredrik Lindberg, Mats Molander, Peter Löfgren, Göte Tallbäck, Rebei Bel Fdhila, Bertil Samuelsson, Stefan Israelsson Tampe, Christina Wallin