Patents Assigned to KUKA Deutschland GmbH
  • Patent number: 10828777
    Abstract: A method for redundancy-optimized planning of the operation of a redundant mobile robot having a robot arm includes using a tool center point (TCP) associated with the robot arm and assigned a Cartesian TCP coordinate system having a first, second, and third TCP-coordinate axes; using a Cartesian world coordinate system having first, second, and third world coordinate axes, wherein the first and second world coordinate axes span a plane on which the mobile robot moves, a height of the TCP from which the plane is assigned, and one of the TCP coordinate axes and the plane enclose an angle; creating at least one graph wherein a redundancy is presented as a function of the height and the angle, wherein the redundancy is a measure of possible configurations of the mobile robot depending on the height and the angle; and planning operation of the mobile robot using the graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Scheurer, Shashank Sharma
  • Patent number: 10828769
    Abstract: A method for automatically ascertaining an input command for a robot, wherein the input command is entered by manually exerting an external force onto the robot. The input command is ascertained on the basis of the joint force component attempting to cause a movement of the robot in only one robot joint coordinate sub-space which is specific to the input command. The joint forces are imprinted with the external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Meissner, Holger Mönnich, Tobias Reichl, Shahin Osama
  • Patent number: 10809739
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot and/or an autonomous driverless transport system on the basis of a sensor-based identification of objects includes generating. Point pair features of the 2D surface contours on the basis of 2D surface contours of the objects to be identified. A point cloud of the environment is acquired using a distance sensor, a surface normal is estimated for each point, and corresponding point pair features of the environment are generated. In a voting method, environment features are compared with model features to efficiently generate pose hypotheses, which are subjected to an optimization and a consistency check in order to ultimately be accepted or rejected as an acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Dominik Joho, Daniel Meyer-Delius
  • Patent number: 10792821
    Abstract: A method for decelerating a robot axis arrangement having at least one output link includes steps of applying a braking force on the output link with a brake and, in so doing, controlling a driving force of a drive that acts on the output link, and/or controlling the braking force on the basis of a dynamic variable of the output link, wherein the dynamic variable is a function of the braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Hartmut Keyl, Michael Thummel, Dietmar Tscharnuter, Tobias Weiser
  • Patent number: 10737397
    Abstract: A robot gripper for handling objects having at least one retaining foot by means of a robot. A gripper main part has a connection flange designed to secure the robot gripper to a tool flange of a robot arm, and a counter bearing that is connected to the gripper main part and has a cutout. The shape and size of the cutout is adapted to the retaining foot of the object to receive same in a formfitting manner. An actuator is arranged on the gripper main part, preferably in an adjustably mounted manner, and is designed to press against the retaining foot in a clamping position to fix the retaining foot against the counter bearing, and to release the retaining foot in a release position such that the counter bearing can be adjusted relative to the retaining foot to allow the retaining foot to be released from the robot gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Glatz, Eugen Schukow, Adil Akbas
  • Patent number: 10716958
    Abstract: A method for operating a medical robot, a medical robot, and a medical work station. The invention relates to a method for operating a medical robot (2). The robot (2) includes a robot arm (5) having a plurality of members (7), drives (15) provided for moving the members (7), and an attaching device (9). The robot (2) also has a control device (6) for activating the drives (15), and a sound generating device (3) attached to the attaching device (9), which is provided to apply sound to a living organism (10), in particular a high-intensity focused ultrasound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Neff
  • Patent number: 10682773
    Abstract: A cooling device for cooling electrical components of a robot control device with cooling air flow generated by a fan having a first receiving space for first electrical components, a second receiving space for second electrical components, and a cooling body wall fluidically separating the first receiving space from the second receiving space. The cooling body wall has a first separating wall surface facing the first receiving space and an opposite second separating wall surface facing an intermediate space of the cooling body wall. The second separating wall surface includes cooling wall projections that form at least one flow channel. The cooling body wall has a cooling air passage opening that is designed to convey a cooling air flow conveyed by at least one fan of the cooling device from the first receiving space, through the cooling body wall, into the intermediate space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Wagner, Gerhard Werner, Mario Selic
  • Patent number: 10675771
    Abstract: An industrial robot includes a robot control configured to execute a robot program and a robot arm having a plurality of links connected by joints. The joints are configured to automatically adjust the links relative to one another according to the robot program, wherein at least one of the joints is configured as a rotary joint that connects a first link of the plurality of links to an adjacent second link for rotation relative to one another. The first link comprises a shaft sealing ring that has a sealing lip formed from a PTFE material, and the second link has a shaft portion with a running surface formed from a PTFE material, on which the shaft sealing ring bears with its sealing lip in a sealing manner. A method for moving the robot arm in a clean room is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Groll, Moritz Zasche
  • Patent number: 10646953
    Abstract: A pressure welding method and a pressure welding device (1) includes a plasticizing unit (7), a compression unit (8), a machine head (13) that includes a spindle (54) and a component holder (34). The pressure welding device (1) further includes a spindle drive (56) and an actuation mechanism (41) that includes an actuation drive (65) for the component holder (34). The actuation drive (65) is placed between the spindle drive (56) and the spindle (54) within a drive train (57).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Büchler, Otmar Fischer
  • Patent number: 10646287
    Abstract: A method for automatically predetermining an intended movement of a manipulator arrangement of a medical system having a medical instrument and a recording means for generating images, wherein the recording means and/or the instrument is guided by the manipulator arrangement. The method includes establishing an intended transformation between a reference stationary in relation to the recording means and a reference stationary in relation to the instrument; monitoring a deviation between the intended transformation and a current transformation between the reference stationary in relation to the recording means and the reference stationary in relation to the instrument; and determining a reset movement of the manipulator arrangement for returning the current transformation to the intended transformation when the deviation satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen Kogan
  • Patent number: 10632629
    Abstract: A cable guide device for guiding at least one supply cable along a robot arm includes a supply cable and a spring system configured to automatically return the supply cable from an extracted state into a retracted state. The device, has a front end section in the direction of extraction of the supply cable, and a rear end section in the direction of extraction of the supply cable. The device further includes a spring system seat permanently connected to the supply cable and on which the rear end section of the spring system is mounted, an abutment seat on which the front end section of the spring system is mounted, a fastening device configured to fasten the cable guide device to a link of the robot arm, and an adjustment device carrying the abutment seat and configured to mount the abutment seat for movement with respect to the fastening device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Melina Nasradini, Vladimir Kurmyshkin, Stefan Karlinger, Jürgen Heitz, Frank Rohé
  • Patent number: 10635074
    Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator includes releasing the manipulator in reaction to a release request by an operator, wherein the recognition of the release request involves monitoring the variation over time of a measured value that is characteristic of a state of the manipulator. Increased robustness of the recognition of the release request results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Günter Schreiber, Bettina Pfaff
  • Patent number: 10635113
    Abstract: A method of moving an automated guided vehicle (AGV) to a target position relative to an object having two characteristic features, wherein the target position lies on a connecting line between the two characteristic features or is located at a distance from the connecting line. The method includes moving the AGV to a position where distances to the characteristic features can be determined; determining a first distance between the current position and the first characteristic feature, and a second distance between the current position and the second characteristic feature; automatically moving the AGV in translation with a superposed first rotation, wherein the direction of the first rotation depends on the first and second distances; and automatically moving the AGV in translation with a superposed second rotation, wherein the second rotation is opposite in direction to the first rotation. The steps are repeated until a termination condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Pfaff, Bjoern Klein
  • Patent number: 10576629
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method for controlling a compliant-controlled robot includes performing a boundary monitoring of the robot and controlling movement of the robot with a return force that is predetermined by control technology. If the robot is already in a blocked area upon activation of the boundary monitoring, then a first return force operates to return the robot from a current position in the blocked area toward a boundary of the blocked area. If the robot arrived at the current position in the blocked area after activation of the boundary monitoring, then a second return force operates to return the robot from the current position toward the boundary. The first return force is at least temporarily less than the second return force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Rohmer, Tobias Reichl, Gunter Schreiber, Holger Monnich, Martin Mueller-Sommer, Uwe Bonin
  • Patent number: 10543550
    Abstract: A pressure welding method and a pressure welding device (1) are provided. The pressure welding device (1) includes a plastification device (7), an upsetting device (8) and component mountings (34,35,36,37) for the components (2,3,3?,4) to be welded together and a machine frame (12). The pressure welding device (1) further includes a plurality of machine heads (13,14), each having a component mount (34,35), which machine heads are movably arranged on the machine frame and are connected to respective upsetting drives (22). The machine heads (13,14) and respective upsetting drives (22) can be independently driven. An upsetting head or support head (27), which is preferably secured on the frame, is arranged between the machine heads (13,14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Büchler, Otmar Fischer, Harald Meyer, Klaus Schneider
  • Publication number: 20200023519
    Abstract: A monitoring method for a robot. The actual internal loads are measured with a sensor at a reference point of the robot and are compared with the expected internal loads. The expected internal loads are calculated using the movement of the robot and a dynamic model. It is possible to estimate which external forces act on the robot by comparing the actual and expected internal loads. The signal characteristics of different signal components in the signal of the estimated external forces are used to differentiate between said signal components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias KURZE
  • Patent number: 10537962
    Abstract: A retaining device (3) is provided for a workpiece (7), which is machined by an industrial robot (2), including a machining tool (4), along a machining path (16). The retaining device (3) includes a clamping tool (5) for clamping tool parts (13, 14) on the machining path (16) and a multi-axis guiding device (6) for the clamping tool (5) and for the independent movement thereof relative to the workpiece (7) during the machining process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Per-Olaf Brockhoff, Christian Goldstein, Bernd Richter
  • Patent number: 10518415
    Abstract: A packaging technique for applying an insulating pack to the housing of a battery cell. The insulating pack is formed from a self-adhesive cutout of insulating material by folding the cutout onto the sides of the housing that are to be covered. The packaging technique involves a packaging method for automatically applying an insulating pack, a battery cell including an insulating pack, a packaging station for carrying out the method, and a preparation device for preparing one or more cutouts of insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Henrik Keller, Markus Finke, Anja Werling, Maximilian Heinig, Horacio Martinez, Christian Meissner, Mario Miller, Holger Moennich, Thomas Neff, Tobias Reichl, Nina Sauthoff, Osama Shahin, Oliver Thilmann, Olaf Wegener
  • Patent number: 10513029
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transmission, to a transmission housing, to a driving member mounted rotatably in the transmission housing, to an output member mounted rotatably in the transmission housing and to at least one speed-changing transmission stage which couples the output member to the driving member and has a torque-supporting member, wherein the driving member together with the output member and the torque-supporting member forms a preassembled assembly in which the torque-supporting member is mounted rotatably on the transmission housing by means of a transmission-stage rolling bearing device and has a toothing which is in engagement with a driving pinion mounted rotatably in the transmission housing. The invention also relates to an electric driving device and to an industrial robot having at least one such transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Krumbacher, Franz Liebl
  • Publication number: 20190302800
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for checking a collision between a driverless transport vehicle (1) and a further driverless transport vehicle during planning of a movement of at least the driverless transport vehicle (1). The invention further relates to a driverless transport vehicle (1) and to a system having a plurality of driverless transport vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Moritz Martens, Tabea Grams