Patents Assigned to Kuka
  • Patent number: 10130431
    Abstract: A robotic surgery system includes a robot and an instrument assembly. The instrument assembly includes a drive unit with at least one rotary drive having an electric motor and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the instrument; an instrument including an instrument shaft and a drive shaft that has a coupling part for coupling to a drive shaft of the drive unit; and an instrument interface including a sheath that encompasses the drive unit. In order to detachably couple an instrument module to an instrument part of a surgical instrument, an electromagnet in a magnet assembly of the instrument module is activated or deactivated, a permanent magnet of said magnet assembly is moved into a locking position and/or an angular position of a coupled counter element assembly of the instrument part is detected by an angle sensor of the instrument module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Lohmeier, Wolfgang Schober
  • Publication number: 20180326592
    Abstract: A manipulator system includes at least one manipulator and a control device assigned to the manipulator; and at least one mobile operating device for controlling the at least one manipulator. In addition, an electronic display device is provided, which is arranged to display at least one optically readable identifier, and at least one optical reading device, which is provided and arranged to detect the displayed optically readable identifier. The manipulator system is arranged to release control of the manipulator by means of the mobile operating device when the optically readable identifier has been correctly detected by the optical reading device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen KOGAN
  • Patent number: 10117715
    Abstract: A surgical instrument arrangement has a modular motor drive unit which has a drive arrangement having at least one output element, an instrument shaft that can be detachably connected to the drive unit, and a drive arrangement having at least one input drive element. The output drive arrangement and the input drive arrangement can be coupled to each other by a mechanical interface that has at least one single-sided linkage, a pin, and a cut-out, wherein the pin can be radially expanded in the cut-out. Alternatively, a gap may be formed between the pin and the cut-out, which gap is wavy in the radial direction, and in which a radially displaceable, axially fixed intermediate element arrangement is arranged. The surgical instrument arrangement may also include a sterile barrier, which is provided to envelop the drive unit and to be arranged between the drive unit and the instrument shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Lohmeier, Wolfgang Schober
  • Patent number: 10099383
    Abstract: A handheld robot operation unit includes a housing having a handle-like grip section, a basic safety control device arranged in the housing, and at least one holder connected to the housing and configured for manually detachably coupling the housing to a device that is different from the handheld robot operation unit and which electronically communicates with the basic safety device. The holder includes a first holding arm for mechanically connecting the handheld robot operation unit to a first edge section of the device, with an opposite edge section of the device being free. A second holding arm is configured to mechanically connect the handheld robot operation unit to a second edge section of the device, adjacent the first edge section and forming a corner section of the device, with an edge section of the device opposite the second edge section being free. A corresponding method is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Riedel
  • Patent number: 10092981
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crossjet assembly for generating a gas flow that is conducted between a laser source (40, 41) and a welding region (42) in order to remove contaminants moving towards the laser source. The gas flow crosses the region between the laser source and the welding site numerous times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Axel Heinrici, Armin Tesmer
  • Patent number: 10095216
    Abstract: A method for actuating a manipulator system by means of a portable end device, a corresponding portable end device, and a robot system. The portable end device includes a 3-D camera that is a plenoptic camera. A three-dimensional image is acquired by means of the 3-D camera of the portable end device of at least part the manipulator system to be actuated. The image identifies at least one actuatable object in the manipulator system. A task is selected for the identified object to actuate. By selecting the identified actuatable object, the object is actuated to perform the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Hietmann
  • Patent number: 10081105
    Abstract: A method for verifying the assignment of a drive to a control device of an industrial robot. A drive, comprising at least one actuator and a motion sensor, is assigned to one of the axles of the robot. The assignment is verified by outputting a suitable test signal from the control device to the drive, and comparing the output test signal with motion signals generated by the motion sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Torsten Geiler
  • Patent number: 10076841
    Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator includes determining by a control device one or more contact force values between the manipulator and a first workpiece. Each of the contact force values is based on an actual driving force of the manipulator and a drive force according to a dynamic model of the manipulator. The method also includes at least one of a) measuring in multiple stages an orientation and location of the first workpiece based on at least one of the one or more determined contact force values or b) joining a second workpiece and the first workpiece under a compliant regulation, where a joining state of the first and second workpieces is monitored based on at least one of an end pose of the manipulator obtained under the compliant regulation, a speed of a temporal change of the manipulator, or at least one of the one or more determined contact force values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Simon Klumpp, Gunter Schreiber
  • Patent number: 10052758
    Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator system including a manipulator, several drives and a mobile platform A first converter for actuating at least two of the several drives is associated with the manipulator system. The method includes the steps of: a) identifying one of the drives of the manipulator system that is associated with the first converter and that must be used to travel over a current planned movement path of the manipulator system, and (b) actuating the one identified associated drive by means of the first converter, where the actuated drive is used for the manipulator system to travel over the planned movement path. One of the at least two drives that is not being actuated is stationary preferably fixed or secured by a mechanical brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen Kogan
  • Patent number: 10037019
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system having one or more development environments (2) for creating machine programs (6), in particular robot programs, and one or more machine controls (12), in particular for controlling robots. One or more machine controls (12) are represented in a development environment (2). The system is configured for the regular transmission of data from one development environment (2) to a machine control (12) and/or the reverse. A development environment (2) and a machine control (12) each preferably comprise a database (1a and 1b). The representation of a machine control (12) in a development environment (2) is carried out in that the affected databases (1a and 1b) are synchronized. Furthermore, a development environment (2) can react to changes in a machine control (12) represented therein. The invention further relates to a method for operating in such a system and a related computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Keibel, Torsten Goroll
  • Patent number: 10029329
    Abstract: A pressure welding device (1), especially a friction welding device, holds workpiece parts (2, 4) in clamping devices (6, 7) and axially moves the workpieces towards each other by means of a feed device (21). The pressure welding device (1) has a measuring device (8, 13), measuring in a contactless manner. The measuring device detects the surface condition and/or the concentricity and/or true running and/or the axial runout and/or radial runout in a front welding region (3, 5) of a workpiece part (2, 4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Büchler, Otmar Honsberg
  • Patent number: 10016894
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot in at least one pose of the robot wherein the robot can be operated in either a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. In the second mode of operation the robot can be moved by manually applying a guiding force to the robot. The method includes determining a distance of a state variable of the robot from a first limit and then triggering a safety response when the distance satisfies a first condition and the robot is operating in the first mode of operation. When the robot is operating in the second mode of operation and the distance satisfies the first condition, the method includes not triggering the safety response, and motorically applying a positioning force to the robot in dependence on the determined distance so that the distance can be reduced when the robot is unobstructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Hietmann, Marc-Walter Ueberle, Christian Hartmann, Richard Schwarz, Richard Rudolf
  • Patent number: 10016895
    Abstract: A method for determining a response time of a brake of at least one assigned axis of a multi-axis machine includes actuating the axis, switching the brake, and determining a response time between a switching point in time and a response point in time at which a motion state of the axis changes. The method may further include opposing actuation of the axis while the brake is closed, and detecting a mechanical play between opposing maximum deflections of the axis. A method of operating or monitoring a multi-axis machine includes determining a response time and/or detecting mechanical play, and operating the machine or triggering a fault response based on the response time or mechanical play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Karsten Monreal, Carsten Angeli
  • Patent number: 10010969
    Abstract: A method for friction welding, the method comprising: locating a first workpiece in a recess or aperture of a first tool; bringing a weld face of the first and a weld face of a second workpiece into frictional engagement; and moving the first tool and the second workpiece relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Kuka Systems UK Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Reed, Frederick John Harris, John Searle
  • Patent number: 10011021
    Abstract: A gripping device, which is provided, in particular, as an effector for an industrial robot comprises first and second clamping jaws, which are arranged so as to be moveable relative towards each other in order to grasp a workpiece. The first clamping jaw is provided with a tongue projection and the second clamping jaw with a corresponding groove, which at least partially accommodates the tongue projection in the state in which the clamping jaws are moved towards each other in order to prevent objects or body parts from being inadvertently inserted into the space between the clamping jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Julian Stockschlaeder, Zafer Bozada, Tuncay Maris
  • Publication number: 20180178383
    Abstract: A method for moving along a predetermined path with a robot in an at least a partially automated manner includes determining a deployment position on a current path section of the predetermined path for which a distance parameter satisfies a predetermined condition, and moving to the deployment position with the robot. In one aspect, the robot may be moved to the deployment position if a deployment condition is satisfied. The distance parameter may be determined on the basis of a distance of a current position of the robot relative to the current path section. The predetermined condition may be that the distance parameter has a value that is less than or equal to the values of the distance parameter of all positions in a partial area of the current path section, which is in particular complementary to the deployment position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicants: KUKA Roboter GmbH, KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Burkhart, Andreas Hagenauer, Manfred Huettenhofer, Robert Schreittmiller
  • Patent number: 10007837
    Abstract: A method for identifying a manipulator by means of a portable terminal device, wherein the portable terminal device comprises a 3D camera. The method operates to detect a three-dimensional image of at least one part of the manipulator to be identified by means of the 3D camera of the portable terminal device. An actual status of the manipulator is determined based on the three-dimensional image detected. The 3D camera is a plenoptic camera, and the detected three-dimensional image comprises a four-dimensional light field of at least one part of the manipulator to be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Hietmann
  • Patent number: 10005185
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for controlling a robot, which non-simultaneously shares a working space with another robot. On the basis of a determined residual period, in which the working space remains occupied, the path planning of a robot is adjusted in a cycle time-optimized manner, in order to avoid a deceleration at the working space limit and a wait for the working space to be vacated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Bettina Pfaff, Thomas Neff, Marcus Hansen, Michael Wolf, Christian Fremuth-Paeger, Thomas Heinrich
  • Publication number: 20180169871
    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: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Melina NASRADINI, Vladimir KURMYSHKIN, Stefan KARLINGER, Jürgen HEITZ, Frank ROHÉ
  • Patent number: D827686
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Weber