Patents Assigned to Kuka
  • Publication number: 20160193735
    Abstract: A robotic arm of an industrial robot includes successive links connected by joints having respective drives and associated transmissions for moving the links. First and second links have respective first and second housings that transfer forces and moments arising from the weight of the robotic arm, or a load carried by the arm, to adjacent links. A first drive rotatably connecting the first and second links includes a drive housing, a rotor, and a stator connected to the drive housing. The drive housing is fastened to the first housing of the first link and forms an external wall of the robotic arm. The transmission associated with the first drive includes an input link that is joined with the rotor of the first drive. An output of the first drive is connected to a flange that is fastened to the second housing and rotatable relative to the drive housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: KUKA ROBOTER GMBH
    Inventor: Rainer Krumbacher
  • Patent number: 9346175
    Abstract: An industrial robot includes a robot arm having multiple connecting links connected by joints, wherein at least two adjacent connecting links are connected by a swivel joint and can be adjusted by a motor. A mechanical stop device defines a maximum rotatable adjustment angle between the adjacent links and includes a stop projection connected to one of the two adjacent connecting links, an engaging piece connected to the other one of the two adjacent connecting links, and a trailing stop which can be adjusted by the engaging piece. The trailing stop comprises a trailing stop body and an annular body which is connected with the trailing stop body and which is pivoted in an annular groove in an inner wall of a housing component of one of the two adjacent connecting links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Krumbacher, Franz Liebl, Christoph Groll
  • Patent number: 9339934
    Abstract: A method for manually guided adjustment of the pose of a manipulator arm of an industrial robot includes detecting a guidance force applied to the manipulator arm by an operator of the industrial robot, determining one of at least two degrees-of-freedom of a reference coordinate system as a selected freedom direction, wherein the selected freedom direction corresponds to the degree-of-freedom in which the guidance force has its greatest force vector component, and controlling the drives of the industrial robot using force control in such a manner that a pre-specified reference point associated with the manipulator arm is moved only in the selected freedom direction as a result of movement of the manipulator arm by an operator during a manually-guided adjustment of the pose of the manipulator arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen Kogan
  • Patent number: 9331600
    Abstract: An electronic power circuit, electrical machine and a method for verifying the functionality of an electronic power circuit. The invention relates to an electronic power circuit, an electrical machine with the electronic power circuit and a method for verifying the functionality of the electronic power circuit. The electronic power circuit comprises a power unit with at least one power semi-conductor switch, which is equipped to generate a pulsed electrical voltage for an electrical consumer from an electrical voltage on the basis of an alternating powering on and off of the at least one power semiconductor switch, and control electronics equipped to control the power semiconductor switch for the alternating powering on and off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Langhans, Sebastian Zehetbauer
  • Patent number: 9329092
    Abstract: The invention concerns an industrial robot and a method to determine a torque having an effect on a limb of the robotic arm. The robotic arm has several sequentially arranged limbs, of which a first limb is stored relative to a second limb of the limbs on an axis of rotation, and using a stationary motor relative to the second limb and a gearbox connected to the motor, is rotatable around the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Nitz, Michael Thummel
  • Patent number: 9321174
    Abstract: A manipulator configuration according to the invention comprises at least one manipulator and at least one control device and features a mechanical energy storage device, which is configured for storing mechanical energy of at least one manipulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Roth, Michael Ruf
  • Patent number: 9317032
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a robot (R), and a correspondingly set-up robot. The robot (R) has a robot arm (M) having a plurality of members (1) following sequentially, an attaching device (3) for attaching an end effector (4, 46), and drives for moving the members (1), and a control device (S) connected to the drives. Stored in the control device (S) is a hierarchical regulating and control strategy having a plurality of differently prioritized regulating and control functionalities, and the method has the following process step: during the movement of the robot arm (M), switching over to a higher-prioritized regulating and control functionality, as soon as stable movement of the robot arm (M) by means of the higher-prioritized regulating and control functionality is possible, and an execution condition independent of the higher-prioritized regulating and control functionality is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Finkemeyer
  • Publication number: 20160075029
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for carrying out a robot-assisted measurement of measurable objects. The paths of a sensor are defined and transmitted to a robot co-ordinate system. The actual paths of the sensor guided on the robot are recorded. A plurality of measurable objects is measured, the sensor being guided with the robot along said actual paths. A compensating device makes it possible to compensate internal and/or external influences produced on the robot. The compensation stage is carried out after a determined number of measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Verl
  • Patent number: 9266238
    Abstract: Target values for position and orientation of a work point are provided in a robot program, dependent on which the program causes automatic movement of axles of the manipulator by a robot controller connected with the manipulator, to adjust a tool reference point of the manipulator. A robot base is movable via an auxiliary axle. Position values (provided by the robot program) of a planned position and orientation to be occupied by robot base for the tool reference point adjustment are automatically changed so the actual position of the robot base converges on a predetermined reference point, such as the work point or the tool reference point and the auxiliary axle is automatically moved to cause the robot base to occupy the position and orientation that correspond to the changed position values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Kuka Laboratories GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Huettenhofer
  • Patent number: 9254878
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile robot, exhibiting an omnidirectional wheeled support vehicle (1) having numerous omnidirectional wheels (13) and drives for driving the omnidirectional wheels (13), a robot arm (2), exhibiting numerous, successively disposed links (3-7) and drives for moving the links (3-7), and a positioning device (17), designed to position the robot arm (2), which can be automatically moved on the support vehicle (1), in relation to the support vehicle (1), and a drive dedicated to the positioning device (17) for moving the robot arm (2) in relation to the support vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Alois Buchstab
  • Patent number: 9250624
    Abstract: The invention relates to an industrial robot and a method for programming an industrial robot, for which the industrial robot is guided manually to a virtual surface (25) in the room, at which point the industrial robot is selected such that it cannot be guided any further manually. Next, that force (F) and/or torque acting on the industrial robot when an attempt is made to guide the industrial robot further manually is ascertained and stored, despite reaching the virtual surface (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9248876
    Abstract: An omnidirectional vehicle has a driving module and a mobile industrial robot. The omnidirectional vehicle has omnidirectional wheels and a vehicle body, on which at least one of the omnidirectional wheels is mounted by means of an individual suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Elmar Nüchter, Edmund Bahr, Heinrich Lohmüller
  • Patent number: 9244463
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automated guided vehicle and a method for operating an automated guided vehicle. Upon arriving at a destination, then the automated guided vehicle is moved, based on a comparison of signals or data assigned to the environment detected by at least one sensor with signals or data which are assigned to a target position or to a target position and orientation of the automated guided vehicle at the destination, such that the actual position or the actual position and orientation is the same as the target position or target position and orientation at least within a pre-specified tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Pfaff, Bjorn Klein, Christoph Bick
  • Patent number: 9227321
    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 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Simon Klumpp, Günter Schreiber
  • Patent number: 9230448
    Abstract: The invention concerns a flight simulator device (1, 51) for simulating the flight behavior of an aircraft. The flight simulator device (1, 51) comprises a passenger compartment (6) with an input means to accommodate at least one person (P), an omnidirectionally movable carrier vehicle (2) with several wheels (4) and with drive units for driving the wheels (4), and a control device (5) connected to the input means and the drive units of the carrier vehicle (2), which is designed to actuate the drive units of the carrier device (2) on the basis of signals coming from the input means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Alois Buchstab
  • Patent number: 9199378
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus (1; 1?) for measuring a manipulator (10), with a measuring body (2; 2?) having at least one measurement point (3; 3?) that is fixed in relation to the measuring body for determining a position (TTCP,3; TTCP,3?) relative to a reference point (TCP) that is fixed in relation to the manipulator, and an attaching device connected to the measuring body (2) for fixing on the surroundings, includes at least one calibration point (7; 7?) connected to the measuring apparatus for determining a position (TR, M; TR,M?) relative to the surroundings and/or at least one measurement point (6) positioned on the attaching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Groll, Thomas Purrucker, Dietmar Tscharnuter
  • Patent number: 9193071
    Abstract: In addition to an automatic operating mode (“AUTOMATIC”), in which protective monitoring (1) is carried out, and a set-up operating mode (“SET-UP”), in which manual control input (3, 6) is provided, a method according to the invention for controlling a robot comprises a remote access operating mode (“REMOTE ACCESS”) in which the protective monitoring (1) is carried out and manual control input (3, 5, 7) is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Hollmann
  • Patent number: 9174341
    Abstract: A screwing device (1) and a screwing method use a multi-member (12, 13, 14, 15) robot (6) having a driven rotational axis. The robot (6), on its last member (12), carries a rotational device (7) with a rotational tool (8). The rotational device is driven independently and is provided and designed for rapidly screwing a rotating part (3) on or off. The screwing tightening or untightening of the rotating part (3) is performed by the robot (6) and in particular by the robot end member (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventors: Johann Maischberger, Reinhold Neider, Albrecht Hoene
  • Publication number: 20150285644
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automated guided vehicle, a system with a computer and an automated guided vehicle, a method of planning a virtual track and a method of operating an automated guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle is to move automatically along a virtual track within an environment from a start point to an end point. The environment comprises sections connecting the start point the end point, and the intermediate point. A graph is assigned to the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: KUKA LABORATORIES GMBH
    Inventors: Patrick Pfaff, Bjorn Klein
  • Patent number: 9151645
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for testing the plausibility of output signals (u1, u2) of a resolver (21), by means of which an angular position of two elements (3-7) of a machine (R) can be determined in relation to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Hagenauer