Patents Assigned to Kuka
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Patent number: 11279047Abstract: A robot arm with a robot-hand drive device, which has at least three electric motors arranged in an arm boom of the robot arm for driving a multi-axis robot hand of the arm boom, each electric motor having an electric rotor, each of which has a motor shaft. The at least three electric motors are arranged in the interior of a common housing cylinder block, in such a way that each rotor lies in a separate cylinder sector of the housing cylinder block, more specifically with its respective motor shaft running parallel to the center axis of the housing cylinder block, said axis running longitudinally along the arm boom.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2018Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Moritz Zasche
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Patent number: 11267133Abstract: A robot arm has a transmission output-side mating running surface on which a dynamic contact seal that seals off the transmission casing in a lubricant-tight manner is seated. A gap is determined by a main bearing arrangement between an upstream link and a downstream link, to which an output flange of a joint torque sensor is coupled, is sealed off by means of a further dynamic seal, with the objective of increasing the accuracy of the torque measurement by optimizing the secondary force flows.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Matthias Fürstenberger, Moritz Zasche, Bernhard Koegl, Rainer Krumbacher, Michael Marquart
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Patent number: 11260527Abstract: A method for controlling a robot includes applying a setpoint force to a contact point; measuring a contact stiffness at the contact point; and slowing down the moving robot using its drives and/or braking the robot to apply the setpoint force to the contact point by the slowing down and/or slowed down robot depending on the measured contact stiffness, wherein the robot is slowed down before the setpoint force is reached.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Yevgen Kogan
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Patent number: 11221632Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 20, 2017Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Moritz Martens, Tabea Grams
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Patent number: 11215989Abstract: A method for monitoring a robot includes monitoring a safety condition and operating the robot in a limitation operating mode for as long as the monitored safety condition is not fulfilled. A deceleration of the robot is commanded and monitored in the limitation operating mode for as long as the robot exceeds a velocity limit.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2018Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Uwe Bonin
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Patent number: 11207784Abstract: A hand-held robot operating device combination has: an autonomous safety-related basic control device that includes a housing, a safety-relevant switching means on the housing, and a communication device for connecting the autonomous safety-related basic control device for control purposes to a controller of a robot; an autonomous mobile terminal that includes a terminal controller and at least one terminal position sensor designed to sense positional data in respect of the autonomous mobile terminal in at least one of the degrees of freedom thereof; and a holder designed to mechanically connect the autonomous safety-related basic control device to the autonomous mobile terminal in a manually detachable combined arrangement so as to form the hand-held robot operating device combination; the autonomous safety-related basic control device includes at least one basic-control position sensor which is designed to sense positional data in respect of the autonomous safety-related basic control device in at least oneType: GrantFiled: June 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Yevgen Kogan
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Patent number: 11203090Abstract: An automatic manufacturing station (3) and a manufacturing process for workpieces (2), in particular for vehicle body parts, has a manufacturing area (4) with a plurality of program-controlled manufacturing robots (9). The workpieces (2) are externally fed to the manufacturing station (3) on production load carriers (8). The manufacturing station (3) also has a plurality of work stations (10, 11, 12, 13). A station-bound transport device (15) transports the production load carriers (8) within the manufacturing station (3).Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2018Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GmbHInventor: Paul Thorwarth
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Patent number: 11185995Abstract: A robot gripper includes a first gripper finger and at least one second gripper finger, a gripper main body, a base element mounted for rotation about a first rotational axis relative to the gripper main body by a first rotary joint, and an intermediate element mounted for rotation relative to the base element by a second rotary joint. The gripper further includes a finger carrier carrying the first gripper finger and mounted for rotation relative to the intermediate element by a third rotary joint, namely about a third rotational axis, and a drive device that is separate from the first, second, and third rotary joints. The drive device is supported against the gripper main body and is configured to adjust the finger carrier relative to the second gripper finger with a drive force that is introduced into the finger carrier by the drive device.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2017Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Sven Brudniok
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Publication number: 20210323169Abstract: The invention relates to a robot arm (2), having a plurality of joints (5) and a plurality of links (4), which each connect two adjacent joints (5) to one another, wherein at least one of said links (4) has a human-machine interface (6), comprising at least one display means (7, 7.2), which is designed to display at least one system state of the robot arm (2) and/or of a control device (3) connected in terms of control technology to the robot arm (2), and comprising at least one input means (8), which is designed to supply at least one manual input via the human-machine interface (6) to the robot arm (2) and/or to a control device (3) connected in terms of control technology to the robot arm (2), wherein the at least one input means (8) comprises a tactile sensor surface (8.1) arranged on an outer casing wall (M) of the link (4) and the at least one display means (7, 7.2) comprises a display surface (7.1) superimposed on the tactile sensor surface (8.1).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2019Publication date: October 21, 2021Applicant: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Dietmar Tscharnuter
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Patent number: 11117260Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a plurality of mobile driverless manipulator systems (10, 20), in particular driverless transport vehicles in a logistics environment (40) for manipulating objects (30). In the method, ambient information is provided by a central control device (50), and in one step, an object to be moved (30) in the surroundings is detected. The position and the pose of the detected object are used for updating the ambient information and are taken into account in the path planning of the mobile driverless manipulator systems (10, 20) in that, prior to a movement of the detected object (30), a first mobile driverless manipulator system (10) is used to check whether the detected object (30) is needed for the orientation of a second mobile driverless manipulator system (20).Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Rainer Kümmerte, Patrick Pfaff
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Patent number: 11110557Abstract: A manufacturing station and a manufacturing process for workpieces, in particular car body parts. The manufacturing station includes a processing area having a working point and a processing apparatus. A security partition surrounds the processing area and has a secure access point for workpiece transport. The manufacturing station further includes an automatic loading apparatus with loading robots. The loading apparatus loads and unloads workpieces onto and off a conveyor and transports the workpieces into and out of the processing area. The automatic and multifunctional loading apparatus is arranged, together with a workpiece support, inside the security partition, wherein the workpiece support is arranged within the working area of the loading robots. A loading robot provides workpieces and carries out a setting-up procedure.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2017Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbHInventor: Paul Thorwarth
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Patent number: 11077560Abstract: 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 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: GrantFiled: November 29, 2016Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbHInventor: Yevgen Kogan
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Patent number: 11065770Abstract: The present invention relates to an operating device for controlling or programming a manipulator. The manipulator has a plurality of degrees of freedom which are independent of each other. The operating device comprises a manual control lever which is configured to specify at least one two-dimensional movement of the manipulator. Preferably, the manual control lever is a joystick. The operating device also comprises an information display which is allocated to the manual control lever and comprises a plurality of independently controllable display segments. The operating device further comprises a control device which is configured to individually control the display segments of the information display.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Martin Riedel
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Patent number: 11065766Abstract: The invention relates to a method for correcting errors in a manipulator system, wherein the manipulator system comprises at least one manipulator and is controlled by means of at least one manipulator program, wherein the method comprises the following method steps: ?providing at least one manipulator program, wherein the manipulator program comprises several operations; ?combining at least two of the operations to form at least one operation structure; ?defining at least one placement point (AP1, AP2), wherein the at least one placement point (AP1, AP2) forms the start andor the end of an operation structure (310); ?providing at least one reaction structure (320) and assigning the reaction structure (320) to an operation structure (310), wherein tlte at least one reaction structure (320) contains reaction operations (R1 to Rn), upon the execution of which, the manipulator program controls the manipulator system such that it is passed into a system state which corresponds to a placement point (AP1, AP2); ?exType: GrantFiled: November 9, 2016Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Andreas Sedlmayr
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Patent number: 11048240Abstract: The invention relates to a safety device (5) and a safety method for a production station (2) for vehicle body parts (4), and for a conveying means (18) moving into and out of the production station (2) for transporting the workpieces into and out of the production station (2). The production station (2) and the conveying means (18) each have their own controller (13, 21) and their own security circuit (22, 23), wherein the security device (5) connects the security circuits (22, 23) of the production station (2) and of the conveying means (18) located in the production station (2). The security device (5) influences and thereby changes a protection region (29) of a protection device (27) of an intrinsically secure conveying means (18) when moving in and out and within the production station (2).Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbHInventors: Tobias Zimmermann, Luca Leocata
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Patent number: 10987817Abstract: The invention relates to an industrial robot (1) having a robot arm (2) with a plurality of axes (9, 10) designed for a high payload and having a weight equalization system (12) based on gas for at least one of the axes (9), whose pressurized components (13-15) each have a volume of less than 1 liter and a maximum pressure of less than 1000 bar.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2010Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Albert Bayer, Gunther Merk
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Patent number: 10953546Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 18, 2018Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Karsten Monreal, Carsten Angeli
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Patent number: 10953489Abstract: A set of fittings for an FSW tool (friction-stir-welding tool) includes an adapter that can be inserted into a tool-receiving element and is designed to receive a welding rod, and a shoulder cap that includes a through-opening for the welding rod and the adapter. The shoulder cap includes a welding shoulder region adjacent to the through-opening on the outer surface. The adapter can be rotated in relation to the shoulder cap, about a longitudinal axis extending concentrically to the through-opening. The inner contour of the through-opening and a radial outer contour of the adapter have a conical shape at least on the end facing the welding point. In this way, a conical annular gap is created between the adapter and the shoulder cap, the width of which is adjustable by positioning the adapter along the longitudinal axis.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2017Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Stefan Fröhlke, Stefan Habersetzer, Bernd Richter
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Patent number: 10940590Abstract: A method for calibrating a system with a conveying apparatus and at least a first robot includes determining the positions of at least three measuring points of a first component transported by the conveying apparatus in a first transport position using the first robot. The method further includes determining the position of at least one of the measuring points in a second transport position using the first robot, or determining the positions of at least two of the measuring points of the component in a third transport position and the position of at least one other measuring point in the third transport position or at least one of these measuring points in a fourth transport position using at least one second robot.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2016Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventors: Thomas Purrucker, Robert Miller, Ralf Mittmann, Daniele Sagnotti, Manuela Hauschild, Benno Eichner, Stephan Clair, Felix Lückert, Markus Hager, Maximilian Lindner
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Patent number: D928210Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbHInventor: Rainer Graessle