Patents by Inventor Keith Mink

Keith Mink has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10191471
    Abstract: A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink
  • Publication number: 20170220027
    Abstract: A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink
  • Patent number: 9658612
    Abstract: A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink
  • Patent number: 9618410
    Abstract: A check fixture measures a total clamp force applied by a welder device. The welder device includes a welding horn having a plurality of weld pads and welding anvil having a plurality of weld pads. The check fixture includes a base member operatively supporting a plurality of force sensors. The base member and the force sensors are received between the weld pads of the welding horn and the anvil pads of the welding anvil. Each force sensor is configured to measure an individual clamp force applied thereto by corresponding weld and anvil pads when the base member is received between the welding horn and the welding anvil and the welder device is in the clamped position. The individual clamp forces are used to determine whether the weld and/or anvil pads are worn or misaligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink
  • Publication number: 20150168942
    Abstract: A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink
  • Publication number: 20150165673
    Abstract: A check fixture measures a total clamp force applied by a welder device. The welder device includes a welding horn having a plurality of weld pads and welding anvil having a plurality of weld pads. The check fixture includes a base member operatively supporting a plurality of force sensors. The base member and the force sensors are received between the weld pads of the welding horn and the anvil pads of the welding anvil. Each force sensor is configured to measure an individual clamp force applied thereto by corresponding weld and anvil pads when the base member is received between the welding horn and the welding anvil and the welder device is in the clamped position. The individual clamp forces are used to determine whether the weld and/or anvil pads are worn or misaligned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: John Patrick Spicer, Wayne W. Cai, Debejyo Chakraborty, Keith Mink