Patents by Inventor Paul THORWARTH

Paul THORWARTH 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: 11203090
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Patent number: 11110557
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20200324378
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Patent number: 10744605
    Abstract: An automatic manufacturing device for vehicle body parts includes at least one program-controlled manufacturing means and a processing zone (configured to sequentially receive at least two different load accepting means. A detection device detects a type designation of one of the load accepting means, and a control device ascertains the type of the load accepting means on the basis of the detected type designation. The control device then and selects and executes a control program for the manufacturing means on the basis of the ascertained type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Patent number: 10696339
    Abstract: A manufacturing plant (1) includes a plurality of mutually uniform modular manufacturing stations (2) which are arranged in a station matrix (5) and are interlinked for conveying by a conveyor device (16) and a path network (17). The manufacturing stations (2) are modular and include a plurality of integrated manufacturing cells (7,8) and each has its own process area (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20200016706
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: KUKA SYSTEMS GmbH
    Inventor: Paul THORWARTH
  • Patent number: 10427255
    Abstract: A production plant for vehicle body components includes a production area with a plurality of automatic program-controlled production devices and a provision for workpieces. The production plant further includes a provision for various application-specific tools and a conveying device that flexibly connects the production devices to one another and to the external provisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Patent number: 10392063
    Abstract: A manufacturing plant (1), for workpieces (29), includes a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) and a conveying system (9) for conveying the workpieces within the manufacturing plant (1) and between the manufacturing stations (2 to 5). Mobile automatic conveying devices (13, 14, 15) travel on a conveying path network (11) of a plurality of interlinked conveying paths (10) intersecting each other. The conveying paths (10) are connected to a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) arranged in a station matrix (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20180354083
    Abstract: An automatic manufacturing device and a manufacturing method for workpieces, in particular for bodywork components, which has at least one program-controlled manufacturing means and a working point. Arranged in the manufacturing device is a conveying path for a conveying means having a load-receiving means for a workpiece and/or for a tool. The path extends through the manufacturing device and through the working point, wherein, at the working point, a storage carrier for a workpiece is arranged at a vertical distance from the conveying path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20180036845
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic manufacturing device (18-22) for vehicle body parts (2, 2?), comprising at least one program-controlled manufacturing means (28, 29) and a processing zone (26) designed to sequentially receive at least two different load accepting means (6). A detection device (36) detects a type designation (37) of one of the load accepting means (6), and a control device (38) ascertains the type (A, B, C, D) of the load accepting means (6) on the basis of the detected type designation (37) and selects and executes a control program (40) for the manufacturing means (28, 29) on the basis of the ascertained type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: KUKA Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20180029178
    Abstract: The invention relates to a production plant (1) for vehicle body components (2), comprising a production area (3) with a plurality of automatic program-controlled production devices (18 to 22) and a provision (10) for workpieces (2). The production plant (1) further comprises a provision (11) for various application-specific tools (8) and a conveying device (4) which flexibly connects the production devices (18 to 22) to one another and to the external provisions (10,11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventor: Paul Thorwarth
  • Publication number: 20170015374
    Abstract: A manufacturing plant (1), for workpieces (29), includes a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) and a conveying system (9) for conveying the workpieces within the manufacturing plant (1) and between the manufacturing stations (2 to 5). Mobile automatic conveying devices (13, 14, 15) travel on a conveying path network (11) of a plurality of interlinked conveying paths (10) intersecting each other. The conveying paths (10) are connected to a plurality of manufacturing stations (2 to 5) arranged in a station matrix (8).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventor: Paul THORWARTH
  • Publication number: 20170015373
    Abstract: A manufacturing plant (1) includes a plurality of mutually uniform modular manufacturing stations (2) which are arranged in a station matrix (5) and are interlinked for conveying by a conveyor device (16) and a path network (17). The manufacturing stations (2) are modular and include a plurality of integrated manufacturing cells (7,8) and each has its own process area (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventor: Paul THORWARTH