Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J15/00—Gripping heads and other end effectors
  • B25J15/0047—Gripping heads and other end effectors for internally gripping hollow or recessed objects
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J15/00—Gripping heads and other end effectors
  • B25J15/0023—Gripper surfaces directly activated by a fluid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J15/00—Gripping heads and other end effectors
  • B25J15/0052—Gripping heads and other end effectors multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
  • B25J15/0061—Gripping heads and other end effectors multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors mounted on a modular gripping structure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
  • B29D24/00—Producing articles with hollow walls
  • B29D24/002—Producing articles with hollow walls formed with structures, e.g. cores placed between two plates or sheets, e.g. partially filled
  • B29D24/005—Producing articles with hollow walls formed with structures, e.g. cores placed between two plates or sheets, e.g. partially filled the structure having joined ribs, e.g. honeycomb
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
  • B29C70/04—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts comprising reinforcements only, e.g. self-reinforcing plastics
  • B29C70/28—Shaping operations therefor
  • B29C70/30—Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
  • B29C70/38—Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
  • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
  • B29L2031/60—Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb
  • B29L2031/608—Honeycomb structures

Definitions

• TITLE Gripper, in particular for applying a honeycomb part to a target surface and automaton provided with such a gripper
• the present invention relates to the gripping or manipulation of parts and in particular the gripping and depositing of parts on a target surface during the manufacture of composite parts.
• the invention relates more particularly to a gripper for gripping and depositing honeycomb parts on a target surface during the manufacture of composite parts.
• a gripper of an automatic draping machine called “pick and place” is conventionally constituted by an effector mounted on a carrier which comprises for example a robotic arm, or which is controlled by a numerically controlled machine or a PLC.
• automatons comprising pneumatic grippers capable of gripping a patch by suction by creating a depression which allows the patch to press against the gripper until ' ensure that the gripper is positioned facing the part on which the patch must be positioned.
• the patch is then pressed and lightly compacted against the part, the depression is stopped and the gripper withdraws, leaving the patch on the target surface to be draped.
• the patch is, for example, an adhesive.
• the automaton is programmed so as to carry out successive phases of gripping patches and depositing the patches on a target surface.
• the aim of the invention is therefore to propose a gripper which is particularly suitable for gripping and depositing honeycomb parts on a target surface.
• the subject of the invention is therefore a gripper for gripping a honeycomb part and depositing the part on a target surface, comprising gripping elements mounted on a support and each intended to be inserted into a cell internal part of the honeycomb part, said gripping elements comprising a gripping surface movable laterally relative to the support so as to come into contact with a side wall element of the internal cell.
• the gripping surface can be moved laterally during the gripping phase until the phase of depositing the part, so as to hold the part by pressure of the gripping element against the wall element of the cell. the honeycomb piece.
• the gripping elements include a set of laterally movable tips.
• the gripping elements can also be movable relative to the support so as to adapt to the shape of the part.
• the gripper comprises a set of point-shaped gripping elements each provided with an internal passage opening axially and an inflatable bladder disposed in the internal passage and capable of deforming laterally, by inflation , outside the tip.
• the gripper comprises a set of gripping elements each comprising a pair of points articulated by one of their ends and a control element acting on the pair of points so as to spread them laterally in an internal cell of the room.
• the gripper may, in another embodiment, comprise a bladder which is deformable under the action of a differential pressure applied between the bladder and the honeycomb part so as to press the bladder laterally against the wall element of internal cells of the room.
• FIG 12 illustrates alternative embodiments of a gripper according to the invention.
• FIG 13], [Fig 14], [Fig 15] and [Fig 16] illustrate another aspect of the gripper according to the invention.
• the gripper is thus capable of adapting to any type of internal cell, in particular hexagonal or trapezoidal, whatever their dimension, and to any type of part, whatever their format, geometry, mass, or material.
• the pieces can in particular, for example, measure less than 0.10 m on a side or, on the contrary, measure up to at least 1 meter on a side, or even be flat or in volume.
• the automaton is generally programmed to control the movement and operation of the gripper so that, during a first step, illustrated in Figure 4, it grasps a honeycomb part P on a provisioning device 5, for example, a supply table, conveyor belt or drawer system; so that, during a second step, illustrated in Figure 5, the wearer moves the gripper to a target surface 6; and so that, during a third step not shown, the carrier withdraws and part P is detached from gripper 2.
• a provisioning device 5 for example, a supply table, conveyor belt or drawer system
• the gripper includes gripping elements which are provided with a laterally movable gripping surface so as to laterally engage a wall element of a cell of the honeycomb.
• the gripper comprises a rigid support 10 and a set of points such as 1 1 mounted on the support 10 and extending projecting from one of the faces of the support intended to be applied against the honeycomb piece.
• the tips 1 1 are each intended to be inserted into a cell C of the part P. They have for example, for this purpose, a round section of suitable dimensions to be able to be inserted into a cell, whatever its shape, notably hexagonal or trapezoidal.
• the tips 11 are mounted movably laterally, that is to say in a direction parallel to the plane of the support 10 and comprise a gripping surface constituted by the external peripheral surface of the tips.
• the points 1 1 can be moved laterally (arrow F) until they come to bear by their peripheral surface against an element 12 of the wall of a cell C so as to apply a friction force against this wall sufficient to hold the honeycomb piece P on the gripper and allow it to be gripped.
• the tips 1 1 are chosen so as to be shorter than the thickness of the honeycomb, so as to prevent them from coming into contact with the target surface on which the honeycomb must be deposited to avoid altering it.
• the support 10 can include any number of such points, these points being able to be distributed on the support depending on the configuration of the part to be gripped.
• the points 11 can also be movable depending on the shape of the part to be gripped. In other words, they can be locally retracted, elongated or oriented so as to adapt to the shape of the part to be gripped, in particular to the locally concave, convex or hollow conformation of the part, or to adapt to the shape of the target surface.
• the gripper can be equipped with a set of rods lia each equipped with a cylinder and preferably equipped with an articulation, at the end of which is mounted a device for gripping device similar to the arrangement illustrated in Figure 7 and comprising a support 1 1b on which points 1 1 c are distributed.
• the gripping elements are made in the form of fixed hollow points 14 mounted on the fixed support 10. These points 14 are provided with an internal passage 15 opening out by the free end of the points and connected at the opposite end 16 to a source of pressurized air (not shown), an inflatable bladder 17 which constitutes the gripping surface of the gripping elements being arranged in the internal passage being connected to the source of pressurized air.
• the inflatable bladders are inflated after insertion of the fixed tips 14 into the cells C of the honeycomb and deform laterally outside the hollow tip until they are pressed against the peripheral wall of the cells of the honeycomb. honeycomb (figure 9c). It will be noted that this embodiment can be combined with the embodiment described previously with reference to Figures 6a, 6b, 6c and 7, the points 14 also being able to be moved laterally in order to improve the pressing of the inflatable bladders against the peripheral surface honeycomb cells.
• the tips 14 have a section of suitable dimensions and shape to penetrate the cells of the honeycomb. Their length is chosen to prevent them from coming into contact with the target surface in order to avoid altering it.
• the gripping elements which are also intended to be inserted into the cells of the honeycomb, each comprise, for each cell of the honeycomb, a pair of points 18 and 19 each articulated on an axial rod 20 around an axis perpendicular to the general axis of the cells.
• the tips 18 and 19 thus have a first free end by which they are inserted into a cell of the honeycomb and an opposite end by which they are articulated on the rod 20.
• the gripping elements further comprise a control element 21 configured to exert a force on the points 18 and 19 so as to spread them against an element of the peripheral wall of the cells (figure 10b).
• a control element 21 configured to exert a force on the points 18 and 19 so as to spread them against an element of the peripheral wall of the cells (figure 10b).
• the gripping element comprises a bladder 23 mounted on the support 10, this bladder comprising an active gripping surface 24 facing the part P deformable under the action of a differential pressure applied between the bladder and the cells of the honeycomb.
• the bladder is made of a sufficiently flexible material, for example silicone, in which it is possible to create a vacuum.
• a deformable material 25 can be provided on the face of the support from which the gripping elements extend, for example of the foam or silicone block type, in order to improve the pressing the honeycomb against the target surface, after the pressure applied to the gripping elements is released.
• the honeycomb part P is held thanks to the gripping elements which are movable laterally relative to the support so as to come into contact with a side wall element of an internal cell of the room.
• the gripper can be equipped with means allowing the part to be released from the gripping elements.
• the deformable material 25 as well as the gripping elements such as 1 1
• the means serving to release the part from the gripping elements comprise a release member 26 separate from the gripping elements.
• the part P is released by retracting the gripping elements so as to release them from the internal cells of the part.
• the gripping elements such as 1 1 are grouped on support plates 28 in housings 29 made in the deforming material 25 under the action of cylinders or any other type of pneumatic actuator, hydraulic, electrical or mechanical.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Catalysts (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=82019928

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Family Cites Families (14)

• 2022
  • 2022-03-15 FR FR2202242A patent/FR3133553A1/fr active Pending
• 2023
  • 2023-03-09 US US18/840,276 patent/US20250187204A1/en active Pending
  • 2023-03-09 WO PCT/FR2023/050318 patent/WO2023175259A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2023-03-09 EP EP23713718.7A patent/EP4493364A1/de active Pending

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