The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 19, 2018
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2014
The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
David Michael Bain, Ashburton, AU;
Phillip John Crothers, Hampton East, AU;
Ashleigh Raoul Nesbit, Williamstown, AU;
THE BOEING COMPANY, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A base assembly for coupling an end effector to a structure includes a first side and an opposite second side. The first side configured to couple to the end effector. The base assembly also includes at least one cavity disposed on the second side, and at least one pneumatic generator coupled in flow communication with the at least one cavity. The at least one pneumatic generator is operable in a suction mode and a blower mode. The second side having the at least one cavity is securely coupleable to a surface of the structure via a vacuum force induced by the at least one pneumatic generator in the suction mode, and the second side having the at least one cavity is movable substantially frictionlessly across the surface via an air cushion induced by the at least one pneumatic generator in the blower mode.