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:
Jul. 30, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2000
Hadi A. Akeel, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Fanuc Robotics North America, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for compliant positioning of an object during an assembly operation wherein the apparatus includes a base plate, a locator plate for mounting an object such as a clamp or a tool spaced from the base plate and a plurality of linear actuators connected between the base plate the locator plate by universal joints providing six degrees of freedom of movement. According to the apparatus and the method a control is connected to the actuators for selectively moving the locator plate to a predetermined position relative to the base plate for contacting a component to be assembled with an object mounted on the locator plate. Tow or more of the actuators can be mechanically coupled to move the locator plate with less than six degrees of freedom. The control is responsive to a force applied to the locator plate through the object during assembly of the component for actuating the linear actuators to change the applied force.