Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-07
2001-09-25
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S097100, C015S099000, C015S308000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292976
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a device used to clean, prime or otherwise prepare a surface onto which a gasket, adhesive or other bonding agent is to be applied. More particularly, the present invention relates to a robotic arm end effector which is used to prepare such a surface having complex geometry.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of gaskets, adhesives and other types of bonding agents to provide a sealed interface between two mating components, as well as to adhere one component to another component is well known. In the industry such materials (referred to hereinafter collectively as gaskets) are widely used for a variety of purposes. Common uses for gaskets in the automotive industry include effecting a seal between components such as the transmission case and the transmission pan or an engine block and oil pan, rocker cover or similar covers. Other purposes may include the use of gasket-type adhesives to secure automobile glass.
In certain of these applications the gasket is applied to one of the components by forming the gasket directly on the component prior to assembly. This technique is known as formed-in- place (FIP) gasketing. Prior to forming a gasket in place, it is desirable to clean, prime or otherwise prepare the flange surface onto which the gasket is applied where the surface contains contaminants or where it is necessary to increase surface reactivity. This is particularly necessary in manufacturing assembly situations where the part may be coated or exposed to oils, greases, transmission fluids and the like which are used as part of the assembly operation. In one example, the art has seen the use of various robotically controlled devices to clean or prime automotive windshield glass. These robotic machines apply a cleaning fluid or along a path traced by the robotic machine over the component surface. The robotic machine also provides a wiping device, such as a felt strip, which follows the applied fluid to wipe the fluid along the traced path. These robotically controlled cleaning devices serve adequately where the surface is of relatively simple geometry such as that found with automobile glass. With complex parts, such as for example, the flange on a transmission, existing robotically controlled cleaning devices cannot take advantage of the full range of motion of the robot due to their size and configuration. Many of these devices rely on “drip and drag” technology where the solvent is applied at a location spaced 2-2½ inches from the felt. These existing devices can not adequately clean complex surfaces where the device is required to make many turns and thus cannot accurately traverse the path onto which the gasket must be applied. This may result in incomplete cleaning of the surface and resultant poor adhesion of the subsequently applied gasket on the surface.
Furthermore, in certain assembly situations, the cleaning device must remove a significant amount of surface contaminants. For example, in the application of gasketing in an automatic transmission situation, the cleaning device must remove residual automatic transmission fluid which drains out onto the flange surface in test operations. As may be appreciated, the wiping felt thus absorbs the automatic transmission fluid. In order to effectively clean the entire surface, it is necessary to present clean felt to the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning device must therefore permit continuous feeding of clean felt to the head of the device to assure complete cleaning of the surface being traversed.
Existing heads have limited felt storage capacity. Furthermore, even where a supply of additional felt is provided, the existing heads do not accurately or continually advance the felt so as to present a continuous clean felt portion in contact with the surface to be cleaned.
It is therefore desirable to provide a device which will effectively clean a flange or mating surface in a continuous automated fashion where the surface to be cleaned has complex geometry and may include varying degrees of localized contaminants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved device for cleaning, priming or preparing a flange or mating surface. The device provides for a continuous advancement and escapement of felt material under tension from a remote supply to a remote collection container.
An improved end effector of the present invention deposits a cleaning fluid directly on the felt so that the fluid-wetted felt wipes fluid on the flange surface. In advance of the fluid-wetted felt contacting the flange surface, a squeegee pre-cleans the surface. After application of the cleaning fluid-wetted felt to the surface, an air knife force-flashes off the cleaning fluid.
The end effector is biased so as to provide constant pressure against the flange surface to assure continuous uniform wiping of the fluid-wetted felt across the flange surface. Movement of the end effector by the robotic arm as well as advancement of the felt, application of cleaning fluid, and pressure sensing is controlled and monitored by a preprogrammed numeric controller.
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patent: 4982469 (1991-01-01), Nishiwaki
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patent: 5542143 (1996-08-01), Jem-Yuan
patent: 5901405 (1999-05-01), Tani
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patent: 0 391 340 A1 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 2290463 A (1992-11-01), None
patent: WO 98/30423 (1998-07-01), None
Kurcz Timothy J.
Moore Steven C.
Hoffman & Baron LLP
Loctite Corporation
Moore Chris K.
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