US 12,186,886 B2
Welding robot for repairing a surface defect in a press platen surface while placed in a press at operating temperature
Joel Sullivan, Porters Lake (CA)
Appl. No. 17/287,328
Filed by Joel Sullivan, Porters Lake (CA)
PCT Filed Oct. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/CA2019/000147
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 21, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/082156, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. CA 3022263 (CA), filed on Oct. 26, 2018; and application No. CA 3035995 (CA), filed on Mar. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0354308 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B23K 37/02 (2006.01); B23P 6/00 (2006.01); B25J 5/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 18/02 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01); B25J 19/02 (2006.01); B25J 19/04 (2006.01); G05B 19/19 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 11/0065 (2013.01) [B23K 37/0282 (2013.01); B23P 6/00 (2013.01); B25J 5/007 (2013.01); B25J 9/0084 (2013.01); B25J 18/025 (2013.01); B25J 19/0054 (2013.01); B25J 19/023 (2013.01); B25J 19/04 (2013.01); G05B 19/19 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45104 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A welding robot adapted for operating in the space between an upper and a lower platen of a press comprising:
a support frame;
a welding tool movable mounted to the support frame;
a grinding tool movable mounted to the support frame;
at least a camera adapted for capturing a view of a working area;
at least two light sources disposed such that light emitted from the light sources is hitting the working area at different angles, the light sources being adapted for emitting light successively or for emitting light of different primary colours for enabling determination of height or depth of a defect; and,
a processor adapted for executing executable commands stored in a storage medium connected thereto, the processor when executing the commands performing:
identifying defects on a surface of one of the upper and the lower platen based on image data received from the at least the camera;
determining height or depth of the defects by processing the image data using stereophotogrammetry, the image data being indicative of the working area being illuminated from the at least two light sources; and,
controlling the welding tool and the grinding tool in dependence on the image data; a housing made of a heat protecting sheet material disposed on an outside of the support frame;
one or more arms extending from the housing; and,
a pressurized air-cooling system for distributing pressurized air for cooling within the housing and the one or more arms, wherein the housing and the air-cooling system are adapted for enabling operation of the welding robot in a temperature range of 200° C.-250° C.