US 12,290,885 B2
Robotic welding system
Abdolreza Abdollahi, North Vancouver (CA); Hassan Bateni, West Vancouver (CA); Soroush Karimzadeh, North Vancouver (CA); and Trevor Dunnett, North Vancouver (CA)
Assigned to NOVARC TECHNOLOGIES INC., North Vancouver (CA)
Filed by Novarc Technologies Inc., North Vancouver (CA)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/216,417.
Application 18/216,417 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/302,127, filed on Apr. 23, 2021, granted, now 11,691,228.
Application 17/302,127 is a continuation of application No. 16/866,451, filed on May 4, 2020, granted, now 11,000,922, issued on May 11, 2021.
Application 16/866,451 is a continuation of application No. 16/089,706, granted, now 10,661,396, issued on May 26, 2020, previously published as PCT/CA2017/050371, filed on Mar. 23, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/315,968, filed on Mar. 31, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 2928413 (CA), filed on Apr. 29, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0339049 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 37/02 (2006.01); B23K 9/028 (2006.01); B23K 9/16 (2006.01); B23K 37/04 (2006.01); B25J 9/04 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B23K 101/06 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 37/0229 (2013.01) [B23K 9/0286 (2013.01); B23K 9/16 (2013.01); B23K 37/0276 (2013.01); B23K 37/0282 (2013.01); B23K 37/0426 (2013.01); B25J 9/04 (2013.01); B25J 9/1682 (2013.01); B23K 2101/06 (2018.08); G05B 2219/39132 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A collaborative robotic welding system comprising:
a supporting arm for mounting on a support, the supporting arm comprising a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion rotatably coupled to the first mounting portion, the supporting arm extending vertically from the first mounting portion to the second mounting portion;
a yaw rotary actuator operably connected to the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion and configured to rotate the second mounting portion in relation to the first mounting portion about a yaw axis;
a welding arm having a rear portion comprising a third mounting portion rotatably coupled to the second mounting portion of the supporting arm, and a forward portion comprising a fourth mounting portion rotatably coupled to the third mounting portion;
a sensor assembly attached to the fourth mounting portion;
a pitch rotary actuator connected between the second mounting portion of the supporting arm and the third mounting portion and configured to rotate the third mounting portion in relation to the second mounting portion about a pitch axis generally perpendicular to the yaw axis;
a safety encoder associated with the pitch rotary actuator and mounted on or near an axle of the welding arm;
a first roll rotary actuator connected between the third mounting portion and the fourth mounting portion and configured to rotate the fourth mounting portion in relation to the third mounting portion about a first roll axis generally perpendicular to the pitch axis
a second roll rotary actuator connected between the fourth mounting portion and a torch holder shaft and configured to rotate the torch holder shaft in relation to the fourth mounting portion about a second roll axis generally perpendicular to the pitch axis, the torch holder shaft comprising a torch mounting portion at an end thereof configured for mounting a welding torch; and,
a controller operably coupled to the yaw, pitch and roll rotary actuators and the safety encoder associated with the pitch rotary actuator, and configured to control motion of the torch holder shaft to cause the welding torch to execute a welding pattern and apply safety control protocols to limit force applied by the pitch rotary actuator based on feedback from the safety encoder associated with the pitch rotary actuator.