Abstract:
The invention relates to a rotational flash guard and method of use of a rotational flash guard. In general, the flash guard is attached to a support frame by an arm, a linkage mechanism pivotally interconnects the arm and the support frame, and an extensible power member connects the support frame to the linkage mechanism. Due to the unique configuration of the rotational flash guard it is adapted for movement about a work piece positioner to allow for use of a robotic tool while providing protection to the operator and other workers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a flash barrier system, and specifically to a rotational flash guard and method of use. An operator utilizes the rotational flash guard as flash protection for the operator and the workers that would be passing by a robot when a robot is working. When the robot is finished working the rotational flash guard is then moved such that an operator may then interact with the piece that was being worked on by the robot. 
     The invention specifically improves upon traditional robotic workstations currently employed by those in the prior art. Although workstations may have some flash protection they typically do not have sufficient flash protection for the operators or workers. Traditional workstations often require additional protection supplied by an end-user as opposed to supplied by a manufacturer. 
     Several problems occur in the traditional positioner design utilizing flash protection. For example, flash protection areas may need to be manually moved into position after a work piece is put into a position for work upon by a robot. This is both time consuming for an operator and inefficient. 
     Another problem with traditional flash guard shielding is that when employing a robot used between two work stations, the flashing from a first workstation would flash to the second workstation. Thus even if a operator was to try to disengage a work piece from a work piece holder in a first workstation, the work piece in the second workstation could not be worked upon by the robot. 
     It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a flash guard that may be mechanically positioned from a loading station to a working station. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a rotational flash guard that may be rotated from a loading station to a guarding station such that when the flash guard is in the loading station the flash guard is protecting a user from flashing that may be coming from a robot operating in the second workstation. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a device which is easy to use and economical to manufacture.  
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a rotational flash guard which provides continuous protection by the flash guard as the flash guard hangs perpendicular to the floor. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new, safe design. 
     A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a rotational flash guard design that provides protection for both the operator loading or unloading parts and other workers passing by. 
     A still further objective of the present invention is to allow for use of an overhead lift assist. 
     A still further objective of the present invention is to eliminate the need for additional flash protection supplied by the end user. 
     The means and method of accomplishing these and other objectives will become apparent in the following description of the invention. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objectives may be achieved by a workstation having a support frame and a flash guard. The workstation also has an arm supporting the flash guard and is pivotally mounted to the support frame for pivotal movement about an arm axis from a first position to a second position. The workstation also includes a linkage mechanism pivotally interconnecting the arm and the support frame and an extensible power member connected to the support frame and to the linkage mechanism. The power member of the workstation is movable from a retracted position holding the arm in the first position to an extended position for moving the arm to the second position. 
     The foregoing objectives may also be achieved by a workstation having a support frame, an arm assembly comprising first and second spaced apart arms and a cross bar extending between the arms, and a flash guard sheet member detachably connected to the cross bar. The workstation also includes a first work piece holder on the support frame. The workstation also has a robot mounted on the support frame adjacent the first work piece holder. 
     The foregoing objectives may still further be achieved by a method of providing a flash guard. The method includes the step of attaching a first flash sheet member to a first  arm assembly pivotally mounted to a support frame. The method also includes the step of pivoting the arm assembly from a first position wherein the flash guard sheet member is on a first side of a first work piece holder to a second position wherein the flash guard sheet member is on a second side of the work piece holder opposite from the first side. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a workstation with an extensible power member in a second position. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of a workstation with the extensible power member in an upright position. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of a workstation with the extensible power member in a guarding position or first position. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the workstation of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a workstation without an extensible power member in a loading position or second position. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a workstation in a guarding position or first position. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a workstation in an upright position. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a workstation in a loading position or second position. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a workstation with a first workpiece holder between a first and second flash guard. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a workstation with a second workpiece holder between a first and second flash guard. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, numeral  10  generally refers to a rotational flash guard or workstation and numeral  12  refers to the flash guard. 
     The workstation  10 , as seen in  FIG. 1 , has a support frame  14 . The support frame  14  is capable of supporting the weight of a workpiece holder  16 , a work piece (not shown), a pivotal arm assembly or arm assembly  18 , and a flash guard  12 .  
     The arm assembly  18  is made up of a flash guard boom or cross arm  20  and arm  22 . The arm assembly  18  is attached to the support frame  14  at pivot point  24 . The arm can rotate about the pivot point  24  slightly over 180°. 
     A linkage mechanism  26  pivotally interconnects the arm  22  to the support frame  14 . 
     The linkage mechanism  26  has a first link  28 , second link  30 , and a third link  32 . The first link  28  is pivotally connected to the arm  22 . The second link  30  is pivotally connected to the support frame  14 . The third link  32  is connected to an extensible power member  34 . The linkage mechanism  26  is designed to allow for slightly over 180° of arm  22  movement from extensible power member  34 . 
     The extensible power member  34  may be a pneumatic cylinder. Alternatively, the extensible power member  34  may be a hydraulic cylinder. 
     Extensible power member  34  is attached to support structure  14 . When extensible power member  34  is enabled a push rod  36  extends from extensible power member  34 . In this state extensible power member  34  pushes linkage mechanism  26  rotating arm assembly  18  to a second position or loading position, as seen in  FIG. 1 . When extensible power member  34  retracts push rod  36 , the push rod  36  pulls the linkage mechanism  26  rotating the arm assembly  18  and places the flash guard  12  into a first position or guarding position, as seen in  FIG. 3 . 
     In operation, the extensible power member  34  may begin at the loading position, as seen in  FIG. 1 . The extensible power member  34  is fully extended and the linkage mechanism  26  connects the extensible power member  34  to the arm  18  of the arm assembly  18 . The first link  28  of the linkage mechanism  26  is pivotally attached at one end to the arm and at the other end pivotally connected to the second link  30 . The first link  28  is also attached at an intermediate location to the third link  32 . 
     When the extensible power member  34  is engaged, the extensible power member  34  exerts force upon the linkage mechanism  26  and begins moving from the loading position to the upright position, as seen in  FIG. 2 . The links  28 ,  30  and  32  respond to this motion. The third link  32 , attached to the rod  36 , responds by its end attached to the rod  36  moving towards the extensible power member  34 . The first member  28  attached to the third member  32  and pivotally attached to the arm  22 , responds by its end attached to the  arm  22  following along an arch matching the rotation of the arm  22 . The second link  30  attached to the support frame and pivotally attached to the first link  28  and the third link  32 , responds by rotating to maintain the second link  30  as a fulcrum. 
     The extensible power member  34  continues to retract as the flash guard  12  moves from the upright position to the guarding position, as seen in  FIG. 3 . The third link  32  responds by its end attached to the rod  36  moving towards the extensible power member  34 . The first link  28  responds by its end attached to the arm  22  following along an arch matching the rotation of the arm. The second link  30  responds by maintaining the first link  28  and third link  32  combination supported without a fulcrum by the extensible power member  34 . 
     For movement of the flash guard  12  in the opposite direction, the extensible power member  34  begins at the guarding position, as seen in  FIG. 3 , moves the flash guard  12  to the upright position by translating force through the first link  28  and third link  32  combination. The first link  28  and third link  32  combination begins at a slight angle to the extensible power member  34  which becomes pronounced as the flash guard  12  approaches the upright position, as seen in  FIG. 2 . As the flash guard  12  begins to be lowered into the loading position, the second link  30  begins to act as a fulcrum and the weight of the flash guard  12  being counteracted by the extensible power member  34  until it comes to rest, as seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     The rotation of flash guard  12  about pivot point  24  utilizes a first arm resting surface  38  and a second arm resting surface  40 . When the extensible power member  34  has a fully extended push rod  36  the arm assembly  18  is in a guarding position and rests upon a second arm resting surface  40 . When the extensible power member  34  has the push rod  36  in a retracted position, the arm assembly  18  is in a loading position and rests upon first arm resting surface  38 . The resting surfaces  38 ,  40  have a shock absorber and a bracket attached to support frame  14 . 
     A balancing mechanism  42  is connected to the support frame  14  and the arm  22 . The balancing mechanism  42  may be a pneumatic cylinder. Alternatively, the balancing mechanism  42  may be a hydraulic cylinder. The balancing mechanism  42  acts as a counterweight to balance the flash guard  12  and arm assembly  18  as it rotates about pivot  point  24 . During rotation, a balancing mechanism rod  44  extends and retracts to maintain force upon the arm  22 . 
     As the flash guard  12  is moving from the loading position seen in  FIG. 1 , to the upright position seen in  FIG. 2 , the balancing mechanism  42  pivots at the end attached to the arm  22  and the rod  44  extends to follow the radial movement of the arm  22 . The extension to the upright position may be assisted by supply media supplied to a port on the balancing mechanism  42 . As the flash guard  12  is moving from the upright position to the guarding position, as seen in  FIG. 3 , the supply media may be exhausted from a port on the balancing mechanism  42  operating as a regulator. In reverse, as the flash guard  12  is moving from the guarding position to the upright position, supply media may be supplied to a port on the balancing mechanism  42  which can then be exhausted as the flash guard  12  moves to the loading position. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , the flash guard  12  is fitted to the boom or cross bar  20 . A flash guard connector  46  is in a conforming relationship with the boom  20  which allows for rotational movement of the flash guard connector  46  about the boom  20 . The flash guard connector  46  is formed of high density polyethylene. 
     The clip  48  is attached to flash guard connector  46 . Inserted into the clip  48  is a flash barrier or flash guard sheet member  50 . The flash guard sheet member  50  is fashioned out of a reinforced fabric. 
     The flash barrier  50  is fashioned with barrier rod  52  to allow for insertion into clip  48 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of the rotational flash guard or workstation  10  without the linkage member  26  or the extensible power member  34 . This workstation uses the second arm assembly  18  for supporting the flash guard  12  with the second arm  18  pivotally connected to the support frame  14  for movement between a first and second position. This workstation  10  may also have a second balancing mechanism  42  connected to the support frame  14  and to the second arm  22 . 
     Alternatively, the workstation  10  may be a stand alone unit that moves between a first and second position without an extensible power member  34 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 , and  8 , an embodiment of the rotational flash guard or workstation  10  has the support frame  14 , the pivotal arm assembly with first and second  spaced apart arms  18  and a cross bar  20  extending between. The flash guard  12  is detachably connected to the cross bar  20 . The workstation  10  also has a robot  54  mounted on the support frame  14  adjacent the first work piece holder  16 .  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  are provided to illustrate the position of the arm assembly in a first position as seen in  FIG. 6 , in an upright position as seen in  FIG. 7 , and in a second position as seen in  FIG. 8 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , an embodiment of the workstation  10  may have a second work piece holder  56  spaced apart from the first work piece holder  16 . The workstation  10  would thus have two arm assembly  18  and two flash guards  12 . The workstation  10  would move between a first position, as seen in  FIG. 9 , where the first work piece holder  16  is between first and second flash guards  12  and a second position, as seen in  FIG. 10 , where the second work piece holder  56  is between first and second flash guards  12 . As seen in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , this workstation  10  may also have access doors  58  and side barriers  60 . 
     In use, the flash guard  12  is attached to the arm assembly  18 . The arm assembly  18  is pivotally mounted to the frame  14  and can be rotated from a first position to a second position about a first work piece holder  16 . The user then pivots the arm assembly  18  from the first position to the second position. The workstation may also utilize a second flash guard  12  that the user may pivot in unison with the first flash guard from a first position to a second position about a second work piece holder  56 . 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing form the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.