Abstract:
As disconnect housing for selectively receiving a tooling boom is disclosed. The disconnect housing is configured with a sensor to indicate when a predetermined amount of force sufficient to retain the tooling boom therein has been applied so as to indicate operability of a handling system.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/700,576, filed Feb. 7, 2013, which is a U.S. nationalization under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/US2011/038341, May 27, 2011, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional application No. 61/349,496, filed May 28, 2010. The disclosures set forth in the referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to a handling system for automation systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a handling system that includes a disconnect housing for receiving a tooling boom in an automation system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Automation systems are often used in manufacturing plants. For example, in the automobile industry, automation systems are used to control movement of various component parts in a manufacturing plant to position the component parts for various manufacturing operations. Such automation systems may utilize tooling booms that carry multiple tools, such as, for example, vacuum cups. The automation systems may include multiple tooling booms for each manufacturing plant. 
         [0004]    One concern with the use of tooling booms is the tooling boom either not being properly seated within, or falling out of, a disconnect housing that is fixed to a robotic arm or the like. In either case, should the tooling boom fall out of the disconnect housing, the component parts and other equipment may become damaged, or someone may be injured. 
         [0005]    Traditionally, the operator connects the tooling boom to the disconnect housing and actuates a handle to push a member against a portion of the tooling boom. In other words, the handle is turned until the operator “feels” that the tooling boom is frictionally retained within the disconnect housing. However, there is no mechanism that tells the user that the tooling boom is properly seated within the tooling boom and retained with an appropriate force. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there is a need for a system that includes disconnect housing that both senses when a tooling boom is present in the disconnect housing, and when such a tooling boom is properly retained within the disconnect housing. However, it is also understood that in automation systems where less than all of the tooling booms are required for a particular application, that a disconnect housing arrangement is needed that still permits operation of an automation system. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example in greater detail with reference to the attached figures, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary disconnect housing for use in a straight path automation system; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of an exemplary tooling boom mounted in the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  is an enlarged perspective view of encircled area  2 B of  FIG. 2A . an end view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 3 , taken along lines  4 - 4 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 4 , taken along lines  5 - 5 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 3 , taken along lines  6 - 6 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 6 , taken along lines  7 - 7 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a cap of the disconnect housing; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the cap of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of a v-clamp of the disconnect housing; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is bottom plan view of the v-clamp of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a top perspective view of the v-clamp of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the v-clamp of  FIG. 10 , taken along lines  13 - 13 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a bottom perspective view of the v-clamp of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the v-clamp of  FIG. 14 , taken along lines  15 - 15 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a cover of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a side elevational view of the cover of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view of the cover of  FIG. 17 , taken along lines  18 - 18 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 19  is a perspective view of a sensor plate of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 20  is an elevational view of the sensor plate of  FIG. 19 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the sensor plate of  FIG. 20  taken along lines  21 - 21 ; 
           [0030]      FIG. 22  is an elevational view of a rod of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 23  is a top plan view of the rod of  FIG. 22 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 24  is a top planar view of a housing body of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0033]      FIG. 25  is a cross-sectional view of the housing body of  FIG. 24  taken along lines  25 - 25 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 26  is a perspective view of an air manifold and coding block of the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 27  is plan view of a sensor indicator used with the disconnect housing of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0036]    Referring now to the discussion that follows and also to the drawings, illustrative approaches to the disclosed systems and methods are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent some possible approaches, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated, removed, or partially sectioned to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. Further, the descriptions set forth herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the claims to the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. The figures disclosed and described herein are illustrative examples of the appended claims, and are not intended to be limiting. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , an exemplary disconnect housing  10  is illustrated. The disconnect housing includes a housing body  12 , a cover  13 , a cap member  15  and a handle assembly  17 . The housing body  12  and cap member  15  are connected together and cooperate to form a channel  19  to receive a tooling boom  21 . An exemplary tooling boom  21  is shown in  FIG. 2A . Mounted to tooling boom  21 , are one or more support bars  23 . A cross clamp  25  is used to mount each support bar  23  to tooling boom  21 . A swivel arm  25  may be used to mount a vacuum cup  27  and a venturi  29 . An air supply line  31  is operably connected to venturi  29  to provided sufficient vacuum pressure to grip a work piece. 
         [0038]    Turning now to  FIGS. 8-9 , details of cap member  15  will now be described. Cap member  15  comprises a body portion  32 , opposing leg members  34 , and spring mounts  36 . Spring mounts  36  include spring mounting apertures  37 . In one exemplary configuration, spring mounts  36  are extend outwardly from an inner edge  32   a  of body portion  32  and are configured to be angled downwardly. A mounting aperture  38  is formed through body portion  32 . Mounting aperture  38  is configured to receive a safety pull pin  39  (see. e.g.,  FIG. 6 ). A plurality of connector apertures  40  are arranged in cap member  15 . Connector apertures  40  cooperate with connector elements  42 , such as screws, for example (best seen in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 10-16 , a v-clamp  44  for use with disconnect housing  10  is illustrated. V-clamp  44  is defined by an upper body member  46  a lower member  48 . Lower member  48  is generally v-shaped and defines a groove  50 . A sensor mounting channel  52  is formed in a top surface  54  of upper body member  46 . An opening  56  to mounting channel  52  provides for an electrical connection to the sensor (not shown) disposed within mounting channel  52 . Additional openings  58   a ,  58   b  may also be provided on a side surface  60  of v-clamp  44  that open in to sensor mounting channel  52 . Formed in top surface  54  is a spring mount  62 . Spring mount  62  is configured with a predefined depth and further includes a mounting surface  64  that is spaced away from top surface  54  of upper body member  46 . 
         [0040]    On either end of upper body member  46  there are outwardly extending arm members  66 . Arm members  66  are configured with spring mounts  68  that are configured to receive springs (to be discussed in further detail below). 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIGS. 16-18 , cover  13  is illustrated. Cover  13  is configured with a center section  70  and generally opposing arms  72  that define an inwardly extending mounting surface  73 . Arms  72  further include inwardly extending members  74  that extend from mounting surface  73 . Extending members  74  cooperate to define a partial channel  76  (See, e.g.,  FIG. 18 ) that is configured to receive v-camp  44 . On an inside surface  78  of cover  13 , a sensor mounting groove  80  is formed. Mounting groove  80  is configured to receive a sensor plate  82  (best seen in  FIGS. 20-22 ). An opening  84  is formed through a top surface  86  of cover  13 . Opening  84  is configured to receive a rod  88  (best seen in  FIG. 23 ), as will be explained below. A channel  90  is formed from a bottom edge  92  of one of arms  72 . Channel  90  is configured to receive safety pull pin  39 . 
         [0042]      FIGS. 19-21  illustrate an exemplary sensor plate  82 . Sensor plate  82  has generally opposing surfaces  94  and includes an opening  96  that is configured to receive a mounting head  98  of rod  88 . 
         [0043]      FIGS. 22-23  illustrate an exemplary rod  88 . Rod  88  includes mounting head  98 , a body portion  100  and a handle portion  102 . As set forth above, mounting head  98  is received within opening  96  of sensor plate  82 . Handle portion  102  is configured to connect handle  17 . 
         [0044]      FIGS. 24-25  illustrate housing body  12 . Housing body  12  is generally U-shaped defined by opposing wall members  104  and a transverse member  106 . A supporting flange  108  may be secured to one end  16  of bracket member  12 . Wall members  104  and transverse member  106  may be provided with connector openings  110  that are configured to secure cap member  15  to housing body  12  in any suitable manner. For example, in one embodiment, connector openings  110  may be threaded to receive a screw fastener. One of wall members  104  includes spring mounts  112  configured to receive springs (as will be explained below). 
         [0045]      FIG. 26  is a perspective view of an air manifold and coding block  114 . Block  114  secures to a mounting block  116 . To insure that the correct tool boom is connected to disconnect housing  10 , block  114  may be configured with a dowel aperture  118  in a predefined location that is designed to receive a mating dowel  120  in mounting block  116 . If block  114  is provided with dowel aperture  118  in a location that fails to properly mate with a corresponding dowel  120  in mounting block  116 , this indicates to the user that a different disconnect housing should be used. 
         [0046]      FIG. 27  is an exemplary view of a sensor indicator  122  for use with four separate disconnect housings. Sensor indicator  122  includes an identification of tooling boom  14  in the automation system and an indication of whether a tooling boom  14  is present in disconnect housing  10 , and whether tooling boom  14  is properly clamped. 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-7 , the interaction of the various components described above of disconnect housing  10  will now be described. Cap  15  is fixedly secured to housing body  12 . More specifically, leg members  123  mate with a top surface of opposing wall members  104  of housing body  12  and fasteners  42  are used to secure cap  15  to housing body  12  so as to create channel  19 . 
         [0048]    A “boom present” sensor mounting plate  124  is positioned within channel  19  of housing body  12 , toward a closed end thereof. Sensor mounting plate  124 , best seen in  FIG. 6 , further includes a sensor channel  126  into which a presence sensor  128  (see  FIGS. 3, 5, and 7 ) is mounted. 
         [0049]    V-clamp  44  is assembled to cover  13  such that top surface  54  of upper body member  46  is positioned so as to face inside surface  78  of cover  13 . A plurality of disc springs  124 , such as Bellville disc springs, (best seen in  FIGS. 4-5 ) are positioned on mounting surface  64  in spring mount  62 . Springs  124  are selected that require a predetermined amount of force to collapse, as will be explained in further detail below. Additional biasing springs  130  are positioned spring mounts  68  formed in arm members  66  of v-clamp  44 . 
         [0050]    Sensor plate  82  is positioned within mounting groove  80  of cover  13  and is operatively connected to a load sensor  132  that is positioned within sensor mounting channel  52  in v-clamp  44 . V-clamp  44  is positioned within partial channel  76  such that disc springs  124 , sensor plate  82  and load sensor  132  are captured between v-clamp  44  and cover  13 . Connecting rod  88  is positioned through opening  84  in top surface  86  of cover  13  and mounting head  98  is engaged with opening  96  of sensor plate  82 . In an exemplary configuration, body portion  100  of connecting rod  88  is threaded and cooperates with mating threads disposed within opening  84 , as will be explained below in greater detail. 
         [0051]    Once v-clamp  48 , disc springs  124 , biasing springs  130 , sensor plate  82  and load sensor  132  are assembled together, cover  13  is fixedly secured to housing body  12  and cap member  15 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 . As may be seen, v-clamp  48  is configured with a height h (see  FIG. 13 ) that is less than a depth of partial channel  76  when the v-clamp  48  is in the assembled position. Handle assembly  17  secured to handle portion  102  of connecting rod  88 . 
         [0052]    Air manifold and coding block  114  is attached to mounting block  116 . More specifically, dowel  120  is received within dowel aperture  118 . 
         [0053]    In operation, an end of tooling boom  21  is inserted into channel  19  of disconnect housing  10 . Because sensor  128  is positioned at the rear of channel  19 , when tooling boom  21  is placed in channel  19 , sensor  128  sends a signal to sensor indicator  122  to indicate that tooling boom  21  is “present.” For example, if disconnect housing  10  is programmed as housing “1”, then a light  135  (such as an LED) will illuminate under “1” and adjacent to the “Present” indicator. 
         [0054]    Once tooling boom  21  is seated within channel  19 , an operator actuates handle assembly  17 . Turning handle assembly  17  causes connector rod  88  to move inwardly toward a center of disconnect housing  10 , thereby moving v-clamp  44  inwardly toward the center of disconnect housing  10  a predetermined distance until sections of lower member  48  of v-clamp  44  that defines groove  50  contact engagement surfaces  136   a  and  136   b  (best seen in  FIG. 5 ) disposed on a portion of housing body  12  and cover  13 . Once, v-clamp  44  is in contact with engagement surfaces  136   a ,  136   b , further actuation of handle assembly  17  moves sensor plate  82  toward the center of disconnect housing  10 , thereby causing disc springs  124  and biasing springs  130  to compress. After a predetermined amount of force is applied by handle assembly  17 , disc springs  124  will bottom out in spring mount  62  of v-clamp  44 . When this action happens, sensor plate  82  will come into contact with load sensor  132  that is disposed in sensor mounting channel  52 . A signal will then be sent to sensor indicator  122  to indicate that tooling boom  21  is in the “clamped” position. For example, if disconnect housing  10  is programmed as housing “1”, then a light  137  (such as an LED) will illuminate under “1” and adjacent to the “Clamped” indicator. 
         [0055]    In other words, once a threshold force has been reached, the automation system is set to operate. More specifically, if sensor plate  82  does not contact load sensor  132 , and if presence sensor  128  fails to indicate the presence of tooling boom  21 , the system will not operate so as to prevent operation of automated systems wherein tooling booms  21  that are not fully secured within housing  10 . Thus, the block member  32  and sensor  38  arrangement serves as a confirmation that the boom is both present and properly seated within housing  10 . 
         [0056]    As an additional safety mechanism, once tooling boom  21  is properly seated and clamped within disconnect housing  10 , safety pull pin  39  is positioned through channel  90  of cover  13  and disposed within mounting aperture  38  of cap member  15 , as may be seen best in  FIG. 6 . Safety pull pin  39  includes a plunger  41  that is biased outwardly of an end portion of safety pull pin  39 . Plunger  41  is configured to be received within a mating aperture (not shown) in tooling boom  21  when tooling boom  21  is properly seated within disconnect housing  10 . 
         [0057]    In some automation configurations, there may be arrangements for a capacity of multiple tooling booms  21 . However, in some instances only a limited number of tooling booms may be required for a particular application. For example in a body shop set-up having 4 tooling boom arrangements, only 2 booms may be needed. However, rather than requiring reprogramming of sensor indicator  122 , the configuration of disconnect housing  10  permits handle assembly  17  to be actuated so as to move v-clamp  44  into the clamped position, even if no tooling boom  21  is present. Accordingly, because v-clamp  44  moves inwardly toward a center of housing body  12 , v-clamp  44  moves over presence sensor  128  such that sensor indicator  122  indicates that a tooling boom  21  is present, even though there is not one present. Further, actuation of handle assembly  17  will still permit disc springs  124  to collapse upon application of the appropriate amount of force such that sensor plate  82  will contact load sensor  132 . Such an action will cause a signal to be sent that indicates a “clamped” condition of disconnect housing  10 . Accordingly, operation of the automation system will still be permitted, even if less than all tooling booms  21  are utilized. 
         [0058]    The appended claims have been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, which are merely illustrative of the best modes for carrying out the invention defined by the appended claims. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employed in practicing the invention defined by the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in claims. The embodiments should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein, and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non-obvious combination of these elements. Moreover, the foregoing embodiments are illustrative, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application. 
         [0059]    With regard to the processes, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes described herein are provided for illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be construed to limit the appended claims. 
         [0060]    Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims. 
         [0061]    All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.