Patent ID: 8256480

Claim:
A component coupling system for connecting a component to a contact surface of a hollow workpiece, the workpiece including a sidewall having an interior-facing surface, an exterior-facing surface and an access opening formed therethrough, said contact surface being provided along a portion of said interior-facing surface spaced a distance from said access opening and wherein said exterior-facing surface defining a three dimensional target feature disposed in a predetermined relationship relative to said contact surface, the system including a controller, a component positioning unit and a component holding unit, the component holding unit including a component carriage for releasably supporting said component in movement from a supply position to an operating position wherein said component is moved into substantially juxtaposed contact with said contact surface, and a carriage support arm operable to move said component carriage between said supply and operating positions, the positioning unit including an optical scanner operable to scan a contour profile of at least part of the exterior-facing surface and to output signals to the controller representative of at least one of a direction and a distance of at least part of the target feature relative to the access opening, and wherein controller is operable to control movement of the carriage support arm in the movement of the component carriage to the operating position in response to the output signals.