Drill Bit Straightening System

Abstract

Described herein is a system configured to automatically straighten a drill bit to within acceptable specifications. The drill bit straightening system described herein may include a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold the drill bit, one or more sensors configured to measure edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit, a control unit configured to automatically control the straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system, and a drill bit pressure arm configured to straighten the drill bit by applying a force calculated based on one or more predictive models. The control unit may be configured to calculate the force(s) to be applied to the drill bit using the one or more predictive models.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 433,959, filed December 20, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to metallic device manufacturing, and more particularly to a system and accompanying method for straightening medical drill bits and other elongated shafts to within acceptable standards. [Background technology]

[0003] Medical drill bits are a critical component in most surgical procedures, including dental and orthopedic surgical procedures. Medical drill bits are durable, uniformly distributed drill bits, typically made of stainless steel. They must be able to provide sufficient force to cut through dense parts of the human body, such as teeth or bone, until they reach the intended surgical site. The structural integrity of the drill bit is essential to the overall success of any surgical procedure.

[0004] Drill bits often become bent during manufacturing and / or shipping. For example, drill bits may become "bent" or "warped" at one or more locations along their length. If drill bits are bent or warped to a point that falls outside acceptable surgical standards, they become unsuitable for use. Traditional methods used to straighten bent drill bits rely on the judgment of a human operator to determine the angle and force required to bend the drill back within acceptable standards. Because such methods rely on the effort of a human operator, these methods can be costly in both time and money. Finding and hiring such a sufficiently skilled operator can also be costly in both time and money.

[0005] Similar problems arise in other applications where an elongated shaft needs to be straightened to within some particular acceptable standard. Thus, a need exists for improved systems and methods for efficiently and accurately straightening elongated shafts (e.g., medical drill bits) to within acceptable standards. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system configured to automatically straighten a drill bit to within acceptable specifications. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system may include at least a mounting frame, a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold the drill bit, one or more sensors, a drill bit pressure arm mounted on the mounting frame, a control unit, and / or one or more other components. In various embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may be configured to hold the drill bit closely at one end of the drill bit and form a cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit. In some embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may include a large upper wheel that opens the drill bit and allows the drill bit to be set into a groove formed by two lower wheels. In some embodiments, the large upper wheel of the drill bit holding assembly is configured to close and clamp the drill bit, forming a cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit. In some embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly may be configured to secure and support the drill bit at multiple points along the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more sensors may be included in an edge eccentricity measurement module(s) to measure the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to measure the camber in the drill bit horizontally without contacting the drill bit. In various embodiments, the one or more sensors are configured to measure the distance between an outer surface of the drill bit and a central axis of the drill bit.

[0007] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a control unit of the drill bit straightening system described herein may be configured to automatically control the straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system. In various embodiments, the control unit may be configured to calculate, for example, using one or more predictive models, a force to be applied to the drill bit to straighten the drill bit to within acceptable standards. In some embodiments, to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit, the control unit may be configured to calculate a bending moment along the length of the drill bit based on a distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis of the drill bit measured by one or more sensors. As described herein, the control unit may be configured to calculate one or more forces to be applied to the drill bit using a historical predictive model and / or a bit-by-bit predictive model. In addition to information obtained from one or more sensors, the control unit (or predictive model) may use additional information, such as the overall spine shape, a force versus displacement curve determined during the bending operation, lot- or batch-specific information, and / or other information, to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit.

[0008] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the drill bit pressure arm of the drill bit straightening system described herein may be configured to straighten the drill bit by applying a force calculated by a control unit (e.g., using one or more predictive models). In some embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm may be configured to apply a shear force at an end of the drill bit opposite an end of the drill bit secured by the drill bit holding assembly. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm may be configured to apply the force at a distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly. For example, in some embodiments, the distance from the drill bit holding assembly may be predetermined, and the control unit may be configured to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit based on the predetermined distance from the drill bit holding assembly along the drill bit at which the force will be applied. In other embodiments, the control unit may be configured to calculate the distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which to apply the force. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm may be configured to apply the force to the drill bit with a uniformly distributed load along the length of the drill bit. In some embodiments, after a force is applied to the drill bit by the drill bit pressure arm, the control unit may be configured to determine whether the drill bit is within an acceptable specification range and calculate a second force to be applied to the drill bit if the drill bit is not within the acceptable specification range after applying the force. The drill bit straightening system may continue these operations until the drill bit is within the acceptable specification range.

[0009] These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the invention disclosed herein will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims, with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part hereof, and in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the various drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0010] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 2] 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 3A] 1 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3B] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3C] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3D] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3E] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3F]1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3G] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 3H] 1A-1C depict various views of an example drill bit pressing arm of a drill bit straightening system according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example drill bit straightening system configured to utilize a predictive algorithm, according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an example process for straightening a drill bit using an adaptive predictive algorithm, according to one or more aspects described herein. [Figure 6] 10 depicts graphs including predictions and results of an example drill bit straightening system configured using a predictive algorithm, according to one or more aspects described herein.

[0012] These drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict typical or exemplary embodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding and are not to be construed as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present disclosure. For clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In the following description of various examples of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which are shown, by way of illustration, various exemplary structures, systems, and steps in which aspects of the present invention may be practiced. It is understood that other specific arrangements of parts, structures, exemplary devices, systems, and steps may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, while terms such as "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," and "side" may be used herein to describe various exemplary features and elements of the present invention, these terms are used herein for convenience, for example, based on the exemplary orientations shown in the figures. Nothing herein should be construed as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of structures to fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a drill bit straightening system 100 according to one or more embodiments described herein. The drill bit straightening system 100 is described herein as a system for straightening medical drill bits. However, the drill bit straightening system 100 (or one or more components or features of the drill bit straightening system 100) may also be used to straighten other elongated shafts for other applications within and outside the medical industry. As depicted in FIG. 1 , the drill bit straightening system 100 may include a control unit 200, a drill bit holding assembly 300, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400, a drill bit pressure arm 500, and / or one or more other components mounted on or otherwise located proximate to the mounting frame 105.

[0015] In various embodiments, the control unit 200 may include one or more processors configured to provide information processing capabilities within the drill bit straightening system 100. The one or more processors may comprise one or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digital circuit designed to process information, a central processing unit, a microcontroller, an analog circuit designed to process information, and / or other mechanisms for electronically processing information. In various embodiments, the one or more processors of the control unit 200 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in electronic storage of the control unit 200. As used herein, for convenience, the drill bit straightening system 100 will be described as performing various operations when the computer-readable instructions may, in fact, program the one or more processors of the control unit 200 to perform the various operations described herein.

[0016] In various embodiments, one or more processors of control unit 200 may be configured to receive inputs from one or more components of drill bit straightening system 100 and provide various outputs based on the received inputs. For example, control unit 200 may be configured to cause drill bit holding assembly 300 to provide inputs or instructions to cause one or more actions associated with the drill bit as described herein, relay information to one or more other remote entities 250 (e.g., a local data server or a cloud database), and / or other outputs.

[0017] In various embodiments, drill bit holding assembly 300, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400, drill bit pressure arm 500, and / or other components of drill bit straightening system 100 may be communicatively coupled to control unit 200. In various embodiments, drill bit holding assembly 300 (and drill bit straightening system 100) may be configured to communicate with remote entity 250. For example, remote entity 250 may be connected via a wired and / or wireless network and configured to communicate with control unit 200 and / or one or more other components of drill bit straightening system 100.

[0018] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a drill bit 70 according to one or more embodiments described herein. As shown in FIG. 2, the bit 70 can have a bent portion ("bent portion" 73) around a first end of the bit that extends the length of the bit 70. Similarly, the same bit 70 can have a straight portion 75 of the bit 70. An extension line 71 indicates the tolerance boundary (TRO). The straight portion 75 of the bit 70 has a central axis C, and the bent portion 73 of the bit 70 has a bent central axis CB that is not equal to the central axis C of the straight portion 75 of the bit 70. The difference between the central axis C and the bent central axis CB may be referred to as a "point displacement" or a "radial difference."

[0019] There are many possible reasons why the bit 70 may bend. Medical drill bits are often made with a material that is uniformly distributed throughout the drill bit. Typically, drill bits are made of stainless steel, for example, using a Swiss lathe and with single-pass machining. This typically results in fast cycle times and good diameter accuracy. However, in various cases, residual stresses within the drill bit can cause the drill bit to bend or warp into a banana shape after the machining operation is complete. Due to the single-pass machining process, it may not be possible to cut out the warped portion. In such cases, the bit must be mounted in a tool or system that can bend the bit 70 into the desired final shape.

[0020] It is not possible to know the residual stress state of a drill bit at every point. Furthermore, the residual stress distribution within a drill bit can and / or will change over time (i.e., typically over a period of several years). The only observations that can be made are the initial state of the drill bit before machining, and the final state of the bit after machining. Both of these states represent the sum of all individual residual stress states within the drill bit. Furthermore, the residual stress states within the drill bit can affect the stress / strain response. Because these states cannot be known individually, it is not possible to form a useful predictive algorithm by knowing only the initial conditions.

[0021] It is one advantage of the present invention to straighten the bent portion 73 of the bit 70 so that the bent central axis CB can be the same as the central axis C of the straight portion 75. Each bit may be unique, whereby the bend angle and bending force may vary from bit to bit. In this manner, the drill bit straightening system 100 can accommodate these variations to provide the desired results.

[0022] As depicted in FIG. 3A, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to measure camber horizontally and without physically contacting the drill bit 70. As also depicted in FIG. 1, the drill bit 70 can be mounted to a drill bit holding assembly 300 that lies on the drill bit holding plane (i.e., the x-z plane) and rotates along the drill bit rotation axis (i.e., the y-axis). In some embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly 300 can include a locking mechanism with one or more spindle rollers 300a, 300b, 300c, such as a "Saint Mary's spin roll." In various embodiments, the drill bit holding assembly 300 can include a large upper wheel that opens to allow the drill bit to be set into the recess formed by the two lower wheels. The upper wheel then closes and firmly clamps the bit in place, effectively forming a cantilever beam connection. In various embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 may utilize the clamping methods described above (e.g., the drill bit holding assembly 300 having one large upper wheel and two lower wheels) and / or one or more other types of clamping methods. For example, a three-jaw chuck and / or one or more other types of clamping mechanisms now known or developed in the future may be utilized with the systems and methods described herein. In some embodiments, axial alignment can be achieved by properly positioning the spindle rollers 300a, 300b, 300c so that the central axis C of the straight portion 75 of the bit 70 is aligned along a predetermined central axis (i.e., the y-axis) of the drill bit straightening system 100. In some embodiments, the drill bit may extend a sufficient distance from the clamping point depending on the length of the product and the specific configuration of the system. The cantilever beam connection (or configuration) may concentrate stress such that bending is at or proximate to the clamping point, regardless of where the pressure arm “pusher” is located. However, multiple bend points can be achieved by mounting the part in different positions and placing the clamping wheels where it is desired to bend the part.

[0023] In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to measure the distance of the outer surface of the drill bit from the central axis C, as depicted in FIG. 2 . In various embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include one or more sensors configured to measure deformation or bending within the drill bit. For example, one or more sensors of the edge eccentricity module(s) 400 may be configured to measure the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In some embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include a laser micrometer. A cambered drill bit does not have all points on its circumference at equal distances (same radius values) from the central axis C of the bit 70. Rather, a certain portion of the circumference of the drill bit will have a greater distance H (the “highest point”) from the central axis C, while an opposite section of the circumference of the drill bit will have a lesser distance H′ (the “lowest point”) from the central axis C. The measurements taken by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400, including the distance H about the entire circumference of the bit 70, can then be used to calculate the radial difference.

[0024] In various embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may be configured to be mounted to a base frame 115 that is generally perpendicular to the drill bit holding plane (i.e., the xz plane) and generally perpendicular to the pressing axis (i.e., the z-axis) along which the drill bit pressing arm 500 travels. In various embodiments, the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may be positioned adjacent to or otherwise in close proximity to the drill bit 70, and also allow the one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 to be moved and changed in distance from the drill bit 70 between positions.

[0025] In various embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm 500 may include a linear actuator with closed-loop positioning. In some embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm 500 disclosed herein may include a drill bit pressure arm force sensor 502. For example, the drill bit pressure arm force sensor 502 may be an in-line load cell. In various embodiments, the drill bit pressure arm 500 may be positioned linearly along the drill bit to apply pressure at different points.

[0026] In some embodiments, the bit 70 may not be "straightenable" because the initial runout is too high. To address this situation, the bit 70 may be straightened by the drill bit straightening system 100 by utilizing multiple clamping zones, as described herein. In one exemplary embodiment, the drill bit straightening system 100 may utilize multiple clamping zones by securing and supporting the drill bit at multiple points along the drill bit. Finally, to allow for an initial state in which the bit 70 has a higher runout, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to straighten the bit 70 by performing the operations described herein at multiple bending points.

[0027] Some previous operations / methods involve analog measurements through manual processes. For example, an operation might select a bending plane according to the angle at which the edge measurement is greatest. In such cases, the previous operation / method rotates until a "high spot" is found and presses the bit at the "high spot." However, this type of operation can be susceptible to and / or sensitive to measurement noise and surface texture. In some cases, pressing the "high spot" at the measurement point can increase eccentricity and even warp rather than correcting the central bit axis. This is especially important because the desired tolerance is the total indicated runout (edge ​​eccentricity), i.e., the maximum runout (edge ​​eccentricity) along the length of the shaft, not just a single measurement point.

[0028] 3B-3H depict various views of an exemplary drill bit press arm 500 of a drill bit straightening system 100 according to one or more aspects described herein. In various embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 3B, the drill bit press arm 500 of the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to calculate parameters such as (i) the shear force (SF) to be applied on the bit 70 (along the press axis, or z-axis, at a distance L) and / or (ii) the bending moment M along the length of the bit 70 based on the distance measured by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of the outer surface of the drill bit from the central axis (i.e., central axis C as depicted in FIG. 2). The shear force at any point along the bit can then be used to calculate the shear stress across the cross-section of the bit at that point.

[0029] As depicted in FIG. 3C , in some embodiments, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force (SF) at an end of the “bent” or “cambered” bit 70 located at a distance L. In other embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 3D , the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force (SF) at a distance L (from, at, or proximate to the clamping point) of the “bent” or “cambered” bit. In yet other embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 3E , the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force (SF) at a distance L (e.g., at the “bent portion” 73 of the drill bit) of the “bent” or “cambered” bit. In other embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 3F , the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force SF at an angle θ at a distance L (e.g., at the “bent portion” 73) of the “bent” or “cambered” bit.

[0030] In some embodiments, as depicted in Figure 3G, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a load / force W that is uniformly distributed along the length L1 of the "bent" or "cambered" bit 70. In other embodiments, as depicted in Figure 3H, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to provide a support / force S that is uniformly distributed along the length L2 under the "bent" or "cambered" bit when applying a shear force SF to the end of the "bent" or "cambered" bit.

[0031] Another aspect of the present disclosure is the ability of drill bit straightening system 100 and corresponding methods described herein to measure camber and apply calculated forces to the drill bit with a high degree of repeatability and precision, for example, due to the potential presence of non-homogeneous residual stresses within drill bit 70. In various embodiments, drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to utilize one or more predictive algorithms / components 600 and one or more bending or pushing algorithms / components 700 that can be applied to drill bit push arm (“pusher”) force sensor 500 based on information from one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 and / or other sensors of drill bit straightening system 100.

[0032] In various embodiments, the eccentricity data (i.e., the radial distance of the bit 70 from the central axis C) generated by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may be fed to a curve-fitting component (algorithm). For example, in some embodiments, the curve-fitting component may be configured to receive the eccentricity data and apply a curve-fitting algorithm to the eccentricity data based on a sinusoidal curve, such as a sinusoidal function (curve) having a period of one full rotation (i.e., at an angle of 0 degrees and continuing for a full (360-degree) rotation). Because the eccentricity of the measurement data results in a sinusoidal function when measured at the edge, this curve-fitting component has the effect of separating the portion of the runout (edge ​​eccentricity) that can be corrected by correction from the portion that cannot be corrected. As the correction operation continues, the eccentricity component becomes zero, but the surface roughness and diameter variations do not. This may be more important as a signal of when to stop the procedure, particularly if the eccentricity component reaches zero. If the eccentricity component reaches zero, further pushing / bending force may have the effect of increasing, rather than decreasing, the indicated runout (edge ​​eccentricity).

[0033] 4 illustrates an example drill bit straightening system 100 for measuring camber and applying a calculated force to a drill bit using predictive and bending algorithms, according to one or more embodiments described herein. In various implementations, the drill bit straightening system 100 may include a control unit 200, one or more interfaces 202, electronic storage 230, and / or one or more other components. In various implementations, the control unit 200 may include one or more physical processors 212 (for convenience, referred to interchangeably herein as processor(s) 212, a single processor 212, or multiple processors 212), computer-readable instructions 214, and / or one or more other components. In various implementations, the drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to receive input from or otherwise interact with one or more users via one or more computing devices 240.

[0034] Prediction Algorithm (i) Historical Prediction Model - Bayesian Prior ("Knowledge-Free Predictor") In various implementations, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 may be configured to generate original eccentricity data representing zero eccentricity or to be fully corrected based on empirical data 590 (also referred to herein as “historical data”). In such implementations, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 may be configured to obtain empirical data 590 collected from prior correction operations. In various embodiments, the empirical data 590 may include data collected from one or more of the edge eccentricity measurement module 400 and the drill bit pressure arm 500.

[0035] The knowledge-free predictor module 216 may then be configured to apply or perform a curve-fitting operation to interpolate or extrapolate the corrected force for one particular bit to its original percentage of eccentricity. For example, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 may perform the curve-fitting operation using an exponential function. In addition, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 may perform the curve-fitting operation using various functions, including, for example, linear functions, logarithmic functions, quadratic functions, cubic functions, square root functions, power functions, polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential functions, sinusoidal functions, and / or variations or combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the estimation algorithm may include a linear function component assigned a first weight w1, a logarithmic function component assigned a second weight w2, and an exponential function component assigned a third weight w3. In further embodiments, the weights associated with each component may vary as a function of the applied shear force and / or other parameters, while in alternative embodiments, one or more of these weights are constant as a function of the applied shear force. In various embodiments, the curve fitting operation may be performed using one or more of a variety of curve fitting techniques, including, for example, linear least squares fitting, nonlinear least squares fitting, Nelder-Mead simplex, Levenberg-Marquardt, and / or variations thereof.

[0036] In various implementations, the knowledge-free predictor module 216 may be configured to collect a set of starting eccentricities and 100% corrected force data points 610. In some embodiments, a regression may be performed on these data to predict the expected value at any given starting eccentricity, along with the expected distribution.

[0037] Without individual knowledge beyond the starting eccentricity of the bit, this provides a prediction of the final shear force that will be applied, as well as a range of expected values. This method can additionally be used to determine a distribution of values ​​corresponding to smaller percentages of full correction, which is useful for predicting the force that will provide enough flexure to model an individual bit. In such an implementation, the curve-fitting operation provides an updated prediction of the total force required to straighten the drill bit.

[0038] (ii) Individual bit prediction models (“bitwise”) In various implementations, the bitwise module 218 may be configured to use the same exponential model. Three data points are then generated using the no-knowledge predictor module 216 to partially bend the bit. In some implementations, the no-knowledge predictor module 216 and the bitwise prediction module 218 may use convolution to generate a new model that can be used to predict force values ​​that will result in an in-specification drill bit.

[0039] Winding Algorithm In some implementations, the drill bit straightening system 100 may select the next bending force independently of the prediction model described above. In such cases, the model may be used differently. For example, in some implementations, the bit-by-bit prediction module 218 may generate a final force that is outside the acceptable range, and the no-knowledge predictor module 216 may generate a prediction (i.e., 3 standard deviations above the mean). In such cases, the drill bit straightening system 100 may reject the no-knowledge prediction data. In other implementations, the bit-by-bit prediction module 218 may generate a very lightly weighted prediction, for example, within 5-10% of the no-knowledge prediction.

[0040] In various implementations, the drill bit straightening system 100 can be configured to avoid bending beyond zero eccentricity because doing so can result in the undesirable consequence of increased eccentricity in the opposite direction. Notably, this is not easily corrected by "bending back," because the bending force required in one direction does not predict the bending force required in another direction, even the directly opposite direction. Thus, a predictor can be used to determine a conservative approach that is less likely to result in excessive bending. As confidence in the model increases, conservatism can be relaxed.

[0041] In general, combining predictions gathered from different sources and weighting them according to their relative confidence in those predictions is a process of Bayesian inference. Thus, predictions are continually updated as additional information becomes known. Furthermore, additional sources of information, such as overall spine geometry, force-displacement curves during flexion movements, or lot- or batch-specific information, to name a few, may be included in the predictions.

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates an example process 500 for straightening a drill bit using an adaptive predictive algorithm, according to one or more aspects described herein. The operations of process 500 presented below are intended to be exemplary and, therefore, should not be considered limiting. In some implementations, process 500 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and / or without one or more of the operations discussed. In some implementations, two or more of the operations of process 500 may occur substantially simultaneously. The described operations may be accomplished using some or all of the system components described in detail above. In various embodiments, process 500 may be implemented using some or all of the components of drill bit straightening system 100 described herein. For example, the functions described with respect to process 500 may be implemented by control unit 200 of drill bit straightening system 100.

[0043] In operation 502, process 500 may include measuring an initial edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to measure the distance of an outer surface of the drill bit from a central axis C, as depicted in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may include one or more laser micrometers. In some embodiments, the measured distance of the outer surface of the drill bit from the central axis C may be stored as historical data in response to the determined predictive model.

[0044] In operation 504, process 500 may include receiving empirical data collected from multiple past straightening operations. In various embodiments, the empirical data may include data collected from one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 and drill bit pressure arm 500. In various embodiments, one or more other measurement sensors may be mounted on or adjacent to the mounting frame at a point from the drill bit.

[0045] In operation 505, process 500 may include determining whether the initially measured edge eccentricity is within a correctable range. In some embodiments, the cambered drill bit may not be “correctable” because the initial runout is too high (or outside of the range). In such embodiments, process 500 may reject bit 70 from operation. In other embodiments, the cambered drill bit may not be “correctable” because the initial runout is not balanced. In such embodiments, bit 70 may still be corrected by drill bit straightening system 100 by utilizing multiple clamping zones as described herein. To allow for an initial state in which bit 70 includes unbalanced runout, drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to straighten bit 70 by performing the operations described herein at multiple bend points.

[0046] In operation 506, process 500 may include calculating a portion of the total pushing force based on empirical data and applying the calculated portion of the total pushing force on the drill bit. In some embodiments, a cambered drill bit may not have all points around the circumference at equal distances, but instead may have original eccentricities of 1, 2, 4, 2, 1 and final eccentricities of 0, 1, 2, 1, 0 from the central axis C of the bit 70 along its length L. For example, in such an embodiment, process 500 may apply 4 / 10 of the total pushing force on the drill bit (Σoriginal eccentricity / Σfinal eccentricity). As depicted in FIG. 3C , drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to apply a shear force SF at the end of the “bent” bit 70 at a distance L of 4 / 10 of the total pushing force (Σoriginal eccentricity / Σfinal eccentricity) (i.e., 4 / 10 × 10 Newtons (N) = 4 N).

[0047] In operation 508, the process 500 may include measuring the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of the drill bit straightening system 100 may again be configured to measure the distance of the outer surface of the drill bit from the central axis C, as depicted in FIG.

[0048] In operation 510, process 500 may include performing a curve fit using the measured data points. In various embodiments, the eccentricity data (i.e., the radial distance of bit 70 from central axis C) generated by one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 may be provided to a curve fit component (algorithm). For example, in some embodiments, the curve fit component may be configured to receive the eccentricity data and apply a curve fit algorithm to the eccentricity data based on a sinusoidal curve, such as a sine function (curve) having a period of one full rotation (i.e., at an angle of 0 degrees and continuing for a full (360-degree) rotation). Because the eccentricity of the measurement data results in a sine function when measured at the edge, this curve fit component has the effect of separating the portion of runout that can be corrected by correction (edge ​​eccentricity) from the portion that cannot be corrected. As the correction operation continues, the eccentricity component becomes zero, but the surface roughness and diameter variations do not. This may be more important as a signal of when to stop the procedure, particularly. If the eccentricity component reaches zero, further pushing / bending force may have the effect of increasing rather than decreasing the pointing runout (edge ​​eccentricity).

[0049] At operation 512, process 500 may include determining whether the measured data has enough data points for curve fitting. If it is determined that the measured data has enough data points for curve fitting, process 500 will proceed to operation 514. If it is determined that the measured data does not have enough data points for curve fitting, process 500 will return to operation 506 and apply a newly calculated portion of the total thrust force to the drill bit based on the new data points measured.

[0050] In operation 514, process 500 may include calculating a total thrust force based on the additional data and applying the total thrust force to the drill bit. Notably, compared to operation 506, process 500 is configured to apply a total of 100% of the calculated thrust force.

[0051] In operation 516, process 500 may include measuring the edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit. In various embodiments, one or more edge eccentricity measurement modules 400 of drill bit straightening system 100 may again be configured to measure the distance of the outer surface of the drill bit from the central axis C, as depicted in FIG.

[0052] In operation 516, process 500 may include determining whether the total pressing force applied to drill bit pressure arm 500 results in movement of the drill bit within an acceptable specification range. If the measured edge eccentricity of the drill bit is determined to be within the acceptable specification range, drill bit straightening system 100 may be configured to terminate process 500. If the measured edge eccentricity of the drill bit is determined not to be within the acceptable specification range, process 500 returns to operation 510, where a new fitted curve will be generated based on the new data points measured.

[0053] 6 depicts a graph including predictions and results of an example drill bit straightening system configured using a predictive algorithm according to one or more embodiments described herein. Data point "A" (on curve "Fit0") represents initial predicted data based purely on trials without any predictions, as described in operation 502 also depicted in FIG. 5. Data point "B" represents a partial force-flex measurement using the updated curve, as described in operation 508. Data point "C" represents a final measurement result that falls within the acceptable specification range "D," as described in operation 518. As the operation progresses, as indicated by the direction of arrow "E," the drill bit straightening system 100 increases the straightness of the drill bit.

[0054] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth herein. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Such variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention. The invention as disclosed and defined herein is to be understood to extend to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or apparent from the text and / or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention. The embodiments described herein set forth the best mode known for practicing the invention and will enable those skilled in the art to utilize the invention.

[0055] While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by this specification.

[0056] References herein to "one implementation," "implementation," "some implementations," "various implementations," "a particular implementation," "other implementations," "a series of implementations," etc., mean that a particular feature, design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an implementation is included in at least one implementation of the present disclosure. Appearances of phrases such as "in one implementation" or "in an implementation" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same implementation, nor are they mutually exclusive separate or alternative implementations from other implementations. Furthermore, regardless of explicit reference to an "implementation," etc., various features are described that may be combined in various ways and included in some implementations, but may be omitted in various ways in other implementations. Similarly, various features are described that may be preferred or required for some implementations, but not for other implementations.

[0057] The language used herein has been selected primarily for readability and instructional purposes, and may not be selected to delineate or constrain the boundaries of the inventive subject matter. Other implementations, uses, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification is to be considered merely exemplary, and accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A drill bit straightening system comprising: A mounting frame and a drill bit holding assembly configured to hold a drill bit; one or more sensors configured to measure edge eccentricity of a shaft associated with the drill bit; a drill bit pressure arm mounted on the mounting frame and configured to straighten the drill bit by applying a force calculated based on one or more predictive models; a control unit configured to automatically control a straightening operation of the drill bit straightening system based on the one or more predictive models.

2. 2. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit retaining assembly is configured to retain the drill bit adjacent one end of the drill bit and form a cantilever connection between the drill bit retaining assembly and the drill bit.

3. 3. The drill bit straightening system of claim 2, wherein the drill bit holding assembly comprises a large upper wheel that opens the drill bit and allows the drill bit to be set into a valley formed by two lower wheels.

4. 4. The drill bit straightening system of claim 3, wherein the large upper wheel of the drill bit holding assembly is configured to close and clamp the drill bit, forming the cantilever connection between the drill bit holding assembly and the drill bit.

5. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the drill bit holding assembly is configured to secure and support the drill bit at a plurality of points along the drill bit.

6. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a laser micrometer.

7. 10. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure bow in the drill bit horizontally without contacting the drill bit.

8. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure a distance between an outer surface of the drill bit and a central axis of the drill bit.

9. 9. The drill bit straightening system of claim 8, wherein to calculate the force applied to the drill bit, the control unit is configured to calculate a bending moment along a length of the drill bit based on the distance between the outer surface of the drill bit and the central axis of the drill bit measured by the one or more sensors.

10. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the force applied to the drill bit using a historical predictive model.

11. The drill bit straightening system of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the second force applied to the drill bit using a bitwise predictive model.

12. 12. The drill bit straightening system of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the second force applied to the drill bit using the bit-wise prediction model and additional information, the additional information including one or more of an overall spine shape, a force versus displacement curve determined during a bending operation, and lot or batch specific information.

13. 2. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit pressure arm is configured to apply a shear force at an end of the drill bit opposite an end of the drill bit secured by the drill bit retaining assembly.

14. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1 , wherein the drill bit pressure arm is configured to apply the force along the drill bit at a distance from the drill bit holding assembly.

15. 15. The drill bit straightening system of claim 14, wherein the distance is predetermined, and the control unit is configured to calculate the force to be applied to the drill bit based on the predetermined distance from the drill bit holding assembly along the drill bit where the force will be applied.

16. 15. The drill bit straightening system of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the distance along the drill bit from the drill bit holding assembly at which the force will be applied.

17. 10. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the drill bit pressure arm is configured to apply the force to the drill bit with a load that is evenly distributed along the length of the drill bit.

18. 2. The drill bit straightening system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the drill bit is within an acceptable specification range after application of the force, and to calculate a second force to be applied to the drill bit if the drill bit is not within the acceptable specification range after application of the force.

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