Robot Plug Housing Fitting with Optical Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The precise and error-free fitting of a contact portion on an electrical cable to a plug housing is challenging due to manufacturing and part tolerances in robots, plug housings, and holders, which can lead to inaccuracies in their alignment.
Innovation Solution
A method involving spatially resolved pictures taken by an optical detection device to determine the positions of the plug housing and contact portion, allowing the robot to calculate and perform precise movements for accurate fitting, independent of mechanical tolerances, using the same or different optical detection devices and reference features on the holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical assembly methods are used with standard fixtures, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to cumulative mechanical tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical measurement and positioning system with an optical measurement system. Instead of using mechanical fixtures and alignment tools that accumulate tolerances, the invention uses optical detection devices to capture images and calculate precise positions and orientations of the plug housing and contact portion, eliminating mechanical tolerance accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy (image) of the physical assembly region. By capturing spatially resolved pictures of the plug housing and contact portion, the system creates a digital representation that can be analyzed to determine precise positions and orientations without physical contact, thereby avoiding mechanical tolerance issues.
2Manufacturing precision
If optical detection devices are used to measure positions, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system is equipped with both gripping devices and optical detection devices, allowing it to perform multiple functions: gripping components for assembly and detecting their positions for precise alignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated measurement equipment, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own optical detection devices to measure the positions of components that it is assembling. The robot detects the position of the plug housing and contact portion itself, rather than requiring separate external measurement equipment, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise optical measurement is performed, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the loss of time increases due to image capture and processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
Reference features are pre-defined and marked on the holder and plug housing during manufacturing. These reference features are captured in the initial optical images, allowing the system to establish a reference coordinate system in advance. This preliminary establishment of references speeds up the subsequent position calculation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the measurement of multiple parameters (positions and orientations of both plug housing and contact portion) into a single integrated optical measurement process. By capturing both components in the same coordinate system and processing their positions together, the system reduces the total measurement time compared to separate measurement steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise, error-free, and rapid fitting of the contact portion to the plug housing by determining the relative positions and orientations of the plug housing and contact portion, facilitating accurate assembly despite manufacturing tolerances.
Implementation Method 1
Taking at least one spatially resolved picture by at least one optical detection device such that the plug housing and the contact portion are contained in said at least one spatially resolved picture
Data Source
AI summary
A method to fit a contact portion in a plug housing by a robot is presented. Steps in the method include attaching a plug housing to a holder and gripping the contact portion by a gripping device of the robot. Other steps in the method include taking at least one spatially resolved picture by at least one optical detection device such that the plug housing and the contact portion are contained in the picture, determining a respective position of the plug housing and the contact portion in the picture by a control unit of the moveable robot, calculating a robot movement by the control unit that is a function of the determined positions, and performing the calculated movement by the robot to fit the contact portion in the plug housing. An apparatus to perform the method and another method to calibrate the control unit of the robot are also presented.