Method and apparatus for engine piston installation by use of industrial robots
US8667657B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 16, 2007 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 15, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/53991
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for engine piston installation in which robots are used for the entire engine piston installation process. A first robot equipped with a stuffing gripper and force control picks up a piston with a connection rod, detects the piston ring presence, squeeze the rings, find the engine cylinder bore, and stuffs the piston into the cylinder bore. A second robot can be used to load and unload the engine block, hold the block and position it to the location, and indexes the crankshaft into the proper orientation for each cylinder bore. A set of tools either fixed on a stationary station or on a third robot is used to guide the piston connecting rod, transport and place on the connecting rod cap, and fasten the cap onto the connecting rod. The piston connecting rod guiding process may be omitted in piston stuffing for some types of engines.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.