Granted Patent B2

US 12,551,988 · App. 19/024,826 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Inventors: David H. Morton (Boulder, CO); Paul J. Karp (Thornton, CO); Thomas R. Whitt (Redmond, WA); Michael C. Blanchard (Thornton, CO)

Assignee: Magswitch Automation Company

B25B11/002G01R33/02

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . A robotic system movable relative to a ferromagnetic workpiece having a known shape, the robotic system comprising:

an arm;

a magnetic coupling device coupled to the arm, the magnetic coupling device comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart pole portions, each of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions having a workpiece contact interface to contact the ferromagnetic workpiece;

a magnetic flux source including a plurality of permanent magnets, the plurality of permanent magnets including a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet, the magnetic flux source having a plurality of states including a first state wherein a first level of magnetic flux is available at the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions and a second state wherein a second level of magnetic flux is available at the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions, the second level being less than the first level; and

a plurality of sensors; and

a controller operably coupled to the plurality of sensors, the controller operable to:

approach the ferromagnetic workpiece with the magnetic coupling device in a first pose;

based on the plurality of sensors of the magnetic coupling device, determine a relative position of a north pole portion and a south pole portion of the magnetic coupling device to the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece;

if the relative position of the north pole portion and the south pole portion indicate that the magnetic coupling device is positioned in a target zone of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece, couple the magnetic coupling device to the ferromagnetic workpiece;

otherwise altering the magnetic coupling device to a second pose, the second pose being different than the first pose.

2 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one magnetic field sensor.

3 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic workpiece includes a first end and a second end, and the target zone is defined by at least a first offset from the first end and a second offset from the second end.

4 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one magnetic field sensor which is operable to measure a magnetic flux proximate the north pole portion of the magnetic coupling device.

5 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the target zone is a multi-dimensional area of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece.

6 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor positioned proximate the north pole portion of the magnetic coupling device and a second sensor positioned proximate the south pole portion of the magnetic coupling device, the controller further operable to:

monitor a first leakage flux associated with the first sensor; and

monitor a second leakage flux associated with the second sensor.

7 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the controller further operable to:

determine a position of the magnetic coupling device relative to the target zone based upon each of the first sensor and the second sensor; and

determine a proximity of the workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions of the magnetic coupling device to the ferromagnetic workpiece and a relative orientation of the workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions of the magnetic coupling device to the ferromagnetic workpiece.

8 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling device is positioned in the target zone of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece when the magnetic coupling device has a first position relative to an envelope of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece and a first orientation relative to the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece.

9 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling device is positioned in the target zone of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece when the magnetic coupling device has a first position relative to an envelope of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece with the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions contacting the ferromagnetic workpiece and a first orientation relative to the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece with the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions contacting the ferromagnetic workpiece.

10 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling device is positioned in the target zone of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece when the magnetic coupling device has a first position relative to an envelope of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece with the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions contacting the ferromagnetic workpiece.

11 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling device is positioned in the target zone of the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece when the magnetic coupling device has a first orientation relative to the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece with the plurality of workpiece contact interfaces of the plurality of spaced apart pole portions contacting the ferromagnetic workpiece.

12 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the first permanent magnet is a rare-earth permanent magnet.

13 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the second permanent magnet is movable relative to the first permanent magnet.

14 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a temperature sensor.

15 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one magnetic field sensor.

16 . The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the relative position of the north pole portion and the south pole portion of the magnetic coupling device to the known shape of the ferromagnetic workpiece is based on a magnetic interaction between the magnetic coupling device and ferromagnetic workpiece.

17 . The robotic system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one magnetic field sensor.

Assignments (5)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (293)