EP0290809A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Manufacturing system using three-dimensional graphics models
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corp
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Filing: 1988-04-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-04-14
Abstract
Abstract In a manufacturing process for a structure, as for instance an aircraft, an engineering definition of the aircraft is created in a computer system as a data model utilizing 3-D graphics software. The data model is stored in a data base in the computer system. Component parts of the aircraft are then selected, as for instance a surface, and virtual production and virtual assembly tools for this surface designed in the 3-D graphics software. These virtual tools are then added to the data model. The virtual tools are designed utilizing either an operator interfacing with the 3-D graphics or software equivalents thereof as for instance computer aided tooling design software. The virtual definitions in the data model are utilized to form tangible tools corresponding to the virtual components in the data model. These tangible tools are utilized to form component parts of the aircraft. Computer aided theodolites can be downloaded with data from the data model. The computer aided theodolites are utilized to check the structure of the tangible tools and/or to assist in their assembly and further to assist in the assembly of the aircraft from it component parts.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry L. Carver
- 👤 Charles E. Zamzow
- 👤 Donald D. Mladenoff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 04:07
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T17/00; B; B29; B29C; B29C64/00; B29C64/10; B29C64/141; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/4097; G05B19/418; G05B19/41805; G05B19/41865; G06F; G06F30/00; G06F30/10; G06F30/15; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/31; G05B2219/31407; G05B2219/31415; G05B2219/35; G05B2219/35043; G05B2219/35095; G05B2219/35194; G05B2219/35196; G05B2219/35317; G05B2219/36; G05B2219/36352; G05B2219/37; G05B2219/37205; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P90/00; Y02P90/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of manufacturing an article of manufacture which comprises: constructing a definition of said article in a computer memory; defining, in said computer memory in operative association with said definition of said article, a definition of at least one forming tool means for forming component parts of said article; downloading said definitions of said forming tool means from said computer memory to a means for making tools; operating said means for making tools to make said forming tool means; and forming component parts of said article with said forming tool means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of manufacturing an article of manufacture which comprises: constructing a definition of said article in a computer memory; defining, in said computer memory in operative association with said definition of said article, a definition of at least one forming tool means for forming component parts of said article; downloading said definitions of said forming tool means from said computer memory to a means for making tools; operating said means for making tools to make said forming tool means; and forming component parts of said article with said forming tool means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 including: defining, in said computer memory in operative association with said definition of said article a definition of an assembly tool means for assembling component parts of said article; downloading said definition of said assembly tool means from said computer memory to means for making tools; operating said means for making tools to form said assembly tool means; and assembling computer parts of said article with said assembly tool means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 including: operatively associating with said computer system a microprocessor controlled measuring means for measuring objects in three dimensional space; and operating said measuring means to measure points on said component parts of said article to compare said component parts with said definition of said article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 3 including: selecting a microprocessor controlled theodolite system as said microprocessor controlled measuring device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 wherein: said means for making said forming tool means further includes computer assisted tooling design software means for defining a sequence of machine operations for machining tooling parts and computer assisted tooling manufacturing software means for inputting said sequence of operations for machining tooling parts to a machine tool whereby said machine tool machines component forming tool parts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
208 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 2 including: generating said definition of said article as a graphics data set in a data base in a 3-dimensional graphics computer system, said definition including coordinate points precisely locating said definition of said article in a three dimensional coordinate system; selecting at least a portion of said definition of said article; generating a further graphics data set defining virtual images of at least one of said forming tool means and at least one of said assembly tool means, said virtual images of said forming tool means and said assembly tool means including said coordinate points; downloading said further data set to said means for making tools; operating said means for making tools with said further data set as input to said means for making tools to form at least portions of said forming tool means and said assembly tool means and to locate coordinating points on said portion of said forming tool means and said assembly tool means; forming with said forming tool means at least a portion of a component part of said article corresponding to said selected portion of said definition of said article; and assembling said component part of said article with said assembly tool means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
128 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 6 including: associating an output means with said computer system, said output means for outputting copies of data sets in said data base in said computer system; downloading said further data set to said output device to form a copy of said further data set; inputting said copy of said further data set to a microprocessor controlled optical measuring means, said measuring means for measuring objects in three dimensional space; and operating said optical measuring means to measure said coordinating points on said forming tool means and said assembly tool means to compare said forming tool means and said assembly tool means with said virtual images of said forming tool means and said assembly tool means in said data set.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 further including: selecting said means for making tools from one of a set of tools consisting of numerically controlled machine tools, numerically controlled laser cutters, numerically controlled robots, computer numerically controlled machine tools, computer numerically controlled laser cutters and computer numerically controlled robots.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 wherein: said forming tool means includes a tool having a plurality of profile boards, at least one connector board, said profile boards including at least one profile edge, said profile edge of each of said profile boards located in a moldline surface which defines an image of said component part of said article, each of said profile boards further including locator means for fixedly locating said profile board with respect to said connector board, said connector board further including locator means for fixedly locating said connector board with respect to each of said profile boards, said respective locator means each includes a locator edge on said respective profile boards and said respective connector board.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
213 words
The method of manufacturing an article of claim 1 wherein: said forming tool means includes mold means for forming component parts of said article; said mold means including; a surface; a plurality of target means for defining a precisely known spatial relationship in a three dimensional coordinate system, said plurality of target means located on said surface for defining precisely known positions on said surface; an image mold, said image mold including an image of a component part of said article, said image mold locatable on said surface in a known association with said spatial means; and a complimentary mold formed on said image mold and said surface, said complimentary mold including a complimentary image of said article component part and further including an image of said spatial means on said surface; and said image of said target means on said complimentary mold defining precisely known positions on said complimentary mold which are precisely located with respect to said complimentary image of said article component part on said complimentary mold to precisely define said complimentary image of said part with respect to said three dimensional coordinate system whereby when an article part is molded on said complimentary mold, points on said part are precisely known with respect to said three dimensional coordinate system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
143 words
An article manufacturing system which comprises: a computer system containing a graphical data model of an article in a data base in said computer system; said computer system including means for defining a graphical virtual surface in said data model of said article; said computer system including means for defining a graphical virtual member in said data model of said article, said virtual member including at least a portion of said graphical virtual surface; means for forming a tangible member which corresponds to said graphical virtual member, said means for forming a tangible member operatively interfaced with said computer system; and means operatively associated with said computer system for downloading said definition of said graphical virtual member in said data model to said means for forming a tangible member whereby said later means forms a tangible member corresponding to said graphical virtual member
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
143 words
An article manufacturing system which comprises: a computer system containing a graphical data model of an article in a data base in said computer system; said computer system including means for defining a graphical virtual surface in said data model of said article; said computer system including means for defining a graphical virtual member in said data model of said article, said virtual member including at least a portion of said graphical virtual surface; means for forming a tangible member which corresponds to said graphical virtual member, said means for forming a tangible member operatively interfaced with said computer system; and means operatively associated with said computer system for downloading said definition of said graphical virtual member in said data model to said means for forming a tangible member whereby said later means forms a tangible member corresponding to said graphical virtual member
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 further including: a microprocessor controlled measuring means for measuring points on said tangible member and to compare said measure points to said definition of said article in said computer memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 further including: said tangible member comprises an image tool means for forming one of an image copy or a complimentary image copy of at least a portion of said article.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 wherein: said respective means for defining said graphical virtual surface and for defining said graphical virtual member includes an operator interface means for inputting commands to said computer system, said operator interface means operatively associated with said computer system.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
93 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 wherein: said respective means for defining said graphical virtual surface and for defining said graphical virtual member includes computer assisted tooling design software means for defining a sequence of machine operations for machining a tangible part; and said means for forming a tangible member including computer assisted tooling manufacturing software means for inputting said sequence of machine operations to a tool means whereby said tool means forms a tangible part which is a mimic of said graphical virtual member in said data model of said article.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
67 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 wherein: said means for forming a tangible member includes at least one numerically controlled tool means for forming a part and where said numerically controlled tool means is selected from tool means consisting of numerically controlled machine tools, numerically controlled laser cutters, numerically controlled robots, computer numerically controlled machine tools, computer numerically controlled laser cutters and computer numerically controlled robots.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
78 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 wherein: said computer system comprises a 3-dimensional graphics computer system; said data model of said article includes coordinate points means for precisely locating a design definition of said article in a three dimensional coordinate system; and said means for downloading said definition of said virtual member in said data model including means for including coordinate points on said virtual member precisely locating said virtual member in said three dimensional coordinate system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
120 words
An article manufacturing system of claim 11 wherein: said tangible member includes a tool having a plurality of profile boards, at least one connector board, said profile boards including at least one profile edge, said profile edge of each of said profile boards located in a moldline surface which defines an image of said component part of said article, each of said profile boards further including locator means for fixedly locating said profile board with respect to said connector board, said connector board further including locator means for fixedly locating said connector board with respect to each of said locator boards, said respective locator means each includes a locator edge on said respective profile boards and said respective connector board.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
150 words
A tool having a defined surface which comprises: a plurality of profile boards; at least one connector board; at least a portion of said profile boards including at least one profile edge, said profile edge forming at least a part of said defined surface of said tool; each of said profile boards further including locator means for positioning said profile board with respect to said connector board; said connector board further including locator means for positioning said connector board with respect to each of said profile boards; said respective locator means each including a locator edge on said respective profile boards and said respective connector board; said connector board locatable against said locator edge on said respective profile boards and said profile boards locatable against said locator edge on said connector board; and means for maintaining said profile boards and said connector board fixedly positioned with respect to one another.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
150 words
A tool having a defined surface which comprises: a plurality of profile boards; at least one connector board; at least a portion of said profile boards including at least one profile edge, said profile edge forming at least a part of said defined surface of said tool; each of said profile boards further including locator means for positioning said profile board with respect to said connector board; said connector board further including locator means for positioning said connector board with respect to each of said profile boards; said respective locator means each including a locator edge on said respective profile boards and said respective connector board; said connector board locatable against said locator edge on said respective profile boards and said profile boards locatable against said locator edge on said connector board; and means for maintaining said profile boards and said connector board fixedly positioned with respect to one another.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
A tool of claim 19 including: at least two of said connector boards, each of said connector boards further including locator means for positioning said respective connector board with respect to each of said profile boards.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
221 words
A tool of claim 19 wherein: each of said locator means includes a slot, each of said slots including a locator edge and a non-locator edge; said locator edges of said respective profile boards abutting against said connector board to position said profile boards with respect to said connector board and said locator edges of said connector board abutting against said respective profile boards to position said connector board with respect to said respective profile boards; said locator edges of said respective profile boards abutting against said connector board positioning said profile boards with respect to said connector board in three dimensional space in one of mutuality perpendicular X or Y axes; said locator edges of said connector board abutting against said respective profile boards positioning said connector board with respect to said respective profile boards in three dimensional space in the other of said X or Y axes; Z axis positioning means for positioning each of said profile boards in three dimensional space in a Z axis, said Z axis orthogonal to said X and Y axes; and said Z axis positioning means comprises each of said profile boards including a Z edge, said respective Z edge on each of said respective profile boards located in a fixed relationship with respect to the profile edge on said respective profile board.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
A tool of claim 19 wherein: said defined surface of said tool comprises a moldline surface; and wherein said profile edge of each of said profile boards is located in said moldline surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
112 words
A tool of claim 21 wherein: said means for maintaining said profile boards and said connector board in fixed locations with respect to one another comprises a plurality of wedge means for essentially fixedly positioning one surface with respect to a further surface; and one of said wedge means fitting into each of said respective slots on said respective profile boards and respective connector board, said respective wedge means in each respective slot fitting against both the non-locator edge of said respective slot and the respective board located in said respective slot to essentially fixedly position the respective board located in said respective slot against the locator edge of said respective slot.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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