US5077941A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic grinding method and system
Assignee: SPACE TIME ANALYSES Ltd A CORP OF
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Filing: 1990-05-15
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Granted: 1992-01-07
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Expires: 2010-05-15
Abstract
Abstract An automatic grinding system and method for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions includes sensing the width of at least one of those regions; determining the height of the raised region above the lower region in response to the sensed width; and selecting the grinding speed and force and the velocity of the grinder over the surface in response to the determined height of the raised region.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel E. Whitney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:42
CPC Classifications
B; B24; B24B; B24B49/00; B24B49/16; B24B19/00; B24B19/26; G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/416; G05B19/4163; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/37; G05B2219/37357; G05B2219/37572; G05B2219/43; G05B2219/43121; G05B2219/45; G05B2219/45058; G05B2219/49; G05B2219/49362
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
An automatic grinding system for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions, comprising: means for grinding the raised regions down to the level of the lower regions, said means including a grinder, said grinder having a flexible member for supporting a grinding medium selected to maintain the surface of the raised regions flat during the grinding of the surface; means for controlling the grinding force, the grinding speed and the velocity over the surface of the means for grinding; means for sensing the width of at least one of the regions; means, responsive to the means for sensing, for determining the height of the raised regions above the lower region; and means, responsive to said means for determining the height, for driving said means for controlling to set the grinding speed and force and the velocity over the surface of the means for grinding.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
An automatic grinding system for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions, comprising: means for grinding the raised regions down to the level of the lower regions, said means including a grinder, said grinder having a flexible member for supporting a grinding medium selected to maintain the surface of the raised regions flat during the grinding of the surface; means for controlling the grinding force, the grinding speed and the velocity over the surface of the means for grinding; means for sensing the width of at least one of the regions; means, responsive to the means for sensing, for determining the height of the raised regions above the lower region; and means, responsive to said means for determining the height, for driving said means for controlling to set the grinding speed and force and the velocity over the surface of the means for grinding.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for grinding includes a robot arm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said grinder is a rotary grinder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 3 in which said flexible member is a disk.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for grinding includes a grinding medium of approximately 50-120 grit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for controlling includes a robot controller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for sensing includes a TV camera.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for driving include means for detecting the force applied between the means for grinding and the surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for driving includes means for ascertaining the grinding speed of said means for grinding.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for controlling includes means for automatically ascertaining the sharpness of the means for grinding.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The automatic grinding system of claim 1 in which said means for grinding includes means for changing grinding media.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
91 words
An automatic grinding method for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions, comprising: sensing the width of at least one of those regions; determining the height of the raised region above the lower region in response to the sensed width; selecting the grinding speed and force and the velocity of the grinder over the surface in response to the determined height of the raised region; and selecting the grit size of the grinding medium to obtain a predetermined surface shape of the ground surface during grinding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
91 words
An automatic grinding method for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions, comprising: sensing the width of at least one of those regions; determining the height of the raised region above the lower region in response to the sensed width; selecting the grinding speed and force and the velocity of the grinder over the surface in response to the determined height of the raised region; and selecting the grit size of the grinding medium to obtain a predetermined surface shape of the ground surface during grinding.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The automatic grinding method of claim 12 including: automatically determining the sharpness of the grinding medium; automatically adjusting the selected speed and force in response to the sharpness; and changing to new grinding media when the sharpness falls below a preset limit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The automatic grinding method of claim 12 including changing to different grinding media when grinding is nearly complete.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The automatic grinding method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined surface shape of the ground surface is flat.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The automatic grinding method of claim 12 including selecting the grit size of the grinding medium, and selecting the velocity of the grinder over the surface based on the grit size to obtain a predetermined surface finish.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-01-06 | 1995-07-08 | 1996-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-01-06 | 1999-07-08 | 2000-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-01-06 | 2003-07-08 | 2004-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |