Patent Application
20250098912
The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates generally to an explosion-proof wet separator vacuum. In additive manufacturing facilities, metal powder tends to accumulate from the additive manufacturing processes. This build-up results in residual powder on the floor that poses a risk to operators, poses a fire risk, and poses a process contamination risk.
Accordingly, there is room for improvement to ensure that residual powder from additive manufacturing is cleaned up.
One aspect of the disclosure provides a system comprising an intake, a suction arm, a filter, a collection bin downstream from the filter, a turbine enclosed within an explosion-proof enclosure, an explosion-proof motor enclosed within the explosion-proof enclosure, the explosion-proof motor configured to drive the turbine to create a suction force through the intake and the suction arm to force debris through the filter and into the collection bin, a housing configured to contain the intake, the suction arm, the filter, the collection bin, and the explosion-proof enclosure including the turbine and the explosion-proof motor, a lift mechanism attached to the housing and configured to move in an upward direction and a downward direction relative to the housing, a plurality of sensors disposed on the housing and configured to obtain directional data, obtain location data, and debris data, one or more wheels, and a controller configured to control the wheels to move the housing based on at least one of the directional data, the location data, and the debris data.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the controller is configured to move the suction arm. The controller may move the suction arm to debris in response to the debris data.
The controller may move the housing to debris in response to the debris data.
The controller may be configured to control the lift mechanism to move the lift mechanism in the upward direction and the downward direction.
The plurality of sensors may include at least one of a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a sonar sensor, a GPS sensor, an accelerometer, or a gyrometer.
The controller may be in communication with a user device. The user device may be configured to define directional parameters for the controller to control the wheels to move the housing.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides a system comprising an intake, a turbine enclosed within an explosion-proof enclosure, an explosion-proof motor enclosed within the explosion-proof enclosure, the explosion-proof motor configured to drive the turbine to create a suction force through the intake to force debris through the intake, a housing configured to contain the intake and the explosion-proof enclosure including the turbine and the explosion-proof motor, a plurality of sensors disposed on the housing and configured to obtain directional data, obtain location data, and debris data, one or more wheels, and a controller configured to control the wheels to move the housing based on at least one of the directional data, the location data, and the debris data.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the controller moves the housing to debris in response to the debris data.
The system may further comprise a lift mechanism attached to the housing and configured to move in an upward direction and a downward direction relative to the housing. the controller being configured to control the lift mechanism to move the lift mechanism in the upward direction and the downward direction.
The plurality of sensors may include at least one of a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a sonar sensor, a GPS sensor, an accelerometer, or a gyrometer.
The controller is in communication with a user device. The user device may be configured to define directional parameters for the controller to control the wheels to move the housing.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides an autonomous explosion-proof wet separator vacuum comprising an intake, a turbine enclosed within an explosion-proof enclosure, an explosion-proof motor enclosed within the explosion-proof enclosure, the explosion-proof motor configured to drive the turbine to create a suction force through the intake to force debris through the intake, a housing configured to contain the intake and the explosion-proof enclosure including the turbine and the explosion-proof motor, a plurality of sensors disposed on the housing and configured to obtain directional data, obtain location data, and debris data, and a controller configured to move the housing based on at least one of the directional data, the location data, and the debris data.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, the controller moves the housing to debris in response to the debris data.
The autonomous explosion-proof wet separator vacuum may further comprise a lift mechanism attached to the housing and configured to move in an upward direction and a downward direction relative to the housing, the controller being configured to control the lift mechanism to move the lift mechanism in the upward direction and the downward direction.
The plurality of sensors may include at least one of a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a sonar sensor, a GPS sensor, an accelerometer, or a gyrometer.
The controller may be in communication with a user device. The user device may be configured to define directional parameters for the controller to control the location of the housing.
The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below: Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and the example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.
Referring to
The vacuum 100 includes a housing 102, which may be formed from plastic or any other suitable material. The vacuum 100 includes an intake 104 disposed at a lower portion of the housing 102. The intake 104 is designed to remove debris from a floor located in proximity to the intake 104. In some implementations, the intake 104 includes a roller or other suitable component to facilitate debris pick up.
The vacuum 100 includes a turbine 106 that is driven by an explosion-proof motor 108. The explosion-proof motor 108 may include an enclosure that withstands and contains internal explosion, flame exhaust paths that dampen flames and permit hot gases to escape the enclosure, and/or is free from a surface that exceeds the lowest auto-ignition temperature of the vapor, gas, or dust in the anticipated environment. The turbine 106 and the explosion-proof motor 108 may both be enclosed in an explosion-proof enclosure 110.
The vacuum 100 includes a filter 112 downstream from the turbine 106 and the explosion-proof motor 108. The vacuum 100 includes a dry collection bin 114 and a wet reservoir 134. In operation, the turbine 106 pulls a vacuum through the dry collection bin 114 and the wet reservoir 134. In some implementations, the dry collection bin 114 may include interchangeable reservoirs or multiple reservoirs to hold powders from different areas of the cleaning space that are incompatible (e.g., aluminum and steel, explosive polymers, non-metallic powders, etc.). The vacuum 100 includes a suction arm 116, which, in some implementations, extends out of the housing 102 or a lift mechanism 130, as described below. In some implementations, the suction arm 116 includes an accessory member 118 such as, for example, a head, brush, roller, etc., at a distal end of the suction arm 116.
The turbine 106, when driven by the motor 108, creates a suction force through the intake 104 and/or the suction arm 116 to draw air and debris through the intake 104 and/or the suction arm 116. In some implementations, the wet reservoir 134 may separate the wet debris from the dry debris and deposit the dry debris into the dry collection bin 114. In some implementations, the vacuum 100 may include an extractor or other suitable device to separate the wet debris from the dry debris. The vacuum 100 then passes the dry debris through the filter 112 and into the dry collection bin 114. In some implementations, the vacuum 100 selectively operates either the intake 104 or the suction arm 116 depending on the desired outcome. In other implementations, the vacuum 100 simultaneously operates the intake 104 and the suction arm 116.
With continued reference to
The memory 124 may be any type of suitable memory. For example, the memory 106 may include various types of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as SDRAM, the various types of static RAM (SRAM), and the various types of non-volatile memory (PROM, EPROM, and flash). In certain examples, the memory 124 may be located on and/or co-located on the same computer chip as the processor 122.
The vacuum 100 includes a plurality of sensors 126 disposed in or on the housing 102. In some implementations, the plurality of sensors 126 includes a camera, a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a sonar sensor, a GPS sensor, an accelerometer, and/or a gyrometer. The sensors 126 are configured to collect, individually or collectively, a plurality of data, including directional data, location data, and debris data (i.e., detecting the presence of debris). In some implementations, the plurality of sensors 126 may obtain and track historical data (e.g., areas where powder tends to build up, times at which powder tends to build up, etc.).
The vacuum 100 includes one or more movement components 128 that facilitate movement of the vacuum 100. In some implementations, the movement components 128 are wheels. In other implementations, the movement components 128 are any suitable components, such as tracks, sleds, skis, maglevs, etc.
The vacuum 100 includes a lift mechanism 130 disposed at an upper portion of the housing 102. The lift mechanism 130 includes any suitable components (e.g., pistons, pulleys, jacks, etc.) to facilitate movement of the lift mechanism 130 in an upward direction and a downward direction relative to the housing 102. The lift mechanism 130 is designed to withstand heavy loads and, in some implementations, is configured to lift external components and structures. For example, the lift mechanism 130 may lift pallets of components or materials, and move them to a desired location. In other implementations, the lift mechanism 130 is configured to lift the vacuum 100 so that the vacuum 100 can go above and over obstacles or other items on the floor. In other implementations, the lift mechanism 130 is configured to rise up so the suction arm 116 can reach areas with a higher elevation. The lift mechanism 130 may combine any of the foregoing implementations as required for a particular application.
The vacuum 100 includes a magnetic powder capture element (MPCE) 132 to detect, extract from a surface, and contain ferromagnetic powders. The MPCE 132 includes a multiplicity of permanent magnets and/or electromagnets to generate a magnetic field of continuously controllable strength, from completely off to maximum power. The MPCE 132 generates sufficient magnetic field strength to lift ferromagnetic powders from contaminated surfaces, and continuously retain the powder until extracted and deposited into the wet reservoir 134. In some implementations, the MPCE 132 may be submerged in reservoir liquid, with powders still magnetically attached to the capture surface, to passivate the captured powder. The magnetic field of the MPCE 132 may be turned off simultaneous to exposure to the wet separate vacuum to facilitate easy and complete powder removal.
With continued reference to
Referring to
In some implementations, the docking station 400 may charge a battery of the vacuum 100 and, while charging, the docking station 400 may evacuate the wet reservoir 134 and refill the reservoir 134 with fresh, clean liquid to facilitate further cleaning. The docking station 400 may automatically filter out the debris from the liquid and place the debris in a filter bag to recycle/dispose of the debris before offering up the water to be used for a future refill of the vacuum 100. In some implementations, the docking station 400 may have sensors to detect the amount of particulates in the water. Based on data from the sensors, the docking station 400 may determine whether water should be added the next time the vacuum 100 docks or ask for fresh, new water/solution/liquid to refill the wet reservoir 134.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” “attached to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” “directly attached to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.
In this application, including the definitions below; the term module may be replaced with the term circuit. The term module may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by a processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality: or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.
The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, and/or objects. The term shared processor encompasses a single processor that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term group processor encompasses a processor that, in combination with additional processors, executes some or all code from one or more modules. The term shared memory encompasses a single memory that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term group memory encompasses a memory that, in combination with additional memories, stores some or all code from one or more modules. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does not encompass transitory electrical and electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium, and may therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory memory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory memory include a tangible computer readable medium including a nonvolatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.
The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programs may also include and/or rely on stored data.
A software application (i.e., a software resource) may refer to computer software that causes a computing device to perform a task. In some examples, a software application may be referred to as an “application,” an “app,” or a “program,” Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.
The non-transitory memory may be physical devices used to store programs (e.g., sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use by a computing device. The non-transitory memory may be volatile and/or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM)/programmable read-only memory (PROM)/erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)/electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., typically used for firmware, such as boot programs). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM) as well as disks or tapes.
These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer readable medium, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.
Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic and/or optical circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICS (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.
The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors, also referred to as data processing hardware, executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data. e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the disclosure can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or touch screen for displaying information to the user and optionally a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide interaction with a user as well: for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback: and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on a user's client device in response to requests received from the web browser.
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
