Abstract
An autonomous mobile robot (AGV / AMR) transfers a planar workpiece — for example a printed circuit board — between processing stations by carrying a transfer-conveyor segment on a powered stage that holds the segment’s orientation independently of the robot’s heading. This lets a minimal-footprint, non-holonomic robot present the conveyor to a station port facing any direction, in confined space, without sweeping the segment through its diagonal. At each station a docking interface is provided that separates location from clamping: passive kinematic features (a fully-locating feature plus a relieved one, optionally tapered) locate the segment, while one or more self- locking, electrically actuated clamps draw it against those features with preload normal to the interface only and hold that preload without continuous power. The active clamp rides on the robot and engages a passive striker on the station, keeping the costly mechanism off the many stations. Compliant, optionally damping elements let the segment self-align as it seats and isolate the workpiece from transport vibration. Where the robot carries several stacked segments, a single vertical movement selects which segment docks and levels it to the station’s transfer height. Transfer is bidirectional and begins only once the robot is docked, on a handshake between robot and station optionally sequenced by a central system. This disclosure covers the combination and its enumerated variants and is placed in the public domain as prior art.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Willer, Alexander, "Autonomous Mobile Robot for Transferring Planar Workpieces Between Processing Stations Using an Orientation-Holding Conveyor Stage and a Self-Locking Kinematic Dock", Technical Disclosure Commons, (July 01, 2026)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/10781