公开(公告)号：US20250073930A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18802225

申请日：2024-08-13

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Matteo RUSSO ,  Samuel P. WILD ,  Xin DONG ,  Dragos A. AXINTE ,  Andrew D. NORTON

IPC: B25J18/06 ,  B25J9/10

Abstract: A continuum arm robot segment that has a proximal end section and a distal end section. The continuum arm robot segment has at least one vertebra between the proximal end section and the distal end section, the vertebra being linked to the proximal end section and to the distal end section by linkages, wherein the proximal end section, the distal end section and the at least one vertebra are configured to have hollow cores to provide a passage within the continuum arm robot segment. The continuum arm robot segment also has at least two tendons that are connected to the distal end section and pass through the at least one vertebra and the proximal end section. The at least two tendons are routed helically so that they undergo substantially at least a 360° rotation between the proximal end section and the distal end section.

公开(公告)号：US20250067774A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-27

申请号：US18791814

申请日：2024-08-01

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc.

Inventor： Xin DONG ,  Jing LIU ,  Dragos A. AXINTE ,  Andrew D. NORTON

IPC: G01R1/067 ,  G01M15/02 ,  G01M15/04

Abstract: An inflatable probe for testing a component. The inflatable probe has a balloon formed of a dielectric material, the balloon having a neck and at least one electrode pair comprising an inner electrode and an outer electrode, the inner electrode being positioned on an internal surface of the balloon and the outer electrode being positioned on an external surface of the balloon. The inflatable probe also has a sealing plug that forms an air tight seal with neck of the balloon to retain a fluid within the balloon, the sealing plug at least having a seal electrode to connect to the inner electrode within the balloon, the sealing plug supporting a first wire to connect to a first seal electrode. The inflatable probe also has at least one tool that is connected to the balloon.

公开(公告)号：US20230400665A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-14

申请号：US18197171

申请日：2023-05-15

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrew D. NORTON ,  Michael A. O'KEY

IPC: G02B7/18 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B26/10

CPC classification number: G02B7/18 ,  G02B26/0883 ,  G02B26/0816 ,  G02B26/101

Abstract: A laser ablation tool including, a pulsed laser source, a prism that rotates in a plane perpendicular to light from the laser source, and a mirror that is moveable in at least one direction and which is set at an angle relative to the light from the laser source.

公开(公告)号：US20180154515A1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-07

申请号：US15803028

申请日：2017-11-03

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrew D. NORTON ,  Stewart LOWTH ,  Xin DONG

IPC: B25J9/06

CPC classification number: B25J9/065 ,  B25J9/04 ,  B25J17/0275 ,  B25J18/06

Abstract: A hyper redundant robot comprising: a first disk; a second disk positioned adjacent to the first disk, the first disk and the second disk having a longitudinal axis; a first joint arrangement positioned between the first disk and the second disk, the first disk and/or the second disk being in sliding contact with the first joint arrangement to enable the first disk and the second disk to rotate relative to one another; and a second joint arrangement positioned between the first disk and the second disk, the second joint arrangement being less stiff than the first joint arrangement.

公开(公告)号：US20250020546A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-16

申请号：US18752004

申请日：2024-06-24

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrew D. NORTON ,  Alexander R. WALLACE ,  Liam D. HARRISON

IPC: G01M15/14 ,  F01D21/00 ,  G01M15/02

Abstract: A system for inspecting a complex component, the system comprising: a flexible inspection device having a driver for controlling the motion of the flexible inspection device by manipulating the relative positions of a plurality of joints within the device, the flexible device having a sensor on its distal end; a feed mechanism for controlling the insertion or retraction of the flexible device into or from the complex component; a component driver for driving the movement of an aspect of the complex component from at least a first position to a second position; and a computer running a computer program, the computer interfacing with the flexible inspection device, the feed mechanism, and the component driver, so as to link the operation of the flexible inspection device, the feed mechanism and the component driver through a single program.

公开(公告)号：US20240165795A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US18384099

申请日：2023-10-26

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Liam D. HARRISON ,  Ian KENNEDY ,  Thomas HOPPER ,  Andrew D. NORTON

IPC: B25J9/06 ,  B25J9/12

CPC classification number: B25J9/065 ,  B25J9/12

Abstract: An actuator pack for a continuum arm robot, the actuator pack including a plurality of actuator pack sections, with each section having a housing and an interface plate, each section further containing a bank consisting of a plurality actuators that are connected to their own respective drive electronics and the actuators being mounted to the housing or the interface plate and having their drive heads exposed through a hole in the interface plate, and wherein the sections of the actuator pack are configured to coupled together in one state.

公开(公告)号：US20230398632A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-14

申请号：US18322916

申请日：2023-05-24

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Adam CLARE ,  Andres A. GAMEROS MADRIGAL ,  James KELL ,  Andrew D. NORTON ,  Thomas GIRERD

IPC: B23K26/26 ,  B23P6/00

CPC classification number: B23K26/26 ,  B23P6/00

Abstract: A repair system for in-situ repair of a machine. The repair system includes a laser unit configured to emit a laser beam, a galvanometer optically coupled to the laser unit and configured to adjust the laser beam received from the laser unit, a source of a flexible metallic mesh, a delivery unit configured to receive the flexible metallic mesh from the source of the flexible metallic mesh, and a controller communicably coupled to the laser unit, the galvanometer, and the delivery unit. The controller is configured to control the delivery unit to deposit the flexible metallic mesh on a surface of the machine. The controller is further configured to control the laser unit to emit the laser beam and to control the galvanometer to adjust the laser beam in order to weld the flexible metallic mesh to the surface of the machine, thereby forming a repair patch.

公开(公告)号：US20230191610A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

申请号：US18075877

申请日：2022-12-06

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrew D. NORTON ,  Matteo RUSSO ,  Abdelkhalick MOHAMMAD

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B25J9/06 ,  B25J19/06

CPC classification number: B25J9/1682 ,  B25J9/06 ,  B25J9/1633 ,  B25J9/163 ,  B25J19/066

Abstract: A control system for a compliant robotic system including at least two compliant robots having actuator packs, the control system including: an individual local control system associated with each actuator pack, the local control system providing control signals to the actuator causing movement within the robots, an overall control system controlling the overall motion of robots when proximate within a workspace, the overall control signal providing signals to the actuators associated with the robots, so as to cause linked movement of the continuum arm robots, and wherein each individual control system is provided with a clock synchronized with the other, and wherein the overall control system is provided with a redundancy control system that limits the motion of the compliant robots within certain degrees of freedom, so that the motion of the at least two complaint robots does not conflict when operating under the overall control system.

公开(公告)号：US20180058233A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-01

申请号：US15673926

申请日：2017-08-10

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrew D. NORTON ,  James KELL ,  Adam G A Rushworth ,  Amir Rabani

IPC: F01D11/00 ,  F01D21/00

CPC classification number: F01D11/003 ,  F01D21/003 ,  F01D25/24 ,  F05D2220/32 ,  F05D2260/83 ,  F05D2270/8041 ,  G01M15/14 ,  G01N21/8507 ,  G01N21/954 ,  G02B23/2476 ,  G02B23/26

Abstract: Apparatus for insertion into a cavity of an object, the apparatus comprising: a first tube comprising a first end, a second end, a first cavity extending between the first end and the second end, and an aperture at the second end; a member positioned within the first cavity of the first tube and adjacent the aperture of the first tube, the member being configured to enable an action to be performed; a plug coupled to the second end of the first tube; and an actuator configured to move the first tube relative to the object between a first position in which the plug seals the member from the cavity of the object, and a second position in which the member is exposed to the cavity of the object.

公开(公告)号：US20230295793A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-21

申请号：US18176916

申请日：2023-03-01

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Dmitrii I. USHMAEV ,  Zhirong LIAO ,  Dragos A. AXINTE ,  Andrew D. NORTON ,  James KELL

IPC: C23C14/22 ,  C23C14/08

CPC classification number: C23C14/228 ,  C23C14/083

Abstract: An apparatus for coating a surface of a substrate includes an evaporant source disposed within an open environment including air at atmospheric pressure. The evaporant source includes a coating material. The apparatus further includes an energy beam source disposed within the open environment and configured to emit at least one energy beam that impinges on an emission region of the evaporant source to form a vapour plume at the emission region. The vapour plume includes the coating material of the evaporant source. The apparatus further includes a fixture configured to position the evaporant source relative to the substrate within the open environment, such that a maximum distance between the emission region of the evaporant source and the surface of the substrate is less than or equal to 10 cm.