Automatic assembling apparatus

Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – With control means energized in response to activator...

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Details

29714, 29783, 29786, 29787, 29793, 29795, B23Q 1500

Patent

active

055134289

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an automatic assembling apparatus for assembling parts such as an engine or a suspension onto a car body or like work which is being conveyed continuously, i.e., without stop, by positioning the parts and then thread fastening the positioned parts to the work.


BACKGROUND ART

A conventional automatic assembling apparatus, for instance, an automatic assembling line for assembling such parts as an engine, a suspension, wheels, etc. onto a car body, has an assembling zone in which the engine, the suspension, etc. are coupled to the car body. In the assembling zone, the car body which is supplied by a ceiling conveyor (or work conveyor) is transferred from the ceiling conveyor to a separate conveyor and is positioned thereon, and the engine, the suspension, etc. are raised by a lifter with respect to the car body which has been positioned as above and is held stationary. Thus, the engine, the suspension, etc. are coupled to prescribed positions of the car body. The car body with the engine, the suspension, etc. coupled thereto is then conveyed by the separate conveyor to a thread fastening zone. In the thread fastening zone, a thread fastening operation is done by an automatic thread fastening unit with the car body held stationary again. In this way, the engine, the suspension, etc. are assembled onto the car body. The car body with the engine, the suspension, etc. assembled thereon is then conveyed by the separate conveyor to a back-up zone in which repair with respect to defective thread fastening, etc. is made.
The car body, to which the engine, the suspension, etc. have been secured reliably in the above way, is then returned to the ceiling conveyor to be conveyed to the next step.


DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In the above automatic assembling line for automatically assembling the engine, the suspension, etc., however, an exclusive conveyor is required separately from the ceiling conveyor (or work conveyor) for conveying the car body or like work, and therefore correspondingly high installation cost is required. In addition, correspondingly broad installation space is necessary.
Further, when a repair becomes necessary, the operator enters the automatic assembling line for carrying out a repair operation. This is disadvantageous from the standpoints of the safety and operation efficiency.
An object of the invention is to permit automatic assembling of such parts as an engine, a suspension, etc. onto a car body or like work which are being conveyed continuously on a conveyor.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the installation cost and space of the automatic assembling apparatus.
A still another object of the invention is to improve the safety and efficiency of the repairing operation by the operator by providing an operator's back-up zone separately from an automatic assembling zone.
A further object of the invention is to permit assembling parts onto a plurality of different works with a single automatic assembling apparatus.
A still further object of the invention is to permit smooth positioning and thread fastening of parts by predetermining the work position.
The automatic assembling apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention comprises a work conveyor, a parts truck and a thread fastening truck. The work conveyor conveys the work continuously, i.e., without stop. The parts truck can be driven by the work conveyor for movement in a direction parallel to at least part of the conveying path of the work conveyor, and it includes an approach truck and a coupling mechanism. The approach truck can approach the work while supporting parts thereon. The coupling mechanism can couple the parts truck and the work conveyor to each other. The parts truck and the work conveyor may be coupled to each other via the work being conveyed on the work conveyor. The thread fastening truck can be driven by the work conveyor for movement along a path parallel to the path of movement of the parts truck, and it includes a thread fastening mechanism and a coupl

REFERENCES:
patent: 4700472 (1987-10-01), Muranaka
patent: 4734979 (1988-04-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 4827598 (1989-05-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 5088176 (1992-02-01), Koga
patent: 5167065 (1992-12-01), Koga
patent: 5311659 (1994-05-01), Barnhart et al.
Robot No. 78, Jun-ichi Kondo, "Robot Application in the Trim & Final Line of Gunma Plant", pp. 45-52, with partial English Translation.

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