JPH0523931A - Parts feeding equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To feed parts after being assorted in a set by conveying a parts case in a storage unit to a temporary mount along a fixed route by a carriage, and making each of parts so as to be taken out of the case on this temporary mount with a robot, in a parts feeding equipment in an automobile cylinder assembling line. CONSTITUTION:A lot of the same parts are stored in a parts case 11 and then housed in an automatic warehouse 1. This parts case 11 is delivered by a delivery device 5 and conveyed on a fixed route 15 by an automatically traveling conveyor carriage 16. In this conveyor carriage 16, there are provided two sets of delivery units in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the fixed route 15 is formed into linear form, and at the side, many parts case temporary mounting units 20 are provided. The parts case 11 is transferred onto each of these mounting units 20. In succession, an assembling case feeding conveyor 26 and a robot 30 are set up in parallel with these units 20. Thus, each of parts in the parts case 11 is taken out by this robot 30, and then it is charged into an assembling case on the conveyor 26.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a parts supply facility used for assembling various parts to a cylinder block mounted on, for example, an automobile and supplying a group of parts necessary for the assembly line. Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, as a vehicle body assembling facility using a carrier device, a structure disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-209458 has been provided. In this conventional type, the carrier is allowed to travel on an endless carrier track, and working parts are provided at a plurality of points on the endless route. Then, the car body was placed on the carrier, various parts were assembled to the car body while the car was running on an endless route, and then the car body was wholesaled from the carrier. The various parts are removed from the parts shelves arranged laterally of the endless path and used for assembly.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the above-mentioned conventional type, the operator has to make many round trips between the parts rack and the carrier to carry the parts, which requires a great deal of labor. Furthermore, assembly of erroneous parts is likely to occur. Moreover, the replenishment of various parts must be performed over almost the entire length of the circulation path, which requires a lot of time and is troublesome.

An object of the present invention is to provide a parts supply facility which can supply a set of necessary parts in a set without a worker walking and can easily and quickly replenish the parts. ..

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the component supply equipment of the present invention comprises a component case containing a large number of the same components and a component case in which the types of the components are different. A storable component storage device, a transport trolley that supports a component case unloaded from the component storage device and can travel on a fixed route, and a transport trolley that is disposed on a side portion of the fixed route. It is composed of a temporary placing table device that can freely exchange parts cases between them, and a robot that picks up parts from the parts case group on the temporary placing table device and transfers them to an assembling case.

[0006]

According to the structure of the present invention, a component case of a type desired according to the request among the component case group in which a large number of the same components are stored is taken out from the component storage device and temporarily placed through the carrier truck. It can be transported to the side of the table device. Then, the component case on the transport carriage can be moved to a target position of the temporary storage platform device. In addition, the transporting trolley in which the actual component cases are sold can receive an empty component case on the temporary storage platform device, transport it to the component storage device, and return it.

The various parts housed in the respective parts cases on the temporary placing table device are picked by the corresponding robot and placed in the assembling case. As a result, a plurality of types of parts corresponding to the object to be assembled can be automatically set in the assembly case.

As described above, since the component case can accommodate a large number of the same components, it can be formed so as to efficiently accommodate the shape of each component, and the component storage device and the temporary storage stand. Since it can be recycled to and from the apparatus, it can be efficiently used with a minimum number.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an automated warehouse, which is an example of a parts storage device, and reciprocates on a pair of shelves 3 in which a plurality of storage sections 2 are vertically formed and in a lateral direction, and a movement path 4 formed between both shelves 3. Traveling device 5
And a material handling device 6 provided outside the end of the shelf 3.

The loading / unloading device 5 has a traveling machine body 7 supported and guided by rails, an elevator 9 guided by a post 8 standing upright from the traveling machine body 7, and can be retracted laterally to and from the elevator machine 9. It is composed of a loading and unloading tool (fork) 10 and the like provided in the, and delivers the parts case 11 between the intended storage part 2 and the above-mentioned handling device 6 by a combined operation of traveling motion, lifting motion and withdrawal motion. I do. The component case 11 stores a large number of the same components, and a plurality of types of component cases 11 having different types of components can be stored in the storage unit 2 in units of cases.

Parts case unloaded from the automated warehouse 1
A carriage 16 that supports 11 and can travel on a fixed path 15 is provided. The carriage 16 automatically travels on a fixed path 15 guided by guide rails and guides, and a transfer device (fork, conveyor, etc.) for transferring the component case 11 in the lateral direction is provided on the upper part of the main body 17. ) 18 are arranged in two sets in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the constant path 15
Is linear in the workplace, and a temporary placing table device 20 on which a large number of component cases 11 can be placed linearly is arranged on the side. This temporary stand device 20 is a stand type,
The case receiving portion 21 at the upper part is configured such that the transfer device 18 of the transfer carriage 16 can operate, and thus the component case 11 can be transferred between the transfer carriage 16 and the temporary placement base device 20. Becomes

A conveyor 26, which is capable of transporting the assembling case 25, is arranged in parallel with the temporary placing table device 20. As the conveyor 26, a drive roller conveyor type including a frame 27 and a large number of rollers 28 is adopted, but this may be a belt conveyor type or the like.

A plurality of robots 30 are arranged between the temporary placing table device 20 and the conveyor 26. These robots 30 are
It is composed of a main body 31, an operating arm 32, and the like. Each robot 30
Parts case located in the work area on the temporary table device 20
The component 35 is picked from the 11th group and transferred to the assembly case 25 conveyed on the conveyor 26, and the robot 30 at the end also transfers the assembly case 25.

With the conveyor 26 inside, the robot 30
On the opposite side of the group, a conveying device 40 having a conveying direction B opposite to the conveying direction A of the conveyor 26 is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the carrier device 40 is composed of a monorail 41 having an I-shaped cross section and a movable body 43 which is supported and guided by the monorail 41 and can travel on a fixed path 42. It The monorail 41 is supported on the floor via a base body 44, a bracket 45, etc., and a signal / power supply device 46 is arranged on the side surface opposite to the side surface to which the bracket 45 is coupled.

The movable body 43 includes a pair of trolley main bodies 47, 48 in the traveling direction, a transmission 49 attached to the upper part of one trolley main body 47, and a traveling drive which can be driven in forward and reverse directions in cooperation with the transmission 49. A device 50, a drive wheel 52 that is attached to the left-right output shaft 51 protruding from the transmission 49, and can be placed on the upper surface of the monorail 41, and a left-right shaft that projects from the front trolley body 48. A driven wheel body 54 attached to 53 and freely placed on the upper surface of the monorail 41, and both trolley bodies 4
It is composed of a horizontal shake prevention roller 55 that is attached to 7, 48 and is capable of contacting both upper and lower ends of the monorail 41, and a front and rear connecting frame 56 that connects the upper portions of both trolley bodies 47 and 48. It

On one of the trolley bodies 47, a current collector 57 which is slidably in contact with the signal / power supply device 46 is attached. The connecting frame 56 has a rectangular frame shape, and a case supporting portion 58 for supporting the assembling case 25 is provided on an upper portion thereof. Further, a control device 59 is provided on the lower part of one side of the connecting frame 56.
Is provided.

On the other side of the connecting frame 56, an assembly object support portion 60 capable of supporting the cylinder block 36 which is an example of the assembly object is provided. That is, a vertical holding frame 61 is arranged on the other side of the connecting frame 56, and an elevating body 63 is arranged on the holding frame 61 via a vertical guide portion 62. This lifting body 63
The elevating and lowering can be performed by screwing a nut body 64 provided on the elevating body 63 with a screw shaft 66 that is driven in the reverse direction by a motor 65 provided on the holding frame 61.

A horizontal axis 67 is provided on the other side of the lifting body 63.
An L-shaped rotary frame body 68 that is rotatable around is provided via a rotary drive device 69 that rotates the L-shaped rotary frame body 68. Then, the support portion 60 is provided on the horizontal plate portion of the rotary frame 68 via a turning device 70 so as to be freely turnable around a vertical turning axis 71. A side of the transfer device 40 opposite to the conveyor 26 is formed in a working part 75, and a robot type automatic assembling device 76 is arranged at a predetermined position of the working part 75.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the temporary stand 20, the conveyor 26, the robot 30 and the like having the above-mentioned configuration are the above-mentioned transfer devices.
A plurality of blocks (three blocks in the embodiment) are arranged in the direction of the fixed path 42 with 40 in common. Furthermore, the temporary stand 20,
The conveyor 26, the robot 30, the transfer device 40, etc. are arranged symmetrically with the fixed path 15 of the transfer carriage 16 as the center.

A traverser 80 for transferring the movable body 43 between the monorails 41 of the conveying device 40 located on both the left and right sides is provided in the overall structure symmetrically arranged.
These traversers 80 are a floor rail 81 and this floor rail 81.
And a trolley 82 supported and guided by the trolley 82, and a relay rail 83 connectable to the monorail 41 is provided on the trolley 82.

On the side of the starting end of one of the transport devices 40, a loading carriage 86 which is capable of automatically traveling on a fixed path 85 is provided.
Then, a robot type transfer device 87 is provided for transferring the cylinder block 36 carried by the carry-in carriage 86 to the assembly target support portion 60 of the movable body 43. On the other hand, on the side of the terminal end of the other transport device 40, there is provided a carry-out carriage 91 that can automatically travel on a fixed path 90, and the finished product 37 carried by the movable body 43 is transferred to this carry-out carriage 91. A crane type transfer device 92 is provided for this purpose.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
For example, a group of parts carried in by a truck or the like is sorted at a sorting place, the same parts 35 are put together in a parts case 10, and then the parts case 10 is put in a corresponding storage part 2 of the automated warehouse 1. ..

The carriage 16 which has traveled on the fixed path 15 from the working section 75 while supporting the empty parts case 11 is stopped in opposition to the material handling device 6 in the automatic warehouse 1. The empty component case 11 is delivered to the material handling device 6 by the operation of the delivery device 18. The empty parts case 11 on the loading / unloading device 6 is combined with the traveling motion of the loading / unloading device 5, the lifting / lowering motion of the lifting / lowering table 9, and the withdrawal / retraction of the loading / unloading device 10.
It is returned to the target empty storage unit 2.

Further, a new actual parts case 11 that stores the same type of parts 35 as the parts 35 stored in the returned empty parts case 11 is loaded and unloaded by the loading and unloading device 5 from the storage part 2 to the handling device. 6 and is transferred onto the carriage 16 by the operation of the transfer device 18.

In this state, the carriage 16 automatically travels on the fixed path 15 and then enters the working section 75 to temporarily mount the table 20.
It is stopped on the side of the intended case receiving portion 21. The case receiving part 21 for this purpose is an empty parts case in the previous process.
11 has been removed, and a new actual component case 11 is replenished by the operation of the transfer device 18 in the removal trace. After that, the carriage 16 receives the empty component case 11 generated in another case receiving portion 21 and conveys it to the automated warehouse 1 side, and the same work as described above is repeated.

An empty assembling case 25 is supplied to the starting end on the conveyor 26, and the assembling case 25 is successively conveyed to the end side. Various parts 35 housed in each part case 11 on the temporary placing table device 20 are picked by the corresponding robot 30, and are transferred to the assembling case 25 on the conveyor 26 as described above. It is thrown in against. As a result, in the assembling case 25 reaching the end of the conveyor 26, a group 35 of parts corresponding to the next cylinder block 36 to be transferred by the transfer device 40 can be automatically set.

In the carrying device 40, the corresponding cylinder block 36 and the assembling case 25 are supplied to the empty movable body 43 which has reached the starting end. That is, the cylinder block 36 carried by the carry-in carriage 86 is transferred by the transfer device 87 onto the assembly support portion 60 of the movable body 43, and a group 35 of parts corresponding to the type of the cylinder block 36 is set. The case 25 for assembly,
From the end of the conveyor 26 to the case support 58 by the robot 30.
Passed on.

The movable body 43, which supports the cylinder block 36 and the assembling case 25 in this manner, is supported and guided by the monorail 41 and travels on the fixed path 42. In this traveling, the traveling drive device 50 is operated to forcibly rotate the drive wheel body 52, so that both wheel bodies 52, 54 support the monorail 41, and a plurality of side shake prevention rollers 55 prevent side shake. It is done in a state of being.

While the movable body 43 is traveling on the fixed path 42, the operator and the automatic assembling device 76 take out the parts 35 in the assembling case 25 in a predetermined order and assemble the cylinder block 36. To do. At that time, the cylinder block 36 can adjust the level with respect to the floor by elevating the elevating frame 63 with respect to the holding frame 61, and the rotary drive device 69 moves the rotary frame 68 around the horizontal axis 67. It can be tilted by turning it, and the turning device 70 allows the turning axis.
You can change the direction by turning around 71. Therefore, the worker or the automatic assembling apparatus 76 can easily perform the assembling work.

In this way, the assembly case 25 which has been emptied by the assembly of one block is the robot 30
Is taken out from the case supporting portion 58 and returned to the starting end of the conveyor 26. As a result, the assembly case 25
Can be used in a circulating manner between the conveyor 26 and the transfer device 40, and thus can have a shape that can efficiently store a group of parts 35 corresponding to the type of the cylinder block 36.

As described above, the cylinder block 36 which has completed the assembly work in one block is conveyed to the next block by the movable body 43, and similarly receives the next assembly work. After completing the assembly work on the first row, the monorail 41
The movable body 43 that has reached the end of is transferred to the relay rail 83 connected to the monorail 41. Next, the movable body 43 is traversed to the other row side by the traveling of the carriage 82. Then, with the relay rails 83 connected to the monorails 41 in the other row, the movable body 43 is run on the monorails 41 in the other row, and the next assembly work is performed in the same manner as described above. At this time, the movable body 43 runs in the opposite direction to the above.

The movable body 43, which has completed all the assembling work in this way, reaches the end of the monorail 41 in the other row, and the finished product 37 on the assembly support 60 is taken out by the transfer device 92 and carried out. It is loaded on the trolley 91. The emptied movable body 43 is returned to the initial position via the traverser 80.

The guide of the movable body 43 in the transfer device 40 may be performed by two rails. However, by adopting the monorail 41 for supporting and guiding the movable body 43 as in the present embodiment, the whole structure can be configured so that spaces are formed below both sides of the movable body 43. As a result, a worker's foot can be positioned in a space, and the worker can take out the component 35 from the assembling case 25 or the component 35 with respect to the cylinder block 36.
Can be easily assembled.

Although the automatic warehouse 1 is shown as the component storage device in the above embodiment, it may have a structure in which the storage conveyors are arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages. Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, the same or substantially the same components as those in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. That is, 1 is an automated warehouse, 11 is a parts case, 16 is a transportation cart, 20 is a temporary placing table device, 25 is an assembling case, 26 is a conveyor, 30 is a robot, 35 is a part, 36 is a cylinder block, and 37 is completed. Items, 40 is a transport device, 90 is a fixed route, 91 is an unloading carriage, and 92 is a transfer device.

The transfer device 40 arranged at a position distant from the conveyor 26 has a constant path 42 formed in a loop shape, and a pair of parallel long straight parts is provided on a side of the working part 75. Is forming.

In order to convey the assembling case 25 between the conveyor 26 and the conveying device 40, a self-propelled carriage 100 that can travel on the ceiling side is provided. That is, the monorail 101 disposed on the ceiling side is formed in a loop shape including a portion parallel to the conveyor 26 above and a portion parallel to the working portion 75 above. The self-propelled carriage 10
0 is a main body 103 supported and guided by the monorail 101 via a ring body 102, and the ring body 10 provided on the main body 103 and
2 is composed of a traveling drive device 104 interlocked with the main body 103 and a hanger 105 provided at the bottom of the main body 103.

A transfer device 110 having an elevating function is disposed so as to face the start end and the end of the conveyor 26, whereby the transfer device 110 allows the hanger 10 of the self-propelled carriage 100 to move.
The assembly case 25 is transferred between the conveyor 5 and the conveyor 26. Further, transfer devices 111 having an elevating function are arranged at a plurality of positions parallel to the working unit 75 above, and these transfer devices 111 are paired with a transfer robot 112. By the cooperation of the transfer device 111 and the transfer robot 112, the hanger 105 of the self-propelled carriage 100 and the transfer device 40
The assembling case 25 is transferred to and from the case supporting portion 58.

According to this alternative embodiment, the temporary stand device 20
The empty upper part case 11 is transferred to the material handling device 6 by the carrier truck 16. Empty parts case on this handling device 6
11 is returned to the target empty storage section 2 by the operation of the loading / unloading device 5. Further, a new actual component case 11 that stores the same type of component 35 as the component 35 stored in the returned empty component case 11 is taken out from the storage unit 2 to the handling device 6 by the loading / unloading device 5. And transport cart 16
And is transferred to the temporary table device 20 via.

A working unit 75 supporting an empty assembling case 25.
The self-propelled carriage 100 that has traveled from is opposed to the conveyor 26 in the automated warehouse 1 and is stopped. Then, the empty assembling case 25 is received by the transfer device 110, conveyed downward, and unloaded at the starting end of the conveyor 26. The assembling case 25 on the conveyor 26 is sequentially conveyed to the end side.

The various parts 35 housed in each part case 11 on the temporary placing table device 20 correspond to the corresponding robot 30.
Picked by, and as described above the conveyor
26 is put into the assembling case 25 that is being conveyed over. As a result, in the assembly case 25 reaching the end of the conveyor 26, a group 35 of parts corresponding to the cylinder block 36 to be transferred by the transfer device 40 can be automatically set.

The actual assembling case 25 in which the group of parts 35 is set in this manner is received by the transfer device 110 at the end of the conveyor 26, conveyed upward, and then transferred to the hanger 105 of the self-propelled carriage 100. Be done. Self-propelled cart in this state
100 is automatically guided by being supported and guided by the monorail, and then enters the working unit 75 and is stopped facing the start end of the transfer device 40.

Next, the self-propelled carriage 100 receives the upper assembly case 25 by the transfer device 111, is conveyed downward, and is then received by the transfer robot 112. Then, the actual assembling case 25 is supplied to the empty movable body 43 which has reached the starting end of the transfer device 40 by the operation of the transfer robot 112.

Thereafter, the assembling case 25 which has become empty after the desired assembling work is taken out from the case supporting portion 58 by the operation of the transfer robot 112 at the end of the transfer device 40, and is transferred. After being received by the device 111 and conveyed upward, it is returned to the hanger 105 of the self-propelled carriage 100. In this way, the self-propelled carriage 100 having received the empty assembling case 25 travels while being supported and guided by the monorail 101, and stops facing the conveyor 26 in the automatic warehouse 1 as described above. As a result, the assembling case 25 is circulated between the conveyor 26 and the transfer device 40.

[0045]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, a component case of a type which is desired, out of a component case group containing a large number of the same components, can be delivered from the component storage device,
Then, it can be transported to the side portion of the temporary placement platform device via the transport cart. Next, by moving the parts case on the transfer cart to the target position of the temporary placing table device, parts can be easily and quickly replenished. An empty parts case on the cradle device can be received and returned to the parts storage device.

The various parts housed in the respective parts cases on the temporary placing table device can be picked by the corresponding robot and put into the assembling case. As a result, multiple types of parts corresponding to the object to be assembled can be automatically set in the assembly case without the worker walking, and by using the parts in the assembly case, incorrect parts can be The desired assembling work can be performed without assembling.

Further, since the component case accommodates a large number of the same components, it can be formed into a shape that can be efficiently accommodated according to the shape of each component, and can be circulated between the component storage device and the temporary placing table device. Because it is possible, the minimum number can be used efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an entire assembling facility using a carrier device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of an assembly facility using the transfer device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carrying device section.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the carrying device section.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the carrying device section.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention and showing the entire assembling equipment using a carrier device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part of an assembly facility using the transfer device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the self-propelled carriage section.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Automatic warehouse (parts storage device) 2 Storage part 3 Shelf 5 Loading / unloading device 11 Parts case 15 Fixed path 16 Transporting trolley 18 Transfer device 20 Temporary placing table device 21 Case receiving part 25 Assembly case 26 Conveyor 30 Robot 35 Parts 36 Cylinder Block (object to be assembled) 37 Finished product 40 Conveyor device 41 Monorail 42 Fixed path 43 Movable body 50 Traveling drive device 58 Case support part 60 Support part 75 Working part 76 Automatic assembly device 80 Traverser 83 Relay rail 86 Carrying truck 91 Carrying truck 100 Self-propelled cart 101 Monorail 105 Hanger 110 Transfer device 111 Transfer device 112 Transfer robot A Conveyor transfer direction B Transfer device transfer direction

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───Continued from the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B65G 47/90 B 8010-3F

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A component case in which a large number of the same components are stored, a component storage device capable of storing component cases of different types of components in case units, and from this component storage device. A carrier truck that supports the discharged parts case and can travel on a fixed path, and a temporary placement stand device that is arranged on the side of the constant path and that can transfer the case parts to and from the carrier truck. And a robot that picks up parts from the parts case group on the temporary placing table device and transfers them to an assembling case.