JP2616585B2 - Assembly equipment using transfer equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an assembling facility using a transfer device which is used, for example, for transporting a vehicle body of an automobile, and raising and lowering the vehicle body during the transportation to perform various assembly operations.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of equipment, for example, a configuration described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-11456 has been provided. In other words, a transportable object mounting table is arranged via a lifting means on a movable carriage supported by guide rails, and the lifting and lowering means is operated to raise and lower the transportable object mounting table, thereby changing the vertical position of the transferred object. Meanwhile, a worker on a work table provided on a trolley was performing various operations.

[0003] The elevating means is fixed on a carriage, and the cam is moved by a fluid pressure cylinder to elevate and lower the conveyed object mounting table via a cam floor. Then, the compressed fluid is sealed in the frame of the main body, and the cylinder is operated by operating the switching handbump provided on the cart side.

[0004]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional type, when the lifting / lowering means breaks down, it must be removed from the line together with the bogie, so that equipment and space for branching and joining are required. In addition, a large number of expensive trolleys equipped with elevating means must be prepared for replenishment of defective trolleys. In addition, a large space for repairing the broken truck is required. In addition, all the lifting means must be large and strong in order to cope with the final assembly weight of the vehicle body.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to take out and repair only a compact member such as an elevating device without repairing a transporting device side such as a bogie, and to easily provide an elevating device which is optimal for the weight of the assembly side. It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembling facility using a transfer device which can be replaced with a new one.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, an assembling facility using a transfer device according to the present invention includes a transfer device for forming a work path, and a lifting device which can be mounted on the transfer device side. The lifting device includes a base body that can be placed on the transfer device side, a movable table that is disposed on the base body via a lifting operation device, and a lifting device that is provided on the base body. constituted by a lifting operation section, to form a support portion of the assembled product on the movable table, the transport apparatus, to form a freely working unit boarded the operator,
A transfer device is provided on a side portion of the work path unit for transferring an assembly object to a transport device together with the elevating device.

[0007]

According to the structure of the present invention, the lifting device supporting the object to be assembled through the support portion can be unloaded from the transfer device by the transfer device at a predetermined position on the work path. By operating the elevating device while transporting the work path in the state loaded in this way, it is possible to elevate the assembling object via the movable table, etc., and to the assembling object located at the intended level An operator on the working unit can perform various operations. The lifting device can be easily separated from the assembly, and the separated lifting device can be compact and easily handled.

[0008]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 4 to 6, reference numeral 1 denotes an automatic warehouse as an example of a component storage device, which includes a pair of shelves 3 in which a large number of storage sections 2 are defined in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, and a fixed path 4 between the two shelves 3. It is composed of a traveling access device 5 and the like.

The loading / unloading device 5 includes a traveling body 6 supported and guided by rails and the like, an elevator 8 guided by a post 7 erected from the traveling body 6, and a laterally movable back and forth to the elevator 8. The component case 10 is provided with a loading / unloading tool (fork) 9 and the like, and transfers the component case 10 to and from the target storage unit 2 by a combination of a traveling motion, a lifting / lowering motion, and a retracting motion. Each component case 10 contains a set of components and fixtures used in a work route corresponding to the automatic warehouse 1.

An upper work path section 11 and a lower return path section 12 are provided on the extension of the fixed path 4 outside the end of the automatic warehouse 1, and between the start and end of the two path sections 11 and 12. First lifting path
A circulation path 15 having 13 and a second lifting path section 14 is formed,
A large number of trucks 16 that can travel on the circulation path 15 are provided. A transfer device that forms a work route by these 11-16
Construct 17

That is, the bogie 16 has a number of wheels 20 at a lower portion, and a body, which is an example of an object to be assembled, is provided at an upper portion.
The concave portion 21 for positioning of the lifting device 50 in which the lower part of 18 can be placed
Is provided at the center, and the component storage portions 22 are provided at a plurality of peripheral positions, and the remaining portion is a working portion 23 into which a worker can freely enter. Then, the component case 10 is loaded into the component storage unit 22.

An upper rail 31 is laid on the floor surface 30, and the wheels 16 are mounted on the upper rail 31 so that the carriage 16 can travel on the upper work path section 11. A lower rail 33 is laid in a tunnel 32 formed under the floor, and the wheels 16 are mounted on the lower rail 33 so that the carriage 16 can travel on the lower return path section 12.

[0013] Of the two elevating path sections 13 and 14, a first elevating path section 13 on the automatic warehouse 1 side is provided with an elevating table 35 via a first elevating apparatus 34 composed of, for example, a pantograph mechanism. A relay rail 36 which can be connected to and separated from both rails 31 and 33 is provided on 35. Similarly, a second lifting device 37, a lifting table 38, and a relay rail 39 are provided in the other second lifting path section 14.

On the automatic warehouse 1 side, a component supply section 40 and a case collection section 43 are provided from both sides of the end of the upper work path section 11 to both sides of the first lifting path section 13. The parts supply section 40 is composed of a conveyor 41 and a loading robot 42, and a case collection section 43 is a conveyor 44 and a collection robot 45.
It consists of.

The automatic warehouse 1, circulation path 15, parts supply unit
One assembly line 48 is formed by 40 and the like, and an assembly facility 49 is configured by arranging a plurality of such assembly lines 48 in parallel. At that time, the adjacent assembly line 48
In between, the traveling direction in the upper work route section 11 is set to the opposite direction. In addition, the traveling of the truck 16 group is performed densely in a pushing type or a traction type by various driving devices using a motor, a chain, a roller, and the like.

1 to 3, a lifting device 50 which can be mounted on the lower portion of the vehicle body 18 has a frame-like base body 51 which can be mounted on the carriage 16 and a lifting and lowering device which is mounted on the base body 51.
It is composed of a frame-shaped movable table 53 disposed via the unit 52 and a lifting operation unit 54 of the lifting operation device 52. A positioning pin 55 that can be engaged with the concave portion 21 from above is vertically provided from the lower surface of the base body 51, and an engaging concave portion 56 on which a transfer device (described later) acts is provided on a side surface. Is formed.

The elevating device 52 comprises, for example, a pair of left and right pantograph mechanisms 57, a cylinder device 58 for operating these pantograph mechanisms 57 in synchronization, and a working piping device 59 for the cylinder device 58.

This working piping device 59 is mainly composed of a base body 51.
It is provided with an accumulator tank 60, an oiler 61, a pressure reducing valve 62, a plurality of manually operated operating valves 63, 64, 65, a lock cylinder 66, etc., and each operating valve 63, 64, 65 The elevating operation unit 54 is linked. Further, a first coupler 66, an emergency second coupler 67, and the like for replenishing the pressure accumulation tank 60 at a predetermined position are provided. In addition, in order to automatically perform lift down and locking from outside for transfer holding between processes,
A circuit 69 including a signal line 68 and a coupler 70 may be provided.

The support portion of the vehicle body 18 is supported by the upper surface of the movable table 53.
A positioning pin 72 is formed upright from a predetermined position of the support portion 71 so as to be engageable with the vehicle body 18. As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG.
A first transfer device 80 is provided between and above one end of 11 (the automatic warehouse 1 side). The first transfer device 81 includes, for example, an elevating body 82 guided by the machine frame 81 from the floor surface 30 side and a traveling body 83 provided on the elevating body 82 side so as to be able to travel in the direction between lines.
And a clamp-type hanger device 84 provided on the traveling body 83 and the like. The engaging pin 86 of a cylinder 85 provided at the lower end of the hanger device 84 can be engaged with and disengaged from the engaging recess 56.

Similarly, a second transfer device 87 is provided between the upper end of the upper work path section 11 and above the other end thereof.
87 also includes a machine frame 81, a lifting / lowering body 82, a traveling body 83, a hanger device 84, a cylinder 85, an engagement pin 86, and the like.

The operation of the above embodiment will be described below. For example, a group of parts carried by a truck or the like is sorted in accordance with each assembly line 48 at a sorting place, and then placed in a parts case 10 and then put into a corresponding storage section 2 of the automatic warehouse 1.

The traveling direction of the upper work route section 11 is the automatic warehouse 1
In the assembly line 48 in the direction away from the vehicle, the empty carriage 16 is located on the relay rail 36 of the raised platform 35 in the first lifting path section 13, and the relay rail 36 is connected to the upper rail 31. I have. In the automatic warehouse 1, a plurality of target component cases 10 are sorted by the operation of the loading / unloading device 5, and then the conveyor of the component supply unit 40.
Has been taken out on 41.

The component cases 10 on these conveyors 41 are loaded into a predetermined component storage section 22 of the truck 16 by loading robots 42. The trolley 16 loaded with the component cases 10 in this way travels, and travels on the upper work path section 11 by moving from the relay rail 36 to the upper rail 31. Then, the vehicle body 18 is loaded on the carriage 16 stopped at the start end of the upper work path section 11 together with the lifting / lowering device 50.

That is, the lifting device 50 lowers the movable table 53 by the downward movement of the lifting operation device 52. And movable platform
On the vehicle body 53, the seal portion abuts on the support portion 71 and the lower engaging hole is engaged with the positioning pin 72.
Is placed.

The hanger device 84 of the first transfer device 80 acts on the elevating device 50 in such a state. That is, the cylinder 85 of the hanger device 84 is operated, and the protruding engagement pin
The lifting body 82 is raised in a state where the engagement 86 is engaged with the engagement recess 56, thereby lifting the vehicle body 18 via the lifting device 50.

In this state, the traveling body 83 of the first transfer device 80 is stopped above the carriage 16, and then the hanger device 84 supporting the vehicle body 18 is lowered via the lifting device 50 together with the lifting member 83. Then, the lifting device 50 is stacked on the carriage 16. At this time, positioning is performed by engaging the pin 55 with the concave portion 21 from above. The first stacking may be performed by a self-propelled truck having a fork function. Then, the hanger device 84 is lifted together with the elevating body 82 and retracted in a state where the engaging pin 86 is retracted by the reverse operation of the cylinder 85 and pulled out of the engaging concave portion 56.

In this state, the assembling work on the vehicle body 18 is performed while the trolley 16 is running on the upper work path section 11. This assembling work can be performed by an operator on the trolley 16 taking out the components and fixtures (bolts and the like) in the component case 10, and the operator can only walk on the work unit 23.

Further, the assembling work is performed at an arbitrary level by moving the vehicle body 18 up and down. This means that the operator on the working unit 23 operates the elevating operation unit 54 as appropriate to supply the pressurized fluid in the pressure accumulation tank 60 to the cylinder device 58 or discharge the pressurized fluid in the cylinder device 58. Thus, the movable table 53 can be moved up and down via the pantograph mechanism 57.

The vehicle body 18 that has completed the assembling work in the one upper work path section 11 is lifted by the second transfer device 87 together with the lifting device 50 at the terminal end in the same manner as described above. As a result, the trolley 16 that has become empty moves onto the relay rail 39 that has risen with the elevator 38 in the second elevator path section 14, and enters the tunnel section 32 via the second elevator path section 14 as the elevator table 38 descends. enter. When the lifting platform 38 reaches the lower limit, the relay rail 39 is connected to the lower rail 33, so that the bogie 16 can travel in the lower return path section 12 in the direction opposite to the upper direction.

The carriage 16 is a lifting platform of the first lifting path section 13.
35, the elevator 35 returns to the initial position, and the collection robot 45 first collects the empty component case 10 on the conveyor 44, and then loads the new robot 42 on the conveyor 41 by the loading robot 42. The supply of the component case 10 is received.

In the assembly line 48 adjacent to the above-described assembly line 48, the flow is in the opposite direction. That is, the empty robot case 16 is transferred from the terminal end of the upper work path section 11 onto the lift 35 of the first lift path section 13 by the collection robot 45, and the empty component case 10 is collected and loaded. A new component case 10 is loaded by the robot 42. Then, the carriage 16 descends together with the elevator 35 and then travels on the lower return path section 12 to move onto the elevator 38 of the second elevator path section 14.

Next, in a state where the carriage 16 is opposed to the upper work path section 11 by raising the lift table 38, the second
The vehicle body 18 lifted by the transfer device 87 is lowered together with the elevating device 50 and stacked on the carriage 16. Then, while the trolley 16 is running on the upper work route section 11 with the hanger device 84 raised and retracted, the vehicle body 18 is moved as described above.
Is assembled.

Thereafter, the vehicle body 18 is lifted by the first transfer device 80 from the carriage 16 that has reached the end of the upper work path section 11. As a result, the emptied carriage 16 gets on the elevator 35 of the first elevating path section 13 and becomes the initial state.

In this manner, the parts supplied from one side can be assembled while moving the vehicle body 18 in a meandering manner in the work equipment in which the upper work path portions 11 are densely parallel. When transferring by the transfer devices 80 and 87 between the assembly lines 48 as described above, the vehicle body 18 is transferred to another elevating device 50 by unloading, so that the
The lifting device 50 having a structure optimal for the weight at that time can be replaced.

In the above-described embodiment, the type in which the carriage 16 is used as the transfer device 17 has been described, but this is an overhead type, a self-propelled carriage type supported and guided by a ceiling rail or a floor rail, or a guide on a floor. It may be a self-propelled carriage type.

In the above embodiment, a high-pressure air is stored as a driving source in the accumulator tank 60. This may be achieved by loading a liquefied nitrogen cylinder on the truck 16 and incorporating it into the working piping device 59. The driving source may be a battery, a combination of a battery and an air system, or a form in which an operator steps on a petal of a hydraulic lift.

In the above embodiment, the combination of the pantograph mechanism 57 and the cylinder device 58 is shown as the lifting / lowering operation device 52. This is a direct-acting system in which an air cylinder is directly connected to the movable base 53, and a caesar type table lift drive is performed by the air cylinder. A caesar lift method, a cam method in which a plurality of cams are driven by an air cylinder, or the like may be used. Further, in these three systems, a type using a screw jack or a type using a rack and pinion may be used instead of the air cylinder.

[0038]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, an elevating device integrally supporting and supporting an object to be assembled via a support portion is stacked on a transfer device by a transfer device at a predetermined position of a work path portion. Can be wholesale. By operating the elevating device while transporting the work path in the state loaded in this way, it is possible to elevate the assembling object through the movable table, etc., and to the assembling object located at the intended level On the other hand, the worker on the work unit can perform various works.

The lifting device can be loaded and unloaded to and from the transfer device in a state of being integrated with the object to be assembled. The lifting device can be easily separated from the object to be assembled, and the separated lifting device is compact and easy. Can be handled. Accordingly, it is possible to take out and repair only a compact member such as a lifting device without repairing the transfer device side such as a truck, and easily replace the lifting device that is optimal for the weight of the assembly side.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a side view in a supporting and conveying state.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lifting device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a piping state of the lifting device.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the whole.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway plan view of the whole.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the whole.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic warehouse (parts storage device) 3 Shelf 5 Loading / unloading device 10 Parts case 11 Upper work path part 12 Lower return path part 15 Circulation path 16 truck 17 Transport device 18 Body (object to be assembled) 21 Depression 23 Work part 40 Parts supply part 43 Case recovery unit 48 Assembly line 50 Lifting device 51 Base 52 Lifting device 53 Movable table 54 Lifting operation unit 55 Pin 56 Engagement recess 59 Working piping device 71 Supporting unit 72 Positioning pin 80 First transfer device 84 Hanger device 86 Engagement pin 87 Second transfer device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location B65G 47/90 B65G 47/90 A

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A transfer device that forms a work path portion; and a lifting device that can be mounted on the transfer device side. The lifting device includes a base body that can be mounted on the transfer device side, A movable table provided on a base body via a lifting / lowering operating device, and a lifting / lowering operation unit of the lifting / lowering operating device provided on the base body, and a support portion for an object to be assembled is formed on the movable table. while, on the conveying device, to form a freely working unit boarded the operator, on the side of the working path section, in that a transfer device which transfers the conveying device to be assembled product together with the lifting device Characterized assembling equipment using transfer equipment.