CN114102072B

CN114102072B - Tray device and tray system comprising same

Info

Publication number: CN114102072B
Application number: CN202010867069.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 沈阳; 哈斯青格乐
Original assignee: BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd
Current assignee: BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd
Priority date: 2020-08-26
Filing date: 2020-08-26
Publication date: 2023-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-26
Also published as: CN114102072A

Abstract

The present invention provides a tray device, comprising: a base plate; a plurality of posts extending from said base plate; a sliding support mechanism comprising: a sliding support and a supporting sliding table; a floating mount mechanism comprising: the bracket comprises an arc-shaped support; a pair of pivot arms mounted on the support, each pivot arm being capable of pivoting through an angle about a respective pivot axis and/or each pivot arm being capable of moving through a distance in the direction of the axis of a respective pivot axis; and a link connecting one end of the two pivot arms; and an auxiliary support structure for supporting the shaft of the second assembly at a distance from an end of the shaft, the carriage being lockable in a raised position supporting the shaft and a lowered position not interfering with the shaft.

Description

Tray device and tray system comprising same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pallet arrangement for supporting two components to be assembled together for assembly, and to a pallet system comprising the pallet arrangement and an automatic guided vehicle.

Background

In industrial production it is often necessary to support one part or assembly by a support means in order to support and mount another part or assembly thereon and to transfer the same with the support means to the next station or stations for further assembly processes. For example, in an electric vehicle assembly plant, it is necessary to mount a half shaft with a hub and a brake disc in a bore of an electric motor. During installation, it is necessary to use support means to support the motor and the bridge and the attachment such as the tie rods at the bottom, then insert the left and right axle shafts from opposite sides of the motor and the bridge, respectively, so that the ends of the axle shafts are aligned with the holes of the motor, and push the axle shafts further inserted so that the splines of the ends of the axle shafts at least partially mesh with the splines in the holes of the motor, thereby completing the pre-assembly of the motor and the axle shafts. After pre-assembly, the half-shafts are completely mounted in the holes of the motors manually and/or mechanically, and the assembly of the motors, bridges, half-shafts, etc., mounted on the supporting devices, together with the supporting devices, is transferred to the next station, where the next assembly process, for example, the four-wheel positioning, is continued.

Currently used support devices include: a trolley including a frame with wheels, movable by a user; the supporting table top is arranged at the top of the frame; a plurality of support posts disposed on the support table for supporting the motor and the bridge; and the brackets are arranged on the supporting table surface and positioned at two ends and are used for supporting the hubs at the end parts of the half shafts.

The support device has no guiding or positioning mechanism in the xy direction in the support table, so after the motor and the bridge frame are supported on the support device, the half shaft is required to be manually lifted and pushed in the process of being inserted into the hole of the motor, the labor intensity is high, and in addition, the process of aligning the half shaft with the hole of the motor requires a longer time for adjustment. And can't guarantee the precision in the half-shaft gets into the motor process, the sealed of motor is damaged by the half-shaft easily, has the quality risk. In addition, the support device has no error-proof structure, and is prone to error operation during operation, such as mounting accessory components in an incorrect orientation. In addition, in the case where many devices are installed in a workshop, information such as the vehicle type corresponding to the motor and the axle shaft on each support device, the operating state and the position thereof cannot be recognized.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to solving the above technical problems and provides a tray device and a tray system for supporting and positioning a first component and a second component to be assembled.

According to the first aspect, the tray device and the tray system of the invention reduce the labor intensity of an operator, improve the positioning accuracy in the assembling process, shorten the assembling time and improve the production efficiency.

According to a second aspect, the pallet arrangement and pallet system of the invention use a mistake proofing structure avoiding the risk of subsequent rework.

According to the third aspect, the tray device and the tray system can communicate with related electronic equipment in real time, and identify information such as the current vehicle type and position state.

According to a fourth aspect, when the tray device and the tray system of the present invention are used in an assembly process for mounting a half shaft into a bore of an electric motor, the quality risk of oil leakage due to seal damage can be avoided.

The present invention provides a tray device for supporting a first assembly having a hole and a second assembly having a shaft and a flange at one end of the shaft, the shaft being mountable in the hole, the tray device aligning the shaft with the hole when supporting the first and second assemblies, characterized in that the tray device comprises: a base plate having a mounting fitting capable of mounting the tray device to another device; a plurality of posts extending from said base plate for engaging predetermined locations of said first assembly to support said first assembly in a predetermined position relative to the base plate; a sliding support mechanism mounted on the base plate, comprising: a slide bracket aligned with the bore of the first assembly and linearly movable along the longitudinal axis of the bore toward and away from the bore when the first assembly is supported on the plurality of posts, and a support ramp for supporting the flange of the second assembly, the support ramp being fixed to the slide bracket for movement therewith; a floating mount mechanism for supporting a middle portion of the shaft of the second assembly, the floating mount mechanism being fixed on the sliding mount and being movable together with the sliding mount, the floating mount mechanism including: a bracket including an arc-shaped support for supporting a middle portion of a shaft of the second assembly; a pair of pivot arms mounted on the bracket, the free end of each pivot arm including an arcuate end for engaging a corresponding recess in the middle of the shaft of the second assembly, each pivot arm being capable of pivoting through an angle about a respective pivot axis and/or each pivot arm being capable of moving a distance in the direction of the axis of a respective pivot axis; and a link connecting one ends of the two pivot arms; and the auxiliary supporting structure is arranged on the support of the floating support mechanism or the sliding support of the sliding support mechanism and used for supporting the shaft at a certain distance from the end part of the shaft of the second assembly, the auxiliary supporting structure comprises a bracket provided with an arc-shaped groove, the arc-shaped groove is connected with the shaft of the second assembly, and the bracket can be locked at the ascending position of the shaft and the descending position without interfering the shaft.

The sliding support mechanism can reduce the labor intensity of an operator and improve the alignment accuracy of the shaft and the hole. The floating mount floating automatically accommodates any possible manufacturing and assembly tolerances to better support the shaft and ensure accurate positioning of the shaft relative to the bore. The auxiliary support structure can maintain the parallelism of the shaft and the hole, and reduce the risk of damaging the sealing of the motor.

Preferably, the tray device comprises two of the sliding support mechanisms, two floating supports, and an auxiliary support structure, the two sliding support mechanisms being located at opposite ends of the tray, respectively. In applications where both half-shafts of an automobile are mounted to an electric motor, an auxiliary support structure may be provided on only one side supporting the longer half-shaft.

Preferably, the floating mount mechanism further comprises a lifter, such as a quick clamp, which is linearly movable between an upper position in which the floating mount mechanism supports the shaft of the first component and a lower position in which the floating mount mechanism does not interfere with the shaft, and a lower position in which the mount is connected to the lifter and can be raised and lowered together with the lifter, and preferably, the lifter comprises a handle, the lifter and the mount being in the upper position when the handle is raised and in the lower position when the handle is depressed. In embodiments where the axle shafts are mounted to the motor, the floating mount mechanism may be lowered to a lowered position at a station where the floating mount mechanism is not needed.

Preferably, in the longitudinal direction of the sliding support, the connecting rod is located on one side of the arc-shaped support close to the supporting sliding table.

Preferably, the auxiliary support structure further comprises a stop made of a softer material than the outer shell of the first component, for example polyurethane, which is fixed to the bracket and extends beyond the bracket in the direction of the first component. Thus, when the shaft is pushed towards the hole of the motor, the stop first contacts the motor, when the shaft has been inserted to a certain depth into said hole, further insertion of the shaft being supported, so that the carriage can be lowered to the lowered position.

Preferably, the support ramp comprises a plurality of support wheels and a carrier element for supporting the flange of the second assembly, which flange is rotatable on the support wheels. When the axle shaft ends are aligned with the splines in the motor bore, the axle shafts may be rotated as necessary so that the splines mesh.

Preferably, the tray device includes a locking mechanism for preventing the slide bracket and the support slide from accidentally sliding, and preferably, the locking mechanism includes: a protrusion disposed at an end of the base plate, an upper surface of the protrusion including a groove; and a small wheel fixed at the bottom of the support sliding table, wherein the small wheel is elastically biased downwards so as to be matched with the groove.

Preferably, stoppers are included at both ends of the sliding stroke of the sliding bracket, thereby preventing the sliding bracket from sliding beyond the limit positions of both ends.

Preferably, the sliding support mechanism includes a plurality of support blocks fixed to the base plate, the support blocks being linearly arranged along an axial direction of the hole of the first member, and the sliding bracket is supported on the support blocks and moves along a slide rail defined by the support blocks.

Preferably, the engagement between the arcuate end portions and corresponding grooves on the shaft of the second component is capable of transmitting axial forces.

Preferably, the lifting bracket further comprises engagement means for engagement with other means capable of generating an axial force so as to transmit the axial force to the shaft of the second assembly. After the pre-assembly of the half shaft splines into engagement with the splined portion in the motor bore is completed, the half shaft needs to be fully installed in place in the motor bore using other means, i.e., with the splines fully engaged, the engagement structure serving to transfer the axial force generated by the other means to the half shaft.

Preferably, the bracket is hinged on the bracket of the floating bracket mechanism or the sliding bracket of the sliding support mechanism, and the bracket is in a rising position or a falling position by a pivotal movement.

Preferably, the pallet means further includes a first error prevention mechanism, such as a rod, which is provided on the support slide. The rod may prevent the connecting rod from being installed in the wrong orientation.

Preferably, the tray device further comprises a second error-proofing mechanism for cooperating with other detection devices for detecting the height of the floating support mechanism.

Preferably, the tray means further comprises electronic means capable of being written to and read from by cooperating further electronic means, said information being related to the first and/or second component, said electronic means being mounted, for example, on a flange extending from the bottom of the base plate.

Preferably, the first component comprises the motor and the bridge and accessories of the vehicle, the bore being a bore of the motor comprising splines, the second component comprising the axle shaft and the hub and the brake disc of the vehicle, the end of the axle shaft comprising splines for mating with the splines in the bore of the motor.

The present application further provides a pallet system, comprising an automatic guided vehicle and a pallet means according to the above, wherein the pallet means is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle through the mounting fitting of the base plate, and the automatic guided vehicle has wheels capable of carrying the pallet means to move freely.

Preferably, the automated guided vehicle has corresponding electronics that are capable of communicating with the electronics on the tray device.

The application also provides a use method of the tray system, which comprises the following steps: firstly, placing a first component on a support column of a tray device; secondly, pulling the sliding support mechanism away from the first component outwards to enable the auxiliary support structure to be located and fixed at a rising position, placing the second component on the sliding support mechanism to enable a flange of the second component to be supported on the support sliding table, supporting the middle part of a shaft of the second component on the floating support, and supporting the shaft of the second component on the auxiliary support structure at a certain distance from the end part of the shaft, so that the shaft of the second component is aligned with the hole of the first component; a third step of pushing the sliding support mechanism toward the hole of the first component so that the shaft of the second component enters the hole; a fourth step of extending the shaft of the first component a length within the bore of the second component when the auxiliary support structure contacts the first component, such that the auxiliary support structure is in and secured in a lowered position; and fifthly, continuously pushing the sliding support mechanism towards the hole of the first component, so that the shaft of the second component further enters the hole until reaching the preset position.

Preferably, in said fourth step, when said stop block contacts said first component, said auxiliary support structure is brought into and secured in a lowered position.

Preferably, the floating mount mechanism is caused to be and remains in a low position when the second component is fully seated in the bore of the first component.

Preferably, after the automatic guided vehicle carries the assembled first assembly and second assembly into the next station, the floating support mechanism is checked to be in the low position through the second error-proofing mechanism.

The tray device and the tray system of the invention have the following advantages:

1) The labor intensity of workers is reduced by 80%;

2) The assembly quality is improved;

3) The assembly time is shortened by 50%, and the efficiency is improved;

4) The error-proof structure is used, so that the subsequent repair risk is avoided; and

5) The relevant information of the components carried on the tray device can be identified, and relevant operation is facilitated.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in which:

figure 1 shows a perspective view of a tray device according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a perspective view from another angle of the tray device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a top view of a tray apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of a tray apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows an end view of a tray apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the sliding support mechanism, floating mount mechanism and auxiliary support structure of the tray apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a separate floating mount mechanism;

figure 8 shows a perspective view of the tray device according to the invention mounted on an automatic guided vehicle;

fig. 9-13 illustrate the assembly process of installing the axle shaft into the bore of the motor using the pallet arrangement according to the present invention.

1-pallet means 2-base plate

3-pillar 4-sliding support mechanism

5-floating support mechanism 6-auxiliary support structure

7-mounting hole 8-sliding support

9. 9' -supporting block 10-supporting sliding table

11-support wheel 12-support element

13-locking mechanism 14-projection

15-small wheel 16-groove

17-lifter 18-lifting support

19-Pivot arm 20-Link

21-arc end 22-pivot

23-handle 24-arc support

25-connecting piece 26-jointing structure

27-bracket 28-arc groove

29-stop block 30-rod

31-flange 32-electronic device

33-flange 34-middle part of half shaft

35——AGV

100-motor 101-bridge

102-hole 200-half shaft

201-wheel hub and brake disc 203-axle end of axle shaft

Detailed Description

The present invention provides a tray apparatus for supporting a first assembly having an aperture and a second assembly having a shaft and a flange at one end of the shaft, the shaft being mountable in the aperture, the tray apparatus supporting the first and second assemblies such that the shaft is aligned with the aperture. The tray device of the present invention will be described below by way of example with the half shaft 200 preassembled into the hole 102 of the motor 100 in the assembly of an electric vehicle. The pre-assembly described therein, with the axle half shafts inserted into the bores of the motor and the splines of the ends of the axle half shafts at least partially engaged in the axial direction on the splines within the bores of the motor, provides for subsequent full assembly of the axle half shafts in the bores, i.e., full engagement of the splines within the bores of the motor of the splines of the axle half shafts.

Referring to fig. 1-7, there is shown a pallet apparatus 1 of the present invention, which essentially comprises: a base plate 2; a plurality of pillars 3; two sliding support mechanisms 4; two floating mount mechanisms 5; and at least one auxiliary support structure 6.

As shown in fig. 1-3, the base plate 2 is a substantially flat plate, which may be figure 8 in the xy-plane shown in fig. 1. The base plate 2 may include sets of mounting holes 7 as required for engagement with other devices at different stations.

As shown in fig. 1, 2, 4 and 5, a plurality of supports 3 project from said base plate 2 for supporting the components to be assembled or mounted, such as the motor 100 and the bridge 101 and their accessories (not shown), at a mounting station for mounting the automotive half-shaft in the motor and bridge and its accessories. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the plurality of pillars 3 include pillars 3 of various shapes and structures at various positions on the base plate 2, which are adapted to cooperate with predetermined portions of the motor 100 and the bridge 101 to stably support the motor 100 and the bridge 101 above the base plate 2 (see fig. 9 to 13).

Referring to fig. 1-3, two sliding support mechanisms 4 are shown mounted on the plane of the base plate 2 at two end positions in the longitudinal direction or x-direction as shown in fig. 1. The structure of one of the sliding support mechanisms 4 will be described as an example. Referring to fig. 6, one of the sliding support mechanisms 4 is shown. The sliding support mechanism 4 mainly includes: a slide bracket 8 which can slide linearly back and forth along the x direction shown in fig. 1 and 6; and a support sliding table 10 fixed at one end of the sliding support 8 and capable of sliding back and forth in the x direction along with the sliding support. In the embodiment of the invention shown, the slide rail in the x-direction is defined, for example, by two support blocks 9 and 9', and the slide bracket 8 is supported on the two support blocks 9 and 9' and moves along the slide rail defined by the two support blocks 9 and 9 '. The support ramp 10 comprises a plurality of support wheels 11 (e.g. two) and a carrier element 12 for cooperating with wheel hubs and brake discs 201 (see fig. 9-13) of the axle half ends placed thereon, so as to support the wheel hubs and brake discs 201, which wheel hubs and brake discs 201 are rotatable on the support wheels 11 about the axis of the axle half.

With the above-described structure, the slide bracket 8 and the support slide table 10 can be pulled out in the x direction with respect to the base plate 2, thereby placing the hub and the disc brake of the axle shaft thereon, as will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 10, 11A, and 11B. In order to prevent the carriage 8 and the support ramp 10 from accidentally slipping out relative to the base plate 2 when empty, a corresponding locking mechanism 13 can be provided. Referring to fig. 9, 10, 11A and 11B, the locking mechanism 13 may include: a protrusion 14 provided at one longitudinal end of the base plate 2, an upper surface of the protrusion 14 including a groove 16; and a small wheel 15 fixed to the bottom of the support slide 10, the small wheel 15 being resiliently biased downward, for example by a spring (not shown), so as to be able to engage with the recess 16. When the support slide 10 is not pulled out with respect to the base plate 2 (see fig. 9), the small wheel 15 is located in the groove 16. When it is necessary to pull out the support slide 10 with respect to the base plate 2, the small wheel 15 comes out of the groove 16 with a certain pulling-out force, thereby linearly moving outward in the x direction (see fig. 10 and 11A). In addition, at both end positions of the stroke of the sliding support structure 4, appropriate limit mechanisms, such as stoppers, may be provided so as to prevent the sliding support structure 4 from sliding beyond the limit positions at both ends.

The position of the slide bracket 8 in the y direction shown in fig. 1 on the base plate 2 is fixed, and this position is determined by the positional relationship between the motor 100 and the plurality of columns 3. Specifically, when the motor 100 is supported above the tray device 1 by the plurality of pillars 3, the position of the hole 102 of the motor 100 into which the half shaft 200 is to be inserted is fixed with respect to the bottom plate 2. The position of the sliding bracket 8 in the y direction is determined according to the fixed position of this hole 102, i.e. with respect to the position of the plurality of uprights 3 on the base plate 2, so as to be able to align with the hole 102 of the electric motor 100 in the y direction and enter into said hole 102 when the half-shaft 100 and the hub, disc 201 are placed on the sliding support structure 4 and slide along with the sliding bracket 8 in the x direction. The height of the support wheel 11 in the z direction is also fixed, the position being determined by the diameter of the hub and brake disc 201 and the height of the hole 102 of the electric motor 100, so that when the half-shaft 200 and the hub and brake disc 201 are placed on the sliding support 4 and slide along the x direction together with the sliding support 8, the half-shaft 100 can be aligned in the z direction with the hole 102 of the electric motor 100 and enter the hole 102.

Referring to fig. 1, 2 and 4, two floating mount mechanisms 5 are shown respectively mounted on the sliding mount 8, fig. 6 shows one floating mount mechanism 5 mounted on the sliding mount 8, and fig. 7 shows the floating mount mechanism 5 alone. The floating mount mechanism 5 mainly includes: a lifter 17; a lifting bracket 18; a pair of pivot arms 19, each pivot arm 19 being pivotable about a respective pivot 22; and a link 20 connecting one ends of the two pivot arms. Each part will be described in detail below.

The lifter 17 is fixedly mounted on the sliding support 8 and includes a plurality of fixed positions, for example, two fixed positions of a high position and a low position, along the z direction, and the lifter 17 is capable of moving linearly between the high position and the low position and is capable of being fixed at the high position and the low position, respectively. For example, the lifter 17 is a quick clamp that can be locked at the highest and lowest positions. The lifter 17 includes a handle 23, and the handle 23 also has a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of positions of the lifter 17. For example, when the handle 23 is raised, the lifter is in the high position and locked in the high position, and when the handle 23 is lowered, the lifter is in the low position and locked in the low position.

The lifting bracket 18 is fixedly connected to said lifter 17 by means of a connection 25 so as to be linearly movable with the linear movement of the lifter 17 in the z-direction. For example, in the embodiment described above, the lifting bracket 18 can follow the lifter 17 to move between the upper position and the lower position. The lifting carriage 18 may for example comprise a guide rail in the z-direction, which is mounted on the sliding carriage 8, and a sliding structure sliding in the z-direction along the guide rail, to which the connecting element 25 is fixed. The upper end of the lifting bracket 18 also includes an arcuate abutment 24 for engagement with the axle shaft. Preferably, the arcuate seat 24 is adapted to engage a central portion 34 (FIGS. 11A, 11B) of the axle shaft central portion for supporting the axle shaft. The lifting bracket also includes engagement structure 26 for engagement with other devices to transfer axial mechanical force to the axle shaft for fully installing axle shaft 200 into engine 100 after the axle shaft is pre-assembled with the electric motor.

Referring to fig. 6, a pair of pivot arms 19 are mounted at either end of the arcuate support 24 by pivots 22 at a location between the ends thereof, and each of the pivot arms 19 is interconnected at one end thereof by a link 20 and includes an arcuate end portion 21 at the other end thereof, the arcuate end portions 21 being adapted to engage corresponding recesses in the axle half shafts so as to be able to transmit axial forces to the axle half shafts to move the axle half shafts together in the x direction in the event of an axial force being applied thereto. In the x direction, the connecting rod 20 is located on one side of the arc-shaped support 24 close to the support sliding table 10. Each pivot arm 19 can pivot through a small angle about the respective pivot 22, for example by providing stops at two positions on the circumference of the pivot 22. Additionally or alternatively, the pivot arm 19 can also be moved linearly with a small amplitude in the y direction on the pivot 22 or together with the pivot 22, for example by providing a stop in the axial direction on the pivot 22. Thus, when the middle portion 34 of the half shaft 200 is seated on the arcuate seat 24 of the floating bracket mechanism 5 (see FIG. 11A), the arcuate end portions 21 of the pair of pivot arms 19 are movable within a small range, automatically adjusting to the appropriate position to accommodate the half shaft to engage the corresponding groove in the half shaft, due to the small range of pivotal movement of the pair of pivot arms 19 about the pivot shafts 22 and/or the small range of movement in the y-direction. Without the small range of pivoting and/or y-direction movement described above, the arcuate end 21 of the pivot arm 19 may not be able to engage the axle shaft due to manufacturing or assembly tolerances, or may not be able to properly support the axle shaft on the arcuate abutment 24 of the floating mount mechanism 5. Thus, the ability of the pair of pivot arms 19 to pivot about the pivot shafts 22 and/or move along the y-direction to a small extent allows the floating bracket mechanism 5 to automatically accommodate any possible manufacturing and assembly tolerances, thereby better supporting the axle shaft 200 on the arcuate bearing 24, ensuring accurate positioning of the axle shaft 200 relative to the motor 100 in the z-direction.

When the hub and the brake disc 201 of the axle shaft 200 are placed on the support slide 10 and the middle portion 34 of the axle shaft 200 is supported on the floating mount mechanism 5, there is a possibility that the shaft end 203 of the axle shaft is not perfectly aligned with the hole 102 into which the axle shaft is to be fitted into the motor 100, but a small deviation exists. In the presence of a deviation, if the axle shaft 200 is urged in the x-direction toward the bore 102 of the motor, the shaft end 203 of the axle shaft (see fig. 11A, 11B) may break the seal at the bore 102 of the motor. Therefore, in order to accurately support the half-shaft 200, reducing the risk of breaking the seal of the motor, an auxiliary support device 6 is provided, mounted on said floating bracket mechanism 5 or on the sliding bracket 8.

With reference to fig. 1, 2, 4, 6, the auxiliary support means 6 are shown, comprising a bracket 27 and an optional stop 29. A first end of the bracket 27 is pivotally mounted, for example, on the floating bracket mechanism 5 or the sliding bracket 8, the bracket 27 being provided with an arcuate groove 28 on a second end opposite the first end for engagement at a location between the axle end 203 and the central portion 34 of the axle shaft 200 to support the axle shaft, the bracket 27 being spaced from the axle end 203 when the axle shaft 200 is supported on the bracket 27. A stop 29 is fixed to the second end of the bracket 27 and extends beyond the second end in the x-direction. The stop block 29 is made of a material softer than the housing of the motor 100, for example polyurethane. The auxiliary support 6 can be in and locked in a raised and lowered position. When the auxiliary support device 6 is in the raised position, the arc-shaped groove 28 is aligned with the arc-shaped seat 24 of the floating mount mechanism 5 for supporting the shaft portion of the axle shaft 200.

When the auxiliary support 6 is moved with the sliding bracket 8 in the x-direction towards the electric motor 100, the stop block 29 first contacts the motor housing (see fig. 12), the distance of the bracket 27 from the shaft end 203 being such that the half-shaft has been inserted a certain length in the hole 102 of the electric motor 100 when the stop block 29 contacts the motor housing, so that the half-shaft continues to be inserted in the hole 102 of the electric motor with support when the auxiliary support 6 is lowered and locked in its lowered position, as will be explained in detail below.

As known to those skilled in the art, the axle portions of two axle shafts of an automobile are not equally long, one being longer and the other being shorter. The auxiliary supporting means 6 of the present invention may be installed at only one side for supporting the long half shaft.

The tray device 1 according to the invention also comprises a mistake-proofing mechanism for preventing the relevant components from being mounted on the tray device 1 in the wrong orientation or preventing the relevant components on the tray device 1 from being in the wrong position in a specific work station. Referring to fig. 1, 2, 4, 6, reference numeral 30 shows a first error prevention mechanism. The first error-proofing mechanism is a bar 30 provided on at least one of the two support slips 10 of the pallet arrangement 1 for preventing an accessory part of a bridge, a link (not shown in the figures), supported on the pallet arrangement 1 from being mounted on the bridge in the wrong orientation. As known to those skilled in the art, the tie rods mounted on the bridge of an automobile have grooves which should be directed downwards when the tie rods are mounted on the bridge, so that when the tie rods are mounted on the bridge in the correct orientation, the rods 30 can be accommodated by the grooves, whereas when the tie rods are mounted on the bridge in the incorrect orientation, the rods 30 will interfere with the tie rods to prevent them from being mounted on the bridge. The pallet arrangement 1 further comprises a second error protection mechanism cooperating with other components for detecting whether the floating mount mechanism 5 is in a lowered position. For example, after the half-shaft is mounted in the motor at a station, the pallet means 1 with the half-shaft and motor etc. components supported thereon enters the next station, where the four-wheel alignment is completed, where the floating mount mechanism 5 is required to be in the lowered position. Therefore, a detecting device, such as a height detecting sensor, cooperating with a second error preventing device is provided in the four-wheel positioning station to determine whether the floating mount mechanism 5 is in the low position, and if it is detected that it is in the high position, the detecting device gives an alarm to notify the user to operate the handle 23, thereby lowering the floating mount mechanism 5 to the low position.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4 of the present invention, the tray device 1 according to the present invention further comprises an electronic device 32, which is mounted, for example, on a flange 32 protruding from said tray device 1. The electronics 32 are capable of being written to and read from by other electronic devices with which they are fitted, such as the model and position of the motor carried by the tray device 1.

The invention also relates to a pallet system comprising a pallet arrangement 1 as described above and an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) 35 on which the pallet arrangement 1 is mounted. Referring to fig. 1 and 2, for example, a plurality of flanges 31 are integrally formed on the tray device 1, and the flanges 31 include screw holes, and mating screw holes are formed on the automatic guided vehicle, so that the tray device 1 is fixed to the automatic guided vehicle by bolts. The automatic guide vehicle is provided with wheels and can move freely between different stations in a workshop. After, for example, installing the half 200 shaft into the motor 100 in a station as described above, the automated guided vehicle can be controlled to travel to the next station for four-wheel positioning. In addition, the automated guided vehicle can communicate with the electronics 32 of the tray device 1 in real time. For example, a read-write module is arranged at each station in an automobile assembly workshop, so that the information of the model, the position and the like of each AGV and the workpiece borne by the tray can be monitored in real time, and comparison is carried out to ensure a production sequence.

The structure and the constituent parts of the tray device 1 and the tray system according to the present invention have been described above in detail. The process of pre-assembling the half-shaft 200 in the motor 100 by means of the described pallet arrangement 1 and pallet system will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 9-13. Fig. 9 to 13 show only an example in which the half shafts are installed from one side of the motor, and the installation process of the half shafts on the opposite side is omitted, taking the installation of the half shafts as an example.

First, with reference to fig. 9, a motor 100 and a bridge 101 are placed on a pallet arrangement 1 according to the invention, wherein predetermined points (not shown) of said motor 100 and bridge 101 are supported on a plurality of uprights 3 of said pallet arrangement 1. In this state, it is determined that the half shaft to be mounted is aligned in the y direction with the hole 102 of the motor 100 by the positional relationship between the plurality of struts 3 and the slide bracket 8. The tray device 1 is fixed to the self-guiding vehicle, which is omitted in fig. 9-13, by means of flanges 31 and fasteners.

In a second step, see fig. 10, the right-hand sliding support 8 and the support ramp 10 are pulled outwards, so that the small wheel 15 comes out of the recess 16 and is moved away from the recess 16. The elevator 17 is lifted so that the floating mount mechanism 5 is raised and locked in the high position. And raises and holds the auxiliary support structure 6 in a raised position in which the arcuate recess 28 of the auxiliary support structure 6 and the arcuate abutment 24 of the floating mount mechanism 5 are aligned in the y-direction with the aperture 102 of the motor. The height of the floating mount mechanism 5 and the auxiliary support structure 6 in the raised position is such that the half shaft to be supported is aligned with the hole 102 of the motor in the z-direction.

Third, referring to fig. 11A and 11B, the half shaft 200 to be mounted is supported on the support slide table 10, the floating mount mechanism 5, and the auxiliary support structure 6 of the pallet apparatus 1. Where fig. 11A is a side view and fig. 11B is a cross-sectional view at this location, showing the bore 102 of the motor 100. In the position shown in the figures, the wheel hub and brake disc 201 of one end of the axle shaft 200 is supported on the support ramp 10, the middle portion 34 of the axle shaft is supported on the floating mount mechanism 5, and the auxiliary support structure 6 supports the axle shaft at a position between the middle portion 34 of the axle shaft and the other end of the axle shaft such that the other end of the axle shaft is aligned with the hole 102 of the electric motor. When the intermediate portion 34 of the half shaft is engaged with the floating bracket mechanism 5, since the pair of pivot arms 19 of the floating bracket mechanism 5 can pivot and move within a small range, the automatic alignment of the intermediate portion 34 in the arc-shaped seat 24 of the floating bracket mechanism 5 is facilitated, and the arc-shaped end portions 21 are engaged in the corresponding grooves on the intermediate portion 34 of the half shaft, so that the half shaft and the floating bracket mechanism 5 are locked in the x-direction, cannot move axially relative to each other, and the other end of the half shaft is brought into alignment with the hole 102 of the electric motor. The auxiliary support structure 6 provides additional support for the half shafts, particularly the long half shafts, and helps to maintain the half shafts parallel to the bore 102, thereby preventing the half shafts from breaking the seal of the motor at the bore when entering the bore 102.

With the half shaft 200 aligned with the hole 102 of the motor, the manual advancement support slide 10 or the wheel hub advances in the x direction, so that the half shaft left end portion can accurately enter the hole 102.

Fourthly, with reference to fig. 12, the advancing of the half-shafts and the support slip 10 in the x direction is continued until the stop 29 of said auxiliary support structure 6 reaches the housing of the electric motor 100, at which point the half-shafts 200 have entered the holes 102 for a certain length, so that the ends of the half-shafts 200 are supported in the holes 102, in which case the action of said auxiliary support structure 6 has been completed and the parallelism of the half-shafts 200 to the holes 102 is ensured, so that the insertion of the half-shafts 200 into the holes 102 can be continued smoothly. Thus, when the stopper block 29 of the auxiliary support structure 6 abuts against the housing of the electric motor 100, the auxiliary support structure 6 is lowered to the lowered position so that the half shafts 200 and the support slide table 10 can be further advanced, so that the half shafts 200 are further inserted into the holes 102.

Finally, the axle shaft 200 is advanced in the bore 102 to a position where it can no longer be manually advanced, i.e., the position shown in FIG. 13, completing the pre-assembly of the axle shaft 200 in the bore 102 of the motor, with the splines at the end of the axle shaft 200 engaging the splined portion of the bore 102.

After pre-assembly, it is also necessary to continue advancing the axle shaft within the bore 102 to the final assembled position by other means, i.e., so that the splines at the end of the axle shaft 200 are fully engaged with the splines in the bore 102. The mechanical forces of this other device are transferred to the floating mount mechanism 5, and thus to the axle shaft 200, through the engagement structure 26 of the floating mount mechanism 5, and will not be described in detail herein.

After the axle shafts are fully installed on the motor, the floating mount mechanism 5 is lowered to the lowered position by an operator. The automatic guiding vehicle bears the motor, the bridge, the half shaft and the hub thereof, the forklift disc, the axle and other auxiliary components which are completely installed, leaves the current station and enters the next station. In said next station, the information in the electronic devices 32 on the tray device 1 of the invention is read by the respective electronic equipment. And in the next station, the height position of the floating support mechanism 5 is detected by a corresponding detection device, and if the floating support mechanism 5 is still in the high position, an alarm is given to a worker.

From the above description of the structure and working process of the tray device 1 and the tray system of the present invention, it can be understood that the present invention has the following advantages:

1) The sliding bracket reduces the working strength of a user;

2) The floating support mechanism ensures accurate positioning in the height direction, and avoids quality risk of seal damage;

3) The tray device is simple in structure operation, does not need to be adjusted, and improves the assembly efficiency;

4) The electronic device can communicate with the AGV in real time and identify the current vehicle type and position state, so that comparison can be carried out to ensure a production sequence;

5) The error-proofing structure can avoid the possibility of misoperation.

From the description provided of the preferred embodiment, it is clear that a person skilled in the art can make modifications without thereby going beyond the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A tray device for supporting a first assembly having an aperture and a second assembly having a shaft and a flange at one end of the shaft, the shaft being mountable in the aperture, the tray device, when supporting the first and second assemblies, having the shaft aligned with the aperture, the tray device comprising:

a base plate having a mounting fitting capable of mounting the tray device to another device;

a plurality of posts extending from the base plate for engaging predetermined portions of the first assembly to support the first assembly in a predetermined position relative to the base plate;

a sliding support mechanism mounted on the base plate, comprising:

a sliding bracket aligned with the aperture of the first assembly and linearly movable along the longitudinal axis of the aperture toward and away from the aperture when the first assembly is supported on the plurality of posts, and

the supporting sliding table is used for supporting the flange of the second assembly, is fixed on the sliding support and can move together with the sliding support;

a floating mount mechanism for supporting a middle portion of the shaft of the second assembly, the floating mount mechanism being fixed on the sliding mount and being movable together with the sliding mount, the floating mount mechanism including:

a bracket including an arc-shaped support for supporting a middle portion of the shaft of the second assembly;

a pair of pivot arms mounted on the bracket, the free end of each pivot arm including an arcuate end for engaging a corresponding recess in the middle of the shaft of the second assembly, each pivot arm being capable of pivoting through an angle about a respective pivot axis and/or each pivot arm being capable of moving a distance along the axis of a respective pivot axis; and

a connecting rod connecting one end of the two pivoting arms; and

the auxiliary supporting structure is arranged on the support of the floating support mechanism or the sliding support of the sliding supporting mechanism and used for supporting the shaft at a position with a certain distance away from the end part of the shaft of the second assembly, the auxiliary supporting structure comprises a bracket provided with an arc-shaped groove, the arc-shaped groove is connected with the shaft of the second assembly, and the bracket can be locked at a lifting position supporting the shaft and a descending position not interfering the shaft.

2. The tray device according to claim 1, wherein said tray device comprises two of said sliding support mechanisms, two floating supports, and an auxiliary support structure, the two sliding support mechanisms being located at opposite ends of said tray, respectively.

3. Tray device according to claim 1 or 2,

the floating support mechanism also comprises a lifter,

the lifter is capable of linear movement between a high position in which the floating mount mechanism supports the shaft of the first assembly and a low position in which the floating mount mechanism does not interfere with the shaft, and is fixed at the high position and the low position, respectively,

the bracket is connected to the lifter and can ascend and descend together with the lifter.

4. A pallet arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said riser is a quick clamp.

5. The tray device according to claim 3 wherein said elevator comprises a handle, said elevator and said rack being in an elevated position when the handle is raised and in a lowered position when the handle is depressed.

6. The tray device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the link is located on a side of the arc-shaped support close to the support slide table in a longitudinal direction of the slide bracket.

7. A tray device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the auxiliary support structure further comprises a stop block made of a softer material than the outer shell of the first component,

the stop block is fixed to the bracket and extends beyond the bracket in a direction toward the first component.

8. The tray device according to claim 7 wherein said stop block is made of polyurethane.

9. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support ramp comprises a plurality of support wheels and carrier elements for supporting the flanges of the second assembly, which flanges are rotatable on the support wheels.

10. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pallet arrangement comprises a locking mechanism for preventing unintentional sliding of the sliding support and the support ramp.

11. The tray device according to claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a protrusion disposed at an end of the base plate, an upper surface of the protrusion including a groove; and

and the small wheel is fixed at the bottom of the support sliding table and is elastically biased downwards so as to be matched with the groove.

12. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that stops are included at both ends of the sliding travel of the sliding carriage, thereby preventing the sliding carriage from sliding beyond the extreme positions of both ends.

13. The tray device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said sliding support mechanism comprises a plurality of support blocks fixed to said bottom plate, said plurality of support blocks being linearly arranged along an axial direction of said hole of said first member, said sliding bracket being supported on said support blocks and moving along sliding rails defined by said support blocks.

14. A pallet arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the engagement between said curved end portions and corresponding recesses on the shaft of the second component is capable of transmitting axial forces.

15. The tray device according to claim 14 wherein the floating mount mechanism further comprises a lifting mount fixedly connected to the lifter by a connector, the lifting mount further comprising engagement structure for engaging with other devices capable of generating an axial force to transfer the axial force to the shaft of the second assembly.

16. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carriage is hinged on the bracket of the floating bracket mechanism or on the sliding bracket of a sliding support mechanism, the carriage being brought into a raised or lowered position by a pivoting movement.

17. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pallet arrangement further comprises a first error protection mechanism.

18. The tray device according to claim 17, wherein the first error prevention mechanism is a lever provided on the support slide.

19. A pallet arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises a second error proofing mechanism cooperating with other detection means for detecting the height of said floating frame mechanism.

20. A tray device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises electronic means capable of being written by and read from cooperating other electronic devices, said information being information relating to said first and/or second component.

21. The tray device according to claim 20 wherein said electronic components are mounted on a flange extending from the bottom of said base.

22. A pallet arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first assembly comprises the motor and bridge and accessories of a car, said holes being holes of the motor comprising splines, and said second assembly comprises the axle shaft and hub and brake disc of a car, the ends of said axle shaft comprising splines for cooperation with the splines in the holes of the motor.

23. A pallet system comprising an automatic guided vehicle and a pallet arrangement according to any of claims 1-22, said pallet arrangement being mounted on said automatic guided vehicle by said mounting fittings of said floor, said automatic guided vehicle having wheels capable of carrying said pallet arrangement free to move.

24. The tray system of claim 23, wherein the automated guided vehicle has corresponding electronics that can communicate with electronics on the tray device.

25. Method for using a tray system, characterized in that the use of a tray system according to claim 23 or 24 comprises the following steps:

a first step of placing a first component on a column of a tray device;

a second step of pulling out the sliding support mechanism away from the first component, so that the auxiliary support structure is positioned and fixed at the ascending position, and placing the second component on the sliding support mechanism, so that the flange of the second component is supported on the support sliding table, the middle part of the shaft of the second component is supported on the floating support, and the shaft of the second component is supported on the auxiliary support structure at a certain distance from the end part of the shaft, so that the shaft of the second component is aligned with the hole of the first component;

a third step of pushing the sliding support mechanism toward the hole of the first component so that the shaft of the second component enters the hole;

a fourth step of extending the shaft of the first component a length within the bore of the second component when the auxiliary support structure contacts the first component, such that the auxiliary support structure is in and secured in a lowered position;

and fifthly, continuously pushing the sliding support mechanism towards the hole of the first component, so that the shaft of the second component further enters the hole until reaching the preset position.

26. The method of using a tray system of claim 25, wherein in the fourth step, the secondary support structure is brought to and secured in a lowered position when a stop in the secondary support structure contacts the first component.

27. The method of using a tray system of claim 25 or 26 wherein the floating mount mechanism is brought to and held low after the second component is fully seated in the hole of the first component.

28. The method of using the tray system of claim 27, wherein after the automated guided vehicle carries the assembled first and second components into the next station, the floating mount mechanism is checked for being in the low position by the second error proofing mechanism.