JP2001334420A - Pallet for assembling and transporting center clusters - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To be able to cope with many types of works. A dual bearing plate (22, 2) on an upper surface of a base plate (21).
A mounting portion 50 formed in a rectangular plate shape by a pair of side plates 51, 51, a horizontal bar 52, and a horizontal plate 53 that are opposed to each other is mounted on the horizontal rotating shaft 24 that is supported by the shaft 2. A vertical plate 54 is provided on the inner surface of each side plate 51, and three brackets 55, 56, 57 attached to the vertical plate 54 have receiving members 61, 6.
The 2,63 and toggle clamp 65, 67 is provided, center cluster W ₁ to them by different types on the front and back surfaces of the plate, W ₂ and the positioning and securing. Also,
The index plungers 25a and 25b and the circular plate 26 having the positioning holes 27a and 27b cooperating therewith are provided, and after the mounting part 50 is rotated to a desired posture, the mounting part 50 is fixed by them.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pallet for assembling and conveying used in an assembling line of a center cluster of an instrument panel of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an assembly line for automobile parts, a pallet on which an assembly (work) is mounted is moved along a transport path, and the parts are sequentially assembled on the pallet on the work.

[0003] In the assembly line of automobile parts as described above, in recent years, as a work to be assembled, a large number of modularized works such as a center cluster incorporated in an instrument panel have been increasing.

[0004] As for the production of the type of vehicle on which the modularized work is mounted, there is a tendency that the number of models is increasing more than the number of products produced. This is the so-called “high-mix low-volume production”.

[0005] An assembly line corresponding to the "high-mix low-volume production" employs a "mixed production system".

[0006]

The above-mentioned "mixed production system"
In the meantime, there is a change to a new type of work during the operation of the line, but in the current mixed production line, the pallet that carries the work and transports it is replaced by changing the type of work. ing.

Therefore, if the pallets are not replaced smoothly, the operating rate of the line is reduced.

Therefore, in the present invention, in the assembly line of the center cluster as a representative of the modularized parts, the pallets to be loaded with the center cluster conveyed are devised, and the line operation is performed even in the mixed production system. It is an object to provide a new product that does not cause a reduction in the rate.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a center cluster mounting portion which is rotatable around a horizontal axis and can be fixed in the middle of the rotation. The positioning and fixing means corresponding to the respective shapes of the center clusters of different models are provided on the plurality of surfaces set in the above.

With this configuration, even if the model of the center cluster to be assembled is changed during the operation of the line, the mounting unit can be rotated without changing the pallet while keeping the pallet attached to the line. , Just turn the mounting surface of the new assembly target model to the worker,
The center cluster of the new model can be immediately attached and the assembly work can be dealt with, so that the operation rate of the line does not decrease.

Further, since it is only necessary to make the positioning means for each of the plurality of mounting surfaces correspond to each model, it is not necessary to manufacture a new pallet for each model, and there is no increase in equipment cost. .

In the above configuration, if the mounting portion is made detachable from the pallet main body, it is possible to expand the range of models that can immediately respond to a change in the model to be manufactured.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The work to be mounted on the pallet of this embodiment is a center cluster. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembly line on which the pallet mounting the center cluster is transported, and FIG. It shows the figure and the front view. First, the assembly line will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the upper surface of the base 1 is covered with a plurality of thin iron plates 2a to form a table surface 2. A pallet having a center cluster W mounted on the table 2 is provided. A transport path 10 through which P moves is formed.

The transport path 10 is defined as a rectangular path along the outer edge of the base 1, and a guide groove 11 is formed along the center of its width. A cam follower (see reference numeral 31 in FIG. 3) provided on the pallet P is inserted into the guide groove 11, and the pallet P is rotated by the cam follower abutting on the side wall of the guide groove 11. It is guided by the guide groove 11 and moves smoothly.

The outer edge of the transport path 10, that is,
A thin strip-shaped guide plate 12 is disposed on the table upper surface along the outer edge of the base 1, and another cam follower provided on the pallet P comes into contact with the guide plate 12 to move the pallet P. To guide.

The transport path 10 is one of the long paths of the pair (FIG. 2A).
(Below) is a component assembling path 10c. While the pallet P moves along the assembling path 10c, the operator assembles the component onto the work W placed on the pallet P.

The other long path 10a (upper side of FIG. 2A) is a moving path 1 on which an empty pallet P before assembly moves.
0a. The moving path 10a includes a table 2
Rails 13, 13 are laid in parallel with the guide groove 11 on both sides of the guide groove 11 on the upper surface of the device. As shown in FIG. 2B, a timing pulley 14 is provided at both ends of each rail 13, and an endless belt 15 wound around the timing pulley 14 extends along the upper surface of the rail 13. It is designed to run. The motor M that drives the timing pulley 14 is
Is disposed on one end side of the moving path 10a on the lower surface of the moving path. An empty pallet P on which no work is mounted is placed on the belt 15 and moves by belt driving.

The short paths 10b and 10b on both sides are transfer paths 10b for transferring the pallet P from the moving path 10a to the assembly path 10c. In the transfer path 10b, assembly is not performed, and a work is mounted. Only empty pallets P that have not been received are transferred. The pallet P moves in such a rectangular transport path 10 clockwise in the figure. Next, the pallet P which is the main feature of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pallet P of this embodiment has a mounting portion 50 for temporarily fixing the center clusters W ₁ and W ₂ of works on a rectangular base plate 21 formed of a resin plate. Is provided. The mounting section 50 will be described later in detail, and first, a mechanism for moving the pallet P on the transport path of the line will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam followers 31, 32, 3 are located on the bottom surface of the base plate 21 of the pallet P at the center and four corners thereof, and at four apexes of a rectangle defined inside.
3 is attached. Of these cam followers,
Cam followers 33 located at the four vertices of a rectangle inside the pallet P support the pallet P, and the rotation surface thereof is rotatable around a vertical axis. This allows the cam follower 33 to rotate smoothly even when the pallet P is in the moving path 10a or the assembling path 10c and when the pallet P is in the transfer path 10b, even if the advancing and retreating direction changes by 90 °. .

On the other hand, the cam followers 31 at the center and the cam followers 32 at the four corners are both arranged so that their rotation axes are perpendicular to each other.
The roller portion of the central cam follower 31 is inserted into the groove 11. Then, at the same time, the cam followers 3 at the four corners
Reference numeral 2 is such that the roller portion is in contact with the outer guide plate 12.

Thus, the pallet P does not rotate around the vertical axis due to the contact of the cam follower 32 with the guide plate 12 and the insertion of the cam follower 31 into the guide groove 11, so that the long side moves. At any time, even when moving from one long side to the other long side and along a short side perpendicular to the long side, the longitudinal direction is always set to the long path 10a, 1
It can move in a posture parallel to 0c.

When the pallet P moves on the transport path 10,
As described above, since the rollers of the cam followers 31 abut against the side walls of the guide grooves 11 and the rollers of the cam followers 32 at the four corners abut on the guide plates 12, they rotate to smooth the movement of the pallet P. .

In the course of the assembling path 10c where the parts are assembled by the operator, as shown in FIG. 2A, in the direction orthogonal to the assembling path 10c.
A stopper 4 that can be advanced and retracted by the air cylinder 3 is provided on the lower surface of the table 2. The stopper 4 presses the cam follower 31 at the center of the bottom surface of the base plate 21 of the pallet P to fix the pallet P. hand,
Assembly work can be performed in a stable state. The above is the description of the moving mechanism of the pallet P. Next, the mounting portion of the work (center cluster) W of the pallet P, which is the point of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, on both short sides of the upper surface of the base plate 21, rectangular bearing plates 22 are erected with their plate surfaces facing each other. Both bearing plates 22, 22 have U
A groove 23 is provided, and the support shafts 24, 24 attached to the mounting portion 50 are inserted into the U groove 23, and the mounting portion 5 is provided.
0 is supported. FIGS. 5 and 6 show only the mounting portion 50 in a plan view and a front view, respectively, in order to avoid complexity.

As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting portion 50 has a pair of long side plates 51 opposed to each other and a horizontal bar 52 therebetween.
And a horizontal plate 53 are interposed in parallel with the facing direction of the pair of side plates 51 and screwed, and these four members form a rectangular frame. The support shaft 24 is attached to the center (length center and height center) of the outer surface of the side plate 51 of the rectangular frame.

The horizontal bar 52 is screwed at the midpoint of the side plate 51 in the height direction, but the horizontal plate 53 is eccentric in the height direction of the side plate 51 from the midpoint. It is fixed in place with screws.

In the frame, a vertical plate 54 is screwed to the inner surface of each side plate 51 near the horizontal bar 52. As shown in FIG. , Three brackets 55, 56, 57 are horizontally protruded. The upper and lower brackets 55 and 57 are fixed with screws so that the upper surface and the lower surface respectively match the upper surface and the lower surface of the vertical plate 54, and the middle bracket 56 is located at a substantially central position in the height direction of the vertical plate 54. It is fixed with screws.

In the middle bracket 56, receiving members 61, 62, 63 for mounting and positioning the center clusters W ₁ , W ₂ on both upper and lower surfaces thereof are provided upright. One of the receiving members 61, 62, 63 is indicated by reference numeral 61 on the upper surface of the drawing, and is indicated by reference numerals 62, 6 on the lower surface.
Two components indicated by 3 are provided. Three holders 6
Each of 1, 62 and 63 is foldable in the middle of its height direction. When the center cluster W is not mounted, it is folded in order to reduce the volume and to prevent injury. Upper receiving member 61 and lower receiving member 6
The models of the center clusters W ₁ and W ₂ are different between the upper mounting surface and the lower mounting surface of the mounting unit 50.

The center cluster W ₁ mounted on the upper mounting surface includes not only the receiving member 61 but also the longitudinal
Bolt 64 projecting upward from the bottom of plate 3
The center cluster W is fixed by a toggle clamp, as will be described later. On the upper surface of the middle bracket 56, the action portion of the toggle clamp 65 on the side is provided, and the center cluster W is interposed therebetween. A bolt 65b with urethane is also provided upright to receive the pinch ₁ therebetween.

Toggle clamps 65 and 67 for fixing the center clusters W ₁ and W ₂ in cooperation with the receiving members 61, 62 and 63 as described above are used.
7 are provided. Upper and lower bracket 5
As shown in FIG. 6, a reinforcing plate 58 for supporting the upper and lower brackets 55 and 57 is interposed between the brackets 5 and 57 and the middle bracket 56.

On one of the two bearing plates 22, 22 to which the mounting portion 50 is attached, two index plungers 25a, 25b for fixing the mounting portion 50 after rotating the mounting portion 50 to a desired posture. And a disk 26 for positioning the mounting portion 50 in a paired manner. The disk 26 is inserted through the support shaft 24 and is fixed to the side plate 51 of the mounting portion 50 via a spacer. Therefore, when the mounting portion 50 rotates around the support shaft 24, the disk 26 also rotates around the support shaft 24.

As shown in FIG. 7, three positioning holes 27a and 27b are respectively formed on the circumferences of two diameters 26a and 26b on the plate surface of the disk 26. The reference numerals 25a and 25b are provided at positions corresponding to one point on two circumferences where the positioning holes are connected on the outer surface of the bearing plate 22, respectively.
The mounting portion 50 is rotated around the support shaft 24 by the index plungers 25a and 25b and the disk 26, and the index plungers 25a and 25b act on the positioning holes of the disk 26, thereby mounting the mounting portion 50 into three positions. It can be fixed in the posture state. Incidentally, the three postures in this embodiment are a posture for screwing the substrate to the center cluster W, a posture for screwing other components, and a posture for performing inspection. Regarding the posture at the time of screwing, different types of works W ₁ , W ₂
FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show the case in which is attached.

In the pallet P of this embodiment, the mounting portion 50 is detachable from the bearing plate 22.
That is, as shown in FIG.
A groove 23 is provided, and the support shaft 24 of the mounting portion 50 can be fitted into the U groove 23. A ready-made patchon lock 28 is provided on the end face of the support shaft 24, and the mounting portion 50 mounts the patchon lock 28 with the support shaft 24 part fitted in the U-groove 23.
Can be fixed.

Therefore, the portion of the support shaft 24 with respect to the bearing plate 22 of the pallet P has a plurality of compatible mounting portions 5.
0 is prepared so that a different type of work W can be mounted for each mounting unit 50, so that the width of the type of work W that can be immediately responded to when the production model is changed is further increased. Can be spread.

In this embodiment, the center cluster W
Two models to the mounting portion 50 of the to be formed in a rectangular plate shape in four members 51,51,52,53 can be equipped with the table and center cluster W ₁ of different types on both sides of the back, W ₂ However, as schematically shown in FIG. 9, a frame of a prism having a triangular or square cross section is formed, and the bearing plate 2 of the pallet P is formed in such a manner that the axis of the prism is along the horizontal axis.
2 and can be rotated around its axis as the mounting part 50 ', and if each prism surface is the mounting surface of the center cluster, it can support three and four different models. it can.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the mounting portion of the center cluster can be rotated about a horizontal axis, and
It can be fixed in the middle of the rotation, and positioning and fixing means corresponding to each of the different types of center clusters are provided on a plurality of surfaces set around the rotation axis, so that the model of the center cluster to be assembled during line operation Even if there is a change, without changing the pallet, rotate the mounting part while the pallet is attached to the line,
By simply pointing the mounting surface of the new model to be assembled to the operator, the center cluster of the new model can be immediately attached and the assembly work can be performed, so that the operating rate of the line is not reduced.

Further, since it is only necessary to make the mounting shape of the work of each positioning means on a plurality of mounting surfaces correspond to each model, it is not necessary to manufacture a new pallet for each model, which increases the equipment cost. Also does not invite.

If the mounting portion is made detachable from the pallet body, it is possible to expand the range of models that can immediately respond to a change in the model of the work to be manufactured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an assembly line of this embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a line base, and FIG.
The front view is partially omitted.

FIG. 3 shows a pallet used in the line of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view showing how a cam follower on a bottom surface of the pallet and a guide plate of a line are related to each other.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing only a mounting portion of the pallet according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a disk that operates in pairs with the index plunger.

FIG. 8A shows a state of use of the pallet of this embodiment,
(B) is a side view.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show another example of a pallet corresponding to a work of another model.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 base 2 table (surface) 10 transport path 10a moving path 10b transfer path 10c assembling path 11 guide groove 12 guide plate 21 pallet base plate 25a, 25b index plunger 26 disk 28 patchin lock 31, 32, 33 cam follower 50 mounting parts 61, 62 and 63 the receptacle 65 and 67 toggle clamp P pallet W _1, W ₂ center cluster

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshiaki Suzuki 1-7-10 Kikuzumi, Minami-ku, Nagoya City Harness Research Institute F-term (reference) 3C030 CC07 DA08 DA14 DA17 DA23 DA29 DA34 DA35 DA36 DA37 3D114 AA04 AA12 BA20 CA09 DA05

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A work center cluster is mounted,
A pallet for assembling and transporting a center cluster for assembling parts to the center cluster in a process of moving along a transport path, wherein a mounting portion of the center cluster is rotatable around a horizontal axis, and A center cluster, which can be fixed during the rotation, and provided with positioning and fixing means corresponding to the respective shapes of the center clusters of different models on a plurality of surfaces set around the rotation axis. Pallets for assembling and transporting. 2. A pallet for assembling and transporting a center cluster according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion is detachable from a pallet main body.