JP2006000990A - Assembling shop - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rational carrying apparatus for carrying components and modules into a rotary assembling stand from its circumference in order to carry out a new production method for assembling a vehicle while slowly turning the rotary assembling stand on which a vehicle to be assembled is mounted one by one. <P>SOLUTION: In an apparatus composed of a hoist and a rail on which the hoist travels, a synchronizing means for synchronously turning the rail having the hoist hung thereon with the rotary assembling stand is provided above the rotary assembling stand. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to equipment of an assembly plant for assembling automobiles and other articles and a method of assembly work. The present invention is used to supply a member to a moving target article when the article to be assembled is being moved by a conveyor. In particular, the applicant of the present invention was invented for use in a new vehicle assembly form (commonly referred to as a “day clock” at the test site) disclosed in a prior application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-0666516 (not disclosed at the time of application)). However, it can be widely used not only for vehicle assembly.

  The applicant of the present application disclosed a new vehicle assembly factory in the above-mentioned prior application. This fundamentally changes the form of the factory where the vehicle production line is provided. In other words, the conventional vehicle assembly factory is said to have been founded in the manufacturing factory of the T-type Ford founded in 1907 (see the column of Encyclopedia Britannica, Henry Ford) and has been widely and continuously implemented. It is. This is to insert the vehicle frame from the beginning of the long linear production line, and move the vehicle frame according to the set tact, while each step passes sequentially, from the side of this production line, By supplying axles, engines, power transmission systems, various component units, cabins, etc., gradually assembled vehicles with a high degree of completion.

  On the other hand, the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned prior application provides a disk-shaped rotary assembly table on which only one (or two to three) vehicles are placed, and the assembly table is arranged around the center axis of the disk. The vehicle is assembled on the assembly table while rotating slowly. A module supply area is set on the floor almost radially from the center of rotation of the rotary assembly table, and the module assembly area rotates around the rotary assembly table as work on the rotary assembly table progresses. The necessary parts on the assembly table and a module in which a plurality of parts are assembled into one form are supplied.

  Such work forms have been repeatedly tested and improved over several months. As a result, for a standard truck, it is possible to carry out the assembly to a certain level while rotating the rotating assembly base for several tens of revolutions. It was found that the assembly stand could be removed.

  The greatest advantage of this assembling method is the economic effect of reducing the quantity of work-in-progress and reducing the period of staying as work-in-process. In other words, in the conventional assembly line system, an unfinished vehicle stays on the production line for the number of processes n times (for example, n = 30) of the work time of one process (for example, 15 minutes). Will be recorded as work in progress. On the other hand, in the method using the rotary assembly table, the number of work-in-process items is one for each factory, and the assembly work time for one unit is several tens of minutes (more specifically, about one hour in the specific example). ). Moreover, by adopting such a manufacturing form, the space of the production line can be reduced, the moving distance of parts and modules can be reduced, and many large equipment devices are not required, and the flexibility of production management There are advantages such as increasing.

  Crane apparatus for supplying modules or parts from a module supply area provided around the rotary assembly table in accordance with the progress of the assembly operation during the test of the vehicle assembly operation using the rotary assembly table as described above. And it was found that it was necessary to devise some kind of device to the peripheral device. Here, the “crane device” is defined as equipment including a hoist that lifts and conveys an article, and a rail on which the hoist travels.

  As described above, the incomplete vehicle being assembled is placed at the center of the rotary assembly base and slowly rotates. The rotational angular velocity is, for example, several degrees per minute (more specifically, 6 ° / min). The exemplified numerical values do not necessarily have to be controlled constantly throughout the process, and the rotational angular velocity is changed according to a program every set time depending on the nature of the work.

  As the assembly work progresses, necessary modules (or parts) are supplied to the rotary assembly base from its periphery as needed. At this time, the operator operates the hoist suspended from the rail installed on the factory ceiling to pick up the necessary modules prepared in the module supply area at the appropriate timing, and the operator assists in this. Then, it is carried onto the rotating assembly table and supplied to the mounting position of the vehicle being assembled.

  In this specification, the term “module” is a generic term that includes not only composite articles such as engine modules and axle modules, but also single parts such as fuel tanks, batteries, and seats. To do.

  In the assembly plant, the hoist used for lifting the module and transporting it in the desired direction is necessarily in the direction of the rail on which the hoist runs on the ceiling of the plant. From trial tests of assembling work using a rotating assembly table, it has been found that there is a case where the structure in which the horizontal conveying direction is fixed is extremely inconvenient. In practice, it has been necessary to temporarily stop the rotation of the rotary assembly base in order to bring the parts or modules carried by the hoist closer to the vehicle frame on which the assembly work is being performed. Temporarily stopping the rotation of the rotary assembly table means a temporary interruption of the assembly work. If the rotation of the rotary assembly table can be arbitrarily stopped, the assembly work may be arbitrarily interrupted, which causes a reduction in work efficiency.

  More specifically, the vehicle under assembling work is slowly rotating together with the rotating assembly base. On the other hand, when the horizontal transport direction is fixed, the hoist that supplies the module or component cannot precisely approach the appropriate position of the vehicle in which the module or component is being assembled. For example, during the operation of slowly suspending the engine module on the vehicle frame, the hoist moves in a certain linear direction, but the vehicle frame moves slowly on the circumference. When the rotary assembly base is rotating, the hoist movement direction follows the rotation of the rotary assembly base and can be maintained at a constant angle with respect to the vehicle being assembled on the rotary base. I found it desirable.

  In addition, when supplying a plurality of modules from the module supply area on the rotary assembly table, it is necessary to allow a certain margin before and after the supply timing. In other words, the working time of a vehicle being assembled on a rotating assembly table is not always strictly executed as designed, and may advance early or may be delayed. Accordingly, it is advantageous to set the module supply area so as to allow the supply of the module from the module supply area to be slightly faster or slower than the designed timing. This is also an advantage of using this rotary assembly table. For this reason, it has also been found that the hoist that transports the module should be configured so that the module can be picked up independently of the rotational angle of the rotating assembly.

  That is, the present invention relates to a crane device in a rational form for supplying modules or parts to a rotary assembly table in a vehicle assembly factory that executes a vehicle assembly process on a slowly rotating rotary assembly table, and its An object is to provide a peripheral device. An object of this invention is to provide the auxiliary device for reducing the man-hour of the vehicle assembly work on a rotation assembly stand. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for supplying an accurate position without damaging an article for a vehicle being assembled on a rotating assembly base. The present invention, while continuing the rotation state of the rotary assembly table, the module or parts supplied to the rotary assembly table from the direction that is convenient for the operation on the vehicle that is being assembled on the rotary assembly table, It aims at providing the factory equipment which can supply, maintaining that direction over the required time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a factory facility that can maintain a constant work progress speed by rotating a rotary assembly table at a constant speed. The present invention provides a module or component on a rotary assembly table in a flexible manner even when some circumstances occur and work on the rotary assembly table does not proceed as scheduled. It aims at providing the crane apparatus which can do.

  Furthermore, it has been found that the present invention can be used in factories that produce various mass-product products. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, automobile manufacturing factories employ a so-called tact system in which a conveyor is moved for each distance of one process, and the movement of the conveyor is stopped when an operator accesses an article to be worked. However, by utilizing the present invention, it is considered that many of the work steps can be assembled while the conveyor is continuously moved. When the assembling work is performed in a state where the conveyor is continuously moved, a distance interval of one process provided along the conveyor can be arbitrarily set. In other words, the conveyor can be driven at a constant speed, the process area with a short work time can be shortened, and the process with a long work time can be lengthened.

  Moreover, the conveyor installed in the factory may be utilized only for moving the semi-finished product currently working in the factory. In such a factory, the semi-finished product that has been moved by the conveyor is once moved from the conveyor onto a fixed table, and after performing certain operations, it is returned to the conveyor and sent to the next process. . By using the apparatus of the present invention, it is considered that many of the process operations can be performed with the semi-finished product placed on the conveyor. That is, the present invention can be widely used in factories in which parts and materials are supplied and manufacturing and assembling work is performed while an object to be worked is moved by a conveyor.

  That is, in addition to the above-described object, the present invention aims to supply a module to an article to be worked while gently moving the article to be worked. An object of this invention is to provide the method and apparatus which do not need to once stop the flow of a conveyor at the timing which supplies a module. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control method and apparatus that do not cause a supply module and an article being assembled to accidentally collide with each other.

  A first aspect of the present invention is an apparatus invention, which is a module for preparing a conveyor (1) for conveying an article being assembled and a module (including parts and materials) to be supplied to the article being conveyed by the conveyor. In an assembly plant comprising a supply area (2a to 2k) and a hoist (5) for transferring a module to be supplied from the module supply area to the position of the article being moved along the conveyor, And a means for synchronizing the moving direction and speed of the hoist with the moving direction and speed of the article conveyed by the conveyor (1). “Synchronize the moving direction and speed of the object A with the moving direction and speed of the object B” means that the two objects A and B are respectively in the same moving direction with respect to the absolute space at one point of interest. It means controlling to move at the same moving speed. As a specific example, such a state is obtained when the objects A and B are mechanically firmly connected to each other. However, the apparatus of the present invention is not limited to mechanical means, and includes a plurality of mechanical means and electrical means. Such a state can also be realized by means.

  That is, in the apparatus of the present invention, the relative positional relationship between the “article” and the “hoist” is fixed by synchronizing the hoist for supplying the module to the article conveyed by the conveyor with the movement of the conveyor. Thus, the module conveyed by the hoist can be brought close to the desired position of the article being conveyed by the conveyor according to the manual operation of the operator or the like. The numbers in the parentheses are reference numbers for the embodiment drawings to be described later.

  As the means for synchronizing, a first rail (11, 21) provided above the conveyor and capable of suspending the hoist (5) and moving the hoist in synchronization with the movement of the conveyor, A fixed second rail (12, 22) that movably supports one rail (11, 21) can be used. Furthermore, a third rail (13, 23) capable of passing the hoist (5) to and from the first rail (11, 21) is provided above the module supply area. A fourth rail (14, 24) capable of passing the hoist (5) to and from the third rail (13, 23); the fourth rail (14, 24); The third rail (13, 23) is provided between the first rail (11, 21) and the space between the first rail (11, 21) and the fourth rail (14, 24). ) In a movable manner, and a fifth rail and a sixth rail (15, 16, 25, 26).

  It is desirable that the hoists each include means for self-propelling along suspended rails. An operation end and a means for releasing or setting the means for synchronizing according to an operation from the operation end can be provided. The means for synchronizing may include electrical synchronizing means.

  One typical example of the present invention is that the conveyor is a rotating assembly (1) that rotates about one vertical axis. At this time, the first rail (11, movable) is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the rotation axis of the rotary assembly (1), and the second rail (12, fixed) is centered on the rotation axis. Arranged along the circumference, the third rail (13a-13f, movable) is arranged along a radial straight line intersecting the rotation axis, and the fourth rail (14a-14f, fixed) is rotated. The fifth rail (15, fixed) and the sixth rail (16, fixed) are arranged along a radial straight line intersecting the shaft, and are arranged concentrically with the second rail (12). can do. The module supply areas (2a to 2k) may be divided into a plurality of sections around the rotary assembly table (1).

  A control mode is provided in which the first rail (11) and the third rail (any one of 13a to 13k) rotate or stop together in a state of forming one straight line, and this control mode is set. The hoist (5) can be transferred between the third rail and the first rail in a period, and the third rail (any one of 13a to 13k) can be transferred to the fourth rail (14a). -14f) and a control mode for returning to a position where one straight line is formed, and the hoist (between the third rail and the fourth rail) during the period when the control mode is set. It is possible to adopt a configuration provided with a control means that enables the delivery of 5).

  One or a plurality of the operation ends may be provided, and at least one of the operation ends may be arranged at a position where it can be operated by an operator on the rotary assembly table (1). Means for displaying whether or not the first rail is set in a state of rotating in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary assembly table can be provided at a position that can be recognized by an operator on the rotary assembly table. The present invention can be implemented in an automobile assembly factory.

  The conveyor can be implemented as a configuration in which part or all of the conveyor is linear. In that case, the module supply area (2) is provided along the linear conveyor portion. The first rail (21) may be provided above the linear portion of the conveyor, and the fourth rail (24) may be provided above the module supply area (2).

  A second aspect of the present invention is a method invention, wherein one or a plurality of articles being assembled are placed on a rotating assembly that rotates about one vertical axis, and a module provided around the rotating assembly In the method of assembling an article for supplying members necessary for assembling the article from a supply area, the horizontal axis of the vertical axis is synchronized with the rotation of the rotary assembly table in a space including the space on the rotary assembly table. It is carried on the assembly table using a hoist that rotates around.

  The space including the space on the rotating assembly table may be a space on the rotating assembly table and a part of the space on the module supply area adjacent to the space.

  A further aspect of the present invention as a method invention is that an article to be assembled is moved by a conveyor, and a member necessary for the assembly process of the article is supplied from a module supply area provided around the conveyor to assemble the article. In the assembling method of the article to be worked, a member necessary for the assembling process is lifted by a hoist from the module supply area, and the hoist is moved along a rail arranged along the conveyor to be an object to be assembled. After approaching the article and the hoist approaching the work object, the hoist movement direction and movement speed are controlled to be equal to the conveyor movement direction and movement speed, respectively, and the member is moved to the work object. Including a step of supplying to the substrate.

  The present invention was experimentally implemented in a process of performing vehicle assembly using a rotary assembly stand, and was found to be extremely useful. From the experimental results of the present invention, it has been found that the work man-hours can be significantly reduced, for example, the time required for alignment is shortened in the work process of supplying the module to the vehicle being assembled. In addition, it was confirmed that there were no significant impacts on the work process, such as the collision of the articles being transported, the damage of the articles and the accident of dropping off the transported goods.

(First Example)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a main part of hardware of an apparatus according to the present invention. The vehicle being assembled is placed on the rotary assembly stand 1. The rotary assembly table 1 is gently rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow in the figure by an electric motor mounted under the table during the assembly operation. This rotational speed can be variably set according to the type and specification of the assembled vehicle. An example of the rotation speed is several degrees per second, and more specifically, 6 degrees per second. If it is set to 6 degrees per second, the rotary assembly stand 1 makes one round in one hour. In practice, this rotational speed is preferably set to be variable. An optimally set rotational speed can be set according to the type of vehicle being assembled.

  A module assembly area 2 for preparing components and modules to be supplied to the rotary assembly table 1 is provided around the rotary assembly table 1. The module assembly area is substantially fan-shaped as indicated by reference numerals 2a, 2b, 2c,... 2k in FIG. 1, and different modules or parts are prepared in each area.

  This will be described in more detail with respect to this embodiment. In the module assembly area 2a, an axle module is prepared and supplied to the rotary assembly base 1. In the module assembly area 2b, a vehicle frame is assembled and supplied to the rotary assembly base 1. A large factory for processing the frame can be arranged on the input end side of the module assembly area 2b for supplying the vehicle frame, and the frames can be sequentially supplied in synchronization with the vehicle assembly.

  In the module assembly area 2c, an engine is carried in from a supply port (not shown), prepared in a form that can be mounted on a vehicle, and supplied onto the rotary assembly base 1. In the module assembly area 2c, an operation of mounting necessary parts on the engine to be carried in is executed.

  In the module assembly area 2d, a plurality of small modules and parts are prepared and supplied onto the rotary assembly table 1. In FIG. 1, it is beyond the vehicle being assembled and is not shown in the drawing, but in the next module assembly area 2 e, a cab is prepared and supplied to the vehicle being assembled on the rotary assembly stand 1. To do. Further, in the module assembly area on the other side of the rotary assembly stand 1, a liquid injection area 2e, a hood / module assembly area 2f, and a tire / bumper assembly supply area 2g are provided.

  A device for inspection and testing is arranged in the last module assembly area 2k on the downstream side in the rotation direction around the rotary assembly table 1. From these test devices, electric probes, pipes and others are connected to the vehicle being assembled, and tests on the assembly table are performed. The vehicle that has been assembled on the rotary assembly stand 1 is capable of self-propelling at this stage, and when the front of the vehicle has just reached the shipping port 3, the driver gets in and drives the vehicle. The rotary assembly stand 1 is removed from the shipping port 3 by running.

  Here, the feature of the present invention is that, as described above, parts, modules, heavy tools, etc. are used to be carried onto the rotary assembly table 1 from the module assembly areas 2a to 2k. In the crane equipment. In this specification, the crane apparatus is defined as an apparatus including rails 11 and 12 installed in a ceiling space of a factory, a hoist 5 that self-propels this rail, an operation end 7, and other accessories.

  More specifically, the crane device of the present invention is configured such that the first rail 11 on which the hoist 5 travels can rotate about the rotation axis (assumed axis) common to the rotation axis of the rotary assembly base 1. In addition, the first rail 11 is characterized in that the rotation of the first rail 11 can be synchronized with the rotation of the rotary assembly base.

  More specifically, referring to FIG. 1, the first rail 11 is movably suspended by a rail suspension 6 with respect to the second rail 12 fixedly installed on the ceiling of the factory. The rail suspension 6 is equipped with a motor and a vehicle, and the end of the first rail 11 is the lower side of the second rail 12 according to the operation or the control of the control device (not shown). It is comprised so that it can move along. This rail suspending tool 6 is easy to understand when it is assumed that the upper half of the hoist 5, that is, the part that runs along the rail is mounted. The front side of the first rail 11 in the drawing shows a fracture surface and is not shown in detail, but the end portion on the front side is also movably supported by the second rail 12 by a rail suspension. The motor mounted on the rail suspension 6 is configured such that the first rail 11 can rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary assembly base 1 in accordance with control from a control circuit (not shown). ing.

  To illustrate further, a case will be described in which an engine module is carried into the rotary assembly base 1 from the module assembly area 2d and is brought close to the vehicle being suspended and assembled by the hoist 5. When the operator operates the operation end 7 and suspends the engine module by the hoist 5, the operation from the operation end 7 further changes the direction of the first rail 11 above the engine mounting position of the vehicle being assembled. Then, the vehicle is rotated so as to cross a plane (virtual plane) including the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Then, the hoist 5 is caused to travel along the first rail 11 and is stopped above the engine mounting position. At this time, in the apparatus according to the present invention, the first rail 11 is set to a synchronous rotation state by operation so that the first rail 11 is rotated in synchronism with the rotation of the rotary assembly table 1 by aligning with the sky above the engine mounting position. Thereafter, by moving the hook of the hoist 5 gently downward, the engine module can be accurately lowered to the mounting position of the vehicle. As a result, if the configuration in which the first rail 11 is set in a synchronized state is not adopted, the time passes between the suspended engine module and the vehicle body as the rotary assembly 1 rotates. Because of the misalignment, the position of the hoist 5 relative to the first rail 11 will have to be adjusted further during the work.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a drive control system of the embodiment apparatus of the present invention. The rotary assembly 1 is rotated by a motor 8. A driving current is supplied to the motor 8 from the assembly table driving device 31. The rotation angle of the rotary assembly base 1 is detected by a sensor 4. The rotation angle is detected as an absolute angle with respect to a reference in which the rotation angle of the rotary assembly table 1 is set. The output of the sensor 4 is taken into the assembly table control device 32. The assembly table control device 22 is on / off controlled by the operation output of the operation end 33.

  In FIG. 1, only the first rail 11 (movable) and the second rail 12 (fixed) are described as rails. However, in a practical device, the configuration of the rail network on which the hoist 5 travels is complicated and more convenient. Configured. The configuration of this rail network will be described in detail later with reference to another drawing (FIG. 3).

  Returning to FIG. 2, the rail network includes a rail configured to be movable as exemplified by the first rail 11 and a rail configured to be fixed like the second rail 12. Among these, a plurality of motors 10 are provided to drive the movable rail, and a plurality of sensors 9 are provided to detect the current position of the movable rail. Each of these motors 10 is supplied with a drive current from a crane drive unit 34. The rotation angle detected by each sensor 9 is taken into the crane control device 35. The crane control device 35 is controlled by the operation end 33. Here, the feature of the present invention is that a synchronization signal is transmitted and received between the assembly control device and the crane control device, and the drive control is synchronized with each other. That is, the assembly control device 32 and the crane control device 35 are coupled by the electrical synchronizing signal path 30 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the rail arrangement of the crane apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The outer circumference of the rotary assembly described above is substantially equal to the circumference shown as the second rail (fixed) in FIG. The first rail 11 (movable) and the second rail (fixed) described above are configured above the rotary assembly base. As a practical device, a more complicated rail network was constructed so as to cover the module assembly area 2 set around the rotary assembly table.

  Further explaining FIG. 3, the fourth rails 14a to 14k are radially arranged as fixed rails corresponding to the respective module assembly areas 2a to 2k described above. The fourth rails 14a to 14k are provided above the center of the respective module assembly areas 2a to 2k in a direction crossing a vertical axis (virtual axis) serving as a rotation center of the rotary assembly base. And between the circumference (virtual circumference) A drawn by the tip of the first rail 11 (movable) and the circumference (also imaginary circumference) B connecting the tips of the fourth rail (fixed) A rail network for transporting modules in the radial direction was constructed. The rail network for transferring this module to the radial run is suspended by two annular rails 15 and 16, which are fixedly installed, and suspended by the annular rails 15 and 16, respectively. It comprises a plurality of movable rails 13a to 13k configured to be movable in the circumferential direction along the rails 15 and 16.

  The movable rails 13a to 13k are set so that the inner front ends thereof are rotated along the virtual circumference A and the outer front ends are rotated along the virtual circumference B, and the first rail 11 or the fourth rail respectively. The respective ends of the rails 14a to 14k can be brought into contact with each other. For example, the top end of the third rail 13d (movable) is abutted with the top end of the fourth rail 14d (fixed) in the upper part of FIG. 3, and is suspended from the fourth rail 14d (fixed) via this butting position. The lowered hoist 5 can cross the third rail 13d (movable). That is, the hoist 5 lifts the module in the module assembling area, crosses it over the third rail 13d, and further rotates the first rail 11 (movable) to place the hoist 5 on the circumference A. Can be introduced to the rail 11 (movable).

  The reason why the third rails 13a to 13k (movable) are configured to be movable with respect to the fifth rails 15a to 15k (fixed) and the sixth rails 16a to 16k (fixed) This is because even if the above work does not always proceed according to the set time, a margin is provided for the time width. In other words, when a situation occurs in which the work on the rotary assembly table exceeds the scheduled time, it becomes impossible to carry a module necessary for the subsequent process to the rotary assembly table at an appropriate timing. At this time, the third rails 13a to 13k (movable) are moved slightly downstream so that they can be taken later. When the progress of the process is earlier than planned and the module required for the next process is needed somewhat earlier, it can be picked up earlier by moving it to the upstream side of the rotation. Further, an operation can be performed in which the hoist 5 in which the module is suspended is held on the third rails 13a to 13k (movable) for a while. This is useful when the timings of the module supply side and the assembly execution side do not match. That is, according to the configuration of the present invention, even if the assembly work does not proceed as designed, it can be absorbed with less influence.

  The module assembly area 2e is an area for supplying a liquid material, and since it is not necessary to transport the article by a hoist, a radial rail (fourth rail) is not provided in this area. The same applies to the area where tires are supplied or the area where inspection is performed, and radial rails (fourth rails) are not provided in these areas.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the hoist 5 that travels along the first rail 11. By operating from the operation end 7, the hoist 5 moves along the rail 11 as indicated by an arrow. By operating from the operation end 7, the hoist 5 moves the hook up and down in the direction of the arrow. be able to. Since this structure is widely known, further detailed description is omitted.

  5 and 6 are views for explaining a structure in which the fifth rail 15 and the sixth rail 16 are combined with the third rail 13 (movable). FIG. 5 is a plan view seen from the top of the rail. FIG.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a main part of the software configuration for synchronizing the rotation of the rotary assembly base and the rotation of the first rail 11 supporting the hoist 5 with respect to the apparatus of the present invention. When the synchronization state is commanded by operation, the synchronization mode is set. For the rotation of the rotary assembly base and the rotation of the first rail, position information is taken in and a synchronous state is set. Thereafter, the synchronization tracking state is monitored, and this synchronization state is continued unless an abnormality occurs. When a synchronization error occurs, an alarm is generated to prompt a reset operation.

  In the crane apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 2, the hoist 5 that travels on the rail is not limited to one, and a plurality of hoists 5 are used in a plurality of rail nets. As for the number of hoists to be used, the number of hoists can be selected and set so as to be convenient for using the crane apparatus in each of a plurality of module supply areas. The technology for controlling the hoists so that they do not collide or interfere with each other when a plurality of hoists are configured to travel on one crane device is also a well-known technology for crane devices. Omitted.

  Moreover, this is also a well-known technique for the configuration of the power supply means for the hoist 5 or the rail suspension 6 that travels on the rails provided in the aerial space. Is not the subject of the present invention and will not be described in detail in this specification. Furthermore, the operation control with respect to the hoist or the rail hanging tool can be performed via a wired signal line or by a radio signal. This technique is also a well-known technique, and the present invention can be carried out by using these techniques, so detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the rail arrangement of the apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Articles to be assembled and manufactured are conveyed by a conveyor 1 indicated by a one-dot chain line on the left side of the figure. The conveyor 1 is installed on the factory floor, and the conveyor 1 conveys articles at a constant speed in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing while the factory is in operation. Then, the degree of completeness of the article as a product is sequentially increased, for example, by sequentially adding and attaching parts by accessing the article from the lateral direction. That is, as the article moves along the conveyor 1 in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, the degree of completion increases. In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, similar configuration areas are repeatedly provided in the lower and upper portions of this figure, and an article to be assembled and manufactured increases its completeness while passing through the plurality of areas.

  A pair of fixed rails, second rails 22 a and 22 b, are provided above the conveyor 1 in parallel with the conveyor 1. The first rail 21 that is one movable rail is suspended from the second rails 22a and 22b. The first rail 21 is directly above the conveyor 1, and the longitudinal direction thereof is perpendicular to the moving direction of the conveyor 1 (90 degrees). The first rail 21 is configured to move along the second rails 22a and 22b by a power unit (not shown) in principle at a speed equal to the moving speed of the conveyor 1.

  On the other hand, in the module supply area 2, a module is prepared on the floor for supplying articles to be assembled and manufactured. A fourth rail 24 that is one fixed rail is provided above the module supply area 2. The height of the fourth rail 24 from the floor surface is set equal to the height of the first rail 21 (movable) from the floor surface. The fourth rail 24 is formed in a structure in which the hoist 5 can be suspended. That is, the fourth rail 24 is a fixed rail, but its cross-sectional structure is formed in the same shape as the first rail 21.

  A fifth rail 25 and a sixth rail 26 are provided in the space between the module supply area 2 and the conveyor 1 in parallel with the second rails 22a and 22b. The height of the fifth rail 25 and the sixth rail 26 from the floor is equal to that of the second rails 22a and 22b. A third rail 23 which is a movable rail is suspended from the fifth rail 25 and the sixth rail 26. The structure of the third rail 23 is the same as that of the first rail 21 and is configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction along a fifth rail 25 and a sixth rail 26 which are a pair of fixed rails. The moving direction of the third rail 23 is an arrow A or B. And this 3rd rail 23 is also formed in the structure where the hoist 5 can hang down. That is, the cross-sectional structure of the third rail is equal to the cross-sectional structure of the first rail 21. In FIG. 8, the hoist suspended from the third rail 23 is not shown.

  In the apparatus assembled in such a structure, the procedure for transporting the module prepared in the module supply area 2 to the assembly target moving along the conveyor 1 will be described. In the module supply area 2, a hoist 5 is used. Then, lift the prepared module on the floor. Then, the third rail 23 (movable rail) is moved to a position that forms a straight line with the fourth rail 24 (fixed rail) that hangs down the hoist 5. Next, the hoist 5 that lifts the module is run and moved to the third rail 23. And the 3rd rail 23 which received the hoist 5 is moved to the direction of arrow A, and this is set so that the 1st rail 21 and a straight line may be formed. At this time, the third rail 23 moves at a speed equal to that of the first rail 21.

  In this state, the hoist 5 is moved from the third rail 23 to the first rail 21. And by operating this hoist 5 independently, the conveyed module can be supplied to the desired position of the assembly target object moving along the conveyor 1. At this time, since the module 5 is in a state of moving in the same direction and at the same speed in synchronization with the conveyor, the module is brought close to the assembly object placed on or locked on the conveyor 1. be able to. There is no inconvenience that the carried module and the assembly object collide.

  After the module carried by the hoist 5 is transferred to the assembly object moving on the conveyor 1, the hoist 5 is returned to the moving third rail 23 synchronously. Then, the synchronization state of the third rail 23 with respect to the first rail 21 is released, and the third rail 23 is moved in the direction of arrow B in the figure, so that the next newly prepared in the module supply area 2 You can go get the module.

  The configuration illustrated in FIG. 8 is one process part for supplying modules from one module supply area 2. By repeatedly providing the same configuration as the configuration shown in FIG. 8 n times along the conveyor 1, an n-step production line is configured along the conveyor 1.

  Although the trial implementation of the present invention has only just begun at the application stage, a very good situation has been confirmed. As new problems are recognized, further improvements will be added. The configuration of the present invention is not limited to an automobile assembly factory, and may be implemented in a mass production factory.

The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the rotary assembly stand which is this invention 1st Example. The block block diagram explaining the control system of this invention 1st Example apparatus. The top view which shows the rail arrangement | positioning of this invention 1st Example apparatus. The perspective view which illustrates the hoist of this invention 1st Example apparatus. The top view explaining the rail suspension structure of this invention 1st Example apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The perspective view explaining the rail suspension structure of this invention 1st Example apparatus. The control flowchart explaining the synchronous control of this invention 1st Example apparatus. The top view which shows rail arrangement | positioning of this invention 2nd Example apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 Conveyor (In the first embodiment, the conveyor is a rotating assembly stand)
2, 2a to 2k Module assembly area 3 Shipping port 4 Sensor 5 Hoist 6 Rail suspension 7 Operation end 8 Motor 9 Sensor 10 Motor 11 First rail (movable)
12 Second rail (fixed)
13a-13k 3rd rail (movable)
14a-14k 4th rail (fixed)
15 Fifth rail (fixed)
16 Sixth rail (fixed)
21 First rail (movable)
22, 22a, 22b Second rail (fixed)
23, 23a-23k Third rail (movable)
24a-24k Fourth rail (fixed)
25 Fifth rail (fixed)
26 Sixth rail (fixed)
Reference Signs List 30 Synchronous signal path 31 Assembly stand drive device 32 Assembly stand control device 33 Operation end 34 Crane drive device 35 Crane control device

Claims (19)

A conveyor for transporting articles being assembled, a module supply area for preparing modules to be supplied to the articles being transported by the conveyor, and a module to be supplied from the module supply area being moved along the conveyor In an assembly plant with a hoist that moves to the position of the article,
An assembly plant comprising means for synchronizing the movement direction and speed of the hoist over the conveyor with the movement direction and speed of the article conveyed by the conveyor.   As the means for synchronizing, a first rail provided above the conveyor and capable of suspending the hoist and moving the hoist in synchronization with the movement of the conveyor, and movably supporting the first rail The assembly plant of claim 1 including a stationary second rail.   The hoist can be passed between the first rail and the third rail, and the hoist can be passed between the third rail provided above the module supply area. And a third rail (13) provided in a space between the fourth rail and the first rail and between the first rail and the fourth rail. 3. An assembly plant as claimed in claim 2, further comprising support means (15, 16) for movably supporting.   4. An assembly plant as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein each hoist includes means for self-propelling along a suspended rail.   The assembly plant according to claim 1, further comprising means for releasing or setting the operation end and the means for synchronizing in accordance with an operation from the operation end.   6. An assembly plant according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the means for synchronizing includes an electrical synchronizing means.   The assembly plant according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is a rotary assembly table that rotates around one vertical axis.   The first rail (11, movable) is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the rotation axis of the rotary assembly (1) rotating around one vertical axis, and the second rail (12, fixed) is the rotation axis thereof. The third rails (13a to 13f, movable) are arranged along a radial straight line intersecting with the rotation axis thereof, and the fourth rails (14a to 14f, fixed) The assembly plant according to claim 3, wherein the support means (15, 16) are arranged concentrically with the second rail (12).   The assembly plant according to claim 7, wherein the module supply area (2a to 2k) is divided into a plurality of sections around the rotary assembly table (1). A control mode is provided in which the first rail (11) and the third rail (any one of 13a to 13k) rotate or stop together in a state of forming one straight line, and this control mode is set. Allowing the hoist (5) to be delivered between the third rail and the first rail in a period of time;
A control mode is provided in which the third rail (any one of 13a to 13k) returns to a position that forms a straight line with the fourth rail (any one of 14a to 14f), and this control mode is set. The assembly plant according to claim 3, further comprising control means for enabling the hoist (5) to be transferred between the third rail and the fourth rail during a certain period.   The operation end is provided in one or a plurality, and at least one of the operation ends is arranged at a position where it can be operated by an operator on a rotary assembly table (1) rotating around one vertical axis. Assembly factory.   Displays whether or not the first rail is set in a state of being rotated in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary assembly table at a position that can be recognized by an operator on the rotary assembly table rotating about one vertical axis. The assembly plant according to claim 2, wherein means are provided.   The assembly factory according to claim 1, wherein the article being assembled is a vehicle.   The assembly factory according to claim 3, wherein a part or all of the conveyor is linear. 15. An assembly plant according to claim 14, wherein the module supply area (2) is provided along a portion of the linear conveyor.   The first rail (21) is provided above the linear portion of the conveyor, and the fourth rail (24) is provided above the module supply area (2). Assembly factory. Place one or more articles being assembled on a rotating assembly that rotates around one vertical axis, and supply the necessary parts for assembling the articles from the module supply area provided around the rotating assembly. In the assembling method of the article to be
In a space including a space on the rotary assembly table, the horizontal movement direction is carried on the assembly table using a hoist that rotates around the vertical axis in synchronization with the rotation of the rotary assembly table. Assembling method of the article.   18. The method for assembling an article according to claim 17, wherein the space including the space on the rotary assembly table is a space on the rotary assembly table and a part of the space on the module supply area adjacent to the space. In the method of assembling the article, the members to be assembled are supplied from the module supply area provided in the periphery of the conveyor while the article to be assembled is moved by the conveyor, and the assembly work is performed.
A member necessary for the assembly process is lifted from the module supply area by a hoist, and the hoist is moved along a rail arranged along the conveyor so as to approach the article to be assembled, and the hoist After approaching the work target article, the hoist movement direction and movement speed are controlled to be equal to the conveyor movement direction and movement speed, respectively, and the member is supplied to the work target article. Assembling method of the article.

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