JP2010195243A - Carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To significantly reduce costs of a carrying truck of a carrying device capable of supporting a workpiece support platform supporting a workpiece at low and high levels on the carrying truck. <P>SOLUTION: A pair of right and left second supporting means 7A supporting a workpiece support platform 15 at a high level are constituted with a pair of front and rear stand column members 11a, 11b hoistable between an inclined posture, at which they are inclined in a forward and backward direction on both front and back sides of a first supporting means 6A supporting the workpiece support platform 15 at a low level, and a standing posture, at which their upper ends are shaped into a triangle shape adjacent to each other seen from a side view. The workpiece support platform 15 is provided with a supported part 19 supported by the upper ends of the stand column members 11a, 11b adjacent to each other at the stand posture. An elevating device for elevating the workpiece support platform 15 is arranged at a desired position on a traveling path side between a low level, at which it is supported by the first support means 6A, and at a raised level higher than a high level, at which it is supported by the second support means 7A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus capable of switching the height of a work support base on a transfer carriage in accordance with the work content for a work to be supported.

  In the automobile assembly line, the car body is supported and transported on the transport carriage, but in the line where the work area for the car body is at a low level from the transport truck floor surface, called the trim process or final process, It is necessary to support the car body on the transport carriage at a high level in a line where the work area for the car body is at a high level from the floor surface of the transport carriage, such as the chassis process, which supports the car body on the transport carriage at a low level. There is. That is, the vehicle body on the transport carriage needs to be raised and lowered for each section in the travel route to change the height of the vehicle body as viewed from the transport carriage.

  Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, as a means for changing the height of the vehicle body on the transport carriage for each section in the travel route, a support base for separately supporting the left and right sides of the vehicle body on the transport cart. The structure which supported this by the expansion-contraction support apparatus which expands-contracts vertically was employ | adopted. Moreover, although patent documents cannot be disclosed, a method of exchanging a support base that supports the vehicle body on the transport carriage with a different height is also considered.

JP 2007-153178 A

  In the configuration using the telescopic support device as described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a large and complicated telescopic support device in all the transport carts, and on the transport carts also on the lower side of the vehicle body Since the work floor must be secured, a pair of large and complex telescopic support devices must be arranged side by side so that the left and right sides of the vehicle body can be supported separately. For this reason, not only the transportation cart cost becomes very high, but also a large telescopic support device is arranged on both the left and right sides of the transportation cart. As a result, the work floor around the vehicle body is narrow and there is a problem in terms of workability. On the other hand, the method of exchanging the vehicle body support with a different height has the disadvantage that the vehicle body support exchange device is large and expensive even if the cost of the transport carriage is reduced.

  The present invention proposes a conveying apparatus that can solve the above-described problems. In the invention described in claim 1, when a reference numeral of an embodiment to be described later is attached, A pair of left and right first support means 6A, 6B for supporting the work support base 15 at a low level on the transport carriage 1 traveling on the travel route, and a pair of left and right second support means for supporting the work support base 15 at a high level. Each of the second support means 7A, 7B is a transporting device provided with support means 7A, 7B, and a lying posture that falls in the front-rear direction separated from each other on the front and rear sides of each first support means 6A, 6B; The upper end 14 is composed of a pair of front and rear hoisting strut members 11a and 11b that can be raised and lowered between adjacent standing postures that form a triangle in a side view. A pair of undulating strut members 11a, A supported portion 19 supported by upper end portions 14 adjacent to each other of 1b is provided, and a work support level switching position on the traveling path side includes a low level supported by the first support means 6A and 6B, and a second support. Lifting devices 29A and 29B for moving the workpiece support 15 up and down between the lifting levels higher than the high level supported by the means 7A and 7B are arranged.

  In carrying out the present invention, specifically, as described in claim 2, the undulating strut members 11a, 11b are in a standing posture at the upper end portion 14 of the pair of undulating strut members 11a, 11b. When the upper end portions 14 are adjacent to each other, an engagement portion 14a is provided that fits in the front-rear direction and prevents relative movement in the vertical direction, and the supported portions 19 provided on the work support base 15 are adjacent to each other. It can be comprised by the cylindrical body 21 which externally fits to both the raising / lowering strut member upper end part 14. FIG. In this case, as described in claim 3, the supported portion 19 provided on the work support base 15 has a horizontal direction with respect to the locking holes 14 b provided in the upper and lower portions 14 of the undulating strut members adjacent to each other. A connecting pin 23 that can be freely inserted and removed and a spring 24 that biases and holds the connecting pin 23 in the insertion position can be provided. Further, in this case, as described in claim 4, the elevating devices 29A and 29B are provided with elevating bodies 32 that elevate on both the left and right sides of the travel route of the transport carriage 1, and the elevating bodies 32 are provided in the left and right horizontal directions. The support pins 50a and 50b that support the work support base 15 in the advanced state, and the connection pins for inserting and removing the connection pin 23 in the state that the support tools 50a and 50b support the work support base 15 are provided. An operating means 51 can be provided.

  The pair of front and rear undulating column members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B can be undulated between the lying posture and the standing posture by an actuator such as a motor or a cylinder provided on the transport carriage 1. . Of course, when the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b is configured to be relatively light and small, the undulating strut members 11a and 11b can be configured to be manually operated. However, when the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b are raised and lowered by the power of the actuator, a pair of front and rear raising and lowering of the second support means 7A and 7B is provided at the work support level switching position on the traveling path side as described in claim 5. Switching devices 30A and 30B that cause the column members 11a and 11b to move up and down between the lying posture and the standing posture can be provided. In this case, as described in claim 6, the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B are interlocked with an operated lever 60 that moves in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the undulation movement. The switching devices 30A and 30B are connected to each other, and an operating body 62 that can be engaged and disengaged in the horizontal direction with respect to the operated lever 60 is moved back and forth to move the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b between the lying posture and the standing posture. Switching means 59a and 59b for moving up and down can be provided.

  Further, as described in claim 7, when the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B are in the lying posture, the storage recess 12 for storing the undulating strut members 11a and 11b is conveyed. Formed under the floor of the carriage 1, the storage recess 12 is provided with an openable / closable lid plate 12 a, and the switching devices 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B have an ascending motion (vertical linear ascending motion or around the left and right horizontal support shafts). The lid plate opening / closing operation devices 31A and 31B for opening the lid plate 12a by the vertical swing motion) can be provided.

  The work support 15 may be provided with a supported portion supported by the first support means 6A and 6B and a supported portion supported by the second support means 7A and 7B. As described in FIG. 8, the first support means 6A, 6B includes a support member 8 that supports the work support base 15 via a supported portion 19 supported by the second support means 7A, 7B. be able to.

  Furthermore, the first support means 6A and 6B for supporting the work support table 15 at a low level may support the work support table 15 only at a certain level that cannot be moved up and down with respect to the transport carriage 1. As described in Item 9, the first support means 6A, 6B includes a lifting column member 8 that lifts and lowers the workpiece support table 15 to be supported between a first low level and a higher second low level. On the traveling path side, cam rails 27 and 28 are laid on the traveling path side to push the lifting column member 8 from the first low level corresponding height to the second low level corresponding height and hold it at the second low level corresponding height. be able to.

  In the transport apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the support level of the work support that is supported at a low level by the pair of left and right first support means is switched to a high level, the transport cart at the work support level switching position. In a state where the workpiece support base supported at a low level by the lifting device on the traveling path side is lifted to a lift level higher than the high level, the pair of front and rear undulation columns of the second support means The member is raised from the lying posture to the standing posture, the upper ends of the hoisting strut members are adjacent to each other, and in this state, the work supporting table supported at the lifting level by the lifting device is lowered, and the work supporting table is covered. By fitting the support portion to the upper end portions of a pair of front and rear undulating strut members adjacent to each other, the work support base can be moved at a high level by the pair of left and right second support means. It can be lifting. When switching the work support base supported at a high level to a low level, the lifting operation of the work support base by the lifting device and the pair of front and rear undulating strut members of the second support means are performed in the reverse order of the above procedure. An operation of switching from the standing posture to the lying posture may be performed.

  Thus, according to the transfer device of the present invention described in claim 1, the height of the workpiece support on the transfer carriage is set to the height of the workpiece support by the lifting device and before and after the second support means. It is possible to switch between the low level and the high level by the hoisting operation for the pair of hoisting strut members. Even when adopting a configuration that causes the actuator to move up and down, the work support base on the transport cart is supported compared to the conventional configuration in which the vertically extending and contracting support devices are installed on the left and right sides of the transport cart. Since the configuration of the means is very simple and can be implemented at low cost, the cost of the transport carriage can be greatly reduced. Moreover, when not using a pair of front and rear undulating strut members of the second support means, it is only necessary to lie down in the direction of separating back and forth, compared to a configuration using a conventional telescopic support device, It is easy to configure the transport cart with a low floor structure. Furthermore, in the case of the conventional expansion / contraction support device, in order to increase the support strength in the maximum extension state that supports the work support base at a high level, it is necessary to configure the expansion / contraction support device to have a large diameter. According to the configuration of the present invention in which the pair of front and rear undulating post members are assembled into a triangle in a side view, even when the support level of the work support base is sufficiently high, the space occupied by the pair of front and rear undulating post members is relatively small. Necessary supporting strength can be easily obtained while suppressing.

  In addition, according to the structure of Claim 2, a pair of front and rear undulating strut members are in a standing posture, and the upper end portions in a state where they are adjacent to each other do not move in the vertical direction. Since the cylindrical body of the supported part on the work support base side is externally fitted to the upper end part, the pair of front and rear undulating column members that support the work support base in a state assembled in a triangle in a side view are stable. This improves safety when supporting the workpiece support at a high level. In this case, according to the configuration of the third aspect, the upper ends of the undulating strut members and the supported portion (cylindrical body) on the work support base that is externally fitted to the upper and lower support members are coupled by the connecting pin and are prevented from coming off. Therefore, safety is further improved. Furthermore, according to the structure of Claim 4, when connecting and lifting a workpiece | work support stand with a raising / lowering apparatus, the said connection pin can be mechanically inserted / removed with sufficient timing.

  Further, according to the configuration of claim 5, it is not necessary to mount a switching device for causing the pair of undulating strut members of the second support means to undulate between the lying posture and the standing posture on the transport carriage, The cost of the carriage can be further reduced. In this case, according to the configuration described in claim 6, it is only necessary to provide an operated lever that moves in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the undulation motion of the pair of front and rear undulation strut members of the second support means on the transport carriage side. In addition, the configuration on the transport carriage side is simplified, which not only helps to reduce the cost of the transport carriage, but also the switching device installed on the travel route side can be easily implemented with a simple configuration.

  Furthermore, according to the structure of Claim 7, a pair of front and back raising / lowering support | pillar member in the lying posture of a 2nd support means can be accommodated in the storage recessed part under a floor, and the said storage recessed part can be closed with the cover plate. Therefore, when the second support means is not used, that is, when the work support base is supported by the first support means, a large work floor area on the transport carriage can be secured. Further, when the cover plate of the storage recess is opened prior to using the second support means, the operation is mechanically performed by a cover plate opening / closing operation device provided in the traveling path side switching device. Can do.

  In addition, the first support means may support the workpiece support base using a supported part dedicated to the first support means different from the supported part supported by the second support means. According to the configuration described in Item 8, since the work support base can be supported by the first support means using the supported portion supported by the second support means, the structure of the work support base becomes simple.

  When it is sufficient that the work support can be supported at one low level, the first support means may be fixed to the transport carriage, but the first low level and the higher first may be higher. When it is necessary to change the support level of the workpiece support table between the two low levels, by adopting the configuration according to claim 9, the transfer cart side has a first support means for switching the support level. It can be easily implemented without providing a power source (an actuator such as a motor or cylinder).

FIG. 1 is a side view when the carriage is in a section where the work support is supported at the first low level. FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view when the transport carriage enters a section where the work support is supported at a second low level higher than the first low level. FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view when the carriage is in a section where the work support is supported at a high level. FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view when the carriage is in a section where the work support is supported at the first low level or the second low level. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing various devices provided at the work support level switching position in the travel route. FIG. 9 is a rear view when the carriage is located at the workpiece support level switching position. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a lifting body on one side of the lifting device and its lifting drive means. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal side view showing a lifting body on one side of the lifting device and its lifting drive means. FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional plan view showing the lifting body on one side of the lifting device, and FIG. 12B is a side view showing the connecting pin operating means provided on the lifting body. FIG. 13 is a side view showing an operating tool for opening and closing the cover plate of the support member housing recess of the transport carriage. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal front view showing a state where the operating tool has opened the lid plate. FIG. 15 is a side view showing a part of the second support means for supporting the work support at a high level and a part of the switching device for raising and lowering the part. FIG. 16 is a plan view of FIG. FIG. 17 is a front view of FIG. FIG. 18 is a partially longitudinal side view showing the main part when the work support is supported by the first support means. FIG. 19 is a partially longitudinal side view showing a main part in a state immediately before the work support is supported by the second support means. FIG. 20 is a partially longitudinal side view showing the main part when the work support is supported by the second support means. FIG. 21A is a partial rear view showing the first stage of the work process until the work support base supported at the second low level is supported by the second support means, and FIG. 21B is a partial rear view showing the second stage. FIG. FIG. 22A is a partial rear view showing the third stage of the work process, and FIG. 22B is a partial rear view showing the fourth stage.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, a transport cart 1 used in the present invention is a pair of left and right front and rear two wheels 3 that roll on a pair of left and right guide rails 2 a and 2 b laid along a travel route. And two sets of front and rear steadying roller units 5 including a pair of left and right rollers sandwiching the steadying guide rail 4 laid along the traveling path adjacent to the one side guide rail 2b from both the left and right sides. Yes. Traveling drive means for traveling the transport cart 1 along the travel route is not shown, but various known travel drive means, for example, travel in which one or a plurality of wheels 3 are rotationally driven by a motor. Adopting driving means for driving, friction driving type driving means consisting of a motor-driven friction driving wheel pressed against one of both side surfaces parallel to the traveling direction of the transport carriage 1 and a backup roller pressed against the other side surface, etc. it can.

  A pair of left and right first support means 6A and 6B and a pair of left and right second support means 7A and 7B are provided on the left and right sides of the transport carriage 1 at intermediate positions in the front-rear direction. The first support means 6A, 6B includes a prismatic lifting column member 8 penetrating the transport carriage 1 in the vertical direction. The lifting column member 8 is provided with a lifting guide means 9 attached to the bottom of the transport carriage 1 and is provided with four sets of four upper and lower rollers (horizontal support) that can rotate by contacting each of the four side surfaces of the lifting column member 8. And a cam driven roller 10 supported by left and right horizontal support shafts at the lower end. The second support means 7A, 7B includes a pair of front and rear undulating post members 11a, 11b disposed before and after the elevating support member 8 of each first support means 6A, 6B.

  These undulating strut members 11a and 11b are formed at the inner end adjacent to the lifting strut member 8 in the storage recess 12 formed in the front and rear traveling direction formed under the floor of the transport carriage 1 before and after the lifting strut member 8. Between the lying posture stored in the storage recess 12 and the standing posture in which the upper end portions 14 are adjacent to each other and form an isosceles triangle in side view, It is configured to swing up and down around the left and right horizontal support shaft 13. As shown in FIGS. 7, 13, and 14, the storage recess 12 in which the upright and downward support members 11 a and 11 b in a lying posture are stored has a cover plate that is flush with the floor surface of the transport carriage 1 when closed. 12a is pivotally supported by a hinge 12b on the side of the storage recess 12 on the center side in the left-right width direction of the carriage 1 so as to be opened and closed up and down, and is further biased in the closing direction by a torsion coil spring 12c. .

  The work support 15 that is alternatively supported by the first support means 6A, 6B and the second support means 7A, 7B supports the work, that is, the left and right sides of the vehicle body W of the automobile in the automobile assembly line. The support bases 16A and 16B are composed of a frame member 17 in the front and rear horizontal direction, a pair of front and rear support arms 18 extending inwardly from the frame member 17, and a frame member. The frame member 17 is provided with a pair of front and rear horizontal square hole portions 20a and 20b that are open outwardly. The supported portion 19 has two upper ends adjacent to each other, with the upper end portion of the elevating strut member 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B and the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B standing up. The cylindrical body 21 is open at the lower end and can be externally fitted to the portion 14, and a connecting means 22 is attached to the cylindrical body 21 (supported portion 19).

  As shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the connecting means 22 includes a connecting pin 23 that can penetrate the cylindrical body 21 in the front-rear and horizontal directions, and the connecting pin 23 at an advanced position that crosses the cylindrical body 21. A small-diameter shaft portion 23a for operation is formed at the outer end portion of the connecting pin 23. Reference numeral 25 denotes a casing that supports the outer end side of the connecting pin 23 and includes a coil spring 24, and protrudes rearward from the cylindrical body 21. Thus, the prismatic upper end portion 8a of the lifting column member 8 of the first support means 6A, 6B is fitted into the supported portion 19 (tubular body 21) on the support bases 16A, 16B side so as not to be relatively rotatable. When the support bases 16A and 16B are supported, there are provided locking holes 8b through which the connecting pins 23 can penetrate.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, both undulating strut members 11a and 11b stand up on the upper end portion 14 of the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B, and the upper end portion 14 Are formed in a rack gear-like engagement portion 14a that fits in the front-rear direction and prevents the upper end portions 14 from moving relative to each other in the vertical direction. When the upper end portions 14 of the undulating strut members 11a and 11b are adjacent to each other in the front and rear directions, the two upper end portions 14 are the prismatic upper end portions 8a of the elevating strut members 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B. The prisms have substantially the same size as that of the support bases 16A and 16B. The support bases 16A and 16B can be supported by being fitted into the supported portions 19 (cylindrical bodies 21) on the support bases 16A and 16B in a relatively non-rotatable manner. Connecting pin 23 Locking holes 14b that may traverse through is provided straddling both the upper end portion 14.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a work support base 15 (support bases 16 </ b> A, 16 </ b> B) that supports the vehicle body W is provided on the travel path of the transport carriage 1 having the above-described configuration as the lifting column members of the first support means 6 </ b> A, 6 </ b> B. 8, a first transport section that supports and transports at a first low level, and a work support base 15 (support bases 16A, 16B) that supports the vehicle body W as shown in FIGS. , 6B, a second conveyance section that supports and conveys at a second low level higher than the first low level, and a work support base that supports the vehicle body W as shown in FIGS. 15 (support bases 16A, 16B) is provided with a third transport section for transporting the second support means 7A, 7B by supporting them at a high level by a pair of standing support columns 11a, 11b. In the first conveying section, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lifting column member 8 of the first support means 6A, 6B is placed at a height corresponding to the first low level via the cam driven roller 10 at the lower end. A belt-like lower cam rail 26 that is movably supported is laid on the floor surface, and the entire load of the vehicle body W and the work support 15 is supported by the lower cam rail 26 via a pair of left and right lifting column members 8. However, the lower cam rail 26 can be omitted by configuring the lifting column member 8 lowered to a level supported by the lower cam rail 26 to be received by a receiving tool on the transport carriage 1 side.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in the second transport section, a strip plate shape that supports the lifting column member 8 so as to be movable at a height corresponding to the second low level via the cam driven roller 10 at the lower end thereof. The higher cam rail 27 is laid, and between the first conveyance section and the second conveyance section, as the conveyance carriage 1 travels, the lifting column member 8 is gradually pushed up via the cam driven roller 10 or gradually. An inclined cam rail 28 to be lowered is laid. In the transport carriage 1 traveling in the first transport section and the second transport section, the upper end portion 8a of the lifting column member 8 of the first support means 6A, 6B is, as shown in FIG. The support pins 16A and 16B are inserted into the supported portions 19 (tubular bodies 21) of the bases 16A and 16B to support the support bases 16A and 16B, respectively. At this time, the connecting pins 23 of the connecting means 22 included in the supported portions 19 are moved up and down. The elevating strut member 8 and the support bases 16A and 16B are completely coupled and integrated through the engaging hole 8b of the upper end portion 8a of the strut member 8.

  In the third transport path, the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B of the transport carriage 1 are switched to the upright posture, and as shown in FIG. The upper end portions 14 of the undulating column members 11a and 11b in a state where the 14a are fitted to each other are fitted into the supported portion 19 (cylindrical body 21) of the work support base 15 (support bases 16A and 16B), respectively. The support bases 16A and 16B are supported at a high level. At this time, the connection pin 23 of the connection means 22 included in the supported portion 19 passes through the locking holes 14b of the upper end portions 14 of the undulating strut members 11a and 11b. The undulating column members 11a and 11b and the support bases 16A and 16B are completely coupled and integrated. When the transport cart 1 travels in the third transport section, the lifting column members 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B are lowered to the lower limit height supported by the support on the transport cart 1 side.

  By using the transport carriage 1 as described above, the support level of the work support base 15 that supports the vehicle body W is set to the height above the floor of the transport carriage 1 in the work area for the vehicle body W for each transport section in the travel route. When the transport carriage 1 travels in the first transport section or the second transport section in which the work support base 15 is supported at the first low level or the second low level higher than the work support base 15 can be changed according to the situation. The pair of front and rear undulating post members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B are stored in the storage recess 12 below the floor in a lying posture, and the storage recess 12 can be closed by the cover plate 12a. The floor area available for the work floor is not reduced by the presence of the second support means 7A, 7B. Further, when the transport carriage 1 travels in the third transport section that supports the work support 15 at a high level, the ups and downs that stand in a state where isosceles triangles are formed on both the left and right sides of the work support 15 in a side view. Since only the support members 11a and 11b exist, the elevating support members 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B are lowered to the lower limit height between the pair of front and rear undulating support members 11a and 11b. The support means 6A and 6B hardly interfere with the work on the floor of the transport carriage 1.

  Switching the work support 15 on the transport carriage 1 between the first low level and the second low level higher than this uses the lifting column member 8 and the inclined cam rail 28 of the first support means 6A, 6B. In order to switch the work support table 15 supported at the second low level to the high level supported by the second support means 7A and 7B, the automatic operation can be performed as the transport cart 1 travels. Elevating devices 29A and 29B, switching devices 30A and 30B shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, which are disposed at a work support level switching position between the second transport section and the third transport section in the travel route. In addition, lid plate opening / closing operation devices 31A and 31B provided together with the switching devices 30A and 30B are used.

  Hereinafter, the lifting device 29A, the switching device 30A, and the lid plate opening / closing operation device 31A arranged at the workpiece support level switching position are the same as the one of the two support platforms 16A and 16B of the workpiece support platform 15 and the support platform 16A on one side. It corresponds to the second support means 7A for supporting the support base 16A, and the lifting device 29B, the switching device 30B, and the lid plate opening / closing operation device 31B support the other support base 16B and the support base 16B. This corresponds to the second support means 7B. Accordingly, each of the two devices distributed on the left and right sides of the travel route of the transport carriage 1, that is, the lifting and lowering devices 29A and 29B, the switching devices 30A and 30B, and the lid plate opening / closing operation devices 31A and 31B have symmetrical structures. Since the operation is the same, each device 29A to 31B on one side will be described below.

  The elevating device 29A includes an elevating body 32 and an elevating drive means 33 that drives the elevating body 32 to move up and down. The elevating body 32 is erected on a horizontal base 34 and is connected and integrated at the upper ends thereof by a horizontal connection structure 35 so as to be arranged between a pair of support structures 36a and 36b arranged in parallel along the travel path of the transport carriage 1. The slide guides 38 that are raised and lowered and engage with the lift guide rails 37 laid on both the pillar structures 36a and 36b are provided on both sides, and are oriented horizontally at right angles to the travel path of the transport carriage 1. Is provided with an exit / retreat platform 39 that can freely move back and forth. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the elevating drive means 33 is arranged in parallel with a speed reducer and a motor 40 with a brake installed on the horizontal base 34 and a drive shaft 40 a linked to the output shaft of the motor 40. Two attached large-diameter teeth 41, and two parallel chains 42, one end of which is locked to the large-diameter tooth ring 41, wound around the large-diameter tooth ring 41, and extended upward; In order to turn the chain 42 downward, it is composed of a guide tooth ring 43 pivotally supported on the lower side of the horizontal connection structure 35 at a position directly above the center of the elevating body 32, and two pieces hanging from the guide tooth ring 43. The center position of the lifting body 32 is suspended by the chain 42 via a chain connecting vertical shaft 44 attached to the lifting body 32. Therefore, when the large-diameter tooth ring 41 is rotated forward by the motor 40, the elevating body 32 is lifted and lifted via the chain 42, and when the large-diameter tooth ring 41 is reversed by the motor 40, the elevating body 32 is It will descend while pulling the chain 42 by gravity. In addition, the raising / lowering of the raising / lowering body 32 from the descent | fall limit position to a raise limit position is performed by forward / reverse rotation within one rotation of the large diameter tooth ring 41. FIG.

  The elevating / lowering table 39 provided in the elevating body 32 includes a pair of vertical frame members 45a and 45b that are parallel to the traveling path direction of the transport carriage 1 and are perpendicular to the traveling path and positioned in the vicinity of both ends in the retracting / moving direction. The slide guide rail 47 is integrated on the elevating body 32 under the vertical frame members 45a and 45b, and is laid along the moving direction. The slide guide 48 is supported. The retracting / moving table 39 is reciprocally driven in the retracting / moving direction by two cylinder units 49a and 49b interposed between the elevating body 32 at positions adjacent to the inside of the vertical frame members 45a and 45b. At the front ends of both vertical frame members 45a and 45b, angular shaft-shaped supports 50a and 50b that can be fitted and removed simultaneously with the horizontal square holes 20a and 20b provided on the support base 16A protrude. It is installed.

  On the elevating body 32, connecting pin operation means 51 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 12, the connecting pin operating means 51 is used to insert and remove the connecting pin 23 of the connecting means 22 provided in the supported portion 19 of the support base 16 </ b> A. A movable body 54 that is reciprocally movable in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the moving table 39 through the slide guide 52 and the two rows of slide guide rails 53 supported by the slide guide 52; An operation plate 57 that is supported by a guide rod 55 so as to be able to move in and out of the connecting pin 23 and that is driven back and forth by a cylinder unit 56 is provided at the distal end 54 a of the movable body 54. The movable body 54 is connected to one vertical frame member 45a of the retracting / moving table 39 by a connecting member 58, thereby being driven to move in and out integrally with the retracting / moving table 39. A piston rod of one side cylinder unit 49a that drives the exit / retreat platform 39 to and from is connected to the connecting member 58. The operation plate 57 is provided with an engaging recess 57a at the tip thereof, which can be fitted to and removed from the operated small-diameter shaft 23a provided at the outer end of the connecting pin 23.

  The switching device 30A includes two switching means 59a and 59b (see FIG. 8) corresponding to the pair of front and rear undulating pillar members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A. As described above, the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A and 7B are pivotally supported in the housing recess 12 by the left and right horizontal support shafts 13, respectively. An operated lever 60 that protrudes from the base end portion of the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b to the lower side of the transport carriage 1 and swings back and forth in conjunction with the hoisting motion of the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b is continuously provided. On the outside of the tip of the operated lever 60, there is provided a roller 60a that is pivotally supported by left and right horizontal pivots. Thus, each switching means 59a, 59b is provided with a movable base 61 and an operating body 62 as shown in FIGS.

  The movable table 61 is placed on the base 63 installed on the side farther from the travel path of the transport carriage 1 than the movable base 61 in the retreat limit position on the base 63 with respect to the travel path direction of the transport truck 1. And two rows of slide guide rails 64 laid horizontally at right angles, and two support members 61a provided on the lower side with slide guides 65 fitted to the slide guide rails 64 and extending to the movable base 61 side. The cylinder unit 66 that is supported and interposed between the base 63 and the base unit 63 is driven in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the traveling path direction of the transport carriage 1. The operating body 62 is supported via a slide guide rail 67 laid on the movable base 61 along the traveling path direction of the transport carriage 1 and a slide guide 68 fitted thereto, and the operating body 62 and the movable base are supported. The cylinder unit 69 interposed between them 61 is driven to reciprocate in the direction of the travel path of the transport carriage 1. The operating body 62 has an up and down concave groove portion that is externally fitted to the roller 60a at the tip of the operated lever 60 that is continuously provided from the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b by moving closer to the traveling path side of the transport carriage 1. 62a is formed. The vertical length of the groove 62a is the vertical height of the roller 60a when the operated lever 60 rotates back and forth around the left and right horizontal support shafts 13 in conjunction with the undulating column members 11a and 11b. It has a length in the vertical direction that can absorb this change.

  The cover plate opening / closing operation device 31A is provided with cover plates 12a of two front and rear storage recesses 12 provided on the side of the transport carriage 1 so as to store the pair of front and rear undulating column members 11a and 11b of the second support means 7A. Are formed of two lid plate opening / closing operation means 70a and 70b (see FIG. 8). As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, each cover plate opening / closing operation means 70a, 70b includes a cover plate push-up lever 73 supported on a substrate 71 so as to swing up and down around a horizontal support shaft 72, and The cylinder plate 75 is interposed between the arm 74 connected from the base end portion of the cover plate push-up lever 73 and the substrate 71, and the cover plate push-up lever 73 has a tip on the cover plate 12a. The abutting roller 73a is pivotally supported by the left and right horizontal pivots.

  Next, the operation at the work support level switching position will be described. The pair of left and right support bases 16A and 16B of the work support base 15 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 by the elevating support member 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B. If the transport carriage 1 in a state of being supported at the low level L2 stops at a fixed position of the workpiece support level switching position, as shown in FIG. 21A, the support platforms 16A and 16B are moved by the lifting devices 29A and 29B. Lift to a lifting level L3 higher than the high level supported by the two support means 7A, 7B.

  That is, as indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 21, the cylinder units 49a and 49b are used on the elevating bodies 32 of the elevating devices 29A and 29B at the lower limit level corresponding to the support bases 16A and 16B at the second low level L2. The exit / exit moving table 39 is moved to the advance limit position. At this time, the movable body 54 of the connecting pin operating means 51 also moves forward to the advance limit position together with the exit / retreat platform 39. As a result, the pair of support tools 50a, 50b of the exit / exit moving table 39 are fitted into the pair of horizontal square holes 20a, 20b of the support tables 16A, 16B at the second low level L2, and at the same time, the connecting pin operation means 51 is used. The engaging recess 57a of the operation plate 57 supported by the movable body 54 at the retreat limit position is the connection pin 23 of the connection means 22 provided in the supported portion 19 of the support bases 16A and 16B, that is, FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the supported portion 19 (cylindrical body 21) and the upper end portion 8 a of the elevating support member 8 fitted therein are engaged with the operated small-diameter shaft portion 23 a of the connecting pin 23. To do.

  In this state, as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 12A, the operating plate 57 of the connecting pin operating means 51 is moved forward in the axial direction of the connecting pin 23 by the cylinder unit 56, and as shown in FIG. 57, the connecting pin 23 is moved out against the urging force of the coil spring 24, thereby coupling the supported portion 19 (cylindrical body 21) and the upper end portion 8a of the lifting column member 8 fitted therein. solve. Next, the motor 40 of the elevating drive means 33 of the elevating devices 29A and 29B is operated to raise the elevating body 32 to the ascending limit position, whereby a pair of support tools 50a of the retractable moving table 39 on the elevating body 32 is provided. , 50b, the support bases 16A, 16B are raised to the lifting level L3 shown in FIG. 21A. At this time, the supported portions 19 (cylindrical bodies 21) of the support bases 16A and 16B are detached upward from the lifting column members 8 of the first support means 6A and 6B on the transport carriage 1 side.

  Next, the cover plate opening / closing operation devices 31A and 31B are operated to open the cover plate 12a of each storage recess 12 on the transport carriage 1 side, and the switching devices 30A and 30B are operated to be stored in the storage recesses 12. The undulating strut members 11a and 11b, that is, the undulating strut members 11a and 11b in the pair of front and rear lying postures of the second support means 7A and 7B are switched to the standing posture as shown in FIG. 21B. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the cover plate push-up lever 72 of the cover plate opening / closing operation means 70a, 70b in the cover plate opening / closing operation devices 31A, 31B is moved by the cylinder unit 75 to the left and right horizontal support shafts. Rotate approximately 90 degrees around 72 to switch from the lying posture to the standing posture, and in the process, the lid push-up lever 72 is entered from the lower space of the conveyance carriage 1 into the storage recess 12 of the conveyance carriage 1, The roller 72a at the tip of the cover plate push-up lever 72 pushes up the cover plate 12a of each storage recess 12 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 12c, and the undulation motion path of the undulation post members 11a and 11b. Open to a standing posture without interference.

  If the cover plate 12a is opened, the movable base 61 in each switching means 59a, 59b of the switching devices 30A, 30B is then moved from the retreat limit position to the advance limit by the cylinder unit 66 as shown in FIGS. The recessed groove portion 62a of the operating body 62 that is moved forward to the position and is waiting at the advanced limit position on the movable platform 61 is operated by the hoisting strut members 11a and 11b that are in the lying posture in each storage recess 12. The lever 60 is fitted to the roller 60a at the tip from the side. In this state, the operating unit 62 is moved in parallel with the travel path of the transport carriage 1 from the advanced limit position to the retracted limit position by the cylinder unit 69, so that the recessed groove 62a of the operating body 62 and a roller fitted therein are moved. The operated lever 60 of each undulating column member 11a, 11b is rotated around the left and right horizontal support shaft 13 via 60a. As a result, the undulating strut members 11a and 11b rotate around the left and right horizontal support shafts 13 and rise from the inside of the housing recess 12, and the upper end portions 14 are adjacent to each other as indicated by phantom lines in FIG. Switch to a standing posture.

  When the upper end portions 14 of the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b are adjacent to each other, as described above, the pair of front and rear undulating strut members in which the engaging portions 14a are engaged with each other to be in a standing posture. 11a and 11b reliably form an isosceles triangle in a side view, and are lifted up to the lifting level L3 by the lifting devices 29A and 29B as shown in FIG. The supported portions 19 (cylindrical bodies 21) of the support bases 16A and 16B are in a standby state. Therefore, the elevating body 32 of the elevating devices 29A and 29B is then lowered by the motor 40 of the elevating drive means 33 and supported at the lifting level L3 by the support tools 50a and 50b of the retracting movement table 39 on the elevating body 32. When the supporting bases 16A and 16B are lowered, the connecting pin 23 of the connecting means 22 in the supported portion 19 of the supporting bases 16A and 16B is described above by the connecting pin operating means 51 on the lifting body 32. Thus, since the supported part 19 (cylindrical body 21) of the descending support bases 16A and 16B is in the standing posture, the pair of front and rear undulating column members 11a are held in a state of being withdrawn from the inside of the cylindrical body 21. 11b, and the support bases 16A and 16B are received by the pair of undulating strut members 11a and 11b as shown in FIG. 22A. It will be stopped.

  In this state, when the retracting / moving base 39 on the lifting / lowering body 32 is moved back to the retracting limit position on the lifting / lowering body 32 by the cylinder units 49a and 49b, the operation plate 57 of the connecting pin operating means 51 is moved to the support base 16A, Since the connecting pin 23 (the small diameter shaft portion for operation 23a) of the connecting means 22 in the supported portion 19 of 16B is detached laterally, the connecting pin 23 is brought into the cylindrical body 21 by the urging force of the coil spring 24. As shown in FIG. 20, the upper and lower ends 14 of the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b fitted in the supported portions 19 (cylindrical bodies 21) of the support bases 16A and 16B overlap each other. The upper end portion 14 that penetrates the locking hole 14b and overlaps the undulating column members 11a and 11b and the supported portion 19 of the support bases 16A and 16B are combined and integrated.

  If the support bases 16A and 16B are supported by the upper end portions 14 of the pair of front and rear undulating strut members 11a and 11b in the standing posture of the second support means 7A and 7B as described above, as shown in FIG. 22B. The elevating body 32 of the elevating devices 29A and 29B is lowered to the lower limit position by the motor 40 of the elevating drive means 33, and the movable base 61 in each switching means 59a and 59b of the switching devices 30A and 30B is retracted by the cylinder unit 66. By moving backward to the position, the groove portion 62a of the operating body 62 on the movable platform 61 is detached laterally from the roller 60a of the operated lever 60 on the undulating column members 11a, 11b side, and the lid plate opening / closing operation device 31A. , 31B cover plate opening / closing operation means 70a, 70b of the cover plate push-up lever 73 is returned to the original lying posture by the cylinder unit 75. By, support base 16A of the workpiece support 15, 16B of the second support means 7A, the conveyance carriage 1 in a state of supporting a high level by 7B, it is possible to start running from the workpiece support level switching position.

  The operation plate 57 of the connecting pin operating means 51 is moved back to the movable body 54 side by the cylinder unit 56 at an appropriate time after the retracting / moving table 39 on the lifting body 32 returns to the retreat limit position. Prepare for the next operation. The operating body 62 in the switching means 59a, 59b is also returned to the original advance limit position by the cylinder unit 69 after the movable platform 61 returns to the retreat limit position, and is prepared for the next operation. When the cover plate push-up lever 73 of the cover plate opening / closing operation means 70a, 70b returns to the original lying posture, the cover plate 12a of each storage recess 12 on the transport carriage 1 side will be closed by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 12c. Therefore, it is held in a state in contact with the undulating column members 11a and 11b in the standing posture.

  At the work support level switching position in the travel route of the transport carriage 1, the positions of the devices 19 </ b> A to 31 </ b> B on the ground side, the transport carriage 1, and the operation target portion on the work support base 15 side supported on the transport carriage 1. Since the relationship must be kept exactly constant, the transport carriage 1 needs to be accurately stopped at a certain position. Accordingly, a transport carriage positioning device 76 can be provided at the workpiece support level switching position, for example, as shown in FIG. The conveying cart positioning device 76 shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a locking piece 77 on the ground side whose tip can be freely engaged and disengaged with respect to an engaged recess provided at a fixed position on the bottom of the conveying cart 1. . The locking piece 77 is pivotally supported around a front / rear horizontal support shaft 78 parallel to the traveling path direction of the transport carriage 1, and the locking piece 77 is pivotally supported at the lower end portion of the locking piece 77. A cam 80 for raising and lowering the locking piece 77 via a supported cam driven roller 79 is installed so as to be laterally movable in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the traveling path direction of the transport carriage 1. The locking piece 77 is moved upright by being moved laterally by an appropriate driving means such as a cylinder unit, and the tip of the locking piece 77 is engaged with the engaged recess at the bottom of the transport carriage 1 stopped at a fixed position. By doing so, the transport carriage 1 can be locked at a fixed position, that is, a workpiece support level switching position.

  In the above-described embodiment, each of the devices 29A to 31B at the workpiece support level switching position replaces the support bases 16A and 16B supported at the second low level by the first support means 6A and 6B with the support base 16A at the high level. , 16B is transferred to the second support means 7A, 7B, but the lower limit position of the elevating body 32 is supported at the first low level by the first support means 6A, 6B. , 16B, the support bases 16A, 16B supported at the first low level by the first support means 6A, 6B are transferred to the second support means 7A, 7B by the devices 29A-31B. You can also Further, each of the devices 29A to 31B at the workpiece support level switching position uses the workpiece support table 15 (support tables 16A and 16B) supported at a high level by the second support devices 7A and 7B as the first support device 6A. , 6B can also be used when supporting at the first low level or the second low level.

  In the automobile assembly line, the transport device of the present invention includes a trim step, a final step, and a support level of the vehicle body that is transported on the transport carriage, the height of the work area with respect to the vehicle body as viewed from the work floor surface of the transport cart, In the chassis process, it can be used as a means of conveying while changing sequentially.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyance cart 6A, 6B 1st support means 7A, 7B 2nd support means 8 Elevating support | pillar member 8a Upper end part of elevating support | pillar member 8b, 14b Locking hole 10 Cam driven roller 11a, 11b Elevating support | pillar member 12 Storage recessed part 12a Cover plate 13, 72 Left and right horizontal support shafts 14 Upper end portion of undulating column member 14a Engagement portion of upper end portion of same as above 15 Work support base 16A, 16B Support base 19 Supported base portions 20a, 20b Horizontal square hole portion 21 Constructing cylindrical body 22 Connecting means 23 Connecting pin 23a Small diameter shaft portion for operation 24 Spring 26 Low cam rail 27 High cam rail 28 Inclined cam rail 29A, 29B Lifting device 30A, 30B Switching device 31A, 31B Lid plate opening / closing operation device 32 Lifting body 33 Elevating drive means 36a, 36b Post structure 37 Elevating guide rails 38, 4 8, 52, 65, 68 Slide guide 39 Exiting / moving table 40 Motor with reduction gear and brake 41 Large diameter tooth ring 42 Chain 43 Guide tooth ring 47, 53, 64, 67 Slide guide rails 49a, 49b, 56, 66, 69,75 Cylinder unit 50a, 50b Support tool 51 Connecting pin operation means 54 Movable body 57 Operation plate 57a Engaging recess 59a, 59b Switching means 60a, 73a Roller 61 Movable base 62 Operation body 62a Groove part 70a, 70b Cover plate opening / closing operation Means 73 Cover plate push-up lever 76 Conveyor carriage positioning device 77 Locking piece 80 Cam

Claims (9)

  A pair of left and right first support means for supporting the work support base at a low level and a pair of left and right second support means for supporting the work support base at a high level are provided on a transport carriage that travels on a fixed travel route. The pair of left and right second support means is a triangular posture in a side view in which the upper end part is adjacent to each other, and the upper end part is adjacent to each other on the front and rear sides of the first support means. The workpiece support base is supported by upper ends adjacent to each other of the pair of front and rear hoisting strut members in the upright posture. A support portion is provided, and the workpiece support level switching position on the travel path side is between a low level supported by the first support means and a lift level higher than the high level supported by the second support means, Work support Lifting device for raising and lowering movement is provided to the conveying device.   Engagement with the upper and lower ends of a pair of front and rear undulating strut members of the second support means that when the undulating strut members are in an upright position and are adjacent to each other, they are engaged with each other in the front and rear direction to prevent vertical movement The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the supported portion provided on the work support base is configured by a cylindrical body that is fitted onto the upper ends of the undulating strut members adjacent to each other.   The supported portion provided on the work support base includes a connecting pin that can be inserted and removed in a horizontal direction with respect to a locking hole provided in the upper end portions of both undulating strut members adjacent to each other, and the connecting pin at the insertion position. The conveying device according to claim 2, further comprising a spring for biasing and holding.   The lifting device includes a lifting body that moves up and down on both the left and right sides of the travel path of the transport carriage. The lifting body can be moved in and out in the horizontal direction, and a support tool that supports the work support base in the advanced state. The transport device according to claim 3, further comprising a connection pin operation unit that inserts and removes the connection pin in a state where the support tool supports the work support base.   5. A switching device is provided at the work support level switching position on the travel path side to cause the pair of front and rear undulating strut members of the second support means to move up and down between a lying posture and a standing posture. The transfer apparatus according to any one of the above.   A pair of front and rear hoisting strut members of the second support means are coupled to an operated lever that moves in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the hoisting movement, and the switching device is horizontally movable with respect to the operated lever. 6. The transfer apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising switching means for moving the undulating operation body back and forth to cause the undulating support member to move up and down between a lying posture and a standing posture.   When the pair of front and rear undulation strut members of the second support means are in a lying posture, a storage recess for storing the undulation support column member is formed under the floor of the transport carriage, and a lid plate that can be opened and closed is attached to the storage recess. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is provided with a lid plate opening / closing operation device that opens the lid plate by a rising motion.   The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first support means includes a support member that supports the work support base via the supported portion supported by the second support means.   The first support means includes an elevating strut member that raises and lowers the work support to be supported between a first low level and a second lower level higher than the first low level, and the elevating strut member is disposed on the traveling path side. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a cam rail is laid to push the level corresponding height to the second low level corresponding height and hold the second low level corresponding height.

Images