JP2019026002A - Tracking type automatic positioning mounting apparatus, and workpiece incorporation method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To address a problem of an existing under-module mounting apparatus that since a vehicle body is tentatively halted when an under module is incorporated into the vehicle body, controlling a transportation speed of an entire assembly line becomes complex.SOLUTION: A tracking type automatic positioning mounting apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a self-propelling workpiece transportation mechanism 11 and a light-emitting mechanism 12 that leads the self-propelling workpiece transportation mechanism. The light-emitting mechanism 12 is attached to an object to be carried automatically over a transportation rail 15, for example, a vehicle body 13. The self-propelling workpiece transportation mechanism 11 uses a light receiving unit 24 to receive light emitted from the light-emitting mechanism 12, travels through automatic control while being positioned, and thus incorporates a workpiece into the vehicle body 13 being moved. Accordingly, halting an assembly line is prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus for assembling a work on a moving object such as a vehicle body using a transport rail, and a work assembling method using the same.

  A structure shown in FIG. 8 is known as an under module mounting device 100 for mounting an under module on a conventional vehicle body. FIG. 8 is an overall view for explaining a conventional under module mounting apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the under module mounting device 100 mainly includes an overhead conveyor 102 that suspends a vehicle body 101 and continuously conveys it in the air, a front module 103, a rear module 104, and a propeller shaft 105. A floor transfer device 107 that transfers and lifts the module 106 is provided.

  The floor transfer device 107 includes a front floor transfer device 108 corresponding to the mounting position of the front module 103 and a rear floor transfer device 109 corresponding to the mounting position of the rear module 104. And the front floor conveyance apparatus 108 is provided with the lifter 110 arrange | positioned in the mounting position of the front module 103, the several trolley | bogie 111, and the floor conveyor 112 which conveys the several trolley | bogie 111 along a loop-shaped conveyance line. ing.

  The lifter 110 is fixed to the floor 115 where the front module 103 is mounted. The lifter 110 has a lifting table 113, and the mounting table 114 of the carriage 111 is positioned on the lifting table 113 of the lifter 110, whereby the mounting table 114 is raised to the assembly position of the vehicle body 101. The rear floor conveyance device 109 has the same structure as the front floor conveyance device 108 except that the conveyance direction of the floor conveyor 112 is opposite (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-232022 A

  In the conventional under module mounting apparatus 100, the overhead conveyor 102 suspends a plurality of vehicle bodies 101 in a large area and continuously conveys the vehicle bodies 101 at a low speed. On the other hand, at the mounting position where the under module 106 described above is mounted on the vehicle body 101, the vehicle body 101 is provided with a stop time for temporarily stopping, thereby ensuring the time for the under module 106 to be mounted on the vehicle body 101. Yes.

  In this mounting method of the under module 106, the above stop time for mounting the under module 106 on the vehicle body 101 is necessary, and in order to secure the stop time, the conveyance speed is increased or decreased before and after the mounting position. There is a problem that the speed control of the entire assembly line is complicated.

  When the mounting operation is delayed, it is necessary to further extend the stop time. In this case, the entire assembly line may be stopped. In the under module mounting device 100, the adjustment stop time is further secured before and after the stop position in consideration of the extension of the stop time, and the speed control of the entire assembly line is further complicated.

  Further, in the under module mounting apparatus 100, the lifter 110 is fixed to the floor surface 115 where the front module 103 is mounted. The vehicle body 101 is transported in the air via the body hanger 116 of the overhead conveyor 102, but there may be a case where the mounting position of the vehicle body 101 is displaced due to the shaking of the body hanger 116 being transported. In this case, the vehicle body 101 stops above the lifter 110, and the under module 106 is raised by the lifter 110 with respect to the stopped vehicle body 101 and is mounted on the vehicle body 101. Is required. As a result, an extra alignment operation by an operator is required, and if the mounting operation is delayed due to the operation, the entire assembly line may be stopped.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and performs tracking while aligning a transported object that is transported using a transport rail, and assembling a workpiece on a moving transported object. An automatic mold positioning and mounting apparatus and a method for assembling a work using the same are provided.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the follow-type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus that assembles a work on a transported object that is moved while being suspended on a transport rail is detachably attached to the transported object. And a light emitting mechanism having a light emitting portion for emitting light toward the lower side of the transport rail, and a self-propelled work for mounting the work, following the transported object, and assembling the work to the transported object A self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism, a mounting table on which the workpiece is mounted, a light receiving unit that is provided on the mounting table and receives light emitted from the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit A position detection unit that detects a positional relationship between the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit using light received by the unit, and the transfer of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism based on a position detection result of the position detection unit. And a lift unit that raises the mounting table toward the transported object in a state where the work is placed, and assembles the work onto the transported object, based on the position detection result. It is characterized by having.

  Further, in the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the light receiving portion is provided with a connecting projection portion directed upward from the mounting table, and the light emitting mechanism is connected to the lower portion of the transport rail. A hole is provided, the lift portion raises the mounting table toward the transported object in a state where the workpiece is placed, and the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole. And

  In the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, the light emitting mechanism is provided with at least three or more light emitting units on the same circle centered on the connection hole, and the light receiving unit includes: A plurality of light receiving regions are arranged around the connecting projection, and the position detecting unit detects the positional relationship from the light receiving regions that have received the three or more lights from the light emitting unit. Features.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the transported object is a vehicle body, a pair of the light emitting mechanisms are attached in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, and the pair of light emitting mechanisms are It is attached to the hole provided in the panel of the vehicle body.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the light emitting mechanism is attached to the panel, at least a part of which is movably attached to the main body, the main body being inserted into the hole, and the main body. A movable locking portion locked against the panel, and in a state where the main body portion is locked to the panel, a part of the movable locking portion is in the connection hole. It is located.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device according to the present invention, the movable locking portion is movable by contacting the connection protrusion in a state where the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole. In addition, the state in which the main body portion is locked to the panel is eliminated.

  In the method of assembling the workpiece using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus is used to move the workpiece in a state of being suspended on the transfer rail. In the work assembling method using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device for assembling the work, the control unit follows the self-propelled work transport mechanism based on the position detection result from the position detection unit. In addition, after determining that the alignment between the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit is completed from the position detection result, the lift unit lifts the mounting table on which the workpiece is mounted toward the transported object. And the work is assembled to the transported object.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, when the light emitting mechanism is attached to the vehicle body as the transported object, the light emitting mechanism is attached to the main body portion of the light emitting mechanism. A movable locking part is locked to the panel of the vehicle body.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, when the work is assembled in the vehicle body, the mounting table on which the work is placed is raised toward the transported object. The connecting protrusion is inserted into the connecting hole, and the movable locking portion is moved by the connecting protrusion, so that the state where the movable locking portion is locked to the panel is eliminated. It is characterized by that.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, the work is assembled to the vehicle body, and then the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole. The light emitting mechanism is collected from the vehicle body by lowering the pedestal.

  The tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to the present invention includes a light emitting mechanism attached to an object conveyed by a conveying rail, and a self-propelled workpiece conveying mechanism guided by the light emitting mechanism, and a self-propelled workpiece conveying mechanism. Has a light receiving unit that receives light emitted from the light emitting mechanism, and a position detection unit that detects the position of the vehicle from the light reception result of the light receiving unit. With this structure, the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism can follow the conveyed object being moved, and can assemble the workpiece on the conveyed object while traveling without temporarily stopping the conveyed object. And in the conveyed product which moves a conveyance rail, it can prevent that the moving speed is controlled complicatedly.

  In the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to the present invention, the light receiving part is formed with a connecting projection, the light emitting mechanism is formed with a connecting hole, and the connecting protrusion is connected when a work is assembled to a conveyed product. Inserted into the hole, both members are connected. With this structure, after alignment using the light of the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit, it is possible to perform mechanical alignment using the connection protrusion and the connection hole, and to assemble the transported object to the workpiece with high positional accuracy. Can do.

  In the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the light emitting mechanism has at least three light emitting portions formed on the same circle around the connection hole, and the light receiving portion has a plurality of light emitting portions around the connection protrusion. A light receiving region is formed. With this structure, the alignment between the coupling hole and the coupling projection is performed with high positional accuracy.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the light emitting mechanism can be attached to the hole of the panel of the vehicle body as a transported object. With this structure, the workpiece conveyed by the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism is assembled to the vehicle body with high positional accuracy.

  In the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, a movable locking portion that is detachably locked to the vehicle body panel is attached to the main body portion of the light emitting mechanism. A part is located in the connecting hole. With this structure, the movable locking portion rotates when it comes into contact with the connecting projection, and therefore the light emitting mechanism is detachably attached to the vehicle body in conjunction with the operation of the connecting projection.

  Further, in the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, when the connecting projection is inserted into the connecting hole, the movable locking portion rotates and the light emitting mechanism is locked to the vehicle body. The condition is resolved. With this structure, the light emitting mechanism is automatically collected from the vehicle body after the work is assembled to the vehicle body.

  In the method of assembling a work using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting device of the present invention, the self-propelled work transport mechanism receives light emitted from the light emitting mechanism and aligns the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit. Follow the transported object. Then, after the positioning is completed, the work placed on the placing table is raised toward the conveyed product, and the work is assembled to a desired region of the conveyed product. By this work assembling method, the work moving on the transport rail is temporarily stopped without being temporarily stopped, so that the work is assembled while traveling, so that the moving speed of the transported object is prevented from being complicatedly controlled.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the light emitting mechanism can be attached to and detached from the vehicle body using a movable locking portion attached to the main body of the light emitting mechanism. Can be installed.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, after the alignment between the connecting hole and the connecting protrusion is finished, the mounting table is raised, and the connecting protrusion is inserted into the connecting hole. Is done. Then, in conjunction with the operation of the connecting projection, the movable locking portion rotates, and the state where the light emitting mechanism is locked to the vehicle body is eliminated.

  Further, in the work assembling method using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus of the present invention, the movable protrusion is rotated by inserting the connecting protrusion into the connecting hole, and the movable stopper is The state accommodated in the slit of the main body is maintained. With this work assembling method, the light emitting mechanism can be automatically recovered from the vehicle body when the mounting table is lowered after the work assembling work is completed.

1 is an overall schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the tracking type | mold automatic positioning mounting apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention. It is (A) perspective view and (B) top view explaining the light-receiving part of the tracking type automatic positioning mounting apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention. It is (A) sectional drawing and (B) bottom view explaining the light-emitting device of the tracking type automatic positioning mounting apparatus of one Embodiment of this invention. It is (A) top view and (B) side view explaining the assembly | attachment method of the workpiece | work using the tracking type | mold automatic positioning mounting apparatus of other embodiment of this invention. It is (A) sectional drawing, (B) sectional drawing, (C) sectional view, (D) sectional drawing explaining the assembly | attachment method of the workpiece | work using the tracking type automatic positioning mounting apparatus of other embodiment of this invention. . It is a flowchart explaining the assembly | attachment method of the workpiece | work using the tracking type | mold automatic positioning mounting apparatus of other embodiment of this invention. It is a general view explaining the conventional under module mounting apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same members in principle, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

  FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the outline of the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating the light receiving unit 24 of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3B is a plan view for explaining a position recognition method in the light receiving unit 24 of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the light emitting mechanism 12 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4B is a bottom view for explaining the light emitting mechanism 12 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device 10 is mainly separate from the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 and the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11. And a light emitting mechanism 12 for guiding. The light emitting mechanism 12 is detachably attached to a transported object that is suspended by the transport rail 15 and moves, for example, the vehicle body 13. The self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11 receives light emitted from the light emitting mechanism 12, for example, laser light, and follows the light emitting mechanism 12 by automatic steering while detecting the positional relationship with the light emitting mechanism 12. And run.

  For example, the vehicle body 13 is transported while being suspended by an overhead conveyor 14. The overhead conveyor 14 mainly includes a transport rail 15, a power rail 17 that suspends the conveyor chain 16, a hanger 18 on which the vehicle body 13 is placed, and a free rail 19 that suspends the hanger 18. doing.

  In the assembly process of the vehicle body 13, a plurality of vehicle bodies 13 are suspended from the round-shaped conveyance rail 15 via hangers 18, and the vehicle body 13 is continuously conveyed at a set conveyance speed. The The suspension unit 20 is mounted on the front side of the vehicle body 13, but the suspension unit 20 is transported while being placed on the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11.

  Although details will be described later, the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 follows the vehicle body 13 that is moving via the conveyance rail 15 while performing alignment. Then, after the positioning is completed, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 raises the suspension unit 20 with respect to the vehicle body 13 and incorporates the suspension unit 20 without stopping the vehicle body 13. Work can be done.

  The suspension unit 20 is a unit in which an engine mechanism, a brake mechanism, a steering mechanism, and the like are integrally assembled, and is an example of a workpiece placed on the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11. For example, an engine mechanism, a brake mechanism, a steering mechanism, and the like that are individually prepared may be mounted on the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11. Further, the workpiece placed on the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 is not limited to the suspension unit 20, and may be an arbitrary one depending on the conveyed item.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11 mainly includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a mounting table 23, a light receiving unit 24 provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 23, and the light emitting mechanism 12. A position detection unit 25 that detects the positional relationship between the light receiving unit 24, a drive mechanism 26 that travels the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11, and a lift unit 27 that moves the mounting table 23 up and down.

  The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and performs various calculations for controlling the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11. An electronic control unit (ECU) to be executed.

  Although details will be described later, the control unit 21 performs various calculations based on the position detection result from the position detection unit 25, controls the drive mechanism 26, and adjusts the positional relationship between the light emitting mechanism 12 and the light receiving unit 24. However, the self-propelled work conveyance mechanism 11 is caused to follow the vehicle body 13.

  The storage unit 22 includes a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory), and stores various data necessary for controlling the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11.

  The mounting table 23 is a plate-like body formed on the uppermost part of the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11 and is a mounting area for mounting a workpiece such as the suspension unit 20. The mounting table 23 is lifted and lowered in the vertical direction by the lift unit 27, and the suspension unit 20 can be incorporated into a desired region on the vehicle body 13.

  The suspension unit 20 is assembled to the vehicle body 13 by an operator or an assembly robot in a state where the suspension unit 20 is assembled to the vehicle body 13 by raising the mounting table 23, and the suspension unit 20 is mounted to the vehicle body 13. Is done.

  At least two light receiving portions 24 are disposed on the upper surface of the mounting table 23, and the two light receiving portions 24 are arranged in the width direction of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11, for example, as shown in FIG. Arranged. Here, as shown in FIG. 3A, the light receiving unit 24 has, for example, a plurality of light receiving regions 24A in a grid shape with one square of 6 mm square, and the center of the light receiving unit 24 is upward. A projecting connecting projection 24B is formed. The light receiving region 24A of the light receiving unit 24 is formed using, for example, cadmium sulfide, and the resistance value of the light receiving region 24A is changed by receiving light. The lateral width direction of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 corresponds to the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 13.

  A pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 are attached in the vehicle width direction to a hole 13B (see FIG. 4A) of a panel 13A (see FIG. 4A) of the vehicle body 13, for example, a gauge hole (not shown). It is done. Then, the suspension unit 20 is assembled with the vehicle body 13 after being aligned with the vehicle body 13 by aligning the light emitting mechanism 12 with the two light receiving portions 24 respectively. Thus, the work efficiency of the mounting work is improved without stopping the assembly line.

  The position detection unit 25 detects the light receiving region 24A that receives the light emitted from the light emitting mechanism 12, and based on the position detection result, the positional relationship between the light emitting mechanism 12 and the light receiving unit 24, specifically, the light emitting mechanism 12 The positional relationship between the connection hole 34 (see FIG. 4A) and the connection protrusion 24B of the light receiving unit 24 (see FIG. 3A) is determined. Here, as shown in FIG. 4B, the bottom surface 31 </ b> A of the light emitting mechanism 12 has three light emitting portions 32 concentrically around the center 34 </ b> A of the connecting hole 34. When the light emitting mechanism 12 is attached to the vehicle body 13, the bottom surface 31A is substantially parallel to the floor surface GL (see FIG. 1), and the light emitted from the light emitting unit 32 is perpendicular to the bottom surface 31A. Proceed to. In addition, the light emitted from the light emitting mechanism 12 is, for example, laser light and has a characteristic of excellent straightness.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the storage unit 22 is a region in which the light receiving region 24A indicated by sand-like hatching of the light receiving unit 24 is located in a concentric circle with the connecting projection 24B as the center. If there is, the position data is stored. For example, the three light receiving regions 24A indicated by (a1), (a2), and (a3) are regions that receive light emitted n times by the light emitting unit 32 of the light emitting mechanism 12. In this state, the light receiving area 24A of (a1) moves outward from the concentric light receiving area 24A of sand-like hatching with respect to the traveling direction of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11, and the light receiving area of (a3) 24A deviates inward from the concentric light receiving area 24A of sand-like hatching.

  In this case, in the position detection unit 25, the light receiving unit 24 determines that the light emitting mechanism 12 is shifted to the front right side with respect to the traveling direction of the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11. The control unit 21 controls the drive mechanism 26 to decelerate the speed of the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 and steer the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 to the left side.

  Next, the three light receiving regions 24A indicated by (b1), (b2), and (b3) are regions that receive the light emitted n + 1 times by the light emitting unit 32 of the light emitting mechanism 12 after the steering operation. . The three light receiving regions 24A indicated by (b1), (b2), and (b3) are all located within the concentric light receiving region 24A of sand-like hatching by the automatic steering.

  In this case, in the position detection unit 25, the light receiving unit 24 determines that the alignment with respect to the light emitting mechanism 12 has been completed. Then, the control unit 21 controls the drive mechanism 26 to cause the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 to travel so as to maintain the state where the alignment is completed, and raises the mounting table 23, so that the suspension unit 20 is moved to the vehicle. The work of incorporating into the body 13 is started.

  In the position detection unit 25, for example, the position data of the sand-shaped hatching light receiving region 24A is stored in the storage unit 22, and the position data of the light receiving region 24A received by the light receiving unit 24 with respect to the position data. The position is detected by comparing In addition, the position detection method in the position detection unit 25 is not limited to this case. For example, the center position may be calculated from the position data of the three light receiving areas 24A received by the light receiving section 24, and the calculated position data may be compared with the position data of the center of the connecting projection 24B.

  The drive mechanism 26 includes a motor (not shown) that is a power source for running the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11, a tire 26 </ b> A (see FIG. 1) that is rotated by the motor, and the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11. A steering unit (not shown) for steering the traveling direction is provided. The drive mechanism 26 is controlled by the control unit 21 and adjusts the traveling direction and traveling speed of the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 based on the position detection result from the position detection unit 25.

  The lift part 27 is, for example, a hydraulic lifting mechanism and is connected to the mounting table 23. The lift unit 27 is controlled by the control unit 21 and, based on the position detection result from the position detection unit 25, after the alignment of the light emitting mechanism 12 and the light receiving unit 24 is completed, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 has traveled. In this state, the mounting table 23 is raised in the vertical direction. On the other hand, after the control unit 21 determines the end of the mounting operation of the suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13, the mounting table 23 is lowered in the vertical direction in a state in which the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 has traveled, Return to the original position.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the light emitting mechanism 12 mainly includes a main body 31, a light emitting part 32 disposed on the bottom surface 31 </ b> A of the main body 31, and a movable locking part attached to the main body 31. 33 and a connecting hole 34 that opens from the bottom surface 31 </ b> A of the main body 31.

  The light emitting mechanism 12 is detachably attached to the hole 13B of the panel 13A of the vehicle body 13, and the main body 31 has a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 4 (B), since the three light emitting portions 32 are disposed around the connecting hole 34 on the bottom surface 31A side of the main body portion 31, the main body portion 31 has a larger cylindrical shape. An inflating portion 31B is formed. In addition, a pair of movable locking portions 33 that are rotatably supported by the main body portion 31 are attached to the central portion of the main body portion 31.

  The movable locking portion 33 is disposed in a slit (not shown) of the main body portion 31 that penetrates to the coupling hole 34, and the pair of movable locking portions 33 are opened in a C shape so that the movable locking portion 33 is movable. The lower end side of the locking portion 33 is locked to the panel 13 </ b> A of the vehicle body 13, and the light emitting mechanism 12 is attached to the vehicle body 13. Although the details will be described later, the upper end side of the movable locking portion 33 is located in the connection hole 34, but is pushed by the connection protrusion 24 </ b> B inserted into the connection hole 34, thereby making a pair of movable types. The locking portion 33 is rotated so as to be arranged in parallel, the locking state is canceled, and the state where the light emitting mechanism 12 is locked to the vehicle body 13 is also canceled.

  A connecting hole 34 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the central portion of the main body 31, and the connecting hole 34 is opened on the bottom surface 31A side so that the connecting protrusion 24B of the light receiving unit 24 (FIG. 3A). The suspension unit 20 can be assembled with respect to the vehicle body 13 with high positional accuracy. In addition, as shown in the figure, when the connecting hole 34 on the bottom surface 31A side is wide open and the inclined surface is formed inward, the above-described alignment between the connecting hole 34 and the connecting protrusion 24B is slightly shifted. However, the positional relationship can be corrected mechanically.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, three light emitting portions 32 are arranged on the bottom surface 31A of the main body 31, and the three light emitting portions 32 are arranged concentrically around the center 34A of the connection hole 34. For example, they are arranged at intervals of 120 degrees. For example, when a semiconductor laser is used as the light emitting unit 32, the laser light emitted from the light emitting unit 32 is excellent in straightness, and the positional accuracy between the light emitting mechanism 12 and the light receiving unit 24 can be improved. In the state where the light emitting mechanism 12 is attached to the vehicle body 13, the bottom surface 31A is substantially parallel to the floor surface GL (see FIG. 1), and the light emitted from the light emitting unit 32 is perpendicular to the bottom surface 31A. Proceed to.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, a magnet 35 is disposed at the tip of the coupling protrusion 24B, and a magnet 36 is disposed at the inner surface of the coupling hole 34, so that the mounting table 23 is lowered. In this case, the light emitting mechanism 12 can be reliably collected in a state of being magnetically attached to the connecting projection 24B.

  Next, a method for assembling a workpiece using the following automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same members in principle, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, since the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 is used, the description of the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 and related members is the same. In principle, the same reference numerals are used for the members, and repeated description is omitted.

  FIG. 5A is a top view illustrating a situation in which a workpiece is conveyed using the following automatic positioning device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5B is a side view for explaining a state in which a workpiece is incorporated into a conveyed product using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. FIGS. 6A to 6D are cross-sectional views for explaining a situation in which the light emitting mechanism 12 of the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is attached to the vehicle body 13 and recovered. In the description of this embodiment, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the assembly process of the vehicle body 13, the hanger 18 on which the vehicle body 13 that has finished the previous process is sequentially moved into the transport rail 15, and the plurality of hangers 18 are For example, it moves continuously at a constant interval at a low speed of 5200 mm / min. And by assembling the suspension unit 20 to the moving vehicle body 13, the hanger 18 continues to move in the low speed state, and complicated speed control in the transport rail 15 can be omitted. The worker attaches the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 to the gauge holes of the vehicle body 13 that has moved into the transport rail 15 in the assembly process.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11 is a cart that travels by autopilot with a workpiece placed on the top surface of the placement table 23. In this embodiment, the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 is self-propelled. The work transport mechanism 11 travels with the suspension unit 20 to be assembled to the vehicle body 13 placed thereon.

  The mounting table 23 is provided with a pair of light receiving portions 24 on both sides on the rear end side, and the suspension unit 20 is placed so as not to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of light receiving portions 24 and is connected to the light receiving portion 24. It is placed in a state of being positioned with respect to the protrusion 24B.

  The self-propelled work transport mechanism 11 travels below the transport rail 15 by automatic piloting based on the travel path of the transport rail 15 stored in the storage unit 22 after the suspension unit 20 is mounted on the mounting table 23. . Then, the control unit 21 controls the drive mechanism 26 so that the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 moves to the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 attached to the vehicle body 13 while running under the desired vehicle body 13. The position alignment is completed while performing position detection.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, as described above with reference to FIG. 3B, after the alignment between the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 and the pair of light receiving units 24 is completed, the control unit 21 moves the lift unit 27. The hydraulic lift unit 27 is controlled to raise the mounting table 23 on which the suspension unit 20 is mounted in the vertical direction. Then, the connecting protrusion 24B of the light receiving unit 24 is inserted into the connecting hole 34 of the light emitting mechanism 12, whereby the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11 and the light emitting mechanism 12 are connected with high positional accuracy, and the suspension unit 20 is It is incorporated into a desired position of the vehicle body 13.

  6A shows a state in which the light emitting mechanism 12 is locked in the hole 13B of the panel 13A of the vehicle body 13 and the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 is guided. As described above with reference to FIG. 4 (A), the main body 31 is inserted into the hole 13B of the panel 13A, and the pair of movable locking portions 33 are opened in a C-shape so that the movable locking is achieved. The light emitting mechanism 12 is attached to the vehicle body 13 by locking the lower end side of the portion 33 to the panel 13 </ b> A of the vehicle body 13.

  In FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C, the alignment of the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 and the pair of light receiving portions 24 is completed, the mounting table 23 is raised, and the connection protrusion 24B of the light receiving portion 24 emits light. The state inserted in the connection hole 34 of the mechanism 12 is shown. Note that FIG. 5B is referred to as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 6B, each of the pair of movable locking portions 33 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow 41. Therefore, when the pair of movable locking portions 33 first contact with the connecting projection 24B, the rotation is performed by the panel 13A. As shown by the arrow 42, the main body 31 moves up together with the connecting projection 24B.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the pair of movable locking portions 33 gradually rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 41 as the main body portion 31 rises together with the connecting projection portion 24B, and a pair of movable portions The type | mold latching | locking part 33 rotates until it will be in the state in parallel. On the other hand, the main body 31 has its main body inflating part 31B abutting against the panel 13A, whereby the ascent shown by the arrow 42 is finished and the ascent of the mounting table 23 is also finished.

  Thereafter, the lift unit 27 stops the ascending operation and maintains this state, so that the suspension unit 20 is incorporated into the vehicle body 13. Thereafter, the suspension unit 20 is assembled to the vehicle body 13 by an operator or an assembly robot, and the suspension unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle body 13.

  As shown in the figure, during the assembly operation, the pair of movable locking portions 33 is already released from the state of being locked to the panel 13A, and the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 are supported by the pair of connecting projections 24B, respectively. It is the state that was done. At this time, the light emitting mechanism 12 and the connecting protrusion 24B are in a state of being magnetized via the magnets 35 and 36.

  FIG. 6D shows a state where the mounting operation of the suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13 is completed and the mounting table 23 is lowered. As shown in FIG. 6D, the pair of movable locking portions 33 is restricted in rotation by the state in which the connecting projection portion 24B is inserted, so that the inside of the slit (not shown) of the main body portion 31. It remains in the stowed state. Then, the lift part 27 starts the lowering operation, and the mounting table 23 is lowered in the direction indicated by the arrow 43, so that the light emitting mechanism 12 is also lowered while being magnetically attached to the connecting projection part 24B.

  As described above, the pair of movable locking portions 33 maintain the state of being housed in the slits (not shown) of the main body portion 31, so that the main body portion 31 also passes through the holes 13 </ b> B of the panel 13 </ b> A and emits light. The mechanism 12 is recovered from the vehicle body 13. That is, the light emitting mechanism 12 is automatically collected within a series of operations for raising and lowering the mounting table 23, omitting the collection work by the worker, and the light emitting mechanism 12 is repeatedly used with a minimum number of necessary. Is done.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a work flow relating to a work assembling method using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. In the description of FIG. 7, FIGS. 1 to 6 will be referred to as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in step S <b> 1, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 finishes the previous mounting operation of the suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13, and then installs the suspension unit 20 incorporated in the vehicle body 13 on the top surface of the mounting table 23. In the state where it is placed on the vehicle, it returns to a start area (not shown) near the transport rail 15. At this time, the light emitting mechanism 12 collected from the vehicle body 13 in the previous mounting operation is magnetically attached to the connecting protrusion 24B of the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11.

  In step S <b> 2, the operator collects the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 that are magnetically attached to the connection protrusion 24 </ b> B of the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11. In step S <b> 3, the worker attaches the collected pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 to the vehicle body 13, for example, a gauge hole. At this time, for example, when the operator presses a set completion button provided in the light emitting mechanism 12, the light emitting unit 32 of the light emitting mechanism 12 repeatedly irradiates the laser light at regular intervals.

  In step S <b> 4, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 starts the automatic follow-up operation toward the lower side of the transfer rail 15. In step S <b> 5, in the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11, the control unit 21 controls the drive mechanism 26 to cause the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 to travel downward of the conveyance rail 15. Thereafter, when the light receiving unit 24 of the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 receives the light emitted from the light emitting mechanism 12, the position detection unit 25 detects that the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 11 performs the position detection operation. Start.

  In step S <b> 6, in the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11, the control unit 21 controls the storage unit 22 and the position detection unit 25 to repeatedly perform the alignment operation between the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 and the pair of light receiving units 24. In step S6 NO, as described above with reference to FIG. 3B, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 is automatically operated based on the position detection result in the position detection unit 25, and the alignment is completed. Repeat the alignment process.

  When the alignment operation between the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 and the pair of light receiving units 24 is completed based on the position detection result of the position detection unit 25 in YES of step S6, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 performs the operation in step S7. Then, the control unit 21 controls the lift unit 27 to raise the lift unit 27, the mounting table 23 is also raised in the vertical direction, and the suspension unit 20 is incorporated into the vehicle body 13.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 21 controls the storage unit 22 and the position detection unit 25 in order to perform the assembling work in a state where the vehicle body 13 moves and the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 travels. The self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 is automatically steered so as to maintain the completed alignment.

  In step S <b> 8, the mounting table 23 is raised in the vertical direction, and the connection protrusion 24 </ b> B of the light receiving unit 24 is inserted into the connection hole 34 of the light emitting mechanism 12. Then, as described above with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C, the light emitting mechanism 12 is locked to the vehicle body 13 by the connection protrusion 24 </ b> B being inserted into the connection hole 34. The released state is released. At this time, the control unit 21 terminates the position detection operation in the position detection unit 25 as the lift of the lift unit 27 is stopped. Note that, in the light emitting mechanism 12, the light emitting unit 32 may end the operation of repeatedly irradiating the laser light at a constant interval by detecting the release of the locked state.

  In step S <b> 9, the control unit 21 controls the lift unit 27, and the lift unit 27 stops the ascending operation and maintains this state, so that the suspension unit 20 is incorporated into the vehicle body 13. Become. Thereafter, the suspension unit 20 is assembled to the vehicle body 13 by an operator or an assembly robot, and the suspension unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle body 13.

  In step S10, after the operation of mounting the suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13 is completed, the control unit 21 controls the lift unit 27 to lower the mounting table 23 in the vertical direction and return it to the original position. At this time, as described above with reference to FIG. 6D, the light emitting mechanism 12 is also lowered while being magnetically attached to the connecting projection 24 </ b> B, and the light emitting mechanism 12 is automatically recovered from the vehicle body 13.

  In step S11, in the self-propelled work conveyance mechanism 11, the control unit 21 controls the storage unit 22 and the drive mechanism 26. Move to work mounting area (not shown). At this time, the light emitting mechanism 12 collected from the vehicle body 13 is magnetically attached to the connection protrusion 24B of the light receiving unit 24 of the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11. The work mounting area is provided, for example, in the vicinity of the transport rail 15 between the goal point and the start point of the transport rail 15 in the assembly process.

  In step S <b> 12, the operator places the suspension unit 20 on the top surface of the placing table 23 of the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11. At this time, the operator places the suspension unit 20 while positioning the suspension unit 20 with respect to the connecting projections 24 </ b> B of the pair of light receiving parts 24 provided on the placing table 23.

  In step S13, in the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11, the control unit 21 controls the storage unit 22 and the drive mechanism 26, and the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11 comes out of the work mounting area and is near the transport rail 15 by automatic steering. Move to the start area.

  As described above, the operation of mounting one suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13 is completed by the steps S1 to S13. Then, the self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism 11 that has completed the mounting operation returns to the start area of Step S1 and repeats the operation from Step S1 to mount the suspension unit 20 on the vehicle body 13 again. Do work.

  In the present embodiment, a pair of light receiving portions 24 are disposed in the left-right direction of the mounting table 23 of the self-propelled work transport mechanism 11, and the pair of light emitting mechanisms 12 are attached in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 13. Although the case where the light emitting mechanism 12 and the pair of light receiving portions 24 are aligned and the self-propelled workpiece transport mechanism 11 is automatically operated based on the alignment result has been described, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, another light receiving portion 24 is disposed at the center front end side of the mounting table 23, and the light emitting mechanism 12 is adjusted while the vehicle body 13 is aligned in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction by the three light receiving portions 24. On the other hand, the self-propelled work conveyance mechanism 11 may be caused to follow and the suspension unit 20 may be mounted on the vehicle body 13. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Tracking type | mold automatic positioning mounting apparatus 11 Self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism 12 Light emission mechanism 13 Vehicle body 20 Suspension unit 21 Control part 22 Storage part 23 Mounting stand 24 Light receiving part 24A Light receiving area 24B Connection protrusion part 25 Position detection part 26 Drive mechanism 27 Lifting section 31 Body section 32 Light emitting section 33 Movable locking section 34 Connecting hole

Claims (10)

In a follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device that assembles a workpiece on a transported object that is suspended from a transport rail,
A light emitting mechanism that is detachably attached to the transported object and has a light emitting unit that emits light toward the lower side of the transport rail;
A self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism that places the workpiece, follows the conveyed item, and assembles the workpiece into the conveyed item;
The self-propelled workpiece transfer mechanism is
A mounting table for mounting the workpiece;
A light receiving unit that is provided on the mounting table and receives light emitted from the light emitting unit;
A position detection unit that detects a positional relationship between the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit using light received by the light receiving unit;
A control unit that causes the self-propelled workpiece conveyance mechanism to follow the conveyed object based on a position detection result in the position detection unit;
And a lift unit that raises the mounting table toward the transported object and places the work on the transported object in a state where the work is placed based on the position detection result. Automatic mold positioning device. The light receiving portion is provided with a connecting projection facing upward from the mounting table,
The light emitting mechanism is provided with a connecting hole directed downward of the transport rail,
The said lift part raises the said mounting base toward the said conveyed product in the state which mounted the said workpiece | work, The said connection protrusion part is inserted with respect to the said connection hole. Follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device as described in 1. In the light emitting mechanism, at least three or more of the light emitting portions are disposed on the same circle centered on the connection hole,
In the light receiving portion, a plurality of light receiving regions are arranged around the connection protrusion,
The follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the position detection unit detects the positional relationship from the light receiving region that receives the three or more lights from the light emitting unit. The transported object is a vehicle body,
The pair of light emitting mechanisms is attached in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, and the pair of light emitting mechanisms are attached to holes provided in a panel of the vehicle body. Follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device as described in 1. The light emitting mechanism is
A body part at least part of which is inserted into the hole;
A movable locking portion that is movably attached to the main body and that is locked to the panel;
5. The follow-up type according to claim 4, wherein a part of the movable locking portion is located in the connection hole in a state where the main body portion is locked to the panel. Automatic positioning device.   In a state where the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole, the movable locking portion moves by contacting the connection protrusion, and the body portion is engaged with the panel. 6. The tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the stopped state is eliminated. Using the follow-up type automatic positioning and mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the work is assembled to the transported object that moves while being suspended from the transport rail. In the method of assembling the workpiece using the following automatic positioning device,
The control unit causes the self-propelled work transport mechanism to follow the transported object based on the position detection result from the position detection unit, and aligns the light emitting mechanism and the light receiving unit based on the position detection result. After determining that it is complete,
The lift unit raises the mounting table on which the work is placed toward the transported object, and assembles the work onto the transported object. Assembly method.   When the light emitting mechanism is attached to the vehicle body as the transported object, the movable locking portion attached to the main body portion of the light emitting mechanism is locked to the panel of the vehicle body. A method for assembling a work using the following automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to claim 7.   When assembling the work into the vehicle body, the mounting table on which the work is placed is raised toward the transported object, and the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole, and the connection protrusion The tracking type automatic positioning and mounting device according to claim 8, wherein the movable type locking part is moved by moving the movable type locking part to cancel the state where the movable type locking part is locked to the panel. How to assemble the workpiece.   After the work is assembled to the vehicle body, the light emitting mechanism is recovered from the vehicle body by lowering the mounting table in a state where the connection protrusion is inserted into the connection hole. A method for assembling a work using the tracking type automatic positioning and mounting apparatus according to claim 8 or 9.

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