JP2868301B2 - How to transfer the car body - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of transferring a vehicle body, and more particularly, to accurately and efficiently positioning a vehicle body suspended on a hanger of an overhead type transfer device on a pallet on a floor. And how to transfer.

(Prior art)

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automobile manufacturing plant, an overhead-type transfer device having a hanger that can travel freely for transferring a vehicle body has been widely used, and the vehicle body is suspended on the hanger to transfer the vehicle body on a line, or In many cases, the vehicle is transported between lines.

By the way, recently, in various operations such as assembling various parts to the vehicle body and welding work, automation of the work by introducing a robot has been widely promoted, and accordingly, the vehicle body is accurately positioned at a predetermined position on the pallet of the automation line. There is a need for a technique for positioning and transferring images.

Conventionally, as a method of transferring the vehicle body to a predetermined position on the pallet with a hanger, the vehicle body suspended on the hanger is transported to a predetermined position above the pallet, then the hanger is lowered on the pallet and A method has been used in which a plurality of positioning pins provided are engaged with positioning engagement holes provided in the vehicle body corresponding to the positioning pins, thereby positioning and transferring the vehicle body to a pallet.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional method of transferring a vehicle body, the position of the positioning pin of the pallet and the engaging hole of the vehicle body are determined by an error in the arrangement position of the vehicle body on the hanger or the swing of the hanger generated when the hanger is lowered onto the pallet. However, there is a problem that it takes time to accurately position and transfer the vehicle body to the pallet.

In order to prevent the hanger from swinging when the hanger is lowered onto the pallet, it is also conceivable to reduce the hanger's descent speed or stop the swing by obtaining the hanger. There is a problem that the work efficiency is significantly reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of transferring a vehicle body that accurately and efficiently positions and transfers the vehicle body from a hanger to a pallet.

[Means for solving the problem]

The method of transferring a vehicle body according to the present invention is a method of transferring a vehicle body that positions and transfers a vehicle body suspended on a hanger to a pallet on a floor, through a plurality of positioning pins provided on the hanger. With the car body positioned on the hanger, transport the car body suspended on the hanger above the pallet, and then lower the hanger and car body from the pallet to a predetermined height position,
Next, the swing of the hanger is regulated and stopped by a swing regulation mechanism provided on the floor side, and then the hanger is positioned with respect to the pallet via a plurality of elevating positioning pins provided on the floor side. Then, the hanger is lowered to the pallet, and the vehicle body is positioned and transferred on the pallet via a plurality of positioning pins provided on the pallet.

[Action]

In the method of transferring a vehicle body according to the present invention, the vehicle body suspended on the hanger is transported above the pallet while the vehicle body is positioned on the hanger via a plurality of positioning pins provided on the hanger. Next, the hanger and the vehicle body are lowered from the pallet to a predetermined height position, the swing of the hanger is stopped by the swing regulation mechanism, and then the hanger is positioned with respect to the pallet via a plurality of elevating positioning pins, In this state, the hanger is lowered to the pallet, and the vehicle is positioned and transferred to the pallet via a plurality of positioning pins provided on the pallet. It is possible to reliably prevent the mutual positional relationship from being shifted from each other, and to accurately and efficiently position and transfer the vehicle body from the hanger to the pallet.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the method of transferring a vehicle body of the present invention, the vehicle body is positioned on the hanger via the plurality of positioning pins provided on the hanger as described in the section of [Operation], and then the hanger is moved from the pallet to a predetermined height. When the vehicle is lowered to the pallet position, the hanger is positioned with respect to the pallet via the swing regulating mechanism and the elevating positioning pins, and then the vehicle body is positioned on the pallet via the plurality of positioning pins provided on the pallet. The vehicle body, the hanger and the pallet can be reliably prevented from misaligning with each other when transferring the vehicle body, and the vehicle body can be accurately and efficiently positioned from the hanger to the pallet. You can transfer it.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The method of transferring a vehicle body according to the present embodiment is a method of positioning and transferring a vehicle body from a vehicle body assembly line to a pallet provided in an automatic welding line in order to perform additional punch welding on a vehicle body that has been temporarily assembled. Is applied.

First, the automatic welding line L, the overhead type transfer device 10 and the hanger positioning device 40 provided at the vehicle body transfer station ST of the automatic welding line L, which are used in the above-described method of transferring a vehicle body, will be described. Note that the direction is defined and described as shown in the figure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic welding line L
Line frame 1 provided on floor F in the front-rear direction
And a slat conveyor 2 of a chain drive type provided on the line frame 1 and a plurality of pallets 3 arranged at predetermined intervals on the slat conveyor 2 and the like. Position 2 before and after each
Two positioning pins 4 are provided in a protruding manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic welding line L is provided with a vehicle body transfer station ST. A plurality of welding stations (not shown) are provided at predetermined intervals in front of the vehicle-mounted transfer station ST of the automatic welding line L. Is provided at each welding station, and a welding robot for performing punching welding to increase a predetermined portion of the vehicle body B is provided.

The vehicle body B, which has been temporarily assembled on the vehicle body assembly line, is transported to the vehicle body transfer station ST by the hanger-type transfer device 10, and is then positioned and transferred on the pallet 3 stopped at a predetermined position of the vehicle body transfer station ST. The vehicle body B mounted and transferred to the pallet 3 is sequentially conveyed to each welding station at a predetermined line tact, and is subjected to additional welding by a welding robot at each welding station.

 Next, the hanger-type transfer device 10 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, a support frame 11 extending in the front-rear direction is provided above the automatic welding line L with the vehicle body assembly line, and the support frame 11 is provided at predetermined intervals. A guide rail 13 that is supported via a suspension member 12 fixed to the ceiling and is provided below the support frame 11 and extends in the front-rear direction in parallel with the support frame 11 is provided. The support frame 11 and the guide rail 13 extend to the vehicle body assembly line.

As shown in FIG. 4, of the support frame 11 and the guide rail 13, the on-vehicle transfer station of the automatic welding line L
The portion corresponding to the ST is divided into a support frame 11A and a guide rail 13A, respectively, and the divided support frame 11A and the guide rail 13A are hung up and down by a pair of front and rear chains 16 of electric hoists 15 provided on the ceiling. Has been lowered.

Next, a self-propelled hanger that runs along the guide rails 13
20 will be described.

The hanger 20 includes a pair of front and rear frame members 21 disposed below the guide rail 13 in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right movable frame members 22 provided on each frame member 21.
And a substantially L-shaped hanging member 23 in front view fixed to the center of each frame member 21 in the left-right direction.
The support wheel 24 and a pair of left and right guide wheels 25
The hanger 20 is disposed so as to be able to travel along the guide rail 13 via the support wheels 24 and the guide wheels 25.
Each of the support wheels 24 is configured to be rotationally driven by a traveling drive device (not shown).

A support member 26 is provided at a lower end of each movable frame member 22, and an engagement hole 26a is formed at a lower end surface of each support member 26, and is elongated forward and backward over an upper end surface of the front and rear support members 26. The plate member 27 is fixed, and positioning pins 28 are provided at the front and rear portions of the left and right plate members 27, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, at the right end and the left end of the underfloor of the vehicle body B, an engaging hole 6 with which four positioning pins 4 of the pallet 3 can be engaged and a left and right An engagement hole 7 with which four positioning pins 28 provided on the plate member 27 can be engaged is formed.

At the upper end of each frame member 21, a pair of left and right air cylinders 30 for opening and closing are provided.
a is fixed to the upper end of the corresponding movable frame member 22, and each movable frame member 22 is moved to the closed position (shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 7) and the open position by driving each open / close air cylinder 30. (Shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the right and left sides of the guide rail 13 are provided with a hanger 20 during traveling.
A regulating member 31 for regulating the vertical swing of the frame member is provided in the front-rear direction parallel to the guide rail 13, and a bracket corresponding to the regulating member 31 of each frame member 21 is provided.
A swing regulating shaft 33 is provided via 32. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 34 denotes a connecting member for connecting the front and rear frame members 21.

 Next, the hanger positioning device 40 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
Are provided at predetermined positions on the right and left sides of the slat conveyor 2, respectively, and the distance between the front and rear hanger positioning devices 40 is substantially equal to the distance between the front and rear frame members 21 of the hanger 20.

Each hanger positioning device 40 includes an elevating air cylinder 41 embedded in the floor F, and a rod of the elevating air cylinder 41.
It comprises a base member 42 fixed to 41a, a positioning member 43 provided on the base member 42, and a swing regulation mechanism 45.

The positioning member 43 is erected on the inner end of the base member 42,
At the upper end of the positioning member 43, a positioning pin 44 that can be engaged with the engagement hole 26a of the support member 26 at the lower end of the movable frame member 22 is provided.

The swing regulating mechanism 45 includes a swing regulating air cylinder 47 that is swingably provided on the base member 42 via a bracket 46.
And an arm member 48 whose outer end is formed in an upwardly curved shape, and the inner end of the arm member 48 is a swing-regulating air cylinder.
47 is pivotally supported by a rod 47a, an intermediate portion of an arm member 48 is pivotally supported by a support member 49 erected on a base member 42, and an outer end of the arm member 48 has a rubber member. Roller 50 is mounted rotatably, and the swinging air cylinder 47
By driving the arm member 48, the position of the arm member 48 can be switched between a non-restricted position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a restricted position shown by a two-dot chain line. In the automatic welding line L, the operation of each hoist 15, each hanger positioning device 40 and the slat conveyor 2 is controlled after the vehicle B is transported to a predetermined position above the vehicle transfer station ST by the hanger 20. A control device is provided.

Next, a method of transferring the vehicle body B from the vehicle body assembly line to the pallet 3 stopped at the vehicle body transfer station ST of the automatic welding line L will be described.

First, on the vehicle body assembly line, the vehicle body B that has been temporarily assembled is transferred to the hanger 20 stopped at the vehicle body assembly line. At this time, each movable frame 22 of the hanger 20 is in the closed position, and each positioning pin 28 of the left and right plate members 27 is engaged with the corresponding engagement hole 7 of the vehicle body B, and the vehicle body B is mounted on the left and right plate members 27. As a result, the vehicle body B is suspended in a state where it is positioned on the hanger 20.

Next, the hanger 20 suspending the vehicle body B is connected to the automatic welding line L.
When the hanger 20 reaches a predetermined position above the vehicle body transfer station ST, the hanger 20 stops traveling.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 4, the support wheels 24 before and after the hanger 20 are at predetermined positions on the guide rail 13A.

Next, the front and rear hoists 15 are driven to lower the hanger 20 and the vehicle body B together with the support frame 11A and the guide rail 13A by a predetermined stroke, and stop at a predetermined position of the vehicle body transfer station ST as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Pallet 3
From a predetermined height. At this time, the hanger 20 stops while swinging in the left-right direction.

Next, the swing regulating air cylinder 47 of each swing regulating mechanism 45 is provided.
To switch the arm member 48 from the non-restricted position to the restricted position, and the rollers 50 of each arm member 48
Abut on the outer end face of the
Stop by regulating 20 swings.

Next, each hoist 15 is driven to lower the hanger 20 to the predetermined stroke pallet 3 side, and the positioning pins 44 of each positioning member 43 are engaged with the corresponding engaging holes 26a of the supporting member 26 as shown in FIG. Combine. At this time, the hanger 20 is positioned with respect to each hanger positioning device 40, and each hanger positioning device 40 has a predetermined positional relationship with the pallet 3 stopped at a predetermined position of the vehicle body transfer station ST. It is positioned with respect to the pallet 3.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, each hoist 15 is driven to lower the hanger 20 by a predetermined stroke, and each lifting / lowering cylinder 41 is driven to move the rod 41a by a predetermined stroke at the same speed as the lowering speed of the hanger 20. Then, each positioning pin 4 of the pallet 3 is engaged with the corresponding engagement hole 6 of the vehicle body B, and the vehicle body B is positioned with respect to the pallet 3.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the body B is placed on the pallet 3 by driving each hoist 15 and each lifting / lowering cylinder 41 to lower the hanger 20 by a predetermined stroke and to retract the rod 41a by a predetermined stroke. Transferred, each plate member 27
The engagement between the positioning pin 28 and the engaging hole 7 of the vehicle body B is released.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, by driving each lifting / lowering cylinder 41 to retract the rod 41a by a predetermined stroke, the positioning pin 44 of each positioning member 43 and the engaging hole 26a of the supporting member 26 are connected. Release the engagement. After that, each swing regulating cylinder 47 is driven to switch the arm member 48 from the regulated position to the non-regulated position, and then each opening / closing cylinder 30 is driven to move each movable frame member 22 from the closed position to the open position. Switch.
After that, each hoist 15 is driven to raise the hanger 20 together with the support frame 11A and the guide rail 13A to the position shown in FIG. 4, and each lifting cylinder 41 is driven to move each positioning member 43 and the swing regulating mechanism 45. Return to the position shown in FIG.

Since the vehicle body B is transferred from the hanger 20 to the pallet 3 in this manner, when the vehicle body B is transferred, the predetermined positional relationship between the vehicle body B, the hanger 20 and the pallet 3 is prevented from being shifted, and the vehicle body B is transferred. Positioning and transfer from the hanger 20 to the pallet 3 can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of an automatic welding line and a conveying device, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. Fig. 4 is a side view of a main part of the transfer device, Fig. 5 is a hanger showing positioning of the hanger with respect to the pallet, and an operation explanatory view of the hanger positioning device. Fig. 6 is a hanger showing positioning of the vehicle body with respect to the pallet. FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the hanger positioning device, and FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the hanger and the hanger positioning device showing transfer of the vehicle body to the pallet. 3 ... Pallet, 4.28.44 ... Positioning pin, 20 ...
Hanger, 45: swing regulation mechanism, B: body, F: floor.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method for transferring a vehicle body by positioning a vehicle body suspended on a hanger to a pallet on a floor and transferring the vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body is positioned on the hanger via a plurality of positioning pins provided on the hanger. In this state, the car body suspended on the hanger is transported above the pallet, then the hanger and the car body are lowered from the pallet to a predetermined height position, and then the hanger swings by the swing regulation mechanism provided on the floor side. The hanger is then positioned with respect to the pallet via a plurality of elevating positioning pins provided on the floor side, and then the hanger is lowered to the pallet and a plurality of hangers are provided on the pallet. A method for transferring a vehicle body, comprising positioning the vehicle body on a pallet via a positioning pin and transferring the vehicle body.