JP3865979B2 - Method and apparatus for assembling vehicular lamp - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an assembling method and an assembling apparatus for a vehicular lamp in an assembly line for a vehicular lamp.
More specifically, an assembling method and an assembling apparatus for a vehicular lamp relating to a series of steps including an aiming mechanism attaching process in a vehicular lamp assembling line, a sealing agent application process for a lamp body, a pressure bonding of a lens to a lamp body and a screw tightening process. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an assembly line for vehicle lamps such as headlamps, a plurality of assembly apparatuses are installed, a predetermined process is performed for each apparatus, and workpieces are sequentially transferred to subsequent assembly processes.
The assembly process is roughly divided into (1) aiming mechanism mounting process, (2) sealant loading process, (3) front lens pressing process, (4) front lens fixing process, and (5) inspection process. Yes.
[0003]
The flow of the conventional assembly process is concretely based on FIG. 6 which is a conceptual diagram simply showing the configuration of a conventional method for assembling a vehicle lamp, and FIG. 7 which simply shows a sealing agent loading operation in the method. Explained.
[0004]
(1) Aiming mechanism attachment process (p1)
First, a member (such as a screw member) constituting an aiming mechanism (an angle adjusting mechanism of a reflector disposed inside the lamp body) is inserted into the lamp body (housing), which is the workpiece w, and then the reflector. (Not shown) is integrated so as to be supported by the aiming mechanism disposed on the lamp body disposed from above to below.
[0005]
(2) Sealing agent loading step (p2).
Next, a sealing agent is applied to the workpiece w in which the reflector is attached to the lamp body via the aiming mechanism by the dedicated transfer (conveyance) device 12 provided separately from the assembly device group (or manually). It moves to a loading device (seal agent loading place), and a sealant (adhesive) 16 is loaded into a narrow seal groove 14 formed at the periphery of the front opening 15 of the lamp body.
This sealing agent loading operation is performed by holding the tapered nozzle (gun) 11 by hand and moving it along the sealing groove 14 of the fixed lamp body (see arrow t in FIG. 7).
[0006]
(3) Front lens pressing step (p3).
The workpiece w is transferred to the next assembling apparatus, and a seal leg formed on a peripheral end portion of a front lens (not shown) is engaged with the seal groove 14 so that the front lens is pressed against the lamp body.
[0007]
(4) Front lens fixing step (not shown).
The work w is transferred to the next assembling apparatus, and the lamp body and the seal leg portion of the front lens are mechanically fixed by clips and fastening screws.
[0008]
(5) Inspection process (not shown).
The work w is transferred to the next assembling apparatus, the lamp is turned on, and the light distribution state is inspected.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above prior art has the following technical problems.
(1) Subsequent to the aiming mechanism (and reflector mounting) step p1, the workpiece transfer (conveyance) work between the assembly devices related to the sealant loading step p2 and the front lens pressing step p3 is the assembly device in each step. Since it was performed by a transfer robot dedicated to transfer, etc. installed separately, there was room for improvement in terms of integration, labor saving, cost reduction, space saving, etc. of assembly equipment and transfer equipment in the assembly line .
[0010]
(2) In the filling method of the sealing agent 16 performed by fixing the workpiece w and moving the nozzle 11 by hand, the hose 13 for feeding the sealing agent 16 to the nozzle 21 is considered in the work (movement) area of the nozzle 11. In addition to the restriction that it is necessary to dispose the hose 13, the hose 13 that has been wound around itself hinders the work.
[0011]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to consolidate “work transfer (conveyance) work” and “seal agent loading work” from the previous process through the sealant loading process to the subsequent process, and fix the nozzle to fix the sealant. It is an object to provide an assembling method and an assembling apparatus for a vehicular lamp that can be automatically loaded.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.
The method for assembling a vehicular lamp according to claim 1 includes at least a sealing agent loading step of performing an operation of loading a sealing agent for fixing the front lens to the workpiece (lamp body) into a sealing groove formed in the workpiece. In the vehicle lamp assembly method described above, the sealing agent loading step is performed by automatically moving the workpiece so that a fixed nozzle that is fixedly disposed so as to discharge the sealing agent at a predetermined location follows the seal groove. The agent was loaded into the seal groove.
In this method, it is possible to automate the operation of loading the sealant into the seal groove, which has been performed manually, and the sealant is loaded evenly and smoothly along the seal groove by the automation of the sealant loading operation.
In addition, by adopting the means to fix the nozzle and load the sealant while moving the workpiece, it has become a problem in the conventional sealant loading method of fixing the workpiece and moving the nozzle (gun) The obstruction in operation due to the rotated hose for sealing agent (the hose for feeding the sealing agent to the nozzle) is eliminated.
[0013]
In the vehicle lamp assembly method according to claim 1, in addition to the sealant loading operation, the workpiece transfer operation from the previous step and the workpiece transfer operation to the subsequent step are performed in the sealant loading step. It was configured as follows.
In this method, two workpieces are transferred in an assembly process (conventional process such as aiming attachment process) → work transfer process → seal agent loading process → work transfer process → post process (front lens pressing process, etc.). Since the (transport) process can be taken into the sealant loading process, it is not necessary to provide a completely separate transport (transport) process from the assembling apparatus.
In the vehicle lamp assembly method according to claim 1, all work movement operations related to the sealing agent loading process are performed via a work robot (scalar robot). The steps are arranged in parallel in one frame, and the work is transferred between the steps by the linear running operation of the work robot .
In this method, in addition to the sealant loading operation (work) for the workpiece (lamp body), the workpiece transfer operation (work) can be collectively performed by one work robot.
[0014]
In the vehicle lamp assembly method according to claim 2, the pre-process described in claim 1 includes at least an aiming mechanism attaching step for attaching an aiming member for position adjustment of the reflector provided in the lamp body. In addition, the post-process described in claim 2 includes at least a crimping process of the front lens to the lamp body.
In this method, since the assembly process consisting of the conventional aiming mechanism mounting process → work transfer process → seal agent loading process → work transfer process → crimping process, which has been particularly complicated, can be integrated, the work transfer process and the seal agent loading process can be integrated. This greatly contributes to the integration of the entire assembly line.
[0016]
According to a method for assembling a vehicular lamp according to a third aspect of the present invention , the work robot according to the first or second aspect is configured so that the work is moved in a total of six axial directions including one axis for work transfer work and five axes for sealant loading work. It consists of a multi-axis robot that can be moved.
In this method, a nozzle that discharges a sealing agent to one multi-axis robot corresponding to a sealing groove having a complicated and various shape (a groove formed along the shape of the peripheral end of the lamp body as a workpiece). The workpiece (lamp body) can be moved along a total of five axes along this seal groove, so that a three-dimensional sealant loading operation can be performed reliably, and a linear workpiece transfer operation (one axis) (Slide direction).
[0017]
The vehicle lamp assembly apparatus according to claim 4 is an apparatus for performing an operation of loading a sealing agent for fixing a front lens into a seal groove formed in a lamp body as a workpiece, and is fixedly arranged and fixed. The nozzle configured to discharge the sealant to the location is provided with a sealant automatic loading means for automatically loading the sealant while moving the lamp body along the seal groove.
In this apparatus, the sealing agent loading operation for the sealing groove, which has been conventionally performed manually, is fully automated.
[0018]
Furthermore, in assembling a lighting device for a vehicle according to claim 4, in addition to the sealant automatic loading means, and configured with a workpiece transfer means to the work transfer means and post-process from the previous step, the sealant automatic The loading means, the pre-process and the post-process are arranged in parallel in one frame, and all work transfer operations related to the sealant loading process are transferred to the work transfer work and post-process from the pre-process. This work is performed via a work robot responsible for the work transfer work, and the work is transferred between the respective steps by a linear traveling operation of the work robot.
In this apparatus, in addition to the sealant loading operation, the workpiece transfer operation related to the preceding and following processes can be performed in a lump.
[0019]
In the vehicle lamp assembly apparatus according to claim 5 , at least the aiming mechanism attachment device for attaching the aiming member for adjusting the position of the reflector provided in the lamp body is installed in the pre-process described in claim 4. In addition, in the post-process described in claim 4, at least a crimping device for crimping the front lens and the lamp body is installed.
In this apparatus, in addition to the sealant loading operation, the workpiece transfer operation from the aiming mechanism mounting device and the workpiece transfer operation to the crimping device after loading the sealant can be performed.
[0020]
In assembling a lighting device for a vehicle according to claim 6, the working robot comprises an arm for gripping the workpiece, and 5-axis utilized in the sealant automatic loading means according to claim 4 or 5, claim 4 Alternatively, a multi-axis robot capable of moving a workpiece in a total of six axes including one axis used in the workpiece transfer means described in 5 is used.
In this device, a single multi-axis robot can move a workpiece (lamp body) in a total of five axes along the seal groove corresponding to the complex (various) shape (work) seal groove. By comprising in this way, the sealing agent loading operation | work to the seal groove which has a three-dimensional shape can be performed reliably.
Moreover, since not only the sealant loading operation but also the linear workpiece transfer operation (sliding operation in one axis direction) can be performed, the sealant loading device and the device dedicated to workpiece transfer are distinguished on the assembly line. There is no need to provide it.
[0021]
As described above, the method and apparatus for assembling a vehicular lamp according to the present invention include the assembly of a vehicular lamp assembly line, labor saving, cost reduction, space saving, work efficiency, processing cost reduction, etc. It has the technical significance of greatly contributing to
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, which is a conceptual diagram simply showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp assembly method according to the present invention, a sealing agent is applied to a work (lamp body) W in a vehicle lamp assembly line such as a headlamp. The sealing agent loading process P ₂ (described in detail later) to be loaded is configured to include the preceding and subsequent processes P ₁ and P ₃ .
[0023]
In other words, the sealing agent loading process P ₂ includes the “sealing agent loading operation T ₂ ” for the workpiece W and the “from the previous step P _1, which includes an aiming mechanism mounting step for mounting an aiming member to the workpiece W. Both the “work transfer operation T ₁ ” and the “work transfer operation T ₂ ” to the post-process P ₃ , which includes a crimping process for crimping the front lens to the workpiece W, and the like.
[0024]
Specifically, the work robot 3 (described in detail later) installed in the sealant loading process P ₂ grips the workpiece W installed in the previous process P ₁ with a predetermined arm 301, and sealant loading process P _2. Transfer (convey) to work place 2 (“work transfer operation T ₁ ”).
[0025]
Then, in this work place 2, the fixed nozzle 1 (the front end portion 101) that discharges the sealing agent 6 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) fed from the arranged hose 4 extends along the seal groove 5 of the workpiece W. Then, the “sealing agent loading operation T ₂ ” is performed by moving the workpiece W. Thereafter, the workpiece W is transferred (transferred) to the post-process P ₃ (“work transfer operation T ₃ ”).
[0026]
Here, the “sealing agent loading operation T ₂ ” will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
The lamp body as the work W has various shapes corresponding to the types and shapes of the lamps corresponding to the vehicle type. A seal groove 5 having a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section is formed at the periphery of the front opening 7. The seal groove 5 is a portion to which a seal leg at a peripheral portion of a front lens (not shown) is engaged and pressure-bonded after the sealant 6 is loaded.
[0027]
Conventionally, the seal agent 6 is loaded into the seal groove 5 by the operator holding the nozzle gun (refer to the nozzle indicated by reference numeral 21 in FIGS. 6 and 7 showing the prior art) of the lamp body fixed at the lower position. It was made to run along the seal groove.
[0028]
However, this work requires a delicate work that must keep the amount of sealant loaded in the seal groove uniform, and the shape of the seal groove varies depending on the type of lamp body. did.
[0029]
Therefore, in the present invention, the conventional idea of running the nozzle is changed, and the work robot 3 is arranged so that the nozzle 1 is fixedly arranged downward and the lamp body as the workpiece W is opened upward. The seal agent loading operation T <b> 2 is performed by moving the workpiece W so that the tip 101 of the fixed nozzle 1 is along the seal groove 5.
[0030]
In the method based on this completely new technical idea, the three-dimensional shape data of various seal grooves 5 are stored in advance in a computer that controls the operation of the work robot 3, and the type of workpiece W to be assembled is determined during the assembly work. Since the sealant 6 is automatically loaded along the seal groove 5 simply by selecting and operating, it is possible to greatly save labor and is very convenient.
[0031]
Further, since the sealant can be loaded evenly over the entire circumference of the seal groove 5 rather than the manual sealant loading operation, it is also preferable in that the front lens can be smoothly crimped. It is.
[0032]
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, at the basic position A of the work robot 3, the seal agent loading operation starts from the basic position a of the seal groove 5 and reaches from the point a to the point b by the B position. The sealant 6 is loaded in the 5 part, and the sealant 6 is further loaded from the point b to the point c until the C position. The sealant 6 is loaded over the entire circumference of the seal groove 5 after one round. .
[0033]
Here, as described above, the work robot 3 to play a sealant loaded working T ₂ are, the work transfer operations T ₁ of the from the previous step P _1, is in charge of the work transfer operations T ₃ on subsequent steps P ₃ .
That is, the work robot 3 performs the post-process from the pre-process P ₁ through the seal-agent loading process P ₂ in addition to a plurality of motion axes for performing a three-dimensional movement for performing the precise seal-agent loading work T _2. A linear travel axis for traveling (transferring or transporting) the workpiece W up to P ₃ is provided (see FIG. 3).
[0034]
By employing the working robot 3 in such a multi-axis, conventionally, both working the workpiece transfer operations T ₁ and the workpiece transfer operations T ₃ which has been performed manually and dedicated to carrying robot, the sealing agent loading step P ₂ It becomes possible to take in. For this reason, since integration of processes or apparatuses, space saving, and the like can be achieved, it is very convenient in forming an assembly line.
[0035]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the work robot 3 and its surroundings will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
First, the work robot 3 in charge of the sealant loading process P ₂ and the devices related to the preceding and subsequent processes P ₁ and P ₃ are accommodated together in one large frame 8 and communication between the processes is smooth. The arrangement configuration is devised so as to be performed. That is, the work area of the work robot 3 and the installation area of the jig 9 for processing the work W are devised so as not to overlap.
[0036]
Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the work robot 3 includes five operation axes (X ₁ , X ₂ , L ₃ , X ₄ , L ₅ ) for the sealant loading operation T ₂ , This is a 6-axis multi-axis robot having one (Y ₆ ) left and right traveling axes for performing the transfer operations T ₁ and T ₃ .
[0037]
In other words, the working robot 3 so as to depend from the upper slide rail 10 of the frame 9, the first arm relative to slidably arranged support member 302, rotatably supported by the X ₁ axis and 303, turning on the first arm 303 while being rotatably supported X2 axis, a second arm 304 pivotable L ₃ axis, to the second arm 304 to the X ₄ axis while being rotatably supported, a rotatable arm 301 to L ₅ axis, and a. With this configuration, the three-dimensional operation of the workpiece W as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is realized. Incidentally, the working robot 3, but are not limited to the above structure, in order to perform a precise operation suitable for the sealing agent loading operations T ₂ are, configuration is preferable which includes a total of five rotation axes.
[0038]
As described above, the method and apparatus for assembling a vehicular lamp according to the present invention are suitable for the sealant loading process and its peripheral process essential for the integration work of the lens and the lamp body, regardless of the type of lamp. It is a widely used technology.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
The main effects produced by the method and apparatus for assembling a vehicle lamp according to the present invention are listed as follows.
(1) In the sealing agent loading step, the sealing agent is loaded while the lamp body is automatically moved so that the nozzle that is fixedly arranged and discharges the sealing agent to a predetermined location along the sealing groove. Therefore, it is possible to save labor (labor saving) and reduce assembly costs by automating the sealing agent loading operation for the seal groove which has been conventionally performed manually.
[0040]
(2) Since the sealing agent can be loaded evenly and smoothly along the seal groove by automating the sealing agent loading operation, the lens can be smoothly crimped to the workpiece and bonded more reliably. Can be made.
[0041]
(3) It has occurred in the conventional sealing agent loading method in which the work is moved and the nozzle (gun) is moved by adopting the means of moving the work by fixing the nozzle and moving the work. Since it is possible to eliminate work obstacles caused by the scooping sealant hose (the hose that feeds the sealant into the nozzle), it is possible to facilitate the work and improve the work efficiency.
[0042]
(4) In addition to the sealant loading operation, the sealant loading step is configured to carry the workpiece transfer operation from the previous step and the workpiece transfer operation to the subsequent step. ) Or manual transfer work is eliminated, and the assembly line process can be integrated and space saving can be achieved.
In particular, in the assembly process consisting of the conventional aiming mechanism mounting process → work transfer process → seal agent loading process → work transfer process → crimping process, the work transfer process and the sealant loading process are combined into one device. It is possible to reduce the space.
[0043]
(5) If all the workpiece movement operations (transfer and loading operations) in the sealant loading process are performed via the work robot, the workpiece is added to the sealant loading operation (work) for the workpiece (lamp body). Since the transfer operation (work) can be performed in one work robot, it is most efficient.
[0044]
(6) The work robot is constituted by a multi-axis robot capable of moving a work in a total of 6 axes including 1 axis for work transfer work and 5 axes for sealant loading work. If the nozzle that discharges the sealant can move the workpiece in a total of five axial directions along the seal groove in correspondence with complicated and various shapes of the seal grooves, A three-dimensional sealant loading operation can be performed reliably.
[0045]
(7) The apparatus for loading the sealant is provided with an arm for gripping the workpiece, and the workpiece is loaded in a total of six axes including five axes used for the automatic sealant loading means and one axis used for the workpiece transfer means. If a multi-axis robot that can be moved is used, a three-dimensional sealant loading operation can be reliably performed.
Moreover, since not only the sealing agent loading operation but also the linear workpiece transfer operation (operation in one axis direction) can be performed, it is necessary to separately provide the sealing agent loading device and the device dedicated to workpiece transfer on the assembly line. This can contribute to the slimming down of the entire assembly line.
[0046]
(8) As described above, the method and apparatus for assembling a vehicle lamp according to the present invention can consolidate an assembly line of vehicle lamps, save labor, reduce costs, save space, improve work efficiency, and the like. It is useful and contributes to industrial development.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram simply showing a configuration of a method for assembling a vehicular lamp according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view around an arm showing a state of a sealant loading operation in the method. Fig. 4 is a side view showing the peripheral configuration of the work robot used in the method. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the configuration around the work robot in a simplified manner. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram simply showing the configuration of a conventional method for assembling a vehicle lamp. FIG. 7 is a diagram simply showing a sealing agent loading operation in a conventional method for assembling a vehicle lamp.
1 Fixed nozzle 3 Working robot (multi-axis robot)
5 Seal groove 6 Sealant 301 Arm P1 Pre-process (Aiming installation process, etc.)
P2 Sealing agent loading process P3 Subsequent process (crimping process, etc.)
T1 Work transfer operation from the pre-process P1 to the sealant loading process P2 T2 Seal transfer work T3 Work transfer operation from the sealant loading process to the post-process P3 Work (lamp body)

Claims (6)

In a method for assembling a vehicular lamp including at least a sealing agent loading step of loading a sealing agent for fixing a front lens to a workpiece (lamp body) into a sealing groove formed in the workpiece,
The sealing agent loading step is configured to load the sealing agent into the sealing groove while the workpiece is automatically moved so that a fixed nozzle fixedly disposed so as to discharge the sealing agent to a predetermined location is along the sealing groove. The sealing agent loading process is configured to take the work of transferring the work from the previous process and the work of transferring the work to the subsequent process in addition to the work of loading the sealing agent, and all the works related to the sealing agent loading process. The transfer operation is configured to be performed via a work robot,
The sealing agent loading process, the pre-process, and the post-process are arranged in parallel in one frame, and the workpiece is transferred between the processes by a linear traveling operation of the work robot. A method for assembling a vehicular lamp.   The pre-process includes at least an aiming mechanism attaching step for attaching an aiming member for adjusting the position of a reflector provided in the lamp body, and the post-step includes a step of pressure-bonding the front lens and the lamp body. The method for assembling a vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein:   3. The work robot according to claim 1, wherein the work robot is a six-axis robot that moves a work in a total of six axes including one axis for work transfer work and five axes for sealant loading work. A method for assembling a vehicular lamp. An apparatus for performing an operation of loading a sealant for fixing a front lens into a seal groove formed in a lamp body as a work,
Sealing agent automatic loading means for automatically loading the sealing agent while moving the lamp body so that the nozzle that is fixedly arranged and discharges the sealing agent to a certain place moves along the sealing groove, and the sealing agent automatic loading means In addition, a workpiece transfer means from the previous process and a workpiece transfer means to the subsequent process,
The sealant automatic loading means, the pre-process and the post-process are arranged in parallel in one frame,
All the workpiece transfer operations related to the sealant loading process are configured to be performed via a work robot responsible for the workpiece transfer operation from the previous process and the workpiece transfer operation to the subsequent process. An assembly apparatus for a vehicular lamp , wherein the workpiece is transferred between steps by a typical traveling operation .   In the preceding step, at least an aiming mechanism attaching device for attaching an aiming member for adjusting the position of a reflector provided in the lamp body is installed, and in the subsequent step, the front lens and the lamp body are pressure-bonded. The apparatus for assembling a vehicular lamp according to claim 4, wherein at least a crimping device is installed.   The work robot includes an arm for gripping a workpiece, and can move the workpiece in a total of six axes including five axes used by the automatic sealant loading unit and one axis used by the workpiece transfer unit. 6. The vehicular lamp assembly apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vehicular lamp assembly apparatus comprises an axial robot.

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