JP5563791B2 - Car body positioning system and application station - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body positioning system and a coating station to which the vehicle body positioning system is applied.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of a general manufacturing process in an automobile manufacturing factory. The automobile manufacturing process is performed in the order of a vehicle body process S700, a painting process S701, and a fitting process (assembly process) S702. The vehicle body process S700 is a process of assembling the automobile body by spot welding or the like using a steel plate formed by a press line, and functions such as rust prevention, waterproofing, vibration damping, and soundproofing for the vehicle body completed in the vehicle body process. And the finishing process S702 is a process of attaching various parts to the painted car body to make a finished car body.

  The coating step S701 is performed in the order of a degreasing step S7010, a chemical conversion step S7011, an electrodeposition coating step (undercoating step) S7012, a sealing / undercoat step S7013, an intermediate coating step S7014, and an overcoating step S7015. The degreasing step S7010, the chemical conversion step S7011, and the electrodeposition coating step S7012 constitute a pre-painting process. The degreasing step S7010 is a step of removing oil adhering to the vehicle body, and the chemical conversion step S7011 is rust-proof. In addition, the electrodeposition coating step S7012 is a step of depositing the paint on the steel plate of the vehicle body by sinking the vehicle body in the paint and flowing electricity. It is. Sealing / undercoat step S7013 performs a sealing operation to apply a sealing material to the seam of the steel plate of the vehicle body for the purpose of waterproofing and dustproofing, and at the same time, applies an undercoat material to the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body for the purpose of rust prevention and vibration isolation. Do undercoat work. The intermediate coating step S7014 is a step of applying an intermediate coating to the vehicle body for the purpose of finishing and chipping resistance (a phenomenon in which the coating film becomes small flakes and peels off from the coated surface), and the top coating step S7015 is intended for decorativeness. Is a step of applying a top coat to the vehicle body.

  By the way, in the sealing / undercoat process, the hanger conveyor system is generally adopted as a form of transporting the vehicle body in order to secure a space for performing the undercoat work. The hanger conveyor system is a system in which a work is placed on or hung from a hanger suspended on a conveyance rail laid on the ceiling, and the hanger is conveyed by a chain or the like that moves along the conveyance rail. On the other hand, in the processes before and after the sealing / undercoat process, a floor conveyor system is adopted as a form of conveying the vehicle body. The floor conveyor system is a system in which a workpiece is placed on a carriage on a conveyance rail laid on the floor, and the carriage travels along the conveyance rail and is conveyed. In this way, the sealing / undercoat process is different from the process before and after the process, so it is necessary to prepare the transport device and transport jig (hanger) separately by changing the setup, and in the process before and after the process, Since transfer equipment for transferring the car bodies is required, there is a problem that extra equipment costs and spare parts for the painting factory are required. Furthermore, the position of a workpiece placed on or hung on a hanger is often unstable, and a vision correction device that corrects misalignment based on image information detected by an image recognition sensor is required at each stop work position. Met.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to adopt a floor conveyor system in the sealing / undercoat process in the same manner as in the preceding and subsequent processes. Thereby, the above problems when the hanger conveyor system is adopted can be solved. However, when the floor conveyor system is adopted, the carriage and the transport rail are close to the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body, so that a lift-up operation for lifting the vehicle body from the carriage or the vehicle body to secure a work space to which the undercoat material can be applied. A descent of the dolly is necessary to pull the dolly away from. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which vehicle body positioning means for positioning a vehicle body by lifting the vehicle body from the cart is disclosed in a lower part of an application station that places and carries an overcoated automobile vehicle body on the cart. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the lower part of the coating station showing the vehicle body positioning means of Patent Document 1.

  The vehicle body positioning means includes a main lifter 12 having a pair of front and rear reference pins 11 fitted to the reference holes on the bottom surface of the vehicle body W on the base frames 10 arranged on both lower sides of the coating station 1. A sub-lifter 13 for receiving the bottom surface of the vehicle body W is provided on the top. The main lifter 12 is lifted and lowered via a pair of lifter cams moved back and forth by a cylinder on the base frame 10, and the sub lifter 13 is lifted and lowered relative to the main lifter 12 along the guide bar by the cylinder on the main lifter 12.

  Then, the vehicle body W is lifted from the carriage 2 by raising the main lifter 12 with the sub-lifter 13 raised, and then the sub-lifter 13 is lowered to fit each reference pin 11 in each reference hole. Combine. As a result, the vehicle body W is positioned in the three axial directions of front, rear, left, right and up. The reference pin 11 is erected on a bracket 11b provided on the main lifter 12 through a three-axis orthogonal coordinate type movable mechanism 11a so that the position of the reference pin 11 can be adjusted back and forth, right and left, and up and down. Further, the reference pin 11 is raised and lowered by the cylinder 11 c in order to prevent interference with the carriage 2, and is lowered when the carriage 2 is traveling.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-79977

  By the way, in the case of the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a main lifter 12 and a sub lifter 13 are provided as lifting means for the vehicle body W, and a triaxial orthogonal coordinate type is provided on the main lifter 12 as positioning means for the vehicle body W. The movable mechanism 11a is provided. That is, the raising / lowering means for the vehicle body W and the positioning means for the vehicle body W are provided separately and separately. For this reason, when it is going to apply the technique disclosed by patent document 1 to a sealing undercoat process, there exists a problem that the structure and control which concern on the process become complicated. In the case of the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lifting / lowering operation of the vehicle body W and the positioning operation of the vehicle body W are sequentially performed independently. For this reason, when it is going to apply the technique disclosed by patent document 1 to a sealing undercoat process, the time required for the process will become long.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a vehicle body positioning system having both a lift-up function for lifting the vehicle body from the carriage to secure a space necessary for the undercoat, and a positioning function for positioning the vehicle body at a target position where the undercoat is performed, and The object is to simplify the construction and control of the coating station to which it is applied and to shorten the required time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the main present invention for solving the above problems is carried on a carriage in a coating station that performs painting on the lower part of the floor of a vehicle body. A vehicle body positioning system for positioning a vehicle body at a target position for performing the painting, the vehicle body being disposed below a lower floor of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position, A support rod having a fitting portion at the tip which is fitted to a fitting portion formed in a lower portion of the floor of the vehicle body, and the support rod in three axial directions of the vehicle body in the length direction, the width direction, and the height direction A plurality of positioning devices, and a positioning control device that controls movement of the support rods in three axial directions by the moving mechanism of the plurality of positioning devices. The apparatus comprises: a support rod fitting means for moving the support rod by the moving mechanism and fitting a fitting portion of the support rod into the fitted portion of the vehicle body placed on the carriage; the support rod is moved in a direction including the height direction by the moving mechanism, the vehicle body have a, a lift-up and positioning means for positioning the target position together with the lift from the cart, the floor portion of the vehicle body A pit that forms an underfloor space is formed, the positioning device is placed on the floor surface of the pit, and the moving mechanism is provided with a column member standing on the floor surface of the pit, and the column member A Z-axis moving base provided so as to be movable in the height direction of the vehicle body, and 2 provided on the Z-axis moving base so as to move the support rod in two axial directions of a length direction and a width direction of the vehicle body. axis To have a and the dynamic mechanism.

With the above configuration, the plurality of positioning devices can be lifted up by lifting the vehicle body from the carriage in order to secure the space necessary for painting work on the lower floor of the vehicle body by controlling the moving mechanism that moves the support rod by the positioning control device. It is possible to have both a function and a positioning function for positioning the vehicle body at a target position where the painting operation is performed. As a result, for example, when the transport mode of the painting process for the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body is a floor conveyor system, the configuration and control of the vehicle body positioning system that needs to have both the lift-up function and the positioning function are simplified and required. Time can be shortened. Further, with the above configuration, when the support rod of the positioning device obstructs the traveling of the carriage on which the vehicle body is placed, it is necessary to retract the support rod. Therefore, by placing the positioning device on the floor of the pit provided in the lower floor of the vehicle body, it becomes easy to earn the retracting stroke of the support rod, and a complicated mechanism that causes the fitting portion of the support rod to fall down is provided. There is no need to provide it.

  The positioning control device includes, as lift-up and positioning means, lift-up means for moving the support rod in the height direction by the moving mechanism and lifting the vehicle body from the carriage; and the support rod by the moving mechanism. And positioning means for positioning the lifted vehicle body at the target position.

  With the above configuration, the positioning control device can independently realize the lift-up function and the positioning function under conditions suitable for each by providing the lift-up means and the positioning means independently as the lift-up and positioning means. it can.

  The fitting portion may be a reference hole, and the fitting portion may be a reference pin that fits into the reference hole. With the above configuration, the support rod can be easily fitted to the vehicle body. The support rod may be provided upright on the support base, and the moving mechanism may be configured to move the support base in three axial directions. With the above configuration, the movement of the support rod in the three axial directions can be easily controlled. Furthermore, it becomes easy to fit the reference pin into the reference hole. The length of the support rod may be 800 mm or more. With the above configuration, a necessary and sufficient space for undercoat work can be secured.

  The mated portions are formed at the four corners of the lower floor of the vehicle body, and the positioning device is below the lower floor of the four corners of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position. May be arranged respectively.

  With the above configuration, the positioning device is arranged below the floor under the four corners of the vehicle body, so that the lift-up function and the positioning function of the vehicle body positioning system are realized by necessary and sufficient configuration and control. Can do. Further, in contrast to the case where the number of positioning devices is four or more, the space in the center under the floor of the vehicle body can be effectively used as the space necessary for the painting work on the floor under the vehicle body.

  The reference hole may be provided in a side member portion of the vehicle body.

  With the above configuration, since the side member portion of the vehicle body has high rigidity, a reference hole can be provided at one end on the front side and one end on the rear side of each of the pair of side member portions arranged in parallel in the length direction of the vehicle body. Further, it becomes easy to limit the number of positioning devices to four, and furthermore, the space in the center under the floor of the vehicle body used as a space necessary for the undercoat work can be used more effectively.

The length of the support rod is at 800mm or more, the position of the carriage of the height direction relative to the floor surface of the coating station is at least 1000 mm, depth of the pit relative to the said floor surface The thickness may be 1000 mm or more. Furthermore, the position of the target position in the height direction with reference to the floor surface of the coating station may be 1800 mm or more, and the maximum stroke length of the support rod may be 1200 mm or more.

  The reference pin may be a stepped pin having a plurality of diameters.

  With the above configuration, the plurality of positioning devices can correspond to a plurality of vehicle types having different reference hole diameters.

  The reference pin may be a clamp pin.

  With the above configuration, the plurality of positioning devices can improve the clamping force when gripping the vehicle body.

A conveyance path on which the carriage travels is formed on the floor surface of the coating station, the depth of the pit with respect to the floor surface is represented by Za, and the stroke length of the Z-axis moving table is represented by Zd, The height with respect to the floor surface at the tip of the support rod in a state where the Z-axis moving table has moved to the maximum stroke point is represented as Zb, and the height position with respect to the floor surface at the lower end of the carriage When Zo is expressed as
Za + Zb−Zd <Za + Zo
May be satisfied.
Another main aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is that a vehicle body mounted on a carriage and transported in a coating station that performs coating of the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body is set as a target position for performing the coating. A vehicle body positioning system for positioning, and a lower part of the vehicle body are applied by application nozzles disposed on both side surfaces of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position, and attached to the tip of the arm. An articulated robot, and a robot control device that controls the operation of the articulated robot, and the vehicle body positioning system is disposed below a lower floor of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at the stop position. A support rod having a fitting portion at the tip for fitting with a fitted portion formed in a lower portion of the floor of the vehicle body; and the support rod in the longitudinal direction and width of the vehicle body. And a positioning control device that controls movement of the support rod in the three-axis direction by the moving mechanism of the plurality of positioning devices. And the positioning control device moves the support rod by the moving mechanism and fits the fitting portion of the support rod to the fitted portion of the vehicle body placed on the carriage. And a lift-up and positioning means for moving the support rod in a direction including the height direction by the moving mechanism to lift the vehicle body from the carriage and to position the vehicle at the target position. Yes, and pits forming the underfloor space is formed under the floor portion of the vehicle body, the positioning device is placed floor on the floor of the pit, and the moving mechanism, the A strut member erected on the floor of the rack, a Z-axis moving base provided on the strut member so as to be movable in the height direction of the vehicle body, and the support rod on the Z-axis moving base. to have a and 2-axis moving mechanism provided to move in two axial directions in the length direction and the width direction, a coating station.

  With the above configuration, the plurality of positioning devices can be lifted up by lifting the vehicle body from the carriage in order to secure the space necessary for painting work on the lower floor of the vehicle body by controlling the moving mechanism that moves the support rod by the positioning control device. It is possible to have both a function and a positioning function for adjusting (correcting) the position of the vehicle body at a target position for performing the painting operation on the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body. As a result, for example, in the case where the transportation form of the painting process of the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body is a so-called floor conveyor system, the configuration and control of the coating station that needs to have both the lift-up function and the positioning function are simplified. Time can be shortened.

  According to the present invention, it has both a lift-up function for lifting the vehicle body from the carriage in order to secure a space necessary for the painting process under the floor of the vehicle body, and a positioning function for positioning the vehicle body at the target position of the painting process. The configuration and control of the vehicle body positioning system and the coating station to which the vehicle body positioning system is applied can be simplified and the required time can be shortened.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle body positioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface side of the positioning device of the vehicle body positioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the top view of the robot two-story application | coating station which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the right view of the robot two-story application | coating station which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the front view of the robot two-story application | coating station which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the positioning device of the vehicle body positioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the flow of the manufacturing process of the motor vehicle in a motor vehicle manufacturing factory. It is the figure which showed the enlarged front view of the lower part of the conventional coating station.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

(Embodiment)
[Body positioning system configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle body positioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present invention, in the sealing / undercoat process and the processes before and after the process, a floor belt conveyor system is employed in which the work is transported by placing the work on a carriage that runs along a transport rail laid on the floor. Is done.

  The vehicle body positioning system is arranged in a robot two-story coating station for sealing and undercoat processes, and is transported by a carriage from a coating station for a previous process (for example, the electrodeposition coating process S7012 shown in FIG. 7). The vehicle body is lifted up from the carriage and positioned at a predetermined target position. Thereby, the space for work of sealing undercoat is secured. In addition, in the vehicle body positioning system, after the sealing and undercoat operations are performed, the vehicle body is lifted down and placed again on the carriage. As a result, the vehicle body on which the sealing / undercoat has been applied is conveyed by a carriage to a coating station for a post-process (for example, intermediate coating process S7014 shown in FIG. 7).

  The vehicle body positioning system is configured by communicably connecting positioning devices 100a to 100d and a positioning control device 180. The positioning devices 100a to 100d are disposed below the floor portions at the four corners of the vehicle body in a state where the positioning devices 100a to 100d are stopped at a stop position corresponding to a target position where the undercoat is performed. In the vehicle body positioning system, among the four positioning devices 100a to 100d, positioning devices 100a and 100b arranged at the left and right corners of the front side (front side) of the vehicle body and below the floor, and the rear side (rear side) of the vehicle body ) And right and left corners and positioning devices 100c and 100d arranged below the floor. For this reason, positioning device 100a, 100b is connected with positioning control device 180 via relay device 150a. The positioning devices 100a and 100b and the relay device 150a are connected via lower cables 152a and 152b, and the relay device 150a and the positioning control device 180 are connected via higher cables 182a and 182b. The positioning devices 100c and 100d are connected to the positioning control device 180 via the relay device 150b. Positioning devices 100c and 100d and relay device 150b are connected via lower cables 152c and 152d, and relay device 150b and positioning control device 180 are connected via higher cables 182c and 182d.

  Positioning devices 100a to 100d are provided with support rods 108a to 108d having fitting portions fitted to fitting portions formed at the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body, and support rods 108a to 108d with the longitudinal direction and width of the vehicle body. And a moving mechanism for moving in the three axial directions of the direction and the height direction. Note that the moving mechanism realizes a so-called positioning function because the support rods 108a to 108d are moved in a direction including at least the height direction among the three axial directions. Further, the mechanism for moving the support rods 108a to 108d in the height direction included in the above moving mechanism realizes an elevating function for lifting or lowering the vehicle body in the vertical direction. For example, a cam mechanism, a piston crank mechanism, a rack and pinion mechanism, or the like is employed as a mechanism that realizes the positioning function and the lifting function. In addition, as the positioning devices 100a to 100d, for example, NC (numerical control) locators having orthogonal triaxial coordinates are employed.

  It should be noted that the positioning device is not limited to the four positioning devices 100a to 100d. For example, there are two locations on the left and right sides of the longitudinal center of the vehicle body and the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body if the configuration and control of the vehicle body positioning system are not considered A total of six positioning devices may be disposed below the positioning device.

  The positioning control device 180 includes at least a CPU (arithmetic device) and a memory (storage device), and controls the moving mechanisms of the positioning devices 100a to 100d. The positioning control device 180 can be connected to an external device (not shown) such as a teach pendant. By using this external device, the operator uses each of the positioning devices 100a to 100d to start execution of the teaching mode (the mode for teaching the end position of the reference pin) and the check mode (the mode for checking the teaching locus). , Manual operation of the positioning devices 100a to 100d during execution of the teach mode, input of start and end positions of the reference pins during execution of the teach mode, and the like. Since the operations of the positioning devices 100a to 100d are easy to grasp, offline teaching using three-dimensional CAD (Computer Aided Design) may be applied without applying online teaching using an external device. Furthermore, the positioning control device 180 may control the undercoat work robots 200a to 200d, which will be described later, and the sealing work robot 300, which will be described later.

[Positioning device structure]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view seen from the side of the positioning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that the positioning device 100 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to any of the positioning devices 100a to 100d shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the horizontal direction on the paper is the X-axis direction (positive: rightward on the paper surface, negative: leftward on the paper surface), the vertical direction on the paper surface is the Z-axis direction (positive: upward on the paper surface, negative: downward on the paper surface), and vertical on the paper surface. The direction is the Y-axis direction (positive: front side of paper surface, negative: back side of paper surface).

  The positioning device 100 mainly includes a support member 101, an X-axis moving table 107 (support table), and a support rod 108.

  The column member 101 is a substantially columnar member that forms the column of the positioning device 100. The strut member 101 is configured to have a sturdy structure (for example, a columnar shape) that has high rigidity and little bending so that the vehicle body can be raised and lowered. Further, in order to stabilize the posture of the column member 101 upright in the Z-axis direction (the posture perpendicular to the pit floor surface P), the leg portion 1010 of the column member 101 is disconnected from the head 1011 of the column member 101. The shape is larger than the area.

  A guide rail 1030 extending in the Z-axis direction is formed on the column member 101, and a Z-axis moving table 105 is provided so as to be fitted to the guide rail 1030 and slidable in the Z-axis direction. The Z-axis moving table 105 is screwed into, for example, a ball screw 1020 extending along the guide rail 1030, and this ball screw 1020 is rotated by a Z-axis servo motor 102 disposed on the leg portion 1010 of the column member 101. . Thereby, the Z-axis moving base 105 is moved up and down in the Z-axis direction and positioned, and as a result, a Z-axis moving mechanism for moving up and down and positioning a support rod 108 described later in the Z-axis direction is provided. This Z-axis movement mechanism realizes a positioning function and a lifting function (including a lift-up function) in the Z-axis direction in the positioning device 100.

  A guide rail 1031 extending in the Y-axis direction is formed on the Z-axis moving table 105, and a Y-axis moving table 106 is provided so as to be fitted to the guide rail 1031 and slidable in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis servo motor 103 is disposed on the Y-axis moving table 106. For example, a rack gear (not shown) is disposed on the Z-axis moving table 105 so as to extend along the guide rail 1031, and a pinion gear (not shown) that meshes with the rack gear is arranged on the Y-axis moving table 106. ) And the pinion gear is rotated by the Y-axis servo motor 103. Thereby, the Y-axis moving base 106 is moved and positioned in the Y-axis direction, and as a result, a Y-axis moving mechanism for moving and positioning a support rod 108 described later in the Y-axis direction is provided. This Y-axis moving mechanism realizes a positioning function and a moving function in the Y-axis direction in the positioning device 100.

  A guide rail 1032 extending in the X-axis direction is formed on the Y-axis moving table 106, and an X-axis moving table 107 is provided so as to be fitted to the guide rail 1032 and slidable in the X-axis direction. The X-axis moving table 107 is screwed into, for example, a ball screw (not shown) formed so as to extend along the guide rail 1032, and this ball screw is disposed on the Y-axis moving table 106. It is rotated by the motor 106. As a result, the X-axis moving base 107 is moved and positioned in the X-axis direction, and as a result, an X-axis moving mechanism for moving and positioning a support rod 108 described later in the X-axis direction is provided. This X-axis movement mechanism realizes a positioning function and a movement function in the X-axis direction in the positioning device 100.

  Reference numeral 1040 indicates a cable including wiring for supplying power to the Y-axis servo motor 103 and the X-axis servo motor 104 and a control line for transmitting a control signal to the Y-axis servo motor 103 and the X-axis servo motor 104. .

  A support rod 108 is erected at a substantially central portion of the upper surface of the X-axis moving table 107 (the surface located on the positive side of the Z-axis). The support rod 108 is erected (upright) so as to extend in the vertical direction in the present embodiment.

  At the tip of the support rod 108, a pointed reference pin 109 is provided as a fitting portion to be fitted into a fitted portion (for example, reference holes Ha, Hb, Hc, Hd described later) of the vehicle body. Note that the reference pin 109 may be a stepped pin having a plurality of diameter portions so as to be compatible with positioning of a plurality of vehicle types. This eliminates the need to replace the reference pin 109 for each of a plurality of vehicle types having different reference hole diameters. The reference pin 109 may be a clamp pin having a large clamping force. Thereby, the clamp of the vehicle body by the four reference pins 109 is stabilized. Moreover, a fitting part and a to-be-fitted part are not limited to these aspects, What is necessary is just an aspect mutually fitted.

  In order to earn the stroke amount in the Z-axis direction of the X-axis moving table 107, the positioning device 100 is provided on the pit floor surface P at a position lower than the floor surface FL of the coating station for sealing / undercoat in the negative Z-axis direction. Placed on the floor. Here, when the X-axis moving base 107 is moved in the Z-axis direction, the maximum stroke point on the Z-axis is expressed as Zmax, and the minimum stroke point on the Z-axis is expressed as Zmin. It should be noted that the maximum stroke point Zmax and the minimum stroke point Zmin are positions on the Z axis of the center line of the X axis moving table 107 with the pit floor surface P as a reference. Therefore, the maximum stroke amount Zd in the Z-axis direction of the X-axis moving base 107 can be expressed by the following equation.

Zd = Zmax−Zmin (1)
The length in the Z-axis direction from the pit floor surface P to the minimum movement distance Zmin is expressed as Zc. The minimum stroke point Zmin of the X-axis moving table 107 is not set to the pit floor surface P, but is set to a position at a height Zc from the pit floor surface P in the Z-axis direction. This is because a trouble occurs due to contact with the leg portion 1010 of the X-axis moving table 107 when moving in the direction.

  Further, the length in the Z-axis direction (pit depth) from the pit floor surface P to the floor surface FL is expressed as Za, and the X-axis moving table 107 is moved to the maximum stroke point Zmax from the floor surface FL. The length in the Z-axis direction to the reference pin 109 at the tip of the support rod 108 is expressed as Zb. Then, the X-axis moving table 107 is moved to the minimum stroke point Zmin, and the length in the Z-axis direction from the floor surface FL to the tip of the reference pin 109 is “Zb−Zd”. Therefore, the reference pin 109 moves in the Z-axis direction from the lowest stroke point “Zb−Zd” to the highest stroke point “Zb” when the floor surface FL is used as a reference. When the pit floor surface P is used as a reference, the reference pin 109 moves in the Z-axis direction from the lowest stroke point “Za + Zb−Zd” to the highest stroke point “Za + Zb”.

  The length (Ze) of the support rod 108 including the height of the reference pin 109 in the Z-axis direction, the depth of the pit in the Z-axis direction (Za), and the stroke amount Zd of the X-axis moving table 107 are the sealing undercoat. It is determined based on various constraints in the process.

  For example, the minimum stroke point “Za + Zb−Zd (pit floor surface P reference)” of the reference pin 109 does not disturb the traveling of the carriage when the vehicle body placed on the carriage is transported in the coating station. Determine under. Here, when the transport position of the vehicle body in the Z-axis direction (the position of the lower end of the carriage) with respect to the floor surface FL is set to Zo, if the positioning device 100 is an area that cannot be avoided in the horizontal and width directions of the carriage, the following expression It is necessary to satisfy the conditions.

Za + Zb−Zd <Za + Zo (2)
The maximum stroke point “Za + Zb (pit floor surface P reference)” of the reference pin 109 is determined under the constraint that the undercoat operation by the undercoat robot is not disturbed. Here, when the vehicle body is lifted up until the undercoating operation can be performed, the height (the position of the target position in the height direction) of the lower surface of the side sill of the vehicle body with respect to the floor surface FL is set to Zl. The condition of the following formula must be satisfied.

Za + Zb> Za + Zl (3)
In the case of this embodiment, the position Zo of the carriage in the vehicle body height direction with respect to the floor surface FL is, for example, 1000 mm or more, and the height of the lower surface of the side sill of the vehicle body with respect to the floor surface FL when lifted up. The length Zl is, for example, 1800 mm or more.

  Further, the pit depth Za based on the floor surface FL is, for example, 1000 mm or more, and the maximum stroke amount Zd of the X-axis moving table 107 in the Z-axis direction is, for example, 1200 mm or more. Further, the maximum stroke point Zb of the X-axis moving base 107 is set to, for example, 2050 mm or more on the front side of the vehicle body, and is set to, for example, 2056.5 mm or more on the rear side of the vehicle body. Further, the length Ze of the support rod 108 is, for example, 800 mm or more.

<Layout structure in coating station>
3, 4, and 5, a robot two-story coating station for sealing and undercoat to which the vehicle body positioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied (the coating station according to the embodiment of the present invention). The layout structure in parentheses) will be described. 3 is a plan view of the coating station, FIG. 4 is a right side view of the coating station, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the coating station.

  The carriage 500 travels along a transport rail (not shown) laid on the coating station 400 in the transport direction (right direction on the paper) shown in the figure. The transport rail is laid at a position Zo in the height direction of the vehicle body W in parallel with the center line L shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the transport rail is a single rail on which a monorail or the like travels, and the carriage 500 is provided so that the arms of the undercoat robots 200a, 200b, 200c, and 200d can easily enter the lower floor of the vehicle body W. The width dimension of should be as narrow as possible. Further, the transport rail may be two rails on which a train or the like travels. In this case, the distance between the two rails and the width of the carriage 500 are made as wide as possible.

  In a box-shaped base member 502 serving as a base of the carriage 500, a pair of auxiliary plates 504 and 506 are juxtaposed at the front part in the transport direction and the rear part opposite to the transport direction. For this reason, the cart 500 has an alphabetic H shape in plan view, and the vehicle body W is placed on the upper surfaces of the base member 502 and the auxiliary plates 504 and 506. Front wheels are provided at both ends of the front auxiliary plate 504, and rear wheels are provided at both ends of the rear auxiliary plate 506. In addition, auxiliary wheels are provided at the front and rear portions of the base member 502. The height of the carriage 500 is preferably as short as possible in order to suppress the stroke amount of the reference pins 109a to 109d of the positioning devices 100a to 100d.

  Reference holes Ha to Hd are provided in the lower floors at the four corners of the vehicle body W placed on the carriage 500 as fitted portions into which the reference pins 109a to 109d of the positioning devices 100a to 100d are fitted. The reference holes Ha to Hd are machined into a pair of side member portions (not shown) arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body W. Since the side member portion has a large flexural strength (strong rigidity), the positions of the reference holes Ha to Hd can be set on the front side of the side member portion without considering the restriction due to the load resistance of the vehicle body W at the time of lift-up. One end and one end on the rear side can be set. Further, as a result, a space for undercoat work can be widely provided in the center under the floor of the vehicle body W. For the reference holes Ha to Hd, round holes with good positioning accuracy are selected. Further, the hole diameters of the reference holes Ha to Hd are set under the condition of the following expression.

Positioning correction possible range ≦ Hole diameter-Hole machining position accuracy (4)
In a state where the carriage 500 on which the vehicle body W is placed is stopped at the stop position before the lift-up corresponding to the target position (the center of the paper surface), the floor lower portion at the left corner on the front side of the vehicle body W has a depth with respect to the floor surface FL. A pit 410a for Za is provided, and a pit 410b having a depth Za with respect to the floor surface FL is provided at the lower floor at the right corner on the front side of the vehicle body W, and a floor surface at the lower floor at the left corner on the rear side of the vehicle body W. A pit 410c having a depth Za with respect to the FL is provided, and a pit 410d having a depth Za with respect to the floor surface FL is provided in the lower floor of the right corner on the rear side of the vehicle body W.

  The positioning devices 100a to 100d are arranged at the pit 410a in the lower floor of the left corner on the front side of the vehicle body W and positioned in the pit 410b in the lower floor of the right corner on the front side of the vehicle body W. The device 100b is disposed, the positioning device 100c is disposed in the pit 410c in the lower left corner of the rear corner of the vehicle body W, and the positioning device 100d is disposed in the pit 410d in the lower right corner of the rear corner of the vehicle body W. As described above, the positioning devices 100a to 100d are symmetrically arranged at the lower floors at the four corners of the vehicle body W so as to keep the posture of the vehicle body W horizontal. Further, the positioning devices 100a to 100d are arranged in advance so that the reference holes Ha to Hd processed in the lower part of the four corner floors of the vehicle body W are positioned on the vertical direction of the reference pins 109a to 109d. Thereby, the amount of position shift at the time of fitting the reference pins 109a to 109d in the reference holes Ha to Hd can be suppressed in advance.

  An undercoat robot 200a that travels in the length direction of the vehicle body W by a traveling device 250a installed on the floor surface FL is disposed on the front side and the left side surface of the vehicle body W, and on the front side and the right side surface of the vehicle body W. The undercoat robot 200b that travels in the length direction of the vehicle body W is disposed by the travel device 250b installed on the floor surface FL, and the vehicle installed on the floor surface FL on the front side and the left side surface of the vehicle body W. An undercoat robot 200c that travels in the length direction of the vehicle body W is disposed by the device 250c. On the front side and the left side surface of the vehicle body W, a travel device 250d installed on the floor surface FL extends in the length direction of the vehicle body W. A traveling undercoat robot 200d is arranged. The traveling rail is common to the left and right sides of the vehicle body W. As described above, the undercoat robots 200a to 200d are respectively provided with an undercoat on the front and left side of the vehicle body W, an undercoat on the front and right side of the vehicle body W, and a rear of the vehicle body W. The undercoat for the lower floor on the side and the left side, and the undercoat for the lower floor on the front side and the right side of the vehicle body W are in charge.

  In the undercoat robots 200a to 200d, an application nozzle for applying an undercoat material is attached to the tip portion of the arm, and the undercoat robot 200a to 200d moves the application nozzle to a predetermined position outside the lower floor of the vehicle body as the arm rotates. It is an articulated robot that automatically coats coating materials. Each joint is provided with an actuator having a servo motor (not shown) and an encoder (position detector) connected to the main shaft of the servo motor. By operating the servo motor of each actuator, each arm is relatively rotated around an axis orthogonal to the axis of the joint connected to itself or around the axis of the joint connected to itself. The encoder detects the rotation angle (current position) from the reference position (reference angle) of the servo motor connected to itself, and is used for servo control of the servo motor connected to itself. The servo control of each servo motor of the undercoat robots 200a to 200d is performed according to an instruction from a robot control device 401 (see FIG. 3) including at least a CPU and a memory.

  A sealing robot 300 that travels in the length direction of the vehicle body W by a travel device 350 that is installed at a height of approximately Zo from the floor surface FL is disposed at the center and on the right side of the vehicle body W. The sealing robot 300 is provided with an application nozzle for applying a sealing material to the tip portion of the arm, and moves the application nozzle to a predetermined position where the vehicle body is joined as the arm rotates, so that the undercoat robots 200a to 200d. This is an articulated robot that automatically paints the sealing material on the vehicle interior side at the same time. Each joint is provided with an actuator having a servo motor (not shown) and an encoder (position detector) connected to the main shaft of the servo motor. By operating the servo motor of each actuator, each arm is relatively rotated around an axis orthogonal to the axis of the joint connected to itself or around the axis of the joint connected to itself. The encoder detects the rotation angle (current position) from the reference position (reference angle) of the servo motor connected to itself, and is used for servo control of the servo motor connected to itself. The servo control of each servo motor of the sealing robot 300 is performed by an instruction from a robot control device 401 (see FIG. 3) having at least a CPU and a memory.

[Operation of positioning controller]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of control performed by the positioning control device 180 for the positioning devices 100a to 100d during sealing / undercoat. This flowchart is implemented as a program stored in the memory of the positioning control device 180, and is executed by the CPU of the positioning control device 180 reading and executing the program stored in the memory (not shown). .

  First, the positioning control device 180 is positioned at the tip of the support rods 108a to 108d with respect to the reference holes Ha to Hd (fitting portions) that are pre-processed in the lower floors at the four corners of the vehicle body W placed on the carriage 500. The X-axis moving bases 107a to 107d are arranged at least in the height direction among the three axial directions of the vehicle body W in the length direction, the width direction, and the height direction so that certain reference pins 109a to 109d (fitting portions) are fitted. It is moved in the including direction (S600). If the positional relationship between the reference holes Ha to Hd and the reference pins 109a to 109d is linear in the height direction at the stop position of the carriage 500, the X-axis moving bases 107a to 107d are moved only in the height direction. Thus, the reference pins 109a to 109d can be fitted into the reference holes Ha to Hd. At this time, since the carriage 500 and the support rods 108a to 108d are both highly rigid, the servo gain may be temporarily reduced by the X-axis moving mechanism and the Y-axis moving mechanism in order to avoid stagnation due to the deviation.

  Next, the positioning control device 180 lifts (lifts up) the vehicle body W from the carriage 500 and positions the X-axis moving table 107 so that the position of the vehicle body W lifted from the carriage 500 is positioned at a predetermined target position. It is moved in a direction including at least the height direction among the three axis directions (S601). However, since it is in a state of being fitted to the vehicle body W, the positional relationship between the X-axis moving bases 107a to 107d is set to a constant state. Note that the case where the X-axis moving base 107 is moved only in the height direction is the same as in the above-described fitting. Further, the lift-up of the vehicle body W and the positioning of the vehicle body W to the target position are performed simultaneously, but the positioning may be performed after the lift-up is completed. Further, for lifting the vehicle body W, particularly in the case of a sealing work, the sealing work or the like may be appropriately performed not by a single full stroke but by a multi-stage short stroke. At that time, depending on the reach of the robot arm, it may be implemented by a backup combined robot. In the event of equipment trouble, complete line stoppage can be avoided.

  Next, after the sealing by the sealing robot 300 and the undercoat by the undercoat robots 200a to 200d are performed, the positioning controller 180 sets the X-axis moving table 107 to 3 so that the vehicle body W is placed on the cart 500 again. It is moved in a direction including at least the height direction (downward here) in the axial direction (S602). Note that the case of moving the X-axis moving base 107 only in the height direction is the same as in the above-described fitting.

  Then, the positioning control device 180 separates the reference pins 109a to 109d of the support rods 108a to 108d from the reference holes Ha to Hd in the lower floor of the vehicle body W placed on the carriage 500, so that the X axis moving bases 107a to 107d are separated. Is moved in a direction including at least the height direction among the three axial directions of the length direction, the width direction, and the height direction of the vehicle body W (S603). Note that the case of moving the X-axis moving base 107 only in the height direction is the same as in the above-described fitting.

  In parallel with the above steps, the positioning control device 180 performs servo control to keep the vehicle body W gripped by the four reference pins 109 always horizontal.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the positioning devices 100a to 100d have the lift-up function for lifting the vehicle body W from the carriage 500 and the target position for performing the undercoat in order to secure the space necessary for the undercoat operation. And a positioning function for positioning the vehicle body. As a result, when the undercoating process is a floor conveyor system, the configuration and control of the vehicle body positioning system having both the lift-up function and the positioning function are simplified and the required time is shortened. be able to. Furthermore, the height of the ceiling of a painting factory can be made low compared with the case where the conveyance form of an undercoat process is a hanger conveyor system as before, and the installation cost of a painting factory can be reduced.

  It should be noted that the positioning function is only a function for fine adjustment of the positional deviation, and the positioning of the vehicle body can be almost self-completed by the lift-up function, so that the positional deviation amount is recognized by the image sensor and the image sensor. It is not necessary to install a vision correction device that corrects the positional deviation based on the image that has been made, and the system construction cost can be reduced. In addition, compared with the case where a vision correction device is provided, it is easy to cover a wide range of misalignment correction regions between a plurality of vehicle types instead of the same vehicle type, and the versatility for adding vehicle types can be improved. Furthermore, compared to the case where a vision correction device is provided, a mechanical mechanism is mainly used, so that it is easy to visualize and even if a trouble occurs, the recovery time and the line stop time can be shortened. Furthermore, there is no need to worry about dirt such as mist of the image sensor, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

  Moreover, the positioning control apparatus can implement | achieve a lift-up function and a positioning function on the conditions suitable for each by implementing a lift-up function and a positioning function independently.

  Further, the fitting portion provided at the lower floor of the vehicle body W is set as reference holes Ha to Hd, and the fitting portions provided at the tips of the support rods 108a to 108d are set as reference pins 109a to 109d. The portion can be easily fitted to the fitted portion of the vehicle body W. Further, the support rods 108 are made to stand upright on the X-axis moving table 107 that can move in three axial directions, so that the reference pins 109a to 109d of the support rods 108a to 108d can be easily fitted into the reference holes Ha to Hd of the vehicle body W. be able to.

  In addition, the positioning devices 100a to 100d are respectively disposed below the lower floors at the four corners of the vehicle body W in a state where the carriage 500 is stopped at the stop position corresponding to the target position where the undercoat is to be performed. The lift-up function and the positioning function can be realized by a minimum configuration and control. In contrast to the case where four or more positioning devices are installed, the space in the center under the floor of the vehicle body can be effectively used as the space necessary for the undercoat operation.

  Further, since the side member portion of the vehicle body W is strong, the reference holes Ha to Hd are provided at one end on the front side and one end on the rear side of each of the pair of side member portions arranged in parallel in the length direction of the vehicle body W. Thus, the space in the center under the floor of the vehicle body W used as a space necessary for the undercoat work can be used more effectively.

  Further, by placing the positioning devices 100a to 100d on the floor surface P of the pits 410a to 410d provided in the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body W, it becomes easy to earn a retracting stroke of the support rods 108a to 108d. Thus, there is no need to provide a complicated mechanism for overturning the reference pins 109a to 109d.

  Further, by using the step pins having a plurality of diameters as the reference pins 109a to 109d, the positioning devices 100a to 100d can correspond to a plurality of vehicle types having different reference hole diameters. Further, by using the reference pins 109a to 109d as clamp pins, the positioning devices 100a to 100d can improve the clamping force when gripping the vehicle body W.

  From the foregoing description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  For example, if an explosion-proof mechanism such as an internal pressure type or a pressure resistant type is employed, the vehicle body positioning system can be applied not only in the sealing / undercoat process but also in the intermediate coating process and the overcoating process.

  The present invention provides a lift-up function for lifting the vehicle body from the carriage and a target position where the undercoat is performed in order to secure a space necessary for the undercoat work when the transport mode of the undercoat process is a floor conveyor system. It is beneficial to apply it to a coating station having a positioning function for positioning a vehicle body. Further, if an explosion-proof mechanism such as an internal pressure type or a pressure resistance type is employed, it is useful not only in the undercoat process but also in the intermediate coating process and the top coating process.

100 (100a to 100d) Positioning device 101 Prop member 1010 Leg 1011 Head 102 Z-axis servo motor 1020 Ball screw 103 Y-axis servo motor 1030, 1031, 1032 Guide rail 104 X-axis servo motor 105 Z-axis moving table 106 Y-axis moving Base 107 (107a, 107b, 107d) X-axis moving base 108 (108a, 108b, 108d) Support rod 109 (109a, 109b, 109d) Reference pin 150a, 150b Relay device 152a-152d Lower cable 180 Positioning control device 182a-182d Upper cable 200a to 200d Undercoat robot 250a to 250d Traveling device 300 Sealing robot 350 Traveling device 400 Coating station 401 Robot controller 4 0 (410a, 410b, 410d) pits 500 carriage 502 base member 504, 506 reinforcing plate W body H (Ha, Hb, Hd) reference holes

Claims (13)

A vehicle body positioning system for positioning a car body of an automobile that is placed on a carriage and transported in a coating station that performs painting of the lower part of the floor of the car body at a target position for carrying out the painting,
A fitting portion that is arranged below the floor lower portion of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position, and that fits with a fitting portion formed on the floor lower portion of the vehicle body, A plurality of positioning devices comprising: a support rod having a moving mechanism that moves the support rod in three axial directions of a length direction, a width direction, and a height direction of the vehicle body;
A positioning control device that controls movement of the support rod in three axial directions by the moving mechanism of the plurality of positioning devices;
The positioning control device includes:
A support rod fitting means for moving the support rod by the moving mechanism and fitting the fitting portion of the support rod into the fitted portion of the vehicle body placed on the carriage;
Wherein the support rod is moved in a direction including the height direction by the moving mechanism, we have a, a lift-up and positioning means for positioning the target position with lifting the vehicle from the carriage,
A pit that forms an underfloor space is formed in the lower floor of the vehicle body,
The positioning device is placed on the floor of the pit; and
The moving mechanism includes a column member standing on the floor of the pit, a Z-axis moving table provided on the column member so as to be movable in a height direction of the vehicle body, and the support on the Z-axis moving table. A vehicle body positioning system comprising: a biaxial movement mechanism provided to move the rod in the biaxial direction of the length direction and the width direction of the vehicle body.   The positioning control device includes, as lift-up and positioning means, lift-up means for moving the support rod in the height direction by the moving mechanism and lifting the vehicle body from the carriage; and the support rod by the moving mechanism. The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 1, further comprising positioning means for moving and positioning the lifted vehicle body at the target position.   The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the fitted portion is a reference hole, and the fitting portion is a reference pin that fits into the reference hole. The support rod is provided upright on a support base,
The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 3, wherein the moving mechanism is configured to move the support base in three axial directions.   The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 4, wherein a length of the support rod is 800 mm or more. The mated portions are formed at the four corners of the lower floor of the vehicle body,
2. The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning devices are respectively disposed below the bottom floors of the four corners of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position. The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 3 , wherein the reference hole is provided in a side member portion of the vehicle body. The length of the support rod is 800 mm or more,
The position of the carriage in the height direction with respect to the floor surface of the application station is 1000 mm or more,
The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein a depth of the pit with respect to the floor surface is 1000 mm or more. The position of the target position in the height direction with respect to the floor surface of the coating station is 1800 mm or more,
The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 8 , wherein a maximum stroke length of the support rod is 1200 mm or more. The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 3 , wherein the reference pin is a stepped pin having a plurality of diameters. The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 3 , wherein the reference pin is a clamp pin.   A conveyance path on which the carriage travels is formed on the floor surface of the coating station,
The depth of the pit with respect to the floor surface is represented by Za, the stroke length of the Z-axis moving table is represented by Zd, and the tip of the support rod in a state where the Z-axis moving table has moved to the maximum stroke point. When the height with respect to the floor surface is represented as Zb and the height position with respect to the floor surface at the lower end of the carriage is represented as Zo,
Za + Zb−Zd <Za + Zo
The vehicle body positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body positioning system is configured to be satisfied. A vehicle body positioning system for positioning a vehicle body of an automobile that is placed on a carriage and transported in a coating station that performs painting of the lower part of the floor of the vehicle body at a target position for performing the coating;
An articulated robot that is disposed on both side surfaces of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at a stop position corresponding to the target position, and that applies a lower floor of the vehicle body by an application nozzle attached to an arm tip;
A robot control device for controlling the operation of the articulated robot,
The vehicle body positioning system is arranged below a floor lower portion of the vehicle body in a state where the carriage is stopped at the stop position, and has a fitting portion that fits with a fitted portion formed on the floor lower portion of the vehicle body. A plurality of positioning devices, and a moving mechanism that moves the support rod in three axial directions of a length direction, a width direction, and a height direction of the vehicle body,
A positioning control device that controls movement of the support rod in three axial directions by the moving mechanism of the plurality of positioning devices;
The positioning control device includes:
A support rod fitting means for moving the support rod by the moving mechanism and fitting the fitting portion of the support rod into the fitted portion of the vehicle body placed on the carriage;
Wherein the support rod is moved in a direction including the height direction by the moving mechanism, we have a, a lift-up and positioning means for positioning the target position with lifting the vehicle from the carriage,
A pit that forms an underfloor space is formed in the lower floor of the vehicle body,
The positioning device is placed on the floor of the pit; and
The moving mechanism includes a column member standing on the floor of the pit, a Z-axis moving table provided on the column member so as to be movable in a height direction of the vehicle body, and the support on the Z-axis moving table. And a biaxial moving mechanism provided to move the rod in two axial directions, ie, a length direction and a width direction of the vehicle body .

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