JPH0218273B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a vehicle body working device in an automobile assembly line, and more specifically, for example, a device for automatically performing a sealing operation on a vehicle body while the vehicle body is continuously conveyed. Regarding work equipment.

Conventional technology and its problems In the automobile assembly process, in order to prevent water from seeping through the joints of the body panels, it is necessary to apply a sealant along the joints of the body panels after welding is completed. (For example, "Automotive Engineering Complete Book Volume 19: Automobile Manufacturing Methods" (April 20, 1982),
(See Sankaido, p. 168). Therefore, these sealing operations have conventionally been performed in the following manner.

In other words, sealing work is actually done after the metal process in which metal parts such as doors are assembled to the car body, and the metal line itself is a so-called continuous type conveyor that continuously transports car bodies at a predetermined speed. However, in order to cope with the above-mentioned sealing work, in addition to this continuous line, there is a tact system mainly consisting of a lift and carry conveyor or a plain shuttle conveyor that can perform intermittent conveyance in each process. In addition to installing a line, floor-mounted industrial robots are installed on both sides of this tact line, and the specified sealing work is performed using a sealing gun held by the industrial robot while the vehicle body is stationary. ing.

Here, the reason why the car body transfer line is converted from a continuous operation system to a tact operation system and stationary robot work is performed during sealing work is because it is difficult to make industrial robots follow the moving car body in the first place, and continuous This is because the reproducibility of the accuracy of the carriage for transporting the car body on the line and the accuracy of positioning the car body with respect to the carriage is poor, making it difficult to perform repetitive work in collaboration with an industrial robot.

However, in the case of sealing work equipment using the above-mentioned tact operation system, a different type of tact line must be installed in addition to the continuous line before and after the sealing process.
Moreover, the tact line is equipped with a rotating device for loading the tact line car bodies from the preceding continuous line, and an unloading device for removing the car bodies from the tact line to the subsequent continuous line. This has the disadvantage that it occupies a large area and is extremely disadvantageous in terms of capital investment.

Purpose of the Invention This invention was made in view of the above points, and it eliminates the need to install a separate tact line as in the past, and improves the precision of the bogie during continuous transport of car bodies on a continuous line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body working device in an automobile assembly line that allows predetermined work such as sealing work to be performed without being affected by the positional accuracy of the vehicle body with respect to the truck.

Structure of the invention For this purpose, in the working device of the present invention,
It has a floor-type vehicle body transport conveyor that carries a vehicle body and continuously conveys the vehicle body at a predetermined speed, and a synchronous coupling device that can engage and disengage from a traveling portion of the vehicle body transportation conveyor, and the synchronous coupling device and the A movable frame that can move in synchronization with the traveling part by following the movement of the traveling part by engaging with the traveling part, and a movable frame that is provided on the movable frame and is installed in the movable frame to move the body from the traveling part of the vehicle body conveyor before the industrial robot performs the work. There is a lifter mechanism that lifts the car body and positions it at a predetermined height position, and also transfers the car body to the original running location after the work is completed, and a lifter mechanism that is installed on the movable frame and moves the car body lifted by the lifter mechanism to the front, back, and width of the car. A positioning mechanism that controls the positioning of the vehicle body in the longitudinal and vehicle width directions by pressing from the direction and centering it, and a positioning mechanism that is installed on the movable frame and has a working tool at the tip of the robot arm, and a mechanism that controls the vehicle body positioning on the movable frame. It consists of an industrial robot that performs specified tasks using work tools.

Effects According to the above configuration, when the traveling part of the vehicle body conveyor and the movable frame are coupled and synchronized, the vehicle body is separated from the traveling part and supported on the side of the movable frame that runs in synchronization with the traveling part, Positioning is performed with respect to this movable frame. and,
After positioning is completed, an industrial robot installed on the movable frame side performs sealing work while the moving parts of the car body transport conveyor and the movable frame run in synchronization, and after the work is completed, the car body is returned to its original running position from the movable frame. It will be returned to the part.

Embodiments Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a work device for sealing a vehicle interior as an example.

1 to 4 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention. Incidentally, although FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 should originally be drawn on the same drawing, they are divided into two drawings to avoid complication of the drawing. In the figure, 1 is a floor-type car body conveyor that is the center of a continuous type car body conveyor line;
Reference numeral 2 denotes a gate-shaped machine frame provided so as to surround the car body conveyor 1, and the car body B is mounted on the bogie 3, which serves as a traveling part of the car body conveyor 1, via a jig J. The vehicle body B is transported by continuously traveling at a predetermined speed. Here, the vehicle body transport conveyor 1 does not necessarily have to be of the trolley type, and any conveyor other than the trolley type may be used as long as it can continuously transport the vehicle body B.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a gate-shaped movable frame disposed within the machine frame 2 and suspended from the machine frame, and the movable frame 4 is guided by guide rails 5 provided on the machine frame 2 so that it can run. . More specifically, two synchronous coupling devices 6 are provided at the lower end of the movable frame 4 on the left and right sides (however, only the two on the rear side are shown in FIG. 2), and these synchronous coupling devices 6 are operated. By being mechanically coupled to the truck 3 side, the movable frame 4 travels in synchronization with the truck 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the synchronous coupling device 6 is equipped with a pair of clamp levers 22 that are opened and closed by the operation of a cylinder 21. By sandwiching the coupling portion 23 on the side of the bogie 3 between the pair of clamp levers 22, the bogie 3 and the movable frame 4 are mechanically connected.

In addition, the movable frame 4 includes a balance cylinder 7.
(Fig. 2) is connected to the piston rod 7a, and when the bogie 3 and movable frame 4 run in synchronization, a preload is always applied in the direction of pulling the movable frame 4, and as will be described later, the movable frame The movable frame 4 is configured to be able to move smoothly even when carrying the weight of B.

At the lower end of the movable frame 4, there are a pair of lifter mechanisms 10 in the front and rear for lifting the vehicle body B from the trolley 3, and a pair of X-direction positioning mechanisms 13 in the front and rear for positioning the vehicle body B by pressing it from the lateral direction. , also a pair of Y-direction positioning mechanisms 1 in the front and rear for positioning by pressing the vehicle body B from the front and back.
6 and 20 are installed.

The lifter mechanism 10 includes a lift lever 8 hinged to the movable frame 4 as shown in FIG.
The lift lever 8 supports the lower surface of the vehicle body B by rotating the lift lever 8 upward from the state shown in FIG. 4 by the action of the lift cylinder 9. Then, the vehicle body B is lifted from the truck 3 and positioned at a predetermined height.

The X-direction positioning mechanism 13 includes a cylinder 12 attached to the movable frame 4, and a cylinder 12 attached to the movable frame 4.
and a pusher 11 that moves forward and backward by the operation of the vehicle body B, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.
The vehicle body B is positioned with respect to the movable frame 4 in the vehicle width direction by pressing and centering the lower both sides of the frame so as to compete with each other from the vehicle width direction.

Further, the Y-direction positioning mechanisms 16 and 20 also include cylinders 15 and 20 mounted on the movable frame 4, respectively.
25, and pusher links 14, 24 that rotate by the action of the cylinders 15, 25, and press the front and rear parts of the lower part of the vehicle body B so as to counteract each other, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. By centering the vehicle body B, the vehicle body B is positioned relative to the movable frame 4 in the longitudinal direction. As described above, when the bogie 3 and the movable frame 4 are synchronously coupled, the lifter mechanism 10
is lifted up to support the vehicle body B on the movable frame 4 side, and furthermore, the X direction positioning mechanism 13 and the Y direction positioning mechanism
By operating the direction positioning mechanisms 16 and 20, the vehicle body B is positioned relative to the movable frame 4 in the X direction (vehicle width direction), Y direction (front and back direction), and Z direction (height direction). .

Reference numeral 17 denotes a pair of front and rear door opening/closing mechanisms provided on the sides of the movable frame 4;
The arm 2 rotates due to the operation of the cylinder 26.
7 with a vacuum cup 28 attached to the tip. In preparation for sealing work from the door opening side, this door opening/closing mechanism 17 sucks and supports each door D with a vacuum cup 28 and then rotates the arm 27 to open the door D according to the movement of the arm 27. It will open and close automatically.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a pair of front and rear articulated industrial robots attached to the upper end of the movable frame 4. As shown in FIG.
The system enters the vehicle interior through the front and rear window openings, moves in accordance with position data taught in advance, and performs a predetermined sealing operation.

Next, a series of operations of the sealing work device having the above configuration will be explained.

First, the movable frame 4 waits at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 until the vehicle body B, which is continuously traveling on the trolley 3, reaches a position corresponding to the movable frame 4. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the vehicle body B has reached a predetermined position, the synchronous coupling device 6
is operated to mechanically connect the movable frame 4 and the truck 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the pair of clamp levers 22 of each synchronous coupling device 6
The side joint portion 23 is sandwiched from the front and back. As a result, the movable frame 4 starts traveling in synchronization with the truck 3 due to the driving force of the truck 3 and the force of the balance cylinder 7.

When the synchronous connection between the truck 3 and the movable frame 4 is completed, the lifter mechanism 10 is operated to lift up and separate the vehicle body B from the truck 3, and then position it at a predetermined height position. As a result, the weight of the vehicle is borne by the movable frame 4. Then,
The X-direction positioning mechanism 13 and the Y-direction positioning mechanisms 16 and 20 operate to press and center the vehicle body B supported by the lifter mechanism 10 from the front, rear, and both sides, thereby aligning the vehicle body B with respect to the movable frame 4. and positioning in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the door opening/closing mechanism 17 is operated to open each door D as shown in FIG.
Needless to say, all of these operations are performed while the trolley 3 and movable frame 4 are running in synchronization.

When the positioning of the vehicle body B with respect to the movable frame 4 is completed as described above, the industrial robot 18 that has been waiting in the upper moving position operates and enters the vehicle interior through the front and rear window openings. Then, a predetermined sealing operation is performed using the sealing gun 19. At the same time, a part of the inside of the door D that was opened earlier is also sealed.

Industrial robot 18 after sealing work is completed
When the is retracted to the origin position, the X direction positioning mechanism 1
At the same time, the door opening/closing mechanism 17 closes the door D, and the lift lever 8 of the lifter mechanism 10 lowers to transfer the vehicle body B onto the original truck 3. Then, the car body B is transported to the next process together with the trolley 3, and the movable frame 4 returns to the initial position at high speed (quick return) by a return drive mechanism (not shown), and thereafter repeats the same operation as above. .

In other words, according to this embodiment, the car body B is separated from the continuously running bogie 3, and this car body B is once transferred to the side of the movable frame 4 that is running in synchronization with the bogie 3. This system performs everything from positioning of the vehicle body B to sealing work, so that the vehicle body B does not need to be involved in the tact drive system at all.

In the above embodiment, the sealing work device inside the vehicle interior was explained as an example, but it can be applied not only to the interior of the vehicle but also to the sealing work outside the vehicle interior, and can also be applied to deburring work, various polishing work, etc. It can also be applied.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, during the synchronized running of the moving part of the car body conveyor and the movable frame, the transfer of the car body from the trolley to the movable frame, the positioning of the car body with respect to the movable frame, and the industrial Since the robot can perform the specified work and also transfer the car body from the movable frame to the trolley again automatically, there is no need to set up a separate line with tact operation as in the past, so there is less capital investment. In addition to being significantly advantageous in terms of space, it also has the effect of being able to be implemented by simply making improvements to the existing continuous type line.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory plan views of FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 is a side explanatory view of FIG. 1 as well. 1...Car body conveyor, 3...Dolly, 4...
Movable frame, 5... Guide rail, 6... Synchronous coupling device, 10... Lifter mechanism, 13... X direction positioning mechanism, 16, 20... Y direction positioning mechanism, 18... Industrial robot, 19... Sealing gun (work tool), B...Car body.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A floor-type vehicle body conveyor that carries a vehicle body and continuously conveys the vehicle body at a predetermined speed, and a synchronous coupling device that can engage and disengage from the traveling portion of the vehicle body conveyor. a movable frame capable of traveling in synchronization with the traveling part by following the movement of the traveling part by engagement of a synchronous coupling device with the traveling part; A lifter mechanism that lifts the car body from the running area of the car body conveyor and positions it at a predetermined height position, and transfers the car body to the original running area after the work is completed. A positioning mechanism that controls the positioning of the vehicle body in the front, rear, and vehicle width directions by pressing and centering the vehicle body from the front, rear, and vehicle width directions; 1. An industrial robot that performs predetermined work on a vehicle body positioned at a vehicle body using a working tool.