JPH0338177Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a conveying device for a free-flow assembly line.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the present invention] Conventionally, in a free-flow assembly line such as a chain or belt type, jig pallets flowing on the line are separated at each assembly point. Depending on the assembly efficiency, it may be delayed or accelerated. However, when this pallet advances from one assembly site to another, there is a problem that it collides with the rear of each pallet located in front of it, and there is also the problem that each part, etc. is not supplied or assembled from the side of the line to the assembly parts on the pallet. There has been a problem in that during handling, the driving vibrations of the conveyor are transmitted to the pallets, causing errors during assembly.

Because of these problems in the conventional free-flow assembly line, the conventional technology also required dampers for shock absorbers to be installed on each pallet, and furthermore, dampers were installed on the free-flow chain to isolate it from the vibrations of the chain. Furthermore, although methods such as upward lift-up have been adopted, there has been a problem in that the processing is still complicated and cannot be carried out accurately.

The present invention solves these problems by buffering the impact when each pallet collides, allowing the following pallet to smoothly stop relative to the preceding pallet, and reducing the transmission of vibration from a conveyor such as a free-flow chain. It is intended to block.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve these problems, the present invention provides a free-flow conveyance means comprising a conveyor such as a chain or a belt, and a fixed rail installed at a certain height above the surface of the conveyor, and the conveyor. A lower surface of the platform and an upper surface of the leg, which have a leg that is placed on the machine, are always spring-biased toward the tip on the lower surface of the pallet table, and are located on the upper surface of the leg when the tip protrudes from the tip of the platform. The upper side is pivoted to the stand with a gap between them, and the lower side is pivoted by an arm hanging down from the underside of the stand. is higher than the height between the top surface of the transport machine and the top surface of the fixed rail, and by pushing the tip protrusion of the leg backwards, the height between the bottom surface of the table and the bottom surface of the leg increases. It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyance device for an assembly line comprising: a pallet having an arm height determined with respect to the leg portion such that the height is lower than the height between the top surface of the machine and the top surface of the fixed rail;

[Effect]

As a result of adopting such a means in the present invention, the pallet on each free-flow conveying means collides with the preceding pallet and at the same time reduces its vertical height, and as the pallet table is placed on the fixed rail, the legs are While the pallet is being separated from the conveyor, the brake is applied to eliminate the buffering during a collision, and the tips of the legs under the pallet table are brought into contact with the rear part of the preceding pallet, and this contact force is used to move the legs that are pivoted under the pallet by an arm. At the same time, the vertical height of the pallet is reduced and the pallet table is mounted on a fixed rail. As a result, the free-flow rotational vibration of the conveyor such as a chain or belt is suppressed from each part on the pallet table. It cuts the edge without transmitting it to the parts.

〔Example〕

To further explain the details of the present invention based on illustrated embodiments, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a line employing such an assembly line conveying device according to the present invention, and numeral 1 in the figure is a free-flow type conveying means. And 2 is the palette. Reference numeral 3 provided on the side of each pallet 2 is a component supply device for an assembly line, an assembly robot, or the like. That is, the free flow conveyance means 1 mainly consists of an endless rotary conveyor 4 such as a chain or belt as shown in the figure, and fixed rails 5, 5 are installed at a certain height higher than the surface of the conveyor 4. In the case of the illustrated example, two of them are provided at slightly higher positions on both sides of a conveyor 4 using a chain.

By placing the pallet 2 on the conveyor 4 of the free-flow type conveying means 1, the pallet 2 is stopped at a specific position at the same time as it advances in the direction of rotation of the conveying means 1, and each part of the assembly line is supplied and assembled. is possible.

Next, as shown in the figure, the pallet 2 to be set on the free-flow conveying means 1 has a pallet stand 6 made of a plate or frame, etc., and arms 7 on the underside of the pallet stand 6 at the front and back. The sled-like leg portion 8 is pivotally supported by.... and the leg 8
has a length that is approximately the same as that of the pallet table 6 in the longitudinal direction, and when the pallet 2 is placed on the conveyor 4 and moved, the tip of the leg 8 is separated from the tip of the pallet table 6 as shown in FIG. It is set in a slightly protruding state, and the rear end is set in a state located forward from the rear end of the pallet table 6. That is, if the arm 7, whose upper side is pivoted to the pallet table 6 and whose lower side is suspended from the lower surface of the table, is used as a rotating shaft, the leg 8 is rotated from right to left in the figure. The leg portion 8 and the pallet table 6 are constructed as a single plate with the same length in the front and back. As shown in the figure, when the tip of the leg 8 protrudes from the tip of the table 6, the height between the bottom surface of the table 6 and the bottom surface of the leg 8 is higher than the height between the top surface of the carrier 4 and the top surface of the fixed rails 5, 5. By pushing the tip protrusion of the leg 8 backward, the height between the lower surface of the table 6 and the lower surface of the leg 8 becomes greater than the height between the upper surface of the carrier 4 and the upper surface of the fixed rails 5, 5. The arm 7 with respect to the leg 8 has a low relationship.
Determining the height. In this way, when the leg portion 8 is moved rearward as described above, that is, when the arm 7 is rotated backward, its vertical height becomes smaller, so that the lower surfaces of both sides of the pallet table 6 are aligned with the fixed rails 5.
At the same time as it gets on the upper surface, the leg portion 8 rotates backward and separates from the upper surface of the conveyor 4, so that the entire pallet 2 is supported only on the fixed rails 5, 5. In addition, when no backward pushing force is applied to the tip of the leg 8, that is, when the contact with the preceding pallet 2 is released, the height between the lower surface of the table 6 and the lower surface of the leg 8 is raised again. For this reason, a return spring 9 is provided between the lower surface of the pallet table 6 and the leg 8 at a proper position, which urges the leg 8 in the forward direction, that is, in the return direction as shown in the figure. In addition, when the fixed rails 5 are provided on both sides above the conveyor 4 such as a chain, it is necessary to provide the pallet table 6 side surface slightly protruding laterally than the two parallel legs 8 side surfaces. be.

In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a stopper member made of urethane rubber or the like provided at the rear of each pallet table 6.

By placing the legs 8 of the pallet 2 having such a configuration on the conveying means 1 of the free-flow assembly line, the arms 7 stand at right angles on the legs 8 as shown in FIG. When the pallet table 6 is raised, the pallet table 6 is positioned in parallel, and its height is at its highest, the lower surface of the pallet table 6 is positioned above the fixed rail 5, and the pallet 2 is moved by the movement of the conveyor 4. You will be free to move in the direction you want. However, at a certain assembly point, the protrusion of the following pallet leg 8 collides with the rear of the preceding pallet 2, causing the leg 8 to move rearward via the arm 7, causing the lower surface of the pallet table 6 and the lower surface of the leg 8 to collide. The height between the pallet tables 6 and 6 is reduced, and both sides of the pallet table 6 are placed on the fixed rails 5, and the legs 8 are placed on the conveyor 4.
It separates upward from the point.

Therefore, when the preceding pallet moves further forward, the restoring force of the spring causes the leg 8 to move to the second position.
The state shown in the figure is restored, and the pallet table 6 is separated upward from the fixed rail 5 and moved forward by the conveyor 4.

Therefore, in this state, when the preceding pallet 2 and the following pallet 2 collide, the legs 8 are immediately
rotates rearward upward, and the pallet table 6 is placed on the fixed rail 5, and the brake is automatically applied to buffer the impact force at the time of the collision. Since the conveyor 4 is separated from the conveyor 4, rotational vibrations of the conveyor 4 are not transmitted upward.

Next, in order for such a pallet 2 to stop at each work station, its stopping stopper 1 must be moved.
1 is required. This stopper is provided on the side of the position where each pallet is to be stopped in FIG. That is, the stopper 11 is composed of a portion on the pallet 2 side for receiving these and a member that protrudes and retracts from a direction perpendicular to the line. On the pallet 2 side, a recess 12 is formed at the end of the pallet table 6, and the rear end surface 1 of the recess 12
An engaging groove 13 having a stopper surface 13' located forward of the pallet table 2' is provided on the upper surface of the leg portion 8 below the pallet table 6. That is, 12 in the figure is this concave portion, and 1 in the figure is
3 is the engagement groove. The stopper surface 13' of the engagement groove 13 is located forward of the rear end surface 12' of the recess 12, and the engagement groove 13
If the member for operating the legs is inserted into the recess 12 earlier than the insertion, and the legs 8 are rotated backwards, the fixed rails can be removed at the same time as the legs 8 are separated from the conveyor 4.
A pallet table 6 is placed on top of the pallet table 5, and the stopper piece can be pushed into the recess 12 while applying a brake due to the friction between the two, thereby buffering the pallet in the event of a collision, making it possible to separate from the conveyor 4 and stop at a specific position. It is said that These recesses 12 and engagement grooves 13
The timing for inserting each member into the line is controlled by detecting its position by an optical sensor 14 or the like provided on the side of the line.

Next, a stopper pin as a stopper member that retracts and retracts from the recess 12 and the engagement groove 13 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, there is a stopper pin 15 having a head that engages with the recess 12 and having a tapered tip, and then the engagement groove 13.
The long stopper pin 16, which has a side surface 16' that protrudes further than the tip of the stopper pin 15 and engages with the stopper surface 13' of the engagement groove 13, is inserted downward into the upper pin 15.
The pallet 2 can be provided separately or integrally with the pallet 2, and each can be moved separately or simultaneously to drive the pallet 2 using separate drive sources or the same drive source.
When it is retracted from the side, the lower stopper pin 16 is first inserted into the engagement groove 13, and the contact between the engagement surfaces causes the leg part 8 to rotate backward under the pallet table 6, increasing the height of the entire pallet 2. The stopper pin 15 that follows enters the concave portion 12 of the pallet table 6 and can be stopped at a fixed position while the pallet is reduced to a small size and the brake in the advancing direction is obtained by frictional resistance.

After completing the necessary assembly work, if the stopper pins 15 and 16 are moved backward, the restoring spring 9
As a result, the leg portion 8 returns to the front, the pallet table 6 is separated upward from the upper surface of the fixed rail 5, and the pallet 2 can be moved forward by the conveyor 4.

By using such a stopper device, it is possible to stop the pallet at a certain specific position, and it also buffers the impact at the time of stopping and at the same time reduces vibrations caused by the rotation of the conveyor 4 such as a chain or belt. At times, the legs 8 are removed upwards to prevent vibrations from being transmitted to the parts, thereby fulfilling the function of a conveying device for a free-flow assembly line.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, the assembly line conveyance device according to the present invention selects the height of the pallet by rotating the legs back and forth, and when traveling, the pallet table is moved upwardly from the fixed rail. When pallets collide, the legs are moved backward to reduce the vertical height, the pallet table is placed on a fixed rail, the brakes are applied, and the contact between the conveyor and the legs is cut off. This makes it possible to stop the pallet table in a fixed position without applying vibrations to the pallet table.

In such an assembly line conveyance device, it acts as a buffer when pallets collide with each other or with a stopper, cuts off the vibration of the conveyor, and in addition, the brake can be operated automatically and on the pallet without a special brake mechanism during a series of operations. This can be achieved by adjusting the weight of each part placed on the pallet, so all of these effects can be achieved in one operation with a simple structure, making it ideal for free-flow assembly lines that require mass production without failure. This makes it possible to provide a highly efficient transport device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is an overall diagram of a free-flow assembly line.
Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the pallet, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the relationship between the pallet and the conveyor, Fig. 4 is a side view of the pallet, and Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the pallet and stopper members. It is. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Conveying means, 2... Pallet, 3... Parts supply device, 4... Conveying machine, 5... Fixed rail, 6
...Pallet table, 7...Arm, 8...Legs, 9
...Returning spring, 10...Stopper member, 11
...stopper, 12...recess, 12'...
... Rear side end surface, 13 ... Engagement groove, 14 ... Sensor, 15 ... Upper stopper pin, 16 ... Lower stopper pin, 16' ... Stopper pin side surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A free-flow conveyance means consisting of a conveyor such as a chain or belt, and a fixed rail provided at a certain height above the surface of the conveyor, and legs placed on the conveyor. The leg is always spring biased toward the tip on the lower surface of the pallet table, and when the tip protrudes from the tip of the table, there is a gap between the lower surface of the table located on the upper surface of the leg and the upper surface of the leg. The upper side is pivoted to the stand, and the lower side is pivoted by an arm vertically disposed on the underside of the stand, and when the tip of the leg protrudes from the tip of the stand, the height between the underside of the stand and the lower side of the leg is the same as that of the conveyor. The height between the top surface and the top surface of the fixed rail is higher than the height between the top surface and the top surface of the fixed rail, and by pushing the tip protrusion of the leg portion backward, the height between the bottom surface of the table and the bottom surface of the leg becomes the height between the top surface of the carrier and the top surface of the fixed rail. A conveying device for an assembly line, comprising: a pallet whose height is determined to be lower than the height of the arm relative to the leg; 2. The assembly line conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein fixed rails are provided in a positional relationship corresponding to the lower surfaces of both sides of the pallet table.