JPH0631679A - Automatic assembly device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase a number of parts built a single set of robot by an automatic assembly device of small size so that an operating range of the robot can be efficiently utilized. CONSTITUTION:Two trays 1 of the six trays 1 on a stock station 5, provided between a tray carrying conveyer 2 and a pallet carrying conveyer 4, are transfer loaded on the tray carrying conveyer 2, to narrow a space between both the conveyers 2, 4 by shortening a length of the stock station 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic assembly apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to an automatic assembling apparatus that supplies parts side by side on a tray and assembles a plurality of parts at an assembling station using an assembling robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Assembling of a tape recorder or a mechanical deck of a VTR has conventionally been performed by automatic assembly using an assembly robot. In the case of performing such automatic assembly, conventionally, a plurality of robots are arranged along the production line, and different parts are sequentially assembled by each robot. However, such a configuration has a problem in that a large number of robots are required when assembling various types of parts, and the equipment cost for one line becomes very high. Therefore, when performing high-mix low-volume production, there is a drawback that the cost is rather high due to automation.

In order to solve such a problem, the applicant of the present invention has proposed an automatic assembling apparatus as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-277229. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the automatic assembling apparatus according to this proposal. In FIG.
A component tray transport conveyor 2 for transporting a tray 1 in which components are stored, and a work pallet transport conveyor 4 for transporting a pallet 3 on which a work such as a substrate in which a component is mounted are mounted are arranged in parallel. . A stock station 5 is provided at a right angle between the conveyors 2 and 4, and six trays 1 are placed in series on the stock station 5.

An assembly station 6 is provided on the pallet transport conveyor 4, and a parts take-out station 7 is provided inside the conveyor 4 in the vicinity of the assembly station 6. Six trays 1 are placed in two rows at the component take-out station 7, and an assembling robot 8 is provided between the component take-out station 7 and the tray transfer conveyor 2. Then, within the working range 9 of the arm tip of the robot 8 indicated by the chain double-dashed line, the chucking point of the tray 1 placed on the tray transfer conveyor 2 and the stock station 5, the assembling station 6 and the parts unloading station 7 are shown. The tray 1 and the entire surface of the tray 1 placed inside are accommodated therein.

A pusher for guiding the trays 1 on the conveyor 2 into the stock station 5 one by one is guided by the rod 10 to move in the direction of arrow AA at a position facing the stock station 5 of the tray transfer conveyor 2. An arm 11 is provided. The pusher arm 11 is moved and driven in the direction of arrow AA by the drive device 12.

In the automatic assembling apparatus configured as described above, the tray 1 containing the components is conveyed on the tray conveying conveyor 2, and the predetermined tray 1 is pushed by the pusher arm 11.
When the tray 1 is reached, the tray 1 is pushed by the pusher arm 11 to move into the stock station 5, and a maximum of 6 trays 1 are stocked. Next, the robot 8 takes out the required tray 1 from the stock station 5,
It is moved to the parts picking station 7. On the other hand, when the pallet 3 supplied by the pallet conveyor 4 moves to the assembling station 6, the robot 8 takes out the parts from the predetermined tray 1 in the parts taking station 6 and transfers them onto the work in the pallet 3, Parts are assembled on the assembly station 6.

The pallet 3 which has been assembled is sent to the next step by the conveyor 4. Further, the tray 1 having no components is moved from the component take-out station 7 onto the conveyor 2 by the robot 8. In this way, one robot 8 can assemble six types of parts, and the number of robots 8 provided in one line can be reduced.

[0008]

However, according to the conventional automatic assembling apparatus constructed as described above, since the trays 1 are placed in series on the stock station 5, the stock station 5 becomes vertically long, There is a problem that the distance between the conveyors 2 and 4 becomes long and the apparatus becomes large. In addition, the operating range of the arm of the assembling robot must be widened, which also causes a problem of increasing the size of the robot.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to efficiently use the operating range of a robot, and to increase the number of parts assembled by one robot with a small device to produce a large variety of small quantities. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic assembling apparatus capable of coping with the above.

[0010]

An automatic assembling apparatus according to claim 1 is arranged between a component tray transfer conveyor 2 and a work pallet transfer conveyor 4 which are arranged in parallel, and between the conveyors 2 and 4. The robot 8 and a position adjacent to the robot 8 and orthogonal to the conveyors 2 and 4 and
The first stock station 5a for stocking a plurality of trays 1 arranged in a range in which the arm 8a of the tray 8 can be conveyed, and the robot 8 at the opposite position, which is orthogonal to the conveyors 2 and 4 and inside the tray 1. Is equipped with a part take-out station 7 in which the possible range of the arm 8a of the robot 8 exists for all the parts, and a second stock station 5b provided on an extension of the part take-out station 7.

The automatic assembling apparatus according to claim 2 is the second
The stock station 5b is provided between the first stock station 5a and the component take-out station 7.

An automatic assembling apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is provided with a pusher arm 11 as a transfer mechanism for transferring the tray 1 conveyed by the component tray conveyor 2 to the first stock station 5a. To do.

[0013]

In the automatic assembling apparatus having the above construction, for example, the trays 1 placed in series in the stock station 5 are arranged.
Two of them were placed and stocked on the upper part of the tray transfer conveyor 2 or in an empty space between the two conveyors 2 and 4 within the working range of the assembling robot 8 so that they were placed on the conventional stock station 5. The number of trays 1 present can be reduced from 6 to 4, and the distance between both conveyors 2 and 4 can be shortened. As a result, the robot 8
The operating range can be efficiently used, and the device can be downsized.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the automatic assembling apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, portions corresponding to those of the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. The feature of this embodiment is that, out of the six trays 1 placed in series on the stock station 5 shown in FIG. 5, four trays 1a are left, and the other two trays 1b are used as an extension of the parts picking station 7a. It is placed on the tray transport conveyor 2 of. That is, the first stock station 5a for mounting the four trays 1a is provided at a conventional position, and the second stock station 5b for mounting the other two trays 1b is provided to the assembling robot 8 as a first stock station.
Was provided in parallel to the opposite side of the stock station 5a and above the conveyor 2. In addition, the first component take-out station 7a on which the four trays 1c are placed is provided between the two conveyors 2 and 4 in parallel with the first stock station 5a.
In addition, it was provided on the opposite side of the assembly robot 8. A second component unloading station 7b for mounting the other two trays 1d is provided between the first and second stock stations 5a and 5b.

Both conveyors 2 and 4 are mounted on a pedestal 21 as shown in FIGS.
7 is a base plate 2 fixed on both conveyors 2 and 4
It is provided on 2. Further, the chucking point 31 of the tray 1 on the tray transfer conveyor 2 and the stock station 5 and the entire surface of the tray 1 on the component take-out station 7 are respectively the arms 8 a of the assembling robot 8.
Is within the working range of the tip of the.

According to the present embodiment, the number of the trays 5 in which the six trays 1 are placed in series in the stock station 5 can be changed to four, so that the distance between the conveyors 2 and 4 can be shortened. be able to. As a result, the assembly robot 8
The operating range can be efficiently used, the device can be downsized, and space efficiency can be improved. Further, since the number of parts assembled by one robot increases, it is possible to cope with small-lot production of various products.

According to the present embodiment, the pusher arm 1
It is necessary to load the tray 1 on the tray transport conveyor 2 on the first stock station 5a by 1 and then transfer it to the second stock station 5b. However, the tray 1c or 1 currently mounted on the parts picking station 7 and supplying the parts to the assembling station 6
By counting the remaining amount of the component of d, transferring is performed only when the amount becomes equal to or less than the set value, and the tray 1 of the same type is replenished by the pusher arm 11 on the first stock station 5a, the assembly efficiency is improved. Can be minimized.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, two of the trays 1 placed on the stock station 5 in the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 were transferred to an empty space inside the component take-out station 7. The chucking point 31 of the tray 1 transferred at this time
Should be within the working range of the arm 8a of the assembly robot 8.

Also in this embodiment, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.

The number of trays 1 placed on each of the stations 5 and 7 shown in the above embodiments is not limited to six.

[0022]

As described above, according to the automatic assembling apparatus of the present invention, a part of the tray in the stock station is placed and stocked at another position within the working range of the arm of the assembling robot. The operating range of the assembling robot can be efficiently used, and the device can be downsized and the space efficiency can be improved. In addition, the number of parts assembled by one robot is increased, and it is possible to cope with small lot production of various kinds.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a main part of an embodiment of an automatic assembly apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the device as seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the device as seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of an example of a conventional automatic assembly apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tray 2 Parts Tray Conveyor 3 Pallet 4 Work Pallet Conveyor 5a 1st Stock Station 5b 2nd Stock Station 6 Assembly Station 7 Parts Picking Station 8 Robot 8a Arm 9 Movable Range 11 Pusher Arm (Transfer Mechanism)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A tray for component conveyer and a conveyer for workpiece pallet arranged in parallel, a robot arranged between the conveyors, a position adjacent to the robot and orthogonal to the conveyor,
And a first stock station for stocking a plurality of trays arranged in a range in which an arm of the robot can be transported in series, and a position opposite to the first stock station via the robot, which is orthogonal to the conveyor, and is entirely in the tray. An automatic assembling apparatus comprising: a parts take-out station in which a movable range of the robot arm exists for an item and a second stock station provided on an extension of the part take-out station. 2. The automatic assembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second stock station is provided between the first stock station and the parts unloading station. 3. The automatic assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring the tray conveyed by the component tray conveyer to the first stock station.