JPS6067278A - Automatic assembly method of car parts and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To completely automate the assembly work of car parts without including excessive work processes by removing a grip handle from assembled car parts, holding a temporarily installed tightening device with this grip handle, then removing it from a car body. CONSTITUTION:A car body B is mounted on a conveyor 1 and moved, and it is positioned when it reaches the strut assembly position. An automatic assembly device having struts P is formed with a robot R having a grip hand H selectively holding a nut tightening device N and the struts P at the tip of a multi-joint arm 8 and a fixing device K temporarily installing a nut tightening device N on the car body. After the nut tightening device N is temporarily installed on the car body B, the grip handle H is removed from the nut tightening device N to hold the struts P, which are assembled to the car body by the nut tightening device N. Then, the grip hand H is removed from the struts P, and the nut tightening device N is removed from the car body B.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically assembling vehicle parts, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for automatically assembling vehicle parts, and more particularly, to a method for automatically assembling vehicle parts, and more particularly, to a method for automatically assembling vehicle parts, and more particularly, for assembling bolts to predetermined parts of a vehicle body.

The present invention relates to an automatic assembly method for vehicle parts, in which vehicle parts are assembled via fasteners such as nuts, and improvements to the apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, on an automobile assembly line, for example, a strut assembly (hereinafter referred to as a strut) of a strut-type front suspension as a vehicle component has generally been assembled by a worker. That is, one worker positions and holds the strut by fitting the upper part of the strut into the positioning hole of the vehicle body, and in this state, another worker places the fastener tightening device such as a nut in a predetermined position. ,
The task involved tightening nuts on the strut assembly bolts that passed through bolt insertion holes in the vehicle body. However, the work of assembling the struts is extremely troublesome for workers, partly because the struts are relatively heavy, and there is a growing desire to automate the assembling work of the struts. There is.

So, is there a way to automate this kind of strut assembly work by using industrial robots? I can think of what was used.

This method involves, for example, positioning a car body on a line at a predetermined position, gripping and transporting the strut with a gripping hand attached to one robot, and positioning it on the car body. A is transported and positioned on the vehicle body, and the strut is automatically assembled to the vehicle body.

However, with this method, the strut assembly work is only possible when two robots work together, which inevitably complicates the automatic strut assembly equipment. In the strut assembly process, the two robots work back and forth, so while one of the four pots is working, the other robot is idle, which reduces the robot's work efficiency. The problem was that the

In order to solve these problems, the applicant of the present invention has previously proposed the following method for automatically assembling struts (Japanese Patent Application No. 17709/1982).

That is, in this method of automatically assembling a strut, an engaging portion is provided on the strut in advance, the strut is grasped and conveyed by a grasping hand attached to a robot, the positional relationship between the strut and the vehicle body is determined, and the above-mentioned After temporarily assembling the strut by locking it to the vehicle body via the retaining part and removing the gripping hand from the strut, the positional relationship between the gripping hanger tightening device and the vehicle body is determined, and the tightening tool is The strut is assembled to the vehicle body using a tightening device. According to this type, it is possible to automatically assemble the strut and car body using one robot, which increases the robot's work efficiency without complicating the device itself. It can be improved.

However, in this automatic strut assembly method, it is necessary to provide an engaging part in advance on the strut in order to temporarily assemble the strut to the vehicle body, but it is necessary to change the design of the existing strut. If used without a strut, a separate engagement member must be attached to the strut. In this case, in addition to the main task of assembling the strut to the vehicle body, it becomes essential to attach the engaging member to the strut and to remove the retaining member from the strut after the strut has been assembled. Extra work process p to +-1 psi 15 KIJ h
2 - → exclusive y rrs ) JI I pass L'r
&, 9 r-e! T! A problem arises in that it cannot be converted to 61+.

The present invention has been made from the above viewpoint, and its purpose is to improve the work efficiency of robots without complicating the device itself. To provide a method and device for automatically assembling vehicle parts that can completely automate the assembling work of vehicle parts without involving any extra work steps while satisfying the demand for improved performance.

The basic structure of the automatic assembly method for vehicle parts according to the present invention is that a gripping hand attached to a robot grasps and conveys a fastener tightening device, and the positional relationship between the fastener tightening device and the vehicle body is determined. At the same time, the fastener tightening device is temporarily installed on the vehicle body, and then the gripping hand is separated from the temporarily installed fastener tightening device, the gripping hand grips and conveys the vehicle part, and the vehicle part is determining the positional relationship with the vehicle body, and assembling the vehicle component to the vehicle body using the fastener tightening device;
Thereafter, the grip hand is separated from the assembled vehicle part, and the grip hand grips the temporarily installed fastener tightening device to remove it from the vehicle body.

Furthermore, the basic configuration of the automatic assembly device used to carry out the method for automatically assembling vehicle parts according to the present invention is as follows:
a robot having a gripping hand for selectively gripping the fastener tightening device and the vehicle component, and bringing and positioning the fastener tightening device and the vehicle component to the vehicle body, and a robot provided on the fastener tightening device; , the said fastener tightening device? A fixing device temporarily installed on the vehicle body? It is something to be prepared for.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a method and apparatus for automatically assembling vehicle parts according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an apparatus for automatically assembling vehicle parts shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an automatic assembly process for a strut as a vehicle component.

In the figure, the vehicle body B is placed on conveyors 1-1 and moved, and is positioned when it reaches the strut assembly position. Pt-temporary holding stand 2
is installed. The automatic strut P assembling device is installed on a work stage close to the conveyor 1, and includes a nut tightening device N as a fastener tightening device, a stock) P, and a gripping hand (2) that selectively grips the nut. This automatic assembly device is composed of a robot R provided at the tip of the articulated arm 8, the nut tightening device NKv cutter 1, and a fixing device for temporarily installing the nut tightening device N on the vehicle body. , based on the teaching information of the robot, the nut tightening bag [N on the temporary stand (not shown) is grasped with the grasping hand ■ and transported to a predetermined position on the vehicle body B, and then the nut tightening device N is moved to the above-mentioned Ii. ! All the fixing devices K are temporarily installed on the vehicle body B, and then the gripping hand ■ is detached from the temporarily installed nut tightening device N, and the strut P on the temporary mounting base 2 is gripped by the gripping hand ■. At the same time, the assembly bolt 6 installed upright in the upper case 3 of the strut P is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 7 on the upper surface of the strap tower 4, and the nut tightening device is Tighten the above assembly bolt 6 and nut 10 with N to assemble the stock) P to the vehicle body B, and then tighten the assembled strut P.
It is designed so that it can be released from the grip. Furthermore, the first
Reference numeral 11 in rJ is a nut supply device that supplies 10 nuts to the nut tightening device N.

In this embodiment, the gripping hand H that selectively grips the nut tightening device N and the strut P is provided on a hand body 50 and the hand body 5o, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. Strut""l' [lI R
(clamp member B that grips iPs etc. 2 and robot) R
The floating mechanism 69 is configured to floatingly support the hand main body 50 on the arm 8, and a locking member 81 to restrain the movement of the floating mechanism 69.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the hand main body 5o includes a plate-shaped pace plate 51? A support shaft 52 that supports one end of the strut P coaxially with the arm 8 of the robot is slidably provided in the central hole 51a of the pace plate 51, and the lower end of the support shaft 52 While the stopper washer 53 is screwed,
A spring 54 is interposed between the upper end flange 52a of the support shaft 52 and the base plate 51, so that the mud support shaft 52 is always urged upward. A column 55 is provided on the base plate 51 in parallel with the support shaft 52.
A detent plate 56 is provided protruding from the support shaft 52 side of the strut P, into which a fixing bracket (Pb) protruding from the shaft portion Ps of the strut P is inserted. Furthermore, a pair of cylindrical portions 5T are formed on both sides of the upper part of the support column 55 in the front-rear direction, and a support rod 59 is attached to each cylindrical portion 57 so as to be slidable in the axial direction via a ball bush 5B. A stopper washer 60 is screwed to the lower end of the support rod 59, and a mounting bracket 61 for a clamp member 63 is mounted to the upper part of the support rod 59. A spring 62 is interposed in the till so that the support rod 59 is always urged upward.

Further, - the clamp member 63 has a pair of clamp arms 64, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5,
The center portion of each clamp arm 64 is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket 61 with a pivot 1llllII65,
It opens and closes on a plane parallel to the base plate 51. A mouth-shaped gripping surface 64a that is opened by 1 mm is formed at the opposing tip portions of the clamp arm diagram above, and the gripping surfaces 64a (34a) are arranged so that they come into contact with the shaft portion Ps of the strano l-P, etc. (It's C.

Furthermore, a pair of air cylinders 66 that drive the clamp arm 64 are attached to the mounting bracket group, and the piston rod 66a of each air cylinder 66 is attached to the mounting bracket group.
is connected to the proximal end portion of the clamp arm 64, and the clamp arm 64
is designed to open and close.

A bolt stopper 67 is protruded from a portion of the clamp arm 64 that faces each other near the pivot shaft 65, and this bolt stopper 67 comes into contact with a stopper piece 68 provided on the mounting bracket 61 to prevent the clamp arm from moving. closed position? It is now regulated.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6, the floating tlη machine 69 is interposed between the arm 8 of the robot box and the base plate 51 of the hand body 50, and its specific details are as follows. The structure includes a fixed bed 70, a sliding member 71 mounted on the fixed bed 70 so as to be slidable in a predetermined direction (X direction in FIG. 6), and a sliding member 71 mounted on the sliding member 71 perpendicular to the X direction. A movable bed 72 is mounted so as to be slidable in a direction (Y direction in FIG. 6).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the fixed bed 70 is a rectangular member having four stripes 70a extending in the X direction on its upper surface, and the sliding member 71 is provided on its lower surface extending in the X direction. It is a rectangular member provided with a protrusion 71a, and the protrusion 71a is slidably fitted into the member.

In this case, the bearing 73 has four threads 70a, for example.
The outer case 74 identified along the vertical wall of the ridge 7
The inner case 75 fixed along the vertical wall of 1a and the V-shaped grooves 741.75a formed on the facing surfaces of the outer case 74 and the inner case 75 alternate in direction. A plurality of cylindrical rollers 76 which are alternately arranged and are in sliding contact with the R portions 74a and 75a, and a holding plate 7γ which rotatably holds these rollers 76 at predetermined intervals.
It is made up of. The movable bed 72 is a rectangular member with four stripes 72a extending in the Y direction on the lower surface thereof, and a protruding strip 71b extending in the Y direction is formed on the upper surface of the sliding member 71. 71b is slidably fitted into the four stripes 72a via bearings 73 on both sides thereof. Therefore, since the movable bed 72 can move in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the fixed bed 70, the XY plane determined by the X direction and the Y direction, in other words, a plane parallel to the general plane of the fixed bed TO. It is set so that it can be moved in any direction on the top. Further, a plate-shaped mounting plate 78 is fixed to the lower surface of the fixed bed 70 with screws or the like, and this mounting plate 78 is connected and fixed to the arm 8 of the robot 1t via a tubular connecting bracket 79. A movable bed 72 is connected and fixed to the pace plate 1/-) 51 of the node main body 50 via a tubular connecting bracket 80.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the lock member 81 includes a lock pin 82 provided in the center of the fixed bed 70 so as to be movable back and forth, and a lock hole provided in the center of the movable bed 72. It consists of 83. In this embodiment, the lock bin 82 includes a large diameter portion 82a and a reduced diameter portion 82 formed at the tip of the large diameter portion 82a.
1] and a small diameter portion 8 formed at the tip of this reduced diameter portion 82b.
2C, is attached to a piston rod 84a of an air cylinder 84 fixed to the lower surface of the mounting plate 78, and inserted into a pin insertion hole 85 of the mounting plate 78. A guide tube 86 is integrally formed upward around the pin insertion hole 85 of the mounting plate 78 so that the large diameter portion 82a of the lock bin 820 is inscribed therein. It is fitted into the fitting hole 87.

Further, approximately in the center of the sliding member 71, a through hole having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube 86 is vertically penetrated and is provided on both sides of the protrusions 71a and 71b. has been done. On the other hand, the lock hole is formed by providing a protrusion 721) having a smaller diameter than the insertion hole 88 downwardly on the lower surface of the center of the movable bed 72, and penetrating the protrusion 72b in the vertical direction. There is. And the lock pin 82
When retracting, the small diameter portion 82C of the ID fits loosely into the lock hole 83, and when the lock bin 82 advances, the reduced diameter portion 82b and the lock hole 83 fit together due to self-centripetal action, and the large diameter portion 82a tightly fits into the lock hole 83.

Further, in this embodiment, the nut dispensing device N has a first
As shown in the figure, it is supported by a support device S,
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, this support device f':j S includes a base member 90 to which a nut tightening device MN is attached, and a clamp for the gripping hand H that is erected on this base member 90. Grasped member 11 gripped by member 63
0, and a guide member 120 provided on the base member 90 and guiding the nut tightening device to a predetermined position on the vehicle body B.
and a component guide member 140 which is provided on the base member 90 and engages with the stock P and guides the stock P in a self-centripetal manner.

The base member 90 includes a flat plate-shaped lower base 91 that supports the nut tightening device N, and a U-shaped upper base 92 provided on the lower base 91 so as to straddle the nut tightening device N. It has become. In this embodiment, the nut tightening device @N, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, is provided corresponding to the assembly bolt 6 of the stock P shown in FIG. Fixed nut runner 9
3 and a pair of movable nut runners 94, 94, the fixed nut runner 93 is directly fixed to the lower base 91 via a holding bracket 95, while the movable nut runners 94, 94 are connected to the fixed nut runner 93. 93, and is fixed via a holding bracket 97 onto a sliding plate 96 that slides in the left-right direction of the lower base 91. The slide mechanism 98 of 96 is slidably fitted into the inner case 98a fixed on the lower base and the inner case 98a, and is connected to the slide plate 9.
and an outer case 98b fixed to the outer case 98b.

The sliding plate 9G is connected to a piston rod 100a of an air cylinder 100 attached to a lower base 91 via a mounting bracket 9.
The stopper brake (101) fixed to the lower surface of the sliding plate 96 is brought into contact with the adjustment bolt 102 provided on the holding bracket 95. The stopping position of the sliding plate 96 is regulated. For this reason,
The arrangement position of the movable nut runner 94 changes according to the stop position d and the second position 1d of the sliding plate 96, so that the tightening of the nut, which differs depending on the vehicle type, can correspond to the change in position. For example, for vehicle models in which the strut P has three mounting bolts 6, the movable nut runner 91.
94? They may be arranged as shown in FIG.
It is only necessary to move the nut runner 94 to the left at ffl and tighten the nut using only the movable nut runner 94°94.

In addition, the above-mentioned fixed type and movable nut runners 93, 9
As shown in FIG. 8, a husband coupling 103 is fixed to the rotating shaft of No.
A joint 104 is fixed to the lower end of the coupling 103 and the joint 104, and a connecting shaft 105 is attached to the hole of the coupling 103 and the joint 104 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction and prevented from rotating. A nut holding socket 106 is fitted in the lower part of the connecting shaft 105.
A leaf spring 107 is provided within the socket 106 and is pressed into contact with the bitten nut. Further, a spring 108 is interposed between the lower surface of the joint 104 and a flange 105a provided on the connecting shaft 105, so that the connecting shaft 105 is always urged downward.

Further, the gripped member 110 is attached to the end collar base 92.
The concrete configuration thereof is as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in particular, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 111, and this main body portion 111 has a gripped surface 1 facing the gripping surface 64a of the clamp arm 64.
The main body portion 111 is formed in a substantially hexagonal column shape with a vertical axis 11a, and the height dimension of the main body portion 111 is set to correspond to the vertical dimension of the clamp arm 64. Flange portions 112 are formed on the upper and lower sides of this main body portion 111 and project radially outward from the peripheral wall of the main body portion 111.
2 has a shape whose diameter is gradually reduced from the upper and lower ends to the main body part 111, and the end surface of this collar part 112 on the main body part 111 side is configured as a stopper wall 113, and Ii'1lfif of this collar part 112 is configured as a clamp. It is configured as a guide surface 114 that guides the arm 64 to the main body portion 111.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the guide member 120 is attached to a support bracket (9) attached to the lower base 91.
A shaft 122 is inserted through the hole of the ia and is slidably held by a cylindrical guide mounting bracket 121 attached to the edge of the hole, and a strut tower 4 is provided integrally with the lower end of the shaft 122. It is composed of an inverted truncated conical guide tapered portion 123a e (## shaped guide 123 that fits into the positioning hole 5.A floating member 124 is disposed above the guide mounting bracket 121, The above-mentioned shaft 7 ) 122 is the floating member 1
The stopper washer 125 penetrates through the insertion hole 124a of No. 24 and is attached to the upper end thereof, and the insertion hole 124a of the floating member 124.
It is attached to the edge. Furthermore, the floating member 124 is provided with a hole 124b that communicates orthogonally with the insertion hole 124a.
A lock bin 126 is arranged in the interior so that it can move forward and backward via a bush (not shown), and the lock bin 126 is
It is fixed to a piston rod 127a of an air cylinder 127 attached to the floating member 124, and when the piston rod 127a is extended, the lock bin 126 fits into a lock hole 128 formed in the shaft 122, and the floating member 124 is attached to the shaft 122. On the other hand, when the piston rod 121a is retracted, the lock bin 126 becomes unfitted with the lock hole 128, and the floating member 124
and shaft 122 can move relative to each other. Further, on the peripheral wall of the guide mounting bracket 121, a spring holding bracket 129 having an inverted cross-section is installed to allow the floating member 124 to move up and down. A spring 130 is interposed between the spring holding bracket 129 and the floating member 124. Then, the above-mentioned shaft 7
2 + 7) An insertion hole 129a for the shaft 122 is formed in the side wall of the spring retainer bracket 129 located on the axis. The shaft 7) 122 is prevented from rotating by fitting a chamfered portion 122a formed on the shaft 122 into a hole 131a of a rotation prevention plate 131 attached to the lower surface of the floating member 124. The rotation of the member 124 is prevented by the spring retainer bracket 1.
This is done by bringing one side of the floating member 124 into contact with the vertical wall surface of the floating member 129 .

Further, the component guide member 140 includes the guide 123
The component guide member 140 has an inverted truncated cone-shaped engagement tapered portion 140a formed at the tip thereof, and this engagement tapered portion 140a is a stock member). It is adapted to engage with the engagement hole 141 of.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nut tightening device N is attached to the vehicle body B.
The fixing device temporarily installed in the base member 90 includes a pair of fixing members 15111 provided on the lower surface of the lower base 91 of the base member 90 and arranged corresponding to the front and back of the upper surface of the first front fender 150, and a support bracket 918 attached to the lower base 91. It consists of a fixing member 152 provided on the lower surface and arranged corresponding to the upper surface of the strut tower 4. The fixing member 15
Mounting brackets 153'5 and 152 are attached to the lower surface of the lower base 91 or the support bracket 91a, respectively, and a connector 1-54 provided with a vacuum outlet path is connected to the lower end of the mounting bracket 153, and the connector 154 is connected to the vehicle body. Vacuum cup 15 that sticks to the panel
5 are connected. Then, the vacuum cup 155 is attached to the connector 154 with a lock nut 156.
It is composed of a ball shaft fitting 155a that is attached through the ball shaft fitting 155a, and a pad 155b that is swingably attached to the ball shaft fitting 155a.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower base 91 of the base member 90 is provided with a plurality of air supply hoses 157, as shown in FIG. An inlet portion 157a for connecting an air supply pipe (not shown) from a source is formed, and the other end of the air supply hose 157 is connected to the fixing member 1.
Each connector 154 of 51 and 152, the lock bin 1
The nut runners 93 and 94 are connected to an air cylinder 127 for operating the sliding plate 96, an air cylinder 127 for operating the sliding plate 96, and an air cylinder for the nut runners 93 and 94, respectively.

Therefore, to explain the case where a strut (stock) P is assembled to a vehicle body B using the automatic strut assembly apparatus according to this embodiment, the robot box first moves to a predetermined temporary stand (not shown) based on teaching information. ) to grab the nut tightening device 22N that is placed on it. At this time, grasping hand I■
moves while being suspended from the robot box, but as shown in FIG. is kept constant,
Further, since the locking member 81 shown in FIG. 3 is set to the locked state and the floating mechanism 69 is restrained, the gripping hand H is fixed to the robot box without wobbling.

After that, when the clamp member 63 reaches the vicinity of the position where the support device S of the lrd attached device N grips the member to be gripped 110, as shown in FIG. The member 63 is opened, and after approaching the gripped member 110 side, the clamp member 63 begins to close, as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b). At this time, if the teaching accuracy of the robot ]L is high, the clamp member 63
However, if the robot's teaching accuracy is not very high, the gripping surface 64a of the clamp arm 64 may deviate upward, for example, from the grasped surface 111a of the main body 111. Put it away.

In such a case, as the clamp arm 64 closes, the upper edge of the gripping surface 64a will move toward the upper guide 1 of the gripped member 110, as shown in FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b).
14, and then the clamp arm 6
4 further closes, the clamp arm 64 and the guide member 114 move relative to each other due to self-centripetal action.
The clamp arm 64 is lifted from the imaginary line position to the solid line position shown in FIG.
4 always grips the main body part 111. Such an effect similarly occurs when the gripping surface 64a of the clamp arm 64 is deviated downward from the gripping surface 111a of the main body portion 111. Note that if both the gripping surfaces 64 and 1t1a are deviated in the front-back, left-right, and left-right directions, the main body 111 will be held in the clamp arm 64 while being restrained by the grip surface 64a of the clamp arm 64, and the clamp arm 64 body portion 111. In this state, the gripped member 110 is prevented from rotating with respect to the clamp arm 64, and the movement of the gripped member 110 in the axial direction is restrained by the stopper wall 113.
The member to be gripped 110 is not displaced relative to the clamp member 63, and the member to be gripped 110 is reliably gripped by the clamp member 63.

After that, when the gripping operation of the clamp member 63 is completed, the robot holder moves the nut tightening device N gripped by the gripping hand ■.
After conveying the nut 10 to the nut supplying device 11 shown in FIG. 1 and holding the nut 10 in the socket 106 of the nut tightening device N, as shown in FIG. The nut tightening device N is transported to a position above the strut tower 4 and stopped. During this time, a vehicle type selection command signal is issued from a control device (not shown), and the movable nut runners 94 are appropriately moved by the air cylinder 100 for driving the sliding plate roller 6 to be placed in a position corresponding to the vehicle type. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the piston rod 127a of the air cylinder 127 is operated to project, the four pins 126 are fitted into the lock holes 128, and the floating member 124 is fixed to the shaft 122 of the guide member 120. In this state, when the robot R stops, the vehicle body B
Since the stopping position accuracy of the robot box is lower than the operating accuracy of the robot box, the nut tightening device N is generally shifted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with respect to the assembly position of the stock P of the vehicle body B.

Thereafter, the lock member 810 shown in FIG. 3 is released from the locked state by a signal from a control device (not shown), and the floating mechanism 69 is brought into position as shown in FIG. 16. That is,
The movable bed 72 of the floating mechanism 69 is capable of floating in the plane direction with respect to the fixed bed in the gap range between the lock pin 82 and the lock hole 83, and the hand main body 50 is supported floating in the plane direction with respect to the robot box. . Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15, when the robot R lowers the nut tightening device ifN, the guide member 120 also lowers accordingly. At this time, the guide tension portion 12 of the guide 123
3a comes into contact with a flange 5a on the edge of the positioning hole 5 of the vehicle body B, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. When the guide member 120 further descends from this state, this guide member 12
0 will receive a reaction force from the flange 5a, but
Since the floating member 124 is fixed to the guide member 120, the floating member 124 is attached to the guide mounting bracket 121.
The floating member 120 rises slightly from the floating member 124 to a floating state, and accordingly, the action of the spring 1300 is transmitted to the guide member 120 via the floating member 124, and the guide member 120 is urged downward. Therefore, the guide tapered portion 123a of the guide 123 comes into sliding contact with the flange 5a, and the guide 123 is fitted into the positioning hole 5 while moving self-centripetally from the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 15 to the state shown by the solid line. match. At this time, the movement of the guide member 120 is transmitted from the base member 90 to the floating mechanism 69 through the gripped member 110, the clamp member B, and the hand body 51. Part 1
20 (indicated by δ in the figure), the entire hand body 50 moves in the plane direction, and accordingly, the nut tightening bag WN tilts. It moves by following the movement of the guide member 120 in the plane direction while maintaining a constant posture without moving. In this state, each vacuum cup 15 of the fixing members 151 and 152
5 is in a state where it is not in contact with the vehicle body panel, and at this stage, an air suction device (not shown) is activated, and the fixing members 151 and 152
The vacuum cup 155 starts air suction operation.

After that, when the robot box further descends, the peripheral edge of the swingable pad 155b that constitutes the vacuum cup 155 comes into close contact with the top surface of the front fender 150 and strut tower 4, and the air existing in the internal space of the pad 155b is sucked. Therefore, the pads 155b are attracted to the upper surface of each vehicle body panel. In this state,
”-The socket 106 of the nut tightening device N will be set at a position corresponding to the bolt insertion hole I, and the nut tightening device N will be temporarily installed on the vehicle body B while being positioned relative to the vehicle body B. You will be left alone.

At this time, as the robot box descends, the floating member 1
24 further rises, and the pressure of the spring 130 &ij? As t becomes larger, the downward biasing force exerted on the guide member 120 becomes even larger, and the fitting state of the guide member 120 into the positioning hole 5 is maintained stably. With the downward movement of R, the fixing member 151
, 152, an upward reaction force acts on the support device S of the nut tightening device N, but since the reaction force is absorbed by the springs 54 and 62 of the gripping hand There is no possibility that an unreasonable load will be applied to the device S.

Thereafter, the robot box stops its descending motion in response to a descending motion stop signal issued from the control device, and in this state, the clamp arm 64 of the grasping hand H is operated to open the grasped member 11.
After the gripping state of 0 is released, the robot box moves the gripping hand 2 backward so as not to interfere with the temporarily installed Nara) 1lfy attached device N, and moves on to the next positioning process of stock 1lfy.

In this process, first, as shown in FIG. transport.

In this case, while the clamp arm 64 is set in the open state, the locking member 81 shown in FIG. It is fixed to the arm 8 of the robot (without robot) H. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the robot (R) moves the gripping hand (2) above the stock (P) of the temporary placement table 2 and places the hand main body 50 downward, and then lowers the gripping hand (ILF). Then, it stops at a position where the bottom of the stock P contacts the support shaft 52 and the spring 54 balances the weight of the stock P.

Thereafter, in response to a command signal from a control device (not shown), the piston rod 6a of the air cylinder moves backward, the clamp arm 64 closes, and the gripping surface 64a of the clamp arm 64 is brought into contact with the shaft Ps of the strut P. As a result, the strut P is securely gripped by the clamp member 63. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 17, when the arm 8 of the robot box rotates by a predetermined angle, for example, 30 degrees, the rotation stopper plate 5 of the gripping hand H
A bracket Pb for fixing the strut P is fitted into the strut P, and the rotational force of the arm 8 is transmitted to the strut P. Positioning slit 1 opened in mounting table 2
60, the entire strut P rotates while the assembly bolt 6 moves within the positioning slit 160, and the assembly bolt 6 hits the end of the positioning slit 160. After making contact, the shaft part P of the strut P
Only s rotates, and the upper case 3 rotates idly. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the assembly bolt 6 and the robot R is uniquely determined, and in this state, the robot pulls out the strut P from the temporary stand 2 and waits at a predetermined position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 17, the strut P has its upper case 3 portion fitted into the fitting hole 161 provided in the temporary storage stand 2, and its shaft portion ps
It is held on the temporary stand 2 by holding it with a clip (not shown). Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
Transport (stock) P so that it faces upward and stop f. At this time, the gripping hand (2) is fixed to the robot box, and the stock (1) is securely gripped by the clamp member 63, so the stock (1) does not shake when the strut PtG is fed. The strut P transported in this manner can be placed at a position approximately corresponding to the positioning hole 5 of the vehicle body B, but since the accuracy of the stopping position of the vehicle body is lower than the operating accuracy of the robot box, It is generally shifted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respect to the position No. 5.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 19, the p-bot is raised to a predetermined position with the strut P based on the teaching information and then stopped. At this time, the tip of the strut P protrudes downward from the positioning hole 5 of the component guide member 1.
40, and in this state, the t provided on the upper case 3 of the strut P
The size of the engagement hole 141 is determined between its center and the component guide member 1.
40 with respect to the axis thereof, and is set in advance so that the tip of the engagement taper portion 140a of the component guide member 140 fits loosely into the engagement hole 141.

After that, a control signal issued from a control device (not shown) causes the locking member 8 of the gripping hand H to
1 is unlocked.

The floating mechanism 69 works to floatingly support the hand body 50 in the plane direction with respect to the robot box, and then the robot R raises the strut P again.

In this state, the engagement tapered portion 140a of the component guide member 140 comes into contact with the edge of the engagement hole 141, and the edge of the engagement hole 141 is moved from the position indicated by the imaginary line in Fig. It is fitted into the engaging taper part 140a in a self-centripetal manner while slidingly contacting the engaging taper part 140a up to the position. At this time, the robot box is connected to the engaging hole 1 of the stock) P.
41 is set to rise slightly and then stop after being fitted into the engaging taper portion 140a, so that the fitted state of both is reliably maintained. In this state, as the robot IIL rises excessively, the component guide member 140 tries to push upward, but since the component guide member 140 is always urged downward by the action of the spring 1300, the above-mentioned The mating position between the mating hole 141 and the engaging taper part 140a does not shift upward, and the strut P remains at a predetermined position, and the extra upward stroke of the robot is absorbed by the spring 5 of the gripping hand H.
Absorbed at 4.62. Further, as the engagement hole 141 and the engagement taper portion 140a fit together, the movement of the upper case 3 is transmitted from the clamp member 63 to the floating mechanism 69 through the hand body 50. is capable of floating in the plane direction by an amount corresponding to the movement of the upper case 3 (indicated by δ' in the figure), so the entire hand body 50 moves in the plane direction, and along with this, the hand body 50 moves in the plane direction, and accordingly, the hand body 50 moves in the plane direction (Stock)
P moves following the movement of the upper case 3 while maintaining a normal upright posture. As a result, the axis of the strut P coincides with the center of the positioning hole 5, and the strut P is positioned on the vehicle body B via the component guide member 140.

After that, in response to a stop signal from the robot R, a bias release command is issued from the control device, that is, the guide member 1 is activated by the spring 130.
20 is issued, the piston rod 127a of the air cylinder 127 moves backward, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG.
is removed from the lock hole 128, and along with this, the floating member 1
24 is pushed downward by the spring 130 and comes into contact with the upper surface of the guide mounting bracket 121. At this time, for the Tokumuμ erotic rgh (Seal 1 Rgh A is Gaito ° Algae (New 190r
First, since the guide member 120 is relatively movable, the biasing force of the spring 130 is not transmitted to the guide member 120.

When this state is completed, the robot moves and raises the stock P to a predetermined position as shown in FIG.

At this time, as the strut P rises, the component guide member 140 and the guide member 120 are pushed up together, but since the urging force of the spring 130 is not acting on the guide member 120, the guide member 120 rises. The spring 130 does not bend and deform as a result of this, and no unreasonable force is applied to the support bracket 91a due to the bending deformation of the spring 130. In addition, each assembly bolt 6 of the strut P is inserted from each bolt insertion hole I of the vehicle body B, for example, 2 times.
Assuming that the phase is set to be shifted from the phase by an angle of .degree., as shown in FIG.
comes into contact with the lower surface of the upper part of the strut tower 4. In this state, since the upward movement of the stock P is restrained by the vehicle body B, the stock P itself does not move upward, and the support shaft 52 provided on the hand body 50 of the gripping hand H and the support The rods 59 each move in the axial direction of the strut P and against the biasing force of the springs 62. As a result, the assembly bolt 6 of the strut P is pressed against the upper and lower surface of the strut tower 4 by the urging force of the springs 8 and 62.

After this, the arm 8 of the robot box is rotated at a predetermined angle, for example, 4°.
When the strut P rotates, the strut P rotates around the support shaft 52 as a fulcrum. At this time, as shown in Figure n, the mounting bolt 6 of the strut P rotates in the direction A in the figure while slidingly contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the strut tower 4, and aligns with the position of the bolt insertion hole 1 of the vehicle body B. At this time, as shown in FIG. 23, the assembly bolt 6 passes through the bolt insertion hole 7 due to the urging force of the spring 54.62, and the hot spring 3 is completely fitted into the positioning hole 5. in this case,
The stock) P rotates more than the phase difference between the assembly bolt 6 and the bolt insertion hole 7 (2 degrees in this example), but after the assembly bolt 6 penetrates the bolt insertion hole 7, the strato Since 30 rotations of the upper teeth of )P will be restricted, only the shaft portion P3 of stockp) will rotate idly. In this state, since the above-mentioned strut (P) maintains its normal upright posture, the amount of protrusion m from the bolt insertion hole 7 of each assembled gel 6 is approximately equal.
The stock I-P is precisely positioned at the assembly position on the vehicle body.

In this state, since the nut tightening device N is temporarily installed on the vehicle body B, each assembly bolt 6 is attached to each socket 1.
06, and pushes up this socket 106 against the biasing force of the spring 108. Then, when each socket 106 is pushed upward by a predetermined amount, a limit switch or the like not shown is activated.
A nut tightening preparation completion signal indicating that the preparation for tightening the nut on the assembly bolt 6 is completed is sent to the control device.

Thereafter, the rotation shafts of the nut runners 93 and 94 are rotated in response to a command signal from the control device, and the nut 10 in the socket 106 is tightened to the assembly bolt 6, as shown by the imaginary line in the figure. When the tightening torque of the nut runner 10 exceeds a specified torque, a nut tightening determination device (not shown) stops the rotation of the nut runner 93°940 rotation shaft. At this time, the assembly bolt 6 is pulled upward [σ] as the nut 10 is tightened, so when the tightening of the nut 10 reaches the specified torque, the strut P is firmly attached to the specified position on the vehicle body. It will be attached. In such nut tightening work, a high load is placed on the nut tightening device N, but the nut tightening device N is a fixed device ff! Since the nut tightening device N is fixed to the vehicle body by K, the nut tightening device N is always held at the nut dispensing position, and the nut 10 is tightened exactly.

After that, when a nut tightening completion signal is issued from the control device, the clamp member 63 of the gripping hand H is operated to open, and the furnace frame of the shaft portion P3 of the strut P is released, as shown in the figure. The large frm-o bot R moves back the gripping hand H so as not to interfere with the assembled strut P, and moves to the next nut tightening device detachment process.

In this process, as shown in FIG. 6, the robot moves to grasp the nut tightening device Nfr- temporarily installed on the vehicle body based on the teaching information. At this time,
Since the locking member 81 shown in FIG. 3 is set to the locked state and the floating mechanism 69 is restrained, the gripping hand BI is fixed to the robot box without shaking and moves in a suspended state.

When the clamp member 63 reaches the vicinity of the gripped member 110 of the nut tightening device N, the lock member 81 is unlocked by a signal from a control device (not shown), and the floating mechanism 69 is set to operate. be done. In this state, the clamp member 63 is operated to open, and the gripped member 1
After approaching 10, the closing operation begins. At this time, vehicle body B
Due to the difference between the stopping position accuracy of the robot and the teaching accuracy of the robot, the gripping position of the clamp member 63 based on the robot R's teaching information and the gripped member 110 on the vehicle body B side are determined based on the robot R's teaching information.
Although the clamp member 63 is deviated particularly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with respect to the gripped position, since the clamp part can float in the plane direction by the floating mechanism 69, the clamp member The member B is floating while holding the grasped member 11.
0 securely grip the main body portion 111 of the device. Note that if the teaching accuracy of the robot R is low and the gripping position of the clamp member 63 is deviated in the vertical direction with respect to the gripping position of the gripped member 110, the clamp member field is not attached to the gripped member 1.
It is guided to the main body part 111 along the guide surface 114 of 10, and the main body part 111 is reliably gripped.

After that, when the control device issues a signal to complete the gripping operation by the clamp member 63, the fixing members 151 and 152 O
The air suction operation to the vacuum cup 155 is stopped,
The fixed state of the fixed members 151 and 152 is released. Further, in this embodiment, the fixing members 151, 1
Simultaneously with the fixing release operation of the guide member 120, a command to hold the guide member 120 is issued 1, and as shown in FIG. Pressed.

In this state, the robot (T) raises the nut tightening device N. At this time, the guide member 120 is restrained from moving in the vertical direction by the suppressing force of the lock pin 126, so that the robot cannot raise the nut. The component guide member 140 also rises following the movement of the guide member 120.
rises following. For this reason, the component guide member 140
The engagement between the strut and stock P will be released by a slight upward movement of the robot, and even if the height between the strut tower 4 and the hood (not shown) is narrow, the parts The engagement between the guide member 140 and the strut P is easily released.

After this, the robot) R returns the nut tightening device N to the nut supply device 11 shown in FIG.
2. After receiving the nut supply while holding it, wait at a predetermined position until the next vehicle is transferred. In this case, the locking member 81 shown in FIG. 3 is set to the locked state and the floating mechanism 69 is restrained, while the air cylinder 12
The piston rod 127a of No. 7 moves backward to release the holding state of the guide member 120, and the guide member 120 descends due to its own weight and returns to the predetermined position, preparing for the next step.

In the above embodiment, the hand body 50 of the gripping hand H and the lower end of the strut P are supported by the support shaft 52, but this support shaft 52 is not necessary, and the clamp member 63 The strut P may be gripped using a chisel. Further, although the clamp member B is composed of a pair of clamp arms 64, the design may be changed as appropriate as long as the clamp member B can grip the stock P. Further, the floating mechanism 69 is not limited to that shown in the above embodiment, and for example, the floating mechanism 69 is provided between the clamp member B and the hand body 50.
9 fi- may be provided.

Furthermore, it is necessary to attach the floating mechanism to the gripping hand H (two pieces), when guiding the nut tightening device N and strut P to the vehicle body. If control is performed to free the movement of a predetermined robot axis, it is possible to provide the same function as the floating mechanism 69.The locking member 81 is also limited to that shown in the above embodiment. However, in the support bag Fi8 of the nut tightening bag fiN, the gripped member 110 and the guide member 1
The design of the specific configuration of the 201 component guide member 140 and the like can be changed as appropriate.

Further, in the above embodiment, the support device S of the nut tightening device N is
Although the strut P and the nut tightening device N are positioned on the vehicle body by providing the guide member 120 and the component guide member 140, the positioning of both may be performed by direct control with the robot R. Of course. Further, in the above embodiment, the guide member 120
Although the component guide member 140 and the component guide member 140 are provided coaxially and integrally, they are not necessarily limited to this, and may be provided separately. In this case, if the guide member 120 is provided at a location different from that in the embodiment, a positioning portion may be provided at a portion of the vehicle body corresponding to the guide member 120. Further, in the above embodiment, the fixing device NK is configured to include a vacuum cup 155, but the nut dispensing device N can be temporarily installed on the vehicle body B. If it is, you can change the design as appropriate.

Further, in the above embodiment, the strut (P) is used as an example of a vehicle component, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the assembly of other vehicle components.

In this case, if a weld nut or the like is provided on the vehicle component side, a bolt may be used as the fastener.

As explained above, according to the method and device for automatically assembling vehicle parts, a fastener tightening device is temporarily installed on a car body using a robot, and then the vehicle parts are transported to the car body using the same robot. The fasteners are tightened by the fastener tightening device, and then the fastener tightening device is constantly operated by the same robot without being idle, thereby improving the work efficiency of the robot. Assembling work of vehicle parts can be completely automated using one robot without the extra work steps of attaching and detaching engaging members as in the example. In particular, the present invention is suitable for cases where the takt time of the automobile production line becomes long (for example, when some of the other processes in the vehicle automatic assembly process are extremely time-consuming). This is particularly useful when there are

Also, in the present invention, is there any design change to the vehicle parts themselves? Since there is no need to add any additional components, existing vehicle parts can be assembled to the vehicle body as is.

Furthermore, as in the above embodiment, when a floating mechanism is attached to the gripping node to floatingly support vehicle parts and fastener tightening devices to the robot, a special robot that brings the vehicle parts to a predetermined location on the vehicle body can be used. Even if the positional accuracy of the robot is somewhat low, the position is corrected by the floating mechanism, which has the effect of making it possible to make the robot's teaching quite rough. In addition, since the floating mechanism can be restrained in its movement by a locking member, there is no risk that the vehicle parts or fastener tightening device will wobble when transporting the vehicle parts or fastener tightening device. It will be resolved.

Further, as in the above embodiment, the fastener tightening device may be provided with a guide member that is guided self-centripetally to a predetermined portion of the vehicle body, or that engages with a vehicle component and is guided self-centripetally to the vehicle component. When the component guide member is provided, it becomes possible to absorb the teaching error of the robot by the guide member and the component guide member without increasing the precision of the robot's teaching.

Furthermore, as in the above embodiment, if a fixing device equipped with a vacuum cup is used, not only can the fastener tightening device be reliably temporarily installed on the vehicle body without damaging the vehicle body, but also the fastener tightening device can be temporarily installed on the vehicle body without damaging the vehicle body. At times, the vibrations of the fastener tightening device can be effectively absorbed by the vacuum cup.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the strut assembly process to which the present invention is applied, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the strut assembly process to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of the gripping hand, FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway right side view thereof, FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of the gripping hand, and FIG. The figure is an exploded perspective view showing the specific structure of the floating mechanism and the locking member, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a support device for supporting a fastener (nut) tightening device t, and FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway front view of the same. 9 is a partially cutaway right side view of the same, FIG. 0 is a plan view thereof, FIG. a), (b) and Figure 13 (a)
, (b) is a front view and a side view showing the positional relationship between the clamp member and the gripped member before and after the clamp member gripping operation, FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing the process of temporarily installing the nut tightening device on the vehicle body, Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts showing the state in which the nut tightening device is positioned on the vehicle body, Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing state 2 of the floating mechanism when positioning the nut tightening device, and Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the state 2 of the floating mechanism when positioning the nut tightening device. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state of the gripping hand, FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the strut and the vehicle body before assembly, and FIGS. 19 to 21 and FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts showing each installation process, FIG. 22 is a view taken from the direction of arrow W in FIG. 21, FIG. FIG. 26 is an explanatory view showing the process of removing the nut tightening device. FIG. 26 is an explanatory view showing the nut tightening device removed from the vehicle body. B...Car body ■...Gripping hand (vehicle parts) Rin...Robot S...Support device 5...Positioning hole σCar body positioning part) 6...Bolt insertion hole for assembly bolt 7 50 - Hand body Clamp member 69 Floating mechanism 81
...Lock member 90...Base member 110...
Grasped member 120...Guide member Period...Parts guide member 151, 152...Fixing member Patent applicant Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Hajime Tsuchihashi Fig. 15 Fig. 26

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] l) Grasp and transport the fastener tightening device with a gripping hand attached to the robot, determine the positional relationship between the fastener tightening device and the vehicle body, and move the fastener tightening device to the vehicle body. Temporarily installed in
Next, the gripping hand is removed from the temporarily installed fastener tightening device, and the gripping hand grips and conveys the vehicle component,
In addition to showing the positional relationship between the vehicle parts and the vehicle body, the vehicle parts? The fastener tightening device is assembled to the vehicle body, and then the gripping hand is removed from the assembled vehicle component, and the gripping hand is used to grasp the temporarily installed fastener tightening device and detached from the vehicle body. A method for automatically assembling vehicle parts, characterized in that: 2) Automatic assembly of vehicle parts according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastener tightening device is floated relative to the robot when determining the positional relationship between the fastener tightening device and the vehicle body. Method. 3) The method for automatically assembling vehicle parts according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle parts are floated relative to the robot when determining the positional relationship between the vehicle parts and the vehicle body. 4) a robot having a gripping hand for selectively gripping a fastener tightening device and a vehicle component, and for bringing and positioning the fastener tightening device and the vehicle component to a vehicle body; An automatic assembly device for vehicle parts, comprising the fastener tightening device and a fixing device temporarily installed on a vehicle body. 5) Does the gripping hand have a floating mechanism that floats and supports the fastener tightening device or vehicle parts with respect to the robot, and the movement of this floating mechanism? 5. The automatic assembly device for vehicle parts according to claim 4, further comprising a locking member for restraining the vehicle parts. 6) The automatic assembly of vehicle parts according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the fastener tightening device is equipped with a guide member that is guided self-centripetally to a positioning portion on the vehicle body side. attached device. 7) Claims 4 to 6 φ, characterized in that the fastener tightening device n is provided with a component guide member that engages with a vehicle component and guides the vehicle component in a self-centripetal manner.
An automatic assembly device for vehicle parts as described in any of the above. 8) The automatic assembly device for vehicle parts according to claim 4, wherein the fixing device includes a vacuum cup.