WO1998023415A1

WO1998023415A1 - Assembly station

Info

Publication number: WO1998023415A1
Application number: PCT/FR1997/002130
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claude Loewert
Original assignee: Ergos S.A.
Priority date: 1996-11-29
Filing date: 1997-11-27
Publication date: 1998-06-04
Also published as: EP0942811A1; DE69712221D1; DE942811T1; ATE216646T1; EP0942811B1; FR2756506A1; FR2756506B1; JP2001509086A; CA2272998A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a mounting and/or assembling station, used by an operator for carrying out predetermined repetitive tasks during the manufacture of a product, and for improving the productivity and the comfort of the operator. The mounting and/or assembling station (1') is characterised in that it comprises a working area (2) of three-dimensional structure with several storing, supporting and transferring zones associated with working zones, said zones being defined by the skew surfaces delimiting variable integrated volumes enabling the operator to carry out various functional tasks, such as machining, controlling or the like. Said storing, supporting and transferring zones are optimally arranged relative to the working zones for reducing the distance to cover between the different zones and the time taken for carrying out the functional tasks.

Description

ASSEMBLY STATION

The present invention relates to an assembly and / or assembly station, used to perform one or more repetitive tasks determined by an operator during the manufacture of a product manufactured from several components, such as assembly, machining, inspection or similar, comprising at least a chassis and a work area of three-dimensional structure.

Until now, the assembly and / or assembly stations traditionally used. for example in line work facilities, are not very elaborate. They generally consist of a flat table, mounted on a frame and on which are simply stored the various equipment necessary for the operator to carry out his operational tasks of assembly, machining, control or the like.

With such a type of assembly and / or assembly station, the operator can, for example, easily lose his tools, which can possibly slide under not yet assembled components of the product to be manufactured. He thus loses a lot of time looking for the elements that he misses.

On the other hand, the operator must generally carry out operating tasks which are repetitive. As the various elements manipulated by the operator are simply placed on his work table in no specific order, the operator will perform and repeat gestures relating to the execution of his tasks which will often be in an inconsistent order and most of the time uncomfortable and unnecessary.

There are service tables intended for example for hairdressers, as shown in French patent application FR-A-2 268 488 or portable trays for offices as described in American patent US-A-4 176 743. These devices include hollow zones in which the various accessories used are arranged so that said devices constitute means for supporting and grouping of said accessories used. However, these devices are designed in large series and are of standard dimensions. In addition, the location of the hollow areas is fixed so that depending on the accessories used, the operator may have to extend the arm and make unnatural gestures to grab an accessory at the other end of the table. .

The operator will therefore tire quickly and suffer from muscle pain linked to poor positioning and the repetition of bad attitudes.

In addition, the traditional assembly and / or assembly stations do not have operator protection which is particularly suitable against the various motorized members which it may have to use.

Consequently, the use of traditional assembly and / or assembly stations represents a cause of accidents and poor performance in assembly line work facilities.

The present invention seeks to overcome these drawbacks by proposing an assembly and / or assembly station which makes it possible to ideally integrate all the elements (constituents of the product to be manufactured, accessories, tools, apparatus, etc.) necessary for the operator. to perform repetitive operating tasks so that work is made easier and the operator's performance, safety and comfort are improved.

To this end, the invention relates to an assembly and / or assembly station of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that said work area comprises at least one storage area and / or a support area and / or a transfer zone associated with at least one work zone, said zones being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes, these surfaces being adapted to said operational tasks, and said storage and / or support and / or transfer zones being optimally arranged in relation to the work area to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different zones and the time taken for the execution of said operational tasks.

According to another embodiment, the assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention is characterized in that said working area consists of several elements juxtaposed on the chassis, at least one of said elements comprising at least one zone of work and the other elements comprising at least one storage zone and / or a support zone and / or a transfer zone, said zones being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes, these surfaces being adapted to said operational tasks, and said elements comprising storage and / or support and / or transfer zones being juxtaposed in an optimized manner with respect to the elements comprising a work zone to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different zones and the time taken for execution of said operational tasks. Said elements can be flexible depending on the components handled, the apparatus and accessories used, the product to be manufactured and the morphology of the operator.

For each of the embodiments, the storage, support, transfer and work zones can have variable volumes depending on the components handled, the devices and accessories used, the product to be manufactured and the morphology of the operator.

Many variations are possible depending on the product to be manufactured and the operations to be performed.

According to these variants, at least one of said storage areas can constitute a means of storing components manipulated by the operator to manufacture said product, a means of storing the manufactured product or a means of storing the operator's personal business. At least one of said transfer zones may constitute a means for supplying components, or a means for discharging components, scrap or the manufactured product.

At least one of said working areas can constitute a means of positioning or maintaining components, or a means of improving the operator's gestures when he performs his operational tasks.

At least one of said support zones may constitute a means for supporting apparatuses, accessories or apparatus control devices used by the operator to perform his operational tasks, or a means for supporting display apparatuses for carry out checks during production.

In addition, the shape of said three-dimensional structure work area is designed to protect the operator against motorized members and therefore to improve his safety.

In addition, when certain operations can be automated, the assembly and / or assembly station according to the present invention includes an automation zone isolated from the work area, which thus ensures perfect security.

The present invention also relates to an element for constituting the assembly and / or assembly station according to the second embodiment, characterized in that it comprises at least one storage area and / or a support area and / or a transfer zone and / or a work zone, said zones being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes, these surfaces being adapted to said operational tasks, and said storage and / or support and / or transfer zones being arranged optimized in relation to the work area to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different areas and the time taken for the execution of said operational tasks once said element is juxtaposed with other elements to constitute the assembly and / or assembly station.

The present invention and its advantages will appear more clearly in the following description of several exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a first variant of a first embodiment of the assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second variant of the first embodiment of the assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a top view of a third variant of the first embodiment of the assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention,

FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of a second embodiment of the assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention, and

FIG. 5 represents an exploded view of the juxtaposable elements of the assembly and / or assembly station of FIG. 4.

With reference to FIG. 1, the assembly and / or assembly station 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a work area 2 and a chassis 3. According to this first variant, the assembly and / or assembly station 1 is designed only for carrying out manual operations during the manufacture of a product from several components. Said working area 2 is of three-dimensional structure and has substantially the shape of a polygon with five non-equal sides. It includes several storage, transfer, work and support areas 5, 7, 8, 10. 1 1 which each constitute left surfaces delimiting volumes integrated into work area 2 to allow the operator to perform different operational tasks depending on the product to be manufactured. The volumes or the shapes of these zones vary in particular according to the components handled, the product to be manufactured and the morphology of the operator.

More specifically, the storage area 5 constitutes a means of storing components. It has a three-dimensional parallelepiped shape capable of receiving a tray 6 of corresponding shape for the storage of components (not shown) which will be handled by the operator. It is obvious that the shape of the storage area 5 can vary depending on many parameters, such as the size and shape of the components, the filling or emptying needs, the frequency of handling, the packaging or the gravity behavior of the components. Whatever the parameters, the shape of zone 5 is designed to optimize the storage of components.

The transfer zone 7 constitutes a means of supplying components (not shown). Its shape may vary in particular depending on the gripping frequencies, the size and shape of the components, the distances and the constraints of the removals. This three-dimensional shape is studied so that the components are brought into an ideal position and orientation for their gripping by the operator.

The working area 8 constitutes a means of positioning a component 4. Its shape depends in particular on the shape of the component. In the case shown, the zone 8 has the complementary shape of the component 4 to be positioned. It also has a rim 9 which will facilitate the positioning of the component 4 in said zone 8.

The working area 10 has the shape of a protrusion adjacent to the positioning area 8 and constitutes a means of holding the component 4. It is quite obvious that the shape of the working area 10 varies according to the constraints applied to the component to be maintained, the shape of the component, and the free space left for the development of the operator's fingers and upper limbs.

The support zone 11 constitutes a means for gripping, positioning and holding tools or accessories (not shown) necessary for the operations to be carried out. In this embodiment, the support area 1 1 has a substantially cylindrical hollow shape which can be adapted to receive clamps, for example. This shape can also vary depending on the shape of the accessories which can be a screwdriver, hammer, pad, etc.

The zones 8, 10 and 1 1 which constitute positioning, holding and support means have different shapes which are a function of the chosen holding mode. Indeed, the maintenance of the components or other accessories can be ensured in several ways, namely for example by negative form (imprint or counter-form), by gravity, by manual or motorized lock, by suction cup with a vacuum connection, by collet, by electromagnet, by adhesive substances, etc. The method of maintenance chosen essentially depends on the shape, dimensions and material of the component to be maintained. It also varies depending on the component approach path to maintain the integration of tools and equipment present on the mounting position and / or ^assembly, and minimization of component movements.

Depending on the components, it may be necessary to provide positioning and / or holding means with multiple positions. The latter can be obtained with linear and / or rotary transfer systems, manual or motorized indexing systems with possibly sensors for position detection.

The storage area 5, the transfer area 7 and the support area 1 1 are arranged on the work area 2 in an optimized manner with respect to the work areas 8 and 10 to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different zones and the time taken in the execution of operational tasks. For example, the transfer zone 7 for the supply of components is arranged according to the possibilities of human gestures to obtain an ideal, rapid and comfortable trajectory towards the drop-off points. Similarly, zone 5 for the storage of components is arranged to have an ideal trajectory between a gripping point and the working zones 8 and 10. Zone 11 for tools or accessories is arranged according to the frequencies of their gripping and possibilities of human gestures in relation to work areas 8 and 10.

Likewise, the work area itself has an appropriate shape with rounded corners, without any lost or poorly occupied area. It is made in one piece fixedly mounted on the chassis 3. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the work area can be made in several pieces, that it can be dismantled or can be rotated around joints or in translation on slides. The surface of the work area is continuous and has no sharp edges, level differences or holes. The different storage, transfer, support and work areas are arranged to take into account each operation, each component, each tool, each movement so as to integrate optimally into the shape of the work area 2 all that must be used on the assembly and / or assembly station 1.

Thus, thanks to the optimization of the occupancy of the volume accessible by the upper limbs of the operator and to the shapes adapted to the operations to be carried out and to the products to be produced, better productivity and increased working comfort are obtained.

In addition, the optimal arrangement of the different zones provided on work area 2 limits the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, thanks to the ideal positioning of each grip and each removal. The mounting position and / or assembly according to ^the invention may for example be made from a malleable scale model for which looks for the best performance and productivity. For this, the operator who will use the assembly and / or assembly station makes various tests to shape the model in order to seek the best possible ergonomics, until total approval of the operator and the Occupational Medicine. We search for example the optimum height and lateral spacing for each of the zones and we take into account the trajectories of all movements of the hands and fingers in order to obtain natural gestures, without fatigue and faster. The model, finally optimized and approved, is reproduced in the appropriate final material, for example by dimensional survey or by taking an impression.

Work area 2 can be made of many materials, such as synthetics, composites, steel, aluminum, wood, concrete, etc. The choice of material depends on qualitative, technical and economic constraints. The material chosen substantially imposes the manufacturing process used, which can be molding, thermoforming, machining or any other process known to those skilled in the art. In all cases, the process must in no way limit the definition of shapes.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the chassis 3 is also designed to improve the development of the operator's lower limbs. It includes feet 24 of fixed height, regularly distributed to allow the operator's legs to move freely under the assembly and / or assembly station.

A second, more complex variant is shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the assembly and / or assembly station 1 according to the invention is designed for manual and automated operations. To this end, the assembly and / or assembly station includes, in addition to the working area 2 'and the chassis 3', an automation zone 12 arranged on said chassis 3 '. Work area 2 'has a surface of substantially rectangular shape inclined downward and the highest side of which rests on said automation zone 12. Thus, thanks to this arrangement in space, the various storage, support, transfer and of work provided on the work area 2 'are located at different heights adapted to the operational tasks to be performed.

The work area 2 'includes a number of storage areas 5', transfer 7 ', work 10' and support 11 'which perform the same functions as areas 5, 7, 10 and 11 of the first variant. It also includes zones which constitute new means according to the tasks to be performed which are different from those provided for the production of FIG. 1.

The transfer zone 13 constitutes a means of evacuating components or scrap (not shown) which are formed during the manufacturing process. It can also be used to evacuate the finished product (not shown) in a container or to other assembly and / or assembly stations. The shape of the zone 13 depends on the product to be discharged and the method of evacuation which can be done by gravity or by removal.

The support area 14 constitutes a support means for the control device 15 of the device 16. This device is located within the operator's hands and outside the automation area. It is standard or specific to the task to be performed. It may consist of a screwdriver, a riveter, a drill, or any other device known per se and used to provide the operator with additional aids. The apparatus 16 is activated by a push button integrated into the control device 15. It is obvious that the push button can be replaced for any other control device known per se, such as a joystick, a keyboard, a switch, etc. The shape of the zone 14 is of course adapted to the control device chosen so that it is always easily accessible by the operator without movement other than that of the upper limbs. On the other hand, the control device 15 can also actuate an automated member placed in the automation zone 12, a safety device or the switching on or off of the assembly and / or assembly station.

The support area 17 constitutes a support means for a display device 18, used to display the results of checks or measurements carried out by the operator. The shape of the area 17 is adapted to the display device 18 used, which can be a screen, a counter, etc.

The working area 19 constitutes a means of improving the operator's gestures when he performs his tasks. The shape of said zone 19 is designed to constitute a forearm support, on which the operator can also rest to reduce his fatigue. It is also possible to provide a shape as an armrest, a hand guide or a stop.

The storage area 20 constitutes a means of storing personal belongings

(not shown) of the operator. The latter can place various objects there, such as keys, a goblet, a cigarette, his glasses or his helmet. The shape of said zone 20 is of course adapted according to the object or objects to be stored.

The work area may also include other areas 21 which constitute reserved locations in the event of possible changes in the product to be handled or to standardize the work area in relation to different product variants.

As for the embodiment of FIG. 1. the storage, transfer and support zones provided on the work area 2 ′ are ordered with respect to the work zones so as to reduce the movements of the operator to improve his performance and its comfort.

In addition, the inclined shape of the working area 2 'also allows it to constitute a means of protecting the operator against motorized members 22 which are placed under it, outside the automation zone 12. The volume of the working area 2 ′ is then adapted to the dimensions of these members.

The automation zone 12 is used to isolate automated stations (not shown) for automated operations complementary to those performed by the operator, such as crimping, soldering, bonding, screwing, automatic removal, treatments thermal or surface, etc. The automation zone 12 is arranged to be in perfect relation with the operator. It is covered by a protective cover 23 which makes it possible to isolate the automated stations from the operator's area of operation and to protect the latter when he is installed at his station.

In addition, the cover 23 is arranged so as to present an optimized access for maintenance, upkeep and troubleshooting operations from the rear of the station.

The automation zone 12 also includes all the elements necessary for the operation of the automated stations, such as control cabinets, programmable controllers, the corresponding wiring, etc.

As for the 3 ′ chassis, it constitutes the supporting structure of the assembly. It includes feet 24 'and a base plate 25 on which are fixed all the components of the automation zone 12 and its protective cover 23, as well as the work area 2'. It can also have a bracket (not shown) to support various tools, an ambient lighting device or instruction sheets. Certain tools, additional accessories such as evacuation chutes, or storage furniture (not shown), can also be fixed to the chassis 3 ′. In addition, it is arranged to present an area for the development of the lower limbs of the operator. To do this, the feet 24 'are adjustable in height, they are connected by a cross member 26 on which is fixed a footrest 27 in the case where the operator's posture is of the sit or sit-stand type. The assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 can be integrated into an assembly line. The work area 2 "has a substantially curved shape and is arranged above a conveyor belt 30 which provides regular transport of components to be handled to the assembly and / or assembly station 1". The working area 2 "therefore simultaneously provides a protective function for the operator against the conveyor belt 30. The components pass under the working area 2" then are brought into a cut-out area 31 where they are accessible for be controlled by the control device 32. It is of course possible to provide another type of device for performing another operational task.

As with the other variants, the 2 "work area includes storage, support, transfer and work areas providing different functions to allow an operator 50 to perform the various operational tasks. The areas represented here have the same references as the zones having the same function represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. They will therefore not be described again. The shape of each zone depends of course on the components to be handled and on the operational tasks. Their arrangement, in accordance with the present invention, is designed to reduce operator movement and fatigue and to improve performance and comfort.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the assembly and / or assembly work station 100 comprises substantially the same areas as the station 1 'represented by FIG. 2. However, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the work area 102 is made up of several elements themselves of three-dimensional structure and juxtaposed on the base plate 125 of the frame 123. They can be fixed there or left free.

The elements 107 and 120 respectively comprise a storage zone 107a, 120a and a transfer zone 107b and 120b for the components handled. The element 111 comprises a support zone constituting a means of supporting accessories used by the operator. The element 110 comprises a work area constituting a means for holding components. The element 105 includes a work area which constitutes a means of improving the operator's gestures.

According to the principle of the invention, the elements 107, 120, 111 comprising storage, support and / or transfer zones are juxtaposed with optimized mother compared to the elements 110 and 105 comprising a work zone in order to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different zones and the time taken for the execution of said operational tasks.

The difference in height between the different zones to improve accessibility to the components, for example, is obtained because the elements do not have the same shapes or the same volumes.

The elements being simply placed on the frame 123, it is very easy to remove an element to replace it with another more suitable for the task to be performed or the components handled. Thanks to these interchangeable elements, a modular assembly and / or assembly station is obtained, which is no longer necessarily intended for a single type of product or of operational tasks. Possible shapes of elements are shown in Figure 5, but it is obvious that other shapes can be provided according to needs and uses. The modular elements can be made so that they can be superimposed, emptied, exchanged, completed, nested, etc.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but extends to any modification and variant obvious to a person skilled in the art. The assembly and / or assembly station according to the invention can be produced in an unlimited number of variants depending on the combination of storage areas, transfer, support and work, types of operations to be performed and types of manufactured products.

Claims

claims

1. Assembly and / or assembly station (1, l ', 1 "), used to perform one or more repetitive tasks determined by an operator during the manufacture of a product manufactured from several components, such as assembly, machining, control or the like, comprising at least one chassis (3, 3 ', 3 ") and a work area of three-dimensional structure (2, 2', 2"), characterized in that said work area (2 , 2 ', 2 ") comprises at least one storage area and / or a support area and / or a transfer area associated with at least one work area, said areas being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes , these surfaces being adapted to said operational tasks, and said storage and / or support and / or transfer zones being arranged in an optimized manner with respect to the work zone to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different zones and the time taken for the ex execution of said operational tasks.

2. Assembly and / or assembly station (100) used to perform one or more repetitive tasks determined by an operator during the manufacture of a product manufactured from several components, such as assembly, machining, inspection or the like , comprising at least a chassis (123) and a work area (102) of three-dimensional structure, characterized in that said work area (102) consists of several elements (105, 107, 11 1, 120) juxtaposed on the chassis, at least one of said elements comprising at least one working zone and the other elements comprising at least one storage zone and / or a support zone and / or a transfer zone, said zones being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes, these surfaces being adapted to said operational tasks, and said elements comprising storage and / or support and / or transfer zones being juxtaposed with my nière optimized compared to the elements comprising a work area to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different areas and the time taken for the execution of said operational tasks.

3. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 2, characterized in that said elements are modular as a function of the components handled, the apparatus and accessories used, the product to be manufactured and the morphology of the operator.

4. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the storage, support, transfer and work areas have variable volumes depending on the components handled, the devices and accessories used , the product to be manufactured and the operator's morphology.

5. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said storage areas (5, 5 ', 5 ", 107a, 120a) constitutes a means of storing components manipulated by the operator to manufacture said product.

6. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said storage areas constitutes a means of storing the manufactured product.

7. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said storage areas (20, 20 ') constitutes a means of storing the operator's personal belongings.

8. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said transfer zones (7, 7 ', 7 ", 107b, 120b) constitutes a means of supplying components.

9. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said transfer zones (13, 13 ') constitutes a means of discharging components, scrap or product manufactured.

10. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said working areas (8) constitutes a means for positioning components.

11. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said working areas (10, 10 ') constitutes a means for holding components.

12. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said working areas (19, 19 ') constitutes a means of improving the gestures of the operator when he performs his operational tasks.

13. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said support zones (14) constitutes a support means for devices used by the operator to perform his tasks operating.

14. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said support zones (11, 11 ') constitutes an accessory support means used by the operator for perform operational tasks.

15. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said support zones (14, 14 ') constitutes a means for supporting control devices (15, 15' ) of devices used by the operator to perform his operational tasks.

16. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said support zones (17, 17 ') constitutes a means for supporting display devices (18, 18 ') to carry out checks during production.

17. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shape of said work area of three-dimensional structure (2, 2 ', 2 ") is designed to protect the operator against motorized parts (22).

18. Assembly and / or assembly station according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it further comprises an automation zone (12) isolated from the work area.

19. Element constituting the assembly and / or assembly station according to claims 2 to 18, characterized in that it comprises at least one storage area and / or a support area and / or a transfer area and / or a work area, said areas being defined respectively by left surfaces delimiting integrated volumes, these areas being adapted to said operational tasks, and said storage and / or support and / or transfer areas being arranged in a material optimized with respect to to the work area to reduce the distances to be traveled between the different areas and the time taken for the execution of said operational tasks once said element is juxtaposed with other elements to constitute the assembly and / or assembly station .