JPH0230478A - Transmitter-receiver for transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read and write each information with non-contact from a memory package fitted to each transfer commodity and to miniaturize and lower-costing the memory package by providing a communication unit for transmitting and receiving the information of the memory part of a memory package via a communication module at the vicinity of a transfer passage. CONSTITUTION:A memory package (IC card) 6 is respectively fitted to each transfer commodity (engine main body) 1 and the communication module 7 supported on a transfer means 3 is connected to each memory package 6. The information concerning the transfer commodity 1 to which each memory package 6 is fitted is transmitted and received by the communication unit 8 fixed at the vicinity of the transfer passage 2 via this communication module 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is employed, for example, in an automobile assembly line, and outputs assembly processing information stored in memory packages on various conveyed articles to an assembly robot, etc. in a timely manner. The present invention relates to a transmitting/receiving device for a conveying device that can be used in a transport device.

(Prior Art) In an automobile production line, two processes are sequentially carried out: assembly and processing of the vehicle body, engine, power transmission system, and other articles.

For example, in a car body assembly process, various parts are welded, attached, holes are drilled, painted, etc. performed on a car body transported by a transport conveyor during transport. Therefore, various assembly robots are arranged in the assembly process area in the middle of the conveyor, and painting robots and coating furnaces are provided in the painting process area.

By the way, the shape and size of the vehicle body conveyed by the conveyor differ depending on the vehicle type, and the parts to be assembled to the vehicle body and the processing conditions also differ. Therefore, it is necessary to instruct assembly robots and machine tools with assembly information and processing information for each vehicle body.

Therefore, in the past, a label recording assembly information and processing information was attached to the vehicle body, and a reading device was installed in the middle of the conveyor to read the information on the barcode label. The information is sent to various assembly robots 1 to 1. Therefore, the assembly robots and processing machines are configured to be driven according to the instruction information, so that even if a mixture of car bodies of different types is conveyed, assembly can be performed according to the type of car.

However, barcode labels have problems, such as being unreadable due to dirt in places with poor environments, or being prone to troubles due to misreading.

Incidentally, recently, IC cards with a large storage capacity have been used in place of barcode labels.

There are contact type and non-contact type IC cards, and the non-contact type IC cards in particular are configured to be able to send and receive information using radio waves.

This type of IC cart has a built-in battery, a control unit, a storage unit, and a transmitting/receiving unit, and reads the data in the IC cart by transmitting radio waves from the antenna unit 1- connected to the transmitting/receiving device to the IC card side. It is an information sending and receiving system that allows users to read and write information.

(I!ll!M which the invention seeks to solve) However, the information transmission/reception system using this non-contact type IC cart is relatively expensive and has become a problem. Moreover, in this case, a large-capacity battery is required as power for communication on the IC card side, and maintenance to replace the battery used here is frequently required, which also poses a problem.

The object of the present invention is to provide communication units 1 along the transport path with
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmitting/receiving device for a conveying device that allows various information to be read and written in a non-contact manner from a memory package attached to each conveyed article and that can reduce the cost by 1~.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a transmitting/receiving device for a conveyance device according to the present invention is attached to a conveyed article moving along a conveyance path, and is provided with at least a storage section and a transmission/reception device for a conveyance device that moves along a conveyance path. a memory package equipped with a backup power supply for the conveyor, a communication module supported by a conveyance means for moving the conveyed article along the conveyance path and electrically disconnectably connected to the memory package, and a communication module near the conveyance path. fixedly placed in
The present invention is characterized by comprising a communication unit that transmits and receives information in the storage section of the memory package via the communication module.

(Function) A memory package is attached to each conveyed article, a communication module supported by the conveying means is connected to each memory package, and information regarding the conveyed article to which each memory package is attached is transmitted via this communication module. The communication unit near the transport path can read and write.

(Example of implementation) The transmitter/receiver device for the transport device shown in Fig. 1 is installed on an assembly line for automobile engines. It is placed on a moving pallet 3 in a locked state and is transported.

Here, the conveying path 2 is provided with a well-known conveying means, and the conveying means is operated by a feeding actuating member 4 by means of a vibration source for conveying (not shown).
is moved in the transport direction, and the pallet 3 is sequentially moved and held in the transport path direction to each processing station in synchronization with a predetermined transport timing using the feed operation member 4. During the transport g2, an assembly robot 1-5 for attaching the part A to the engine body 1, a processing machine, an inspection machine, etc. (not shown) are arranged at predetermined intervals, and each constitutes a processing station. are doing. For this reason, the engine body 1 that has reached the processing position of each processing station is automatically assembled, processed, inspected, etc.

An IC card 6 as a memory package is attached to the side of each engine main body 1, and a communication module 7 is connected to a connector portion 604 of the IC card 6 in an electrically disconnectable manner.

Moreover, an antenna unit 8 and a light irradiation device 9 are provided on the side of the conveyance path 2 at a position that can face the IC card 6 on the engine body 1 held at the processing position. The antenna 221 to 8 is connected to a personal computer 11 via a transmitting/receiving device 10, so that information can be exchanged between the antenna unit 8 and the IC card 6 by radio waves.

As shown in FIG. 2, the IC card 6 has a card body 601.
Inside, there is a control unit 602 consisting of a so-called microcomputer (CPIJ), a processing information storage unit 603, and a storage unit 60.
3. Battery 605 and connector section 604 for bank up
is attached, and information can be read and written via this connector section 604. Here, the storage unit 60
3 stores all data deemed necessary in the manufacturing process, such as component instruction information and processing procedures for the engine body 1, and can also write information as necessary.

The communication module 7 is connected to the ICC car 6 via a socket 701 so as to be disconnectable, and is supported on the pallet 1 on the 3 side. The communication module 7 includes a part 701 of the socket 1, a transmitting/receiving section 702 consisting of a modulation/demodulation circuit, and a solar cell 703 attached to a portion facing the above-mentioned light irradiation device 9. Note that the IC card 6 and the communication module 7 have a circuit configuration as shown in FIG.
2 are connected, and the solar cell 703 is connected to the control unit 602 and storage unit 603 on the IC card 6 side.

Note that the storage unit 603 is configured to be selectively connected to the battery 604 and solar cell 703 side via a changeover switch unit 606. This changeover switch section 606 operates only when the potential on the solar cell 703 side exceeds a specified value.
The configuration is such that switching to the solar cell 703 side is performed by an output signal from the control unit 602.

According to the transmitting/receiving device for a conveyance device configured in this way, first, the engine body 1 is supplied to each pallet 3 on the conveyance path 2 from the article supply means (not shown) at a predetermined article supply position. At this time, an IC card 6 in which processing information for the engine body is written is attached to the side of each engine body, and the communication module on the pallet 1-3 side is connected to the connector part 604 of the IC card 6. The socket part 701 is inserted and electrically connected.

Next, the pallet 3 moving along the conveyance path 2 is
The second engine body is transported to an assembly station and held at a predetermined processing position. At this time, a convergent beam is irradiated from the light irradiation device 9 to the solar cell 703 on the communication module 7, and the solar cell 703 generates an electromotive force. At the same time, the changeover switch section 606 is actuated by an output signal from the control section 602, and the storage section 603 is switched from the battery 604 to the solar cell 703 side.

Therefore, due to the electromotive force of the solar cell 703, the transmitting/receiving device 1
0, the control section 602 and the storage section 603 operate. In this case, a read signal or a write signal is transmitted from the antenna unit 8 of the transceiver 10 to the IC card 6 on the engine main body 1 side, or a read signal or a write signal is transmitted from the IC card 6 to the antenna unit 8. You can also send and receive information. Thereby, the personal computer 11 can instruct the assembly robots 1 to 5 to select parts to be attached, to assemble the parts, and to assemble the next assembly robots 1 to 5.

Therefore, when the IC card 6 transmits and receives data, the communication module 7 can be used and the power of the solar cell 703 can be used. Therefore, there is no need to house the transmitter/receiver section 702 within the IC card 6, and in this respect, the IC card 6 itself can be made smaller and lower in cost.

Furthermore, the battery 605 can be used only for bank-up of the storage unit 603, and in this respect, the battery 605 can be made smaller and the I
The C card 6 itself can be made smaller.

In the above-mentioned place, the communication module 7 includes an IC card 6.
The solar cell 703 used as a power source on the communication module 7 side was installed, but instead of this, a power supply device (not shown) that supplies power to an induction coil (not shown) on the communication module 7 side by electromagnetic induction along the conveyance path 2 is installed. (not shown) may be installed in the communication module 7, and in some cases, a large capacity battery may be installed in the communication module 7. In these cases as well, processing information can be transmitted and received via the IC cart 6 side and the communication module 7 in a non-contact manner, and the IC card 6 itself can be miniaturized.

Although the transmitting/receiving device for a dual conveyance device has been described for use in an automobile engine assembly line, it can be widely applied to a vehicle body assembly line, an electrical equipment assembly line, an inspection process, etc.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the transmitter/receiver for a conveyance device of the present invention, when information is exchanged between the IC card and the transmitter/receiver, the This will be done using the transmitter/receiver section in the communication module, and the IC card 6
The device itself can be made smaller and lower in cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a transmitting/receiving device for a transport device as an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an IC used in the same device.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cart and the communication module, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram when the IC card and the communication module are combined. ”...Engine body, 2...Transportation path, 3...Pallet, 4...Feeding operation member, 6...IC car 1~.
7... Communication module, 10... Transmitting/receiving device, 11
...PC, 603...Storage unit, 605...Battery.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A memory package attached to a conveyed article moving along a conveyance path and provided with at least a storage section and a backup power source for the storage section, and supported by a conveyance means for moving the conveyance article along the conveyance path, a communication module electrically disconnectably connected to the memory package;
A transmitting/receiving device for a conveyance device, comprising a communication unit that is fixedly disposed near the conveyance path and transmits and receives information in a storage section of the memory package via the communication module.