JPH0541375B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an automatic product assembly device for automatically assembling products.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Conventionally, this type of automatic assembly apparatus is an automatic assembly system using a long conveyor as shown in FIG. An example of the above-mentioned conventional automatic product assembly system will be explained with reference to FIG.

Pallets 4 are sequentially conveyed to the long conveyor 1 according to the process. Next, while parts were being supplied by parts supplying devices 2 and 3, one product was assembled on a pallet by an automatic assembly robot device 5 in the next process. Furthermore, the pallet 4, which has been empty after the products are taken out by the unloading device 8, is lowered by the lifter device 6 and transferred to the long conveyor 1.
A circulation method was used in which the products were returned to their starting position, raised by a lifter device 7, and then reassembled.

In other words, in an automatic product assembly system, assembling and parts supplying stations corresponding to the number of assembly processes are required, so a long conveyor line in which these stations are arranged or a long conveyor line in which many unit conveyors are connected is used. Automated product assembly was carried out using installed equipment.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above-mentioned automatic product assembly system requires a very long conveyor and a number of method units, transfer and supply units corresponding to the number of each assembly process. , a space corresponding to the equipment is required, and furthermore, it is impossible to repeatedly use the above-mentioned method units, transfer, and supply units that are set up in the order of processes as an assembly line.

In addition, in conventional automatic product assembly systems,
In order to improve the productivity of product assembly, we need as many pallets as possible to be loaded onto a long conveyor with emphasis on assembly efficiency, so the number of pallets required for automatic product assembly depends on the length of the conveyor. There were many problems in terms of cost and space, such as the large number of devices.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is an automatic product assembly device that enables automatic product assembly to be performed smoothly in a small space with a limited number of assembly steps and with minimal equipment.

Means for Solving the Problems The technical means of the present invention for solving the above problems is to mount a pallet on an automatic guided vehicle, and install this automatic guided vehicle so as to circulate each part assembly position. It is constructed so that parts mounted on a pallet at a parts assembly position can be assembled directly on the pallet.

Effects The effects of the technical means of this automatic product assembly system are as follows.

In other words, some parts of the product to be automatically assembled are mounted on a pallet, and the automatic guided vehicle repeatedly circulates through each assembly station, thereby assembling the product in a small, limited space. Assembly can be performed directly on the automatic guided vehicle while receiving the parts necessary for assembly on the pallet.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

1 is an unmanned guided vehicle, which can travel in any layout as indicated by the arrows in the figure. 2 is an automatic product assembly robot, 3 is a conveyor for carrying in pallets loaded with assembled parts, 4 is a conveyor for carrying out pallets loaded with finished parts, 5 is an automatically assembled product, 6 is a parts for automatically assembled products, 7 is a pallet for automatically loading assembled parts, 8 is automatic A small injection molding machine for parts supply, 9 a parts feeder for automatic parts supply, and 10 an automatic parts supply device.

Next, the operation will be described. The automatic guided vehicle 1 transfers the automatically assembled parts mounting pallet 7 loaded with the automatically assembled product parts 6 to be automatically assembled from the assembled parts mounting pallet carry-in conveyor 3. Then, it automatically assembles a product made up of several parts. In other words, while following the assembly process order,
At each assembly position, automatic product assembly is performed on the automatic assembly parts mounting pallet 7 by the automatic product assembly robot 2 while receiving parts supply by the automatic parts supply device 10. Also, parts 6 for automatically assembled products placed on the automatically assembled parts mounting pallet 7
Automatic assembly is performed on the automatic assembly parts mounting pallet 7 by the automatic product assembly robot 2. Furthermore, while receiving parts from a parts feeder 9 for automatic parts supply and a small injection molding machine 8 for automatic parts supply, the product is assembled directly on the automatic assembly parts loading pallet 7 through repeated and overlapping circulation assembly. Finally, the completed automatically assembled product 5 on the automatically assembled parts mounting pallet 7 is carried out together with the automatically assembled parts mounting pallet 7 by the finished parts mounting pallet carrying conveyor 4. Furthermore, this product assembly cycle is a system that allows product assembly to be carried out 24 hours a day by using automated guided vehicles equipped with NC equipment.

Note that this automatic guided vehicle is configured to receive commands from the center and move to a plurality of predetermined positions in advance.
Further, after moving to a predetermined position, it can receive commands from that station through an optical fiber or the like, and can be installed in a movable manner to the next station.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention enables a layout in which pallets of parts of products to be automatically assembled are mounted on an automatic guided vehicle to circulate each automatic parts assembly position and an automatic parts supply station, and further By using the direct product assembly method in which parts are assembled directly on the pallet, automatic product assembly can be performed in a small, restricted space. Furthermore, since the construction method unit and transfer supply unit can be used redundantly, each can be handled with one unit.This is a new assembly method that does not require a conveyor, and the equipment cost can be greatly reduced, making it an extremely economical system. This makes it possible to flexibly respond to increases in area productivity, process changes, and small-volume production of multiple models in product assembly.

Furthermore, by assembling the parts placed on the pallet on the pallet, it is possible to automatically assemble parts that are difficult to supply.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an automatic product assembly device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional automatic product assembly device. 1...Automatic guided vehicle equipped with NC device, 2...Automatic product assembly robot, 3...Pallet carry-in conveyor loaded with assembled parts, 4...Pallet carry-out conveyor loaded with finished parts, 5...Automatic assembly product, 6...Automatic assembly Product parts, 7...Pallet with automatic assembly parts, 8...
...Small injection molding machine for automatic parts supply, 9..Parts feeder for automatic parts supply, 10.. Device for automatic parts supply.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An automatic guided vehicle that can be moved to any position in an automated product assembly process, and a pallet on which parts of an automatically assembled product to be automatically assembled are placed on the automated guided vehicle. and an assembly means capable of mutually assembling the parts of the automatically assembled product placed on the pallet, and the parts placed on the pallet on the automated guided vehicle moved near the assembly means by the assembly means. An automatic product assembly device is provided to assemble parts of the automatically assembled product on the pallet to assemble the automatically assembled product. 2. Claim 1, wherein the assembly means is configured to assemble parts supplied from an automatic parts supply device disposed near the assembly means to parts of an automatically assembled product placed on a pallet. automatic product assembly equipment. 3. The automatic product assembly apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic guided vehicle is configured to be able to repeatedly circulate through any product assembly process. 4. Claim 1, which is configured to perform automatic product assembly using only the same number of pallets as the number of automatic guided vehicles.
Automatic product assembly equipment as described in section. 5. The automatic product assembly apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a pallet supply means for placing pallets on an automatic guided vehicle at a predetermined position. 6. The automatic product assembly apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a pallet receiving means for receiving a pallet on which a product with assembled parts is placed at a predetermined position from an automatic guided vehicle.