WORK CONVEYING APPARATUS

• US 20100183414A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Konosu, Hitoshi, Odashima, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/589
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0052 multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/02 travelling along a guideway
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/107 of the froglegs type
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/06 the sub-units or components being doors, windows, openable roofs, lids, bonnets, or weather strips or seals therefor assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts, e.g. doors, windows B60J10/45
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/0243 Separate cups
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 1/0256 Operating and control devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

Since both a driving means for lifting a work and a driving means for turning operation must have been arranged in a conventional work transfer apparatus, the apparatus has been large in size and heavy in weight. A work transfer apparatus is provided with a holding tool for holding a window, i.e., the work, and a supporting arm for movably supporting the holding tool. The window held by the holding tool is transferred by a supporting arm to window frames to which the window is to be assembled, and the posture of the window is changed to that corresponds to the window frames. Furthermore, the supporting arm is configured to be a closed loop link mechanism wherein a plurality of links are connected to form a closed loop. The posture of the holding tool against one link of a pair of links connected to the holding tool of the supporting arm can be fixed.

Claims

1. A work conveying apparatus, holding a work, conveying the work to a work-assembly position, and changing a posture of the work in accordance with the work-assembly position, the apparatus comprising:

a holder holding the work; and

a support arm supporting and conveying the holder to the work-assembly position,

wherein the support arm is constructed as a quadrate closed loop link mechanism connected by two upper and two lower links, and

wherein the holder is connected by the lower links, and

wherein the posture of the holder against one link in the pair of lower links is fixed.

2. The work conveying apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the support arm, comprising:

a joint member connecting the pair of lower links and the holder rotatably; and

a connect member connecting selectively the holder to either one of the lower links without relative rotation for fixing the posture of the link.

3. The work conveying apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the holder comprising:

a drive member for fine tuning the posture of either of the lower links.