PART SUPPLY APPARATUS

• US 20100249991A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Katsumi, Asano, Junya, Izawa, Yoichi, Motojima, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5145 with recirculation means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5195 for materials in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/46 using screw conveyors

Abstract

A bolt supply apparatus (1) recognizes images of bolts conveyed by a conveyor (22) using a camera (24) and feeds the recognized bolts to a next operation step using a robot (26). Bolts to be conveyed from a hopper (10) through a spiral feeder (14) are temporarily stored in a first storage box (16). Weight of the first storage box (16) is measured by a first weight measuring device (18). When the first weight measuring device (18) measures a given weight, the bolts of the first storage box (16) are supplied to the conveyor (22).

Claims

1. A part supply apparatus comprising:

storing means for storing parts therein;

first conveying means for conveying the parts stored within the storing means;

temporarily storing means for temporarily storing the parts conveyed by the first conveying means;

second conveying means for conveying the parts stored in the first storing means to a predetermined position;

weight measuring means for measuring a weight of the parts stored in the first storing means;

supply means for supplying the parts stored within the temporarily storing means to the second conveying means when the measurement result of the weight measuring means satisfies a predetermined condition previously set according to the kind of the parts;

image recognizing means for recognizing images of the parts conveyed to said predetermined position; and

automatic feed means for feeding the parts recognized by the image recognizing means to other predetermined positions one by one.

2. The part supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

third conveying means for conveying the parts which are not recognized by the image recognizing means;

re-supply storing means for storing therein parts conveyed by the third conveying means; and

re-supply weight measuring means for measuring the weight of parts stored in the re-supply storing means,

wherein the supply means supplies the parts stored in the re-supply storing means to the second conveying means, when the measurement result of the re-supply weight measuring means satisfies a predetermined condition previously set according to the kind of the parts.

3. A part supply apparatus comprising:

a hopper configured to store parts therein;

a feeder configured to convey the parts stored within the hopper;

a first storage box configured to temporarily store the parts conveyed by the feeder;

a first weight measuring device configured to measure a weight of the parts stored in the first storage box;

a lift box, wherein the parts stored within the first storage box is supplied to the lift box when a measurement result of the first weight measuring device satisfies a predetermined condition;

a conveyor configured to convey the parts from the lift box to a predetermined position;

a camera configured to recognize images of the parts conveyed to said predetermined position; and

a robot configured to feed the parts recognized by the camera to other predetermined positions one by one.

4. The part supply apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a collection conveyor configured to convey the parts which are not, recognized by the image recognizing means;

a second storage box configured to store therein the parts conveyed by the collection conveyor; and

a second weight measuring device configured to measure weight of the parts stored in the second storage box,

wherein the lift box is configured to supply the parts stored in the second storage box to the conveyor, when the measurement result of the second weight measuring device satisfies a predetermined condition.