Weighty object mounting systems

• US 4,723,356 A
• Filed: 09/24/1986
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tuyoshi, Sakamoto, Shunji, Okamizu, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wallace, Ronald S.
• Application Number:
  US06/911,055
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 29/33 K, 29/33 P, 29/407, 29/429, 29/430, 29/703, 29/709, 29/711, 29/712, 29/714, 29/720, 29/791, 29/793, 29/794, 29/822, 29/823, 29/824, 198/341, 198/356, 198/420, 198/464.2, 198/464.3, 198/468.8, 414/589, 414/590
• US Class Current: 29/714
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5191 Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5196 Multiple station with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53013 Computer input
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53052 including position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53413 and primary central conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53548 and work carrying vehicle

Abstract

A weighty object mounting system comprises tact-transporting means for transporting a transportable object so as to have the same stop temporarily at each working stations, position detecting means for detecting a stop position of the transportable object stopped at one of the stations, a lifter provided in a mounting station and including a mounting portion provided for supporting a weighty object placed thereon and arranged to be movable forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station and a driving portion for moving the mounting portion so as to cause the weighty object to engage with the transportable object and to be automatically mounted to the same, and control means operative to supply the driving portion with control commands which direct the driving portion to cause the mounting portion to have each of predetermined movements at a predetermined timing, and operative also to calculate a misalignment between the transportable object and the weighty object in the mounting station on the strength of a detection output of the position detecting means and to cause the driving means to amend the movements of the mounting portion in response to the calculated misalignment.

Claims

1. A weighty object mounting system comprising:

tact-supporting means for transporting a transportable object in such a manner that the transportable object is stopped temporarily at each of working stations arranged in series,

position detecting means for detecting a stop position of the transportable object stopped temporarily at one of the working stations,

lifting means provided in a mounting station in which a weighty object is mounted automatically to the transportable object, said lifting means including at least one weighty object lifter comprising a mounting portion provided for supporting the weighty object placed thereon and arranged to be moveable forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object carried into the mounting station from said one of the working stations, and driving means for moving said mounting portion forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station so as to cause the weighty object to engage with the transportable object and to be automatically mounted to the same, and

control means operative to supply said driving means in the weighty object lifter with control commands directing said driving means to cause said mounting portion of the weighty object to have each of predetermind movements at a predetermined timing, said control means being further operative to calculate a misalignment between the transportable object and the weighty object in the mounting station on the strength of a detection output of said position detecting means and to cause said driving means to amend the movements of said mounting portion in response to the calculated misalignment, wherein said mounting portion of the weighty object lifter comprises a first movable member provided to be moved up and down in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station, a second movable member provided on said first movable member to be moved right and left in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station, and a third movable member provided on said second sliding member to be moved forward and backward in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station.

2. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 1, wherein said driving means in the weighty objejct lifter comprises first driving arrangement for moving said first movable member, a second driving arrangement for moving said second movable member, and a third driving arrangement for moving said third movable member.

3. A wieghty object mounting system according to claim 2, wherein said second driving arrangement comprises a first rack member attached to said second movable member, a first pinion member for mating with said first rack member and a first pinion driving device connected with said first pinion member, and said third driving arrangement comprises a second rack member attached to said third movable member, a second pinion member for mating with said second rack member and a second pinion driving device connected with said second pinion member.

4. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 2, wherein each of said second and third driving arrangement includes clutch means for making selectively each of said second and third driving arrangements operative and inoperative.

5. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 4, wherein said mounting portion of the weighty object lifter further comprises first position indexing means for indexing a reference position of said second movable member in relation to said first movable member and second position indexing means for indexing a reference position of said third movable member in relation to said second movable member.

6. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 5, wherein said first position indexing means includes means for moving said second movable member into the reference position thereof when said second driving arrangement is caused to be inoperative by the clutch means provided therein and said second position indexing means includes means for moving said third movable member into the reference position thereof when said third driving arrangement is caused to be inoperative by the clutch means provided therein.

7. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion of the weighty object lifter further comprises a rotatable member provided on said third movable member to be rotated about an axis elongating up and down.

8. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 7, wherein said driving means in the weighty object lifter comprises first driving arrangement for moving said first movable member, a second driving arrangement for moving said second movable member, a third driving arrangement for moving said third movable member, and a fourth driving arrangement for rotating said rotatable member.

9. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 7, wherein said mounting portion of the weighty object lifter further comprises a mounting member provided on said rotatable member and load detecting means provided between said mounting member and said rotatable member for detecting an excessive load with which said mounting portion is burdened.

10. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 1, wherein said mounting station is disposed next to said one of the working stations in which said position detecting means is provided.

11. A weight object mounting system according to claim 10, wherein said position detecting means comprises at least one optical position sensor.

12. A weighty object mounting system comprising:

tact-transporting means for the transporting a transportable object in such a manner that the transportable object is stopped temporarily at each of working stations arranged in series,

position detecting means for detecting a stop position of the transportable object stopped temperarily at one of the working stations,

lifting means provided in a mounting station in which a weighty object is mounted automatically to the transportable object, said lifting means including at least one weighty object lifter comprising a mounting portion provided for supporting the weighty object placed thereon and arranged to be movable forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object carried into the mouting station from said one of the working stations, and driving means for moving said mounting portion forward and backward, right and left, and up and down in relation to the transportable object in the mounting station so as to cause the weighty object to engage with the transportable object and to be automatically mounted to the same, and

control means operative to supply said driving means in the weighty object lifter with control commands directing said driving means to cause said mounting portion of the weighty object lifter to have each of predetermined movements at a predetermined timing, said control means being further operative to calculate a misalignment between the transportable object and the weighty object in the mounting station on the strength of a detection output of said position detecting means and to cause said driving means to amend the movements of said mounting portion in response to the calculated misalignment, wherein said tact-transporting means is arranged to transport a vehicle body as said transportable object, and said lifting means comprises a first weighty object lifter for supporting a combination of an engine and one of front and rear suspensions placed thereon as said weighty object and a second weighty object lifter for supporting the other of front and rear suspensions placed thereon as said weighty object.

13. A weighty object mounting system according to claim 12, wherein said lifting means further comprises adjusting means for varying a distance between the first and second weighty object lifters so as to cause the same to correspond to the size of said vehicle body.