Part incorporating system

• US 4,774,757 A
• Filed: 04/03/1987
• Issued: 10/04/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Munenaga, Yukio, Sakamoto, Shunji
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, FRANCES CHIN
• Application Number:
  US07/034,041
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 29/407, 29/702, 29/709, 29/711, 29/712, 29/720
• US Class Current: 29/702
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• 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 65/02 Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4083 Adapting programme, configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36503 Adapt program to real coordinates, software orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53009 with comparator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53052 including position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer

Abstract

A part incorporating system includes a plurality of visual sensors at a detecting station immediately upstream of an incorporating station and respectively detect the positions of reference points in the base material when the base material is supplied to the detecting station, a plurality of second visual sensors at the incorporating station and respectively detect the positions of the reference points when the base material is supplied to the incorporating station, an incorporating unit at the incorporating station to support the part so that the position of the part can be adjusted and which has a fastening device for incorporating the part in the base material, and a control means which calculates the position in which the part is to be incorporated in the base material and controls the incorporating unit to adjust the position of the part. The part incorporating position is basically calculated based on the positions of the referenc epoints detected by the second visual sensors, and when the values of the distances between the reference points detected by the second visual sensors differ from those detected by the first visual sensors by a predetermined value, then the part incorporating position is calculated on the basis of the detected positions of the reference points which provides the values of the distances between the reference points closer to the regular values.

Claims

1. A part incorporating system for incorporating a part in a base material, comprising;

a plurality of first visual sensors which are disposed in predetermined positions at a detecting station provided immediately upstream of an incorporating station and which respectively detect the positions of a plurality of reference points provided in the base material when the base material is supplied to the detecting station,

a plurality of second visual sensors which are disposed in predetermined positions at the incorporating station and which respectively detect the positions of the plurality of reference points provided in the base material when the base material is supplied to the incorporating station,

an incorporating means which is disposed at the incorporating station to support the part so that the position of the part can be adjusted, the incorporating means having an incorporating device for incorporating the part in the base material,

and a control means for calculating the values of the distances between a plurality of predetermined reference points on the basis of the detected positions of the respective reference points by the first and second visual sensory and for comparing corresponding values of the distance between the ones of the plurality of reference points with a plurality of predetermined values of the corresponding distances to determine whether any of the first visual sensors is in an abnormal condition depending on whether the differences therebetween are within predetermined limits when no abnormal condition exists and control means also comparing the values of the distances between the reference points as calculated on the basis of the detected positions of the respective ones of the plurality of reference points detected by the first visual sensors with respective corresponding values of the corresponding distances between ones of the plurality of reference points as calculated on the basis of the detected positions of the respective reference points detected by the second visual sensors at the incorporating station to calculate the respective differences therebetween and determining whether each of the corresponding differences is within corresponding respective predetermined values with respect to each of the values of the distances, and when any one of the differences therebetween is larger than the corresponding respective predetermined value, the corresponding respective value of the distance is selected which is closer to the predetermined value of the respective corresponding distance with respect to the reference point, and adjusts the position of the part supported in the incorporating means according to the result of the calculation of the incorporating position of the part using the selected values of the respective corresponding ones of the plurality of reference points.

2. A part incorporating system as defined in claim 1 in which said base material is a vehicle frame.

3. A part incorporating system as defined in claim 2 in which said reference points are defined by holes formed on the under side of the vehicle frame.

4. A part incorporating system as defined in claim 3 in which said holes are at least three in number.

5. A part incorporating system as defined in claim 4 in which said incorporating means comprises first and second incorporating units, the first incorporating unit being adapted to work on the front portion of the vehicle frame and the second incorporating unit being adapted to work on the rear portion of the vehicle frame.

6. A part incorporating system as defined in claim 5 in which said first incorporating unit incorporates the engine and the front suspension and the second incorporating unit incorporates the rear suspension.