Automobile door opening/closing equipment
First Claim
1. A device for opening and closing an automobile door having a glass slot and an upper edge with a predetermined shape, comprising:
- a robot arm which is movable in a horizontal plane towards and away from the door and which includes a lower surface;
a non-contact type sensor means attached to said robot arm for detecting the predetermined shape of the upper edge of the door;
an engaging rod attached to said robot arm and adapted to move relative thereto in a vertical direction between an extended position in which said rod is inserted in the glass slot and a retracted position in which said rod is retracted from the glass slot; and
rod drive means for selectively driving said engaging rod relative to said robot arm between said extended position and said retracted position, said rod drive means comprising a vertically disposed cylinder having a piston with a piston rod connected to said engaging rod;
whereby when said engaging rod is in said retracted position, said robot arm can be moved in the horizontal plane so as to position the lower surface of said robot arm proximate the upper edge of the door.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automobile door opening/closing device according to the present invention is provided with a robot arm capable of moving horizontally toward a door, a non-contact type sensor attached to the robot arm for detecting an upper edge shape of the door, an engaging rod attached to the robot arm and adapted to be moved vertically for insertion thereof into a glass slot of the door, and a drive means for driving the engaging rod. In operation, the robot arm is moved horizontally toward the door in close proximity to the upper edge of the door, and when the non-contact type sensor detects a specific shape of the upper edge of the door, the drive means is operated to insert the engaging rod into the glass slot, and the door is then opened or closed by a horizontal movement of the robot arm. Under this construction, not only can the distance between the non-contact type sensor and the upper edge of the door be shortened to ensure detecting the position of the door by the sensor, but also the engaging rod can be inserted into the glass slot without contacting a coated surface of the door.
31 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A device for opening and closing an automobile door having a glass slot and an upper edge with a predetermined shape, comprising:
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a robot arm which is movable in a horizontal plane towards and away from the door and which includes a lower surface; a non-contact type sensor means attached to said robot arm for detecting the predetermined shape of the upper edge of the door; an engaging rod attached to said robot arm and adapted to move relative thereto in a vertical direction between an extended position in which said rod is inserted in the glass slot and a retracted position in which said rod is retracted from the glass slot; and rod drive means for selectively driving said engaging rod relative to said robot arm between said extended position and said retracted position, said rod drive means comprising a vertically disposed cylinder having a piston with a piston rod connected to said engaging rod; whereby when said engaging rod is in said retracted position, said robot arm can be moved in the horizontal plane so as to position the lower surface of said robot arm proximate the upper edge of the door. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15)
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9. A device for opening and closing an automobile door having a glass slot and an upper edge with a predetermined shape, comprising:
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a coating robot for providing a paint coating to the door and having an arm which is movable in a horizontal plane towards and away from the door; and a casing attached to said arm and in which are mounted; an engaging rod adapted to move in a vertical direction relative to said robot arm between an extended position in which said rod is inserted in the glass slot and a retracted position in which said rod is retracted from the glass slot; rod drive means, comprising a vertically disposed cylinder having a piston with a piston rod connected to said engaging rod, for selectively driving said engaging rod between said extended position and said retracted position; an optical sensor means, having a means for emitting light and a means for sensing light, for detecting the predetermined shape; a shutter adapted to move in a horizontal plane between a covering position in which said shutter covers one of said light sensing means and said light emitting means and an exposing position in which said shutter exposes said one of said light sensing means and said light emitting means; and shutter drive means, comprising a horizontally disposed cylinder having a piston with a piston rod attached to said shutter, for selectively driving said shutter between said covering position and said exposing position. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification