Parts supply system applied to a versatile production line

• US 5,353,495 A
• Filed: 02/25/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Terabayashi, Eiichi, Sasano, Toshio, Oyanagi, Keisuke, Terashima, Hiroyoshi, Miyasaka, Kazumi, Sasaki, Katsunao
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bryant, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/022,640
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 29/714, 29/742, 29/783, 29/791, 29/822, 29/823, 29/824, 29/786, 29/793, 29/794, 198/346.2, 198/346.1, 198/465.2, 198/465.1, 414/222, 901/7
• US Class Current: 29/714
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/00 Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 7/1442 using carts carrying work holders
• 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 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53378 including converging conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53409 including converging conveyors

Abstract

The present invention relates to a parts supply system applied to a versatile production line, which strives to eliminate manual labor and prevent misdelivery. The parts supply system includes at least one of the product assembling sites (3) on the production line, at least one of the parts supplying sites (4), at least one of the unit assembling sites (5), at which units are assembled from parts delivered from a warehouse and a plurality of sets are arranged with the units, and a delivery means for delivering the set automatically between each of the product assembling sites (3) and each of the parts supplying sites (4) by an automatic carrier (2) or conveyors.

Claims

1. A versatile production system for producing products, the products comprising an assembly of at least two units and each unit comprising an assembly of at least two parts, the versatile production system comprising:

a unit assembling site at which parts are assembled into units and comprising a temporary parts support surface which supports parts to be assembled into units;

a product assembling site at which units are assembled into products;

a main conveyer, coupled to the product assembling site, which conveys assembled products from the product assembling site to a remote location;

an automatic carrier unit which moves between the unit assembling site and the product assembling site and carries containers, containing units, from the unit assembling site to the product assembling site and carries empty containers from the product assembling site to the unit assembling site, wherein the automatic carrier unit comprises;

a power supply which supplies power to the automatic carrier unit,

a first deck which holds a container, having units placed therein, to be carried from the unit assembling site to the product assembling site,

a second deck which holds an empty container to be carried from the product assembling site to the unit assembling site;

a unit assembling site conveyer, at to the unit assembling site, having a first conveyer which conveys a container, with units placed therein, from the unit assembling site to the first deck of the automatic carrier unit and a second conveyer which conveys empty containers from the second deck of the automatic carrier unit to the unit assembling site;

a product assembling site conveyer, at to the product assembling site, having a first conveyer which carries a container, with units placed therein, from the first deck of the automatic carrier unit to the product assembling site and a second conveyer which conveys empty containers from the product assembling site to the second deck of the automatic carrier unit;

a power supply charging station which charges the power supply of the automatic carrier unit; and

automatic carrier control means for controlling the movement of the automatic carrier unit between the product assembling site, the unit assembling site and the power supply charging station, the automatic carrier control means comprising;

a plurality of local communications units, a first local communications unit of the plurality of local communications units for transmitting signals to and from the product assembling site, a second local communications unit of the plurality of local communications units for transmitting signals to and from the unit assembling site and a third local communications unit of the plurality of local communications units for transmitting signals to and from the power supply charging station, respectively,

main communications means, interfaced to the automatic carrier unit, for communicating with the plurality of local communications units,

a plurality of detectors which output detection signals, one of the plurality of detectors located at the product assembling site and interfaced to the first local communications unit, one of the plurality of detectors located at the unit assembling site and interfaced to the second local communications unit and one of the plurality of detectors located at the power supply charging station and interfaced to the third local communications unit, and

a controller, interfaced to the main communications means, which controls the movement of the automatic carrier unit in accordance with the detection signals output by the plurality of detectors.

2. A versatile production system as in claim 1, wherein the product assembling site conveyer comprises at least three individual conveyers and the unit assembling site conveyer comprises at least three individual conveyers.

3. A versatile production system as in claim 2, wherein:

one of the at least three individual conveyers of the product assembling site conveyer is arranged to be higher than the other of the at least three individual conveyers of the product assembling site conveyer and is used to convey empty containers from the product assembling site to the automatic carrier unit, and

one of the at least three individual conveyers of the unit assembling site conveyer is arranged to be higher than the other of the at least three individual conveyers of the unit assembling site conveyer and is used to convey empty containers to the unit assembling site from the automatic carrier unit.

4. A versatile production system as in claim 1, wherein:

the product assembling site conveyer comprises a deck and two parallel conveyers, the two parallel conveyers located adjacent to each other and mounted horizontally on the deck, and

the unit assembling site conveyer comprises a deck and two parallel conveyers, the two parallel conveyers located adjacent to each other and mounted horizontally on the deck.

5. A versatile production system as in claim 1, wherein the containers are trays having blocks each and the blocks hold a unit.

6. A versatile production system as in claim 1, further comprising at least two unit assembling sites and at least two product assembling sites, wherein

the automatic carrier unit is selectively movable from any of the at least two unit assembling sites to any of the at least two product assembling sites and from any of the at least two product assembling sites to any of the at least two unit assembling sites;

each of the at least two unit assembling sites has a corresponding unit assembling site conveyer;

each of the at least two product assembling sites has a corresponding product assembling site conveyer; and

the automatic carrier control means controls the movement of the automatic carrier unit between the at least two product assembling sites, the at least two unit assembling sites and the power supply charging station, and wherein, in the automatic carrier control means;

each of the at least two product assembling sites, and each of the at least two unit assembling sites includes a respective local cummunications unit for transmitting signals thereto and therefrom and

each of the at least two product assembling sites, and each of the at least two unit assembling sites includes a respective detector located thereat.

7. A versatile production system as in claim 6, wherein the product assembling site conveyer comprises at least three individual conveyers and the unit assembling site conveyer comprises at least three individual conveyers.

8. A versatile production system as in claim 7, wherein:

one of the at least three individual conveyers of the product assembling site conveyer is arranged to be higher than the other of the at least three individual conveyers of the product assembling site conveyer and is used to convey empty containers from the product assembling site to the automatic carrier unit, and

one of the at least three individual conveyers of the unit assembling site conveyer is arranged to be higher than the other of the at least three individual conveyers of the unit assembling site conveyer and is used to convey empty containers to the unit assembling site from the automatic carrier unit.

9. A versatile production system as in claim 6, wherein:

the product assembling site conveyer comprises a deck and two individual conveyers with the two individual conveyers located adjacent to each other and mounted horizontally on the deck, and

the unit assembling site conveyer comprises a deck and two individual conveyers with the two individual conveyers located adjacent to each other and mounted horizontally on the deck.

10. A versatile production system as in claim 6, wherein the containers are trays having corresponding blocks and the blocks each hold a unit.

11. A versatile production system for producing products, each product comprising an assembly of at least two units, the versatile production system comprising:

a plurality of trays, each tray having at least two blocks which are equivalent in number to at least two units, the at least two blocks fitting, respectively, the at least two units;

a unit assembling site where parts are assembled into units and at least two units are placed into one of the plurality of trays;

a product assembling site where at least two units, delivered to the product assembling site in a corresponding tray, are removed from the tray and assembled into a product the tray thus being empty after the at least two units are assembled into a product;

a unit conveyer which conveys trays containing units from the unit assembling site;

a product conveyer which conveys products assembled at the product assembling site to a remote location and returns empty trays from the product assembling site to the unit assembling site;

a first tray stocker, coupled between the product conveyer and the unit conveyer, which stocks empty trays returning from the product assembling site and conveys the empty trays to the unit assembling site;

a second tray stocker, coupled between the product conveyer and the unit conveyer, which stocks trays containing units, being conveyed from the unit assembling site and conveys the trays containing units to the product assembling site;

wherein a closed production loop is formed so that a tray can continue to circulate through the product assembling site, through the first tray stocker, through the unit assembling site, through the second tray stocker, and back to the product assembling site; and

wherein the trays each include at least two different sized blocks and each block has a corresponding resistance connecting the block to another block in the tray so that all blocks in a tray are connected together by resistances and a test can be performed on a tray by measuring the resistances.

12. A versatile production system as in claim 11, wherein robots are positioned at the product assembling site for assembling products.

13. A versatile production system as in claim 11, further comprising at least two unit assembling sites and at least two product assembling sites, wherein:

the product conveyer conveys products assembled at the at least two product assembling sites to a remote location and returns empty containers from the at least two product assembling sites to the first tray stocker;

the unit conveyer conveys trays, containing units, from the second tray stocker to the at least two product assembling sites;

the first tray stocker stocks conveys the empty trays returning from the at least two product assembling sites and empty trays to the at least two unit assembling sites;

the second tray stocker stocks trays, containing units, being conveyed from the at least two unit assembling sites and conveys the trays, containing units, to the at least two product assembling sites; and

a closed production loop is formed so that a tray can continue to circulate through the at least two product assembling sites, through the first tray stocker, through the at least two unit assembling sites, through the second tray stocker, and then back to the at least two product assembling sites.

14. A versatile production system as in claim 13, wherein robots are positioned at each product assembling site for assembling products.