Apparatus for use in parts assembly
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in assembling multiple object assemblies, wherein various objects are located in individual bins, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame structure adapted to define a plurality of bins located adjacent one another in at least one row;
a plurality of sensor means associated with preselected bins, said sensor means being adapted to detect the presence-and duration of access by a hand in an area of said associated bin, said sensor means generating an electrical signal responsive to a hand being detected;
a plurality of display means associated with preselected bins, said display means being adapted to provide a visual display of component quantities responsive to electrical signals being received, said display means being adapted to provide said visual display in at least first and second display modes upon activation;
processing means adapted to receive said signals from said sensor means and generate said signals and apply the same to said display means, and having a communication port for connecting a programming means to program said processing means so that a predetermined quantity is initially displayed at predetermined bins, said display means at each predetermined bin changing from said first display mode to said second display mode responsive to a hand being initially detected, said display means operating in said second display mode for a predetermined time that is directly proportional to the quantity visually displayed for each bin.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for use in assembling kits of parts for use in manufacturing where workers pick the components or parts from bins that are stocked with the parts. The apparatus includes sensing means to detect the presence of a worker'"'"'s hand in a bin and a display indicates the number of components in a bin that are to be retrieved or picked for a kit for a particular product. Once the sensing means senses the presence of a worker'"'"'s hand in a bin, the display will be automatically dimmed for a predetermined time which is proportional to the number of components or parts which are to be taken from the bin. The apparatus is preferably configured so that adjacent modular units will not interfere with one another with respect to the sensing functionality and the sensing operation by the three detectors in each modular unit are also time multiplexed so that interference among the three is not experienced.
58 Citations
21 Claims
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1. Apparatus for use in assembling multiple object assemblies, wherein various objects are located in individual bins, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame structure adapted to define a plurality of bins located adjacent one another in at least one row; a plurality of sensor means associated with preselected bins, said sensor means being adapted to detect the presence-and duration of access by a hand in an area of said associated bin, said sensor means generating an electrical signal responsive to a hand being detected; a plurality of display means associated with preselected bins, said display means being adapted to provide a visual display of component quantities responsive to electrical signals being received, said display means being adapted to provide said visual display in at least first and second display modes upon activation; processing means adapted to receive said signals from said sensor means and generate said signals and apply the same to said display means, and having a communication port for connecting a programming means to program said processing means so that a predetermined quantity is initially displayed at predetermined bins, said display means at each predetermined bin changing from said first display mode to said second display mode responsive to a hand being initially detected, said display means operating in said second display mode for a predetermined time that is directly proportional to the quantity visually displayed for each bin. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for use in assembling multiple component assemblies wherein various components are located in a plurality of bins arranged in at least one row of bins, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame structure providing support for each row of bins, and providing vertical spacing between rows in the event more than one row of bins is provided; a plurality of at least one type of modular unit connected to said frame structure, each unit being associated with a predetermined number of minimum sized bin areas, said unit comprising; a sensor means for each of said bin areas, each said sensor means being adapted to detect the presence and duration of access of a transient object in said bin area, and generating an electrical signal indicative of a transient object being detected; a display means for each of said bin areas, each said display means being selectively operable and adapted to provide a visual display of quantities of components to be removed for one of the assemblies responsive to display signals being received, said display means being adapted to provide said visual display in at least first and second display modes upon activation; unit processing means adapted to receive said signals from said sensor means and generate said display signals and apply the same to said display means, and having a communication port for connecting to a concentrator processing means, each operable one of said display means at each predetermined bin area changing from said first display mode to said second display mode responsive to a transient object being initially detected, said display means operating in said second display mode for a predetermine time that is directly proportional to the quantity displayed for each bin; concentrator processing means connected to each of said unit processing means and being adapted to program each of said unit processing means so that a predetermined quantity is initially displayed at predetermined bins. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for use in a worker assembling multiple component assemblies wherein various components are located in a plurality of bins arranged in at least one row of bins, said apparatus being adapted to provide a normal display of the number of components that are to be removed from each bin during an assembling process, and when a worker'"'"'s hand is in a bin, to provide an alterated display, comprising:
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a sensor means for sensing generally predetermined sized areas of said bins, said sensor means being adapted to detect the presence and duration of access by a worker'"'"'s hand in said area, said sensor means generating an output signal that varies over time in proportion to the amount of reflected light detected at at least one display means for each bin, said display means being adapted to provide said numerical display of component quantities, said display means being adapted to provide said altered display responsive to a control signal being received; processing means adapted to receive said output signal from said sensor means and selectively generate said control signal and apply the same to said display means, said processing means measuring the magnitude and form of said output signal over a predetermined time period and producing said control signal when the magnitude and form satisfy predetermined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification