Assembly apparatus

• US 6,804,880 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, John C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omgba, Essama
• Application Number:
  US10/126,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20020157241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 297/91, 298/22, 297/00, 297/06, 297/07, 297/10, 297/11, 298/23, 298/24, 198/341.04, 198/341.05, 198/395
• US Class Current: 29/700
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/004 the units passing two or more work-stations whilst being composed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5303 Responsive to condition of work or product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53043 including means to divert defective work part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53048 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/534 Multiple station assembly or disassembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53543 including transporting track
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53548 and work carrying vehicle

Abstract

An assembly apparatus that may easily conform to increase in production volume and change in specifications of parts, and exhibits high production efficiency is provided. The assembly apparatus 1 includes a part-supplying station 2 in which an operator 8 supplies parts to a conveyor pallet 5, a part-assembling station 3 in which assembly robots R1, R2 assemble the parts in the conveyor pallet 5, and a conveyor means 4 that conveys the conveyor pallet 5 from the part-supplying station 2 to the part-assembling station 3. After the assembly robots R1 have finished assembling the parts on one conveyor pallet 5 in a work area A1, the conveyor means 4 conveys the one conveyor pallet 5 from the work area A1, and concurrently conveys the next conveyor pallet 5 following the one conveyor pallet 5 in the work area A1.

Claims

1. An assembly apparatus comprising:

a part-supplying station in which parts are supplied to a predetermined conveyor pallet through a manual operation;

a part-assembling station in which the parts in the conveyor pallet are assembled through an operation using an assembly robot; and

a conveyor means that conveys the conveyor pallet from the part-supplying station to the part-assembling station,

wherein after the assembly robot finishes assembling parts in one conveyor pallet in a work area of the assembly robot, the conveyor means conveys out the one conveyor pallet from the work area, and conveys another conveyor pallet subsequent to the one conveyor pallet into the work area at the same time;

wherein the conveyor pallet comprises;

a shock-absorbing member configured to receive a stopper that projects from below the conveyor pallet when the conveyor pallet arrives at the work area; and

a clearance groove formed at a bottom of the conveyor pallet; and

wherein the clearance groove is configured to allow the stopper to project from below the conveyor pallet immediately after the shock-absorbing member passes over the stopper.

2. The assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if one of the parts is incorrectly oriented, the assembly robot is configured to correct the incorrect orientation of the part based upon a signal indicating detection of the incorrect orientation of the part.

3. The assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly robot comprises:

a gripper portion that holds each part to be assembled;

a dimensions measuring means that measures dimensions of the part held by the gripper portion; and

a part-identifying means that determines whether the part is a target part to be mounted, based upon the dimensions of the part measured by the dimensions measuring means.

4. The assembly apparatus claimed in claim 1,

wherein, when an abnormal condition in assembling the parts by the assembly robot takes place in an assembly step, the assembly apparatus is suspended, and assembly of the parts is restarted from the assembly step at which the abnormal condition has taken place.

5. The assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, when the assembly robot fails to assemble one of the parts, the one of the parts is places back onto the conveyor pallet and the assembly robot is configured to attempt to again assemble the one of the parts.

6. An assembly apparatus comprising:

a part-supplying station in which parts are supplied to a predetermined conveyor pallet through a manual operation;

a part-assembling station in which the parts in the conveyor pallet are assembled through an operation using an assembly robot; and

a conveyor means that conveys the conveyor pellet from the part-supplying station to the part-assembling station,

wherein the part-assembling station includes a part-supplying means that supplies some of the parts to the assembly robot for assembling the parts;

wherein the assembly robot receives the some the parts from the part-supplying means during a period for which the conveyor means conveys the conveyor pallet;

wherein the conveyor pallet comprises;

a shock-absorbing member configured to receive a stopper that projects from below the conveyor pallet when the conveyor pallet arrives at a work area of the assembly robot; and

a clearance groove formed at a bottom of the conveyor pallet; and

wherein the clearance groove is configured to allow the stopper to project from below the conveyor pallet immediately after the shock-absorbing member passes over the stopper.