Automatic assembly machine for mounting bearings onto motors

• US 7,325,297 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd., Fuzhun Precision Industry Company Limited (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd., Fuzhun Precision Industry Company Limited (Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xia, Jian-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taousakis; Alexander P
• Application Number:
  US10/900,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 297/24, 297/25, 297/32, 292/29, 297/71, 297/84, 297/87, 297/90, 297/99, 298/980.7, 298/09, 292/81, 297/59, 384/185, 384/204
• US Class Current: 29/724
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/02 in the case of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/06 Mounting or dismounting of ball or roller bearings; Fixing them onto shaft or in housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53061 Responsive to work or work-related machine element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53104 Roller or ball bearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53109 including deforming means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53143 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

An automatic assembly machine includes a basis (10), a sliding device (30) horizontally movably attached on the basis for supporting a fan (40) thereon, a tube (27) fixed to the basis for receiving a plurality of bearings (28) therein, a diversion station for provisionally holding one bearing thereon, a mounting device (70) vertically movably attached to the basis, a horizontal driving device (60), a vertical driving device (80), and a control device (90) for controlling periodical movement of the horizontal and vertical driving devices. In one period, the vertical driving device drives the mounting device to catch the bearing from the diversion station and then the horizontal driving device drives the sliding device and the diversion station to move to allow the diversion station to receive another bearing from the tube and the mounting device to mount said bearing to the fan upon driven of the vertical driving device.

Claims

1. An automatic assembly machine for mounting bearings to motors, comprising:

a seat for supporting one motor thereon;

a diversion station for provisionally holding one bearing thereon;

a mounting device for mounting said one bearing to said one motor from the diversion station;

a driving device for driving movement of the seat, the diversion station and the mounting device; and

a tube for holding the bearings thereon, wherein when the mounting device mounts said one bearing to the motor, the diversion station receives another bearing from the tube;

wherein the driving device comprises a horizontal driving device for driving the seat and the diversion station to move horizontally, and a vertical driving device for driving the mounting device to move vertically; and

wherein the diversion station comprises a post and a bushing movably surrounding a top portion of the post with a cavity formed between the cost and the bushing for receiving said one bearing.

2. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting device comprises a movable bushing and an extendable rod movably received in the movable bushing with a recess formed between the movable bushing and the extendable rod for interferentially receiving said one bearing from the cavity.

3. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein a distance between an axis of the tube and an axis of the extendable rod of the mounting device is equal to a distance between an axis of the post of the diversion station and an axis of the motor when the motor is placed on the seat.

4. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a partition plate connecting a bottom end of the tube and a top end of the diversion station for supporting the bearings in the tube when the cavity of the diversion station is not in alignment with the tube.

5. An automatic assembly machine comprising:

a basis;

a seat horizontally movably attached on the basis for supporting a motor thereon;

a tube fixed to the basis for receiving a plurality of bearings therein;

a diversion station for provisionally holding one bearing from the tube;

a mounting device vertically movably attached to the basis;

a horizontal driving device for driving the seat and the diversion station;

a vertical driving device for driving the mounting device; and

a control device for controlling periodical movement of the horizontal and vertical driving devices,

wherein in one period the vertical driving device drives the mounting device to catch said one bearing from the diversion station and then the horizontal driving device drives the seat and the diversion station to move to allow the diversion station to receive another bearing from the tube and the mounting device to mount said one bearing to the motor upon driven of the vertical driving device.

6. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a sliding plate movably attached on the basis and fixedly attached to the horizontal driving device, the seat and the diversion station fixedly attached on the sliding plate.

7. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein a pair of adjusting nuts is installed at opposite sides of the basis for limiting movement of the sliding plate on the basis.

8. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the diversion station comprises a post and a bushing movably surrounding a top portion of the post with a cavity formed between the post and the bushing for receiving said bearing therein.

9. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mounting device comprises a movable bushing and an extendable rod movably received in the movable bushing with a recess formed between the movable bushing and the extendable rod for interferentially receiving said one bearing from the cavity.

10. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein a distance between an axis of the tube and an axis of the extendable rod of the mounting device is equal to a distance between an axis of the post of the diversion station and an axis of the motor when the motor is placed on the seat.

11. The automatic assembly machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein a spring is connected between the bushing and the post.

12. An automatic assembling machine assembly comprising:

a moveable base including spaced seat and diversion device, said seat holding a motor thereon, the diversion device holding a bearing thereat; and

a vertically moveable mounting device located above the moveable base, said mounting device gasping the bearing upwardly when said base is moved to a first position where the diversion device is located thereunder and downwardly installing said grasped bearing to the motor when said base is moved to a second position where the seat is located thereunder.

13. The assembly as described in claim 12, further including a container located above said moveable base and holding a plurality of bearings, wherein when said base is located in the second position, the diversion device is located under said container so as to load an outermost one of said bearings to said diversion device ready for being grasped by said mounting device.

14. The assembly as described in claim 13, wherein said base is moved along a linear direction defined between the mounting device and the container.

15. The assembly as described in claim 13, wherein said bearings are stacked on one another, and the outermost one of said bearings is loaded to the diversion device by gravity when said base is located in the second position.

16. The assembly as described in claim 15, wherein the outermost one of said bearings is blocked by a horizontal plate of the base for not being dropped downward out of the container when said base is moved from the second position to the first position.

17. The assembly as described in claim 12, wherein said diversion device is equipped with a spring device to provide resiliency in a vertical direction for cooperation with the mounting device.