Robotic frame handling system

• US 7,798,316 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Powers, James G., McNear, Allan C., Laux, Ronald M., Girn, Paramjit S., Florian, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA R
• Application Number:
  US11/734,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20080251351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 198/346.2, 198/346.3, 198/343.2, 198/341.08, 198/341.05, 198/341.02, 198/580
• US Class Current: 198/842
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/06 comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops

Abstract

A system for handling vehicle frames. The system includes a conveyor assembly including a loading end and an unloading end, and the conveyor assembly carries a plurality of vehicle frames thereon. The system also includes a frame transfer assembly disposed at the unloading end of the conveyor assembly. The frame transfer assembly may be adapted to grasp a vehicle frame from the conveyor assembly and transfer the vehicle frame from the conveyor assembly. A vehicle frame inversion system is also provided that includes a first robotic inversion device that may include a first clamping system, and a second robotic inversion device that may include a second clamping system. The first and second clamping systems are adapted to grasp a vehicle frame, and the first and second robotic inversion devices are adapted to lift and invert the vehicle frame.

Claims

1. A system for handling vehicle frames, comprising:

a conveyor assembly for carrying a plurality of the vehicle frames thereon, said conveyor assembly including a loading end and an unloading end, a pair of rails that support the vehicle frames, and a pair of sub-rails disposed beneath and in parallel with said pair of rails that support a conveyor device movably disposed thereon, said conveyor device operable to move the vehicle frames along said rails from said loading end to said unloading end of said conveyor assembly;

a frame transfer assembly disposed at said unloading end of said conveyor assembly, said frame transfer assembly adapted to grasp a vehicle frame from said conveyor assembly and transfer the vehicle frame from said conveyor assembly, said frame transfer assembly includes a plurality of stacking pin removal devices for removal of stacking pins from the vehicle frame; and

a chute system adjacent said frame transfer assembly, said chute system adapted to recycle said stacking pins removed from the vehicle frame.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame transfer assembly is a robot.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame handling system includes a clamping assembly for grasping the vehicle frame.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said clamping assembly includes a proximity sensor that detects a proximity of the vehicle frame to said clamping assembly.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said clamping assembly includes a camera for detecting a proximity of the vehicle frame to said clamping assembly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a pair of conveyor devices are movably disposed on said sub rails, a first conveyor device of said pair adapted to move the vehicle frames from said loading end to a middle portion of said conveyor assembly, and a second conveyor device of said pair adapted to move the vehicle frames from said middle portion to said unloading end of said conveyor assembly.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said frame handling system transfers the vehicle frames to a carrier system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said conveyor device movably disposed on said sub rails includes a platform actuatable between an undeployed position and a deployed position, said conveyor device operable to move beneath one of the vehicle frames, raise said platform to said deployed position to hoist the vehicle frame from said rails, move along said sub rails while hoisting the vehicle frame, and lower said platform to said undeployed position to move the vehicle frame from said loading end to said unloading end.

9. A vehicle frame inversion system comprising:

a first robotic inversion device including a first clamping system and a second robotic inversion device including a second clamping system, each of said first and second clamping systems including couplings rotatably connected to said first and second robotic inversion devices, each of said first and second clamping systems including actuation arms having clamps at ends thereof that, when said first and second clamping systems are disposed proximate a respective opposing end of a vehicle frame, are actuated outward relative a position normal said vehicle frame such that said clamps securely grasp said vehicle frame to enable said first and second robotic inversion devices to lift and invert said vehicle frame in tandem, and after inverting said vehicle frame, said actuation arms are actuated inward to release said clamps from said vehicle frame.

10. The inversion system of claim 9, wherein said first and second clamping systems are scissor clamping mechanisms.

11. The inversion system of claim 9, wherein said scissor clamping mechanisms are driven by a hydraulic or air cylinder drive mechanism.

12. The inversion system of claim 9, wherein said first and second clamping systems includes a proximity sensor that detects a proximity of the vehicle frame to said clamping systems.

13. A method for transferring vehicle frames, comprising:

conveying a plurality of the vehicle frames on a conveyor assembly from a loading end to an unloading end;

transferring the vehicle frames from said conveyor assembly to a carrier system with a robotic frame handling assembly;

removing a plurality of stacking pins from the vehicle frames and recycling said stacking pins by disposing said stacking pin in a chute system with said robotic frame handling system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said conveyor assembly includes rails that support the vehicle frames and sub-rails that movably support a plurality of conveyor devices, said conveyor devices conveying the vehicle frames from said loading end to said unloading end of said conveyor assembly.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said robotic frame handling system includes a clamping assembly for grasping the vehicle frame and grasping said plurality of stacking pins.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising inverting the vehicle frame with a frame inversion system after transferring the vehicle frame to said carrier system, said frame inversion system including a pair of robotic inversion devices.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said conveyor assembly includes a pair of rails that support the vehicle frames, and a pair of sub-rails disposed beneath and in parallel with said pair of rails that support a conveyor device movably disposed thereon, said conveyor device including a platform actuatable between an undeployed position and a deployed position such that said conveyor device is operable to move beneath one of the vehicle frames, raise said platform to said deployed position to hoist the vehicle frame from said rails, move along said sub rails while hoisting the vehicle frame, and lower said platform to said undeployed position to move the vehicle frame from said loading end to said unloading end.