System and method for synchronously conveying underbody components for vehicle body

• US 8,627,942 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Terazawa, Yoshihiko, Shimizu, Yoshikazu, Minamikawa, Akira, Iwasaki, Masanao, Yoshida, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HARP, WILLIAM RAY
• Application Number:
  US12/994,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20110094855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 198/345.1, 198/345.2, 198/345.3, 198/434, 198/465.1, 198/465.2, 198/465.3, 198/465.4, 104/172.1, 104/172.2, 104/172.3, 104/172.5
• US Class Current: 198/434
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/04 Joining preassembled modular units composed of sub-units performing diverse functions, e.g. engine and bonnet B62D65/06 - B62D65/16 take precedence
• 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 47/088 cylindrical articles

Abstract

A synchronized carrying system comprising: an overhead conveyor which transports a vehicle body; a floor-side conveyor which transports an underbody part; a control device which operates and controls the overhead conveyor and the floor-side conveyor; and a carrying device on which the underbody part is mounted, wherein the synchronized carrying system synchronizes the overhead conveyor and the floor-side conveyor during a process that loads the underbody part to the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A synchronized carrying system comprising:

an overhead conveyor which transports a vehicle body;

a floor-side conveyor which transports an underbody part;

a control device which operates and controls the overhead conveyor and the floor-side conveyor; and

a carrying device on which the underbody part is mounted, wherein;

the overhead conveyor and the floor-side conveyor are in synchrony when the underbody part is loaded to the vehicle body;

the floor-side conveyor has a main route structure which is placed along a factory floor plane, a main line portion of the main route structure parallel to a work transportation of the overhead conveyor, and a floor-side chain conveyor and a friction conveyor which transport the carrying device along the main route structure;

the floor-side chain conveyor has a secondary route structure which is placed along the factory floor plane, and a secondary line portion of the secondary route structure parallel to the main line portion of the main route structure, and engages with the carrying device that moves along the secondary route structure;

the friction conveyor has a return part which connects a start point and an end point of the main line portion of the main route structure, and multiple friction rollers which are placed on the return part;

the friction rollers can operate individually and move the carrying device by coming into contact with the carrying device;

the control device controls the floor-side chain conveyor and the overhead conveyor in synchrony, controls the friction conveyor so that the carrying device stops and moves at a predetermined velocity at a predetermined location on the return part, drives the friction roller placed in an upstream side of the start point of the main line portion and sends out the carrying device to the main line portion when the carrying device stopped in the upstream side of the start point of the main line portion of the return part engages with the floor-side chain conveyor which is in synchrony with the overhead conveyor, moves the carrying device engaged with the floor-side chain conveyor to the end point of the main line portion, and leads the carrying device to the return part by driving the friction roller placed in a downstream side of the end point of the main line portion of the return part when the carrying device disengages from the floor-side chain conveyor at the end point of the main line portion,

the carrying device includes a base having a slot extending in a first direction, a trunnion pin and a phase switching device, the phase switching device is located on the base and is configured to change a position of the trunnion pin with respect to the base in the first direction, and

the phase switching device includes a slide structure having a through hole and a rod screw inserting into the slide structure along the first direction, the trunnion pin passes through the through hole of the slide structure and the slot of the base, the slide structure is configured to slide in the first direction by rotation of the rod screw, such that the trunnion pin slides within the slot and in the first direction, thereby changing the position of the trunnion pin with respect to the base in the first direction.

2. The synchronized carrying system according to claim 1, wherein:

the base loads the underbody part to a predetermined position, the trunnion pin sticks out from below the base and engages with the floor-side chain conveyor, and the carrying device further includes;

multiple node parts which are connected to each other through multiple pins including the trunnion pin, a receiving unit which comprises continuous planes of the respective node parts and receives a driving force of the friction roller by coming into contact with the friction roller, and multiple trolleys each of which are supported by the respective pins; and

a passive projection is placed on the respective trolleys supported by the respective pins, the passive projection engaging with the floor-side chain conveyor.

3. A synchronized carrying system comprising:

an overhead conveyor which transports a vehicle body; and

a floor-side conveyor which is controlled to be in synchrony with the overhead conveyor and transports an underbody part, wherein;

the floor-side conveyor has a main route structure which is placed along a factory floor plane, a floor-side chain conveyor and a friction conveyor which moves along the main route structure a carrying device carrying the underbody part, and a secondary route structure which is placed along the factory floor plane;

the main route structure has a main line portion which is parallel to a direction in which the overhead conveyor transports the vehicle body, and a return part which connects a start point and an end point of the main line portion;

the secondary route structure has a secondary line portion which is parallel to the main line portion;

the floor-side chain conveyor is engagable with the carrying device to move along the secondary route structure;

the friction conveyor has multiple friction rollers which are placed on the return part, moves the carrying device by coming into contact with the carrying device, and can be driven individually;

the carrying device includes a base having a slot extending in a first direction, a trunnion pin and a phase switching device, the phase switching device is located on the base and is configured to change a position of the trunnion pin with respect to the base in the first direction, and

the phase switching device includes a slide structure having a through hole and a rod screw inserting into the slide structure along the first direction, the trunnion pin passes through the through hole of the slide structure and the slot of the base, the slide structure is configured to slide in the first direction by rotation of the rod screw, such that the trunnion pin slides within the slot and in the first direction, thereby changing the position of the trunnion pin with respect to the base in the first direction.

4. A synchronized carrying method using the synchronized carrying system according to claim 3, comprising:

driving the friction roller placed in an upstream side of the start point and sending out the carrying device to the main line portion when the carrying device stopped in the upstream side of the start point of the main line portion engages with the floor-side chain conveyor;

using the floor-side chain conveyor which is in synchrony with the overhead conveyor and moving the carrying device engaged with the floor-side chain conveyor from the start point of the main line portion to the end point; and

sending the carrying device to the return part by driving the friction roller placed in a downstream side of the end point when the carrying device disengages from the floor-side chain conveyor at the end point of the main line portion.