Parts supply drawer system for robot assisted manufacturing
First Claim
1. A parts supply drawer apparatus for a robot assisted manufacturing system comprising:
- a. a drawer enclosure;
b. at least one drawer in said drawer enclosure, said at least one drawer movable from an open production position to a closed position to an open operation position, whereby access to said drawer is available at said production position and said operation position;
c. locking mechanisms for detachably locking said at least one drawer in said closed position, said production position and said operation position;
i. where said locking mechanism comprises a production lever and an operation lever, wherein said production lever and said operation lever each have first ends that are geared together and pivotally mounted at their first ends at the center of a first end of said at least one drawer and wherein said production lever projects to a production side of said at least one drawer and terminates in a second end and the said operation lever projects to an operation side of said at least one drawer and terminates in a second end and when either said second end of said production lever or said second end of said operation lever are moved both levers move in unison to unlock said at least one drawer for movement among said open production position, said closed position and said operation position; and
ii. wherein said first ends of said production lever and said operation lever are geared together by interleaved toothed gears to allow for both levers move up and down together in unison, whereby when one of said levers moves in a clockwise direction said other lever moves in a counterclockwise direction;
d. said at least one drawer has a positioning apparatus to precisely place said at least one drawer at said production position in a repeatable precise and predetermined position; and
e. a removable positioning matrix in said at least one drawer to thereby precisely position within said at least one drawer a plurality of work pieces placed in said matrix for extraction from said at least one drawer by a robot during a manufacturing process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for storing and presenting parts to a robot for automated tending of various manufacturing processes. The method and apparatus allow for an operator, human or other tending robot, to open and place parts into a series of vertically stacked drawers within an enclosure. On the opposing side of the enclosure is the production side where a robot opens an individual drawer and while the drawer is open, successively picks out parts for use in the manufacturing processes as it is programmed to do. The part may or may not be placed back into the drawer based on the part manufacturing process. The robot then closes the drawer and successively cycles through the drawers, opening them on the production side and once the parts have been processed, closing them. The operator then successively opens each drawer, removes any processed parts, if placed back into the drawer as dictated by the part manufacturing process, refills the drawer with new parts and then closes it.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A parts supply drawer apparatus for a robot assisted manufacturing system comprising:
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a. a drawer enclosure; b. at least one drawer in said drawer enclosure, said at least one drawer movable from an open production position to a closed position to an open operation position, whereby access to said drawer is available at said production position and said operation position; c. locking mechanisms for detachably locking said at least one drawer in said closed position, said production position and said operation position; i. where said locking mechanism comprises a production lever and an operation lever, wherein said production lever and said operation lever each have first ends that are geared together and pivotally mounted at their first ends at the center of a first end of said at least one drawer and wherein said production lever projects to a production side of said at least one drawer and terminates in a second end and the said operation lever projects to an operation side of said at least one drawer and terminates in a second end and when either said second end of said production lever or said second end of said operation lever are moved both levers move in unison to unlock said at least one drawer for movement among said open production position, said closed position and said operation position; and ii. wherein said first ends of said production lever and said operation lever are geared together by interleaved toothed gears to allow for both levers move up and down together in unison, whereby when one of said levers moves in a clockwise direction said other lever moves in a counterclockwise direction; d. said at least one drawer has a positioning apparatus to precisely place said at least one drawer at said production position in a repeatable precise and predetermined position; and e. a removable positioning matrix in said at least one drawer to thereby precisely position within said at least one drawer a plurality of work pieces placed in said matrix for extraction from said at least one drawer by a robot during a manufacturing process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification