ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND PRODUCTION SYSTEM

• US 20130086801A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mimura, Toshihiko, Someya, Yuichi, Matsuo, Yuji, Nakasugi, Mikio, Meisho, Ken, Sato, Masaichi, Negishi, Mahito
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/720
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/00 Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 ; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53087 with signal, scale, illuminator, or optical viewer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53091 for work-holder for assembly or disassembly

Abstract

To enable positioning a robot arm and a workpiece with high accuracy while reducing vibrations of a camera. According to the claimed invention for this purpose, a robot station 100 includes a pedestal 103 to which robot arms 101 and 102 are fixed, a camera 106 which images an area including a working area 209 of the pedestal 103, and a booth 104 to which the camera 106 is fixed. The pedestal 103 is fixed to a floor surface, and the booth 104 is fixed to the floor surface without contacting the pedestal 103. The booth 104 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a short side parallel to a workpiece conveying direction T and a long side perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction T in a plan view. In the booth 104, the length of the long side y of the booth 104 is set to not less than the sum of a maximum length by which the robot arms 101 and 102 protrude from the pedestal 103 in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction T and the length in the direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction T of the pedestal 103 in a plan view.

Claims

1. An assembling apparatus including a robot arm and a pedestal to which the robot arm is fixed, comprising:

a frame which is arranged to surround the pedestal; and

a camera which is fixed at an upper portion of the frame and can image an area including a working area for the robot arm,

wherein the pedestal and frame are fixed to a floor surface while being out of contact with each other, and

the frame is formed in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a short side along a workpiece conveying direction in the assembling apparatus and a long side intersecting the workpiece conveying direction, length of the long side of the frame being set to be not less than the sum of a maximum length by which the robot arm protrudes from the pedestal in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction and length in the direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction of the pedestal.

2. The assembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a top board is provided above the camera at the upper portion of the frame.

3. The assembling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a side board having an opening portion for carrying in and carrying out a workpiece is provided at a frame side surface of the frame.

4. The assembling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a duct for feeding clean air into a space surrounded by the frame is provided at the top board.

5. The assembling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a workbench on which a workpiece is to be mounted is fixed to the frame while being out of contact with the pedestal.

11. A production system comprising a plurality of assembling apparatuses according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of assembling apparatuses are arranged side-by-side along the workpiece conveying direction.

6. An assembling apparatus including a robot arm and a pedestal to which the robot arm is fixed, comprising:

a frame which includes an inner frame and an outer frame for preventing application of external force to the inner frame, and which is arranged to surround the pedestal; and

a camera which is fixed at an upper portion of the inner frame and can image an area including a working area for the robot arm,

wherein the pedestal and frame are fixed to a floor surface while being out of contact with each other, and the outer frame is formed in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a short side along a workpiece conveying direction in the assembling apparatus and a long side intersecting the workpiece conveying direction, a length of the long side of the outer frame being set to be not less than the sum of a maximum length by which the robot arm protrudes from the pedestal in a direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction and a length in the direction perpendicular to the workpiece conveying direction of the pedestal, a length of the inner frame being set to be smaller than that of the outer frame by an amount corresponding to a clearance for prevention of transmission of vibration.

7. The assembling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a top board is provided above the camera at the upper portion of the outer frame.

8. The assembling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a side board having an opening portion for carrying in and carrying out a workpiece is provided at a frame side surface of the outer frame.

9. The assembling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a duct for feeding clean air into a space surrounded by the outer frame is provided at the top board.

10. The assembling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a workbench on which a workpiece is to be mounted is fixed to one of the outer frame and the inner frame while being out of contact with the pedestal.

12. A production system comprising a plurality of assembling apparatuses according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of assembling apparatuses are arranged side-by-side along the workpiece conveying direction.