# US 11,078,028 B1 · System and methods for conveying parts > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,078,028 B1 - Document ID: US11078028B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/836,423 - Filed: 2020-03-31 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-31 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Paul Edward Groves; Raymond Ludwig Bennoit; Andrew Scott Schlueter; Kyle William Sloan; Christopher Allan McNab - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078028B1 ## CPC - B65G 47/1421: {Vibratory movement} - B65G 47/22: Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors (during feeding B65G47/14) - B25J 9/1687: {Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement} - B65G 27/02: comprising helical or spiral channels or conduits for elevation of materials - B65G 27/04: Load carriers other than helical or spiral channels or conduits - B65G 27/32: with means for controlling direction, frequency or amplitude of vibration or shaking movement - B65G 47/256: removing incorrectly orientated articles - B65G 47/525: {using fluid jets} - B65G 51/03: over a flat surface or in troughs - B65G 2203/0208: relating to the transported articles - B65G 2203/0216: Codes or marks on the article - B65G 2203/0225: Orientation of the article - B65G 2203/041: Camera - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A method and system for an automatic parts conveying system includes a parts feeder configured to receive parts from a receiving bin, a linear conveyor for conveying parts away from the parts feeder to an installation robot. The installation robot includes a robot arm controlled by a controller and a parts handling device coupled to a distal end of the robot arm. The automatic parts conveying system also includes one or more vibrating elements positioned along at least one of the linear conveyor, the parts feeder, and the receiving bin to impart vibratory motions to the at least one of the linear conveyor, the parts feeder, and the receiving bin for stimulating the parts into motion. The automatic parts conveying system also includes an air assist portion configured to provide pressurized fluid to the parts to facilitate moving parts through the automatic parts conveying system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A parts conveying system comprising: a parts feeder configured to receive parts from a receiving bin; a linear conveyor for conveying parts along a path extending from said parts feeder to an installation robot; one or more vibrating elements positioned along at least one of said linear conveyor, said parts feeder, and said receiving bin to impart vibratory motions to the at least one of said linear conveyor, said parts feeder, and said receiving bin for stimulating the parts into motion, wherein said vibrating elements maintain a higher frequency vibratory motion to maintain the parts moving and switch to a lower frequency and higher power vibratory motion to start a flow of the parts or to dislodge stuck parts; and an air assist portion configured to provide pressurized fluid to the parts to facilitate moving parts through said parts conveying system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 1, wherein said vibrating elements are configured to provide the vibratory motion in at least one of a single direction, a torsional direction, and a random vibratory motion in multiple directions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 2, wherein said vibrating elements are configured to provide at least one of a constant vibratory motion, an intermittent vibratory motion, and a vibratory motion timed into a distinct pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 2, wherein the vibratory motion is altered in frequency to achieve a predetermined movement of the parts. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 1, wherein said air assist portion includes a plurality of nozzles directed to at least one of an area along the path that has been determined to have flow problems and is detected as having a parts conveying problem. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 5, wherein a part that is detected as being misoriented is rejected to a recycle bin using an air nozzle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The automatic parts conveying system of claim 5, wherein at least one air nozzle is used with at least one of the vibrating elements to dislodge a stuck part. ### Claim 8 A method of automatically conveying parts in an assembly process, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of parts in a random orientation; motivating the parts into a stream of parts using a vibrating element; detecting parts in the stream of parts that are misoriented based on an orientation feature discernible on the part, including at least one of a color, a bar code, and other indicia recognizable by an imaging system; and rejecting the misoriented parts using a flow of air. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising directing the stream of parts through a conveyor using said vibrating element and a flow of air through a nozzle simultaneously, the flow of air impinging on the parts in the stream of parts. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: detecting a stoppage of the stream of parts due to a stuck part; and directing a flow of air to a location where the stoppage is detected to dislodge the stuck part. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein detecting parts in the stream of parts that are misoriented further comprises detecting parts in the stream of parts that are misoriented based on a dimension, a shape, a protuberance, a recess, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 An assembly line comprising: a linear conveyor for conveying parts along a path to an installation robot; one or more vibrating elements positioned along said linear conveyor for imparting vibratory motions to said linear conveyor for stimulating the parts into a stream having linear motion along said linear conveyor, wherein the vibratory motions are altered in frequency to achieve a predetermined movement of the parts, wherein said vibrating elements maintain higher frequency vibratory motions to maintain the parts moving and switch to a relatively lower frequency and relatively higher power vibratory motions to start a flow of the parts or to dislodge stuck parts; and an air assist portion configured to provide pressurized fluid to the parts to facilitate moving parts along said linear conveyor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The assembly line of claim 12, wherein said installation robot comprises: a robot arm controlled by a controller; and a parts handling device coupled to a distal end of said robot arm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The assembly line of claim 12, wherein said air assist portion includes a plurality of nozzles directed to at least one of an area along the path that has been determined to have flow problems and is detected as having a parts conveying problem. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The assembly line of claim 12, wherein a part that is detected as being misoriented is rejected to a recycle bin using an air nozzle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The assembly line of claim 12, wherein at least one air nozzle is used with at least one of the vibrating elements to dislodge a stuck part.