# US 2016/0355223 A1 · Platform truck apparatus, workpiece transfer method, and workpiece conveyor equipment

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2016/0355223 A1
- Document ID: US20160355223A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/112,380
- Filed: 2014-10-28
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-21
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Nobuhiro Kozasa; Hidetoshi Takahashi; Katsuyoshi Tsutsumida; Katsutoshi Ebana; Tomonori Iwasaki; Gentoku Fujii
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355223A1

## CPC

- B62D 65/18: Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)}
- B65G 35/08: comprising trains of unconnected load-carriers, e.g. belt sections, movable in a path, e.g. a closed path, adapted to contact each other and to be propelled by means arranged to engage each load-carrier in turn
- B23P 2700/50: Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
- B65G 2201/0294: Vehicle bodies
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- 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)
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)

## Abstract

The platform truck apparatus is provided with: a narrow platform truck for transporting a car body; a left sub-platform truck, which is attached along the left side of the narrow platform truck and is pulled by the narrow platform truck; a left parts shelf carried on the left sub-platform truck; a right sub-platform truck, which is attached along the right side of the narrow platform truck and is pulled by the narrow platform truck; and a right parts shelf carried on the right sub-platform truck. Because the left sub-platform truck is moved backward relative to the narrow platform truck when a car body is loaded onto the narrow platform truck, the left parts shelf does not interfere with the loading of the car body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cart apparatus for transporting a workpiece, the cart apparatus comprising:
a cart configured to travel on a closed transportation path, the workpiece being placed on the cart;
a left sub-cart provided along a left side of the cart, and towed by the cart;
a left parts shelf placed on the left sub-cart;
a right sub-cart provided along a right side of the cart, and towed by the cart; and
a right parts shelf placed on the right sub-cart,
wherein the left parts shelf is transferred from outside of the closed transportation path to the left sub-cart, and the right parts shelf is transferred from the outside of the closed transportation path to the right sub-cart.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cart apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the left sub-cart and the right sub-cart is attached to the cart movably in a travel direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cart apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the left parts shelf and the right parts shelf has a caster;
upper surfaces of the left sub-cart and right sub-cart are at same level with an upper surface of the cart; and
the cart includes a guide rail configured to guide the left parts shelf when the left parts shelf moves toward the right sub-cart or guide the right parts shelf when the right parts shelf moves toward the left sub-cart.

### Claim 4

A method of transferring a workpiece by loading the workpiece on or unloading the workpiece from a cart configured to travel on a closed transportation path, the method comprising the steps of:
using a cart apparatus, the cart apparatus comprising the cart, a left sub-cart provided along a left side of the cart and towed by the cart, a left parts shelf placed on the left sub-cart, a right sub-cart provided along a right side of the cart and towed by the cart, and a right parts shelf placed on the right sub-cart, the left sub-cart being attached to the cart movably in a travel direction; and
at time of transferring the workpiece, moving a sub-cart positioned outside the transportation path backward to load the workpiece on or unload the workpiece from the cart, from outside of the transportation path.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of transferring the workpiece according to claim 4, wherein at the time of replacing a parts shelf positioned inside the transportation path, among the left parts shelf and the right parts shelf, the left sub-cart is positioned on a left side of the cart and the right sub-cart is positioned on a right side of the cart, and the parts shelf positioned inside the transportation path is moved to the sub-cart positioned outside the transportation path via the cart.

### Claim 6

A method of transporting a workpiece by a cart configured to move along a closed transportation path,
wherein the cart is moved by a drive source positioned outside the cart;
the transportation path includes:
a first low speed movement path;
a first high speed movement path extending from the first low speed movement path and being configured to move the cart at high speed in comparison with the first low speed movement path;
a second low speed movement path extending from the first high speed movement path and being configured to move the cart at low speed in comparison with the first high speed movement path; and
a second high speed movement path extending from the second low speed movement path to the first low speed movement path and being configured to move the cart at high speed in comparison with the second low speed movement path,
a first workpiece transfer apparatus extends to the first high speed movement path and is configured to transfer the workpiece from outside of the transportation path to the cart; and
a second workpiece transfer apparatus extends to the second high speed movement path and is configured to transfer the workpiece on the cart to the outside of the transportation path,
the method comprising the steps of:
in the first low speed movement path, arranging a plurality of the carts in series to contact one another, and placing parts to be attached to the workpiece, on the cart;
in the first high speed movement path, allowing one of the carts to travel at high speed, and stop at one intermediate position, for loading the workpiece on the cart by the first workpiece transfer apparatus;
in the second low speed movement path, arranging a plurality of the carts in series to contact one another, and attaching the parts to the workpiece; and
in the second high speed movement path, allowing one of the carts to travel at high speed, and stop at one intermediate position, for moving the workpiece on the cart to the outside of the transportation path, by the second workpiece transfer apparatus.

### Claim 7

A workpiece transportation apparatus for transporting a workpiece by a cart, comprising;
a drive source provided outside the cart and configured to move the cart;
a transportation path including:
a first low speed movement path configured to allow the cart to move at low speed to perform operation of placing parts to be attached to the workpiece, on the cart;
a first high speed movement path extending from the first low speed movement path and being configured to allow the cart to move at high speed in comparison with the first low speed movement path;
a second low speed movement path extending from the first high speed movement path and keeping movement of the cart at low speed in comparison with the first high speed movement path to perform operation of attaching the parts to the workpiece; and
a second high speed movement path extending from the second low speed movement path to the first low speed movement path and being configured to allow the cart to move at high speed in comparison with the second low speed movement path; and
a control unit configured to control the drive source to:
in the first low speed movement path and the second low speed movement path, arrange a plurality of the carts in series to contact one another;
in the first high speed movement path, allow one of the carts to travel at high speed, and stop at one intermediate position; and
in the second high speed movement path, allow one of the carts to travel at high speed, and stop at one intermediate position.