US 2017/0320176 A1Published application

Production Line

AssigneeComau S.p.A.

InventorsGiovanni Zito, Michele Giusto, Amleto Petrone, Ermanno Faccin, Ugo Ghirardi

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Abstract

A production line includes at least one electronically controlled assembling station in which a chain conveyor device moves a plurality of part transporting pallets to be assembled in continuous movement along the production line. In one example, each assembling station includes an implement dedicated to the assembly station and freely movable in the assembly station along the transport direction of the pallets for use by an operator to execute manual assembling operations on the parts transported by each pallet. In one example, the production line assembling station further includes a plurality of automated drawers containing components for use in the manual assembly operations and a human machine interface accessible by the operator. In one example, the chain conveyor chain includes front and rear hook units to engage the pallet for movement along the production line. The rear hook unit moves from a pallet engaged position to an optical beam interception position when the pallet is confronted with an obstacle preventing movement of the pallet along with the chain. When the rear hook unit is positioned in the optical beam interception position, an electronic control system generates a command signal which stops the conveyor device.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A production line comprising:

at least one assembling station;
a chain conveyor device comprising a chain for transporting a plurality of pallets along a production line, wherein each pallet is operable for transporting parts to be assembled;
a motor engaged to the chain for moving said chain;
an electronic control system;
said motor and said electronic control system operable to move said pallets with a continuous movement through said at least one assembling station;
said production line being characterized in that:
an implement associated to said at least one assembling station, wherein said implement is guided on a support structure in such a way as to be freely movable along a transport direction of the plurality of pallets, whereby said implement can be used by an operator positioned in proximity to the at least one assembling station in order to execute a manual assembly operation on the parts transported by each pallet, said implement operable to be pulled by the operator while the operator follows the respective pallet in its continuous movement through the assembling station, for executing said manual assembly operation;
in association with each pallet, said chain further comprises a front hook unit and a rear hook unit which are longitudinally spaced from each other and operable to engage the pallet for locating the pallet relative to said chain and for moving the pallet to along with the chain;
said rear hook unit operable to release the pallet when an obstacle prevents the pallet from moving along with the chain, said rear hook unit further operable to move, in this condition, to an optical beam interception position, in which a first interception element which is part of the rear hook unit intercepts a first optical beam emitted by a first optical sensor;
said electronic control system being programmed for generating a command signal when said first optical beam is intercepted by said first interception element.

7 more elements

A method for use in executing manual assembling operations on parts in a production line including:

at least one assembling station;
a chain conveyor device comprising a chain for the transport of a plurality of pallets along a production line, wherein each of the plurality of pallets is operable for transport of parts to be assembled;
a motor engaged to the chain for moving said chain;
an electronic control system;
wherein said plurality of pallets transported by said chain proceed with a continuous movement through said at least one assembling station;
said method being characterized in that:
an implement guided on a support structure is associated to said at least one assembling station, in such a way as to be freely movable along a transport direction of the plurality of pallets;
said implement is used by an operator dedicated to the at least one assembling station for executing manual assembling operations on the parts carried by each of the plurality of pallets;
said implement being pulled by the operator while the operator follows respective of the plurality of pallets in the continuous movement through the at least one assembling station, for executing said manual assembly operations;
in association to each of the plurality of pallets, said chain includes a front hook unit and a rear hook unit longitudinally spaced from each other and operable to engage each of the plurality of pallets, for locating each of the plurality of pallets relative to said chain operable to move each of the plurality of pallets along with the chain;
said respective rear hook operable to release the respective pallet when an obstacle prevents the respective pallet from proceeding along with the chain, and further operable, in this condition, to move to an optical beam interception position, wherein a first interception element which is part of the rear hook unit intercepts a first optical beam emitted by a first optical sensor;
and
when said first optical beam is intercepted by said first interception element generating one of a command signal operable to stop of the chain conveyor device or an acoustic and/or visual alarm signal.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/583,276Filed 1 May 2017
Priority: EP 16168061.63 May 2016
Published: 9 Nov 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B23P 21/008
Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g.…:…
B23P 19/001
Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some…
B23P 19/008
Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some…
B23P 21/004
Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g.…:…