Automated guided cart independent securing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131389-B1
Application number	US-201715498974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2017
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A workpiece transport assembly, a material handling assembly and a method of operating a cart within a material handling environment. An automated guided cart includes two independently-operable workpiece-securing devices to selectively permit retention of a workpiece or a workpiece-holding pallet while disposed on a mounting surface of the cart. The second workpiece-securing device is mounted to the cart in such a way as to be cooperative with the mounting surface to selectively permit workpiece or pallet retention regardless of whether the first workpiece-securing device is securing the workpiece to the cart. The second workpiece-securing device may be actuated either manually by operational personnel or automatically by controller or in response to movement by a cooperating conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A workpiece transport assembly comprising:
an automated guided cart comprising a motorized chassis with an upper workpiece-receiving surface for slidable receipt and removal of a workpiece along a conveying direction; and
a workpiece-securing device mounted to the cart and cooperative with the upper workpiece-receiving surface to selectively inhibit transport of a workpiece to or from the workpiece transport assembly, the workpiece-securing device comprising:
a first workpiece-securing device cooperative with the upper workpiece-receiving surface to selectively permit a first retention of a workpiece disposed thereon along the conveying direction; and
a second workpiece-securing device cooperative with the upper workpiece-receiving surface to selectively permit a second retention of a workpiece disposed thereon along the conveying direction such that the first and second workpiece-securing devices operate in a redundant way to retain a workpiece on the upper workpiece-receiving surface, where the second workpiece-securing device is actuated independently of the first workpiece-securing device.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device alternates between an unlocked position where the second retention is not provided and a locked position where the second retention is provided.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device alternates between the unlocked position and the locked position through a combination of translational and rotational movement within the second workpiece-securing device such that in the locked position, an interference fit is formed between the second workpiece-securing device and a workpiece, while in an unlocked position, no interference fit is formed between the second workpiece-securing device and a workpiece.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device comprises a spring-biased shaft and a pivoting lever cooperative with one another such that translational movement of the spring-biased shaft is selectively engageable with the pivoting lever such that movement of the spring-biased shaft along a loading axis of a workpiece imparts selective rotational movement of the pivoting lever between the locked and unlocked positions.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device is biased in the locked position.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device operates between the locked and an unlocked position by automated actuation.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a controller cooperative with the second workpiece-securing device to effect the automated actuation.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second workpiece-securing device operates between a locked and an unlocked position by manual actuation.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one guide disposed on the workpiece-receiving surface; and
a pallet in selective sliding cooperation with at least one of the workpiece-receiving surface and the at least one guide such that a workpiece is disposed on the workpiece-receiving surface through the pallet and at least one guide.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the locked position of the second workpiece-securing device forms an interference fit directly between the second workpiece-securing device and the pallet.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second workpiece-securing devices are disposed such that the first workpiece-securing device is configured to prevent inadvertent release of the workpiece from one side of the cart while the second workpiece-securing device is configured to prevent inadvertent release of the workpiece from a substantially opposing side of the cart.

12. A material handling assembly comprising:
a conveyor defining proximal end and a distal end such that a workpiece disposed on a surface of the conveyor is transported between the proximal and distal ends; and
a workpiece transport assembly comprising:
an automated guided cart comprising a motorized chassis with an upper workpiece-receiving surface for slidable receipt and removal of a workpiece along a conveying direction; and
a workpiece-securing device mounted to the cart and cooperative with the upper workpiece-receiving surface to selectively inhibit transport of a workpiece to or from the workpiece transport assembly, the workpiece-securing device comprising:
a first workpiece-securing device cooperative with the workpiece-receiving surface to selectively permit a first retention of a workpiece disposed thereon along the conveying direction; and
a second workpiece-securing device cooperative with the upper workpiece-receiving surface to selectively permit a second retention of a workpiece disposed thereon along the conveying direction such that the first and second workpiece-securing devices operate in a redundant way to retain a workpiece on the upper workpiece-receiving surface, where the second workpiece-securing device is actuated independently of the first workpiece-securing device.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the conveyor comprises an actuator that is selectively engageable with the second workpiece-securing device through translational movement along a loading axis of a workpiece.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a controller such that movement of the actuator is automated in response signals from the controller.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein movement of the actuator is automated in response to mechanical movement of the conveyor.

16. A method of operating a cart within a material handling environment, the method comprising:
placing the cart adjacent a conveyor;
slidably moving a workpiece situated on one of the cart and conveyor to the other of the cart and conveyor along a conveying direction, the cart comprising a workpiece-securing device comprising a first workpiece-securing device and a second workpiece-securing device both of which are cooperative with a workpiece-receiving surface disposed on the cart to selectively and redundantly inhibit transport of a workpiece to or from the workpiece transport assembly along the conveying direction; and
operating the second workpiece-securing device such that it selectively retains the workpiece on the workpiece-receiving surface independently of the first workpiece-securing device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material handling environment comprises a vehicle manufacturing facility.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cart comprises an automated guided cart.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein an automated disengagement of the second workpiece-securing device takes place substantially simultaneously with removal of the workpiece from the cart to the conveyor.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the workpiece comprises an internal combustion engine situated on a separable pallet, the pallet cooperative with the second workpiece-securing device such that an interference fit takes place directly between the second workpiece-securing device and the pallet during a period when the pallet and the internal combustion engine are retained on the cart.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Mahr Brandon O
• Amandus Nicholas P
• Newberry David W

Classifications

• B65G47/8823

  Pivoting stop, swinging in or out of the path of the article · CPC title

• B62D65/10

  the sub-units or components being engines, clutches or transmissions · CPC title

• B62D65/022 Primary

  Transferring or handling sub-units or components, e.g. in work stations or between workstations and transportation systems · CPC title

• G05B2219/50393

  Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle · CPC title

• B25J5/02

  travelling along a guideway · CPC title