Profile inspection system for verifying relative position of vehicle component objects and manufacturing cell including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293751-B2
Application number	US-201916580540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A manufacturing cell for manufacturing a vehicle component can include an intelligent actuator, a pneumatic rotational cylinder, an arm, a laser scanner, and a controller. The arm can extend downward from the intelligent actuator to the pneumatic rotational cylinder. The laser scanner can be attached to the pneumatic rotational cylinder for movement with the pneumatic rotational cylinder. The laser scanner configured to scan at least a first object and a second object, and create profile data indicative of a 3D profile of the first object and the second object. The controller can be configured to assure that the second object is in a positive condition by using the profile data to determine the positive condition for the second object if the tolerance distance lies within a set range, and determine a flagged condition for the second object if the tolerance distance lies outside the set range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing cell for manufacturing a vehicle component, comprising:
an actuator;
a pneumatic rotational cylinder;
an arm extending downward from the actuator to the pneumatic rotational cylinder;
a laser scanner attached to the pneumatic rotational cylinder for movement with the pneumatic rotational cylinder, the laser scanner configured to,
scan at least a first object and a second object, and
create profile data indicative of a 3D profile of the first object and the second object; and
a controller in electrical communication with the laser scanner and configured to assure that the second object is in a positive condition by,
storing the profile data,
using the stored profile data to calculate a tolerance distance from a maximum height of the first object to a maximum height of the second object,
determine the positive condition for the second object if the tolerance distance lies within a set range, and
determine a flagged condition for the second object if the tolerance distance lies outside the set range.

2. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the first and second objects along a first path.

3. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , wherein
a first assembly includes the first object and the second object,
a second assembly includes another first object and another second object, and
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the first assembly in a first direction and subsequently move the laser scanner relative to a second assembly in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

4. The manufacturing cell according to claim 3 , wherein
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the first assembly in the first direction from a first position relative to the first assembly to a second position relative to the first assembly, and move the laser scanner relative to the second assembly in the second direction from the second position to the first position, where the second direction is opposite to the first direction, and
the controller is configured to cause the pneumatic rotational cylinder to rotate the scanner away from the first assembly and to face the second assembly when the laser scanner is in the second position and before the actuator moves the laser scanner in the second direction.

5. The manufacturing cell according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the pneumatic rotational cylinder to rotate the scanner away from the second assembly and to face the first assembly when the laser scanner is in the first position and after the actuator moves the laser scanner in the second direction from the second position to the first position.

6. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support structure, wherein the actuator is fixed to the support structure and moves the laser scanner relative to the support structure, and the first and second objects are held in a fixed position relative to the support structure.

7. The manufacturing cell according to claim 6 , wherein
the support structure includes a plurality of legs and a main beam connected to and supported by the legs,
the actuator is mounted on the main beam,
the arm includes a first portion that is cantilevered to the actuator and a second portion that extends downward from the first portion, and
the laser scanner is suspended below the main beam.

8. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rail assembly; and
a conveyor configured to move along the rail assembly between a first conveyor position and a second conveyor position, the conveyor is configured to movably support a pallet on which the first object and the second object are fixed such that the pallet is movable onto and off of the conveyor, and the conveyor is configured to hold the pallet stationary relative to the conveyor when the conveyor moves from the first conveyor position to the second conveyor position, and
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner when the conveyor moves from the first conveyor position to the second conveyor position and the pallet is held stationary relative to the conveyor.

9. The manufacturing cell according to claim 8 , wherein the pallet includes an RFID tag in electrical communication with the controller.

10. The manufacturing cell according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a support structure mounted at a fixed position on the conveyor and including,
a plurality of legs connected to and extending away from the conveyor, and
a main beam connected to and supported by the legs above the conveyor, wherein

the actuator is mounted on the main beam and is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the main beam and the conveyor, and
the laser scanner is suspended below the main beam and above the conveyor.

11. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to store data that includes at least one index that is unique to the second object and one of the positive condition and the flagged condition determined by the controller.

12. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the first object is a fuel pipe of an internal combustion engine, and the fuel pipe is in fluid communication with a fuel injector, and
the second object is an electrical connector configured to be in electrical communication with a mating connector on the fuel injector.

13. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support structure, wherein
the actuator is fixed to the support structure and moves the laser scanner relative to the support structure, and the first and second objects are held in a fixed position relative to the support structure, and
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the first and second objects along a first path.

14. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support structure, wherein
the actuator is fixed to the support structure and moves the laser scanner relative to the support structure, and the first and second objects are held in a fixed position relative to the support structure,
a first assembly includes the first object and the second object,
a second assembly includes another first object and another second object, and
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner relative to the first assembly in a first direction and subsequently move the laser scanner relative to a second assembly in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

15. The manufacturing cell according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rail assembly;
a conveyor configured to move along the rail assembly between a first conveyor position and a second conveyor position, the conveyor is configured to movably support a pallet on which the first object and the second object are fixed such that the pallet is movable onto and off of the conveyor, and the conveyor is configured to hold the pallet stationary relative to the conveyor when the conveyor moves from the first conveyor position to the second conveyor position; and
a support structure mounted on the conveyor, wherein
the actuator is fixed to the support structure and moves the laser scanner relative to the support structure, and the first and second objects are held in a fixed position relative to the support structure, and
the actuator is configured to move the laser scanner when the conveyor moves from the first conveyor position to the second conveyor position and the pallet

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Johnson Donovan
• Nichols David A
• Hendon Jason D
• Luckey Jasmeen

Classifications

• G01B11/24 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01B11/08

  for measuring diameters · CPC title

• G01B5/0004

  Supports (G01B5/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01C7/00

  Tracing profiles (by photogrammetry or videogrammetry G01C11/00) · CPC title

• G06K7/10792

  Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned · CPC title