Agile robotic headlamp assembly with sonic fastening and injected lens adhesive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498285-B2
Application number	US-202017039598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A system for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly is provided. The system includes an installation table, a first transfer robot, a second transfer robot, and an adhesive dispensing robot. The first transfer robot is configured to assemble some of the plurality of components into a first sub-assembly and transfer the first sub-assembly to the installation table. The second transfer robot is configured to assemble remaining ones of the plurality of components into a second sub-assembly, transfer the second sub-assembly to the installation table, and attach the second sub-assembly to the first sub-assembly. The adhesive dispensing robot is configured to apply an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, after the second sub-assembly is attached to the first sub-assembly, to bond the second sub-assembly to the first sub-assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly, comprising:
an installation table;
a first transfer robot configured to assemble some of the plurality of components into a first sub-assembly and transfer the first sub-assembly to the installation table;
a second transfer robot configured to assemble remaining ones of the plurality of components into a second sub-assembly, transfer the second sub-assembly to the installation table, and attach the second sub-assembly to the first sub-assembly; and
an adhesive dispensing robot configured to apply an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, after the second sub-assembly is attached to the first sub-assembly, to bond the second sub-assembly to the first sub-assembly.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a first welding robot configured to sonically weld the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly.

3. The system according to claim 2 , further comprising a second welding robot configured to sonically weld the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first transfer robot and the first welding robot are configured to assemble the plurality of first components into the first sub-assembly when the second transfer robot and the second welding robotic are configured to assemble the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly.

5. The system according to claim 4 , further comprising a first tilting table on which the first sub-assembly is assembled and welded, and a second tilting table on which the second sub-assembly is assembled and welded.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the first tilting table, the installation table, and the second tilting table are aligned with the installation table disposed between the first and second title tables.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second welding robots are disposed above the first and second tilting tables, respectively.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second transfer robots are disposed on opposing sides of the installation table.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive dispensing robot is disposed above the installation table.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-assembly is a carrier assembly including a peripheral trench, and the second sub-assembly is a lens assembly including a peripheral rib.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carrier assembly is assembled to the lens assembly by inserting the peripheral rib into the peripheral trench.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the adhesive dispensing robot is configured to inject the adhesive into the peripheral trench after the peripheral rib is inserted into the peripheral trench.

13. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cell in which the first and second transfer robots, the adhesive dispensing robot, and the installation table are disposed.

14. A system for forming an assembly, comprising:
a first transfer robot configured to attach a first component to a second component;
a first sonic-welding robot configured to sonically weld at least one of the first component and the second component; and
an adhesive dispensing robot configured to apply an adhesive between the first component and the second component to form a first sub-assembly.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the first component defines an opening, and the second component includes a stake portion to be inserted into the opening of the first component.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the first transfer robot is configured to insert the stake portion of the second component into the opening of the first component.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the first sonic-welding robot is configured to sonically weld the stake portion of the second component part to form an enlarged portion.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first component and the second component defines at least one port in fluid communication with a space between the first and second components such that an adhesive is injected by the adhesive dispensing robot into the space between the first and second components through the at least one port.

19. The system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a second transfer robot configured to attach a third component to a fourth component; and
a second sonic-welding robot configured to sonically weld at least one of the third component and the fourth component,
wherein the adhesive dispensing robot is configured to apply the adhesive between the third component and the fourth component to form a second sub-assembly.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the first sub-assembly is assembled and welded by the first transfer robot and the first sonic welding robot when the second sub-assembly is assembled and welded by the second transfer robot and the second sonic welding robot in a same cell.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Brown David A
• Miller Robert William

Classifications

• B29C65/08

  using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)} · CPC title

• B29C65/542

  by injection · CPC title

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title

• B25J11/005

  Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks · CPC title

• B29C65/607

  the integral rivets being hollow · CPC title