Parts assembling system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577383-B2
Application number	US-202016846327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2020
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A part assembly system is disclosed that includes a first conveyor configured to convey fastening target parts and a second conveyor configured to convey correlated parts to which the fastening target part is to be fastened, including: i) a bolt supplying unit configured in a robot working section between the first and second conveyors and supplying bolts to a predetermined position; and ii) a robot gripper configured in the robot working section, picking up the bolts to distribute the bolts to a fastening position of the fastening target part, and moving the fastening target part to a manual working section of the second conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A part assembly system comprising:
a first conveyor configured to convey fastening target parts of different models along a set path;
a second conveyor configured to convey correlated parts of different models to which the fastening target parts are fastened through bolts along a set path;
a plurality of part feeders provided in a robot working section between the first and second conveyors and supplying bolts corresponding to a model of a fastening target part and a correlated part to be fastened to each other along respective predetermined paths;
a bolt aligning portion connected to the part feeder and aligning bolts supplied through the part feeder at a predetermined position;
a handling robot having a rotating body rotatably provided at a front end of a multi joint arm and installed in the robot working section;
a first gripper installed at the rotating body and configured to grip bolts aligned at the bolt aligning portion to distribute the bolts to a fastening portion of a fastening target part on the first conveyor;
a second gripper installed on a mounting bracket fixed to a front end portion of an arm of the handling robot and gripping a fastening target part on the first conveyor to which the bolts are distributed; and
a push rod installed in the mounting bracket to be movable upward or downward through a push cylinder, and selectively pushing the bolts gripped by the first gripper, wherein the first gripper includes:
a disk-shaped rotating frame in which a through hole through which the push rod passes is formed at a predetermined interval at an edge portion thereof and that is connected to the rotating body,
cylindrical push guides having push holes connected to the through hole and spaced apart from a lower edge of the rotating frame,
a socket member coupled to a lower end of the push guide, and
a magnet member having a connecting hole connected to the push hole and installed inside the socket member,
a gripper housing that supports an edge surface of the rotating frame through an inner surface of which an upper end is opened, that is installed on the rotating frame so as to be movable upward and downward, and in which guide holes through which the socket member pass are formed on a bottom surface thereof,
a plurality of stoppers protruding from an edge surface of the rotating frame to be coupled to the gripper housing and limiting a vertical movement range of the gripper housing,
a spring guide fixed to a central portion of a lower surface of the rotating frame and being couplable to a shaft hole formed in a bottom surface of the gripper housing, and
a spring installed in the spring guide and supporting a bottom surface of the rotating frame and a bottom surface of the gripper housing in the gripper housing.

2. The part assembly system of claim 1 , further comprising
a mounting jig installed in a manual working section of the second conveyor to allow the fastening target parts gripped by the second gripper to be mounted by the handling robot.

3. The part assembly system of claim 1 , wherein
the bolt aligning portion includes
a line feeder connected to the part feeder and aligning the bolts so that the head portions thereof face upward, and conveying the bolts in a straight line direction, and
a bolt index connected to the line feeder and aligning the bolts to be conveyed at a set interval along a circular track.

4. The part assembly system of claim 3 , wherein
the line feeder includes
a rail block supporting a thread portion of the bolt, and
a supporting block supporting a head portion of the bolt.

5. The part assembly system of claim 3 , wherein
the bolt index includes
a ring-shaped fixing member connected to the line feeder, and
a circular block-shaped rotating member disposed at a predetermined interval with an inner circumferential side of the fixing member and being rotatable by a servo motor.

6. The part assembly system of claim 5 , wherein
a space in which the thread portion of the bolt is positioned is formed between the rotating member and the fixing member, a head supporting portion supporting the head portion of the bolt through the fixing member is formed at an edge side of the rotating member, and the rotating member forms a protrusion that protrudes upward from the inside of an edge of the head supporting portion.

7. The part assembly system of claim 1 , wherein,
in the gripper housing,
a long hole-shaped slot into which the stopper is fitted is formed long in a vertical direction.

8. The part assembly system of claim 1 , wherein
the socket member is coupled to the head portion of the bolt, and
the magnet member magnetically fixes the head portion of the bolt inside the socket member.

9. The part assembly system of claim 8 , wherein
the push rod pushes the head of the bolt through the through hole, the push hole, and the connecting hole.

10. The part assembly system of claim 1 , wherein
the second gripper includes fixing portions fixed to both sides of the mounting bracket to face each other, and a supporting portion that is integrally connected to the fixing portions and supports the fastening target part.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Park Jongmin
• An Jeong Seong
• Bae Junhyeok
• Lee Young Seok

Classifications

• B25J9/0093 Primary

  co-operating with conveyor means · CPC title

• B25J15/0608

  with magnetic holding means · CPC title

• B23P19/12 Primary

  Alignment of parts for insertion into bores · CPC title

• B23P19/102

  using remote centre compliance devices · CPC title

• B23P19/007

  Picking-up and placing mechanisms · CPC title