Vehicle frame turnover system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517895-B2
Application number	US-201314067126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A system for turning over a vehicle frame defining openings and having a longitudinal center axis includes first and second robots each having an end effector. Each end effector has a pair of oppositely-positioned locator pins, at least one of which is selectively moveable toward the other. A controller is used to control the positioning of the frame via the robots and end effector by executing method instructions to cause the robots to align the locator pins of the end effectors with the openings of the frame, and to insert the aligned locator pins into the openings toward the center axis from outside of the vehicle frame. The robots lift the frame from a first conveyor, with weight of the vehicle frame born by the locator pins during the lift. The robots also rotate the frame about the center axis and lower the vehicle frame onto a second conveyor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for turning over a vehicle frame, the vehicle frame having support rails defining a set of openings and having a longitudinal center axis, the system comprising:
a first multi-axis robot having a first end effector;
a second multi-axis robot having a second end effector, the first and second end effectors each having a pair of oppositely-positioned locator pins, at least one of which is selectively moveable toward the other, the locator pins each having a plurality of tiers, the tiers each having a different relative diameter, with each of the tiers having a tapered surface, and a first of the tiers having a smallest of the relative diameters and a conical end; and
a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for positioning the vehicle frame using the first and second end effectors, wherein the controller is in communication with the first and second multi-axis robots, and is configured to execute the instructions from the memory via the processor to determine whether the vehicle frame is a first or a second distinct vehicle frame type and to cause the first and second multi-axis robots to:
align the locator pins of the first and second end effectors with the openings defined by the support rails of the vehicle frame;
responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the first vehicle frame type, insert the aligned locator pins a first distance into the openings toward the center axis from outside of the vehicle frame;
responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the second vehicle frame type, insert the aligned locator pins a second distance into the openings toward the center axis from outside of the vehicle frame, the second distance being distinct from the first distance;
lift the vehicle frame from a first conveyor using the first and second end effectors, wherein weight of the vehicle frame is supported by the locator pins during the lift;
rotate the vehicle frame about the longitudinal center axis; and
lower the vehicle frame onto a second conveyor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second end effectors includes a respective actuator, and wherein each pair of oppositely-positioned locator pins includes a moveable locator pin that is insertable into one of the openings via a respective one of the actuators.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the actuators each includes a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second end effectors includes a pair of longitudinal members extending parallel to the center axis, and a moveable carriage and a slotted rail extending orthogonally with respect to the center axis, wherein the moveable carriages engage and move along a respective one of the slotted rails to thereby insert the moveable locator pin.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end effectors each have a transverse member and a pair of longitudinal members arranged orthogonally with respect to the transverse member, and wherein the locator pins extend orthogonally from the respective longitudinal members toward each other.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a second of the tiers has a largest of the relative diameters and includes at least one flat surface on an outer periphery of the locator pin.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle frame type includes first openings of a first configuration, and the second vehicle frame type includes second openings of a second configuration different from the first configuration, and wherein a configuration of the first tier of each of the locator pins is complementary with the first opening configuration, and a configuration of a second of the tiers of each of the locator pins is complementary with the second opening configuration.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the locator pins includes a first shoulder interposed between the first tier and a second of the tiers, the first shoulder being configured to abut the vehicle frame and thereby limit insertion of only the first tier of the locator pin into the opening.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the locator pins includes a second shoulder adjacent the second tier, the second shoulder being configured to abut the vehicle frame and thereby limit insertion of only the first and second tiers of the locator pin into the opening.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aligning the locator pins includes:
determining a first location of the openings on the support rails responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the first vehicle frame type; and
determining a second location of the openings on the support rails responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the second vehicle frame type.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the inserting of the locator pins, the controller is further configured to cause the first and second multi-axis robots to:
move to first predetermined positions responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the first vehicle frame type; and
move to second predetermined positions distinct from the first predetermined positions responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the second vehicle frame type.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the inserting of the locator pins of the second multi-axis robot, the controller is further configured to cause the first multi-axis robot to insert the locator pins thereof and move the vehicle frame to a predetermined zero position.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lowering of the vehicle frame is responsive to the controller confirming that one or more verification conditions are satisfied.

14. A method for turning over an elongated vehicle frame defining openings and having a longitudinal center axis, the vehicle frame being one of a plurality of different vehicle frame types, the method comprising:
providing a first multi-axis robot having a first end effector and a second multi-axis robot having a second end effector, wherein each of the first and second end effectors has a pair of oppositely-positioned locator pins, at least one of which is selectively moveable toward the other, and wherein each of the locator pins has a plurality of tiers, the tiers each having a different relative diameter, with each of the tiers having a tapered surface, and a first of the tiers having a smallest of the relative diameters and a conical end;
determining whether the vehicle frame is a first or a second of the different vehicle frame types;
aligning, via a controller in communication with the multi-axis robots, the locator pins of the first and second end effectors with the openings defined by the vehicle frame;
inserting the aligned locator pins a first or a second distance into the openings toward the center axis from outside of the vehicle frame responsive to a determination that the vehicle frame is the first or the second vehicle frame type, respectively, the inserting including inserting at least one of the first and second tiers of the aligned locator pins into the opening;
lifting the vehicle frame from a first conveyor using the first and second end effectors, wherein weight of the vehicle frame is supported by the locator pins during the lift;
rotating the vehicle frame about the longitudinal center axis via the first and second multi-axis robots in response to motor control commands from the controller; and
lowering the vehicle frame onto a second conveyor via the first and second multi-axis robots.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the system includes a pair of actuators and ea

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Bacalia Christopher E
• Lux John M
• Buckland Andrew J
• Burton Theodore R
• Linn Douglas M

Classifications

• G05B2219/39124

  Grasp common rigid object, no movement end effectors relative to object · CPC title

• G05B2219/39109

  Dual arm, multiarm manipulation, object handled in cooperation · CPC title

• B25J15/009

  with pins for accurately positioning the object on the gripping head · CPC title

• Y10S901/31

  Gripping jaw · CPC title

• B25J9/00

  Program-controlled manipulators · CPC title