Abstract:
The present invention provides a position changing apparatus for moving a vehicle body or a vehicle part that includes a jig base, a guide unit forming a slanted guide surface, a driving block, an actuator, and an attaching unit. In addition, all components of the position changing apparatus are simplified, thereby reducing the incidences of malfunctions and the costs for maintaining and repairing. Moreover, the position changing apparatus occupies a smaller area than one of the prior art.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to Korean Application No. 10-2004-0097085, filed on Nov. 24, 2004, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention generally relates to a position changing apparatus for moving a vehicle body or a vehicle part.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     A position changing apparatus for moving a vehicle body or a vehicle part to a required position is generally used in a vehicle assembly line.  
         [0004]     In order to move the vehicle body or the vehicle part, the position changing apparatus needs two actuators, two guides, two blocks, two solenoid valves, and four sensors. Therefore, a control circuit for controlling the two actuators becomes complicated. In addition, because two actuators, two guides, two blocks, and two solenoid valves are needed, the position changing apparatus has a problem in that time and costs for maintaining and repairing the components substantially increase. The position changing apparatus also has a problem in that an area of the position changing apparatus is enlarged.  
         [0005]     The information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides a position changing apparatus having non-limiting advantages of moving a vehicle body or a vehicle part.  
         [0007]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary position changing apparatus includes a jig base, a guide unit forming a slanted guide surface and being mounted on the jig base, a driving block mounted to the guide unit to be movable along the slanted guide surface of the guide unit, an actuating unit for moving the driving block, and an attaching unit mounted to the driving block and configured to temporarily attach the vehicle body or the vehicle part.  
         [0008]     The guide unit comprises a guide base mounted on the jig base, and a slanted guide forming the slanted guide surface and being mounted to the guide base.  
         [0009]     Stoppers for limiting movement of the driving block are provided on both ends of the guide unit.  
         [0010]     The actuating unit comprises an actuating cylinder. In particular, the actuating unit comprises a cylinder housing configured to receive operating fluid; a piston disposed in the cylinder housing to be movable depending on a pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the cylinder housing; a connecting rod connecting the piston with the driving block; a solenoid valve for regulating the pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the cylinder housing; a plurality of position sensors mounted to the cylinder housing, the plurality of position sensors detecting a position of the piston and outputting a corresponding signal; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the solenoid valve on the basis of the signals output from the plurality of the position sensors.  
         [0011]     The plurality of position sensors comprises a first position sensor and a second position sensor that are respectively disposed on both ends of the cylinder housing. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is schematic view of a position changing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     An embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is schematic view of a position changing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the position changing apparatus includes a jig base  201 , a guide unit  207 , a driving block  270 , an actuating unit  209 , and an attaching unit  213 . The jig base  201  may form a lower portion of the position changing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the guide unit  207  is mounted on the jig base  201 . The guide unit  207  forms a slanted surface  206 , both ends of which have different heights. In this embodiment of the present invention, an end of the slanted guide surface  206  that is closer to the actuating unit  209  than the other end is formed to be the lower of the two. However, it is easily understood that the shape of the slanted guide surface  206  is not limited thereto. The guide unit  207  includes a guide base  203  and a slanted guide  205 . The guide base  203  may be mounted on the jig base  201 , and the slanted guide  205  may be mounted on the guide base  203  such that the slanted guide surface  206  is formed.  
         [0017]     In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide base may be formed to be slanted, and the guide may be formed as a flat plate. Therefore, by disposing the flat guide on the slanted guide base, the slanted surface can be realized.  
         [0018]     The driving block  270  is mounted on the guide unit  207  such that the driving block  270  can move along the guide surface  206  of the guide unit  207 . More particularly, the driving block  270  is movably mounted on the slanted guide  205  of the guide unit  207 . The driving block  270  is tapered such that an upper surface of the driving block  270  is flat.  
         [0019]     A bearing (not shown) can be disposed between the driving block  270  and the guide surface  206  to decrease friction between the driving block  270  and the guide unit  207 .  
         [0020]     The actuating unit  209  is configured to move the driving block  270 . The actuating unit  209  is connected to the driving block  270 , and the driving block  270  is urged to move along the slanted guide  205  by the force transmitted from the actuating unit  209 .  
         [0021]     The attaching unit  213  is fixed to the driving block  270  and is formed to temporarily attach the vehicle body or the vehicle part  300 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the attaching unit  213  is fixed to the driving block  270 . Although in this embodiment the attaching unit  213  includes two members, the attaching unit  213  can also be realized as a single member.  
         [0022]     The actuating unit  209  includes an actuating cylinder  217  for moving the driving block  270 . According to another embodiment of the present invention, the actuating unit  209  further includes a solenoid valve  223 , position sensors  227  and  225 , and an electronic control unit (ECU)  229 , in addition to the actuating cylinder  217 .  
         [0023]     The actuating cylinder  217  can be realized as a pneumatic cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or any cylinder that can move the driving block  270 , and the cylinder can include a cylinder housing  233 , a piston  235 , and a connecting rod  221 . The cylinder housing  233  is formed such that it can be supplied with operating fluid, and the piston  235  is disposed within the cylinder housing  233  such that the piston  235  can move in response to the operating fluid pressure. The connecting rod  221  connects the piston  235  with the driving block  270 . Therefore, the driving block  270  is urged to move on the guide unit  207  by the pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the actuating cylinder  217 . The pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the cylinder housing  233  is regulated by the solenoid valve  223 .  
         [0024]     A plurality of position sensors  225  and  227  are mounted to the cylinder housing  233 . The plurality of position sensors  225  and  227  detect a position of the piston  235  and output a corresponding signal to the ECU  229 . For example, when the piston  235  is located in front of the position sensors  225  and  227 , the position sensors  225  and  227  may detect the position of the piston  235  and output a corresponding signal.  
         [0025]     The ECU  223  can be realized by one or more processors activated by a predetermined program, and the predetermined program can be programmed to perform each step of the method for controlling the solenoid valve  223  according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]     The plurality of position sensors  225  and  227  includes a first position sensor  225  and a second position sensor  227  that are respectively disposed on both ends of the cylinder housing  233 . Consequently, due to the first and second position sensors  225  and  227 , they can detect whether the piston  235  is positioned at an end of the cylinder housing  233 .  
         [0027]     The ECU  229  controls the solenoid valve  223  on the basis of the signal transmitted from the plurality of position sensors  225  and  227  and an external signal.  
         [0028]     In the case of receiving the signal output from the second position sensor  227  and an external position changing signal (e.g., from a driver or another control unit), such as when the position changing signal is transmitted from the outside in a state that the piston  235  is located in a position in which the second position sensor  227  is located, the ECU  229  outputs a control signal for controlling the solenoid valve  223  such that the operating fluid is supplied to the cylinder housing  233 .  
         [0029]     If the operating fluid is supplied to the cylinder housing, the piston  235  is urged to move in the rightward direction in  FIG. 1 . As the piston  235  moves in the rightward direction, the driving block  270  connected to the connecting rod  221  moves in a right upward direction along the slanted guide surface  206 . Thus, the driving block  270  and the attaching unit  213  also move in the right upward direction. Consequently, the vehicle body or the vehicle part  300  attached to the attaching unit  213  is moved from a first position  250  to a second position  260  (i.e., moved in the arrow direction shown in  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0030]     In addition, in the case of receiving the signal output from the first position sensor  225  and an external position changing signal (e.g., from a driver or another control unit), such as when the position changing signal is transmitted from the outside in a state in which the piston  235  is located in a position in which the first position sensor  225  is located, the ECU  229  outputs a control signal for controlling the solenoid valve  223  such that the operating fluid is exhausted from the cylinder housing  233 . In this case, the vehicle body or the vehicle part  300  is moved from the second position  260  to the first position  250 .  
         [0031]     As described above, the vehicle body or the vehicle part  300  can be moved from the first position  250  to the second position  260  or from the second position  260  to the first position  250  by one actuating unit  209  in a slanted direction.  
         [0032]     At both ends of the guide unit  207 , a stopper  215  for limiting movement of the driving block  270  may be mounted.  
         [0033]     According to the embodiments of the present invention, because the position changing apparatus can change position of the vehicle body or the vehicle part by the slanted guide unit, the position changing apparatus can operate with one actuator. Therefore, components of the position changing apparatus are more simplified. In addition, because of the simplicity of the components, incidences of malfunctions and costs for maintenance and repair are reduced, and the position changing apparatus occupies a smaller area.  
         [0034]     While this invention has been described in connection with the most practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.