Patent Publication Number: US-2022234152-A1

Title: Device for distributing clip-type components

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure concerns a device for dispensing plastic or metal clip-type components intended in particular to assemble parts. Such components are intended to be set in place by snap-fitting onto parts which, subsequently, will be clipped onto supports. In general, these clips comprise a head configured to be snap-fitted onto the part, and a foot configured to be snap-fitted onto the support. For example, such clips may be used when mounting plastic parts inside or outside a motor vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Currently, clips dispensing devices generally comprise a vibrating bowl in which the clips are stored in bulk and guide rails for conveying the clips from the vibrating bowl to the workstations of an assembly line. However, these known dispensing devices have the drawback of being complex to implement. In addition, blocking problems frequently occur in the vibratory bowl and the guide rails due to improper positioning of the clips. These blockages therefore generate production shutdowns which greatly limit the supply rates of the clips. 
     Moreover, there is also known a dispensing device which is based on the use of a vibrating table on which clip-type components are poured and which, by the vibration of the table, are positioned in a predetermined stable position. An optical device, of the camera type, placed directly above the table makes it possible to detect properly positioned components. This information is then transmitted to a control unit which controls the displacement of the robot&#39;s gripping arm so as to pick up only the properly positioned components and then transfer them to a downstream processing area. However, this device has the drawback of not being suitable for three-dimensional components whose external shape does not allow a stable position to be reached on the vibrating table. In particular, in the case of clips having a shell-like shaped foot and a disc-like shape head, it is almost impossible to keep the clip in stable equilibrium on the table when the latter is vibrating. This device therefore works effectively only for clips having a very specific shape. In particular, to maintain a stable equilibrium position, the clips must have a very flat head and a large diameter of this head to prevent tilting thereof during the vibration of the table. 
     SUMMARY 
     In this technical context, an aim of the disclosure is to provide a device for dispensing clip-type components which does not have the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art. 
     To this end, the disclosure concerns a device for dispensing clip-type components intended in particular to assemble parts, comprising:
         a main store for bulk storage of said components,   a temporary storage tray for components extracted from the main store configured to temporarily store the components waiting to be transferred out of the device, said tray being mounted in reciprocating translation in at least one longitudinal direction so as to be able to agitate said temporarily stored components and promote positioning thereof inside said tray according to at least one predetermined stable position related to their shape,   an optical detection system configured to detect, among the components temporarily stored inside the temporary storage tray, those having said predetermined stable position,   a transfer system configured to transfer, individually or in groups, the components having said predetermined stable position to a downstream processing area located outside the device,   an electronic control unit in electronic connection with the optical detection system and the transfer system, said unit being configured to control the transfer system in particular as a function of detection signals received from the optical detection system,       

     characterized in that the temporary storage tray is provided with a series of individual housings, each of said housings being configured to receive one single component according to said predetermined stable position. 
     Configured in this manner, the disclosure makes it possible to promote the stable positioning of the components at the level of the temporary storage tray by the presence of individual housings in which the components could be housed in a stable equilibrium position, thus greatly limiting the risk of a subsequent tilting of the components into an unstable position due to the agitation induced by the tray. Once in their stable equilibrium position, the components could be easily picked up by the transfer system and be then transferred to a downstream processing area. 
     The device of the disclosure may comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or in combination:
         each of the individual housings forms a through opening inside the temporary storage tray, said opening being configured to enable the passage of a first portion of the components and prevent the passage of a second portion of the components.   the geometry of the opening is adapted to that of the considered component.   each through opening has a circular-shaped section, the geometry of this opening being adapted to that of the considered component.   the individual housings are distributed over the temporary storage tray according to the geometry of the component.   the individual housings are regularly spaced over the temporary storage tray.   the individual housings are scattered over the temporary storage tray in a regular alignment of rows and columns.   the optical detection system comprises an optical camera oriented to view the temporary storage tray from above and an image processing software adapted to receive and analyze the images captured by the optical camera so as to detect the components stored on the temporary storage tray having the predetermined stable position.   the transfer system comprises a robot with an articulated arm and having at least one gripping finger configured to individually grip the components stored on the temporary storage tray having the predetermined stable position.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood upon reading the non-limiting description which follows, made with reference to the appended figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a component dispensing device according to the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1 a    is a perspective view of a possible variant of a temporary storage tray usable in the device represented in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another possible variant of a temporary storage tray usable in the device represented in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the tray represented in  FIG. 2 , in which a number of components have been stored. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a clip intended to be fed into the device of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a dispensing device  1  according to a first configuration of the disclosure is represented. This device  1  comprises in particular a main store  110  making it possible to receive components A having various shapes in bulk. A conveying table  120  disposed under the main store  110  and supporting a temporary storage tray  130  can move in a longitudinal direction D so as to move the tray  130  away from or closer to the main store  110 . Thus, after having properly positioned the tray  130  under the main store  110 , it is possible to pour a number of components A contained in the main store  110  onto the tray  130 . The components A are then disposed randomly at the surface of the tray  130 , whether with regards to their positioning in the plane defined by the tray  130 , but also with regards to their orientation in the space. 
     In order to enable the components A to adopt the most stable position possible on the tray  130 , that is to say the position in which they have the lowest possible potential energy, generally corresponding to the position in which their mass center is at its lowest point, the tray  130  is then displaced in a series of reciprocating movements back and forth, parallel to the direction D, or transversely or else along a Z axis around a middle position. These reciprocating movements cause agitation of the components A which modify their orientation and their positioning on the tray  130 . Thus, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in the case of L-shaped components A, some of the components A could for example tilt from an unstable position, in which they are standing on the tray  130 , to a stable position, in which they are lying on the tray  130 . The device  100  further promotes this passage from an unstable position to a stable position by providing the tray  130  with a series of individual housings  131 , as represented in  FIG. 1 a   . Each of the housings  131  is configured to at least partially contain one single component A. Thus, in the specific represented example, each of the housings  131  forms a cavity at the upper surface of the tray  130 , said cavities having an L-shape substantially complementary to that of the components A. The housings  131  are scattered in a regularly spaced manner at the surface of the tray and advantageously have a row and column distribution. Configured in this manner, the temporary storage tray  130  will make it possible to receive in the housings  131  the components A that would have been displaced, due to the agitation of the tray, so as to be in the lying position and properly positioned to be received inside the housings  131 . The components A disposed in this manner in the housings  131  will keep a fixed position with respect to the tray  130 . An optical detection device  140 , of the camera type for example, positioned above the tray  130  will allow the entire tray  130  to be viewed and the output signal delivered by said optical detection device  140  may be analyzed by digital processing software so as to detect the components A having a predetermined position. Thus, in the example represented in  FIG. 1 , the optical detection device  140  will be able to detect at any time the components A that are positioned inside the housings  131 . Once this detection has been performed, the optical detection device  140  transmits the corresponding information to a control unit  150  which is in electronic communication with a transfer apparatus  160 , of the robot type for example, so as to indicate to it that it could take individually, thanks to a gripping means such as a gripping finger  161 , for example, or a clamp, or in a grouped manner the components A having the predetermined position. The transfer apparatus  160  is then responsible for transferring said components A to a downstream processing area  170  located outside the dispensing device  100 . 
     In the variant represented in  FIG. 2 , the temporary storage tray  130  is provided with a series of circular-shaped through openings  131 , the openings  131  being scattered in an alignment of rows and columns. Each opening  131  is able to contain a clip A having features similar to that represented in  FIG. 4 , namely a shape in two portions separated by a circular central collar  16 . A first portion  12 , shaped like a shell, corresponds to the foot of the clip A and is intended to be inserted into a metal sheet of a vehicle frame. A second portion  14 , shaped like a disc, corresponds to the head of the clip A and is intended to be inserted into a plastic part covering the frame. The collar  16  is separated from the head  14  by a groove  18 . The groove  18  will be dimensioned so as to enable the engagement of the plastic part intended to be fixed to the frame. Each opening  131  thus has a diameter configured to enable the introduction of the foot and/or the head of the clips A but to prevent the passage of the collar  16 . 
     In this way, and as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the clips A will be able to adopt, during the agitation of the tray  130 , several possible positions. A first position P 1  will correspond to a first preferred stable position for the clip A. In this preferred position, the clip A is positioned such that its foot  12  is disposed completely inside the tray  130 , the clip A resting on the upper surface of the tray  130  at the level of its flange  16 . The head  14  of the clip A protrudes from the tray  130  and could be easily gripped by the gripping finger  161  of the robot  160 . A second position P 2  will correspond to a second preferred stable position for the clip A. In this preferred position, the clip A is positioned such that its head  14  is disposed completely inside the tray  130 , the clip A resting on the upper surface of the tray  130  at the level of its collar  16 . The foot  12  of the clip A protrudes from the tray  130  and could be easily gripped by the gripping finger  161  of the robot  160 . A third position P 3  will correspond to an unstable position for the clip A. In this unstable position, the clip A is positioned such that its flange  16  is partially engaged within an opening  131  by the edge, the clip A resting on the upper surface of trayl 30  at the level of its foot  12  and/or its head  14 . In this position, the clip A cannot be easily gripped by the gripping finger  161  of the robot  160 . In order to enable the passage of the clip A from the unstable position P 3  to one of the stable positions P 1  or P 2 , it will be necessary to carry on, or even to intensify, the agitation of the tray  130 .