Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5316125?dq=7222078
Timestamp: 2015-02-27 22:03:51
Document Index: 645872357

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12']

Patent US5316125 - Assembly line structure - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn assembly line for assembling a product by a series of operations comprises a conveyer body assembly which includes a plurality of conveyer body units. Each unit has an assembly area for carrying out a predetermined process for producing a product to be assembled and forms a minimal unit which takes...http://www.google.com/patents/US5316125?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5316125 - Assembly line structureAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5316125 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/862,576Publication dateMay 31, 1994Filing dateOct 29, 1991Priority dateNov 6, 1990Fee statusLapsedAlso published asWO1992007683A1Publication number07862576, 862576, US 5316125 A, US 5316125A, US-A-5316125, US5316125 A, US5316125AInventorsHidetoshi Matsushima, Yoshinori Noguchi, Shizuo IshijimaOriginal AssigneeFujitsu LimitedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (13), Referenced by (4), Classifications (8), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetAssembly line structure
US 5316125 AAbstract
An assembly line for assembling a product by a series of operations comprises a conveyer body assembly which includes a plurality of conveyer body units. Each unit has an assembly area for carrying out a predetermined process for producing a product to be assembled and forms a minimal unit which takes charge of a part of the series of operations. The conveyer body assembly is formed by connecting an arbitrary number of conveyer body units greater than or equal to two, which makes it possible to cope with any change in the production plan or the like with a high flexibility.
1. An assembly line for assembling a product by a series of operations, comprising:a conveyor body assembly including a plurality of conveyor body units in an arbitrary number greater than or equal to two and arranged in line, each conveyor body unit (12-1, 12-n) forming a minimal unit for carrying out a part of the series of operations and including an assembly area part (12-1a, 12-n) for carrying out a predetermined process for making a product to be assembled, said assembly area part transporting an assembly jig (11) in a predetermined direction along said line, and an assembly jig return conveyor part (12-1b,12-n) which is arranged in parallel to the assembly area part (12-1a, 12-n) and transports the assembly jig (11) used when assembling the product in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction. 2. The assembly line as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a starting end traverse unit (13) which is independent from said conveyor body assembly and transports said assembly jig from said assembly jig return conveyor part to said assembly jig from said assembly jig return conveyor part to said assembly area part (12-1a, 12-n) of a respective conveyor body unit at a starting end of the conveyor body assembly (15), and a finishing end traverse unit (14) which is independent from said conveyor body assembly and transports said assembly jig from said assembly area part to said assembly jig return conveyor part of a respective conveyor body unit at a finishing end of the conveyor body assembly.
The present invention generally relates to assembly line structures, and more particularly to an assembly line structure which can cope with a change or modification in the production plan and the like with a high flexibility.
The workload and the number of processes required to assemble a product differ depending on the product. For this reason, it is desirable that the assembly line has a structure such that the assembly operation can easily be changed.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a conventional assembly line;
First, the principle of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, any conveyer body unit 12-i of units 21-1 to 12-n includes an assembly area part 12-ia on which an assembly jig 11 is transported, and an assembly jig return conveyer part 12-ib which is arranged in parallel to and in correspondence with the assembly area part 12-ia (where i=1, 2, . . . , n). A starting end traverse unit 13 is a independent from the conveyer body unit 12-i and transports the assembly jig 11 from the assembly jig return conveyer part 12-ib to the assembly area part 12-ia. A finishing end traverse unit 14 is a body independent from the conveyer body unit 12-i and transports the assembly jig 11 from the assembly area part 12-ia to the assembly jig return conveyer part 12-ib.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS4359149 *Aug 4, 1980Nov 16, 1982Polaroid CorporationAccumulator for use with modular production line unitsUS4515264 *Feb 22, 1983May 7, 1985Stiwa-Fertigungstechnik Sticht Gesellschaft M.B.H.Assembly lineUS4762218 *Nov 5, 1987Aug 9, 1988Walter StichtProduction plant with several single stationsUS4783904 *Nov 20, 1987Nov 15, 1988Sony CorporationAutomatic assembly apparatusUS4787496 *Aug 4, 1987Nov 29, 1988Maurice ProdelApparatus for the assembly and/or machining of circulating and immobilizable parts carried by palletsUS5012917 *Jun 23, 1989May 7, 1991Mannesmann AktiengesellschaftTransport apparatus for an assembly lineUS5103964 *Mar 8, 1990Apr 14, 1992Walter StichtHousing part for a work station of an assembly lineUS5205026 *Apr 4, 1990Apr 27, 1993Walter StichtProduction installationGB2118127A * Title not availableJPS5049778A * Title not availableJPS6384842A * Title not availableJPS58160032A * Title not availableJPS59201773A * Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS5379878 *Dec 30, 1993Jan 10, 1995Rohde; Jason A.Two-way gathererUS5871085 *Jul 30, 1996Feb 16, 1999Sanki Engineering Co., Ltd.Driving apparatus for a compact belt conveyerUS7059464 *Jun 24, 2004Jun 13, 2006Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Manufacturing systemCN1326756C *Jan 6, 2004Jul 18, 2007三星电子株式会社Manufacturing system* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification198/465.2, 198/583International ClassificationB65G37/02, B23P21/00Cooperative ClassificationB23P21/004, B65G37/02European ClassificationB65G37/02, B23P21/00BLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionSep 22, 1998FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 19980531May 31, 1998LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesJun 24, 1992ASAssignmentOwner name: FUJITSU LIMITED, JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:MATSUSHIMA, HIDETOSHI;NOGUCHI, YOSHINORI;ISHIJIMA, SHIZUO;REEL/FRAME:006356/0846Effective date: 19920616RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services