Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/9374935
Timestamp: 2019-08-22 06:52:08
Document Index: 333694217

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 201180021073', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 201180021302', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 201180021080', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 201180021362', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 2014']

US Patent for Manufacture work machine Patent (Patent # 9,374,935 issued June 21, 2016) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Assembling To Base An Electrical Component, E.g., Capacitor, Etc.US Patent for Manufacture work machine Patent (Patent # 9,374,935)
Mar 29, 2011 - FUJI MACHINE MFG. CO., LTD.
There will be explained various forms of an invention which is considered claimable (hereinafter referred to as “claimable invention” where appropriate). Each of the forms depends from the other form or forms, where appropriate. This is for easier understanding of the claimable invention, and it is to be understood that combinations of constituent elements that constitute the invention are not limited to those described in the following forms. That is, it is to be understood that the claimable invention shall be construed in the light of the following description of various forms and embodiments. It is to be further understood that any form in which one or more constituent elements is/are added to or deleted from any one of the following forms may be considered as one form of the claimable invention.
The “manufacture work” performed by the present manufacture work machine, namely, a target work of the present manufacture work machine, is not particularly limited, but may include an assembling work of assembling a plurality of components (parts) into an assembled article and various works in which certain processing, treatment or the like is performed on a work object (which is a concept that includes “component (part)”, “assembled article”, “object to be processed or treated”, etc.,). More specifically, as the work to perform certain processing, a work, such as a press work, in which the work object is deformed, a work, such as a cut-off work, in which a part of the work object is cut off, and a work, such as a cutting work, in which the work object is shaped, may be the target work, for instance. As the work to perform a certain treatment, a surface modification work in which a surface of the work object is modified by laser, plasma or the like, a coating work in which an adhesive, a coloring agent or the like is applied to the work object, a heat treatment work in which the work object is heated, dried, cooled, etc., by hot air, cool air, etc., a surface finishing work such as grinding, a work of fixing, etc., by screwing, etc., other component mounted onto one component, and a work of irradiating the work object with light, ultraviolet light, electromagnetic wave, etc., for the purpose of fixation, curing, etc., may be the target work, for instance. Further, an inspection work of inspecting work results of the assembling work and the works in which certain processing, treatment or the like is performed may be the target work.
The “work element” means one of a movement, rotation, a posture change, a treatment, processing and the like, to be performed on the work object, for instance. One manufacture work is performed by coordination of those work elements. The kind and the number of the work elements and the manner of coordination vary depending upon the target work. The “work-element performing apparatus” is an apparatus for performing one work element and may be considered as an apparatus having a single function in accordance with the work element, for instance. More specifically, where the target work is the assembling work, for instance, each of the following (a)-(d) is incorporated as the work-element performing apparatus into the manufacture work machine: (a) a conveyor configured to perform conveyance for conveying one component from an outside of the manufacture work machine and for conveying the assembled article out of the manufacture work machine; (b) a component supplier configured to supply another component; (c) a component holding head device (which is one kind of a “work head device” and is referred to as a “carry head”) configured to perform holding of another component supplied by the component supplier for attachment to the one component; and (d) a head moving device configured to move the component holding head for moving the component held by the component holding head. In the assembling work or in the inspection work for inspecting the result of the assembling work, an image taking device such as a camera for taking an image of the component or the assembled article to recognize the position and the posture thereof, the assembling accuracy, etc., may be the work-element performing apparatus configured to perform image taking processing as the work element. In the assembling work, an adhesive applying device for applying an adhesive to at least one of the two components for bonding thereof may be the work-element performing apparatus configured to perform adhesive application as the work element. Further, the device configured to perform certain processing, or treatment, etc., such as laser processing or plasma processing may be the work-element performing apparatus in the manufacture work in which the processing or treatment is performed.
The “operating device” in this form may be one controllable operating main element in one work-element performing apparatus or a drive source, such as a motor, for the operating main body, for instance. Typically, in the component holding head explained above, a device for holding is the operating device. Where the work-element performing apparatus is a conveying apparatus, for instance, a conveying device such as a conveyor is one operating device, and a fixing device for fixing an object to be conveyed in association with conveyance is also the operating device where the conveying apparatus includes the fixing device. Where an XY-type or XYZ-type head moving device which will be explained is the work-element performing apparatus, each of linear-type moving devices, which bear a movement in an X direction, a movement in a Y direction, and a movement in a Z direction, respectively, is the operating device. It is noted that the operating device is not limited to an operating device functioning as an actuator. Where a plasma treatment apparatus, the laser treatment apparatus or the like is the work-element performing apparatus, a plasma generator, a laser generator or the like may be the operating device. Where the image taking device is the work-element performing apparatus, an illuminator or the like is the operating device, in addition to the image taking device such as a camera. Moreover, the operating main element configured to perform certain processing or treatment, etc., indicated above may be the operating device. Where the work-element performing apparatus includes a plurality of operating devices, the plurality of operating devices are controlled by one individual control device, so that the work-element performing apparatus is made intelligent.
In each of the above five forms, the manufacture work machine functions as an assembling work machine. The above-indicated “work necessary for mounting the second component onto the first component” relating to the work head device may be a “main work” in a work of mounting the second component onto the first component (hereinafter referred to as the “mounting work” where appropriate) or may be an “auxiliary work”. The “main work” includes holding of the second component performed for the mounting, more specifically, a work of holding the second component for conveying the supplied second component to a position at which the first component is present, a work of fixing by screwing the second component into the first component, etc., for instance. Here, the work head device configured to perform the holding of the second component may be referred to as a component holding head. On the other hand, the “auxiliary work” includes taking of an image of the first component for recognition of a position, an orientation, etc., of the first component which is positioned in place, a work to be performed prior to the mounting of the second component onto the first component, such as application of an adhesive, a treatment agent, etc., to at least one of the first component and the second component. Here, the work head device configured to perform the image taking may be referred to as an image taking head. An applying head as the work head device configured to apply the adhesive, etc., is one sort of an application head. Further, the “work to be performed on an article in which the second component has been mounted onto the first component” includes an auxiliary work in the assembling work, such as taking an image of the assembled article for recognition of assembling accuracy of the assembled article, etc., for instance.
The “work head device” is a work-element performing apparatus that plays a main role in the manufacture work and may be considered as an apparatus for performing a certain operation or a certain treatment on the work object generally from above the work object or from the side of the work object. It is possible to employ various work head devices in accordance with the target work of the manufacture work machine. Since the work head device to be employable in the assembling work has been explained above, its explanation is dispensed with. Even in the manufacture work machine configured to perform a work other than the assembling work, each of the above-indicated component holding head, applying head, image taking head, etc., may be the work head device in the manufacture work machine. Further, a laser head including the laser generator, a plasma head including the plasma generator, or the like may be the work head device in the manufacture work machine. Here, a component moving head configured to move the component, a component holding head configured to hold the component for the movement of the component or the like may be referred to as a carry head. Further, the above-indicated work head device configured to perform certain processing or treatment, such as the applying head, the image taking head, the laser head, or the plasma head, may be referred to as a process head.
In this form, the work head device includes a plurality of operating devices. The “main device” in this form is a device that plays a main role in the work element to be performed. Further “to move the main device” as the function of the “movement device” means not only “movement” in a narrow sense, but also “rotating motion”, “pivoting motion”, “vibrating motion”, “swinging motion”, etc. In the component holding head, for instance, a component holding device (e.g., a rod-like member) having, at its distal end, a suction nozzle, a chuck, a clamp or the like corresponds to the main device while an actuator configured to move the component holding device in an extension direction of the axis of the device, an actuator configured to rotate the device about the axis, etc., corresponds to the movement device.
In this form, the manufacture work machine includes a plural kinds of work head devices, namely, a plurality of different work head devices which are mutually different in function. In this form, “mutually different in kind of the work to be performed” means that the work element performed by the first work head device and the work element performed by the second work head device are mutually different. For instance, the component holding head performs holding of the component for conveyance and movement, the applying head performs application of the adhesive or the like, the image taking head performs image taking of the target object, as the target work element. In this case, these work head devices are mutually different in kind to the work to be performed. The manufacture work machine which includes the work head devices that perform mutually different work elements can perform a complex manufacture work, namely, a manufacture work composed of mutually different kinds of works.
The “main work” in this form means a central or core work element in the manufacture work to be performed by the manufacture work machine, and the “auxiliary work” may be considered as a work element to be performed in association with the main work. For instance, there is included, in this form, a form in which the work performed by the main head device and the work performed by the auxiliary head device constitute a series of works or a cooperative work (which is a concept including a collaborative work, a synchronous work, a coordinative work, etc.). Various works may be the main work and the auxiliary work depending upon the target work. In the assembling work machine configured to perform the assembling work as the target work, the component holding head, etc., functions as the main head device while the applying head, the image taking head, etc., functions as the auxiliary head device as explained above, for instance.
The “movement of the work head device” as the function of the “head moving device” means not only movement in a narrow sense, but also “rotating motion”, “pivoting motion”, “vibrating motion”, “swinging motion”, or the like. An arrangement, a mechanism, etc., of the movement are not particularly limited, and it is possible to employ, as the head moving device, a device with various arrangements, mechanisms, etc. For instance, as explained below, there may be employed a moving device configured to move the work head device along one locus, a moving device in which at least two linear-type moving devices are combined, a moving device such as a multiarticular-arm robot, etc.
The above three forms relate to the conveyor. The arrangement in which “the conveyor and said another conveyor are mutually different in conveyance mechanism” described in the third form among the above three forms includes an arrangement in which loci of a target conveyance object formed when conveyed by the respective conveyors are mutually different, for instance. For instance, there may be included an arrangement in which one conveyor is configured to convey the target conveyance object such that the target conveyance object moves on one plane, such as the so-called belt conveyor system, while another conveyor is configured to convey the target conveyance object while lifting up the object, such as the so-called lift and carry system. The above three forms contribute to enhancement of versatility of the manufacture work machine functioning as the assembling work machine.
Referring to FIG. 6, there will be briefly explained an assembled article which is assembled by the manufacture work machine 10. The assembled article 40 is composed of a plate-like base member 42 and a plurality of block-like mount components 44 (hereinafter each referred to as the “block” where appropriate). To be more specific, two blocks 44A each having a rectangular shape in upper plan view are mounted onto the base member 42. On one of the two blocks 44A, there are stacked two square blocks 44B, 44C having mutually different height dimensions. A block 44C is stacked on the other of the two blocks 44A, and a block 44C is disposed alongside the other block 44A.
Thereafter, according to a motion command (ix) relating to a movement of the component holding head 26 to a component supply position, the head moving device 30 controls the planar-type moving device 60 to be operated such that the component holding head 26 is moved above the component tray 140, accurately, above the block 44A placed on the tray 140 and controls the up-down-direction moving device 62 to be operated such that the component holding head 26 is lowered to a position at which the component holding head 26 is located above the component tray 140 by a preset distance L1. Subsequently, according to a motion command (x) relating to holding of the component 44A, the component holding head 26 controls the holder moving device 109 to be operated such that the component holder 108 is lowered until the component suction nozzle 50 comes into contact with the block 44A and controls the positive/negative pressure supplier 52 such that the block 44A is held.
When the component holder 108 is lowered by the holder moving device 109 until the component holder 108 comes into contact with the block 44A, it is possible to obtain a height HA of the block 44A on the basis of: the distance L1 between the component holder 108 and the component tray 140; and the distance by which the component holder 108 is actually lowered. Accordingly, even if the component such as the block 44B has a height dimension different from that of the block 44A, the height dimension of the component is taken into consideration when the component is lowered to the mounting position of the base member 42 and it is possible to control the holder moving device 109 so as to prevent a large load from acting on the component 44 and the base member 42 upon contact of the component 44 with the base member 42.
After the image taking performed as described above, according to a motion command (xiii), the head moving device 30 controls the planar-type moving device 60 to be operated such that the component holding head 26 is moved above the mounting position of the component 44 with respect to the base member 42 and controls the up-down-direction moving device 62 to be operated such that the component holding head 26 is lowered to a height position at which the component holding head 26 is located above a mount surface onto which the component is mounted, by the preset distance L1. In FIG. 14(b), since the block 44B is the component to be mounted, the upper surface of the block 44A is the mount surface. Where the block 44A which is the component to be first mounted onto the base member 42 is mounted, the upper surface of the base member 42 is the mount surface. Subsequently, according to a motion command (xiv), the component holding head 26 controls the nozzle rotating device to be operated such that the rotational position of the block 44A is adjusted on the basis of the positional information (the rotational position) received together with the motion command (xiv). Thereafter, the component holding head 26 controls the holder moving device 109 to be operated such that the component holder 108 is lowered to a suitable height level on the basis of the height HA of the block 44A, thereby permitting the block 44A to be bonded to the base member 42. Subsequently, the component holding head 26 controls the positive/negative pressure supplier 52 to be operated such that the block 44A is separated. In this way, mounting of one block 44 is finished. Thereafter, the motion commands similar to the motion commands (x)-(xiv) are repeatedly transmitted, whereby the work of mounting the plurality of blocks 44A, 44B, 44C is repeatedly performed. After all of the blocks 44 are mounted, the assembled article 40 is conveyed by the conveyor 22 out of the manufacture work machine 10.
In the first manufacture work machine 430, the double conveyer 282 of the module type and a bushing supplier 450 for supplying the bushings 418 are used in place of the conveyor 22 and the component supplier 24 of the manufacture work machine 10, respectively. In each of the second manufacture work machine 432, the third manufacture work machine 434, and the fourth manufacture work machine 436, the double conveyer 282 is used in place of the conveyor 22′ of the manufacture work machine 10. In the fifth manufacture work machine 438, the double conveyer 282 and the double dispenser 312 are used in place of the conveyor 22 and the dispenser head 28 of the manufacture work machine 10, respectively, and the component supplier 24 used in the manufacture work machine 10 is detached. In the sixth manufacture work machine 440, the double conveyer 282 and a lid supplier 452 for supplying the lid 426 are used in place of the conveyor 22 and the component supplier 24 of the manufacture work machine 10, respectively. In the seventh manufacture work machine 442, the double conveyer 282 and the tape feeders 262 are used in place of the conveyor 22 and the component supplier 24 of the manufacture work machine 10, respectively.
1. A manufacture work machine for performing a manufacture work, comprising:
a plurality of work-element performing apparatuses each configured to perform one of a plurality of work elements that comprise the manufacture work, wherein
the plurality of work-element performing apparatuses include: a plurality of work head devices comprising a first work head device and a second work head device which are mutually different in a kind of a work to be performed; and a head moving device configured to move the plurality of work head devices,
the head moving device includes a planar-type moving device configured to move the plurality of work head devices as a unit along one plane and configured not to move the plurality of work head devices independently of each other along the one plane,
the manufacture work machine is an assembling work machine configured to perform, as the manufacture work, an assembling work of assembling a plurality of components into an assembled article and which is configured to perform, as at least a part of the assembling work, a work of mounting, onto a first component as one of the plurality of components, a second component as another one of the plurality of components,
the first work head device is configured to perform holding of the second component, as a work necessary for mounting the second component onto the first component,
the head moving device includes a plurality of up-down-direction moving devices configured to move the plurality of work head devices independently of each other in an up-down direction,
the head moving device includes a plurality of head holding portions for respectively holding the plurality of work head devices,
the up-down-direction moving devices are configured to move the plurality of work head devices in the up-down direction by respectively moving the head holding portions, and
the manufacture work machine further comprises an image taking device attached to one of the head holding portions that holds the first work head device, the image taking device being configured to be moved, in the up-down direction, by one of the plurality of up-down-direction moving devices that moves the first work head device, such that the image taking device is moved together with the first work head device.
2. The manufacture work machine according to claim 1,
wherein the second work head device is configured to perform one of (A) a work to be performed prior to a work of mounting the second component onto the first component, as the work necessary for mounting the second component onto the first component; and (B) a work to be performed on an article in which the second component has been mounted onto the first component.
3. The manufacture work machine according to claim 2,
wherein the second work head device is moved together with the first work head device by the planar-type moving device when the first work head device is moved by the planar-type moving device to the component supplier for holding the second component.
6. The manufacture work machine according to claim 1,
7. The manufacture work machine according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of work-element performing apparatuses include: a conveyor configured to perform, as one of the plurality of work elements, conveyance of at least one of the first component and the assembled article; and a component supplier configured to perform, as one of the plurality of work elements, supplying of the second component.
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Patent Publication Number: 20130047392
Inventors: Noriaki Iwaki (Hekiman), Kazuyoshi Nagato (Toyoake), Masaki Kato (Toyota), Hideaki Nomura (Toyota), Shinji Ichino (Nagoya)
Application Number: 13/643,347