Abstract:
The present invention relates to a floating tool changer for an automobile and more particularly, to a floating tool changer for an automobile which can set at least two different floating tools simultaneously and exchange a socket portion of the floating tool by using a desirable grip means automatically so that the floating tool changer is applicable to in assembly lines for variety kinds of automobiles and thus, a productivity and an operation efficiency can be enhanced.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a floating tool changer for an automobile and more particularly, to a floating tool changer for an automobile which can set at least two different floating tools simultaneously and exchange a socket portion of the floating tool by using a desirable grip means automatically so that the floating tool changer is applicable to in assembly lines for variety kinds of automobiles and thus, a productivity and an operation efficiency can be enhanced.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    In general, a floating tool is used for combining a bolt and nut of a front suspension, a cross member and a center member in an automobile assembly line.  
           [0005]    As shown in FIG. 1, such floating tool  10  consists of a socket  12  which is floatable upwardly and downwardly by a spring  11  located at lower end thereof, a housing  13  supporting the spring  11  and the socket  12 , a mounting bracket  14  which enables an entire tool to fix to a robot, and a nut runner  15  combining a bolt and nut at in a proper torque.  
           [0006]    As shown in FIG. 2, such floating tool  10  is mounted to a 6-axis multi articulation robot  16 , and is then used in an automobile assembly line.  
           [0007]    Since such floating tool  10  is standardized suitable for one automobile model only, in order to apply the floating tool to an another model of automobile, it has to be changed. This inefficient defect causes that a productivity and an operation efficiency in the automobile assembly line become lowered.  
           [0008]    In order to solve this drawback, it is possible to use the 6-axis multi articulation robot to which the floating tools suitable for two kinds of the automobile, respectively, are mounted. However, in this case, a weight of the robot is increased and exceeds the capability of the robot. Further, it makes the work progress tardy.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a floating tool changer for an automobile which can support two different kinds of the floating tools by using a grip means, and has a rising means so that it is possible to exchange different kinds of the floating tools in a line easily. Therefore, work efficiency related to use of the floating tool can be sought and productivity and operation efficiency can be enhanced.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    For fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in, conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional floating tool.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the conventional floating tool in use.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a front view of a floating tool changer according to the present invention; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    The present invention comprises two pairs of units of which one is an upper air chuck cylinder  20  which can clamp a floating tool housing and the other is an upper grip  21  and a lower air chuck cylinder  22  which can clamp a floating tool body and a lower grip  23 . The upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  are movable vertically by a cylinder type robot  24 . The present invention further comprises a first proximity sensor  25  for sensing a rising position of the floating tool housing, a second proximity sensor  26  as a safe-guard which senses a position of a floating tool socket and the housing to restrain an unclamping movement of the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21 , a bracket means  27  and a frame means  28  supporting each member.  
         [0016]    Specially, the robot  24  is provided with a stopper  29  which can maintain a definite location of the floating tool socket and the floating tool housing when the floating tool socket and the floating tool housing are detached.  
         [0017]    The present invention is described in detail hereunder.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are the front view and the side view showing a structure of the floating tool changer according to the present invention.  
         [0019]    The floating tool changer of the present invention composes the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21 , the lower air chuck cylinder  22  and the lower grip  23 , and the cylinder type robot  24  as one unit to be arranged in line.  
         [0020]    A unit of the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  and the other unit of the lower air chuck cylinder  22  and the lower grip  23  are arranged vertically with a proper interval. The floating tool body and the floating tool housing  13  are held by each grip. Especially, the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  are combined integrally at a lower end portion of the cylinder type robot  24  so that the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  move vertically together with operation of the robot  24 .  
         [0021]    Each side of cylinder type robot  24  has a guide bar  30  which guides a vertical movement of the upper air chuck cylinder  20 , the upper grip  21  and the stopper  29 .  
         [0022]    Also, the stopper  29  is installed integrally on upper end of the upper air chuck cylinder  20 , and thus the stopper  29  can hold the floating tool housing  13  and socket  12  from the top to be maintained the consistent position after the floating tool housing  13  and socket  12  are detached.  
         [0023]    The first proximity sensor  25  is installed on the upper portion of the frame means  28  by the bracket  27  extended forwardly to sense a raise position of the detached floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12 . At this time, the first proximity sensor  25  is located on the central clamping line of the upper and lower grips  21  and  23 .  
         [0024]    Also, the second proximity sensor  26  is installed on both sides of an upper position of the frame means  28  to sense the existence of the floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12  so that it is possible to prevent an accident such as falling of the floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12 .  
         [0025]    That is, when an unclamping signal is supplied to the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  which hold the floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12  by the work&#39;s carelessness, an unclamping function of the floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12  can not be performed by a sensing signal of the second proximity sensor  26  so that it can prevent from falling of the floating tool housing  13  and the socket  12  and causing an accident hurting the worker.  
         [0026]    A method for changing the floating tool by means of the floating tool changer according to the present invention is described hereunder.  
         [0027]    In the automobile assembly line, when another kind of the automobile has to be assembled after an assembly process for a certain kind of the automobile by using the 6-axis multi articulation robot and the floating tool, the floating tool is entered into the upper grip  21  of the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the lower grip  23  of the lower air chuck cylinder  22  which are located at a right side and then a housing portion and a body portion of the floating tool are clamped, respectively.  
         [0028]    Thereafter, the cylinder type robot  24  is operated to move the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  toward an upper portion, thereupon the socket and the housing are detached from the body of the floating tool.  
         [0029]    The lower grip  23  of the lower air chuck  22 , which holds the body of the floating tool, is unclamped and simultaneously, the floating tool bodyis moved toward left side by 6-axis multi articulation robot to enter to the lower portion of the housing and the socket clamped on the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  at a left suitable for the automobile which is to be changed.  
         [0030]    After aligning the positions, the floating tool body is moved upward by 6-axis multi articulation robot and rotates a cylindrical casing where the housing will be inserted and combined. According as the floating tool body is moved upward continuously, the socket and housing are combined into the floating tool body.  
         [0031]    Once the socket and housing suited for the changed automobile model are combined with the floating tool body as described above, the upper air chuck cylinder  20  and the upper grip  21  become an unclamped state and the 6-axis multi articulation robot is moved simultaneously so that the change operation of the floating tool is completed.  
         [0032]    As the foregoing, the present invention provides the means which can change the floating tool easily in the automobile assembly line so that the present invention is applicable to in assembly lines for variety kinds of automobiles, whereby it is possible to promote work efficiency related to use a floating tool, and a productivity and an operation efficiency can be enhanced.  
         [0033]    Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of the construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.