Claims
- 1. An apparatus for assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising:
means for transporting automotive components along a predetermined path for delivery through at least one workstation, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line; means for selectively positioning one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transport system, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path; and means for transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture at the ready position and the transporting means.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
position control means for moving a selected geometry fixture to the ready position within a time period cycle corresponding to moving a first component out of the at least one workstation and delivering a second component to the at least one workstation while different automotive body styles are being assembled in sequence concurrently on the assembly line.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the position control means further comprises:
means for generating a configuration signal corresponding to an automotive component to be delivered to the at least one workstation next; and drive means, responsive to the configuration signal based on a control program stored in memory, for moving a geometry fixture corresponding to the particular automotive body style to be delivered to the at least one workstation next to the ready position.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
means for stopping the transporting when the transporting means reaches the workstation.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
means for guiding the transporting means into the at least one workstation to align the transporting means with respect to the geometry fixture at the ready position.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
means for preventing the transporting means from moving with respect to the at least one workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the preventing means further comprises:
at least one sensor mounted to the transporting means for generating a vertical position signal corresponding to a vertical position of the transferring means with respect to the transporting means; and drive means, responsive to the vertical position signal from the sensor based on a control program stored in memory, for controlling movement of the transporting means.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transporting means further comprises:
a trolley movable along the path; and a carriage movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the trolley.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transferring means further comprises:
a lowerator having a rotatable crank arm with a roller disposed adjacent an outer end of the crank arm, the crank arm rotatable from a first angular position through a second angular position to a third angular position, such that as the crank arm rotates from the first position to the second position the roller engages the carriage, releases a latch maintaining the carriage in the raised position, and as the crank rotates from the second position to the third position lowers the carriage to transfer the automotive component to the geometry fixture at the ready position when the carriage is in the lowered position.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:
lowerator drive means for rotating the crank from the first position to the third position when the carriage is at the ready position, and to rotate the crank arm from the third position to the first position in response to a signal indicating that a processing operation has been completed at the workstation.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the lowerator drive means further comprises:
a sensor operable to emit a trolley-present signal when the trolley reaches the workstation above the geometry fixture in the ready position; and means for operating the lowerator in response to the trolley-present signal based on a control program stored in memory.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the lowerator drive means further comprises:
a sensor to emit a carriage-lock signal and a carriage-unlock signal; and control means, responsive to the carriage-lock signal and the carriage-unlock signal based on a control program stored in memory, for rotating the crank arm from the first position to the second position if the carriage-lock signal is initially present, and to continue rotating the crank arm from the second position to the third position if the carriage-lock signal changes to the carriage-unlock signal.
- 13. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
at least one robot at the workstation for performing an processing operation on an automotive component delivered to the geometry fixture at the ready position of the workstation.
- 14. A method of assembling different automotive body styles on a single assembly line comprising the steps of:
transporting automotive components along a predetermined path through at least one workstation with transporting means, each of the components corresponding to one of a plurality of different automotive body styles to be processed on the assembly line; selectively positioning with positioning means one of a plurality of geometry fixtures at a ready position of the at least one workstation to receive the automotive component from the transporting means, each of the plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a different body style of the plurality of automotive components to be transported along the path; and transferring the automotive component between the geometry fixture and the transporting means with transferring means.
- 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
controlling the positioning means to move a selected geometry fixture to the ready position within a time period cycle defined between a first component being transported away from the workstation and a second component arriving at the workstation while different automotive body styles are being assembled in sequence concurrently on the assembly line.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the controlling step further comprises the steps of:
receiving a configuration signal corresponding to the automotive body style to be delivered to the workstation next with electronic control means; and controlling the positioning means to move a geometry fixture to the ready position corresponding to the automotive body style to be delivered next to the workstation based on the configuration signal with the electronic control means and a control program stored in memory.
- 17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
controlling the transporting means to prevent the transporting means from moving with respect to the workstation if movement of the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of controlling the transporting means further comprises the step of:
receiving a vertical position signal corresponding to the vertical position of the transferring means relative to the transporting means with the electronic control means; and controlling the transporting means to stop with the electronic control means if the transferring means has failed to transfer the automotive component from the geometry fixture to the transporting means based on the vertical position signal in accordance with a control program stored in memory.
- 19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
controlling the transferring step to prevent transfer of the automotive component from the transporting means to the geometry fixture until the geometry fixture is located at the ready position.
- 20. The method of claim 14 where in the step of controlling the transferring step further comprises the step of:
receiving a transporting-means-present signal corresponding to the transporting means being positioned at the workstation above the geometry fixture positioned at the ready position with the electronic control means; receiving a fixture-present signal corresponding to the geometry fixture positioned at the ready position with the electronic control means; and controlling the transferring means with the electronic control means based on the transporting-means-present signal, the fixture-present signal in accordance with a control program stored in memory.
- 21. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:
controlling the transferring step in response to a signal indicating if the transferring means is locked in a raised position relative to the transporting means.
- 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the controlling step further comprises the steps of:
receiving the signal indicating the transferring means is locked in the raised position with electronic control means; engaging the transferring means to rotate a crank arm from a first position to an intermediate position with the electronic control means; determining if the signal is interrupted when the crank arm is rotated to the intermediate position with the electronic control means; continuing engagement of the transferring means to rotate the crank arm from the intermediate position to a second position with the electronic control means if the signal has been interrupted when the crank arm is rotated to the intermediate position from the first position with the electronic control means; receiving a signal corresponding to a completion of work at the workstation with the electronic control means; engaging of the transferring means to rotate the crank arm from the second position to the first position with the electronic control means; and determining if the signal is receivable after the crank has been rotated from the second position to the first position with the electronic control means.
- 23. In an automotive assembly line for assembling a plurality of automotive body styles on a single assembly line having a system for transporting automotive body components through at least one workstation, the improvement comprising:
means, responsive to at least one signal, for selectively positioning one of a plurality of geometry fixtures corresponding to a particular automotive body style to be assembled in a ready position at the workstation as a plurality of automotive body styles are being assembled on the assembly line in any concurrent sequential order, while a rate of production of the assembly line is maintained.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/180,607, filed Feb. 7, 2000. This application is filed contemporaneously with two other applications, “FLEXIBLE AUTOMOTIVE ASSEMBLY LINE AND METHOD” our attorney's reference no. PTC-256-B, and “INTERCHANGEABLE NESTS FOR SUPPORTING COMPONENTS ON A TRANSPORT SYSTEM” our attorney's reference no. PTC-257-A.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60180607 |
Feb 2000 |
US |