阅读说明：本技术 自动操作的车身卸载系统 (Automatically operated vehicle body unloading system ) 是由 卡迪尔·奥尼尔 卡加泰·科卡 塞尔达尔·卡瓦克 亚维兹·萨拉 埃尔坎·布尔古古 阿尔坎·奥 于 2020-09-01 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种用于从装配线高架输送机车辆承载架(60)卸载至少部分组装的车辆(74)的自动操作的卸载系统(12)。车辆承载架(60)包括用于从下方支撑车辆(74)的四个吊架臂(62),吊架臂(62)的端部(68)以可锁定的方式绕垂直轴线(70)枢转地铰接。对于平板式输送系统(76)的每一侧,自动操作的卸载系统(12)包括：在平板式输送系统(76)一侧的导轨(14),可移动地布置在至少一个导轨(14)上的前吊架臂机械手(16)和后吊架臂机械手(38)；还包括用于使机械手(16、38)沿导轨(14)移动的可控制的驱动单元,以及电子控制单元(72)。每个吊架臂机械手(16、38)配备有至少一个可控制的致动器(24、26、28、46、48、50),以及电子控制单元(72)至少被配置为控制致动器(24、26、28、46、48、50)和控制驱动单元。(An automatically operated unloading system (12) for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles (74) from an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier (60) is provided. The vehicle carrier (60) comprises four suspension arms (62) for supporting the vehicle (74) from below, the ends (68) of the suspension arms (62) being pivotally articulated about a vertical axis (70) in a lockable manner. An automatically operated unloading system (12) includes, for each side of the flat bed conveyor system (76): a guide rail (14) on one side of the flatbed conveyor system (76), a front hanger arm manipulator (16) and a rear hanger arm manipulator (38) movably arranged on the at least one guide rail (14); also included are controllable drive units for moving the manipulators (16, 38) along the rail (14), and an electronic control unit (72). Each boom arm manipulator (16, 38) is equipped with at least one controllable actuator (24, 26, 28, 46, 48, 50), and the electronic control unit (72) is at least configured to control the actuators (24, 26, 28, 46, 48, 50) and to control the drive unit.)

1. An automatically operated unloading system (12) for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle (74) from an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier (60), the vehicle carrier (60) including four hanger arms (62) for supporting the vehicle (74) from below, and ends (68) of the hanger arms (62) being pivotally articulated about a vertical axis (70) in a lockable manner, the unloading system (12) comprising:

-at least one guide rail (14) arranged parallel to the conveying direction (78) on one side of the flatbed conveying system (76), and

-a front crane arm manipulator (16) and a rear crane arm manipulator (38) movably arranged on the at least one rail (14) on each side of the flatbed conveyor system (76), and

-a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulator (16, 38) along the guide rail (14), and

-an electronic control unit (72),

wherein:

-each boom arm manipulator (16, 38) is equipped with at least one controllable actuator (24, 26, 28, 46, 48, 50), and

-the electronic control unit (72) is at least configured to control the actuators (24, 26, 28, 46, 48, 50) and to control the drive unit.

2. Unloading system (12) according to claim 1,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the at least one controllable actuator (26, 48) of each hanger arm manipulator (16, 38) is configured to linearly push or pull the locking mechanism of one of the hanger arm ends (68) by controlling.

3. Unloading system (12) according to claim 1 or 2,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the at least one controllable actuator (28, 50) of each hanger arm manipulator (16, 38) is configured to controllably rotate one of the hanger arm ends (68) about the vertical axis (70).

4. Unloading system (12) according to any one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the at least one controllable actuator (24, 26, 28, 46, 48, 50) of each boom arm manipulator (16, 38) is formed by an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic actuator.

5. Unloading system (12) according to any one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the electronic control unit (72) comprises at least one programmable logic controller.

6. Unloading system (12) according to any one of the preceding claims,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

each hanger arm manipulator (16, 38) is equipped with a proximity sensor (30, 52), the proximity sensor (30, 52) for sensing the presence of a desired one of the hanger arms (62) within a predetermined distance range.

7. An assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system (10) comprising:

a vehicle carrier (60), the vehicle carrier (60) having four hanger arms (62) for supporting an at least partially assembled vehicle (74) from below, wherein an end (68) of each hanger arm (62) is pivotally articulated about a vertical axis (70) in a lockable manner,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system (10) comprising the automatically operated unloading system (12) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein for each side of the flatbed conveyor system (76), the at least one guide rail (14) is arranged on one side of the flatbed conveyor system (76), and the front hanger arm robot (16) and the rear hanger arm robot (16) are movably arranged on the at least one guide rail (14).

8. The assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system (10) of claim 7,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the ends (68) of the hanger arms (62) are pivotally hinged about a vertical axis (70) in a lockable manner such that the ends (68) are locked at least in a closed position in which they are arranged to support the vehicle (74) from below and in an open position in which there is a lateral clearance on the side of the vehicle (74) closest to the respective hanger arm end (68).

9. A method of operating the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system (10) of claim 7 or 8 for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle (74), the method comprising at least the steps of:

-placing (80) the at least partially assembled vehicle (74) at a predetermined position on a flatbed conveyor system (76),

-transferring (82) the front wall-hanging robot (16) from a home position (36) to a starting position,

-activating (86), triggered by a proximity sensor signal satisfying a predetermined condition with respect to a predetermined threshold and controlled by the electronic control unit (72), the actuator (26, 48) of each crane arm manipulator (16, 38) for unlocking the locking mechanism of one of the crane arm ends (68), and

-activating, controlled by the electronic control unit (72), the actuator (28, 50) of each crane arm manipulator (16, 38) to rotate one of the crane arm ends (68) about the vertical axis (70) from a closed position, in which it is arranged to support the vehicle (74) from below, to an open position, in which there is a lateral clearance on the side of the vehicle (74) closest to the respective crane arm end (68).

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising at least the subsequent steps of:

-lifting (90) the overhead transport vehicle carrier (60) from the vehicle (74),

-transferring (92) the front boom arm manipulator (16) to a home position (36), and

-returning (94) the overhead conveyor vehicle carrier (60) to the location of another at least partially assembled vehicle.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatically operated unloading system for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles from an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier, and to an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier comprising such an automatically operated unloading system. The invention also relates to a method of operating such an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles.

Background

In the field of automotive assembly, it is known to employ different types of assembly line conveyors that can operate at different conveyor speeds, and it is known to transfer vehicles between different assembly line conveyors. In particular, a vehicle with mounted tires with an assembly line carrier is typically transported to another assembly line conveyor, such as a slat assembly line conveyor, a side-mounted assembly line conveyor, or an overhead assembly line conveyor, which may be the last linear conveyor, supporting the vehicle from below the tires of the vehicle.

For example, US 8,230,988B 2 describes an apparatus for transferring vehicles onto a conveyor. The apparatus includes a front wheel supporting device on the lift, which supports and conveys the vehicle by wheels (vertically moving with respect to the conveyor), and is provided with a pair of front and rear wheel supporting arms that are freely opened and closed in a horizontal direction between a closed posture of supporting the front wheels in a predetermined direction with respect to the conveying direction and an open posture of releasing the front wheels to the conveying direction. The apparatus further includes a rear wheel supporting device on the elevator, the rear wheel supporting device being provided with a wheel supporting plate that supports the rear wheel without determining its position in the conveying direction, and whose posture can be switched between a horizontal posture and a front-down inclined posture with respect to the conveying direction. The apparatus includes a posture switching device that changes a wheel support plate of the rear wheel support device to an inclined posture at least when the lifter, which supports the vehicle by the wheel support arms of the front wheel support device in the closed posture and the wheel support plate of the rear wheel support device in the horizontal posture, is at a lowest position to transfer the vehicle onto the conveyor.

It is further known in the art to employ a carrier frame, such as an elevator, including hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from below, e.g., from below the tires, to transfer the vehicle between different assembly line conveyors.

US 2006/0032728 a1 describes an apparatus that automatically lifts a vehicle from a continuously moving first conveyor, such as an overhead or side lift vehicle assembly line conveyor carriage, so that the vehicle can be stabilized for the assembly process or unloaded from the assembly line conveyor. The overhead conveyor system may carry partially completed vehicles by carriers. The carrier may be controlled by an overhead conveyor system and may be engaged and disengaged from the vehicle by control signals. The apparatus generally consists of a lift shuttle that is transported along a rail located below the vehicle assembly transport system and a lift mechanism that extends upwardly from the lift shuttle. The lift mechanism is raised to engage, stabilize and lift the vehicle from the overhead carrier. The elevator can reach various heights to accommodate various process and product requirements. After traveling along the elevator shuttle conveyor, the vertical lift lowers the vehicle to place the vehicle back on the overhead conveyor carriage or on a second conveyor or, for example, a floor-based conveyor, which is then moved to another assembly process or to a temporary area. The shuttle then returns to its original position to repeat the process for the next vehicle.

Furthermore, JP 2008184268A proposes a lifting/conveying device for conveying a vehicle body of a motor vehicle from a ceiling-mounted conveyor to a slat conveyor. The lifting/conveying device includes a pair of right and left lifting bodies, a pair of right and left forward/backward moving bodies supported by the lifting bodies, a front wheel supporting device and a rear wheel supporting device provided at each of the forward/backward moving bodies to be switched between a supporting position of an article to be conveyed and a backward position of the article to be conveyed. The lifting/lowering device further includes a driving device for returning the forward/backward moving body to move backward to the home position in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the slat conveyor, and a member to be engaged provided on each of the forward/backward moving bodies for synchronization. The synchronizing means includes a movable body moving in horizontal and vertical directions, a pair of right and left engaging portions provided to the movable body for synchronization to vertically engage/disengage the synchronized components to be engaged, and a movable body driving means that synchronously moves the movable body a predetermined distance in a conveying direction of the slat conveyor and then moves the movable body back to an original position.

A vehicle body transfer device that suspends and transfers vehicle bodies of each vehicle type is known from US 6,695,126B 2. The apparatus includes a hanger that supports a vehicle body in a suspended state and moves along a conveyance path, and a vehicle body support member that adjusts a support position on the vehicle body in the hanger based on a center of gravity of the vehicle body for each vehicle type. In the hanger, arms are pivotably provided on both right and left sides of the arm support frame. The arm is closed when the vehicle body is supported, and the arm is opened to both right and left sides using the opening/closing mechanism of the hanger when the vehicle body is released. In addition, the arm is locked in a state of holding the vehicle body when closed, and the arm is locked in a state of being vertically movable in the vehicle body when opened, using an opening/closing lock mechanism of the hanger and by means of the lifter.

The hanger includes a center of gravity management plate having a plurality of vehicle body supporting members that support the vehicle body according to the vehicle type of the vehicle body. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be used to transfer vehicle bodies to an overhead conveyor provided in an automotive assembly line for building four-wheeled automobiles. The vehicle body transfer apparatus may include an overhead conveyor for suspending and transferring the vehicle body, and an elevator having a device for adjusting a position of supporting the vehicle body on the vehicle body. The elevator is a repositioning device that repositions the vehicle bodies conveyed by the friction conveyor onto the overhead conveyor. The overhead conveyor supports the vehicle body in the following manner: the center of gravity of the body of each vehicle type and the center of the hanger are substantially aligned (or precisely aligned) with each other so as to suspend the body of each vehicle type in a stable state.

Further, an overhead conveyor is described in US 6,814,219B 2, in which a pair of front hanger arms for loading the bottom of the front portion of a vehicle body and a pair of rear hanger arms for loading the bottom of the rear portion of the vehicle body are arranged at a hanger body that moves along with a running rail built in a ceiling. A pair of front hanger arms and a pair of rear hanger arms are movably attached to the hanger body. The hanger arm body has an engagement groove for engaging a pair of movably attached hanger arms at each engagement position of the vehicle body by each engagement rod having an actuator to control the engagement and disengagement movement of the engagement rods.

Various types of sensors may be arranged on the overhead conveyor, such as a sensor that detects a stop position of each hanger body, a sensor that detects a movement position of the engagement lever or the rear hanger arm in each engagement slot of the hanger body, and a sensor that detects whether the engagement lever can be engaged with or disengaged from each engagement slot at the movement position. Further, the overhead conveyor may be equipped with a sensor that detects whether the engagement lever is engaged to the engagement groove, a sensor that detects whether each of the vehicle body support members supports the vehicle body, and/or a sensor that detects whether each of the rotating arms is open at the output position of the vehicle body.

The hanger arm of the carrier may be closed when supporting the vehicle body, and may be opened using an opening/closing mechanism of the hanger when releasing the vehicle body. Such a mechanism may require a considerable operating space, especially at the side, as well as the drive of the mechanism, the corresponding cable or pressure hose connection and the mechanism itself may become expensive, heavy and also have to be carried with the vehicle. On the other hand, the manual operation of such an opening/closing mechanism of the spreader is labor-intensive and may have a certain risk of injury.

In view of the prior art, the area of transfer of vehicles between different assembly line conveyors still provides room for improvement.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatically operated unloading system for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles from assembly line conveyor vehicle carriers that requires as little lateral operating space as possible and omits the carrier vehicle release mechanism driver. It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembly line conveyor vehicle carrier system with an automatic unloading handling feature wherein the carrier vehicle release mechanism driver is eliminated and minimal lateral handling space is required during unloading.

In one aspect of the invention, this object is achieved by an automatically operated unloading system for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles from assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carriers having the features of claim 1. The object is also achieved by an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier having the features of claim 7. The object is also achieved by a method for operating such an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle according to claim 9. Further, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

It should be noted that the features and measures listed individually in the following description can be combined with one another in any technically meaningful way and show further embodiments of the invention. The specification particularly refers to and describes the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In one aspect of the invention, an automatically operated unloading system for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles from assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carriers is provided. The vehicle carrier comprises four hanger arms for supporting the vehicle from below, and the ends of the hanger arms are pivotally articulated about a vertical axis in a lockable manner.

The unloading system includes at least one rail, a front hanger arm robot and a rear hanger arm robot for each side of the flat bed conveyor system. At least one guide rail may be arranged parallel to the conveying direction on one side of the flat conveyor system. The front and rear hanger arm manipulators are movably arranged on the at least one rail.

The unloading system further comprises a controllable drive unit for moving the manipulator along the guide rail, and an electronic control unit. Here, each boom arm manipulator is equipped with at least one controllable actuator, and the electronic control unit is at least configured to control the actuators and to control the drive unit.

One advantage of the unloading system according to the invention is that it can be used with assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carriers that require as little lateral operating space as possible to free the carried at least partially assembled vehicles. Another advantage of the unloading system is that the drive for the opening/closing mechanism of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier can be omitted, as well as the corresponding cable or pressure hose connections that have to be carried by the overhead conveyor vehicle carrier. Furthermore, the ends of the hanger arms of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier can be quickly and reliably transferred between a closed position, in which they are arranged to support the vehicle from below, and an open position, in which there is a lateral gap on the side of the vehicle closest to the respective hanger arm end.

In particular, the invention can be advantageously applied in the automotive field. The term "car" as used in this application should be understood in particular to apply to vehicles including passenger cars, transport cars, trucks and buses.

In a preferred embodiment of the unloading system, the at least one controllable actuator of each hanger arm manipulator is configured to linearly push or pull the locking mechanism of one of the hanger arm ends by controlling. In this way, the ends of the hanger arms can be unlocked from the closed position in a constructionally simple and reliable manner, requiring little hardware effort.

In a preferred embodiment of the unloading system, the at least one controllable actuator of each boom arm manipulator is alternatively or additionally configured by control to rotate one of the boom arm ends about a vertical axis.

The phrase "configured to" in the sense of the present invention is to be understood as being particularly programmed, arranged, configured or arranged.

In this way, the ends of the boom arms can be rotated from the closed position to the open position in a constructionally simple and reliable manner, requiring little hardware effort.

The at least one controllable actuator configured to rotate one of the hanger arm ends may be configured to directly rotate one of the hanger arm ends. The at least one controllable actuator may alternatively be operatively connected to a gear unit, which in turn may be operatively connected to the hanger arm entirely such that movement of the at least one controllable actuator is converted into rotational movement of the end of the hanger arm.

Preferably, the at least one controllable actuator of each boom arm manipulator is formed by an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic actuator. In this way, a wide range of applications with different requirements and/or different available facilities may be covered.

In a preferred embodiment of the unloading system, the electronic control unit comprises at least one Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). At least one PLC may allow for rapid modification of the control steps, if desired. PLCs are also known for being able to withstand harsh environments in terms of temperature and humidity, such as those found in factory environments.

Preferably, each hanger arm manipulator is equipped with a proximity sensor for sensing the presence of a desired one of the hanger arms within a predetermined distance range. In this manner, each hanger arm robot may be automatically guided by the drive unit to the position of one of the hanger arm ends whenever an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier places an at least partially assembled vehicle at a predetermined position within a predetermined distance range of the flat conveyor system. In this way, the desired handling of the end of the boom arm as described above can be performed in a reliable manner by the boom arm manipulator.

The proximity sensor may be formed by, but is not limited to, a capacitive sensor with a suitable read range, an inductive sensor, or an RFID (radio frequency identification) reading device configured to read an RFID tag attached to one of the hanger arms. The proximity sensors of the boom arm manipulator may be of the same design, but they may also be based on different operating principles.

In another aspect of the invention, an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system is provided. An assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system includes a vehicle carrier having four hanger arms for supporting an at least partially assembled vehicle from below. The ends of each hanger arm are pivotally articulated about a vertical axis in a lockable manner. Further, an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system includes an automatically operated unloading system according to the present invention as disclosed herein. For each side of the planar conveyor system, at least one guide rail is arranged on one side of the planar conveyor system, and a front hanger arm manipulator and a rear hanger arm manipulator are movably arranged on the at least one guide rail.

The advantages described in advance in connection with the automatically operated unloading system apply to all degrees to the proposed assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier.

In a preferred embodiment of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier, the ends of the hanger arms are pivotally hinged in a lockable manner about a vertical axis such that the ends are locked at least in a closed position, in which they are arranged to support the vehicle from below, and in an open position, in which there is a lateral clearance on the side of the vehicle closest to the end of the respective hanger arm.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of operating the proposed assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier for unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle is provided.

The method at least comprises the following steps:

-placing the at least partially assembled vehicle at a predetermined position on a flat conveyor system,

-transferring the front boom arm manipulator from a home position to a starting position,

-activating the actuator of each crane arm manipulator for unlocking the locking mechanism of one of the crane arm ends, triggered by a proximity sensor signal satisfying a predetermined condition with respect to a predetermined threshold and controlled by the electronic control unit, and

-activating, controlled by the electronic control unit, the actuator of each boom arm manipulator to rotate one of the boom arm ends about a vertical axis from a closed position, in which it is arranged to support the vehicle from below, to an open position, in which there is a lateral clearance on the side of the vehicle closest to the respective boom arm end.

The advantages described in advance in connection with the automatically operated unloading system apply to the proposed method of operating an assembly-line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier according to the invention for completely unloading an at least partially assembled vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the following subsequent steps:

-lifting the overhead conveyor vehicle carrier,

-transferring the front boom arm manipulator to the home position, and

-returning the overhead conveyor vehicle carrier to the position of the other at least partially assembled vehicle.

By closing the loop through these steps, the method can be performed again.

Drawings

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to one or more embodiments described hereinafter and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in a high perspective side view, an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system according to the present invention in a post-vehicle unloading condition;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system according to FIG. 1 in a position to place the vehicle onto a flat bed conveyor system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a front hanger arm robot of the automatically operated unloading system according to FIG. 1 at the beginning of the unloading process;

figure 4 is a schematic front view of the boom arm manipulator according to figure 3 at the end of the unloading process;

figure 5 is a more detailed perspective view of the front boom arm manipulator according to figures 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a rear hanger arm robot of the automatically operated unloading system according to FIG. 1 at the beginning of an unloading process;

figure 7 is a schematic front view of the rear boom arm manipulator according to figure 6 at the end of the unloading process;

figure 8 is a more detailed perspective view of the rear hanger arm robot according to figures 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a method of operating an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system for unloading at least partially assembled vehicles according to FIG. 1.

Detailed Description

In the different figures, identical components are always denoted by the same reference numerals and are therefore generally described only once.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 according to the present invention in a high perspective side view after unloading of a partially assembled vehicle 74.

The assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 is used to transfer vehicles from an overhead conveyor of a chassis production line to a flat conveyor system 76 of a final production line, the flat conveyor system 76 comprising, for example, a slat conveyor. The vehicle comes from a chassis production line assembled with tires.

The assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 includes a vehicle carrier 60 having four hanger arms 62, the hanger arms 62 rigidly extending downwardly from the ends of two spaced apart longitudinal beams 64, the longitudinal beams 64 being connected by three spaced apart transverse beams 66. The longitudinal beams 64 are aligned in the conveying direction 78 of the slat conveyor and are designed with telescoping ends for accommodating different vehicle lengths.

The four hanger arms 62 are designed to support the partially assembled vehicle 74 from below its chassis. The end 68 of each hanger arm 62 is pivotally articulated about a vertical axis 70 in a lockable manner to ensure safe transport of the vehicle 74.

The ends 68 of the hanger arms 62 are locked in a closed position in which they are arranged to support the vehicle 74 from below and in an open position in which there is a lateral clearance on the side of the partially assembled vehicle 74 closest to the respective hanger arm end 68. The locking mechanism may comprise a spring loaded lock having two locking positions, one in the closed position and one in the open position. Such locking mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art and need not be discussed in further detail. In fig. 1, the ends 68 of the hanger arms 62 are shown in the open position.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 according to FIG. 1 in a position to place a vehicle 74 onto a flat bed conveyor system 76. Here, the ends 68 of the front hanger arms 62 are locked in the open position, while the ends 68 of the rear hanger arms 62 are still locked in the closed position.

The assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 also includes an automatically operated unloading system 12 (fig. 1). The automatically operated unloading system 12 is used to automatically unload a partially assembled vehicle 74 from the vehicle carrier 60.

For each side of the flat bed conveyor system 76, the unloading system 12 includes a rail 14 (fig. 3), a front hanger arm robot 16 and a rear hanger arm robot 38 movably disposed on the rail 14, the rail 14 being disposed along one side of the flat bed conveyor system 76 and parallel to the conveying direction 78.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic front view of one of the front hanger arm manipulators 16 of the automatically operated unloading system 12 according to fig. 1 at the beginning of the unloading process. A more detailed perspective view of the front hanger arm robot 16 is given in figure 5.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic front view of one of the rear suspension arm manipulators 38 of the automatically operated unloading system 12 according to fig. 1 at the beginning of the unloading process. A more detailed perspective view of the rear suspension arm manipulator 38 is given in fig. 8.

The front hanger arm manipulators 16 on both sides of the flat bed conveyor system 76 are in mirror symmetry with each other, as are the rear hanger arm manipulators 38 on both sides. Therefore, it is sufficient to describe only the front hanger arm robot 16 and the rear hanger arm robot 38 on one side.

In order to move the front and rear boom arm manipulators 16, 38 along the rail 14, the unloading system 12 is equipped with a controllable drive unit (not shown). The controllable drive unit may comprise an electric motor operatively coupled to the gear unit and a control interface.

Furthermore, the unloading system 12 comprises an electronic control unit 72 (fig. 1), the electronic control unit 72 being configured for controlling the drive unit via a control interface. Appropriate interface cables or wireless connections (not shown) are provided. The electronic control unit 72 may comprise a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), but other electronic control units are also contemplated.

Referring now to fig. 5 and 8, the front and rear hanger arm manipulators 16, 38 each have a body 18, 40 made of aluminium structural section, which makes the hanger arm manipulators 16, 38 of a cost-effective and stable design.

Each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 is equipped with a plurality of controllable pneumatic actuators configured to be controlled by an electronic control unit 72. The main body 18, 40 of the hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 includes a horizontal portion 20, 42 and a vertical portion 22, 44. In the operating state, the horizontal portions 20, 42 extend horizontally in an aligned transverse direction perpendicular to the conveying direction 78. The vertical section 22, 44 is slidably arranged on top of the horizontal section 20, 42 to be moved back and forth in a lateral direction by one pneumatic actuator 24, 46 of a plurality of controllable pneumatic actuators 24, 26, 28, 46, 50 designed as linear piston actuators.

The other controllable pneumatic actuator 26, 48 (push actuator) of each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 is designed as a linear pneumatic piston actuator and is configured to push linearly a spring-loaded locking mechanism of one of the hanger arm ends 68 for release by control.

The other controllable rotary pneumatic actuator 28, 50 (rotary actuator) of each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 is configured to rotate one of the hanger arm ends 68 about a vertical axis 70 by control. The rotary actuator may be designed as a powered clamp unit comprising a pneumatic cylinder which activates the rotary movement of the clamp arm via a toggle link. Such power tong units are readily available on the market.

Further, each hanger arm robot 16, 38 is equipped with a proximity sensor 30, 52 for sensing the presence of an intended one of the hanger arms 68 within a predetermined distance range if the partially assembled vehicle 74 is dropped onto the flatbed conveyor system 76. In this particular embodiment, the proximity sensors 30, 52 are formed from magnetic sensors, however, in other embodiments, different types of proximity sensors suitable to those skilled in the art may be employed.

Each front boom arm manipulator 16 comprises two further proximity sensors and each rear boom arm manipulator 38 comprises one further proximity sensor designed as a roller-type proximity sensor 32, 34, 54, each roller-type proximity sensor 32, 34, 54 comprising a roller hingedly connected to the vertical part 22, 44 and operatively connected to the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder. The pneumatic cylinder is equipped with a switching device configured to change its switching state upon sensing a predetermined piston rod position. The drum-type proximity sensors 32, 34, 54 are used to automatically position the respective hanger arm manipulators 16, 38, respectively, relative to the respective hanger arms 62 of the vehicle carrier 60 in the conveying direction 78 and/or in a lateral direction (i.e., in a horizontal direction aligned perpendicular to the conveying direction 78). For this purpose, data lines (not shown) are provided between all proximity sensors 32, 34, 54 and the electronic control unit 72.

In the following, a possible embodiment of a method of operating the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10 according to fig. 1 to unload partially assembled vehicles 74 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 8. A flow chart of the method is provided in fig. 9. In preparation for operation of the assembly line overhead conveyor vehicle carrier system 10, it should be understood that all of the units and devices involved are in operation. The front boom arm robot 16 is located at the home position 36 and the rear boom arm robot 38 is located at the home position 58 on one side of the flat bed conveyor system 76 (fig. 1).

In one step 80 of the method, the partially assembled vehicle 74 is placed at a predetermined location on the flat bed conveyor system 76. In another step 82, the front hanger arm robot 16 is transferred from the home position 36 to the home position. Using the signals from the drum-type proximity sensors 32, 34, 54, each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 is automatically positioned by the drive unit in a next step 84 and controlled by the electronic control unit 72 to the respective desired position of the respective hanger arm 62 relative to the vehicle carrier 60 (fig. 3 and 6, respectively).

Triggered by a proximity sensor signal satisfying a predetermined condition with respect to a predetermined threshold and controlled by the electronic control unit 72, the push actuators 26, 48 of each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 are activated to unlock the spring-loaded locking mechanism of one of the hanger arm ends 68 in a further step 86 of the method. By the proximity sensor signal satisfying a predetermined condition, it can be ensured that the spring-loaded locking mechanism can be unlocked by movement of the push-type actuator 26, 48.

In a further step 88 of the method, the rotary actuators 28, 50 of each hanger arm manipulator 16, 38 are activated under control of the electronic control unit 72 to rotate the respective hanger arm end 68 from the closed position about the vertical axis 70 to the open position, in which the spring-loaded locking mechanism is again engaged (fig. 4 and 7, respectively).

With the ends 68 of the hanger arms 62 in the open position, there is a lateral clearance between all hanger arm ends 68 and the vehicle 74 (fig. 1). The overhead transport vehicle carrier 60 is then lifted from the vehicle 74 in another step 90. In a further step 92, the front hanger arm manipulators 16 are transferred back to their respective home positions 36. To complete the cycle, the overhead transport vehicle carrier 60 is returned to the location of another partially assembled vehicle in the chassis production line in a final step 94.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

List of reference numerals

10 overhead conveyer vehicle bearing frame system of assembly line

12 automated unloading system

14 guide rail

Manipulator with 16 front suspension arm

18 main body

20 horizontal part

22 vertical part

24 actuator

26 push type actuator

28 Rotary actuator

30 proximity sensor

32-roller type proximity sensor

34 Drum-type proximity sensor

36 home position

38 back crane arm manipulator

40 main body

42 horizontal part

44 vertical part

46 actuator

48 push type actuator

50 rotary actuator

52 proximity sensor

54 drum type proximity sensor

58 starting position

60 vehicle carrier

62 hanger arm

64 longitudinal beam

66 crossbeam

68 hanger arm end

70 vertical axis

72 electronic control unit

74 vehicle

76 plane type conveying system

78 conveying direction

The method comprises the following steps:

80 placing the partially assembled vehicle at a predetermined location on a flat conveyor system

82 transfer the front boom arm robot from home position to home position

84 use proximity sensor signals to automatically position the boom arm manipulator relative to the corresponding boom

86 activating the push-type actuator of each hanger arm manipulator to unlock the hanger arm end

88 activate the rotary actuator of each hanger arm manipulator to rotate the hanger arm end to the open position

90 lifting overhead conveyor vehicle carrier from vehicle

92 transfer front boom arm robot to home position

94 returning overhead conveyor vehicle carriers to chassis production line