DESC:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of automobile assembly lines.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
Generally, a chassis frame is loaded on a slat conveyor by an EMS hanger chain type hoist system from a height of 4m, having a tolerance of +/-20mm relative to center. Thereafter, body-in-white (BIW) components are mounted on the chassis frame. However, a mismatch may be generated between the BIW mountings and the chassis mountings due to inaccurate loading of the chassis frame. As a result, the operator requires a significant effort for alignment of the chassis assembly. Further, since the distance between the outer sides of the wheels mounted on the chassis frame is less than the distance between the ends of the slat conveyor of 1777 mm, at least a gap of 20mm is created in between the tire resting on the extreme ends of the slat, thereby causing the wheel to lie outside the slat conveyor. As a result, chances of damage of wheel rim surface & vehicle toppling from slat conveyor increases.
There is therefore, felt a need for a system for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor that alleviates the drawbacks of conventional centering methods.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure are described herein below:
One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that accurately centers the vehicle chassis frame before loading BIW components on the chassis frame.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that requires less of an operator’s time and efforts.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a system for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor. The vehicle chassis has a vehicle identifier attached thereon to facilitate identification of the vehicle model type of the chassis. The system comprises a plurality of movable wheel alignment fixtures and an encoding unit. The fixtures are disposed on either sides of the slat conveyor in a spaced apart configuration. The encoding unit is coupled to the fixtures. The encoding unit is configured to scan the identifier to identify the vehicle model type and determine the centering distance up to which the wheels should be displaced to align the central axis of the chassis on the central axis of the slat conveyor. The encoding unit is further configured to generate a processed signal based on the determined centering distance. The processed signal is transmitted to the fixture to facilitate displacement of the wheels on the slat conveyor for aligning the central axis of the chassis along the central axis of the slat conveyor.
The encoding unit includes an encoder, a repository, a crawler and extractor, and a processor. The encoder is configured to decode the vehicle identifier and identify the vehicle model type of the chassis. The encoder is further configured to generate an identification signal based on the vehicle model type of the chassis. The repository is configured to store a look up table having a list of vehicle identifiers and a centering distance corresponding to each vehicle identifier. The crawler and extractor is configured to cooperate with the encoder and the repository. The crawler and extractor is configured to receive the identification signal. The crawler and extractor is further configured to crawl through the look up table and extract the centering distance corresponding to the vehicle model type on receiving the identification signal. The processor is configured to cooperate with the crawler and extractor to receive the extracted centering distance. The processor is further configured to generate the processed signal based on centering distance.
In an embodiment, the fixtures include at least one actuator coupled to the encoding unit to receive the processed signal. The actuator is configured to enable displacement of the wheels on the slat conveyor based on the processed signal.
In another embodiment, the actuator is a rack and pinion actuator.
In yet another embodiment the fixture is a plate fixture having a pad attached thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A system, of the present disclosure, for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of the system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a zoom in view of a fixture and an encoding unit, of the system of Figure 1; and
Figure 3 illustrates a block diagram depicting the working of the fixture and the encoding unit, of the system of Figure 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
100 – System
102 – Slat conveyor
103 – Encoding unit
104 – Fixture
104A – Pad
105 – Front wheels
105’ – Rear wheels
110 – Repository
115 – Crawler and extractor
118 – Processor
120 – Encoder
125 – Guide track
130 – Actuator
140 – Prime mover
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms "a,” "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements, modules, units and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element is referred to as being "mounted on," “engaged to,” "connected to," or "coupled to" another element, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.
Terms such as “inner,” “outer,” "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used in the present disclosure to describe relationships between different elements as depicted from the figures.
During mounting of various BIW components on the chassis frame, it is necessary that the chassis frame should be mounted on a slat conveyor (102) such that the BIW components are located on the chassis frame within the tolerance limits.
A system (100), of the present disclosure, for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor (102) will now be described with reference to Figure 1 through Figure 3.
The vehicle chassis is configured with a vehicle identifier attached thereon. The vehicle identifier facilitates identification of the vehicle model type of the chassis. The vehicle identifier is configured to represent vehicle model type of the chassis in a visual, machine-readable form. In an embodiment, the vehicle identifier is selected from the group, but not limited to, a two dimensional barcode, a three dimensional barcode, a numeric only barcode, a Universal Product Codes (UPC), a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.
The system (100) comprises a plurality of movable wheel alignment fixtures (104) and an encoding unit (103). The fixtures (104) are disposed on either sides of the slat conveyor (102) in a spaced apart configuration. More specifically, the fixtures (104) are disposed on either edges of the slat conveyor (102). Further, adjacent fixtures (104) are spaced apart from each other with a distance corresponding to the distance between the front wheels (105) and the rear wheels (105’) of the chassis. The encoding unit (103) is coupled to the fixtures (104). The encoding unit (103) is configured to scan the vehicle identifier to identify the vehicle model type. Based on the vehicle model type, the encoding unit (103) determines the centering distance up to which the wheels (105, 105’) should be displaced to align the central axis of the chassis on the central axis of the slat conveyor (102). The encoding unit (103) is further configured to generate a processed signal based on the determined centering distance. The processed signal is transmitted to the fixture (104) to facilitate displacement of the wheels (105, 105’) on the slat conveyor (102) for aligning the central axis of the chassis along the central axis of the slat conveyor (102).
The encoding unit (103) includes an encoder (120), a repository (110), a crawler and extractor (115) and a processor (118). The encoder (120) is configured to decode the vehicle identifier and identify the vehicle model type of the chassis. The encoder (120) is further configured to generate an identification signal based on the vehicle model type of the chassis. The repository (110) is configured to store a look up table having a list of vehicle identifiers and a centering distance corresponding to each vehicle identifier. The crawler and extractor (115) is configured to cooperate with the encoder (120) and the repository (110). The crawler and extractor (115) is configured to receive the identification signal, and is further configured to crawl through the look up table and extract the centering distance corresponding to the vehicle model type on receiving the identification signal. The processor (118) is configured to cooperate with the crawler and extractor (115) to receive the extracted centering distance. The processor (118) is further configured to generate the processed signal based on centering distance.
In an embodiment, the slat conveyor (102) includes a guide rail (125) that facilitates mounting of the encoder (120) thereon.
The fixtures (104) include at least one actuator (130) coupled to the encoding unit (103) to receive the processed signal. The actuator (130) is configured to enable displacement of the wheels (105, 105’) on the slat conveyor (102) based on the processed signal. More specifically, the actuator (130) causes the fixtures (104) to push the wheels (105, 105’) to the determined distance in a controlled manner.
In an embodiment, the actuator (130) is a rack and pinion actuator (130). The actuator (130) is configured to be driven by a prime mover (140) such as a motor.
In a system (100), the fixture (104) is a plate fixture (104) having a pad (104A) attached thereon. The fixture (104) ensures that the wheels (105, 105’) are pushed effortlessly without causing any damage to the wheels (105, 105’).
In an embodiment, the actuator (130) causes the fixture (104) to displace the wheels (105, 105’) up to a tolerance limit of 4 mm, which eliminates the chances of the wheels (105, 105’) lying beyond the limits of the slat conveyor (102). As a result, chances of damage caused to wheel rim surface and vehicle toppling is also prevented. Further, the automated centering of the fixture (104) reduces the time required for locating BIW components on the chassis frame.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of an system for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor, that:
• accurately centers the vehicle chassis frame before loading BIW components on the chassis frame; and
• requires less of an operator’s time and efforts.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element or group of elements, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of apparatus, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.
,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. An system (100) for automated centering of a vehicle chassis on a slat conveyor (102), said vehicle chassis having a vehicle identifier attached thereon to facilitate identification of the vehicle model type of said chassis, said system (100) comprising:
• a plurality of movable wheel alignment fixtures (104) disposed on either sides of said slat conveyor (102) in a spaced apart configuration; and
• an encoding unit (103) coupled to said fixtures (104), said encoding unit (103) configured to scan said identifier to identify the vehicle model type and determine the centering distance up to which said wheels (105, 105’) should be displaced to align the central axis of said chassis on the central axis of said slat conveyor (102), said encoding unit (103) further configured to generate a processed signal based on the determined centering distance;
wherein said processed signal is transmitted to said fixture (104) to facilitate displacement of said wheels (105, 105’) on said slat conveyor (102) for aligning the central axis of the chassis along the central axis of said slat conveyor (102).
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said encoding unit (103) includes:
o an encoder (120) configured to decode the vehicle identifier and identify the vehicle model type of the chassis, and further configured to generate an identification signal based on the vehicle model type of the chassis;
o a repository (110) configured to store a look up table having a list of vehicle identifiers and a centering distance corresponding to each vehicle identifier;
o a crawler and extractor (115) configured to cooperate with said encoder (120) and said repository (110), said crawler and extractor (115) configured to receive said identification signal, and further configured to crawl through said look up table and extract said centering distance corresponding to said vehicle model type on receiving said identification signal; and
o a processor (118) configured to cooperate with said crawler and extractor (115) to receive said extracted centering distance, and further configured to generate said processed signal based on centering distance.
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixtures (104) include at least one actuator (130) coupled to said encoding unit (103) to receive said processed signal, said actuator (130) configured to enable displacement of said wheels (105, 105’) on said slat conveyor (102) based on said processed signal.
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said actuator (130) is a rack and pinion actuator (130).
The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixture (104) is a plate fixture (104) having a pad attached thereon.