US 12,226,863 B2
System and a method for locating a workpiece-holder frame in position in a processing or assembling station of a production plant
Daniele Tomasi, Grugliasco (IT); Daniele Ruffino, Grugliasco (IT); and Tiziano Bertolo, Grugliasco (IT)
Assigned to Comau S.p.A., Grugliasco (IT)
Appl. No. 18/283,146
Filed by Comau S.p.A., Grugliasco (IT)
PCT Filed Mar. 30, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/052923
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 20, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/208372, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 102021000008147 (IT), filed on Apr. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0165754 A1, May 23, 2024
Int. Cl. B23P 21/00 (2006.01); B62D 65/18 (2006.01)
CPC B23P 21/004 (2013.01) [B62D 65/18 (2013.01); B23P 2700/50 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for locating a workpiece supporting frame in position in a processing or assembling station of a production plant, comprising:
the processing or assembling station defining a working area; stationary support structures on both sides of the working area;
a carriage, configured to carry a workpiece-holder frame along a line inside the working area, the workpiece-holder frame is
configured to support a workpiece in a predetermined position with respect to the workpiece-holder frame,
wherein said stationary support structures futher comprise at least three vertically-movable ball supports spaced apart from each other and positioned and configured to engage and lift the workpiece-holder frame when the carriage is stationary in the working area, so as to move the workpiece-holder frame away from the carriage and position the workpiece-holder frame at a predetermined vertical height,
wherein two of the at least three ball supports are arranged on opposite sides of the working area and each ball support including a ball which is freely rotatable in any direction around its respective center,
wherein the workpiece-holder frame has further comprises a plurality of flat lower engagement surfaces, positioned and configured to be respectively engaged by said ball supports, in such a way that when the workpiece-holder frame is raised to said predeterimined vertical height, the workpiece-holder frame can float in any horizontal direction above the balls of said ball supports, and
wherein at least two of said stationary support structures further comprise an auxiliary centering member which are vertically movable and spaced apart from each other, said auxiliary centering members being configured to cooperate with engagement elements projecting downwardly from the workpiece-holder frame, in such a way as to locate in position the workpiece-holder frame along two horizontal directions (X, Y) orthogonal to each other and with respect to rotations in a horizontal plane;
said system further comprising:
actuator devices configured to control the vertical movement of said ball supports and of said auxiliary centering members independently of each other; and
an electronic controller programmed and configured to control said actuator devices in such a way that when the carriage has brought the workpiece-holder frame into the working area, the ball supports are raised, engaging the workpiece-holder frame and lifting it up to the predetermined vertical height, while the auxiliary centering members are simultaneously raised, so as to only partially engage the cooperating engagement elements when the workpiece-holder frame reaches the predetermined vertical height, said auxiliary centering members then continuing their upward movement, until fully engaging the corresponding engagement elements of the workpiece-holder frame, so as to locate the workpiece-holder frame in position in the said two horizontal directions (X, Y) and with respect to rotations in the horizontal plane, wherein the workpiece-holder frame can float in any horizontal direction above the balls of said ball supports.