IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,878,475
Granted Patent B2
US 11,878,475 · App. 17/964,174 · Granted Jan 23, 2024

Agile robotic headlamp assembly with sonic fastening and injected lens adhesive

Inventors: Alan George Dry (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI); David A. Brown (Plymouth, MI); Robert William Miller (Inkster, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B29C65/72B23K20/10B23P19/04B23P21/002B25J11/005B25J15/008B29C65/08B29C65/52B29C65/7858B29C66/742B23K33/008B23K37/0461B23P21/004B23P21/006B23P2700/50B29C65/542B29C65/606B29C65/645Y10T29/4997Y10T29/49829Y10T29/49831Y10T29/49895Y10T29/49901Y10T29/49904Y10T29/49968Y10T29/5337Y10T29/53417Y10T29/53435
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,878,475
App. No.
17/964,174
Granted
Jan 23, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly is provided. The system includes an assembling robot and an adhesive dispensing robot. The assembling robot is configured to attach a first sub-assembly to a second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly includes at least one of the plurality of components, and the second sub-assembly includes remaining ones of the plurality of components. The adhesive dispensing robot is configured to apply an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, after the first sub-assembly is attached to the second sub-assembly, to bond the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly.

Claims (29)

1. A system for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly, comprising:

a first transfer robot for assembling some of the plurality of components into a first sub-assembly in a cell;

a second transfer robot for assembling remaining ones of the plurality of components into a second sub-assembly in the cell when the first transfer robot assembled the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly in the cell;

an assembling robot for attaching the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly; and

an adhesive dispensing robot configured to apply an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly in the cell, after the first sub-assembly is attached to the second sub-assembly, to bond the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first transfer robot is configured to assemble the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly at a first site in the cell, and the second transfer robot is configured to assemble the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly at a second site in the cell.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot respectively transfer the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly from the first site and the second site to an installation site in the cell.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first site and the second site includes a tilting table.

5. The system according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a first welding robot and a second welding robot, wherein the first welding robot is configured to weld the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly and the second welding robot is configured to weld the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly.

6. The system according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one of a first welding robot and a second welding robot, wherein the first welding robot is configured to sonically weld the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly and the second welding robot is configured to sonically weld the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first sub-assembly is a carrier assembly including a peripheral trench, and the second sub-assembly is a lens assembly including a peripheral rib.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the adhesive dispensing robot is configured to inject the adhesive into the peripheral trench after the peripheral rib is inserted into the peripheral trench.

9. A method for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly, comprising:

assembling some of the plurality of components into a first subassembly in a cell, and assembling remaining ones of the second sub-assembly into a second subassembly in the cell when the some of the plurality of components are assembled into the first subassembly;

attaching, by an assembling robot, the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly in the cell; and

applying, by an adhesive dispensing robot, an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly in the cell, after the first sub-assembly is attached to the second sub-assembly, to bond the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising assembling, by a first transfer robot, the some of the plurality of components into the first sub-assembly when the remaining ones of the plurality of components are assembled, by the second transfer robot, into the second sub-assembly in the cell.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising welding the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly.

12. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising inserting a rib of the second sub-assembly into a trench of the first sub-assembly.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising injecting the adhesive into the trench after the rib of the second sub-assembly is inserted into the trench of the first sub-assembly.

14. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising assembling the remaining ones of the plurality of components into the second sub-assembly by sonic welding.

15. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising sonically welding the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly by a welding robot.

16. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising assembling the first sub-assembly by a first robot at a first tilting table and assembling the second sub-assembly at a second robot at a second titling table.

17. A method for assembling a plurality of components into an assembly, comprising:

preparing a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly, wherein the first sub-assembly includes at least one of the plurality of components, and the second sub-assembly includes remaining ones of the plurality of components;

transferring the first sub-assembly by a first transfer robot to an installation table and transferring the second sub-assembly by a second transfer robot to the installation table; attaching, by an assembling robot, the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly; and

applying, by an adhesive dispensing robot, an adhesive between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly, after the first sub-assembly is attached to the second sub-assembly, to bond the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising attaching the first sub-assembly to the second sub-assembly on the installation table.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the adhesive is applied between the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly after the first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly are transferred to the installation table.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2022
From: DRY, ALAN GEORGE; BROWN, DAVID A.; MILLER, ROBERT WILLIAM
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 061458/0823 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17039598 · Sep 30, 2020
Related Publication 20230029487A1 · Feb 2, 2023