IP Library Granted Patent US 9,604,326
Granted Patent B2
US 9,604,326 · App. 13/920,527 · Granted Mar 28, 2017

Autonomous device employed in a system for facilitating the assembly of a product

Inventor: Lino De Martin (Croisy sur Andelle, FR)
Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
B23P19/00G05B19/41805G05B2219/31027G05B2219/31046Y02P90/04Y02P90/14Y02P90/20Y02P90/265Y10T29/53039
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,604,326
App. No.
13/920,527
Granted
Mar 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a device (D 2 ) employed in a system for facilitating the assembly of a product, said assembly being carried out by following one or more assembly sequences, an assembly sequence comprising several successive assembly steps graded by execution ranks, said device comprising: a presence sensor (C 2 ), at least one signalling member (V 2 ), a sequencer (SQ 2 ) connected to the presence sensor (C 2 ) and to the signalling member (V 2 ), said sequencer comprising a microcontroller designed to manage said assembly sequence. The invention also relates to a system for facilitating the assembly of a product comprising several devices (D 2 ) connected together via a communication line.

Claims (41)

1. A device employed in a system for facilitating assembly of a product, the assembly being carried out by following at least one assembly sequence, an assembly sequence comprising several successive assembly steps graded by execution ranks, the device being associated with a single parts storage bin employed for one or more assembly steps for the product, the device comprising:

a presence sensor;

at least one signalling member;

a sequencer connected to the presence sensor and to the signalling member, the sequencer comprising a microcontroller configured to manage the assembly sequence;

a communication interface configured to exchange messages on a communication line; and

a detector configured to detect passage to a learning phase, wherein

the sequencer is configured to manage one or more of the assembly steps associated with the sequencer, without managing other assembly steps that are not associated with the sequencer, by storing and marking a rank of an assembly step associated with the sequencer,

the sequencer is configured to dispatch a control signal to the signalling member when the marked rank is reached,

the sequencer is configured to receive a detection signal originating from the presence sensor,

the sequencer is configured to dispatch a message on the communication line, representative of an end of the assembly step corresponding to the marked rank, and

the sequencer is configured to dispatch, during the learning phase, a message on the communication line to an other device of the system indicating that the other device is not relevant to the one or more assembly steps associated with the sequencer.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a casing housing the presence sensor, the at least one signalling member, the sequencer, and the communication interface.

3. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising an electrical power supply module.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical power supply module is housed in the casing.

5. The device according to claim 2 , further comprising a second signalling member configured to signal pick-up errors.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the second signalling member is housed in the casing.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector is a polarity detector connected to the sequencer.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the polarity detector is housed in a casing.

9. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a device configured to end the learning phase by shutting off a power supply.

10. A system for facilitating assembly of a product, the system comprising:

a communication line; and

a first device and at least one second device, each device being associated with a single parts storage bin employed for one or more assembly steps for the product, each device including

a presence sensor,

at least one signalling member,

a sequencer connected to the presence sensor and to the signalling member, the sequencer comprising a microcontroller configured to manage the assembly sequence, and

a communication interface configured to exchange messages on the communication, wherein

the sequencer is configured to manage one or more of the assembly steps associated with the sequencer, without managing other assembly steps that are not associated with the sequencer, by storing and marking a rank of an assembly step associated with the sequencer,

the sequencer is configured to dispatch a control signal to the signalling member when the marked rank is reached,

the sequencer is configured to receive a detection signal originating from the presence sensor, and

the sequencer is configured to dispatch a message on the communication line, representative of an end of the assembly step corresponding to the marked rank, wherein

the first device is connected to the second device via the communication line,

the sequencer of the first device is configured to mark a first rank of a first assembly step of the assembly sequence, and the sequencer of the second device is configured to mark a second rank of a second assembly step of the assembly sequence,

the first device includes a detector configured to detect passage to a learning phase, and

the sequencer of the first device is configured to dispatch, during the learning phase, a message on the communication line to the second device indicating that the second device is not relevant to the one or more assembly steps associated with the sequencer of the first device.

11. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a power supply source; and

two power supply lines connected to the power supply source, the first device and the second device being connected to the two power supply lines.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the communication line is embodied on a power supply line.

13. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a selector configured to select an assembly sequence from among several assembly sequences stored in the first device and the second device.

14. The system according to claim 10 , further comprising a second signalling member configured to signal pick-up errors, the second signalling member being connected to the communication line.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein, during the learning phase, the sequencer of the second device is configured to store a rank of the one or more assembly steps without ranking the one or more assembly steps.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2023
From: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
To: TMSS FRANCE
Reel/Frame 065392/0334 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2013
From: DE MARTIN, LINO
To: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS
Reel/Frame 030635/0885 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 12 56446 · Jul 5, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140007419A1 · Jan 9, 2014