The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1987
Filed:
Jul. 08, 1985
Toshinobu Taketani, Hiroshima, JP;
Ken Kuramori, Hiroshima, JP;
Sunji Sakamoto, Hiroshima, JP;
Hiroshi Fujii, Hiroshima, JP;
Mazda Motor Corporation, , JP;
Abstract
A vehicle assembly line has a main line comprising an automated assembly line portion disposed in an upstream portion thereof, a manual assembly line portion disposed in a downstream portion thereof and an automated work line portion disposed in the terminal portion thereof. The automated assembly line portion is formed of train type conveyors which can feed a vehicle body or a work selectively in continuous feed fashion or indexing feed fashion. The manual assembly line portion is formed of trolley type or power-and-free type conveyors which feed the vehicle body continuously. The automated work line portion is formed of train type conveyors which feed the vehicle body in indexing feed fashion. In the automated assembly line portion are included the assembly steps which have already been automated and those which are scheduled to be automated but are to be manually performed for the time being. At the stations for the automated steps, the train type conveyors are controlled to feed the vehicle body in indexing feed fashion while at the stations for the scheduled-to-be-automated steps, the conveyors are controlled to feed the vehicle body in continuous feed fashion. In the manual assembly line portion are disposed the assembly steps which are considered to have to depend on human labor even in future. In the automated work line portion are accomplished assembly steps which must be done after the manual assembly steps due to limitations on the assembling order.