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:
Nov. 06, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2009
Kozo Niimi, Kashihara, JP;
Koji Kito, Toyota, JP;
Kazuhiro Tsujimura, Okazaki, JP;
JTEKT Corporation, Osaka-shi, JP;
Abstract
In a flexible manufacturing system, a control apparatus for a transfer device stores in a memory section thereof correlation information for correlating workpieces (ante-machining workpieces) to be attached to pallets with blank materials contained in blank material baskets. When a selected one of the pallets is to be transferred to a pallet loading station, the control apparatus determines blank materials corresponding to the workpieces to be attached to the selected one of the pallets based on the correlation information and then, controls the transfer device to transfer a blank material basket containing the determined blank materials from a basket rack to a basket loading station located adjacent to the pallet loading station in connection with transferring the selected one of the pallets to the pallet loading station. Thus, when the selected one of the pallets is transferred to the pallet loading station, it becomes possible to reduce the time taken for the worker to search for the blank material basket.