Headrest mounting device

Abstract

The goal is to automate the headrest installation process more effectively. [Solution] The robot arm mechanism 20 slides stays (left and right stays 4 and 4x) against insertion parts (left and right insertion parts 7 and 7x), an imaging unit (first imaging unit 51, etc.) that images the stays and insertion parts during the installation process, and a control unit 80 that controls the movement of the robot arm mechanism 20 according to the data from the imaging unit. The robot arm mechanism 20 is also provided with a measuring unit (first measuring unit 61, etc.) that measures the load when the stays slide against the insertion parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] The present invention relates to a headrest mounting device for a vehicle seat that automatically attaches a headrest for supporting a passenger's head to a seat back serving as a backrest.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of vehicle seats, as one of the manufacturing processes, there is a process of attaching a headrest to the upper part of the seat back. In this attachment process, the left and right stays protruding from the lower part of the headrest are inserted while sliding them into insertion portions provided on the upper part of the seat back, respectively. After confirming that the stays are inserted and locked in the insertion portions (after the lock confirmation operation), the seat back with the headrest attached is sent to the next process. Further, when manufacturing a vehicle seat, various quality inspection operations are performed. For example, in the headrest attachment process, the sliding load of the stay with respect to the insertion portion is measured.

[0003] By the way, in the field of vehicle seats, from the viewpoint of reducing the burden on workers, there is a demand to automate the manufacturing process as much as possible. For example, as a technology related to automation, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology of moving a workpiece on a production line to an appropriate position with a robot arm. In this technology, a stereo camera is attached to the tip of the robot arm, and the robot arm is configured to be automatically moved based on the imaging data of this stereo camera.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the general headrest installation process, various tasks are performed as described above, and in particular, measuring the sliding load is important from the standpoint of ensuring quality. For this reason, even if the technology of Patent Document 1 is applied to the headrest installation process, various additional tasks must be performed, and it cannot be said that the installation process is properly automated. The present invention was conceived in view of the above points, and the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to automate the headrest installation process more appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means to solve the above problems, the headrest mounting device of the first invention is a device that automatically mounts a headrest to a seat back by sliding a stay fixed to the headrest into an insertion part of the seat back. In this type of device, it is desirable to automate the headrest mounting process more appropriately. Therefore, the headrest mounting device of the present invention comprises a robot arm mechanism that slides the stay against the insertion part, an imaging unit that images the stay and the insertion part during the mounting process, and a control unit that controls the movement of the robot arm mechanism according to the data from the imaging unit. In the present invention, a measuring unit for measuring the load when the stay slides against the insertion part is provided in the robot arm mechanism. In the present invention, the headrest mounting process is automated by controlling the robot arm mechanism that slides the stay against the insertion part based on the data from the imaging unit using the control unit. With the above configuration, the measuring unit provided in the robot arm mechanism makes it possible to measure the sliding load of the stay against the insertion part during the headrest mounting process.

[0007] The headrest mounting device of the second invention is provided with the headrest mounting device of the first invention, and includes a first measuring unit for measuring the sliding load when inserting the stay into the insertion part, and a second measuring unit for measuring the sliding load when removing the stay from the insertion part. In the present invention, the load when the stay slides against the insertion part can be measured more appropriately by using multiple measuring units.

[0008] The headrest mounting device of the third invention is an adjustment device of the first invention in which the robot arm mechanism has an adjustment part that adjusts the position of the stay relative to the insertion part in the seat width direction. In the present invention, the adjustment part makes it possible to perform the stay mounting process more reliably.

[0009] The headrest mounting device of the fourth invention is the headrest mounting device of the first invention, wherein the insertion part is provided with a switching part that switches between a locked state that restricts the sliding of the stay and an unlocked state that allows the sliding of the stay, and the robot arm mechanism has an operating part that operates the switching part. In the present invention, the insertion part can be switched between the locked state and the unlocked state by operating the switching part with the operating part, making the stay mounting process, in particular the confirmation of the stay's locking to the insertion part, more reliable.

[0010] The headrest mounting device of the fifth invention is a headrest mounting device of any of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the robot arm mechanism comprises a first robot arm and a second robot arm. Based on a plan view of the insertion part seen from above, the first robot arm and the second robot arm are configured to approach or move away from the insertion part from different directions. In this invention, multiple robot arms can be moved to or away from the insertion part from different directions, making it possible to automate the headrest mounting process even more appropriately. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the first invention of the present invention, the headrest installation process can be automated more appropriately. According to the second invention, the headrest installation process can be automated while more appropriately measuring the load during sliding. According to the third invention, the headrest installation process can be performed more reliably. According to the fourth invention, the headrest installation process can be performed even more reliably. According to the fifth invention, the headrest installation process can be automated even more appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the main components of the headrest mounting device. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the seatback, seen from above. [Figure 3] This is a schematic top view of the headrest mounting device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic front view of the headrest mounting device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view of the headrest mounting device. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view of the tip of the first robot arm. [Figure 7] This is a schematic side view of the tip of the second robot arm. [Figure 8] This is a schematic side view of the robot arm mechanism during the initial stages of the installation process. [Figure 9] This is a schematic side view of the robot arm mechanism during the middle stage of the installation process. [Figure 10] This is a schematic side view of the robot arm mechanism in the later stages of the installation process. [Figure 11] This is a schematic front view of the second seatback. [Figure 12] This is a schematic front view of the third seat back. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. Each figure appropriately illustrates arrows indicating the left-right, up-down, and front-back directions of the headrest mounting device and the vehicle seat, based on the headrest mounting process. In Figure 1, the control unit is shown in a simplified manner for convenience.

[0014] [Headrest] Before explaining the headrest mounting device 10 shown in FIG. 1, first, the headrest 3 and the seat back 6 of the vehicle seat 2 will be explained. The headrest 3 is a member that supports the occupant's head, and on its lower part, a right stay 4 and a left stay 4x project out at appropriate intervals in the seat width direction. These left and right stays 4, 4x are rod-shaped members that extend downward from the seat, and a locking recess 5 is provided in the middle of the right stay 4 in its length direction. And the headrest 3 is attached to the upper part of this seat back 6 by inserting its left and right stays 4, 4x into the left and right insertion parts 7, 7x (details will be described later) of the seat back 6.

[0015] [Seat back] Also, the seat back 6 shown in FIG. 1 is a member that serves as the occupant's backrest, and is formed in a vertically long rectangle in a front view. The lower part of this seat back 6 is connected to the rear part of the seat cushion 9 that serves as the seat part via a recliner (not shown). Also, on the upper surface of the seat back 6, a right insertion part 7 and a left insertion part 7x are provided at appropriate intervals in the seat width direction. And referring to FIG. 2 (plan view seen from above), the right stay 4 can be inserted into the right insertion part 7 while sliding, and the left stay 4x can be inserted into the left insertion part 7x while sliding.

[0016] Here, referring to FIG. 2, the left and right insertion parts 7, 7x have generally the same basic configuration. For example, the right insertion part 7 is composed of a cylindrical headrest support 70 through which the right stay 4 can be inserted (in FIG. 2, for the sake of convenience, detailed reference numerals are only attached to the right insertion part). This headrest support 70 has a support head 71 that is rectangular in plan view and is exposed on the upper surface of the seat back 6. Further, a hole 72 into which the right stay 4 can be inserted is opened on the upper surface of the support head 71. And a switching part 73, which will be described later, projects from the right edge of the support head 71 of the right insertion part 7.

[0017] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the right-side insertion section 7 can be switched between a locked state that restricts the sliding of the right-side stay 4 and an unlocked state that allows the sliding of the right-side stay 4 by operating the switching section 73. This switching section 73 is the part that operates the locking section 74 provided inside the headrest support 70, and is configured to be pushed towards the support head 71 side (left side). The switching section 73 is biased to protrude to the right by the action of a biasing part (not shown), and in the free state, the locking section 74 protrudes radially inward from the hole 72. Therefore, when the right-side stay 4 is inserted into the right-side insertion section 7, the locking section 74 is locked into the locking recess 5 by appropriately adjusting the insertion amount. As a result, the right-side insertion section 7 is in a locked state that restricts the sliding of the right-side stay 4. Conversely, by pushing the switching section 73 to the left (pushing operation), the locking section 74 moves radially outward from the hole 72 and disengages from the locking recess 5. As a result, the right-side insertion section 7 becomes an unlocked state that allows the right-side stay 4 to slide, enabling insertion and removal of the right-side stay 4.

[0018] [Headrest mounting device] The headrest mounting device 10 shown in Figure 1 is used in the process of mounting the headrest 3, and can automatically mount the headrest 3 to the top of the seat back 6. The mounting process of this type of headrest 3 should be automated more appropriately, and in particular, it is desirable to measure the sliding load of the stay against the insertion part. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mounting process of the headrest 3 is automated more appropriately through the operation of each component of the headrest mounting device 10, which will be described later. The components of the headrest mounting device 10 will be described in detail below, in the order of the transport line section 11, the robot arm mechanism 20, and the control unit 80.

[0019] [Conveyor line section] First, referring to Figures 1 and 3, the headrest mounting device 10 has a transport line section 11 that transports the seat back 6 and seat cushion 9 from upstream (right side) to downstream (left side). Upstream of this transport line section 11, there is a placement area 12. In the placement area 12, the seat cushion 9 and seat back 6 are placed on the transport line section 11. Downstream of the transport line section 11, there is an attachment area 13. In the attachment area 13, the headrest 3 is automatically attached to the top of the seat back 6, as will be described later.

[0020] In the transport line section 11 shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple roughly rectangular mounting sections 14 are provided at appropriate intervals in the transport direction (left-right direction) when viewed from above (for convenience, in each figure, the rightmost mounting section is denoted by a reference numeral corresponding to the seat back, etc., and the other mounting sections are denoted by reference numerals corresponding to the seat back, etc., in parentheses). A seat back 6 and a seat cushion 9 can be placed on each of these mounting sections 14. The transport line section 11 is also provided with a drive mechanism that moves the multiple mounting sections 14 sequentially from right to left, and a reversing mechanism that rotates the mounting sections 14 by approximately 180° when viewed from above (for convenience, the illustration of each mechanism is omitted). In the mounting area 12 of the transport line section 11, the seat back 6 is placed on the mounting section 14 with the front side facing forward. Next, during transport of the mounting section 14, the reversing mechanism rotates the mounting section 14 by 180° (see arrow A1 attached to the central mounting section in Figure 3). As a result, the sheet back 6 on the mounting section 14 is positioned towards the rear of the transport line section 11 and is transported toward the mounting area 13, which will be described later.

[0021] [Installation Area] Referring to Figures 3 and 5, in the mounting area 13, a support column 131 fixed to the floor is erected on the rear side of the conveyor line section 11, extending vertically. On the front side of the conveyor line section 11, a beam section 132 and an upper beam section 133 fixed to the ceiling are provided, extending horizontally. Within the mounting area 13, a robot arm mechanism 20 is provided, consisting of a first robot arm 21 and a second robot arm 22, separated into front and rear sections. Specifically, the first robot arm 21 is attached to the support column 131 on the rear side of the conveyor line section 11, along with a supply section 130 for the headrest 3 (in Figure 3, for convenience, the supply section where the headrest is located is shown with a dashed line). The second robot arm 22 is attached to the beam section 132 on the front side of the conveyor line section 11 and the upper beam section 133 located above it. Here, the supply unit 130 is the part that supplies the headrest 3 to the first robot arm 21, which will be described later, and is located on the upper left side of the support column 131. In this supply unit 130, the headrest 3 is positioned so that it faces left and right, and the left and right stays 4,4x of the headrest 3 are lined up front and back. The supply unit 130 detachably holds the left and right stays 4,4x and is configured to automatically supply the headrest 3 through the action of an automatic supply mechanism (not shown). Although not shown, the support column 131 has a lubrication area located to the right of the supply unit 130 for applying lubricant to the left and right stays 4,4x.

[0022] [First robotic arm of the robotic arm mechanism] The first robot arm 21 shown in Figure 3 is supported on the upper right side of the support column 131 described above, and is positioned at the rear of the conveyor line 11. As shown in Figure 1, this first robot arm 21 is a multi-joint robot and has a first movable part 31 at its tip. The first robot arm 21 is configured so that the first movable part 31 can move in three dimensions (left and right, up and down, forward and backward) by controlling the drive axes of its joints with the control unit 80 (details to be described later). As a result, the first robot arm 21 can move its first movable part 31 up and down, rotate it left and right (left turn, right turn), and move it from the rear to the front of the conveyor line 11.

[0023] Furthermore, the first movable part 31 shown in Figures 1 and 6 has a right adjustment part 33 that grips the right stay 4 and a left adjustment part 33x that grips the left stay 4x. Here, the right adjustment part 33 and the left adjustment part 33x have substantially the same basic configuration (in Figure 6, for convenience, only the right adjustment part is given a detailed reference numeral). For example, the right adjustment part 33 has a right gripping part 330 that is applied to the right side of the right stay 4 and a left gripping part 331 that is applied to the left side of the right stay 4, which can be brought closer or further apart. Referring to Figures 2 and 6, the distance between the right adjustment part 33 and the left adjustment part 33x is matched to the distance L1 between the left and right insertion parts. As a result, the right stay 4 gripped by the right adjustment part 33 and the left stay 4x gripped by the left adjustment part 33x are positioned to extend downward with their left and right distances matched to the distance between the left and right insertion parts. In the configuration described above, even if the left and right stays 4, 4x are deflected so that they are separated or brought closer to each other as they move downward, it is possible to correct this deflection through the action of the left and right adjustment parts 33, 33x.

[0024] Furthermore, the first movable part 31 shown in Figures 1 and 6 has the first imaging unit 51 and the first measuring unit 61 fixed to it via the first bracket 41. The first bracket 41 shown in Figure 6 is formed in a roughly L-shape when viewed from the side (right side view in the figure), and the lower end of the vertically extending rear plate 410 is fixed to the left and right adjustment parts 33, 33x. An upper horizontal plate 411 is provided at the upper end of the rear vertical plate 410 so as to protrude forward, and a protruding part 412 is provided at the right edge of the rear vertical plate 410 so as to protrude to the right. With the first imaging unit 51 and the first measuring unit 61 fixed to the first bracket 41 in the first movable part 31, these parts can move simultaneously in three dimensions.

[0025] [First Imaging Unit] Referring to Figures 1 and 6, the first imaging unit 51 is attached to the protruding portion 412 of the first bracket 41. This first imaging unit 51 is configured to capture images of various objects by having multiple lens mechanisms (stereo camera mechanisms) and illumination mechanisms, and can also transmit the image data to the control unit 80 (details to be described later). By fixing the first imaging unit 51 with each lens mechanism etc. facing downwards to the protruding portion 412 of the first bracket 41, it becomes possible to capture images of objects below. Thus, referring to Figures 2 and 6, the first imaging unit 51 is able to capture images of the left and right insertion portions 7, 7x.

[0026] [First measurement section] Furthermore, a first measuring unit 61 is attached to the upper horizontal plate portion 411 of the first bracket 41 shown in Figure 6. This first measuring unit 61 is configured to detect the load applied to its pressure receiving plate and can transmit the load data to the control unit 80 (details to be described later). Examples of structures for this type of first measuring unit include load cells, piezoelectric elements, magnetostrictive elements, semiconductor pressure sensors, conductive rubber, and ceramic pressure-sensitive elements. The first measuring unit 61 is fixed to the upper horizontal plate portion 411 of the first bracket 41 as described above, so that the pressure receiving plate of the first measuring unit 61 is positioned to come into contact with the upper surface of the headrest 3 during insertion.

[0027] [Second robotic arm of the robotic arm mechanism] Referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, the second robot arm 22 is attached to the beam section 132 and the upper beam section 133, and is positioned on the front side of the conveyor line section 11. As shown in Figure 1, this second robot arm 22 is a multi-joint robot, similar to the first robot arm 21, and is configured to move the second movable section 32 provided at its tip in three dimensions. The second movable section 32 is provided with left and right operating sections 34 (for convenience, only the right operating section is shown in each figure). These left and right operating sections 34 have the same basic configuration as the adjustment section described above, and can grip the corresponding insertion section from the left and right. Referring to Figures 1 and 7, when the right operating section 34 of the second movable section 32 grips the right insertion section 7, it is possible to push in the switching section 73 provided on the right insertion section 7.

[0028] Referring to Figures 1 and 7, the second imaging unit 52 and the second measuring unit 62 are fixed to the second movable part 32 via a second bracket 42 formed by a front vertical plate portion 420 and a lower horizontal plate portion 421. Here, the second imaging unit 52 has a basic configuration that is generally the same as the first imaging unit 51. The second imaging unit 52 is attached to the upper side of the front vertical plate portion 420, and like the first imaging unit 51, it is possible to image objects below (see Figure 2). The second measuring unit 62 also has a basic configuration that is generally the same as the first measuring unit 61 and is fixed to the lower horizontal plate portion 421 that extends from the lower end of the front vertical plate portion 420 of the second bracket 42 toward the rear. As will be described later, the pressure receiving plate of the second measuring unit 62 is positioned so that it comes into contact with the lower surface of the headrest 3 during the removal operation.

[0029] [Control Unit] In the headrest mounting device 10 shown in Figure 1, the control unit 80 controls the movement of the first robot arm 21 and the second robot arm 22 based on the imaging data from each of the imaging units described above. Furthermore, the control unit 80 is configured to receive and record the measurement data (load data) from the first measurement unit 61 and the measurement data from the second measurement unit 62. The control unit 80 is configured to operate each of the above-described components at the appropriate timing by receiving information from the multiple sensors (proximity sensors) provided in the headrest mounting device 10, which will be described later.

[0030] [Sensor] Referring now to Figure 4, the multiple sensors provided on the headrest mounting device 10 will be described. First, an upper column 81 and a lower column 82 for sensor mounting are fixed to the rear support column 131 of the transport line section 11, extending to the left and right. The upper column 81 is fixed to the upper part of the support column 131 so as to be able to detect the seat back 6 on the transport line section 11. On this upper column 81, from the right to the left, a reversal upper sensor 90, a first robot sensor 92, a first imaging sensor 93, and a second imaging sensor 94 are arranged at appropriate intervals. The lower column 82 is fixed to the lower part of the support column 131 so as to be able to detect the mounting section 14 of the transport line section 11. On the lower column 82, a reversal lower sensor 91 is positioned to the left of the reversal upper sensor 90 mentioned above.

[0031] [How the headrest mounting device works] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the headrest mounting device 10 places the seat cushion 9 and seat back 6 on a predetermined mounting section 14 within its mounting area 12. At this time, the seat back 6 is positioned towards the front. As the mounting section 14 is being transported downstream, the predetermined mounting section 14 is first detected by the inversion lower sensor 91. This activates the inversion mechanism of the transport line section 11, causing the mounting section 14 to rotate 180° and the seat back 6 to invert from the front to the back (see arrow A1 on the middle seat in Figure 3). Subsequently, the inversion upper sensor 90 detects that the seat back 6 is now positioned towards the back, and then the seat back 6 in this state is transported towards the upstream mounting area 13. The headrest 3 is then attached to the top of the seat back 6 within the mounting area 13. It is desirable that this type of mounting process be automated more appropriately, such as by performing predetermined inspections.

[0032] The headrest mounting device 10 shown in Figure 1 includes a robotic arm mechanism 20 that slides each stay relative to each insertion part, an imaging unit (first imaging unit 51, second imaging unit 52) ​​that images each stay and each insertion part during the mounting process, and a control unit 80 that controls the movement of the robotic arm mechanism 20 according to the data from the imaging unit. The robotic arm mechanism 20 is also provided with measuring units (first measuring unit 61, second measuring unit 62) that measure the load when each stay slides relative to each insertion part. In the above configuration, the robotic arm mechanism 20 that slides each stay relative to each insertion part is controlled by the control unit 80 based on the data from the imaging unit (first imaging unit 51, second imaging unit 52). At this time, the measuring units (first measuring unit 61, second measuring unit 62) measure the sliding load of each stay relative to each insertion part. The operation of each component during the mounting process of the headrest 3 will be explained in more detail below.

[0033] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, when the seat back 6 on the mounting section 14 is transported to the mounting area 13, the first robot arm 21 is activated by the action of the first robot sensor 92. At this time, the first robot arm 21 rotates its first movable part 31 to the left (left turn) from its forward-facing basic position, and points it toward the headrest 3 of the supply section 130 (see the rotation direction indicated by arrow A2 in Figure 3). The first movable part 31 then receives the headrest 3 placed in the supply section 130. At this time, referring to Figure 6, the first movable part 31 grips the right stay 4 with its right adjustment part 33 and grips the left stay 4x with its left adjustment part 33x. This makes it possible to correct any unintended bending in the right stay 4 and left stay 4x so that they can be inserted into the corresponding insertion parts. The first movable part 31 then rotates to the right (right turn) to return to its original basic position, and lubricant is applied to the left and right stays 4 and 4x during the right turn. As a result, as shown in Figure 1, the headrest 3, which is gripped by the first movable part 31, is positioned at the rear and upper part of the seat back 6, with its left and right stays 4, 4x facing downwards.

[0034] Next, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the first imaging sensor 93 detects the seat back 6, and the first imaging unit 51 of the first robot arm 21 is activated. As a result, based on the imaging data from the first imaging unit 51 (see Figure 2), the first movable part 31 of the first robot arm 21 is controlled to move downstream (to the left) in synchronization with the movement of the seat back 6 (in Figure 1, the movement of the first movable part is shown by arrow A3, and the movement of the seat back is shown by arrow A4). Subsequently, the second imaging sensor 94 detects the seat back 6, and the second imaging unit 52 of the second robot arm 22 is activated. Then, based on the imaging data from the first imaging unit 51, the first movable part 31 of the first robot arm 21 moves from the back to the front of the transport line 11 while gradually descending (in Figure 2, the movement of the first movable part is shown by arrow A5). Furthermore, the second movable part 32 of the second robot arm 22 also moves from the front to the back of the transport line 11 while gradually descending, based on the imaging data from the second imaging unit 52 (in Figure 2, the movement of the second movable part is shown by arrow A6).

[0035] Referring to Figure 8, the first movable part 31 of the first robot arm 21 is positioned directly above the seat back 6 (for convenience, only the right side parts of each robot arm, headrest, and seat back are shown in Figure 8). As a result, the left and right stays 4, etc., gripped by the first movable part 31 are positioned directly above the left and right insertion parts 7, etc. Next, the second movable part 32 of the second robot arm 22 descends, and its left and right operating parts 34 grip the left and right insertion parts 7, etc. Then, by pushing in the switching part 73 of the right insertion part 7, the right insertion part 7 is unlocked, allowing the right stay 4 to be inserted into the right insertion part 7.

[0036] [Measurement of sliding load] Referring to Figure 9, the first robot arm 21 moves the left and right adjustment parts 33 etc. to the rear, thereby freeing the left and right stays 4 etc. which are positioned directly above the left and right insertion parts 7 etc. (In Figure 9, for convenience, only the right side parts of each robot arm etc. are shown). In this state, the pressure receiving plate of the first measuring unit 61 is lowered and pushed down while making contact with the upper surface of the headrest 3 (in Figure 9, the movement of the first measuring unit is shown by arrow A7). As a result, the left and right stays 4 etc. are inserted into the left and right insertion parts 7 etc. Then, by measuring the load applied to the pressure receiving plate of the first measuring unit 61 during the above-described pushing down operation, the sliding load when the left and right stays 4 etc. are inserted into the left and right insertion parts 7 etc. is measured. Furthermore, this load data is transmitted to the control unit 80 and stored, and it is determined whether or not the sliding load is within a predetermined value (pass / fail determination). At the point when the insertion work by the first measuring unit 61 is completed, the left and right stays 4, etc., are in a state of being over-inserted into the left and right insertion parts 7, etc., beyond the predetermined insertion amount.

[0037] Next, referring to Figures 9 and 10, the first robot arm 21 retracts to the back of the transport line section 11, and the second robot arm 22 rises upward (in Figure 10, for convenience, only the right side of the second robot arm, etc., is shown). At this time, with the operating section 34 separated from the switching section 73, the pressure plate of the second measuring section 62 is placed against the underside of the headrest 3. Then, by pushing up the pressure plate of the second measuring section 62 in this state, the left and right stays 4, etc. are detached from the left and right insertion sections 7, etc. (In Figure 10, the movement of the second measuring section is shown by arrow A8). By measuring the load applied to the pressure plate of the second measuring section 62 during this pushing operation, the sliding load when the left and right stays 4, etc. are detached from the left and right insertion sections 7, etc. is measured. Furthermore, this load data is transmitted to the control unit 80 and stored, and it is determined whether or not the sliding load is within a predetermined value (pass / fail determination).

[0038] [Lock verification process] Next, referring to Figure 10, the second movable part 32 pushes the headrest 3 up to a height position where the right insertion part 7 is locked, that is, a height position where the insertion amount of the over-inserted left and right stays 4 is corrected. As a result, the right insertion part 7 is locked, with its locking part 74 engaging with the locking recess 5, restricting the sliding of the right stay 4. After confirming the locked state using data obtained from the second robot arm 22 (for example, load data and imaging data), the second robot arm 22 is retracted to the front.

[0039] Thus, in the headrest mounting device 10 shown in Figures 8 to 10, the first measuring unit 61 and the second measuring unit 62 enable the measurement of the sliding load during the headrest 3 mounting process, making it possible to automate the mounting process more appropriately. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the operation of the second robot arm 22, that is, the pushing motion and the cooperation of each part, makes it possible to more reliably confirm the locking of the right-side stay 4 to the right-side insertion part 7.

[0040] [Mounting process for headrests on various types of seatbacks] The headrest mounting device 10 shown in Figure 1 allows for the attachment of headrests 3 to various types of seatbacks in an assembly line process. For example, in addition to the seatback 6 shown in Figure 1, a second seatback 6A shown in Figure 11 and a third seatback 6B shown in Figure 12 may be placed on the conveying line section 11 shown in Figure 1. Here, the second seatback 6A shown in Figure 11 differs from the seatback described above in that its right shoulder portion 100 and left shoulder portion 101 protrude upwards on the seat, thereby closing off both sides of its left and right insertion portions 7, 7x. The third seatback 6B also has its right shoulder portion 100 and left shoulder portion 101 protruding upwards on the seat, and a vertical wall-like protruding portion 102 is also provided on the rear of the upper surface. Therefore, in the third seatback 6B, both sides and the rear of its left and right insertion portions 7, 7x are closed off.

[0041] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in the headrest mounting device 10, the first robot arm 21 approaches the left and right insertion parts 7, 7x from the rear (refer to the direction indicated by arrow A5 in Figure 2). On the other hand, the second robot arm 22 can approach or move away from the left and right insertion parts 7, 7x from the front (refer to the direction indicated by arrow A6 in Figure 2). Therefore, with the headrest mounting device 10, the operation of attaching the headrest 3 to the seat back 6 shown in Figure 1 can also be applied to the second seat back 6A shown in Figure 11 and the third seat back 6B shown in Figure 12, enabling the attachment of headrests to various types of seat backs in an assembly line process.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the headrest 3 installation process is automated by controlling the robot arm mechanism 20, which slides the stays (left and right stays 4 and 4x) relative to the insertion parts (left and right insertion parts 7 and 7x), with the control unit 80 based on data from the imaging unit (first imaging unit 51 and second imaging unit 52). With the above configuration, the measuring units (first measuring unit 61 and second measuring unit 62) provided on the robot arm mechanism 20 enable the measurement of the sliding load of the stays relative to the insertion parts during the headrest 3 installation process. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the headrest 3 installation process can be automated more appropriately.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the load on the stay during sliding relative to the insertion part can be measured more appropriately by using multiple measuring units (first measuring unit 61, second measuring unit 62). Also in this embodiment, the adjustment unit (left and right adjustment units 33, 33x) makes the stay mounting process more reliable. Also in this embodiment, the insertion part can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state by operating the switching unit 73 by the operation unit 34, making the stay mounting process, in particular the confirmation of the stay's locking relative to the insertion part, more reliable. And in this embodiment, multiple robot arms (first robot arm 21, second robot arm 22) can be moved closer to or further away from the insertion part from different directions, making it possible to automate the headrest 3 mounting process more appropriately.

[0044] The headrest mounting device of this embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can take various other forms. For example, the robot arm mechanism can be composed of multiple (two or more) or single robot arms. For example, when using a single robot arm, the first robot arm may be configured to have the function of the second robot arm, and vice versa. The first and second robot arms can determine their approach and separation directions from the insertion part, taking into account the shape of the upper surface of the seat back, and do not necessarily need to move between the front and back sides. The first movable part of the first robot arm may be configured to hold an appropriate position of the headrest. When the stay is held by the first movable part, adjustment parts (two in this embodiment) can be provided according to the number of stays. The second robot arm may be configured to grip the left and right insertion parts, or to grip only the insertion part equipped with a switching part (for example, a configuration in which only the right operating part is provided). The arrangement position of the robot arm mechanism can also be set as appropriate, and each robot arm can be attached to various structures such as support columns and beams.

[0045] Furthermore, the headrest mounting device allows for the configuration of its transport line to be changed as appropriate, and the transport direction of the seat backs can also be selected as appropriate. The transport line does not necessarily have to be straight; it may be curved or bent when viewed from above. The transport line can also transport only one type of seat back or multiple types of seat backs. The headrest mounting device of this embodiment can be used in the manufacture of seats for all types of vehicles, such as cars, aircraft, trains, and ships. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 2. Vehicle seats 3 Headrests 4 Right side stay 4x Left side bracket 5. Locking recess 6 Seatback 7 Right side insertion section 7x Left side insertion section 9 Seat cushions 10 Headrest mounting device 11 Conveyor line section 12. Mounting Area 13 Installation Area 14 Mounting section 20 Robot Arm Mechanism 21. First robotic arm 22 Second robotic arm 31 First movable part 32 Second movable part 33 Right side adjustment part 33x Left side adjustment section 34 Control section 41 First bracket 42 Second bracket 51 First Imaging Unit 52 Second Imaging Department 61 First measurement section 62 Second measuring section 70 Headrest Support 71 Support Head 72 Hole 73 Switching section 80 Control Unit 81 Upper pillar part 82 Lower column section 90 Upper sensor for inversion 91 Lower sensor for inversion 92 First Robot Sensor 93 First imaging sensor 94 Second imaging sensor 130 Supply section 131 Pillar section 132 Beam section 330 Right grip part 331 Left hand grip 410 Rear vertical plate part 411 Upper horizontal panel 412 Protrusion 420 Front vertical plate part 421 Lower horizontal plate part 6A Second seatback 6B Third seatback

Claims

1. In a headrest mounting device that automatically attaches the headrest to the seat back by sliding a stay fixed to the headrest into an insertion part of the seat back, The system comprises a robot arm mechanism for sliding the stay relative to the insertion portion, an imaging unit for imaging the stay and the insertion portion during the installation process, and a control unit for controlling the movement of the robot arm mechanism according to the data from the imaging unit. A headrest mounting device in which a measuring unit for measuring the load on the stay when it slides against the insertion portion is provided on the robot arm mechanism.

2. The headrest mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit includes a first measurement unit for measuring the sliding load when the stay is inserted into the insertion unit, and a second measurement unit for measuring the sliding load when the stay is removed from the insertion unit.

3. The headrest mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm mechanism has an adjustment part for adjusting the position of the stay relative to the insertion part in the seat width direction.

4. The insertion portion is provided with a switching mechanism that switches between a locked state that restricts the sliding of the stay and an unlocked state that allows the sliding of the stay, The headrest mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm mechanism has an operating unit for operating the switching unit.

5. The robot arm mechanism comprises a first robot arm and a second robot arm. The headrest mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, with reference to a plan view of the insertion portion viewed from above, the first robot arm and the second robot arm are configured to approach or move away from the insertion portion from different directions.

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