Moving Object Defect Retraction in Remote-Controlled Assembly Lines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing techniques for unmanned vehicle transportation in assembly areas do not adequately address defects in moving objects, leading to potential improper assembly issues.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for identifying defects in moving objects and corresponding parts, remotely instructing their removal from production and parts lines, and guiding subsequent objects and parts to vacant spaces, with repair and reintegration processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a moving object is transported to the assembly area by unmanned driving, then transportation efficiency is improved, but the risk of improper assembly increases when defects are not detected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransportation efficiencyVSAvoidassembly correctness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs defect detection and part identification before the moving object reaches the assembly area. By acquiring defect information in advance and identifying corresponding parts that need to be removed, the system ensures that defective parts are prevented from being assembled, thus maintaining assembly correctness while enabling efficient unmanned transportation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the defective moving object is removed from the production line, then assembly correctness is improved, but production line efficiency may be reduced due to vacancies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly correctnessVSAvoidproduction line efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the defective parts from the moving object at the identification position, rather than removing the entire moving object. This allows the moving object to continue moving through the production line while the specific defective parts are removed and replaced, maintaining production line efficiency while ensuring assembly correctness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the corresponding part is removed from the parts line, then improper assembly is prevented, but the parts line efficiency is reduced due to vacancies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly correctnessVSAvoidparts line efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system removes defective parts from the parts line and stores them in a storage area. When a moving object passes through the identification position without defects, the previously removed defective parts are returned to the parts line to fill the vacancies. This ensures that only non-defective parts are assembled while maintaining parts line efficiency through the recovery and reuse of parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentEP4610757A1Apparatus, moving object, and method of producing moving object
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4610757A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4610757A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4610757A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus comprises an acquisition unit that acquires defect information regarding a defect of a moving object that moves on a production line by remote control; a parts identification unit that, in response to acquisition of the defect information, identifies a part that is to be assembled to a defective moving object from among a plurality of parts flowing on a parts line that merges with the production line at an assembly area where the corresponding part included in the plurality of the parts is assembled to the moving object; and an instruction unit that executes a moving object retraction instruction to remove the defective moving object from the production line and a part retraction instruction to remove the identified part from the parts line.