INDUSTRIAL PLANT FOR PRODUCING AN ASSEMBLED FURNITURE ITEM

Abstract

An improved factory method for producing a complete furniture item starting from panels that can be joined together, is described. The method steps are picking up the set of panels divided into N sub-sets from a storage (10) of panels, N>=2, bringing the N sub-sets of panels respectively to N workstations (54, 20 56, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74) operating in tandem, loadinge.g. simultaneouslya subset of panels in each N-th station, and preferably subject them to processing there; transferring the panels of an Nth station to the next Nth station (54, 56, 64, 66, 68, 70), preferably for another processing, transferring all the panels of the set from the last of the N stations to an assembly station (72) and assemble them there to obtain the shell or cabinet.

Claims

1. Method for producing a furniture item by in-line assembling a set of panels that can be joined together to form a shell or cabinet delimiting a compartment, the set of panels comprising a top or ceiling panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, and two side panels, with the steps of picking up from a storage the panel set divided into N sub-sets of panels, N>=2, bringing the N sub-sets of panels respectively to N workstations operating in tandem, loading a subset of panels at each N-th station, and machining them there; transferring the panels from a N-th station to the next N-th station for another machining operation, transferring all the panels of the set from the last of the N stations to an assembly station and assembling them there to obtain the shell or cabinet.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least some or all of the N stations are circularly arranged on a circumference and a sub-set of panels is transferred from one of the N stations to the angularly adjacent one along an arc of circumference.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the set of panels to form the complete furniture item takes place at a point on the circumference.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the N stations are distributed on two or more distinct circumferences to form two or more circular series of stations, and from the last station of a first circular series of stations a semi-finished product, consisting of a subset of panels, is transferred to a station of a second circular series of stations.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the machining and preparation and/or pre-assembly of the sides of the furniture item takes place only in the first circular series of stations, and the processed sides of the furniture item are transferred from the last station in the first circular series of stations to a station in a second circular series of stations.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein in the second circular series of stations: a ceiling panel and a bottom panel are received in a station, two machined side panels, right and left, are received in a station from the last station of the first circular series of stations, a back panel is received in a station, the shell or cabinet is assembled in a station, and the shell or cabinet is unloaded in a station.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the shell or cabinet is transferred on a line and an assembled drawer, which is produced by drawer stations working in parallel to said N stations and assembling a set of drawer panels, is inserted in the shell or cabinet.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein at least some or all of the drawer stations are arranged circularly on a circumference, and a subset of drawer panels is transferred from one of the N stations to the angularly adjacent one by travelling an arc of circumference.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein the drawer stations are distributed on two or more distinct circumferences to form two or more circular series of stations, and from the last station of a first circular series of stations a semi-finished product consisting of a machined drawer front panel is picked and from the last station of a second circular series of stations a machined drawer frame comprising the assembly of a bottom panel, a back panel and two side panels is picked.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the semi-finished product consisting of a machined drawer front panel and the machined drawer frame are assembled together downstream of the circular series of stations.

11. Method according to claim 3, wherein the N stations are distributed on two or more distinct circumferences to form two or more circular series of stations, and from the last station of a first circular series of stations a semi-finished product, consisting of a subset of panels, is transferred to a station of a second circular series of stations.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the machining and preparation and/or pre-assembly of the sides of the furniture item takes place only in the first circular series of stations, and the processed sides of the furniture item are transferred from the last station in the first circular series of stations to a station in a second circular series of stations.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein in the second circular series of stations: a ceiling panel and a bottom panel are received in a station, two machined side panels, right and left, are received in a station from the last station of the first circular series of stations, a back panel is received in a station, the shell or cabinet is assembled in a station, and the shell or cabinet is unloaded in a station.

14. Method according to claim 8, wherein the drawer stations are distributed on two or more distinct circumferences to form two or more circular series of stations, and from the last station of a first circular series of stations a semi-finished product consisting of a machined drawer front panel is picked and from the last station of a second circular series of stations a machined drawer frame comprising the assembly of a bottom panel, a back panel and two side panels is picked.

15. Method according to claim 14, wherein the semi-finished product consisting of a machined drawer front panel and the machined drawer frame are assembled together downstream of the circular series of stations.

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the set of panels comprises an intermediate shelf and/or linear guides and/or reinforcement strips.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0142] Further advantages will become clear from the following description, which relates to an example of a preferred embodiment of plant in which:

[0143] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an industrial plant,

[0144] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an industrial plant to produce furniture items,

[0145] FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an industrial plant to produce drawers for furniture items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0146] Equal numbers in the figures indicate equal or substantially equal parts. To avoid crowding the drawings, sometimes equal elements are not numbered. Arrows indicate the movement direction of the material.

[0147] The plant of FIG. 1 comprises three equal plants 14 arranged to work in parallel and fed by a common storage 10, containing panels to form a cabinet, and by a common storage 11 containing hardware or accessories to be mounted on the furniture item.

[0148] The panels arrive at the plants 14 via feed lines 12, and are processed therein to generate an assembled and finished furniture item at the output, which is picked up from each plant 14 and brought to a common delivery storage 20 via dedicated handling lines 16.

[0149] The delivery storage 20 is structured to simultaneously receive the furniture items produced by the plants 14, and group them according to a program to compose a desired kitchen.

[0150] To improve the efficiency of the plant, a plant 22 is preferably installed in parallel with the plants 14 to assemble drawers by composing individual panels, e.g. taken from the storage 10. A storage 28 contains hardware or accessories to be assembled on the drawer, and feeds the plant 22. The plant 22 stores the produced drawers in an (optional) buffer storage 28a, from which a drawer output line 24 carries them to the handling lines 16, so that manipulators 26, located alongside each handling line 16, can pick up a drawer from the drawer output line 24 and insert it into a cabinet or furniture item that has arrived on a handling line 16. In this way, furniture items arrive in the delivery storage 20 with drawers already in it, e.g. by means of robotic cells for automatically inserting the drawer onto the assembled furniture item or cabinet. One or each handling line 16 may also be equipped for intervention by one or more operators to complete the assembly operations.

[0151] A plant 14 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2.

[0152] In the illustrated example, the plant 14 is designed to produce a piece of furniture constituted by the assembly of a set of panels, which can be joined together to form e.g. a cabinet shell delimiting a compartment. In the illustrated example, the set of panels comprises e.g. a ceiling panel, a back panel, a bottom panel, two side panels, and preferably [0153] reinforcement strips (particularly applied to the back panel) and/or [0154] linear guides and/or [0155] horizontal shelves and/or [0156] hinges and/or [0157] flap mechanisms.

[0158] The various materials are taken from the storage 10 and arranged on different loading bays to reach machining centers.

[0159] With reference to FIG. 2, the storage 10 feeds via pallets [0160] a storage bay 30 for ceiling panels, [0161] a storage bay 32 for bottom panels, [0162] a storage bay 34 for reinforcement strips and/or linear guides, [0163] a storage bay 36 for the right side panels, [0164] a storage bay 38 for the left side panels, and [0165] a storage bay 40 for back panels.

[0166] To reach the bays 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 in the example, the panels are stored in homogeneous stacks and moved on trolleys, and the hardware necessary for automatic assembly (guides for drawers, spacers, etc.) is placed inside stackable containers and placed on pallets. From the storage 10 depart e.g. a series of shuttles and/or a series of roller conveyors on which to load the material.

[0167] By means of manipulators or robots 42 the material on the bays 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 is brought onto feed lines to feed two machining centers 52, 60 working in tandem, i.e. the output of the machining center 52 is an input of the machining center 60.

[0168] In particular, the machining center 52 (60) comprises a central table 52T (60T), rotatable about a vertical axis, which by rotating can move the work pieces to be machined between various work workstations 54 (62) arranged circularly and coaxially around the table 52T (60T).

[0169] In particular, the machining center 52 only processes side panels, and receives as input material a side panel for the right side and a panel for the left side and various accessories such as, for example, hinge plates, fixing hooks, basket or runners for drawer, and door flaps.

[0170] Among the various workstations 54 some workstations are indicated with a different reference: [0171] a workstation 56 receives two side panels, a right side panel and a left side panel, from [0172] a loader 48, fed by bays 36, 38 and a manipulator or robot 42, and [0173] the same workstation 56 unloads the two machined side panels, left and right, to a workstation of the center 60.

[0174] The loader 48 is e.g. formed of an overhead rocker-arm conveyor that transfers right and left sides to a loading/unloading manipulator. The overhead conveyor preferably transfers the rocker-arms, each containing right and left sides belonging to the same cabinet or furniture item, to an (optional) contour-checking workstation. In this position, the right and left side panel contour-check is carried out to assess the correctness of the material loading according to the required sequence. In the event of an incorrect sequence, the material skips the loading/unloading manipulator to return to the loading area of the anthropomorphic robots and is unloaded from the line. The material that successfully passes the contour check arrives to a retractable-arm manipulator 58 that simultaneously picks up the left and right side panels from a rocker-arm and transfers them to a loading/unloading workstation 56 of the center 52. From the same workstation 56, the manipulator 58 transfers the machined side panels to a conveyor (not shown) to feed the input of the machining center 60.

[0175] Internal components (e.g. door hinges) also arrive at the machining center 52, feeding some of the workstations thereof. Each workstation is served by an anthropomorphic robot equipped with a gripper and configured to pick up the components.

[0176] The table 52T comprises vertical supports, with for example grippers and/or arms equipped with suction cups and in particular rotatable about a vertical axis, to receive the two side panels and fix them to it during rotation and passage through the workstations 54 until unloading at the workstation 56. In this way, subsequent centering is not necessary and the necessary rigidity of the panel support is always ensured, to counteract the thrust of the machining spindles at the workstations 54, 56.

[0177] Specifically, each vertical support is configured for receiving and machine the left and right side panels simultaneously.

[0178] For example, the machining operations at the workstations of the machining center 52 are sequentially: [0179] workstation 56: left and right side panel loading/unloading; [0180] next workstation 54: drilling left and right side panel; [0181] next workstation 54: drilling left and right side panel; [0182] next workstation 54: left and right side panel milling; [0183] next workstation 54: mounting of hinge plates and screwing; [0184] next workstation 54: rail mounting and screwing; [0185] next workstation 54: rail mounting and screwing; [0186] workstation 56: flap assembly and screwing.

[0187] The panel is unloaded from the workstation 56 after a complete turn of the table 52T, after it has passed through all workstations 54 and undergone all necessary machining, and reaches a workstation 68 of the center 60 (see dashed arrow).

[0188] In particular, the machining center 60 is responsible for machining the panels other than the side panels, and for assembling the various panels and components together to form the furniture item.

[0189] Like the center 52, the center 60 is composed of workstations, six in the example, each of which performs a portion of the operations necessary to close the furniture item. Pieces are transferred simultaneously from one workstation to another each time all partial machining is completed. The piece is unloaded from the center 60 at the moment it has passed through all the workstations. The work pieces pass through all workstations thanks to the rotation of the rotary column 60T, which is equipped with support structures like the column 52T.

[0190] The loading of a new piece to be machined and the unloading of the finished piece takes place while the intermediate workstations process pieces that have already been loaded. The material exiting the center 60 is the assembled furniture item.

[0191] Specifically, to the input of the center 60 there converge: [0192] the ceiling panel, the bottom panel, and fixed machined shelves coming from processing line, [0193] reinforcement strips, [0194] left and right side panels machined by the center 52, [0195] back panels (e.g. coming from the storage via overhead conveyor), [0196] protective strips.

[0197] The workstations are (in the counterclockwise direction of the machining sequence): [0198] a workstation 64 receives a ceiling panel and a bottom panel from a loader 44, fed by the bays 30, 32 and a manipulator or robot 42, [0199] a workstation 66 receives guides or reinforcing strips from a loader 48, fed from the bay 34 and a manipulator or robot 42, [0200] a workstation 68 receives two machined side panels, left and right, from the workstation 56 of the center 52, [0201] a workstation 70 receives a back panel from a loader 50, fed from the bay 40 and a manipulator or robot 42 (e.g., coming from the storage via an overhead conveyor equipped with rocker-arms); [0202] a workstation 72 where the panels are assembled together to compose the compartment, and preferably the back panel is stapled and the bottom panel is drilled for installation of feet or sockets; [0203] a workstation 74 unloads an assembled furniture item on a line 16. For example, at the workstation 74, protective strips are mounted on the outside of the bottom panel.

[0204] The table 60T comprises supports, with, for example, clamps and/or arms equipped with suction cups, for receiving panels and accessories from outside the center 60 and securing them to it. As the table rotates and passes through the workstations 64, 66, 68, it acquires from the outside more and more panels and/or accessories for the furniture item, and machines them at the workstations 64, 66, 68, 70.

[0205] In an advantageous variant, the ceiling and bottom panels are machined in a workstation (not shown) before being fed into the center 60, e.g. to be drilled and dowel insertion.

[0206] The plant 22 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3,

[0207] In the illustrated example, the plant 22 is designed to produce a drawer consisting of the assembly of a set of panels, which can be joined together to form a cabinet shell delimiting a storage compartment. The set of panels comprises, for example, a front panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, two side panels (left and right), and reinforcing strips and/or linear guides and/or reinforcing rods (left and right) mounted between the front panel and the back panel.

[0208] In the drawer, the back panel and two side panels can be made of metal.

[0209] The various materials are taken from the storage 28 and arranged on different loading bays to reach machining centers.

[0210] The storage 10 feeds via pallet [0211] a storage bay 80 for the front panels, and [0212] a storage bay 82 for bottom panels.

[0213] By means of manipulators or robots, the material on the bay 80 is brought to a machining center 90, while the material on the bay 82 is brought to a machining center 110.

[0214] In particular, the machining center 90 (110) comprises a central table 92T (112T), rotatable about a vertical axis, which by rotating can move the workpieces to be machined between various workstations arranged circularly and coaxially around the table 92T (112T).

[0215] The table 92T and/or 112T is made e.g. like the table 52T or 62T.

[0216] For example, the centers 80, 110 can work in tandem, i.e. the output of the machining center 90 is an input of the machining center 110. Or (as in. FIG. 3) the centers 80, 110 work in parallel and both feed a final coupling line 130. wherein a pre-assembled front panel is coupled to the pre-assembled frame.

[0217] On or downstream of the line 130, a previously oriented reinforcing rod is also inserted on a percentage of drawers.

[0218] The drawers with and without reinforcement rod are then conveyed to automatic lines for the automatic insertion (by anthropomorphic robot) of the drawers inside the furniture item.

[0219] In particular, the machining center 90 only deals with machining the front panels. Among its various workstations, some workstations in tandem are indicated with a different reference: [0220] a workstation 96 receives the front panel, and [0221] a workstation 98 drills holes in the front panel, e.g. to create holes in which to mount longitudinal reinforcement rods and/or to insert hooks, and [0222] a workstation 100 drills holes in the front panel to create holes in which to mount reinforcing plates and/or attachments for assembly on the frame and/or the attachment, for inserting the front panel on the drawer, is inserted, and [0223] a workstation 102 unloads the machined front panel.

[0224] Specifically, the machining center 110 is responsible for assembling panels together to generate an assembled drawer frame. The various workstations (in the example, six) are: [0225] a workstation 140 loads and places the back panel of the drawer, [0226] a workstation 142 loads and places the right side panel, [0227] a workstation 144 loads and places the right side panel, [0228] a workstation 146 loads and places the bottom panel, [0229] a workstation 148 couples the components loaded by the previous workstations to generate an assembled drawer frame, [0230] a workstation 150 transfers the pre-assembled frame to the final coupling line 130.

[0231] It is understood that each workstation in the center 110 is fed by a line, although not illustrated for simplicity. As variants, each workstation 90, 110, 52, 60 may [0232] also have a different number or type of workstations, shown e.g. in FIG. 3 in dashed line, and/or [0233] integrate the functions or machining described above for two or more workstations into one workstation, or [0234] distribute over two or more workstations the functions or machining described above for one workstation.