Method for controlling a system for measuring a vehicle gap or step

• US 10,259,515 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Park, Sangkyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Afzali, Sarang
• Application Number:
  US15/617,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20170267300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/00 Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/005 Inspection and final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for measuring a vehicle gap or step, where a vehicle body to which a hood, a door, and a trunk lid are assembled is seated on a carrier and moved along transfer lines. The system may be installed over the transfer lines and may include one or more door regulating units attached between the vehicle body and the door, upper rails in both sides above a workplace corresponding to the transfer lines, a moving frame movable below the upper rails, a forward/backward moving unit above the moving frame, a horizontal moving unit to move installation frames, a vertical moving unit in the installation frames to reciprocally move a sliding plate upwardly and downwardly, a measurement module movable and rotatable to measure the gap or the step, and an electronic tag on a roof of the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a system for measuring a vehicle gap or a step, wherein a vehicle body to which a hood, a door, and a trunk lid are assembled is seated on a carrier and moved along parallel transfer lines, and the system is installed over the parallel transfer lines to measure a gap or step between the vehicle body, the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid, the method comprising the following operations in recited order:

a1) moving and entering the vehicle body seated on the carrier along the parallel transfer lines;

a2) recognizing a vehicle type of the vehicle body entered along the parallel transfer lines based on information transmitted to a controller and information transmitted from an electronic tag to a wireless input/output terminal and eliminating the gap or step with respect to a pre-set portion of the door through a door regulating unit attached to the door;

b) determining whether a measurement position of the gap or step between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid has been checked while a forward/backward moving unit, a horizontal moving unit, a vertical moving unit, and a measurement module are on standby;

c) arranging for operations of the respective moving units and the measurement module according to the checked state of the gap or step measurement position of the vehicle body, measuring the gap or the step between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid, and determining whether the measurement value is identical to a pre-set value inputted to the controller; and

d) inputting, by an operator, the gap or step measurement value of the vehicle body to an electronic tag attached to the vehicle body through the wireless input/output terminal, selectively transferring the vehicle body according to the measurement value, and terminating the control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation a2) comprises:

placing the door having the door regulating unit attached thereto and installed to be freely rotatable in the vehicle body in a reference position as a home position, and eliminating the gap or step with respect to the pre-set portion of the door.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation b) comprises:

setting the respective moving units and the measurement module on standby;

determining by the controller whether the gap or step measurement position between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid has been checked; and

when the gap or step measurement position of the vehicle body has not been checked, returning to the setting of the respective moving units and the measurement module on standby.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation c) comprises:

when the checking of the gap or step measurement position of the vehicle body is completed, arranging for the operations of the respective moving units and the measurement module;

moving the respective moving units along the vehicle body according to the gap or step measurement position of the vehicle body to move the measurement module, and measuring the gap or step of the vehicle body through operations of respective rotary motors and a sensor, and

comparing the gap or step measurement value between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid measured by the measurement module with the pre-set value inputted to the controller to determine whether the measurement value is identical to the pre set value inputted to the controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor includes a vision sensor and outputs the sensed measurement value to the controller.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation d) comprises:

when the gap or step measurement value between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid measured through the measurement module is not identical to the pre-set value, determining that the vehicle body is defective, inputting, by the operator, the measurement value to the electronic tag through the wireless input/output terminal, transferring the vehicle body as rejected goods, and terminating the control; and

when the gap or step measurement value between the vehicle body and the hood, the door, and/or the trunk lid measured through the measurement module is identical to the pre-set value, determining that the vehicle body is qualified, inputting, by the operator, the measurement value to the electronic tag through the wireless input/output terminal, transferring the vehicle body as passed goods, and terminating the control.