Apparatus for manipulating a vehicle body panel

• US 20050008469A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jung, Jae Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/729
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0052 multiple gripper units or multiple end effectors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/02 Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/06 the sub-units or components being doors, windows, openable roofs, lids, bonnets, or weather strips or seals therefor assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts, e.g. doors, windows B60J10/45
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/90 Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/91 incorporating pneumatic, e.g. suction, grippers

Abstract

Manipulating a vehicle body panel includes utilizing a base plate, left and right screw rods, a motor, and clamping units. The base plate is connected to the arm of the robot. The left and right screw rods are rotatably mounted below the base plate by bearing blocks and each of the screw rods has a driven helical gear at an interior end thereof. The motor is disposed central to and above the base plate and has a rotating shaft. A driving helical gear is formed at an end of the rotating shaft and is engaged with both of the driven helical gears. The clamping units are respectively mounted to the left and right screw rods by a screw block. The clamping units clamp the vehicle body panel by laterally moving with respect to the base plate and move the vehicle body panel up and down.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manipulating a vehicle body panel, the apparatus being mounted to an arm of a robot for moving a vehicle body panel to a required mounting position of a vehicle body, the apparatus comprising:

a base plate connected to an arm of a robot;

left and right screw rods rotatably mounted below the base plate by bearing blocks, each of the screw rods having a driven helical gear at an interior end thereof;

a motor disposed central to and above the base plate and having a rotating shaft of which an end has a driving helical gear engaged with both of the driven helical gears of the left and right screw rods; and

a clamping unit for clamping the vehicle body panel by laterally moving with respect to the base plate, and for moving the vehicle body panel up and down, the clamping unit being mounted to each of the left and right screw rods by a screw block.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a suction unit for holding the vehicle body panel, the suction unit being adjacent and interior to the clamping unit and also being below the base plate; and

a gap adjusting unit for adjusting a gap between the vehicle body and the vehicle body panel, the gap adjusting unit being adjacent and interior to the clamping unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor is a servo motor whose revolution speed is controllable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamping unit comprises:

a guide rail mounted by the screw block to each of the left and right screw rods;

a clamp mounted to the guide rail such that the clamp can slide up and down with respect to the guide rail; and

an up/down cylinder for moving the clamp up and down, the up/down cylinder being disposed to a rear end of the guide rail and being connected to the clamp through an up/down piston.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the clamp has an inner side that is fork-shaped such that the vehicle body panel is inserted thereinto.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the suction unit comprises:

a mounting bracket mounted downward at the base plate; and

a suction cup for holding a surface of the vehicle body panel, the suction cup being installed at an end of the mounting bracket.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gap adjusting unit comprises:

an adjusting cylinder mounted downward from the base plate; and

an adjusting jig mounted to an end of an adjusting piston of the adjusting cylinder such that the gap between the vehicle body and the vehicle body panel is adjusted by the adjusting jig.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the adjusting jig comprises an inclined surface for adjusting a gap between the vehicle body and the vehicle body panel by being inserted therebetween.