System and Method For Assembling Motor-Vehicle Body Structures or Sub Assemblies Thereof

• US 20080105733A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Monti, Denny, Bovero, Damiano
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/178
• 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 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G

Abstract

Motor-vehicle bodies or sub-assemblies thereof are assembled in a welding-assembly station with the aid of frames arranged at the two sides of the conveying line that traverses the station, said frames being provided with fixtures for locating and clamping the various parts of the body. The side frames are moved between their operative position in the station and an inoperative position at a distance from the station with the aid of multi-axis manipulating robots. Said robots, however, do not carry the frames up to their final operative position for assembling the body, but rather unload them on two rigid structures, which are prearranged at the two sides of the line and are movable in a transverse direction with respect thereto between an open condition and a closed condition. The movable structures, once they have received the frames from the robots in their open condition, displace into their closed condition, thus carrying the frames into their final operative position.

Claims

1. A system for assembling motor-vehicle body structures or sub-assemblies thereof of the type comprising:

a welding assembly station;

a conveying line, for carrying at least part of the structures to be assembled to the assembly station and for carrying the assembled structures out of the assembly station;

at least one pair of frames equipped with locating and clamping fixtures, which can be positioned in the welding station, at the two sides of the line, for locating in position and clamping the body to be assembled;

welding means, for assembling the structure located in position and clamped in the assembly or framing station; and

one or more manipulating robots, for transferring each of said locating and clamping frames between an operative position in the assembly station and an inoperative position, remote with respect to the assembly station,

said system being wherein, in the assembly station, at the two sides of the conveying line, are prearranged two rigid structures, which are movable in a transverse direction with respect to the conveying line between an open position, in which said structures are set at a greater distance from one another, and a closed position, in which said structures are set closer to one another; and

in that each of said rigid structures is provided with coupling means for receiving and supporting a respective locating and clamping side frame in the welding-assembly station.

2. The assembly system according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means provided on each rigid structure, which is movable in a transverse direction, are pre-arranged for locating in position a respective side frame with respect to the rigid supporting structure.

3. The assembly system according to claim 2, wherein said coupling means provided on each transversely movable rigid structure are also pre-arranged for supporting the weight of the respective side frame.

4. The assembly system according to claim 3, wherein the rigid supporting structure is provided with supports, against which a frame, received on top of said structure, is pressed when it is subjected to a transverse force across the conveying line and directed towards the outside of the welding-assembly station.

5. The assembly system according to claim 2, wherein said coupling means comprise at least two coupling devices, pre-arranged on each rigid structure in positions at a distance apart, each coupling device defining a coupling cavity open upwards for receiving a pin projecting downwards from a bracket of the locating and clamping side frame.

6. The assembly system according to claim 5, wherein the coupling space of at least one of the coupling devices is defined between four wheels, mounted so that they are free to turn on said rigid structure and arranged crosswise, so that said wheels are set in twos facing one another and mounted on mutually parallel horizontal shafts, the shafts of one pair being orthogonal to the shafts of the other pair and arranged therewith in one and the same horizontal plane so that the engagement of the pin projecting downwards carried by the frame within the space between the wheels locates precisely the position of the frame with respect to the rigid structure in the direction of the line and in a horizontal direction orthogonal thereto.

7. The assembly system according to claim 6, wherein the coupling pin projects downwards starting from a horizontal surface carried by said bracket that is designed to rest on said wheels, so as to discharge on the rigid structure the weight of the frame and locate precisely the position of the frame with respect to the rigid structure in the vertical direction.

8. The assembly system according to claim 1, wherein each of said rigid transversely movable structures comprises a base that is movable on rails and a pair of rigid columns that rise upwards from the base and that have top ends, which are not connected to one another and carry the aforesaid coupling means.

9. The assembly system according to claim 1, wherein adjacent to the welding station are provided stationary structures for supporting the side frames that are prearranged each with coupling means for receiving, supporting, and locating in position at least one side frame, said coupling means being identical to the coupling means pre-arranged transversely on said rigid movable structures.

10. The assembly system according to claim 9, wherein each of said stationary structures for supporting the frames in their inoperative position comprises a fixed base and a pair of rigid columns that rise upwards from the base and that have top ends not connected to one another and carrying the aforesaid coupling means.

11. A method for assembling motor-vehicle body structures or sub-assemblies thereof, which comprises:

prearranging a welding assembly station;

carrying in succession to the welding-assembly station at least part of the structures to be assembled;

positioning at least one pair of frames equipped with locating and clamping fixtures, in the welding-assembly station, at the two sides of the line, for locating in position and clamping the bodies to be assembled; and

once welding is completed, carrying the welded body out of the station,

in which said locating and clamping frames are displaced between an operative position in the assembly station and an inoperative position, remote with respect to the assembly station, by means of one or more manipulating robots,

said method being characterized in that;

prearranged in the assembly station, at the two sides of the conveying line, are two rigid structures which are movable in a transverse direction with respect to the conveying line between an open position, in which said structures are set at a greater distance from one another, and a closed position, in which said structures are set closer to one another;

each of said rigid structures is provided with coupling means for receiving, supporting, and locating in position a respective locating and clamping side frame in the welding station;

said manipulating robots are used for transferring the side frames between their inoperative position and a position of accommodation on said rigid structures, when the latter are in their open condition; and

it is said rigid structures that carry the respective side frames into their final operative position by means of a movement from their open condition to their closed condition.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each rigid supporting structure is provided with supports, against which a frame, received on top of said structure, is pressed when it is subjected to a transverse force across the conveying line and directed towards the outside of the welding station.