MOTOR VEHICLE BODY FRAMING APPARATUS

• US 20080116247A1
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comau LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Comau Incorporated (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Kilibarda, Velibor
• Granted Patent: US 7,677,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/212
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/0443 Jigs

Abstract

A motor vehicle body framing apparatus located at a welding station of a motor vehicle assembly line for use in precisely positioning body panels arriving at the welding station for welding. The apparatus includes a base structure positioned at the welding station and having a longitudinal extent in the direction of body panel movement and a transverse extent; a parking structure upstanding vertically from the base structure on either side of the welding station and each defining parking devices; and a pair of longitudinal side gates each carrying tooling fixtures for engagement with body side panels and each including parking devices operative in coaction with the parking devices on the upstanding parking structures to precisely position the gates on the parking structure and thereby precisely position the tooling fixtures relative to the body panels. A plurality of sets of gates each having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding respectively to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles are provided and the sets of gates are selectively interchanged utilizing the coacting parking devices so as to readily exchange tooling fixtures to accommodate the plurality of body styles being produced on the assembly line.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle body framing apparatus located at a welding station for use in precisely positioning a plurality of body panel sets, corresponding respectively to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles, at the welding station for welding, the apparatus including:

a plurality of sets of gates each having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding respectively to the plurality of motor vehicle body styles and each having identical parking devices; and

a plurality of parking structures positioned at the welding station and each having a parking device operative in coaction with a gate parking device to precisely position the respective gate at the welding station.

2. A framing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each parking structure includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced pillars and a parking device positioned on top of each pillar for coaction with the parking devices on the respective gates.

3. A framing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the parking devices coact to position the gates in X (longitudinal), Y (transverse) and Z (vertical) coordinates.

4. A framing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:

each pillar parking device includes a set of rollers arranged in a circumferential array to define an opening therebetween; and

each gate parking device includes a pilot pin sized to fit in an opening of a respective pillar parking device.

5. A framing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein:

each set of rollers includes a pair of longitudinally spaced rollers arranged for rotation about vertical axes and a pair of vertically spaced rollers arranged for rotation about longitudinal axes; and

each pilot pin extends transversely into a respective opening.

6. A framing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein:

each set of rollers comprises a first inboard set of rollers;

each pillar parking device further includes an outboard set of rollers arranged to define an outboard opening therebetween; and

each gate parking device further includes a transversely extending guide plate sized to slide transversely into the outboard opening between an outboard set of rollers.

7. A body framing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each outboard set of rollers includes vertically spaced upper and lower rollers rotatable about longitudinal axes.

8. A body framing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein each pillar parking device further includes an arm positioned outboard of a respective outboard roller set and arranged for pivotal movement between a rest position allowing entry of a respective guide plate into a respective outboard opening and a lock position abuttingly engaging an outboard edge of a guide plate to preclude inadvertent displacement of the respective gate out of its parked position.

9. A motor vehicle body framing apparatus located at a welding station for use in precisely positioning body panels arriving at the welding station for welding, the apparatus including:

a base structure positioned at the welding station and having a longitudinal extent in the direction of body panel movement and a transverse extent;

a parking structure upstanding vertically from the base structure on either side of the welding station and each defining parking devices; and

a pair of longitudinal side gates each carrying tooling fixtures for engagement with body side panels and each including parking devices operative in coaction with the parking devices on the upstanding parking structures to precisely position the gates on the parking structure and thereby precisely position the tooling fixtures relative to the body panels.

10. A framing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each parking structure includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced pillars upstanding from the base structure and a parking device positioned on top of each pillar for coaction with the parking devices on the respective gates.

11. A framing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the parking devices coact to position the gates in X (longitudinal), Y (transverse) and Z (vertical) coordinates.

12. A framing apparatus according to claim 11 wherein:

each pillar parking device includes a set of rollers arranged in a circumferential array to define an opening therebetween; and

each gate parking device includes a pilot pin sized to fit in an opening of a respective pillar parking device.

13. A framing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein:

each set of rollers includes a pair of longitudinally spaced rollers arranged for rotation about vertical axes and a pair of vertically spaced rollers arranged for rotation about longitudinal axes; and

each pilot pin extends transversely into a respective opening.

14. A framing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

each set of rollers comprises a first inboard set of rollers;

each pillar parking device further includes an outboard set of rollers arranged to define an outboard opening therebetween; and

each gate parking device further includes a transversely extending guide plate sized to slide transversely into the outboard opening between an outboard set of rollers.

15. A body framing apparatus according to claim 14 wherein each outboard set of rollers includes vertically spaced upper and lower rollers rotatable about longitudinal axes.

16. A body framing apparatus according to claim 15 wherein each pillar parking device further includes an arm positioned outboard of a respective outboard roller set and arranged for pivotal movement between a rest position allowing entry of a respective guide plate into a respective outboard opening and a lock position abuttingly engaging an outboard edge of a guide plate to preclude inadvertent displacement of the respective gate out of its parked position.

17. For use at a welding station on a motor vehicle body assembly line, a method of accurately positioning a plurality of body panel sets, corresponding respectively to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles, at the welding station for welding, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of sets of gates each having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding respectively to the plurality of motor vehicle body styles and each having identical parking devices;

providing a plurality of parking structures at the welding station each having a parking device operative in coaction with a gate parking device to precisely position the respective gate at the welding station;

positioning a first set of gates having tooling fixtures corresponding to a first motor vehicle body style on the parking structures to facilitate the positioning and welding of body panels of the first motor vehicle body style; and

removing the first set of gates from the parking structures and positioning a second set of gates having tooling fixtures corresponding to a second motor vehicle body style on the parking structures to facilitate the positioning and welding of the body panels of the second motor vehicle body style.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the coacting parking devices are operative to precisely position the gates at the welding station in X (longitudinal), Y (transverse), and Z (vertical) coordinates.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of sets of gates include a third set of gates having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding to a third motor vehicle body style. X

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the plurality of sets of gates includes a fourth set of gates having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding to a fourth motor vehicle body style.