Automotive body transfer method and transfer system

• US 20090013524A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kodo, Taro, Kaneko, Katsumi, Uekusa, Chiyuki, Yamada, Minoru, Suzuki, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/824
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49998 Work holding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53543 including transporting track
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53548 and work carrying vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly

Abstract

An automotive body transfer method and a transfer system are provided in which, when carrying out handing over of a body (B) between transfer means (5, 6) and transferred-to means (3) in an automobile production process, one longitudinal half (Ja) of each of front and rear pairs of left and right jack-up brackets (J, J; J, J) formed in lower parts of left and right side sills (Bs, Bs) of the body (B) is supported by the transfer means (5, 6), and the other longitudinal half (Jb) of each of the jack-up brackets (J, J; J, J) is supported by the transferred-to means (3), thereby enabling the shape and structure of the transfer means and the transferred-to means to be simplified.

Claims

1. An automotive body transfer method when carrying out handing over of a body between transfer means and transferred-to means in an automobile production process, the method comprising:

supporting one longitudinal half of each of front and rear pairs of left and right jack-up brackets formed in lower pats of left and right side sills of the body by the transfer means and supporting the other longitudinal half of each of the jack-up brackets by the transferred to means, positioning the body supported by the transferred-to-means in a stationary assembly station, and carrying out bringing-in and taking-out of the body relative to the stationary assembly station by the transfer means and the transferred-to means.

4. The automotive body transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the body is provided with wheels and the lower face of the body is fixed and supported by the transferred-to-means in the stationary assembly station to enable parts to be mounted to an upper part of the body.

2. An automotive body transfer system for carrying out handing over of a body between transfer means and transferred-to means in an automobile production process,

characterized in that the transfer means is formed by mounting, on a carrier moving along a conveying direction of the body, front and rear pairs of left and right support arms capable of supporting one longitudinal half of each of front and rear pairs of left and right jack-up brackets formed in lower parts of left and right side sills of the body so that the support arms can pivot between a working position in which said one half is supported and a retracted position in which the support arms are moved back toward the inside of the body and so that the support arms can move up and down, and the transferred-to means comprises front and rear pairs of left and right transferred-to means disposed so as to be able to support the other longitudinal half of each of the jack-up brackets, and the body supported by the transferred-to means is positioned in a stationary assembly station, and brining-in and taking-out of the body relative to the stationary assembly station are carried out by the transfer means and the transferred-to means.

3. The automotive body transfer system according to claim 2,

wherein a longitudinal distance between the support arms is adjustable and a longitudinal distance between the transferred-to means is adjustable.

5. The automotive body transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the body is provided with wheels, and the lower face of the body is fixed and supported by the transferred-to means in the stationary assembly station to enable parts to be mounted to an upper part of the body.

6. The automotive body transfer system according to claim 3, wherein the body is provided with wheels, and the lower face of the body is fixed and supported by the transferred-to means in the stationary assembly station to enable parts to be mounted to an upper part of the body.