Plant for Assembling Mechanical Parts on Bodies of Motor-Vehicles

• US 20110154654A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Cardani, Sergio, Rumiano, Guido, Putiri, Angelo
• Granted Patent: US 9,045,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/795
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/06 Screw or nut setting or loosening machines
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• 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 65/12 the sub-units or components being suspensions, brakes or wheel units
• 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 29/53417 Means to fasten work parts together

Abstract

A plant for assembling mechanical parts on bodies of motor-vehicles comprises an endless conveying line and a plurality of pallets movable along the conveying line, each receiving mechanical parts of the motor-vehicle along a first section of the line. Means for loading a respective motor-vehicle body on a respective pallet at a loading station, located at the beginning of a second section of the conveying line, downstream of the abovementioned first section with reference direction of movement of the pallets are provided. At least one bolting station for bolting the mechanical parts on the respective body along the abovementioned second section is provided. The abovementioned second section of the line is superimposed to the first section and aligned therewith, so that the pallets move along a closed loop in a vertical plane, moving along the upper section in a direction opposite to their direction of movement along the lower section.

Claims

1. Plant for assembling mechanical parts on motor-vehicle bodies, comprising:

an endless conveying line;

a plurality of pallets movable along the conveying line, each receiving a number of mechanical parts of the motor-vehicle along a first section of the conveying line;

means for loading a respective motor-vehicle body on a respective pallet at a loading station (MX), located in proximity of the beginning of a second section of the conveying line, downstream of the first section with reference to the direction of movement of the pallets;

at least one bolting station arranged in the second section of the conveying line and provided with means for bolting the mechanical parts to the body; and

means for unloading the respective body with the mechanical parts bolted thereon in proximity of the end of the second section of the conveying line, wherein the second section of the conveying line is superimposed and spaced apart above the first section, and aligned therewith, so that the pallets move along a closed loop arranged in a vertical plane, the pallets being moved along the upper second section in a direction opposite to their direction of movement along the lower first section,

the plant comprises a lifting station for lifting a respective pallet from the end of the lower first section to the beginning of the upper second section and a lowering station for lowering a respective pallet from the terminal end of the upper second section to the beginning of the first lower section, and

the bolting means are provided along the lower first section of the line, below the at least one bolting station provided along the upper second section, for bolting the mechanical parts to the respective motor-vehicle body.

2. Plant according to claim 1, wherein each pallet is provided with locating means for positioning thereon the mechanical parts to be bolted to a respective body, the locating means being adaptable to different types of motor-vehicles.

3. Plant according to claim 2, wherein at least part of the locating means for positioning the mechanical parts are carried by one or more sub-pallets.

4. Plant according to claim 3, wherein each pallet is provided with a front sub-pallet and a rear sub-pallet.

5. Plant according to claim 1, wherein the bolting means comprises manually controllable bolting devices.

6. Plant according to claim 1, wherein the bolting means comprises bolting devices carried by programmable manipulating robots.

7. Plant according to claim 1, wherein the pallets are provided with vertical transmission shafts freely rotatable on the respective pallet and passing through the pallet, each of the shafts having a lower end engageable by the bolting means and an upper end bearing a screw for bolting a respective mechanical part to a respective body.

8. Plant according to claim 4, wherein the lower section of the line includes one or more stations for loading and/or unloading the sub-pallets on a base element of the pallet.

9. Plant according to claim 8, wherein the stations for loading and/or unloading the sub-pallets are provided with means for supplying the sub-pallets to the line, in which the sub-pallets are preliminarily loaded off-line with mechanical parts supported thereon.

10. Plant according to claim 1, wherein at the loading station, in which a respective body is associated to a respective pallet with the mechanical parts mounted thereon, there are arranged manipulating robots for holding some mechanical parts in a proper position for assembling on the body.