Method and apparatus for mounting windshields on vehicles
First Claim
1. A process for the automatic positioning of a windshield for mounting a windshield in a windshield opening of a vehicle using an automatic windshield gripper carrying at least one sensor comprising the steps of:
- passing the windshield gripper carrying the said at least one sensor over the windshield opening across edges of the opening; and
, detecting said edges, using said at least one sensor, as said at least one sensor passes across said edges of said windshield opening.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Windshields are automatically mounted on automobiles on the assembly-line by advancing a gripping device carrying the windshield and associated position sensors relatively towards the automobile, moving the sensors over a windshield opening in the automobile body shell and across edges of the shell defining such opening to provide signals indicating the position of such edges. Such measurements take place firstly on a gross scale and subsequently on a fine scale along at least four axes during the mounting process. The gross position of the windshield opening is first detected using the gross sensors. Starting from a reference point determined in the course of the gross measurement, a gripping device is then moved towards the upper edge of the windshield opening until a first of two fine sensors moves across such upper edge when the gripping device is pivoted around the detected point until the second fine sensor also moves across the upper edge. The positions signalled by such sensors are used to calculate and compensate for a position error in the angular presentation of the window.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A process for the automatic positioning of a windshield for mounting a windshield in a windshield opening of a vehicle using an automatic windshield gripper carrying at least one sensor comprising the steps of:
- passing the windshield gripper carrying the said at least one sensor over the windshield opening across edges of the opening; and
, detecting said edges, using said at least one sensor, as said at least one sensor passes across said edges of said windshield opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- passing the windshield gripper carrying the said at least one sensor over the windshield opening across edges of the opening; and
-
6. A process for mounting a windshield into an opening in a frame of a vehicle having a windshield support groove with lateral, top and bottom end steps around said groove, and using a manipulator having a movable manipulator arm carrying a gripping device engageable with the windshield and having a plurality of gross sensors and fine sensors spaced around the windshield, comprising:
- using the gross sensors to control the manipulator arm to move the manipulator arm to position the gripping device to engage the windshield and to effect an initial positioning of the windshield in the opening to the frame, and thereafter using the fine sensors to control the manipulator arm to reposition the windshield in the frame.
- View Dependent Claims (7)
-
8. A device for mounting a windshield in a vehicle windshield opening and for attachment to a rotatable and pivotal manipulator arm, comprising:
- a combined gripping device and sensor holder engageable with the arm and being rotatable therewith and including at least one gross sensor carried by said gripping device; and
, at least two fine sensors, for detecting each edge of the windshield opening carried by said gripping device, positioned on a side of the gripping device which is for engagement with a side of the windshield and located at spaced locations from each other. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
- a combined gripping device and sensor holder engageable with the arm and being rotatable therewith and including at least one gross sensor carried by said gripping device; and
-
12. A process for positioning a windshield relative to a windshield opening including employing first and second sensors carried by a windshield gripper to measure the windshield opening;
- positioning the windshield using the windshield gripper in a centered position corresponding to the measured windshield opening;
moving the windshield gripper along the installation line over the opening carrying the first sensor across the edge of the opening to be measured;
transmitting an edge signal representing the position of the first sensor as it is carried across the edge;
moving the gripper further until a second sensor is carried across the edge of the opening to be measured;
transmitting an edge signal representing the position of the second sensor;
calculating, from the position signals transmitted, the distance of the sensors in a direction of motion resulting from the crooked position, this value representing the sine of the error angle relative to the distance between the sensors of the gripper;
evaluating the error angle to determine a correction factor for the position of the windshield. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
- positioning the windshield using the windshield gripper in a centered position corresponding to the measured windshield opening;
Specification