Method of assembling automotive body and body panels, apparatus for removing and installing body panels, and feed jig for feeding body panels
First Claim
1. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
- (a) alternately feeding an automotive body with body panels removably installed thereon and a feed jig on which the body panels can removably be installed thereon, along a first feed path;
(b) feeding the feed jig and removing the body panels from the automotive body while they are being fed along the first feed path and installing the body panels on the feed jig which is fed upstream of the automotive body along the first feed path;
(c) coating the automotive body from which the body panels have been removed and the body panels which have been installed on the feed jig;
(d) alternately feeding the automotive body which has been coated and the feed jig on which the coated body panels have been installed, along a second feed path with the automotive body being positioned upstream of the feed jig; and
(e) feeding the automobile body and removing the body panels from the feed jig while they are being fed along the second feed path and installing the removed body panels on the automotive body which is fed upstream of the feed jig along the second feed path.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automotive body and body panels such as an engine hood, a trunk lid, and doors are assembled together along an assembling line. The automotive body with the body panels removably installed thereon and a feed jig on which the body panels can removably be installed thereon, are alternately fed along a first feed path. Then, the body panels are removed from the automotive body while they are being fed along the first feed path and the body panels are installed on the feed jig which is fed upstream of the automotive body along the first feed path. The automotive body from which the body panels have been removed and the body panels which have been installed on the feed jig are thereafter coated. Thereafter, the coated automotive body and the coated body panels are fed along a second feed path. The body panels are removed from the feed jig while they are being fed along the second feed path and the removed body panels are installed on the automotive body which is also fed along the second feed path. The feed jig is arranged to install the body panels thereon with fasteners which are used to install the body panels on the automotive body.
25 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
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(a) alternately feeding an automotive body with body panels removably installed thereon and a feed jig on which the body panels can removably be installed thereon, along a first feed path; (b) feeding the feed jig and removing the body panels from the automotive body while they are being fed along the first feed path and installing the body panels on the feed jig which is fed upstream of the automotive body along the first feed path; (c) coating the automotive body from which the body panels have been removed and the body panels which have been installed on the feed jig; (d) alternately feeding the automotive body which has been coated and the feed jig on which the coated body panels have been installed, along a second feed path with the automotive body being positioned upstream of the feed jig; and (e) feeding the automobile body and removing the body panels from the feed jig while they are being fed along the second feed path and installing the removed body panels on the automotive body which is fed upstream of the feed jig along the second feed path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing body panels from an automotive body on which said body panels have been removably installed; (b) thereafter, coating said automotive body and said body panels; (c) installing the coated body panels again on the coated automotive body; and said step (a) comprising the steps of;
alternately feeding the automotive body with the body panels installed thereon and a feed jig on which the body panels can removably be installed thereon, along a feed path, with the feed jig being positioned upstream of the automotive body, removing the body panels from the automotive body and holding the removed body panels in a body panel removal station on said feed path, introducing said feed jig into said body panel removal station, and installing the body panels, which have been held in said body panel removal station, on said feed jig which is introduced into said body panel removal station, following the automotive body. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing body panels from an automotive body on which said body panels have been removably installed; (b) thereafter, treating said automotive body and said body panels; (c) installing said body panels removably on a feed jig; (d) thereafter, installing said body panels again on the treated automotive body; and said step (d) comprising the steps of;
alternately feeding the feed jig on which the body panels have been installed and the automotive body from which the body panels have been removed, along a feed path, with the automotive body being positioned upstream of the feed jig, removing the body panels from the feed jig and holding the removed body panels in a body panel removal station on said feed path, and installing the body panels, which have been held in said body panel removal station, on said automotive body which is introduced into said body panel removal station, following the feed jig. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing body panels from an automotive body on which said body panels have been removably installed; (b) installing the removed body panels on sides of a feed jig at spaced intervals along and substantially parallel to a feeding direction in which the feed jig will be fed, said body panels being angularly movable on said feed jig about axes along said feeding direction; (c) thereafter, coating said automotive body and said body panels, while said body panels are being fed with said feed jig; (d) installing the coated body panels again on the coated automotive body; and said step (c) comprising the steps of;
feeding the body panels installed on said feed jig on a body panel feed path along said axes, together with said feed jig along a body panel feed path, turning said body panels about said axes until the body panels are oriented substantially vertically with inner panel surfaces thereof facing outwardly with respect to said feed jig, thereafter coating said inner panel surfaces of the body panels laterally with a coating robot which is positioned alongside of said body panel feed path, thereafter turning said body panels about said axes until the body panels lie substantially horizontaly with outer panel surfaces thereof facing upwardly and thereafter coating the outer panel surfaces of the body panels, from above, with a reciprocator which is positioned above the body panel feed path. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels, comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing body panels from an automotive body on which said body panels have been removably installed; (b) installing the removed body panels on sides of a feed jig at spaced intervals along and substantially parallel to a feeding direction in which the feed jig will be fed, said body panels being angularly movable on said feed jig about axes along said feeding direction; (c) thereafter, coating said automotive body and said body panels, while said body panels are being fed with said feed jig; (d) installing the coated body panels again on the coated automotive body; and said step (c) comprising the steps of;
feeding the body panels installed on said feed jig on a body panel feed path along said axes, together with said feed jig along a body panel feed path turning said body panels about said axes until the body panels lie substantially horizontally with inner panel surfaces thereof facing upwardly, thereafter coating said inner panel surfaces of the body panels, from above, with a first reciprocator which is positioned above said body panel feed path, thereafter turning said body panels about said axes until the body panels lie substantially horizontally with outer panel surfaces thereof facing upwardly, and thereafter coating the outer panel surfaces of the body panels, from above, with a second reciprocator which is positioned above the body panel feed path. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of assembling an automotive body and body panels including an engine hood, a trunk lid, and doors, comprising the steps of:
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(a) removing body panels from an automotive body on which said body panels have been removably installed; (b) installing the removed body panels on sides of a feed jig while substantially maintaining the same posture and relative positional relationship of the body panels as they are installed on the automotive body, with the engine hood and the trunk lid being positioned at substantially the same height as the uppermost ends of the doors installed on the feed jig; (c) thereafter, coating said automotive body and said body panels, while said body panels are being fed with said feed jig; (d) installing the coated body panels again on the coated automotive body; and said step (c) comprising the steps of;
feeding the feed jig on which the body panels are installed and the automotive along a common feed path, laterally coating side surfaces of the automotive body and faces of the doors installed on the feed jig while the automotive body and the body panels are being fed along said feed path, and coating an upper surface of the automotive body and faces of the engine hood and the trunk lid installed on the feed jig, from above, while the automotive body and the body panels are being fed along said feed path.
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15. An apparatus for removing and installing body panels from and on an automotive body on an assembling line for assembling the automotive body and the body panels together, the body panels including an engine hood, a trunk lid, and doors, said assembling line including a removal zone wherein the body panels are removed from the automotive body on which the body panels have been removably installed, and removably installed on a feed jig, a treating zone wherein the automotive body and the removed body panels are treated, and an installation zone wherein the treated body panels are removed from the feed jig and installed again on the automotive body, said apparatus being operable to remove the body panels from one of the automotive body and the feed jig and install the removed body panels on the other in said removal zone or said installation zone, said apparatus comprising:
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a pair of door mounting means disposed on opposite lateral sides of said feed jig, for removably mounting the doors in substantially the same posture as they are installed on the automotive body; engine hood mounting means and trunk lid mounting means disposed on front and rear portions of said feed jig, for removably mounting the engine hood and the trunk lid, respectively, in substantially the same posture as they are installed on the automotive body; a feed path for intermittently feeding the feed jig and the automotive body therealong, with one of the feed jig and the automotive body, on which the body panels are installed, being positioned downstream of the other; a door removing and installing station, an engine hood removing and installing station, and a trunk lid removing and installing station, which are disposed on said feed path, for positioning the feed jig and the automotive body successively therein; door removing and installing devices, disposed on opposite sides of said feed path in said door removing and installing station and movable toward positions where the doors will be installed in a vertical posture on the feed jig and the automotive body, for removing the doors from one of the feed jig and the automotive body which is positioned in said door removing and installing station, while maintaining the posture of the doors, and installing the removed doors on the other of the feed jig and the automotive body while maintaining the posture of the doors; an engine hood removing and installing device, disposed above said feed path in said engine hood removing and installing station and vertically movable toward a position where the engine hood will be installed in a horizontal posture on the feed jig and the automotive body, for removing the engine hood from one of the feed jig and the automotive body which is positioned in the engine hood removing and installing station, while maintaining the posture of the engine hood, and installing the removed engine hood on the other of the feed jig and the automotive body while maintaining the posture of the engine hood; and a trunk lid removing and installing device, disposed above said feed path in said trunk lid removing and installing station and vertically movable toward a position where the trunk lid will be installed in a horizontal posture on the feed jig and the automotive body, for removing the trunk lid from one of the feed jig and the automotive body which is positioned in the trunk lid removing and installing station, while maintaining the posture of the trunk lid and installing the removed trunk lid on the other of the feed jig and the automotive body while maintaining the posture of the trunk lid. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A feed jig for feeding body panels including at least an engine hood, a trunk lid, and doors, on an assembling line for assembling the body panels and an automotive body together, said assembling line including a removal zone wherein the body panels are removed from the automotive body on which the body panels have been removably installed, a coating zone wherein the automotive body and the removed body panels are coated, and an installation zone wherein the coated body panels are installed again on the coated automotive body, said feed jig being operable to install the body panels which have been removed from the automotive body in said removal zone, and being fed in said coating zone while installing the body panels thereon, said feed jig comprising:
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at least engine hood mounting means, trunk lid mounting means, and a pair of door mounting means, for removably mounting thereon the engine hood, the trunk lid, and the doors, respectively, at spaced intervals and substantially parallel to a feeding direction in which the feed jig is fed in said coating zone; a pair of shafts angularly movable about their own axes and disposed respectively on opposite lateral sides of and parallel to the feeding direction; and said door mounting means being disposed on the opposite lateral sides and coupled for rotation with said shafts, respectively, said engine hood mounting means being coupled for rotation with one of said shafts forwardly of the door mounting means coupled to said one shaft with respect to said feeding direction, and said trunk lid mounting means being coupled for rotation with one of said shafts rearwardly of the door mounting means coupled to said last-mentioned one shaft with respect to said feeding direction. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A feed jig for feeding body panels including at least an engine hood, a trunk lid, and doors, on an assembling line for assembling the body panels and an automotive body together, said assembling line including a removal zone wherein the body panels are removed from the automotive body on which the body panels have been removably installed, a coating zone wherein the automotive body and the removed body panels are coated, and an installation zone wherein the coated body panels are installed again on the coated automotive body, said feed jig being operable to install the body panels which have been removed from the automotive body in said removal zone, and being fed in said coating zone while installing the body panels thereon, said feed jig comprising:
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at least engine hood mounting means, trunk lid mounting means, and a pair of door mounting means, for removably mounting thereon the engine hood, the trunk lid, and the doors, respectively, at spaced intervals and substantially parallel to a feeding direction in which the feed jig is fed in said coating zone; and said door mounting means being disposed on the opposite lateral sides and said engine hood mounting means and said trunk lid mounting means being disposed in front and rear positions, respectively, with said door mounting means interposed therebetween, said engine hood, trunk lid, and door mounting means being angularly movable about shafts extending along said feeding direction. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification