Apparatus for setting car body components in motorcar body assembling line

• US 5,123,161 A
• Filed: 07/11/1990
• Issued: 06/23/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Shigeru, Yamanobe, Tetsuro, Kubo, Takashi, Kushizaki, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Echols, P. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bryant, David P.
• Application Number:
  US07/556,700
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 29/771, 29/783, 29/784, 29/791, 29/795, 29/799, 29/822, 29/823, 29/824, 29/33 K, 29/33 P, 29/564, 228/4.1, 228/6.1, 228/47, 228/49.1, 219/79, 219/80, 219/86.24, 219/86.7, 219/158, 219/161
• US Class Current: 29/784
• 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: Y10T 29/5191 Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53313 Means to interrelatedly feed plural work parts from plural sources without manual intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53365 Multiple station assembly apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53435 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor

Abstract

An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line for setting car body components including a floor panel, a roof panel, and side panels on a set carrier in a predetermined positional relationship in a setting station at a starting end of the assembling line. The apparatus has a floor panel setting device for transporting a floor panel to, and setting it on, the set carrier; a pair of right and left side-panel setting devices for receiving a pair of right and left side panels which are transported to an upper position of the setting station by a hanger and for setting them on the set carrier; and a roof panel setting device for setting a roof panel between roof side rails of the right and left side panels which have been set on the set carrier. Each of the side panel setting devices includes a vertically moveable lifting frame, a device for vertically moving the lifting frame, a jig for positioning and holding the side panel, the jig being provided on the lifting frame so as to be advanced and retracted in a lateral direction such that the side panel is received from the hanger by lateral advancement and retraction of the jig at a lifted position of each of the lifting frames and that the side panel is set on the set carrier by lateral advancement and retraction of the jig at a lowered position of each of the lifting frames, and a device for advancing and retracting the jig in the lateral direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line for setting car body components including a floor panel, a roof panel, and side panels on a set carrier in a predetermined positional relationship in a setting station at a starting end of the assembling line, said apparatus comprising:

a floor panel setting device for transporting a floor panel to, and setting it on, the set carrier;

a pair of right and left side-panel setting devices for receiving a pair of right and left side panels which are transported to an upper position of the setting station by a hanger and for setting them on the set carrier; and

a roof panel setting device for setting a roof panel between roof side rails of said right and left side panels which have been set on the set carrier,

each of said side-panel setting devices including

(a) a vertically movable lifting frame,

(b) means for vertically moving said lifting frame,

(c) a jig for positioning and holding the side panel, said jig being provided on said lifting frame so as to be advanced and retracted in a lateral direction, such that the side panel is received from the hanger by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lifted position of said lifting frame and that the side panel is set on the set carrier by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lowered position of said lifting frame, and

(d) means for advancing and retracting said jig in the lateral direction,

said roof panel setting device being disposed in a laterally central portion at an upper part of the setting station, and

a charging device disposed on one side of the setting station, said charging device having a setting frame on which the roof panel is placed and which is movable to advance and retreat in a lateral direction facing the setting station such that the roof panel is received by said roof panel setting device via said setting frame, and means for moving said setting frame,

wherein said jig of each of said side panel setting devices is composed of a jig frame on which positioning members and a hanging member are provided, said positioning members being for respectively positioning the side panel in the longitudinal and lateral directions, said hanging member being for hanging the side panel at its roof side rail which is located at an upper part thereof,

wherein said lifting frame is provided with a sliding frame which is movable to laterally advance and retreat, and a means for moving said sliding frame, and

wherein said jig frame is supported by said sliding frame so as to be laterally tiltable about a longitudinal axis and said sliding frame includes means for tilting said jig frame.

2. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line according to claim 1, further comprising a dash board upper piece setting device and a rear tray piece setting device provided respectively in front of and at the rear of said roof panel setting device in the laterally central portion at the upper part of the setting station;

and wherein receiving portions for a rear tray piece and for a dash board upper piece are provided on said setting frame respectively in front of and at the rear of a receiving portion on which the roof panel is placed.

4. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line according to either of claims 1 or 3, wherein each said side panel setting device further includes means for moving said jig in the longitudinal direction.

3. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line for setting car body components including a floor panel, a roof panel, and side panels on a set carrier in a predetermined positional relationship in a setting station at a starting end of the assembling line, said apparatus comprising:

a floor panel setting device for transporting a floor panel to, and setting it on, the set carrier;

a pair of right and left side-panel setting devices for receiving a pair of right and left side panels which are transported to an upper position of the setting station by a hanger and for setting them on the set carrier; and

a roof panel setting device for setting a roof panel between roof side rails of said right and left side panels which have been set on the set carrier,

each of said side-panel setting devices including

(a) a vertically movable lifting frame,

(b) means for vertically moving said lifting frame,

(c) a jig for positioning and holding the side panel, said jig being provided on said lifting frame so as to be advanced and retracted in a lateral direction, such that the side panel is received from the hanger by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lifted position of said lifting frame and that the side panel is set on the set carrier by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lowered position of said lifting frame, and

(d) means for advancing and retracting said jig in the lateral direction,

said roof panel setting device being disposed in a laterally central portion at an upper part of the setting station;

an apparatus frame provided at a side upper portion of the setting station;

vertically elongate and vertically movable lifting bars provided on said apparatus frame;

means for vertically moving said lifting bars;

said lifting frames of said side-panel setting devices being supported by said lifting bars in a vertically movable manner; and

a charging device disposed on one side of the setting station, said charging device having a setting frame on which the roof panel is placed and which is movable to advance and retreat in a lateral direction facing the setting station such that the roof panel is received by said roof panel setting device via said setting frame, and means for moving said setting frame,

wherein said jig of each of said side-panel setting devices is composed of a jig frame on which positioning members and a hanging member are provided, said positioning members being for respectively positioning the side panel in the longitudinal and lateral directions, said hanging member being for hanging the side panel at its roof side rail which is located at an upper part thereof,

wherein said lifting frame is provided with a sliding frame which is movable to laterally advance and retreat, and a means for moving said sliding frame, and

wherein said jig frame is supported by said sliding frame so as to be laterally tiltable about a longitudinal axis and said sliding frame includes means for tilting said jig frame.

5. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line for setting car body components including a floor panel, a roof panel, and side panels on a set carrier in a predetermined positional relationship in a setting station at a starting end of the assembling line, said apparatus comprising:

a floor panel setting device for transporting a floor panel to, and setting it on, the set carrier;

a pair of right and left side-panel setting devices for receiving a pair of right and left side panels which are transported to an upper position of the setting station by a hanger and for setting them on the set carrier; and

a roof panel setting device for setting a roof panel between roof side rails of said right and left side panels which have been set on the set carrier,

each of said side-panel setting devices including

(a) a vertically movable lifting frame,

(b) means for vertically moving said lifting frame,

(c) a jig for positioning and holding the side panel, said jig being provided on said lifting frame so as to be advanced and retracted in a lateral direction, such that the side panel is received from the hanger by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lifted position of said lifting frame and that the side panel is set on the set carrier by lateral advancement and retraction of said jig at a lowered position of said lifting frame, and

(d) means for advancing and retracting said jig in the lateral direction,

said roof panel setting device being disposed in a laterally central portion at an upper part of the setting station, and

a charging device disposed on one side of the setting station, said charging device having a setting frame on which the roof panel is placed and which is movable to advance and retreat in a lateral direction facing the setting station such that the roof panel is received by said roof panel setting device via said setting frame, and means for moving said setting frame,

wherein said jig of each of said side panel setting devices is composed of a jig frame on which positioning members and a hanging member are provided, said positioning members being for respectively positioning the side panel in the longitudinal and lateral directions, said hanging member being for hanging the side panel at its roof side rail which is located at an upper part thereof, said hanging member comprising;

a laterally elongate guide piece for slidably supporting a flange portion at the bottom of the roof side rail of the side panel;

a clamping seat for receiving a side of the flange portion, said clamping seat being provided at a base end side of said guide piece;

a clamping member having a clamping piece which clamps the flange portion between said clamping piece and said clamping seat and which is movable to open and close in the longitudinal direction of said guide piece; and

means for moving said clamping piece to open and close;

wherein said lifting frame is provided with a sliding frame which is movable to laterally advance and retreat, and a means for moving said sliding frame, and

wherein said jig frame is supported by said sliding frame so as to be laterally tiltable about a longitudinal axis and said sliding frame includes means for tilting said jig frame.

6. An apparatus for use in a motorcar body assembling line according to claim 5, wherein confronting faces of said clamping seat and of said clamping piece are arcuate in their vertical cross sections, and project in a confronting direction relative to each other.