Device for spot-welding of motor-vehicle bodies or subassemblies thereof

• US 6,008,471 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Alborante, Giancarlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEY, ANJAN K
• Application Number:
  US09/030,801
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 219/158, 219/86.24, 219/86.41, 228/6.1
• US Class Current: 219/158
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/047 moving work to adjust its position between soldering, welding or cutting steps B23K37/053 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

There is described a welding station for motor-vehicle bodies or subassemblies thereof in which the body side panels are engaged during welding by locking devices arranged in the space between the body sides and carried by two locating gates which are rigidly connected to each other by means of quick coupling means.

Claims

1. Device for spot-welding of motor-vehicle bodies or subassemblies thereof, comprising:

a welding station provided with programmable means for electric spot welding,

conveyor means for transporting at least part of the structure to be welded to the welding station and for transporting the structure after that has been welded out of the welding station,

at least one pair of locating gates arranged on two opposite sides of the welding station, provided with locating and locking means for holding the component element of the structure to be welded in the proper welding position, while welding is being carried out, said gates being movable towards and away form each other, between an inoperative mutually spaced condition, in which said locating and locking devices are disengaged from the structure to be welded, and an operative mutually close condition, in which said locating and locking devices are able to engage the structure to be welded,

and in which each locating gate forms an independent unit, with a base part movably mounted at the welding station and an upper part which extends upwardly from the base part,

wherein the locating gates of the pair of locating gates have portions of their upper parts which are adjacent to each other in the said operative condition of the locating gates and are provided with quick coupling means for rigidly and directly connecting the two gates to each other in the said operation condition, and

wherein in the said operative mutually close condition, each locating gate has at least one part arranged around the body to be welded, in a plane located beyond the respective body side, in close proximity to the longitudinal median plane of the body, so that this portion can be rigidly connected to the corresponding portion of the other locating gate by means of said quick coupling means.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein in the said operative condition, the locating and locking devices carried by the said portion of each locating gate engage a respective side panel of the body from the inner side thereof.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the said electric spot welding programmable means are robots provided with electric spot welding heads and at least some of said robots are arranged at the two sides of the welding station and are movable in synchronism with the locating gates between a spaced condition and a mutually close condition when the gates are moved from their inoperative condition to their operative condition.

4. Devices according to claim 1, wherein a number of pairs of locating gates are provided which are rapidly interchangeable at the welding station and are adapted to different types of structures to be welded.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein said locating gates are provided with self-propelled lower carts guided on parallel rails provided on the floor of the welding station at the two sides thereof, so that the gates of each pair are movable on said rails between said inoperative condition and a waiting condition longitudinally spaced therefrom.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein said rails have separate sections on which the gates are supported when said gates are in their inoperative condition at the two sides of the structure to be welded, said separate rail sections being supported by two movable platforms serving for transporting the two gates between their inoperative condition and their operative condition, said robots being also carried by said platforms so as to move along with the gates.

7. Devices according to claim 1, wherein a number of pairs of locating gates are provided which are rapidly interchangeable at the welding station and are adapted to different types of structures to be welded.

8. Devices according to claim 2, wherein a number of pairs of locating gates are provided which are rapidly interchangeable at the welding station and are adapted to different types of structures to be welded.

9. Devices according to claim 3, wherein a number of pairs of locating gates are provided which are rapidly interchangeable at the welding station and are adapted to different types of structures to be welded.