Assembling apparatus assembling body side of automotive vehicle and assembling method thereof

• US 6,193,142 B1
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Segawa, Teruo, Matsubara, Jun, Takahashi, Shoichi, Nakamura, Setsuo, Okuyama, Kaoru, Ueda, Yukihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, COLLEEN P
• Application Number:
  US08/998,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/96, 700/108, 901/18, 901/42, 414/729, 414/739, 228/49.R, 228/212, 228/102
• US Class Current: 219/148
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• 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: B25J 9/009 being mechanically linked with one another at their distal ends
• 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 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work

Abstract

An assembling apparatus assembling a body side of an automotive vehicle, comprises: a moving body provided in a transfer line; a clamp member provided on the moving body for fixing and positioning a body side outer in an upright position in such a manner that a roof rail end of the body side outer is an upper portion and the side sill end of the body side outer is a lower portion; and a welding robot disposed in a side of the transfer line, the welding robot assembling the body side by welding the body side outer positioned by the clamp member.

Claims

1. An assembling method for assembling a body side of an automotive vehicle, comprising the steps of:

clamping a lower side sill end of a body side outer to a moving body by a clamp member provided on the moving body so that the clamp member fixes and positions the lower side sill end of the body side outer to the moving body in an upright position, wherein the body side outer is fixed in such a manner that a roof rail end of the body side outer is positioned substantially above the side sill end of the body side outer; and

transferring the body side outer in the upright position by the moving body along a transfer line to a next welding stage of the transfer line.

2. The assembling method for assembling a body side of an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

setting a plurality of work-pieces to be welded to a predetermined welding position of the body side outer by handling robots.

3. The assembling method for assembling a body side of an automotive vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

welding the plurality of work-pieces to the predetermined welding position of the body side outer by means of a welding robot in a state where the plurality of work-pieces are held in position by the handling robots, to complete assembly of the body side.