Automatic motor vehicle assembly and welding station

• US 6,340,107 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Technologies Group Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technologies Group Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Recupero, Antonio, Cappa, Sergio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONER, KILEY SHAWN
• Application Number:
  US09/694,284
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 228/4.1, 228/6.1, 228/49.1, 228/44.3, 228/8, 228/102, 228/9, 228/103, 228/10, 228/104, 294/070.1, 294/29, 294/30, 294/64, 294/66, 294/070.4, 297/12, 219/79, 219/80, 219/125.1, 219/158, 219/161, 219/86.29
• US Class Current: 228/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/006 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/04 for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 21/00 Machines for assembling a multiplicity of different parts to compose units, with or without preceding or subsequent working of such parts, e.g. with programme control
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/50 Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines
• 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: G05B 2219/50375 Reject or reload workpiece if misaligned, excessive error in location
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53052 including position sensor

Abstract

A motor vehicle body assembly and welding station comprises a pair of facing tool (12) support conformators (11) designed to work on the body and taken between them by a conveyor system (14). The conformators are movable between a rest position in which the body is free to enter and exit the station and a work position in which the tools are near the body to work on it. At least some of the tools (12) comprise measurement means (20) for the relative position of facing body parts and the conformators have an intermediate position between said work and rest positions. On command control means (19) take the conformator into said intermediate position and activate the measurement means (20) to determine the agreement of body dimensions with predetermined measurement intervals and issue acceptance or rejection signals (22) for the body on the basis of the survey result.

Claims

1. Motor vehicle body assembly and welding station comprising a pair of facing tool support conformators designed to work on a body and take the body between the conformators by a conveyor system with the conformators being movable between a rest position in which the body is free to enter and exit the station and a work position in which the tools are near the body characterized in that at least some of the tools comprise measurement means for a relative position of facing body parts and that the conformators have an intermediate position between said work and rest positions with control means taking the conformator into said intermediate position and activating the measurement means to determine an agreement of body dimensions with predetermined measurement intervals and issue acceptance or rejection signals for the body.

2. Station in accordance with claim 1 wherein the control means are temporarily activated upon movement of the conformators toward the rest position before the body exits the station.

3. Station in accordance with claim 1 wherein for movement of the conformators between the work and rest positions the conformators are pivoted around a horizontal axis near one of their upper or lower sides and around which they are commanded to tilt.

4. Station in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least some tools are body work tools having measurement means made movable between a non-work position when the conformators are in work position and a measurement position when the conformator is in said intermediate position.

5. Station in accordance with claim 1 wherein it comprises sensors for reading of space coordinates of the intermediate position reached by the conformators with respect to a predetermined reference and means of compensation of the readings taken by the measurement means on the basis of the reading of said position sensors in such a manner as to correct measurement errors due to conformator positioning inaccuracies in said intermediate position.

6. Station in accordance with claim 5 wherein for movement of the conformators between the work and rest positions the conformators are pivoted around a horizontal axis near one of their upper or lower sides and around which they are commanded to tilt, and said sensor detects an angular rotation of the conformator around said horizontal axis.

7. Station in accordance with claim 1 wherein to provide said intermediate position the conformators, for movement between a work and rest positions, have main movement means connected to the conformator with an interposition of control means for limited movement of the conformator relative to said main movement means by the amount corresponding to the movement of the conformator between the work and intermediate positions in such a manner that by activating the limited movement means when the conformator is held in the work position it moves into the intermediate position with no need to activate the main movement means.

8. Station in accordance with claim 7 wherein for each conformator the limited movement means comprise a connection between connecting rod and crank between an actuator providing the main movement means and the conformator with the connection between connecting rod and crank being powered to rotate on command and provide said relative movement of the conformator with respect to the main movement means.