Conveyor device for advancing work-pieces through a processing zone for the surface treatment of the work-pieces

• US 6,991,087 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Duerr Automotion GmbH, Duerr Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Duerr Automotion GmbH, Duerr Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Ortlieb, Konrad, Mogck, Gerhard, Schmohl, Andreas, Weschke, Juergen, Zerweck, Guenter, Krannich, Edmund, Weeber, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, RASHMI K
• Application Number:
  US10/670,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 198/375, 198/465.1, 198/465.2, 198/580, 118/503, 118/416, 134/73, 134/123, 134/153, 134/157, 134/152
• US Class Current: 198/465.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/10 the articles being moved through the liquid or other fluent material conveying articles through baths B65G, e.g. B65G49/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/18 Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines conveyors and haulage in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/06 comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/0463 movement in a vertical direction is caused by lifting means or fixed or adjustable guiding means located at the bath area

Abstract

The invention relates to a conveyor device which is used to transport work-pieces, especially the work-pieces of motor vehicle bodies, through a processing area for surface treatment of said work-pieces, comprising a conveyor which brings the work-pieces which are respectively maintained by a holder into the processing area; transports them through said area and removes them therefrom. The inventive conveyor device requires less maintenance in comparison with known conveyor devices. The holders respectively comprise a base part which moves in a translatory movement along a conveyor device and a rotating part on which the work-piece is arranged and which is held in such a way that it is rotatable on the base part. The conveyor comprises at least one drive device enabling at least one directly driven respective holder to be driven directly in a movement along the conveyor device. The movement of the directly driven holder is transferred to an indirectly driven holder as a result of the contact between the directly driven holder and said at least one indirectly driven holder.

Claims

1. A conveyor device for advancing work-pieces through a processing zone for the surface treatment of the work-pieces, comprising:

a conveyor which moves the work-pieces mounted on a respective mounting device into the processing zone, advances the workpieces through the processing zone and then removes the workpieces from the processing zone,

wherein;

the mounting devices each comprise a respective base part which is moved in a translatory manner in a direction of conveyance and a rotary part upon which the work-piece is arranged and which is mounted in rotatable manner on the base part,

the conveyor comprises at least one drive device by means of which at least one respective directly driven mounting device is adapted to be driven directly for movement in the direction of conveyance, and

by virtue of contact between the directly driven mounting device and at least one indirectly driven mounting device, the movement of the directly driven mounting device is transmitted to the indirectly driven mounting device in the direction of conveyance.

2. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base part of the respective directly driven mounting device is in contact with the base part of the indirectly driven mounting device.

3. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the movement of the respective directly driven mounting device is transmitted to at least two indirectly driven mounting devices.

4. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the drive device comprises a friction wheel drive.

5. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises at least one braking mechanism, by means of which at least one respective mounting device moving in the direction of conveyance is adapted to be braked.

6. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the braking mechanism comprises a friction wheel brake.

7. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting devices are advanced through the conveyor in circulating manner.

8. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the conveyor comprises at least one of a lifting station for lifting the mounting devices and a lowering station for lowering the mounting devices.

9. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one roller is arranged on the base part of a mounting device, said roller rolling on a running rail during the movement of the mounting device in the direction of conveyance.

10. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rotary part of a mounting device comprises at least one guide element, and wherein the conveyor comprises at least one guide track on which the guide element is guided in such a manner that the rotary part is rotated relative to the base part.

11. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the rotary part comprises a plurality of guide elements which are guided successively on the guide track during the rotation of the rotary part.

12. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the guide track comprises a plurality of guide track sections that succeed one another in the direction of conveyance, a respective one of the guide elements being guided on said sections during the rotation of the rotary part.

13. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the guide track sections that succeed one another in the direction of conveyance are mutually spaced in the direction of conveyance.

14. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the guide elements are arranged in such a manner that angular spacings between neighbouring guide elements taken with reference to an axis of rotation of the rotary part comprise at least two different values.

15. A conveyor device in accordance with claim 1 which is adapted for advancing vehicle bodies through a processing zone for the surface treatment of the vehicle bodies.