Vehicle body transfer apparatus

• US 7,461,733 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dohi, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell; James R
• Application Number:
  US10/567,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 198/678.1, 198/247, 198/681, 198/465.4, 198/345.1, 198/346.1, 198/346.2, 198/346.3
• US Class Current: 198/346.3
• 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 2201/0294 Vehicle bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 9/004 Loading or unloading arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 7/02 with platforms suspended from ropes, cables, or chains or screws and movable along pillars

Abstract

A vehicle transfer apparatus (1), which transfers a vehicle body (M) in an up-and-down direction, is composed of a pair of stanchions (2), a lift-unit (3), a tire supporter (6) (7), a lift-unit driver (4), and a tire supporter driver (53). In this apparatus (1), a lift-unit (3) is provided to respective stanchions (2), which are disposed on both sides of the vehicle body (M), and is allowed to slide in an up-and-down direction along the stanchion (2) in compliance with the operation by the lift-unit driver (4). In this apparatus (1), the tire supporter (6), which supports the tire (T) in the condition that the lower part of the tire (T) is exposed under the tire supporter (6) is provided to each lift-unit (3), is adapted to control a linear motion between a tire support position and a passing position by the tire supporter driver (4).

Claims

1. A vehicle transfer apparatus, which transfers a vehicle body between a conveyance line disposed in a lower-side of the vehicle conveyance line and a conveyance line disposed in an upper-side of the vehicle conveyance line, the vehicle transfer apparatus comprising:

a stanchion disposed on both sides of the vehicle body;

a lift-body, which is provided to each stanchion in the condition that a slide in an up-and-down direction along the stanchion of the lift-body is allowed;

a tire supporter which supports a tire of the vehicle body in the condition that the lower part of the tire is exposed under the tire supporter;

a lift-unit driver which moves respective lift-bodies in an up-and-down direction; and

a slider unit which

connects the lift-body and the tire supporter,

mechanically controls a linear motion of the tire supporter to change an interval between the lift-body and the tire supporter, and

changes the position of the tire supporter between a tire support position and a passing position.

2. A vehicle transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tire supporter comprising:

a pair of chucking arms; and

an arm driver which controls linear motion of chucking arms and changes the position of the pair of chucking arms between a tire holding position and a tire release position.

3. A vehicle transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a part of the chucking arm that has contact with the tire is a rotatable roller.

4. A vehicle transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the stanchion is fixed on a floor, and

the slider unit changes the position of the tire supporter between a tire support position and a passing position without moving the stanchion.