Assembly line vehicle body positioning

• US 7,469,473 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Utica Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Savoy, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cozart; Jermie E
• Application Number:
  US11/758,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20080000069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 298/972, 294/070.9, 294/071, 294/30, 294/64, 294/68, 295/59, 297/84, 297/87, 297/95, 297/99, 298/22, 298/24, 292/811, 292/814, 269/289.R, 269/296, 269/297, 269/303, 269/319, 269/320, 269/909
• US Class Current: 29/897.2
• 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: 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: Y10S 269/909 Work holder for specific work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49895 Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49998 Work holding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5337 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53435 including assembly pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53539 including work conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly

Abstract

A vehicle body assembly line locator assembly (16) includes locators (18) driven by horizontal longitudinal X, horizontal sideways Y and vertical Z power operated actuators (50. 58. 72) and having locator pins (82) received by vehicle body positioning holes (84) upon upward movement to provide accurate positioning. As the locator pins (82) are moved upwardly and initially move into the vehicle body positioning holes (84 ), the horizontal power operated actuators (50,58) are back driven. The upward movement is continued so that vertical rest surfaces (80) of locator heads (78) contact the vehicle body (20) and provide lifting thereof upwardly off a system conveyor, and the power operated actuators then move the vehicle body to the proper positioning for further assembly.

Claims

1. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly for use in an assembly station to assemble vehicle body formed metal parts to a partially assembled vehicle body, the locator assembly comprising:

a plurality of locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a locator head having a vertical rest surface for supporting the partially assembled vehicle body along a vertical axis, and at least a pair of the mounted locator heads each having a locator pin projecting upwardly from its vertical rest surface to provide horizontal positioning of the partially assembled vehicle body;

each of the locators including longitudinal X, sideways Y, and vertical Z power operated actuators for driving the locator member thereof in longitudinal, sideways, and vertical directions with respect to the locator assembly; and

a control for the power operated actuators for selectively controlling the vertical positioning of each locator member while allowing longitudinal and sideways movement thereof in a horizontal plane so positioning holes in the partially assembled vehicle body receive the locator pins upon relative vertical movement between the locator members and the partially assembled vehicle body and back drive the power operated actuators of the locator members having the locator pins horizontally in longitudinal and sideway directions as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of the locator members move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body, and the control subsequently operating the power operated actuators of the locators as necessary to move the locator members and the partially assembled vehicle body supported thereby to a proper position for further assembly.

2. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 1 wherein at least some of the locator pins have clamps movable between:

unclamped positions to allow the locator pin movement into the vehicle body positioning holes;

arid clamped positions for clamping the partially assembled vehicle body against the vertical rest surfaces of the locator heads.

3. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 2 wherein the control moves the locator members upwardly to provide the relative vertical movement thereof with respect to the partially assembled vehicle body as the locator pins are received by the positioning holes of the partially assembled vehicle body to provide the horizontal back driving of the locator members as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of the locator heads mounted on the locator members move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body before the control subsequently operates the locators as necessary to move the locator members and the partially assembled vehicle body supported thereby to the proper position for further assembly.

4. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 3 wherein all of the locator pins include clamps for clamping the partially assembled vehicle body against their associated vertical rest surfaces of the locator heads.

5. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 3 wherein the locator pins each projects upwardly from its vertical rest surface with a round shape.

6. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 3 wherein the locator head of one of the locator members includes a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in both longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions and the locator head of another of the locator members includes a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in one of the longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions.

7. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 6 wherein the locators having the locator heads whose locator pins provide the horizontal positioning of the partially assembled vehicle body are located at one lateral side of the assembly station.

8. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly as in claim 7 wherein the assembly station has an opposite lateral side including a plurality of locators each of which includes a locator head having a vertical rest surface for providing vertical positioning of the partially assembled vehicle body.

9. A vehicle body assembly line adjustable locator assembly for use in an assembly station to assemble vehicle body formed metal parts to a partially assembled vehicle body, the locator assembly comprising:

a plurality of locators each of which includes a locator member for mounting a locator head having a vertical rest surface for supporting the partially assembled vehicle body along a vertical axis, and the mounted locator heads each having a locator pin projecting upwardly from its vertical rest surface to provide horizontal positioning of the partially assembled vehicle body;

each of the locators including longitudinal X, sideways Y, and vertical Z power operated actuators for driving the locator member thereof in longitudinal, sideways, and vertical directions with respect to the locator assembly;

the locator pin of each locator head having a clamp for clamping the partially assembled vehicle body against the associated vertical rest surface;

a control for the power operated actuators for moving the locator member upwardly while allowing longitudinal and sideways movement thereof in a horizontal plane so positioning holes in the partially assembled vehicle body respectively receive the locator pins and through the locator pins back drive the power operated actuators of the locator members horizontally in longitudinal and sideway directions as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of locator members move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body, the locator head of one of the locator members including a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in both longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions and the locator head of another of the locator members including a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in one of the longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions, and the control subsequently moving each clamp to a clamped position to hold the partially assembled vehicle body against the associated vertical rest surface and the control also operating the power operated actuators of the locators as necessary to move the locator members and the partially assembled vehicle body supported thereby to a proper position for further assembly.

10. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body at an assembly station of an assembly line for further assembly, the method comprising:

conveying the partially assembled vehicle body to the assembly station above locators thereof which have locator members that mount locator heads including vertical rest surfaces and at least a pair of which have upwardly projecting locator pins;

initially positioning the locator members by power operated actuators of each locator in predetermined longitudinal X, sideways Y, and vertical Z positions;

providing relative vertical movement between the locator members and the partially assembled vehicle body while allowing longitudinal and sideways movement of the locator members in a horizontal plane so positioning holes in the partially assembled vehicle body receive the locator pins and back drive the power operated actuators of the locator members having the locator pins horizontally in longitudinal and sideway directions as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of locator members move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body; and

subsequently operating the power operated actuators of the locator members as necessary to position the partially assembled vehicle body supported thereby to a predetermined position for the further assembly.

11. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 10 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is moved to the assembly station over locators at least some of whose locator pins include clamps that are positioned in unclamped positions as the locator pins are received by the positioning holes of the partially assembled vehicle body, and the clamps subsequently being moved to clamped positions to clamp the partially assembled vehicle body against the vertical rest surfaces of the associated locator heads.

12. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 11 wherein the locator members are moved upwardly to provide the relative vertical movement of the locator pins with respect to the partially assembled vehicle body as iLhe locator pins are received by the positioning holes of the partially assembled vehicle body to provide the horizontal back driving of the locator members as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of the locator heads mounted by the locator members move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body.

13. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 12 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station over locators whose locator heads have locator pins that each include a clamp for clamping the partially assembled vehicle body.

14. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 12 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station over locators whose locator pins each projects upwardly from its vertical rest surface with a round shape.

15. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 12 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station over locators one of whose locator member mounts a locator head having a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in both longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions and another of whose locator member mounts a locator head having a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in one of the longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions.

16. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 15 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assemble station over locators on one lateral side thereof one of whose locator member mounts a locator head having a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in both longitudinal and sideways horizontal directions and another of whose locator member mounts a locator head having a locator pin for providing horizontal location of the partially assembled vehicle body in the sideways horizontal direction.

17. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 16 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station over locators on the opposite lateral side thereof each of whose locator heads includes a vertical rest surface for providing vertical positioning of the partially assembled vehicle body.

18. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 17 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station whose locators at the opposite lateral sides thereof mount locator heads having upwardly projecting locator pins that project upwardly to be received within the positioning holes of the partially assembled vehicle body during the upward movement of the locator members.

19. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body as in claim 18 wherein the partially assembled vehicle body is conveyed into the assembly station whose locators each mount a locator head including a locator pin having a clamp movable between clamped and unclamped positions for use in clamping the partially assembled vehicle body.

20. A method for locating a partially assembled vehicle body at an assembly station of an assembly line for further assembly, the method comprising:

conveying the partially assembled vehicle body to the assembly station above Each locators thereof which have locator members mounting locator heads having vertical rest surfaces and upwardly projecting locator pins;

initially positioning the locator members by power operated actuators of each locator in predetermined longitudinal X, sideways Y, and vertical Z positions;

moving the locator members upwardly toward the partially assembled vehicle body while allowing longitudinal and sideways movement of the locator members in a horizontal plane so positioning holes in the partially assembled vehicle body respectively receive the locator pins and back drive the power operated actuators of the locator members horizontally in longitudinal and sideways directions as necessary as the vertical rest surfaces of locator heads move into supporting contact with the partially assembled vehicle body; and

clamping the partially assembled vehicle body against at least some of the vertical rest surfaces of the locator heads and operating the power operated actuators of the locator members as necessary to position the partially assembled vehicle body supported thereby to a predetermined position for the further assembly.