System and method for assembling a vehicle body structure
First Claim
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1. A system for assembling a vehicle body structure, the system comprising:
- a first manipulator having a first end effector for positioning a first body structure component; and
a second manipulator having a second end effector for positioning a second body structure component;
wherein the second end effector engages the first end effector to position the second body structure component relative to the first body structure component; and
wherein the first end effector is fixedly positioned on a member of a set of stationary base docking units, the second end effector does not engage any member of the set of stationary base docking units, and each member of the set of stationary base docking units has an arm that is rotated to secure the first end effector.
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Abstract
A system and method for assembling a vehicle body structure. The system includes first and second end effectors for positioning first and second body structure components. The second end effector engages the first end effector to position the second body structure component relative to the first body structure component.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for assembling a vehicle body structure, the system comprising:
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a first manipulator having a first end effector for positioning a first body structure component; and a second manipulator having a second end effector for positioning a second body structure component; wherein the second end effector engages the first end effector to position the second body structure component relative to the first body structure component; and wherein the first end effector is fixedly positioned on a member of a set of stationary base docking units, the second end effector does not engage any member of the set of stationary base docking units, and each member of the set of stationary base docking units has an arm that is rotated to secure the first end effector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for assembling a vehicle body structure, the system comprising:
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a set of stationary base docking units that include a rotatable arm; and a set of end effectors, including; a first subset of the set of end effectors, each member of the first subset being configured to grasp a different member of a set of body structure components and a second subset of the set of end effectors, each member of the second subset being configured to grasp a different member of the set of body structure components; wherein each member of the second subset engages more than one member of the first subset to position the members of the set of body structure components in an assembly position; wherein each member of the first subset is fixedly positioned with respect to a member of the set of base docking units when each member of the first subset engages a member of the set of base docking units; and wherein the rotatable arm on each member of the set of stationary base docking units is rotated to engage a member of the first subset of the set of end effectors. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for assembling a vehicle body structure, the method comprising:
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providing a set of end effectors; providing a set of body structure components; providing a set of base docking units that are stationary; engaging each member of the set of end effectors with a different member of a set of body structure components; positioning a first subset of the set of end effectors into engagement with a member of the set of base docking units; rotating an arm on each member of the set of base docking units to engage a member of the first subset; positioning a second subset of the set of end effectors after positioning the first subset; engaging a member of the second subset to at least one member of the first subset; and performing an assembly operation to join the body structure components. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification