Plant for assembling mechanical parts on bodies of motor-vehicles

• US 9,045,182 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Cardani, Sergio, Rumiano, Guido, Putiri, Angelo
• Primary Examiner(s): Taousakis, Alexander P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holly, Lee A
• Application Number:
  US12/973,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 294/28, 294/30, 297/83, 297/84, 297/86, 297/91, 297/93, 297/94, 297/99, 298/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/06 Screw or nut setting or loosening machines
• 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: B62D 65/12 the sub-units or components being suspensions, brakes or wheel units
• 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: Y10T 29/53417 Means to fasten work parts together

Abstract

A plant for assembling mechanical parts on bodies of motor-vehicles comprises an endless conveying line and a plurality of pallets movable along the conveying line, each receiving mechanical parts of the motor-vehicle along a first section of the line. Means for loading a respective motor-vehicle body on a respective pallet at a loading station, located at the beginning of a second section of the conveying line, downstream of the abovementioned first section with reference direction of movement of the pallets are provided. At least one bolting station for bolting the mechanical parts on the respective body along the abovementioned second section is provided. The abovementioned second section of the line is superimposed to the first section and aligned therewith, so that the pallets move along a closed loop in a vertical plane, moving along the upper section in a direction opposite to their direction of movement along the lower section.

Claims

1. An assembly plant for use in assembling mechanical parts on motor-vehicle bodies, comprising:

an endless pallet conveyor line having;

a plurality of pallets supporting vehicle mechanical parts to be bolted to the vehicle body selectively movable along a first lower vehicle mechanical parts-conveying line section having a starting end and a final end;

the vehicle mechanical parts supporting pallets selectively movable along a second upper vehicle mechanical parts-connection line section having a starting end and a final end, the second upper line superimposed and spaced apart above said first line section, said first line section being aligned with said second line section; and

a first and a second vertical transfer station connecting said first lower line section to said second upper line section at the respective opposite starting and final ends thereof forming a closed loop conveyor line arranged in a vertical plane;

the plurality of vehicle mechanical parts supporting pallets each movable in said closed loop conveyor line wherein each pallet proceeds along said first lower line from the starting end to the final end in a first direction, said pallets being then transferred from the final end of said first lower line section to the starting end of said second upper line section at the first transfer station, said pallets then proceeding along said second upper line section in a second direction opposite the first direction until reaching the final end of said second upper line section, where they are moved again to the starting end of the first lower line section by the second transfer station;

means provided along said first lower line section for loading the mechanical parts of motor-vehicles on said pallets while said pallets are proceeding along said first lower line section, each pallet adapted to receive the mechanical parts of a respective motor-vehicle;

means for loading a respective motor-vehicle body on each pallet at a loading station located in proximity of said second upper line starting end, so that said motor-vehicle body is coupled with the mechanical parts which have been loaded on the pallet along the first lower line section;

at least one bolting station positioned along said second upper line wherein said mechanical parts are bolted from below to said motor-vehicle body;

a pair of programmable manipulating robots each for bolting said mechanical parts to said motor-vehicle body at said bolting station of said second upper line, said pair of robots being arranged on each opposing side of and transverse to said first lower line section to accommodate the passing of said pallets between the pair of robots while said pallets are proceeding along said first lower line section; and

means for unloading the respective body with the connected mechanical parts in proximity of the final end of said second upper line section.

2. The plant according to claim 1, wherein each pallet is provided with locating means for positioning thereon the mechanical parts to be bolted to the respective vehicle body, the locating means being adaptable to different types of motor-vehicles.

3. The plant according to claim 2, wherein at least part of the locating means for positioning the mechanical parts are carried by one or more sub-pallets.

4. The plant according to claim 3, wherein each pallet is provided with a front sub-pallet and a rear sub-pallet.

5. The plant according to claim 1, wherein the pallets further comprise vertical transmission shafts freely rotatable on the respective pallet and passing through the pallet, each of the shafts having a lower end engageable by the pair of robots and an upper end bearing a screw for bolting a respective mechanical part to the respective vehicle body.

6. The plant according to claim 4, wherein the lower line section includes one or more station for at least one of loading or unloading the sub-pallets on a base element of the pallet.

7. The plant according to claim 6, wherein the one or more station for at least one of loading or unloading the sub-pallets are provided with means for supplying the sub-pallets to the line, in which the sub-pallets are preliminarily loaded off-line with mechanical parts supported thereon.

8. The plant according to claim 1, wherein at the loading station, in which a respective vehicle body is associated to a respective pallet with the mechanical parts mounted thereon, there are arranged manipulating robots for holding some mechanical parts in a proper position for assembling on the body.

9. A vehicular assembly line for use in progressively mounting vehicle mechanical components positioned on a moving pallet to a vehicle body, the assembly line comprising:

an endless conveyor for progressively moving a plurality of vehicle mechanical parts supporting pallets along an assembly path of travel;

the assembly path of travel having a first lower level for supporting and moving the vehicle mechanical components loaded on a pallet in a first direction and a second upper level for moving the pallets supporting the vehicle mechanical components in a second direction opposite the first direction and connecting the vehicle mechanical components to a vehicle body, the second upper level positioned in a vertical plane directly above the first lower level;

a pair of vertical transfer devices for moving the pallets from the first lower level to the second upper level;

a plurality of bolting stations positioned distant from one another along the second upper level assembly path of travel; and

a plurality of bolting devices positioned vertically below a respective bolting station, the bolting devices selectively engageable with rotatable shafts connected to the pallets when positioned at a respective bolting station for securing at least one supported vehicle mechanical component on the pallet to the vehicle body for progressive connection of vehicle mechanical components to the vehicle body progressively moving along the second upper assembly path of travel, the bolting devices including at least one pair of bolting devices positioned on each opposing side of and transverse to the first lower level assembly path of travel beneath a respective second upper level bolting station to accommodate the passing of the pallets supporting the vehicle mechanical components between the pair of bolting devices while the pallets are proceeding along the first lower level assembly path of travel.

10. The assembly line of claim 9 wherein the at least one pair of bolting devices further comprise:

at least one pair of programmable robots; and

each robot having a base connected to an assembly plant floor and having a path of travel selectively into and out of the assembly path of travel and limited to below the second upper level assembly line, each robot selectively engageable with the respective rotatable shafts extending downward from the second upper level bolting stations as the pallets progressively move the vehicle mechanical components and vehicle body along the second upper level assembly path.

11. The assembly line of claim 10 wherein the robot base is elevated above the assembly plant floor to conserve use of assembly plant floor space.

12. The assembly line of claim 10 further comprising a separation station positioned downstream of a last bolting station along the second upper level assembly path, wherein the vehicle body with mounted vehicle components is removed from the pallet prior to the pallet moving on one of the vertical transfer stations from the second upper level to the first lower level.

13. An assembly plant for use in assembling mechanical parts on motor-vehicle bodies, comprising:

an endless pallet conveyor line having;

a plurality of pallets supporting vehicle mechanical parts to be bolted to the vehicle body selectively movable along a first lower vehicle mechanical parts-conveying line section having a starting end and a final end;

the vehicle mechanical parts supporting pallets selectively movable along a second upper vehicle mechanical parts-connection line section having a starting end and a final end, the second upper line superimposed and spaced apart above said first line section, said first line section being aligned with said second line section; and

a first and a second vertical transfer station connecting said first lower line section to said second upper line section at the respective opposite starting and final ends thereof forming a closed loop conveyor line arranged in a vertical plane;

the plurality of vehicle mechanical parts supporting pallets each movable in said closed loop conveyor line wherein each pallet proceeds along said first lower line from the starting end to the final end in a first direction, said pallets being then transferred from the final end of said first lower line section to the starting end of said second upper line section at the first transfer station, said pallets then proceeding along said second upper line section in a second direction opposite the first direction until reaching the final end of said second upper line section, where they are moved again to the starting end of the first lower line section by the second transfer station;

means provided along said first lower line section for loading the mechanical parts of motor-vehicles on said pallets while said pallets are proceeding along said first lower line section, each pallet adapted to receive the mechanical parts of a respective motor-vehicle;

means for loading a respective motor-vehicle body on each pallet at a loading station located in proximity of said second upper line starting end, so that said motor-vehicle body is coupled with the mechanical parts which have been loaded on the pallet along the first lower line section;

at least one bolting station positioned along said second upper line wherein said mechanical parts are bolted from below to said motor-vehicle body;

wherein said first line comprises a station located below said bolting station of said second line, at which a pair of programmable manipulating robots is arranged on each opposing side of and transverse to said first lower line section to accommodate the passing of said pallets between the pair of robots while said pallets are proceeding along said first lower line section, and operated for bolting said mechanical parts to said motor-vehicle body at said bolting station of said second line; and

means for unloading the respective body with the connected mechanical parts in proximity of the final end of said second upper line section.

14. The plant according to claim 13, wherein each pallet is provided with locating means for positioning thereon the mechanical parts to be bolted to the respective vehicle body, the locating means being adaptable to different types of motor-vehicles.

15. The plant according to claim 14, wherein at least part of the locating means for positioning the mechanical parts are carried by one or more sub-pallets.

16. The plant according to claim 15, wherein each pallet is provided with a front sub-pallet and a rear sub-pallet.

17. The plant according to claim 13, wherein the pallets further comprise vertical transmission shafts freely rotatable on the respective pallet and passing through the pallet, each of the shafts having a lower end engageable by the pair of robots and an upper end bearing a screw for bolting a respective mechanical part to the respective vehicle body.

18. The plant according to claim 16, wherein the lower line section includes one or more station for at least one of loading or unloading the sub-pallets on a base element of the pallet.

19. The plant according to claim 18, wherein the one or more station for at least one of loading or unloading the sub-pallets are provided with means for supplying the sub-pallets to the line, in which the sub-pallets are preliminarily loaded off-line with mechanical parts supported thereon.

20. The plant according to claim 13, wherein at the loading station, in which a respective vehicle body is associated to a respective pallet with the mechanical parts mounted thereon, there are arranged manipulating robots for holding some mechanical parts in a proper position for assembling on the body.