Plant for assembling mechanical parts on bodies of motor-vehicles

• US 9,259,815 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• 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): Bryant, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holly, Lee A
• Application Number:
  US14/700,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• 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 vehicle bodies, comprising:

an endless conveying line, the conveying line including a lower section and an upper section, the upper section spaced above, superimposed over and aligned with the first section;

a plurality of pallets moveable along the lower and upper sections of the conveying line, the pallets each adapted to support vehicle mechanical parts and receive a vehicle body on the vehicle mechanical parts;

a bolting station along the upper section; and

at least one programmable manipulating robot arranged along the lower section to a side transverse to the direction of travel of the endless conveying line of the lower section'"'"'s footprint, the robot carrying a bolting device adapted to bolt vehicle mechanical parts supported by a pallet at the bolting station to a vehicle body received by the pallet on the vehicle mechanical parts.

2. The assembly plant of claim 1, further comprising:

a marriage station along the upper section upstream of the bolting station, the marriage station including a lifting device operable to lower a vehicle body for receipt by a pallet at the upper section on vehicle mechanical parts supported by the pallet.

3. The assembly plant of claim 2, wherein the marriage station further includes programmable manipulating robots operable to position vehicle mechanical parts supported by the pallet with respect to a vehicle body being lowered by the lifting device for receipt by the pallet.

4. The assembly plant of claim 1, further comprising:

a divorce station along the upper section downstream of the bolting station, the divorce station including a lifting device operable to unload a vehicle body with vehicle mechanical parts bolted thereon from a pallet at the upper section.

5. The assembly plant of claim 1, further comprising:

a loading station along the lower section, the loading station including a pickup device operable to pick up vehicle mechanical parts and load the vehicle mechanical parts on a pallet at the lower section.

6. The assembly plant of claim 5, wherein the loading station further includes an overhead conveyor operable to carry the pickup device beside the lower section to pick up the vehicle mechanical parts, and over the lower section to load the vehicle mechanical parts on a pallet at the lower section.

7. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the conveying line includes a first vertical transfer station connecting the lower and upper sections, the first vertical transfer station adapted to lift the pallets from a downstream end of the lower section to an upstream end of the upper section.

8. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the conveying line includes a second vertical transfer station connecting the lower and upper sections, the second vertical transfer station adapted to lower the pallets from a downstream end of the upper section to an upstream end of the lower section.

9. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the pallets each include a plurality of freely rotatable transmission shafts, each transmission shaft associated with a vehicle mechanical part supported by the pallet, adapted to bear a screw for bolting its associated vehicle mechanical part to a vehicle body, and exposed to a bottom of the pallet for engagement by the bolting device.

10. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the pallets each include a plurality of reference supports adapted to locate vehicle mechanical parts supported by the pallet.

11. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the pallets each include a plurality of sub-pallets each adapted to support different vehicle mechanical parts, receive different vehicle bodies on vehicle mechanical parts supported by the pallet, or both, and a base element moveable along the lower and upper sections and adapted to interchangeably receive any of the plurality of sub-pallets.

12. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the pallets each include:

a plurality of front sub-pallets each adapted to support different front vehicle mechanical parts, receive different vehicle bodies on front vehicle mechanical parts supported by the front sub-pallet, or both,

a plurality rear of sub-pallets each adapted to support different rear vehicle mechanical parts, receive different vehicle bodies on rear vehicle mechanical parts supported by the rear sub-pallet, or both, and

a base element moveable along the lower and upper sections, the base element having a front portion adapted to interchangeably receive any of the plurality of front sub-pallets, and a rear portion adapted to interchangeably receive any of the plurality of rear sub-pallets.

13. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the pallets each include a sub-pallet adapted to support vehicle mechanical parts, and a base element moveable along the lower and upper sections and adapted to receive the sub-pallet, further comprising:

a loading station along the lower section, the loading station including a pickup device operable to pick up a sub-pallet supporting vehicle mechanical parts and load the sub-pallet on a base element at the lower section.

14. The assembly plant of claim 1, wherein the at least one programmable manipulating robot includes:

a pair of programmable manipulating robots, the robots arranged along the lower section substantially to respective sides of the lower section'"'"'s footprint to accommodate the movement of pallets between them along the lower section, and each carrying a bolting device adapted to bolt vehicle mechanical parts supported by a pallet at the bolting station to a vehicle body received by the pallet on the vehicle mechanical parts.