Metal fusion bonding – With means to juxtapose and bond plural workpieces
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-26
2001-09-25
Dunn, Tom (Department: 1725)
Metal fusion bonding
With means to juxtapose and bond plural workpieces
C228S044300, C219S080000, C219S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293454
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a unit for positioning and welding body parts of different motor vehicle models with an assembly frame, which is guided on a conveyor belt and has mounts for at least one body part, with positioning means for the body parts and with at least one robot that can be used for welding operations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A unit of the above-described type is known from DE 32 30 455 C2. Body parts of two different motor vehicle models can be positioned and welded. The body parts are placed on an assembly frame, which is also called geometry skid in practice, and is brought into a welding station together with the assembly frame. Replaceable positioning means, with which the body parts lying on the assembly frame are positioned before they are welded together, are arranged in the area of the welding station. The assembly frame is then moved on with the welded body parts. However, this is not sufficient in modern production lines for motor vehicles if a frequent change from one model to another is required, e.g., between motor vehicles with four doors, with two doors or station wagons.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is therefore to guarantee high flexibility in terms of required product changes in a unit of the type described in the introduction.
This object is accomplished by the assembly frame having positioning structure for at least some body parts and a clamp for body parts. The clamping device can be actuated from the outside. An additional conveyor belt is arranged under the conveyor belt. The additional conveyor belt guidingly supports a plurality of auxiliary assembly frames. Parking positions are provided next to the lower conveyor belt. The auxiliary assembly frames have mounts for additional body parts of different motor vehicle models as well as means for positioning and bracing with the assembly frame. A lifting device is provided for lifting the auxiliary assembly frame.
In this unit, the assembly frame has all the necessary mounts for the body parts, e.g., the chassis of a motor vehicle, wherein the chassis may comprise the subunits front part, rear part, engine mount and floor panel. The body parts, which are placed on the assembly frame and are first positioned there and are later welded to other body parts, remain on the assembly frame and are fixed with the associated clamping means or clamping device of the assembly frame there. These clamping means of the assembly frame may be designed as toggle lever tensioners, which can be actuated by means of external adjusting drives, so that no energy is used on the assembly frame to clamp or actuate the clamping means. However, it is equally possible to use clamping means with tensioners that can be actuated pneumatically. It is sufficient for the clamping means to be braced at the beginning of a section of the production line, optionally via a separate medium connection, and to be released again at the end of this section.
A plurality of auxiliary assembly frames, which are guided on a conveyor belt of their own under the conveyor belt for the assembly frame, are available for product changes. Each auxiliary assembly frame has mounts for body parts of a certain motor vehicle model and, in addition, means for positioning these body parts and also a means for positioning and bracing with the assembly frame, so that the auxiliary assembly frame can be positioned and thus braced relative to the assembly frame after the auxiliary assembly frame has been raised by the lifting device to under the assembly frame. Additional body parts can then be placed on those already present and positioned with the positioning means of the auxiliary assembly frame. A rapid change of the auxiliary assembly frames is possible if conveying means are provided in the area of the parking positions fore the conveying of the auxiliary assembly frames between the lower conveyor belt and a parking position. Eccentric or chain lifters driven pneumatically or with an electric motor may be provided as conveying means together with cross belts.
After the assembly frame and the auxiliary assembly frame have been brought together, the body parts located on them are positioned in relation to one another such that they can be welded together by at least one robot.
Specifically, the conveyor belts may have two rails, which are arranged at mutually spaced locations from one another and are provided with rollers to enable the mounts and the means for positioning and bracing the auxiliary assembly frame to be moved to the assembly frame without problems. The positioning means, the clamping means of the assembly frame and of the auxiliary assembly frame may be arranged on columns originating from the respective frames, it being evident that there is a sufficient distance permitting a rapid change of an auxiliary assembly frame between the upper conveyor belt for the assembly frame and the lower conveyor belt for the auxiliary assembly frame.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one support frame with abutments and positioning means for additional body parts, which the support frame can be moved by the robot and can be placed on the assembly frame, is provided. This support frame makes it possible to place additional, loose body parts on the assembly frame and/or the auxiliary assembly frame and to position and fix them simultaneously by means of the support frame. The support frame can be braced with the assembly frame and/or the auxiliary assembly frame for this purpose.
In view of product changes, different support frames are provided for body parts of different motor vehicle models. When not in use, these different support frames may be stored in a storage area, which is arranged in the work area of the robot.
It is obvious that the robot is set up in this connection not only for welding operations, but also for handling operations, namely, for conveying the support frames and the body parts.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
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Moser Manfred
Rhoads Scott
Trenchant Jean-Luc
Zhang Yimin
Dunn Tom
Johnson Jonathan
McGlew and Tuttle , P.C.
Thyssen-Krupp Technologies AG
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