Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-11-06
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S407090, C029S281500, C033S600000, C033S783000, C033S806000, C033S809000, C269S905000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311382
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to a process and a device for mounting the door hinges on motor vehicle bodies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A process for fastening a door on the body of a motor vehicle has been known from DE 33 42 570 C2, in which the bodies are cyclically conveyed at spaced locations from one another by an endless conveyor to a predetermined point and the door provided with two hinges fastened in different planes one on top of another is moved by an industrial robot in the correct position to the location of the hinge and fastened. The door is moved movably in space in an articulated manner, floatingly, against the opening provided for this purpose until a contact finger comes into contact with a point intended for this purpose. Simultaneously with the determination of the height of the hinges by touching, the angular position of the outwardly directed side wall of the hinge part in question in relation to the body is recognized, and both the values for the vertical height assignment of the hinges and the values for the angular position of the hinges are sent to a computer. The door hinges, already connected to the door, are then welded to the body by one or more welding robots independently from the values determined by touching stored in the computer. Inaccuracies due to the tolerances of the sensors and the robot technology may occur time and time again with this so-called sensor-guided robot technology. In addition, the subsequent assembly of the interior installations of the automobile may be hindered due to the door being mounted on the body at an early stage. It is therefore frequently desirable to fasten first only the door hinges on the door pillars of the body, possibly in the correct position, and to insert the door only later, possibly after the complete interior assembly.
A similar process has been known from JP 02-258 485 A, in which the width of the door opening is likewise measured with a plurality of measuring scanners and the position of the body is measured by means of an imaging camera, the measured values are acquired centrally, and the further installation of the door hinges is controlled by means of an NC machine.
DE 40 11 909 C3 describes a passenger car door, which has special three-dimensional joints at the hinges in order to simplify the mounting and removal. Contrary to the above-mentioned philosophy of assembly, according to which all inner parts must be introduced into the interior of the automobile through the doors already welded or bolted on, the doors themselves are mounted later by the completely painted doors assembled completely with the windows and window lifter mechanism being mounted on the door pillars only after the body has been outfitted. However, assembly by means of these three-dimensional joints, which have a relatively complicated design, is difficult and time-consuming because of the accurate positioning.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide a process and a device for mounting the door hinges on motor vehicle bodies, in which the doors are likewise fastened to the door pillars after the interior assembly and the door hinges are fastened in the correct position with a simpler construction and in a shorter time.
According to the invention, a process is provided for mounting the door hinges on motor vehicle bodies. The width of the door opening of the side frame, which receives one or two doors, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (X direction) is determined by a scanner by touch. The arrangement of the door hinges is corrected by means of a positioning system connected to it via a lever mechanism as a function of the deviation in dimension in the X direction such that at least the vertical gaps will have a possibly uniform gap width at the door installed later and that only the door hinges are fastened first to the door pillars after a tensioning operation.
According to another aspect of the invention, a device is provided for mounting the door hinges on motor vehicle bodies for carrying out the process. The device has a flexible positioning system comprising a scanner for determining the width of the door opening of the side frame, wherein the scanner acts directly on the positioning system for correcting the measured tolerance deviation in the X direction via a said toothed rack and a lever mechanism. A mounting frame is provided, which can be actuated by a robot, with integrated carriages (S
x
, S
y
, S
z
) displaceable in the X, Y and Z directions, on which the positioning system is displaceable in the X direction, and on which a joining and tensioning means for pneumatically pressing the said door hinges against the said door pillars and means are arranged for permanently fastening the door hinges to the door pillars by bolting and/or welding.
The actual width of the door opening is determined according to the present invention by touching, i.e., on each door, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (X direction) with a scanner acting mechanically in the X direction. This scanner is in turn directly connected mechanically to the positioning system for the door hinges via lever mechanisms. Depending on the deviation in dimension, the deviation in dimension in the X direction is then corrected automatically at a predetermined or settable conversion ratio of preferably 1:2 to 1:3 such that at least the vertical gap of the door installed later will have a possibly uniform width. After this correction, the door hinges are then braced with the door pillars in the known manner and preferably bolted thereto. The present invention is based on a flexible positioning system, wherein the actual width of the opening in the side frame of the body is determined by touching due to the displaceability in the X direction by means of an integrated carriage and, e.g., the arrangement of the so-called B pillar hinges for fastening the rear door is corrected corresponding to the width of the opening by half the tolerance deviation (in the plus or minus direction). As a result, an identical gap width is guaranteed between the front door and the rear door as well as between the rear door and the C pillar at least in the required tolerance range.
The flexible positioning system according to the present invention may be used both with robot technology and manually. The door hinges may be inserted into the positioning system manually or they may also be taken automatically by the positioning system from magazines.
The two door hinges of a door, arranged one on top of another, are preferably taken up for mounting by a common traverse, which is also mounted on an additional fulcrum point on the positioning system and/or on a mounting frame in order for the hinges to be able to be brought into contact with each door pillar on the transverse direction of the vehicle (Y direction) in a stress-free manner. This movement may also be performed both manually or automatically.
Furthermore, it has proved to be favorable, to compensate the door sagging caused by the weight of the door, to rotate the door hinges around a horizontal axis in the opposite direction by a corresponding, predetermined angle and then to fasten them to the door pillar. This angle of rotation is determined by a measured value determined after the subsequent mounting, which is taken into account already before the mounting of the door hinges. Integrated pneumatic compensating systems acting in the Y and Z directions have proved to be useful for positioning the mounting frame on the body to eliminate tolerance deviations between the mounting frame, the body and the robot.
The flexible positioning system according to the present invention comprises a scanner for determining the width of opening of the side frame, which ensures the correction of the measured tolerance deviation in the X direction via a toothed rack and a lever mechanism, a mounting frame that can be actuated by a robot with an integrated carriage displaceable in the X, Y and Z directions, on which the posit
Compton Eric
Echols P. W.
McGlew and Tuttle , P.C.
Thyssen Krupp Technologies AG
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