Vehicular body assembly locking apparatus and method
AssigneeComau S.p.A.
InventorsVelibor Kilibarda, Michael R. Dugas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle body positioning device for use in assembling a vehicle body positioned on a movable vehicle support positioned at a vehicle build station. The movable vehicle support includes a support pallet which is accurately and precisely positioned at a build station through alignment and inserting engagement of locating pads in at least one four-way and at least one two way receiver mounted to a build station foundation.
Claims14
An apparatus for accurately positioning a vehicle support at a vehicle build station, the apparatus comprising:
- a vehicle foundation positioned at a vehicle build station along a production line and connected to a factory floor;
- a vehicle support pallet selectively engageable with the vehicle foundation at the vehicle build station, the pallet having at least two vehicle support pins adapted for abutting engagement with a vehicle body;
- at least one four-way receiver connected to one of the vehicle foundation or the support pallet;
- at least one two-way receiver connected to one of the vehicle foundation or the support pallet, each of the four-way and two-way receivers having a vertical support and at least two rollers;
- and
- a locator pad connected to the other of the vehicle foundation or support pallet opposite the respective four-way or the two-way receiver, wherein on the pallet positioned in the build station, the pallet is oriented to place the locator pads in engagement with the respective four-way and the two-way receivers to accurately and precisely position the pallet in the X, Y and Z dimensional directions.
A method for accurately and precisely positioning a vehicle support device at a vehicle build station, the method comprising the steps of:
- removably securing a partially completed vehicle body to a movable vehicle support pallet (10);
- moving the support pallet along a production line to a build station;
- moving the support pallet in a Z-dimensional direction relative to a vehicle foundation (20);
- engaging a plurality of locator pads with a respective at least one four-way receiver and at least one two-way receiver to position the pallet in the X and Y dimensional directions;
- and
- engaging the plurality of locator pads with a respective vertical support to position the pallet in the Z-dimensional direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.