Method of applying weatherstrip to a vehicle body opening
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsEdward C. Hess, Charles J. Anglewicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of using a robot to apply a weatherstrip to a flange extending about an opening in a vehicle body wherein the weatherstrip is coiled on an end effector which in turn unwinds and rolls the weatherstrip onto the flange starting from a predetermined starting position on the flange to a stop position a predetermined distance short of the starting position. The unwound weatherstrip is lifted away from the flange at the stop position and then held and cut-off at a point determined by the above-mentioned predetermined distance so that the weatherstrip being applied to the flange will then abut end-to-end whereafter the cut end of the weatherstrip is retrieved and applied to the flange.
Claims2
A method of using a robot to apply a weatherstrip to a flange extending about an opening in a vehicle body such as a door, trunk or hood opening comprising the steps of:
- having the robot coil the weatherstrip on an end effector thereon,
- having the robot track the flange therearound with the end effector while unwinding and rolling the weatherstrip thereon starting from a predetermined starting position on the flange to a stop position a predetermined distance short of the starting position,
- having the robot lift the unwound weatherstrip away from the flange with the end effector at the stop position,
- grasping and holding the lifted weatherstrip at the stop position,
- cutting-off the held weatherstrip at a point determined by said predetermined distance so that the weatherstrip being applied to the flange will then abut end-to-end, and
- having the robot retrieve the cut end of the weatherstrip with the end effector and apply same to the flange.
A method of using a robot to apply a weatherstrip to a flange extending about an opening in a vehicle body such as a door, trunk or hood opening comprising the steps of:
- having the robot coil the weatherstrip on an end effector thereon,
- having the robot track the flange therearound with the end effector while unwinding and rolling the weatherstrip thereon starting from a predetermined starting position on the flange to a stop position a predetermined distance short of the starting position,
- having the robot lift the unwound weatherstrip away from the flange with the end effector at the stop position,
- grasping and holding the lifted weatherstrip at the stop position,
- cutting-off the held weatherstrip at a point determined by said predetermined distance so that the weatherstrip being applied to the flange will then abut end-to-end,
- having the robot retrieve the cut end of the weatherstrip with the end effector and apply same to the flange, and
- having the robot press and roll the weatherstrip across its abutting end with the end effector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.