Painting process for inner panel region of motorcar vehicle body and apparatus therefor

A method of painting an inner panel region of a 2-door motor vehicle body comprising the steps in the following sequence:

• conveying a motorcar vehicle body with its doors closed into a painting stage;
• opening the front lid of said vehicle body using a front lid opening and closing means provided in the front of said painting stage;
• opening a rear lid of said vehicle body using a rear lid opening and closing means provided in the rear of said painting stage;
• opening a left door of said vehicle body using a left door opening and closing means;
• opening a right door of said vehicle body using a right door opening and closing means;
• painting half of an inner panel portion of the front region of said vehicle body using a front painting robot on one side, said inner panel portion of said front region including an inner surface of a front lid
• painting half of an inner panel portion of the door region on one side of said vehicle body using a rear painting robot on said one side, said inner panel portion of said door region including an inner surface of said door and a door trim portion;
• painting half of the inner panel portion of the door region on the other side of said vehicle body using a front painting robot on said other side;
• painting half of an inner panel portion of the rear region of said vehicle body using a rear painting robot on said other side, said inner panel portion of said rear region inlcuding an inner surface of a rear lid;
• closing said right door using said right door opening and closing means;
• closing said left door using said left door opening and closing means;
• moving said painting robots on both sides of said vehicle body forwards and rearwards to a predetermined position;
• opening said left door using said left door opening and closing means;
• opening said right door using said right door opening and closing means;
• painting the remaining half of said inner panel portion of said door region on one side of said vehicle body using said front painting robot on said one side;
• painting the remaining half of said inner panel portion of the rear region of said vehicle body using said rear painting robot on said one side;
• painting the remaining half of said inner panel portion of said front region of said vehicle body using said front painting robot on said other side;
• and
• painting the remaining half of said inner panel portion of said door region of said vehicle body on said other side using said rear painting robot on said other side.

A painting apparatus for painting an inner panel region of a motorcar vehicle body, said painting apparatus comprising:

• a vehicle body conveying passage;
• a painting stage provided in the midway of said vehicle body conveying passage;
• a pair of front and rear lid opening and closing means for opening and closing a front lid and a rear lid of said vehicle body;
• a door opening and closing means disposed on each of the left and right sides of said painting stage, said door opening and closing means selectively opening and closing a door;
• a pair of front and rear painting robots movable forwards and rearwards for painting an inner panel portion of a front region of said vehicle body, an inner panel portion of a rear region of said vehicle body and an inner panel portion of a door region on each side of said vehicle body, said front region of said vehicle body including an inner surface of a front lid, said rear region of said vehicle body including an inner surface of a rear lid, and said door region on each side of said vehicle body including an inner surface of said door and a door trim portion;
• and
• a first railway means for moving said front and rear painting robots forwards and rearwards and a second railway means provided inside said first railway means, said door opening and closing means on each side being arranged to be movable forwards and rearwards along said second railway means.