# US 7,608,801 B2 · Method of assembling motor vehicle body

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- Number: US 7,608,801 B2
- Document ID: US7608801B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/532,462
- Filed: 2003-10-17
- Published: 2006-02-23
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2002-10-22
- Assignees: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shinobu Inoue; Masaharu Saito; Akiyoshi Hazama; Yasuhiro Hosokawa; Takuma Arai; Isao Kita; Takuji Izutani; Kazuto Ikeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608801B2

## CPC

- B62D 65/02: Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components
- B62D 65/18: Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)}
- Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining
- Y10T 29/49828: Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work
- Y10T 29/49829: Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]
- Y10T 29/49831: Advancing station
- Y10T 29/49895: Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"]
- Y10T 29/53961: with work-holder for assembly
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A roof panel (31) is pre-set on the left and right side members (4) fixed to an underbody of a car. A roof panel spot welding station (7) includes a pair of frames (34) and two joisted-locating jigs (35, 36) bridging the frames. Each of the joisted-locating jigs is furnished with a clamp mechanism for holding the roof panel. The roof panel is located to the side members by the locating jigs, and spot-welded to the side members.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of assembling a car body by spot welding a bridging part to a pair of side members fixed to an underbody of a car, the method comprising:
installing a pair of fixed frames at sides of a body transfer line for transferring the underbody and the side members;
attaching a plurality of joisted-locating jigs to the fixed frames for locating the side members and the bridging part, the plurality of joisted-locating jigs being spaced from each other in a transfer direction of the underbody; and
spot welding the side members to the bridging part, with the side members and the bridging part clamped by the plurality of joisted-locating jigs;
wherein a first stock area is provided on one side of the body transfer line while a second stock area is provided on an opposite side of the body transfer line, the body transfer line and the pair of fixed frames being interposed between the first and second stock areas; and
wherein a transfer system is employed to convey each of the plurality of joisted-locating jigs along a jig transfer line extending above the fixed frames transversely of the body transfer line, from the first stock area to the fixed frames for attachment thereto and from the fixed frames to the second stock area for replacement with other joisted-locating jigs which are also conveyed from the first stock area to the fixed frames.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 1, wherein the fixed frames and each of the plurality of joisted-locating jigs are located and fixed by a clamp mechanism.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 1, wherein the transfer system includes a motor, a movable rail moved up and down by the motor, a fixed rail to be combined with the movable rail, and a pulley movable along the movable rail and the fixed rail, each of the plurality of joisted-locating jigs being hung from the pulley, the fixed rail and the movable rail extending in a direction crossing the transfer direction of the underbody.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 3, wherein a sway prevention mechanism is furnished for preventing the movable rail from swaying when the movable rail and the fixed rail are disconnected.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 4, wherein the sway prevention mechanism includes a pair of vertical rods attached to the movable rail and a pair of fixed guides fixed to an immovable structure, the vertical rods being movable relative to the fixed guides via a roller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 3, wherein a fall prevention mechanism is provided at the movable rail for preventing the pulley from falling out of the movable rail.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of assembling a car body according to claim 6, wherein the fall prevention mechanism includes a stopper that turns on the predetermined pivot, the stopper being movable between a position at which the stopper engages with the pulley and a position at which the stopper is disengaged from the pulley.