Compact robotic painting booth

#This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/517,767, filed Nov. 6, 2003, and 60/583,078, filed Jun. 25, 2004, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

#The present invention relates generally to a robotic system for processing an article in serial high-volume production. More particularly, the invention pertains to minimizing the size of a painting booth containing a robotic system used to paint a motor vehicle body.

#The safety zone is an area in a painting booth where people could be present while a robot, mounted for movement along a rail beside a conveyor, operates. Frequently people are present in the booth to view the robot in operation. It is conventional practice to use a limit switch, mounted on the rail, to stop the robot at a fixed location on the rail and prevent an articulating robot arm from entering the safety zone located at the end of the rail. If the robot travels too far down the rail, it will trip the limit switch and cause the robot to stop before the arm enters the safety zone.

#The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in light of the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a painting system in accordance with the present invention, including a paint robot and opener robots shown in extended positions, in a paint booth containing a vehicle body;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the painting system shown in FIG. 1 with an alternate embodiment of hood/deck opener robot;

#1. Bypass Arrangement for Paint Booth Robots

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a robot bypass system in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 10. The system 10 illustrated is a painting system for painting a vehicle body 12 moving along a track or conveyor 14 in a paint booth 16. The paint booth 16 includes a roof 18 and a floor portion 20 connected by side walls 22 (only one is shown) to define an interior 24 thereof. The painting system 10 includes a paint robot 26, a door opener robot 28, and a hood/deck opener robot 30. The paint robot 26, door opener robot 28, and hood/deck opener robot 30 are each shown in an extended or operating position in FIG. 1. The paint robot 26 is mounted on an upper rail 32 attached to the sidewall 22 of the paint booth 16, although the rail 32 may be supported, instead, on a frame above the floor 20. The upper rail 32 is located near the roof 18 of the paint booth 16 and extends in a horizontal direction parallel to the conveyor 14. The paint robot 26 is slidably mounted on the upper rail 26 to allow the paint robot to move relative to the vehicle body 12 during operation of the system 10.

#The door opener robot 28 and the hood/deck opener robot 30 are mounted on a lower rail 34 located near the floor 20 of the paint booth 16 and also attached to the side wall 22 or supported, instead, on a frame above the floor 20. The lower rail 34 extends in a horizontal direction parallel to the conveyor 14, and the door opener robot 28 and the hood/deck opener robot 30 are slidably mounted on the lower rail 34 to allow these robots to move relative to the vehicle body 12 during operation of the system 10.