JP2548366B2 - How to assemble body parts - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of assembling a vehicle body component suitable for use in a sub line for assembling a vehicle body component, and a carrier truck used for the method.

(Prior Art) In the case of assembling a vehicle body component, generally, in order to facilitate the supply of the assembled vehicle body component to the vehicle body assembly line, a sub line for assembling the vehicle body component is provided adjacent to the vehicle body assembly line.

Conventionally, such a sub-line is a vehicle body part in which a work carrying-in stage for carrying in a plurality of works and the works are positioned and fixed to each other on a positioning jig, and in this state, the works are joined by spot welding or the like. And an assembly stage for assembling the assembled body parts, and a delivery stage for delivering the assembled body parts to a predetermined position in the next process such as a body assembly stage of a body assembly line, and between the stages,
It is usually constituted by connecting with a conveying means of a constant path such as a chain conveyor or a belt conveyor.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional sub-line, it is necessary to pick up a plurality of workpieces and assembled vehicle body parts from a transfer means and transfer them to a predetermined position in each of an assembly stage and a delivery stage. Therefore, there is a problem that the transfer work takes time and labor, and complicated equipment such as a robot for transfer is required, resulting in an increase in cost.

The present invention provides a method for assembling a vehicle body component that advantageously solves the above problem, and a carrier truck used for the method.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In the method of assembling a vehicle body component of the present invention, when assembling a plurality of types of vehicle body components in one assembly line, a plurality of works can be positioned and held relative to each other in the assembly line. Work positioning means having a plurality of work holding means and arrangement changing means capable of changing the arrangement of the plurality of work holding means is provided, and a power source and a traveling direction determining means are provided to enable autonomous traveling along a predetermined route. A type switching stage for changing the position of the work carriage by the work position changing means of the work carriage according to the kind of vehicle body parts to be assembled next, and a work positioning means on the work carriage. Work receiving means for receiving the plurality of works and holding them while positioning the works relative to each other A stage, an assembly stage for assembling body parts by joining a plurality of works positioned and held by the work positioning means on the transfer carriage to each other, and a work holding means of the work positioning means on the transfer carriage for the assembly. It is characterized in that the car body parts are circulated so as to sequentially pass through a transfer stage for transferring the car body parts to a predetermined position in the next process.

In the method of the present invention, when the transport carriage arrives at the assembly stage, the transport carriage may be positioned and fixed on the assembly stage so that a plurality of works on the transport carriage are mutually joined.

(Working) In such a method of assembling body parts, when assembling a plurality of types of body parts on one assembly line, the work positioning means on the carrier is used at the type switching stage before receiving the work. After the arrangement changing means which has changed the arrangement of the work holding means according to the type of the vehicle body parts to be assembled next, and after the work positioning means on the transfer carriage receives and positions and holds a plurality of works at the work receiving stage, Until the body parts were delivered to the predetermined position in the next process on the delivery stage, the work was transported and the work pieces were positioned and fixed on the assembly stage without being transferred, and the work pieces were assembled. Car body parts are transported and the body parts are placed at predetermined positions on the delivery stage.

Therefore, according to this method, it is possible to save the labor and time required for transferring the works and the body parts for each stage in an assembly line for assembling a plurality of kinds of body parts for mixed flow assembly and the like. It is possible to dispose a plurality of types of works constituting a plurality of types of vehicle body parts and the body parts thereof at a predetermined position of each stage simply by providing each stage with relatively simple equipment.

Moreover, according to this method, since the carrier vehicle can autonomously travel along the predetermined route with the power source and the traveling direction determining means, the traveling route can be easily changed. In combination with unnecessary points and the fact that the work positioning means itself included in the transport carriage changes the arrangement of the work holding means, the arrangement of each stage is relatively simple in combination with the fact that the equipment provided in each stage can be relatively simple. The number of stages can be easily increased or decreased, and the degree of freedom in setting and changing the installation location and production capacity of the assembly line for assembling multiple types of vehicle body parts can be greatly increased. .

When the transport carriage arrives at the assembly stage, if the transport carriage is positioned and fixed to the assembly stage and a plurality of workpieces on the transport carriage are mutually joined, a plurality of workpiece holding means can be used. Since the workpiece positioning means, which are positioned and held relative to each other, are positioned and fixed to the assembly stage together with the transport carriage, the positioning of the plurality of workpieces with respect to the welding equipment such as welding robots that welds the workpieces on the assembly stage is more accurate It is possible to improve the accuracy of the joint position when assembling the vehicle body parts.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a layout of a vehicle body assembly line including a sub line to which an embodiment of a method for assembling a vehicle body component of the present invention is applied, in which 1 is a left hood ridge sub line and 2 is a dash lower. Sub-lines 3, radiator core support sub-lines, 4 right hood ridge sub-lines, 5 front floor sub-lines, 6 rear floor sub-lines, respectively.

In this vehicle body assembly line, the radiator core support, the left and right hood ridges, and the dash lowers, which are the vehicle body parts assembled in the above sublines 1 to 4, are assembled to the engine compartment assembly stage 7 and joined to each other to assemble the engine compartment. By assembling the engine compartment and the front floor and the rear floor, which are the vehicle body parts assembled in the sublines 5 and 6, to the floor main assembly stage 8 and joining them together, the floor main is assembled,
After that, the spot welding to the floor main is additionally performed at the floor main increasing stage 9 arranged in five places.

On the other hand, in the figure, 10 is a roof panel subline, 11 is a parcel shelf subline, 12 is an air box subline,
13 is a rear panel sub line, 14 is a left body side sub line, 15 is a right body side sub line,
In the car body assembly line here, the above sub line 10
By gathering the roof panel, the parcel shelf, the air box, the rear panel and the left and right body sides which are the body parts assembled in ~ 15 to the body main assembly stage 16 together with the above-mentioned increased floor main and joining them together, Assemble the main body that makes up the vehicle body, and then perform additional spot welding on the main body.
Will be done at.

Here, each of the sub-lines is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 for the left hood ridge sub-line 1 and as shown in FIG. 3 for the front floor sub-line 5, for example, a type switching stage 21 and a work receiving stage 22.
In addition to the assembly stage 23 and the delivery stage 24, the production amount of one or more units, each of which autonomously travels along a loop-shaped path shown by A to L in FIG. It is provided with the number of transporting vehicles 25 according to the number.

In this embodiment, the transport carriages 25 arranged on the respective sub-lines determine the traveling direction by detecting the guide tapes laid along the respective routes on the floor surface with, for example, an optical sensor and operate the guide tapes. The steering mechanism for steering the wheels and the drive mechanism for driving the drive wheels by operating the motor by the battery built in the carriage 25 can be autonomously traveled along each of the paths, and each of the stages It has a transmitting and receiving side that sends and receives radio signals to and from each stage, and stops at a predetermined position of each stage based on the signal transmitted by each stage when a truck approaches each stage, and each stage works there. It can start based on the signal output after the end, and further has a forward detection device that detects the front with the ultrasonic transceiver at the front end of the carriage 25, and there is an obstacle on the path or another carrier If you or caught up with the 25,
It can be paused until the obstacle is removed or the bogie in front starts. (Since such a trolley is well known, illustration of each mechanical device is omitted.) Further, on each transport trolley 25, a work positioning device 26 as a work positioning means for positioning and holding a work and an assembled body part. The work positioning device 26 in this case is of a type that holds the work and the vehicle body parts below the work parts, such as one for the rear floor, as shown in FIG. Each reciprocating mechanism is mounted on a base 27 that is fixed to the top or is erected on the base 27, which is positioned by a locate pin (not shown) or the like and is separably mounted, in a mechanism similar to a Cartesian robot having three degrees of freedom. In place of the servomotor, a flexible shaft (trade name) 28 is connected to one end of a flexible shaft (trade name) 28 through a moving mechanism 29, and a work receiving member 30 as work holding means is provided. Formed by several support.

The base 27 also has, on its side, a switching type having three output shafts 32 selectively coupled to one input shaft 31 via three electromagnetic clutches and a gear mechanism (not shown). A drive input mechanism 33 is provided, and three output shafts 32 thereof are respectively coupled to the other end of the flexible shaft 28. In this case, the drive input mechanism 33 drives one input shaft 31. The work receiving member 30 can be three-dimensionally moved to an arbitrary position by selectively rotating the ball screw shafts of the moving mechanism 29 as appropriate (for details, refer to, for example, the application by the present applicant). 62-187087).

Then, the input shaft 31 is driven by a switching type drive device 34 provided in the type switching stage 21 in this embodiment, and this driving device 34 positions the work on the transport carriage 25 that has arrived at the type switching stage 21. A servo motor shift mechanism 36 for selectively aligning one servo motor 35 with respect to each drive input mechanism 33 of the device 26, and moving the servo motor 35 forward and backward with respect to the drive input mechanism 33, and the output shaft of the servo motor. Is provided with an air cylinder driven servo motor engaging / disengaging mechanism 38 for engaging and disengaging the input shaft 31 via a coupling 37.

The servo motor engaging / disengaging mechanism 38 also attaches / detaches a connector 39 provided on the drive input mechanism 33 side and the servo motor 35 side, and the connector 39 is provided at a connecting portion between each flexible shaft 38 and a ball screw. In addition, the rotary encoder 40 with an electromagnetic brake that is released only when electricity is energized, the brake control circuit and the encoder signal circuit, along with the control circuit for each electromagnetic clutch of the drive input mechanism 33 It is connected to the control panel 41 of the device 34.

The control panel 41 of the above-mentioned switching type drive device 34 operates according to a program inputted in advance, and when the carrier vehicle 25 approaches the type switching stage 21, it transmits a radio signal to stop the carrier vehicle 25 and causes the carrier vehicle 25 to move to the stage. Stop at a predetermined position, and then the servo motor shift mechanism 36 is operated to drive the servo motor 35 to any one drive input mechanism.
Then, the output shaft of the servo motor is engaged with the input shaft 31 via the coupling 37 and the connector 39 is operated by operating the servo motor engagement / disengagement mechanism 38 to move the servo motor 35 and the connector 39 forward. Then, the brakes of the rotary encoders 40 are connected to each other, and the clutches of the switching type drive input mechanism 33 are sequentially and selectively coupled to each other, and the reciprocating movement mechanism 29 is driven by the coupling. The moving mechanism is operated by a predetermined amount by the servomotor 35 while directly feeding back the operation amount from the output signal of the rotary encoder 40 and the rotation amount of the ball screw, and thereby one moving mechanism 29 is three-dimensionally operated. Then, the work receiving member 30 provided there is arranged at a predetermined position. After each reciprocating mechanism has actuated by a predetermined amount, each ball screw shaft is stopped by the electromagnetic brake of the encoder 40 to fix the work receiving member 30 to the above position, and then the servo motor engaging / disengaging mechanism. The servo motor 35 and the connector 39 are retracted by the 38 to separate the coupling 37 and the connector 39 from each other, and then the servo motor shift mechanism 36 moves the servo motor 35 toward the next drive input mechanism 33.

After repeating this procedure and arranging all the work receiving members 30 at the relative positions suitable for positioning and holding a plurality of works constituting a single component to be assembled next, the control panel 41 transmits a radio wave for instructing to start. Output a signal and transport carrier 25
To take off toward the stage 22.

In FIG. 4, only two moving mechanisms 29 and two drive input mechanisms 33 for driving them are used, and only one servo motor 35 and one servo motor shift mechanism 36 and one servo motor locking / unlocking mechanism 37 for moving it. Shown is the moving mechanism 29
The drive input mechanism 33 and the drive input mechanism 33 are provided on the base 27 by the number necessary for holding the work, and the servo motor 35, the servo motor shift mechanism 36, and the servo motor engaging / disengaging mechanism 37 are also provided on both sides of the base 27. For example, a larger number may be provided as required.

Further, the moving mechanism 29 may be further increased in the degree of freedom of movement by further adding a turning mechanism or the like, as required.

Further, a pressurized air tank is mounted in the transfer carriage 25 as required, and an unillustrated clamp mechanism driven by an air cylinder is provided on the moving mechanism 29 of the work positioning device 26 as required. The carrier vehicle 25 operates the air valve based on the signal transmitted from each stage to supply the air pressure from the tank, thereby causing the clamp mechanism to fix and release the work on the work holding member 30.

Therefore, the work positioning device 26 can position and hold a plurality of works such as the work 42 constituting the rear floor 67 shown in FIG. 4 at a relative position when they are joined to each other, Also type switching stage 21
The arrangement of the work holding member 30 of the work positioning device 26 can be changed according to different types of vehicle body parts to be assembled next, such as sedan type and hard top type.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the servo motor 35, which is the drive source of the moving mechanism 29, is shared by a plurality of moving mechanisms, and
Since the servo motors 35 are not provided on the transport carriage 25, the number of servo motors can be extremely reduced, the cost required for them can be reduced, and the circuit configuration for controlling the servo motors 35 can be simplified. it can.

Then, the left hood ridge subline 1 shown in FIG.
In the above, the carriage 25 having the base 27 of the work positioning device 26 standing thereon circulates along the path A. Here, the work receiving member 30 is arranged on the type switching stage 21 as described above. When the changed carriage 25 arrives at the predetermined position of the next receiving stage 22, the loading robot 43 causes the workpiece positioning device 26 to load the workpieces, such as the panel and the frame, that constitute the left hood ridge 61 of the type to be assembled next. And the work shelves 44 for each type of body parts
Picked up from and placed on, the carriage 25 receives a signal from the stage instructing to start after the placement is finished,
The work is moved toward the next assembly stage 23 while the work is fixedly held by the work positioning device by the clamp mechanism.

When the carriage 25 arrives at a predetermined position on the assembly stage 23,
As a result, when a plurality of works are positioned and fixed at a predetermined relative position and at a predetermined position of the stage, the welding robot 45 here uses the spot welding gun 46 to spot-weld the plurality of works to each other. After assembling the left hood ridge 61 by assembling with each other, and the transport carriage 25 receives a signal from the stage instructing to start after the assembly is completed, the transport carriage 25 moves toward the next delivery stage 24.

Delivery stage 24 of this left Hood Ridge Subline 1
In this embodiment, it also serves as the engine compartment assembly stage 7, and the engine compartment assembly stage 7 also serves as the delivery stage 24 for the right hood ridge subline, the dash lower subline and the radiator core support subline.

That is, to the engine compartment assembly stage 7, the right hood ridge 62, the dash lower 63, and the right hood ridge 62, the dash lower 63, and the right hood ridge subline 4, the dash lower subline 2, and the radiator core subline 3 which are assembled in the same manner as in the left hood ridge subline 1 The three transport carriages 25 for positioning and holding the radiator core supports 64 and the transport carriage 25 for positioning and holding the left hood ridge 61 gather together so as to surround one empty transport carriage 25, and the empty transport carriages are gathered. Position and fix each of the above body parts on the 25.

Then, in this stage 7, the welding robot 45 having the welding gun 46 assembles the engine compartment 65 by spot welding the left and right foot ridges 61, 62, the dash lower 63, and the radiator core support 64 to each other.
Each of the four surrounding transport carriages 25 releases the transported body parts and returns to the sub-line type switching stage 21 to which it belongs, while the central transport carriage 25 positions the engine compartment 65. And is conveyed to the floor main assembling stage 28 along the looped route M shown in FIG.

In addition, the engine compartment assembly stage 7
In the assembly and the discrete order of the transport carriages 25 in Fig. 3, a control panel 51 provided adjacent to the stage 7 is appropriately controlled by a radio signal so that the carriages and the body parts do not interfere with each other. That is, for example, a direction in which the empty carrier 25 is first placed at a predetermined receiving position indicated by reference numeral 52 in FIG. 1, and then the carrier 25 holding the radiator core support 69 is directed to the floor main assembly stage 8. Delivery stage 24 in front of the above empty carrier truck 25
, And then transfer the carriages 25 holding the left and right hood ridges 61, 62 to the delivery stages on both sides of the empty carriage 25.
A transport trolley placed at 24 and holding the dash lower 63 at the end
25 is placed on the delivery stage 24 on the rear side of the empty carrier.

As shown in FIG. 3, on the floor main assembly stage 8, in addition to the carrier truck 25 holding the engine compartment 65, the carrier truck 25 holding the front floor 66 assembled in the front floor subline 5 and the rear floor subline. 6, the carriages 25 for holding the rear floor 67 assembled in 6 are assembled, and again, the three carriages 25 are arranged at predetermined positions, respectively, and are aligned, so that the engine compartment 65, the front floor 66, and The rear floor 67 is positioned and fixed at a predetermined relative position,
In this state, the welding robot 45 joins those car body parts to each other by spot welding to assemble the floor main 68.

Then, after that, the transport carriage 25 that has transported the front floor 66 is left first, and the transport carriage 25 that has transported the engine compartment 65 releases it, and then along the route M, the engine compartment assembly stage 7 Returning to the receiving position 52 of the rear floor sub-line 6 along the route F, the carriage 25 carrying the rear floor 67
Then, the carriage 25 carrying the front floor 66 carries the assembled floor main 68 to the next floor main hitting stage 9.

Since the number of spot welding spots is extremely large and it takes a lot of work time, the floor main boosting stage 9 is provided at five places.
Enters there according to the signal transmitted from the vacant stage 9 and stops in place. Then, when the additional welding of the spot welding by the welding robot 45 is completed, the carrier vehicle 25 moves to the body main assembly stage 16 as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, in the roof panel sub line 10, the parcel shelf sub line 11, the air box sub line 12, and the rear panel sub line 13, the carrier vehicles 25 circulate in the same manner as the left hood ridge sub line 1 described above.
In these sub-lines 10 to 13, the assembly stage 21 is used together with the delivery stage 24.

That is, in this embodiment, the overhead conveyor 52 as shown in FIG. 5 is provided so as to autonomously travel along the route N passing above the sublines 10 to 13 and the body main assembly stage 16, and the subline 10 is provided. Roof panel 69, parcel shell 70, each assembled in ~ 13,
The air box 71 and the rear panel 72 are delivered to the overhead conveyor 53 by the assembly and delivery stages 23 and 24, and are conveyed to the body main assembly stage 16 by the conveyor 53.

Here, the overhead conveyor 53 is the above-mentioned vehicle body part.
It has a large number of Cartesian robots 54 that hold 69 to 72 in their respective positioning states.
When you arrive at 16, drop lifter 55 and floor main 68
Is lowered to a predetermined position above, and the individual components are positioned and fixed at the predetermined position of the stage.

And on the body main assembly stage 16,
Left and right body sides assembled in the same way as in the left hood ridge subline 1 described above in the left and right body side sublines 14 and 15 with the work receiving stage 22 and the assembly stage 23 for each of the inner panel and the outer panel. Floor mains 73 and 74 are transfer stages 24 of their sub-lines by the carriages 25, respectively.
It is carried in to the positions on both sides of the 68, and fixed there in a positioning state as shown in FIG. 5. Here, the floor main 68, the left and right body sides 73 and 74, and the roof panel 69 which is an upper part The welding robot 45 joins the parcel shelf 70, the air box 71, and the rear panel 72 to each other by spot welding to assemble the body main.

After that, the overhead conveyor 53 first releases the vehicle body parts, then is lifted by the drop lifter 55 and returns to each of the sub-lines 10 to 13 along the path N again, and the left and right body sides 73 and 74 are conveyed with it. The carrier truck 25 that came back also returned to the type switching stage 21 of the left and right body side sublines 14 and 15, respectively, and then the front floor.
The transport carriage 25 that has transported 66 transports the assembled body main to the next body main hitting stage 17.

Similarly to the floor-main overfilling stage 9, the body-main overblanking stage 17 has five spots for spot welding, which requires a long working time. Therefore, the carrier cart 25 for holding the bodymain is vacant. stage
After entering 17 and stopping at a predetermined position, and when the welding robot finishes hitting, the body main is transferred to a transfer stage (not shown), and the body main is transferred to a drop lifter (not shown) there. Return to the type switching stage 21 of the front floor sub line 5 along the route E as shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the vehicle body assembly line here, it is possible to assemble the vehicle body parts from a plurality of works in each sub-line and collect the vehicle body parts to assemble the body main. Moreover, according to the above-mentioned sub line,
Since the carrier truck 25 equipped with the work positioning device 26 holds the work and the body parts from the receipt of the work to the delivery of the assembled body parts to a predetermined position, it is troublesome to transfer the work and the body parts for each stage. In addition, it is possible to save time, and it is possible to dispose a work or a vehicle body part at a predetermined position of each stage with relatively simple equipment.

Further, since the transport carriage 25 of the above-described example is capable of autonomous traveling along each predetermined route, the traveling route can be easily changed, and the layout of each stage can be easily changed, the number of stages can be easily increased, etc. As a result, it is possible to have a great degree of freedom in setting and changing the installation location and production capacity of the sub line.

Here, since the arrangement of the work holding member 30 of the work positioning device 26 can be changed and the change is performed by the type switching stage 21, for example, a mixed flow assembly of a plurality of types of vehicle body parts different for each vehicle type is performed. And the moving mechanism of the work positioning device 26.
The configuration of 29 and the control device of the servomotor 35 that drives it can be simplified.

6 and 7 show each of the above-mentioned sub-lines 1 to 6,
Stages 21 to 24 in 10 to 15, engine compartment assembling stage 7, floor main assembling stage 8, floor main assembling stage 9, body main assembling stage 16, body main assembling stage 17, and body main delivery not shown A specific example of a method for positioning and fixing the work positioning device 26, and further, the work and the like positioned and held on the work positioning device in a predetermined stage, is shown in the stage. In the example shown in FIG.
When it detects the arrival of the carrier truck 25, it lifts the lifter 81 from the floor below the carriage 25 as shown by the arrow, and the locate pin 82 erected there is fitted in the locate hole provided on the bottom surface of the carrier truck 25. Together with the lifter 81, the carrier truck 25 is lifted and the workpiece carriage positioning device 26 together with the carrier truck 25.
In the example shown in FIG. 7, when the sensor 80 detects the arrival of the carriage, the lifters 83 are raised from both sides of the carriage 25 as shown by the arrows, and the locate pin 84 erected there is As described above, the work positioning device 26 detachably mounted on the dolly 25 is fitted into the locate hole provided on the back surface of the base 27 of the work positioning device 26, and only the work positioning device 26 is lifted by the lifter 83. Position and fix it.

According to the method shown in FIG. 6, since the work positioning device 26 can be integrated with the transfer carriage 25, the structure of the transfer carriage 25 can be simplified, and according to the method shown in FIG. Since the postures of 26 can be easily changed, the postures of the work and the body parts can be easily changed in the positioning state so that the work at each stage is easy.

8 and 9 show the engine compartment assembly stage 7, the floor main assembly stage 8, etc.,
A specific example of a method of positioning a plurality of carriages 25 adjacent to each other will be shown. Here, a connecting protrusion 85 is provided on a side surface of the carriage 25.
And a chuck 86. Here, in the chuck 86, the cylindrical piston 87 supplies air pressure from the left side in the figure, and
By the reaction force of the spring 88 due to the stop of the supply, it moves back and forth, and the ball 89 is moved in the radial direction on the inner peripheral surface of the frusto-conical shape, and the ball 89 is hooked and released from the annular groove of the connecting projection 85. As a result, it is possible to interconnect the transport carriage 25 provided with the connecting protrusion 85 and the transport carriage 25 provided with the chuck 86.

Therefore, according to the above method, any one of the transport carriages 25
It is possible to position and fix the other transport carriages 25 connected to it only by positioning and fixing, and it is possible to simplify the configuration for positioning the plurality of transport carriages 25.

FIG. 10 shows another example of the carrier truck used in the present invention,
The carriage 90 of this example is equipped with the work positioning device 26 similar to the one described above, but does not autonomously travel, has a pin 92 that can be engaged with a chain 91 laid in the floor, and continuously moves. The chain 91 and the pin 92 are engaged with each other to move along a predetermined path, and the truck itself is lifted up from the floor surface by the lifters as shown in FIG. Is separated from the chain 91 and positioned and fixed at a predetermined position.

By using such a carriage 90, the structure of the carriage can be simplified.

Although described above based on the illustrated example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, for example, the joining of works in the assembly stage 23 of the sub-line is performed by using a joining material such as a screw or an adhesive, or the work itself. It may be performed by plastically deforming.

Further, the work positioning device 26 may move the work receiving member 30 by an ordinary robot having a motor, and the type switching stage 21 may instruct only the arrangement of those work receiving members.

(Effects of the Invention) Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to save the labor and time required for transferring the works or the body parts for each stage in an assembly line for assembling a plurality of kinds of car body parts for mixed flow assembly and the like. Further, it is possible to dispose a plurality of types of works that compose the plurality of types of vehicle body parts and the body parts thereof at a predetermined position of each stage simply by providing a relatively simple facility for each stage. .

Moreover, according to this method, since the carrier vehicle can autonomously travel along the predetermined route with the power source and the traveling direction determining means, the traveling route can be easily changed. In combination with unnecessary points and the fact that the work positioning means itself included in the transport carriage changes the arrangement of the work holding means, the arrangement of each stage is relatively simple in combination with the fact that the equipment provided in each stage can be relatively simple. The number of stages can be easily increased or decreased, and the degree of freedom in setting and changing the facility location and production capacity of the assembly line for assembling multiple types of vehicle body parts can be greatly increased. .

When the transport carriage arrives at the assembly stage, if the transport carriage is positioned and fixed to the assembly stage and a plurality of workpieces on the transport carriage are mutually joined, a plurality of workpiece holding means can be used. Since the workpiece positioning means, which are positioned and held relative to each other, are positioned and fixed to the assembly stage together with the transport carriage, the positioning of the plurality of workpieces with respect to the welding equipment such as welding robots that welds the workpieces on the assembly stage is more accurate. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the joint position when assembling the vehicle body parts.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a layout of a vehicle body assembly line including a sub line to which an embodiment of a method for assembling vehicle body parts according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a left hood ridge sub line and an engine compartment of the vehicle body assembly line. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing an assembly stage, FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the front floor subline, floor main assembly stage and floor main boosting stage of the vehicle body assembly line, and FIG. 4 is the vehicle body assembly line. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of a transfer carriage and a work positioning device used and a part of a switching type drive device of a type switching stage; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a body main assembly stage of the vehicle body assembly line; FIG. 7 shows a method for positioning and fixing the work positioning device in the vehicle body assembly line. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a body, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another positioning and fixing method of the carrier used in the vehicle body assembly line, and FIG. 9 is a state in which the chuck in the method shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a carrier truck used in the method of the present invention. 1 …… Left Hood Ridge Subline 2 …… Dash Lower Subline 3 …… Radiator Core Support Subline 4 …… Right Hood Ridge Subline 5 …… Front Floor Subline 6 …… Rear Floor Subline 7 …… Engine Compartment Assembly Stage 8 …… Floor Main Assembly stage 9 …… Floor main overdrive stage 10 …… Roof panel sub line 11 …… Parcel shell sub line 12 …… Air box sub line 13 …… Rear panel sub line 14 …… Left body side sub line 15 …… Right body side sub line 16 …… Body main assembly stage 17 …… Body main overdrive stage 21 …… Type switching stage 22 …… Work receiving stage 23 …… Assembly stage, 24 …… Transfer stage 25 …… Transport trolley, 26 …… Work positioning device 29 …… Motion mechanism, 30 …… Workpiece receiving member 34 …… Switching drive device, 44 …… Workpiece rack 45 …… Welding robot 53 …… Overhead conveyor 61 …… Left hood ridge, 62 …… Right hood ridge 63 …… Dash lower 64 …… Radiator core support 65 …… Engine compartment 66 …… Front floor, 67 …… Rear floor 68 …… Floor main, 69 …… Roof panel 70 …… Parcel shelf, 71 …… Air box 72 …… Rear panel, 73… … Left body side 74 …… Right body side, 81,83 …… Lifter 82,84 …… Locating pin, 85 …… Connecting protrusion 86 …… Chuck, 90 …… Conveyor cart 91 …… Chain, 92 …… Hooking pin A ~ M …… Route of carrier truck N …… Route of drop lifter

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. When assembling a plurality of types of vehicle body parts on one assembly line, a plurality of work holding means capable of positioning and holding a plurality of works relative to each other on the assembly line, and the arrangement of the plurality of work holding means. And a work positioning means having a layout changing means capable of changing the position of the work positioning means, and further comprising a power source and a traveling direction determining means, which can autonomously travel along a predetermined route. A type switching stage that causes the changing means to change the arrangement of the work holding means according to the type of vehicle body part to be assembled next, and a work holding means of the work positioning means on the transport carriage that receives the plurality of works. A work receiving stage that holds the works while positioning them relative to each other, and a work positioning means on the carriage. An assembly stage for assembling a body part by joining a plurality of workpieces that are positioned and held to each other, and a work holding means of a work positioning means on the transfer carriage for delivering the assembled body part to a predetermined position in the next step. A method for assembling vehicle body parts, characterized in that the delivery stage and the product are cycled so as to pass sequentially. 2. When the transport carriage arrives at the assembly stage, the transport carriage is positioned and fixed on the assembly stage to mutually join a plurality of works on the transport carriage. A method of assembling a vehicle body component according to claim 1.