JP2003312559A - Vehicle body transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle body transfer device for enhancing positioning accuracy when transferring a vehicle body to a carrying machine such as a suspension hanger between conveyor lines of a plurality of systems. <P>SOLUTION: In the vehicle body transfer device to transfer a vehicle body from one line to the other line between conveyor lines of a plurality of systems to carry the vehicle body while supporting at least the lower part of the vehicle body, the vehicle body transferred by the transfer device has an underfloor member (12) having downwardly tapered symmetric inclined surfaces (12a), and the transfer device has an elevating/lowering means (a hydraulic cylinder 8) having a pair of rollers (11) abutted on right and left inclined surfaces. When the elevating/lowering means is elevated, and the rollers are abutted to the inclined surfaces of the member provided underfloor of the vehicle body, deviation in the right-to-left direction of the vehicle body is corrected, and the vehicle body is automatically centered to the transfer device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for transferring a vehicle body while supporting at least a lower portion of the vehicle body from one line to another line. The present invention relates to a vehicle body transfer device for transferring a vehicle body. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a system in which a vehicle is transported between work stages in various processes in an automobile production line by a hanging hanger driven by an overhead conveyor. On the other hand, due to factors such as factory layout,
For example, there are cases where separate overhead conveyors are provided for each of the coating line and the outfitting line. in this case,
It is necessary to transfer the vehicle body supported by the hanger of the painting line to the hanger of the outfitting line between the hanging hangers provided on each overhead conveyor of the painting line and the outfitting line. [0004] The painting process does not hinder the work even if the position accuracy of the vehicle body with respect to the hanger is not so high. However, the outfitting process uses an auxiliary device that runs in parallel with an overhead conveyor, such as an underbody or a power train. Since a heavy object may be assembled to the vehicle body, the work may be hindered unless the mutual positional accuracy between the vehicle body and the auxiliary device is high to some extent. Therefore, a high accuracy is also required for the position of the vehicle body with respect to the hanger. [0005] The present invention has been made based on such a viewpoint, and its main objects are as follows.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle body transfer device that can improve the positioning accuracy when a vehicle body is mounted on a transporter such as a hanging hanger between a plurality of conveyor lines. In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, at least one of a plurality of conveyor lines for supporting a vehicle body while supporting a lower part of the vehicle body and transferring the vehicle body from one of the conveyor lines is provided. A vehicle body transfer device for transferring a vehicle body to another line, wherein the vehicle body handled by the transfer device is provided with an underfloor member (12) having a bilaterally symmetrical downwardly inclined surface (12a). Along with
The transfer device has lifting / lowering means (fluid pressure cylinder 8) provided with a pair of rollers (11) capable of contacting each of the left and right inclined surfaces. With this configuration, when the lifting means is raised, the roller rolls when the roller abuts against the inclined surface of the member provided under the floor of the vehicle body, so that a symmetrical inclined surface is provided. Member falls between the paired rollers. As a result, the lateral displacement of the vehicle body is corrected, and the centering of the vehicle body with respect to the transfer device is automatically performed. The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a transfer facility constructed according to the present invention. This transfer equipment is for transferring a vehicle body from the first overhead conveyor 1 circulating through the coating line to the second overhead conveyor 2 circulating through the outfitting line. The first overhead conveyor 1 on the left side in FIG. 1 has a path that makes a 90-degree turn from the left side to the front side, and the second overhead conveyor 2 on the right side makes a 90-degree turn from the front side. And has a route that moves to the right. The transfer device 3 according to the present invention is located at a position where both conveyors 1 and 2 are aligned on a straight line when viewed from a plane.
The rail 4 on which the vehicle travels is laid. The rail 4 extends on a straight line common to the center lines of the first and second overhead conveyors 1 and 2, and is mounted on a gantry 5 assembled from, for example, a mold steel and buried under the floor. Have been. On this rail 4, both overhead conveyors 1 driven by an appropriate speed change motor are provided.
A carriage 6 that reciprocates between two places is placed. FIG. 1 shows three trolleys, which show how the trolleys move by themselves and change their positions. Actually, one trolley reciprocates. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a lifter driven up and down by a fluid pressure cylinder 8 as a lifting / lowering means is provided on a frame 7 provided on a carriage 6 at a position symmetrical with respect to the traveling direction. 9 are provided in plural pairs. The movement trajectories of these lifters 9 are defined by the guide means 10 so as to make a reciprocating linear movement in the vertical direction. At the upper end of each lifter 9, a roller 11 that rotates on an axis extending in the traveling direction of the carriage 6 is provided. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the underfloor member 12 of the vehicle body handled in this manufacturing line has a downwardly inclined surface 12a. In other words, the contour viewed from the front of the underfloor member 12 of the vehicle body is a symmetrical inverted trapezoid. The position of the pair of rollers 11 provided on each lifter 9 is determined in accordance with the position of the inclined surface 12a of the underfloor member 12 of the vehicle body manufactured on this line. By selectively changing the lifter 9 to be made, the system is configured to be applicable to a plurality of vehicle types. Next, a procedure for transferring a vehicle body between the first and second overhead conveyors 1 and 2 according to the present invention will be described. When the vehicle body B supported by the suspension hanger 13 on the first overhead conveyor 1 reaches a specified position above the transfer device 3 waiting at the left end of the rail 4, the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle type is reached. The lifter 9 is raised. Then, the roller 11 provided at the upper end of the lifter 9 is moved to the underfloor member 1.
The vehicle body B is lifted by contacting the second inclined surface 12a. Then, since the roller 11 rolls, the symmetric inclined surface 1 is formed.
The underfloor member 12 provided with 2a falls between the rollers 11 forming a pair. Thereby, the vehicle body B moves in the left-right direction, and the center thereof is automatically aligned between the pair of rollers 11. In other words, the lateral displacement of the vehicle body is corrected, and the transfer device 3
Centering of the vehicle body B is automatically performed. In this state, since the vehicle body B has detached from the suspension hanger 13, the first overhead conveyor 1 is advanced as it is, and the suspension hanger 13 is retreated from the transfer device 3 stopped at the left end of the rail 4. . Hanging hanger 1
3 is completely separated from the vehicle body B, the lifter 9 is once lowered, and the support pad 1 fixed in place on the frame 7
4 (see FIG. 4) to stably support the vehicle body B. Next, when the vehicle 3 is moved to the right and the vehicle body B is conveyed to the second overhead conveyor 2 side, the lifter 9 is raised again and the second overhead conveyor 2
Wait for the side hanger 15 to arrive. Then, when the hanging hanger 15 on the second overhead conveyor 2 side reaches the specified position, the lifter 9 is lowered. This allows
The vehicle body B is attached to the hanging hanger 15 with the centers thereof aligned.
Will be supported. As described above, according to the present invention, when the symmetrical inclined surface provided on the underfloor member of the vehicle body is lifted by a pair of rollers, the inclined surface follows the rollers, and thus the vehicle body is lifted. The lateral displacement is corrected, and the center of the transfer device and the center of the vehicle body are automatically aligned. Therefore, a great effect can be achieved in improving the positioning accuracy when transferring the vehicle body to a transporter such as a hanging hanger between a plurality of conveyor lines.

[Brief description of the drawings] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a transfer facility to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the transfer device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of a main part of the transfer device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the transfer device according to the present invention. [Explanation of symbols] 1 First overhead conveyor 2 Second overhead conveyor 3 Transfer equipment 4 rails 5 Stand 6 bogies 7 frames 8 Fluid pressure cylinder 9 Lifter 10 Guide means 11 rollers 12 Underfloor members 12a Slope 13 Hanging hanger 14 Support pad 15 Hanging hanger

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A vehicle body transfer device for transferring a vehicle body from one line to another line between a plurality of conveyor lines that transport a vehicle body while supporting at least a lower portion of the vehicle body. Wherein the vehicle body handled by the transfer device includes a below-floor member having a symmetrically-sloping downwardly inclined surface, and the transfer device can contact each of the left and right inclined surfaces. A vehicle body transfer device having a lifting means provided with a pair of flexible rollers.