JP4537027B2 - Body assembly apparatus and body assembly method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile body assembly apparatus and method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for assembling a side member to an underbody.

  Conventionally, the side member is assembled by a method in which the side member held on the jig pallet is assembled to the underbody positioned and supported on the transfer pallet at the side member assembling station of the assembly line. In such an assembly line, a configuration is known in which a plurality of jig pallets holding side members having different shapes depending on the vehicle type can be switched so as to be able to quickly cope with demand fluctuations of diversifying vehicle types. For example, FIG. 11 shows a jig pallet switching device 64 called a multi-face jig method, and three kinds of jig pallets P1 to P3 are detachably fixed to the side surface of the triangular prism-shaped rotation support body 65, The rotation support body 65 is pivotally supported on the base body 68 with the central axis of the triangular prism as the center of rotation. Each jig pallet P1-P3 has the support part 66 and the holding part 67 for positioning and holding the side member supplied with a horizontal attitude | position. The support portion 66 has a shape along the bottom surface of the side member having a different shape for each vehicle type (corresponding to the outer surface after the vehicle body is assembled), and receives the side member in a positioned state. The holding part 67 holds the positioned side member. The switching devices 64 are provided in a pair of left and right (only one is shown in FIGS. 11 to 12) across the assembly line. A side member assembling procedure using the switching device 64 will be described. First, a jig pallet (P1 in FIG. 11) suitable for the side member SM ′ to be assembled is disposed at a standby position facing directly above, and the horizontal side member SM ′ is supplied by a transport device (not shown). . Next, the side member SM ′ is positioned and held on the jig pallet P1, and the rotary support 65 is rotated about 90 degrees so that the side member SM ′ is in the standing posture facing the side member assembly station ST3 ′. . Subsequently, the base body 68 is moved horizontally toward the side member assembly station ST3 ', and the side member SM' is brought close to the underbody UB '(see FIG. 12). Then, assembly work such as welding is performed in a state where the side member SM 'is positioned on the underbody UB'.

  In the case of the above-described multi-face jig method, even if it is necessary to continuously assemble different car models depending on the production plan, three car models can be used by switching and using a jig pallet suitable for the car model at the standby position. It can cope with the above mixed flow production. However, in consideration of further multi-model correspondence, it is possible that the multi-sided jig method is a polygonal column shape more than a quadrangular column, which may cause the rotating support to become large and interfere with other work devices. It is not a good idea to increase the number of aspects. Although it is possible to remove the jig pallet itself from the rotating support and replace it, it is necessary to stop the assembly line for a long time for the replacement work, and the productivity is significantly reduced. Moreover, since the jig pallet switching device is arranged on both sides of the side member assembly station, the equipment for assembling the side members is increased in size.

Therefore, various set members for setting the floor (underbody) and side panels (side members) are provided on a set carriage that can reciprocate between the set station and the assembly station. A vehicle body assembling apparatus is known in which a side panel is positioned and welded to a floor at the assembly station after the two are set and sent to the assembly station (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-63649 A

  According to the vehicle body assembly device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the switching device in the above-described multi-face jig method is not necessary, and the space occupied by the facilities for assembling the side panels can be reduced. Moreover, since the various set members for supporting the floor and the side panel are configured to be adjustable in position, it is possible to cope with a change in the vehicle type and to improve versatility.

  However, in the vehicle body assembly apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, space saving of equipment and response to vehicle type change are achieved, while a reciprocating set carriage uses a floor and a side panel as a set jig at an assembly station. After the delivery, the next side panel cannot be set on the set carriage until returning to the set station, and as a result, the assembly work cycle time tends to be prolonged. Furthermore, when changing the vehicle type, it is necessary to adjust the position of the various set members. Therefore, in multi-vehicle mixed flow production, the cycle time is further prolonged as the vehicle type is switched, and the production efficiency is lowered. In addition, when a malfunction such as malfunction occurs in various set members mounted on the set cart or the robot that supplies the side panel, it is necessary to stop the vehicle body assembly device until the malfunction location is recovered. There was a risk of reducing productivity.

  The present invention has been conceived under such circumstances, and it is intended to shorten the cycle time of the side member assembling work in multi-model mixed flow production, and causes problems such as malfunction of production equipment. However, it is an object to provide a vehicle body assembly apparatus and a vehicle body assembly method that can maintain stable productivity.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle travels along a circulating assembly line, and has a plurality of transport pallets having different configurations for each type of underbody , and each of the transport pallets makes a round of the assembly line. during, a vehicle body assembly apparatus for performing assembly of the vehicle body including the step of assembling the side members to the underbody, which is positioned and supported in the respective transport pallet, the assembly line is under body transfer station and the side member pre station and the side A member assembling station, other work stations, and a transfer pallet switching station are included in this order in the moving direction, and each transfer pallet temporarily holds the side member against the underbody while supporting the bottom from below. includes a temporary holding means, the side member pre station smell The side member is temporarily held with respect to the underbody by the temporary holding means and is moved to the side member assembling station as it is, and the side member is assembled to the underbody at the side member assembling station. The side pallet assembled at the attaching station is sent to the next work station while being mounted. At the transfer pallet switching station, the transfer pallet that makes the assembly line go around once can be switched to a different type of underbody. characterized in that it is configured to so that can, body assembly apparatus is provided.

When the vehicle body assembly apparatus having such a configuration is used , a side member is temporarily held on the underbody while supporting the bottom from below on each of the plurality of transport pallets that travel along the circulating assembly line. Since the temporary holding means is provided, the side members can be sequentially supplied to the respective transport pallets entering the side member preset station, and the cycle time of the assembling work can be shortened. Further, since the conveyance pallet and the vehicle body components such as side members mounted on the conveyance pallet have a one-to-one correspondence in all work processes, the temporary holding means of the conveyance pallet has problems such as malfunction. Even if it occurs, the productivity of the entire assembly line is not lowered by removing only the transport pallet in which the problem has occurred and replacing it with a normal transport pallet. In addition, for the transport pallet that travels on the circulating assembly line, each station performs operations such as transferring underbodies and presetting side members in separate and independent stations. Even if a malfunction such as malfunction occurs, an emergency backup process such as manual operation can be performed around the station, and it is not necessary to stop the entire assembly line. By utilizing the characteristics of the circulating assembly line in this way, stable productivity can be maintained even when a failure occurs in the transport pallet or the parts supply robot.

Further, in the vehicle body assembly apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the temporary holding means includes two sets of front and rear arranged on the left and right pairs of the transport pallet, and the side members in the standing posture disposed on the left and right sides of the underbody . it is preferable that a first temporary holding mechanism and a second temporary holding mechanism for temporarily holding at the bottom thereof.

According to such a configuration, each of the temporary holding mechanisms is provided in two pairs in the front and rear, so that both side members disposed on both sides of the transport pallet are temporarily held in two places in the longitudinal direction (front and rear). Thus, temporary holding can be efficiently performed. Also, temporary holding means, the side members, since the temporary holding at the bottom of that, can be also used in all the models of common of underbody with one type of transport pallets, versatility is enhanced. More specifically, this utilizes the viewpoint of sharing the body in automobile manufacturing. Usually, even if many different models are available to meet customer needs, parts are being shared to reduce manufacturing costs. Underbodies are also being shared, and it is common for all models of the same class to share the same underbody. In the case of a vehicle model with the same underbody, the bottom portion (rocker panel) that is a connecting portion with the underbody has the same shape even if the overall shape of the side member is different. The present invention has been made paying attention to the sharing of such parts. Therefore, as long as the underbody is the same, the same transport pallet can be used even when the vehicle types are different, so that it is easy to handle mixed flow production.

  Furthermore, when the type of underbody is different, it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase in the number of production vehicles by putting a transport pallet suitable for the underbody into the assembly line. Specifically, the transport pallet itself is configured as a dedicated product for each type of underbody, and a replacement station for replacing the transport pallet is provided on the assembly line, and the replacement operation of the transport pallet is made independent at the replacement station. It is configured so that it can be done. When the underbody that is a target part of the vehicle body assembly is changed, a transfer pallet that matches the underbody is selected at the replacement station, and a replacement operation is performed. Since this replacement work is performed independently at a dedicated station, it is possible to maintain a certain productivity without affecting the other stations by any work delay. As a result, stable productivity can be maintained even in multi-vehicle mixed production.

  In the vehicle body assembly apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first temporary holding mechanism includes a first support portion that supports the bottom portion from below and prevents a side member from falling, and an upper flange of the bottom portion. It is preferable to include a first pressing portion that presses the portion from the laterally outward side to the underbody side to prevent the side member from tilting.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently avoid the downward fall of the side member and the outward tilt while simplifying the structure of the temporary holding means.

  Further, in the vehicle body assembly apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the second support portion for supporting the bottom portion from below to prevent the side member from falling, and the lower flange portion of the bottom portion from the underside in the lateral direction. It is preferable to include a second pressing portion that presses toward the side and abuts the underbody and the side member.

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently avoid the downward falling of the side member and the isolation from the underbody while simplifying the structure of the temporary holding means.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the vehicle travels along the circulating assembly line, and has a plurality of transport pallets having different configurations for each type of underbody, and the side of the underbody positioned and supported by each transport pallet. A vehicle body assembling method including a step of assembling members, wherein the side members are temporarily held with respect to the underbody while supporting the bottom portions thereof from below by temporary holding means provided on each conveyance pallet in the side member preset station. Temporary holding process, assembly process for assembling the side member to the underbody at the side member assembly station, and delivery process for sending the side member assembled at the side member assembly station to the next work station while being mounted on each transport pallet And the side member preset Sequentially have line assembly of sequential side members via the respective steps for each transport pallet entering the preparative station, and, in the conveying pallet switching station, a conveying pallet travels along the assembly line, type There is provided a vehicle body assembling method characterized by switching to a different underbody .

  When such a vehicle body assembly method is used, in each process of the circulating assembly line, each transport pallet and the vehicle body mounted on each transport pallet have a one-to-one correspondence, and thus a problem occurs in the transport pallet. However, the productivity of the entire assembly line is not lowered by removing only the conveyance pallet in which the defect has occurred and replacing it with a normal conveyance pallet. In addition, side member presets are carried out on separate pallets for each side, such as presetting of side members and assembly of side members to underbodies for transport pallets that travel on a circulating assembly line. Even if a malfunction such as malfunction occurs in the parts supply robot in the station, an emergency backup process such as manual operation can be performed around the station, and it is not necessary to stop the entire assembly line. In this way, stable productivity can be maintained even when a defect occurs in the transport pallet or the parts supply robot.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which the vehicle body assembly apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a circulation type assembly line. 1 is a conveyance pallet, 2 is an assembly line (conveyance apparatus), and 3 is a conveyance rail. The plurality of transport pallets 1 are configured to be able to travel on a transport rail 3 laid along the assembly line 2 by obtaining a driving force by a driving means provided at an appropriate location on the assembly line 2. The assembly line 2 is provided with an underbody transfer station ST1, a side member preset station ST2, a side member assembly station ST3, another work station ST4, a delivery station ST5, and a transport pallet replacement station ST6. Yes. Each transport pallet 1 includes an underbody support member 9 that positions and supports the underbody, and temporary holding means 10 that temporarily holds the side member SM in an upright posture, and each transport pallet 1 includes each station ST1 on the assembly line 2. ST6 travels sequentially.

  Here, the role of each station ST1 to ST6 will be described. In the underbody transfer station ST1, the underbody UB is placed on the underbody support member 9 by a transfer device (not shown). At the side member preset station ST2, the side member SM in a standing posture is supplied by a robot (not shown), and the temporary holding means 10 temporarily holds the side member SM on the transport pallet 1. In the side member assembly station ST3, the temporarily held side member SM is welded and fixed to the underbody in a state where the side member SM is positioned using a jig or the like. In the other work station ST4, assembling work of other vehicle body components such as a roof, additional welding work of welding and the like are performed as necessary. At the payout station ST5, the vehicle body assembled by a transfer device (not shown) is carried out. At the transport pallet replacement station ST6, the transport pallet 1 is replaced by a robot (not shown) as necessary.

  Next, a specific configuration of each transport pallet 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, 4, and 7, the transport pallet 1 has a rectangular shape, and in the vicinity of the four corners, four pallets that are rotatably supported on a pair of transport rails 3 are supported. Wheels 7A to 7D are provided. The underbody support members 9 (9 </ b> A to 9 </ b> D) are provided at predetermined four locations in two pairs of front and rear in a pair of left and right, and are connected and fixed to the transport pallet 1 through brackets 8. Each of the underbody support members 9 </ b> A to 9 </ b> D includes a pin portion 91 that fits into a positioning hole formed in the underbody UB and a receiving portion 92 that receives and supports the underbody UB. The temporary holding means 10 includes a first temporary holding mechanism 11 provided in a pair of left and right front of the transport pallet 1 in the traveling direction, and a second temporary holding mechanism 31 provided in a pair of left and right rear in the moving direction. In the present embodiment, the first temporary holding mechanism 11 is provided offset in the front-rear direction so as not to interfere with each other, but is not limited to such a configuration.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, both first temporary holding mechanisms 11 include a cylinder unit 13, a first pressing member 19, and a rotating mechanism 21 that connects the cylinder unit 13 and the first pressing member 19. ing. The cylinder unit 13 is connected and fixed to the transport pallet 1 via the bracket 12, and includes a main cylinder 14, a piston rod 15 that advances and retreats from the main cylinder 14, a guide rod 16 that interlocks with the piston rod 15, and a guide rod 16. A guide cylinder 17 is provided. The first pressing member 19 is formed in a U shape that encloses the rocker panel RP that is the bottom of the side member SM, and has a first pressing portion 19a that presses the upper flange portion RP1 of the rocker panel RP at the tip. ing. The first pressing portion 19a has a predetermined length in the front-rear direction, and when the upper flange portion RP1 is pressed, the side member SM can be properly prevented from tilting. The rotation mechanism 21 includes a rotation unit 22 connected and fixed to the distal ends of the piston rod 15 and the guide rod 16, and a gear 23 that is pivotally supported by the rotation unit 22 with pins 23 a and 24 a and engaged with each other. , 24 and a guide plate 25 formed integrally with the gear 23. A first support portion 22a is formed on the upper surface of the rotating unit 22, and when both rods 15 and 16 are advanced, the first support portion 22a comes into contact with the lower end of the side member SM so that the side member SM is properly positioned. It is configured to support. The gear 24 is integrally formed with a first pressing member 19 at a position facing the pin 24a. The guide plate 25 is a plate-like member that extends to a position facing the pin 23a, and a guide pin 25a is erected at the tip thereof. The guide pin 25a constitutes a copying mechanism that can move along the copying 26 as the piston rod 15 moves forward and backward. The copy 26 is formed substantially in parallel with the piston rod 15 for the inner half in the lateral direction, and is formed in the direction intersecting the piston rod 15 for the outer half in the lateral direction.

  Next, the operating state of the first temporary holding mechanism 11 will be described. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the piston rod 15 is pulled into the retracted position. At this time, the first pressing member 19 is in a standby posture with the U-shaped opening facing upward. In addition, the underbody UB is positioned and supported in advance on the transport pallet 1 and the standing side member SM is supplied to a position where it can be assembled by a robot (not shown). Next, when the piston rod 15 is advanced, the rotation unit 22 linearly moves outward in the lateral direction. The guide plate 25 rotates with the advancement operation of the piston rod 15, but due to the relationship with the copying 26, the guide plate 25 does not rotate in the first half of the advancement operation, maintains substantially the same posture, and rotates in the second half of the advancement operation. . As the guide plate 25 rotates, the gear 24 engaged with the gear 23 also rotates, and as a result, the first pressing member 19 also rotates. FIG. 6 shows a state where the piston rod 15 is pushed out to the advanced position. At this time, the first support portion 22a contacts the lower end of the side member SM to prevent the side member SM from falling, and the first pressing portion 19a contacts the upper flange portion RP1 of the rocker panel from the lateral outer side. Prevents members from tilting. As described above, since the first pressing member 19 is configured to rotate only in the latter half of the advancing operation by the action of the copying 26, the side member is avoided while avoiding interference between the first pressing member 19 and the side member SM. SM can be temporarily held properly.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, both the second temporary holding mechanisms 31 include a cylinder unit 33, a slide unit 41, a second pressing member 43, and a link mechanism that connects the cylinder unit 33 and the second pressing member 43. 45. The cylinder unit 33 is connected and fixed to the transport pallet 1 via the bracket 32, and includes a main cylinder 34, a piston rod 35 that moves forward and backward from the main cylinder 34, and two guides provided in parallel to the piston rod 35. A rod 36, a guide cylinder 37 that houses both guide rods 36, and a joint 38 that connects the piston rod 35 and both guide rods 36 are provided. A stopper 36a is provided at the rear ends of both guide rods 36, and the stopper 36a abuts against a restriction surface 37a at the rear end of the guide cylinder, thereby restricting the advancing operation of both guide rods 36. Further, the joint 38 is fixed near the tip of the piston rod 35 and is slidably fitted to both guide rods 36. Both the guide rods 36 and the joint 38 move together by the contact resistance of both the guide rods 36 when the forward / backward movement of the both guide rods 36 is not restricted. A joint 38 is configured to slide relative to both guide rods 36. The slide unit 41 is connected and fixed to the distal end sides of both guide rods 36. The upper part of the slide unit 41 is provided with a second support part 41a and a third pressing part 41b. When both guide rods 36 are advanced, the second support part 41a comes into contact with the lower end of the side member SM, and the side member It is configured to properly support the SM. The second pressing member 43 is pivotally supported at the tip of the slide unit 41 so as to be rotatable about the pin 42, and the second pressing portion 43a that presses the lower flange portion RP2 of the rocker panel RP at the tip. It has. The link mechanism 45 is configured by connecting the front end of the piston rod 35 and the rear end of the second pressing member 43 with a link plate 46.

  Next, the operating state of the second temporary holding mechanism 31 will be described. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the piston rod 35 is pulled into the retracted position. At this time, the underbody UB is positioned and supported on the transport pallet 1, and the standing side member SM is supplied to a position where it can be assembled by a robot (not shown). Next, when the piston rod 35 is advanced, the slide unit 41 is also moved linearly outward in the lateral direction together with the joint 38. When the stopper 36a comes into contact with the regulating surface 37a of the guide cylinder 37, both guide rods 36 stop (see FIG. 9). At this time, the second support portion 41a is in contact with the lower end of the side member SM, and the third pressing portion 41b is in contact with the lower end inside of the underbody UB. Thereafter, when the piston rod 35 further advances, the second pressing member 43 rotates around the pin 42. FIG. 10 shows a state where the piston rod 35 is pushed out to the advanced position. At this time, the second support portion 41a abuts below the side member SM to prevent the side member SM from falling. In addition, the second pressing portion 43a contacts the lower flange portion RP2 of the rocker panel from the laterally outer side, and the third pressing portion 41b receives the underbody UB at a position facing the second pressing portion 43a. The side member SM is in close contact with the underbody UB. As described above, the second pressing member 43 is configured to rotate only in the latter half of the advancing operation by the action of the stopper 36a. Therefore, the side member can be avoided while avoiding interference between the second pressing member 43 and the side member SM. SM can be temporarily held properly.

  A method for assembling a side member using the vehicle body assembling apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3, each transport pallet 1 continuously travels in order in each station ST <b> 1 to ST <b> 6. Each transport pallet 1 stops at a predetermined position in each station ST1 to ST6, and the work for assembling the vehicle body is performed. In each of the stations ST1 to ST6, different operations are performed in parallel. In the following, focusing on one transport pallet 1 on the assembly line, description will be made according to the work process of making one round of the assembly line, starting from the passage after the transport pallet replacement station ST6.

  First, an empty transport pallet 1 on which vehicle body components are not mounted enters the underbody transfer station ST1. In the underbody transfer station ST1, the underbody UB is transported by a transport device (not shown) and mounted in a three-dimensionally positioned state by the four underbody support members 9A to 9D provided on the transport pallet 1. (See FIGS. 1 and 2). Next, the transport pallet 1 moves to the side member preset station ST2. Here, a pair of left and right side members SM are supplied in a standing posture by a robot (not shown), and the left and right side surfaces of the underbody UB are arranged so as to substantially match the connecting portions (rocker panel RP) of the side members SM. (See FIGS. 5 and 8). Subsequently, the main cylinders 14 and 34 of the first temporary holding mechanisms 11 and the second temporary holding mechanisms 31 are operated, and the piston rods 15 and 35 are advanced. At this time, the four main cylinders 14 and 34 are controlled to synchronize. After the piston rods 15 and 35 have advanced, in the first temporary holding mechanism 11, as shown in FIG. 6, the first support portion 22a contacts the lower end of the side member SM to prevent the side member SM from dropping, The first pressing portion 19a contacts the upper flange portion RP1 of the rocker panel to prevent the side member SM from tilting outward in the lateral direction. Further, in the second temporary holding mechanism 31, as shown in FIG. 10, the second support portion 41a contacts the lower end of the side member SM to prevent the side member SM from falling, and the second pressing portion 43a is a rocker panel. The side member SM is prevented from being isolated from the underbody UB by abutting against the lower flange portion RP1. In this way, the side member SM is properly temporarily held on the transport pallet 1. Also, in the unlikely event that a problem occurs in the robot that supplies the side member SM, backup processing such as manually supplying the side member SM in front of the side member preset station ST2 is possible, and stable productivity is achieved. Can be maintained.

  Subsequently, with the side member SM temporarily held, the transport pallet 1 moves to the side member assembly station ST3. Here, after the side member SM is received by a jig (not shown) or the like, the four piston rods 15 and 35 are retracted to make the temporary holding means 10 inactive, and the side member SM is placed on the underbody UB. The two are positioned by welding. Then, in the other work station ST4, other body components such as a roof are sequentially assembled, and additional welding work is performed as necessary. When the transport pallet 1 reaches the dispensing station ST5, the assembled vehicle body mounted on the transport pallet 1 is unloaded by a transport device (not shown). Finally, the transport pallet 1 reaches the transport pallet switching station ST6 in an empty state. In the switching station ST6, the robot pallet 1 is replaced with a transport pallet 1 suitable for the underbody only when the type of underbody mounted in the next round is different.

  As described above, one transport pallet 1 performs assembling work of one vehicle body per round of the assembly line via the stations ST1 to ST6 of the circulation type assembly line. In the circulation type assembly line, a plurality of transport pallets 1 travel sequentially at a predetermined interval, and different operations are being performed in parallel at each station ST1 to ST6. The cycle time of each work can be shortened without causing any problems. Moreover, since the same conveyance pallet 1 can be used for the vehicle model with the same underbody UB, the versatility of the conveyance pallet 1 increases and it becomes easy to cope with mixed flow production. When the underbody UB is changed to a different vehicle type, the mixed pallet production can be easily handled by removing and replacing the transfer pallet 1 itself at a transfer pallet replacement station (not shown).

  While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the rotation mechanism 21 and the link mechanism 45 shown in the above embodiment are merely examples of specific configurations, and may have various other configurations. Further, the quantity and location of the temporary holding mechanisms 11 and 31 arranged on the transport pallet 1 may be changed as appropriate according to the weight and size of the side member SM to be assembled.

It is a top view which shows the vehicle body assembly apparatus based on this invention. It is a front view which shows the vehicle body assembly apparatus based on this invention. It is a whole block diagram which shows the example which applied the vehicle body assembly apparatus based on this invention to the circulation type assembly line. It is a left view (front side of the advancing direction) which shows the vehicle body assembly apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a side view (AA line arrow view in FIG. 1) which shows the principal part of the 1st temporary holding mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a figure similar to FIG. 5 which shows the principal part of the 1st temporary holding mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a right view (rear side in the advancing direction) showing the vehicle body assembling apparatus according to the present invention. It is a side view (BB line arrow view in FIG. 1) which shows the principal part of the 2nd temporary holding mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a figure similar to FIG. 8 which shows the principal part of the 2nd temporary holding mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a figure similar to FIG. 8 which shows the principal part of the 2nd temporary holding mechanism which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows the conventional vehicle body assembly apparatus (multi-surface jig | tool system). It is a side view which shows the conventional vehicle body assembly apparatus (multi-surface jig | tool system).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transport pallet 2 Assembly line 10 Temporary holding means 11 1st temporary holding mechanism 19a 1st press part 22a 1st support part 31 2nd temporary hold mechanism 41a 2nd support part 43a 2nd press part UB Underbody SM Side member RP Rocker panel RP1 Upper flange part RP2 Lower flange part ST1 Underbody transfer station ST2 Side member preset station ST3 Side member assembly station ST4 Other work stations

Claims (5)

It travels along a circulating assembly line and has a plurality of transport pallets with different configurations for each type of underbody, and positioning support is provided for each transport pallet while each transport pallet goes around the assembly line. a vehicle body assembly apparatus for performing assembly of the vehicle body including the step of assembling the side members to the underbody, which is, the assembly line is the underbody transfer station and the side member pre station and the side member assembly stations and other work stations provided comprise in this order in the traveling direction of the conveying pallet switching station, each transport pallet, the side members provided with a temporary holding means for temporarily holding against the underbody while supporting the bottom from below, the side At the member preset station, the temporary holding means Temporarily hold the side member against the body, move to the side member assembly station as it is, and the side member is assembled to the underbody at the side member assembly station, and assembled at the side member assembly station. is fed to the next work station while mounting the side members, in the conveying pallet switching station, constituting a transport pallet for one rotation of the assembly line, the so that it is possible to switch to one for different underbody The vehicle body assembly apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   The temporary holding means is arranged in two pairs on the left and right sides of the transport pallet, and a first temporary holding mechanism and a second temporary holding that temporarily hold the side members in the standing posture arranged on the left and right sides of the underbody at the bottom. The vehicle body assembly apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism.   The first temporary holding mechanism includes a first support portion that supports the bottom portion from below to prevent the side member from falling, and an upper flange portion of the bottom portion that is pushed laterally outward from the underbody side to tilt the side member. The vehicle body assembly apparatus of Claim 2 provided with the 1st press part which prevents this.   The second temporary holding mechanism includes a second support portion that supports the bottom portion from below and prevents the side member from dropping, and a lower flange portion of the bottom portion that is pressed laterally outward from the underbody side to the underbody and the side. The vehicle body assembly apparatus of Claim 2 or 3 provided with the 2nd press part which abuts a member. A vehicle body assembling method including a step of assembling a side member on an underbody that is moved and moved along a circulation type assembly line, has a plurality of conveyance pallets having different configurations for each type of underbody, and is positioned and supported on each conveyance pallet A temporary holding step of temporarily holding the side member with respect to the underbody while supporting the bottom of the side member from below by temporary holding means provided on each conveyance pallet in the side member preset station, and the side member assembly station The side member is assembled to the underbody, and the side member assembled at the side member assembly station is sent to the next work station while being mounted on each transport pallet. Enter sequentially There line assembly of sequential side members via the respective steps for each transport pallet, and, in the conveying pallet switching station, a conveying pallet travels along the assembly line, the kind of thing for different underbody The vehicle body assembling method characterized by switching to.

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