JPH05105131A - Automobile assembling method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform assembly of a car simply and certainly by coupling an upper and a lower body shell, installing thereto a side door, trunk lid, and back door, and then installing a understructural unit consisting of a front suspension and engine. CONSTITUTION:To assemble a car, an upper and a lower BU, BL among other body shells B are first assembled separately. Then the under-body part BD embodied either in a single piece with or separately from the front body part BF of the lower body shell BL is moved backward relative to the upper body shell BU, and the left and right ends of a front floor 1 are engaged by a left and a right receptacles, and the two body shells are joined together. After joining the body shells BU, BL, at least one of the side door, trunk lid, and back door is installed to the body shell(s). Then the specified understructural unit, not illustrated, is installed to the body shell(s).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of assembling an automobile, and more particularly to assembling an upper body shell and a lower body shell separately from each other and then relatively placing an underbody portion of the lower body shell relative to the upper body shell. The present invention relates to an assembling method of horizontally moving from the front and coupling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in the conventional method of assembling an automobile,
An automobile is manufactured through a press process for processing a steel plate material, a vehicle body assembly process for assembling a body shell, a painting process for painting, and a vehicle assembly process for outfitting. In the conventional vehicle body assembly technology, by subassembling the underbody portion including the floor member, the front body portion, the rear body portion, the body side panel, the roof member, and the like in advance, and assembling these vehicle body constituent portions in order, A method of assembling the body shell was adopted, but when the outfitting is performed after the completion of the assembly of the body shell in this way, various restrictions are involved in promoting automation of the outfitting work, and thus recently. Various vehicle body assembly methods and manufacturing methods that are advantageous for automating the vehicle assembly process are being proposed.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-235174 discloses a front body portion forming an engine room, an underbody portion including a front floor, a center floor and a rear floor, and a body side panel in a vehicle body assembly process. Assemble the upper body shell including the roof member, and then perform the outfitting to attach the necessary outfitting parts to these, and then join the underbody part and the front body part to form the lower body shell. There is disclosed a vehicle assembly technique for assembling the body shell by relatively assembling the upper body shell from above. In addition, the actual exploitation 64-28377
In the vehicle body assembling process, the publication discloses that a lower body shell made up of a front body portion and an underbody portion and an upper body shell made up of a body side panel, a roof member and a cowl member are assembled, and these body shells are required. There is disclosed a vehicle assembly technique in which both body shells are joined together by fitting the upper body shells from above relative to the lower body shells after fitting them. The upper body shell is provided with a side sill upper, the lower body shell is provided with a side sill lower, and when the both body shells are joined, the side sill upper and the side sill lower are joined together to form a joint portion and a side sill. ..

[0004]

In the assembly technique of the former publication, flange portions extending downward are formed at both left and right end portions of the floor member, and the flange portions are bolted to the joining flanges at the lower end portions of the side sills. However, since it is difficult to match the many bolt holes on the floor member side with the many bolt holes on the side sill side, it is not easy to connect them, and there is an error in the width dimension of the floor member and upper body shell. If the size is increased, it becomes difficult for the flange portion and the joining flange to come into close contact with each other, so that the joining work becomes difficult, and it becomes difficult to secure the reliability of the joining portion. In the assembly technique of the latter publication, it is necessary to join the horizontal flange of the side sill upper and the horizontal flange of the side sill lower when joining the upper body shell and the lower body shell, but assembling the upper body shell and the lower body shell. If the accuracy is not maintained sufficiently high, it will be difficult for the horizontal flanges to match each other and it will be difficult to join them, and it will be difficult to ensure the reliability of the joints, and the structure will be complicated due to the joining of both body shells. However, there are problems such as damage of the coating film due to welding when joining the joints by welding, and difficulty in smoothly joining by an automatic device due to the influence of assembly error.

On the other hand, after connecting the upper body shell with the fitting and the lower body shell with the fitting, a hood, side door, trunk lid, back door, a lower unit formed by uniting the suspension and the engine, etc. Although it will be assembled to the body shell, various problems will occur if the assembly order is not set properly. For example, after assembling a heavy weight lower unit, the weight of the body shell causes elastic deformation to some extent, which may interfere with the assembly of the lid member or the bonnet may interfere when the top of the straddle of the front suspension is assembled. However, if a heavy-weight lower unit is assembled at an early stage, it becomes difficult to carry it by the carrying hanger and the carrying device becomes complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of assembling an automobile in which the upper and lower body shells can be easily connected, the reliability of the connecting portion can be ensured, and the assemblability of the lid member and the lower unit can be improved. Is to provide.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembling method for an automobile, which comprises an underbody portion of a body shell of the automobile including at least a front floor and a front body portion which is separate or integral with the underbody portion. The lower body shell, the roof member, the left and right body side panels, the left and right side sills, and the upper body shell including the receiving portions for receiving the left and right end portions of the front floor are separately assembled, respectively, to form the upper body shell and the lower body shell. After fitting each of them, move the underbody part, which is separate from or integrated with the front body part, in the rearward and rearward direction of the vehicle body relative to the upper body shell so that the left and right end parts of the front floor are received to the left and right. Of the automobile that joins the upper body shell and the lower body shell through the steps of engaging the parts respectively. A standing method, after coupling with the upper body shell and lower body shell, side door,
At least one of the trunk lid and the back door is assembled to the body shell, and then a lower unit formed by unitizing at least the front suspension and the engine is assembled to the body shell.

A method of assembling an automobile according to a second aspect is the method according to the first aspect, characterized in that the bonnet is assembled to the body shell after the assembly of the lower unit.

A method for assembling an automobile according to a third aspect is the method according to the first aspect, wherein the lower body shell consisting of the underbody portion and the front body portion integral with the underbody portion is outfitted, and then the lower body is assembled. It is characterized in that the shell is joined to the upper body shell.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of assembling an automobile according to the first aspect, wherein the underbody portion and the front body portion, which is separate from the underbody portion, are each fitted and then the two body portions are joined together. Then, these two body parts are joined to the upper body shell.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the method for assembling an automobile according to the first aspect, the underbody portion and the front body portion, which is a separate body from the underbody portion, are each outfitted, and then the underbody portion is attached to the upper body shell. And then the front body part is connected to the upper body shell and the underbody part.

[0012]

In the method of assembling the automobile according to claim 1,
The lower body shell and the upper body shell are separately assembled, and the body shells are respectively fitted with the lower body shell and the underbody portion, which is separate from or integrated with the front body portion, relative to the upper body shell. Since the upper body shell and the lower body shell are combined through the process of moving the front and rear direction backward and engaging the left and right ends of the front floor on the left and right receiving portions respectively, the upper body shell and the lower body shell are connected. It can be easily joined, the reliability of the joint can be ensured, it can be fixed by adhesion without impairing the reliability of the joint, the assembly error can be easily absorbed, and the automation of the joining operation is also easy. Become. Further, after connecting the upper body shell and the lower body shell, at least one of a side door, a trunk lid and a back door is assembled to the body shell, and then at least a front suspension and an engine are unitized to form a lower unit. As it is attached to the body shell, the side door, trunk lid, and back door can be attached with high accuracy and efficiency before the body shell is elastically deformed due to the attachment of the heavy-duty lower unit. You can install side doors, trunk lids, back doors, etc. while transporting the body shell with the transport hanger before you attach the underweight unit.

In the method of assembling the vehicle according to the second aspect, basically the same operation as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
Since the bonnet is assembled to the body shell after the lower unit is assembled, the top suspension straddle can be assembled efficiently without being disturbed by the bonnet when it is assembled to the body shell. The property is improved.

In the method of assembling the automobile according to the third aspect, basically the same action as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
Since the lower body shell consisting of the underbody portion and the front body portion which is integral with the lower body portion is outfitted, the lower body shell is joined to the upper body shell,
The workability of outfitting to both body shells can be improved, the completeness of outfitting to the lower body shells can be improved, the lower body shells can be efficiently transported, and the transportation device does not become complicated. ..

In the method of assembling the automobile according to the fourth aspect, basically the same operation as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
After fitting the underbody part and the front body part separate from the underbody part, respectively, and joining these two body parts together,
Next, since these both body parts are connected to the upper body shell, the workability of outfitting the underbody part and the front body part can be improved, and the work load of connecting the upper body shell and the lower body shell can be reduced.

In the method of assembling the automobile according to the fifth aspect, basically the same operation as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
Since the underbody part and the front body part separate from the underbody part are respectively fitted, the underbody part is joined to the upper body shell, and then the front body part is joined to the upper body shell and the underbody part. The workability of outfitting the underbody portion and the front body portion can be improved, and the underbody portion can be easily joined to the upper body shell.

[0017]

As described in the above section, the following effects can be obtained. According to the vehicle assembly method of the first aspect, the upper body shell and the lower body shell can be easily coupled, the reliability of the coupling portion can be ensured, and the bonding can be performed without impairing the reliability of the coupling portion. It is possible to obtain effects such as fixing and facilitating absorption of assembly error, facilitating automation of coupling work, and the like. Further, before the body shell is elastically deformed due to the assembly of the heavy-weight lower unit, the side door, the trunk lid, the back door, etc. can be assembled with high accuracy and efficiency, and the heavy-weight lower unit can be installed. Before the assembly, the side hanger, the trunk lid, and the back door can be assembled while the body shell is being carried by the carrying hanger. .

According to the automobile assembling method of the second aspect, basically the same effect as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
By assembling the bonnet to the body shell after the lower unit is assembled, it is possible to efficiently assemble the top of the strud of the front suspension to the body shell without being obstructed by the bonnet. improves.

According to the automobile assembling method of the third aspect, basically the same effect as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
The workability of outfitting to the upper body shell and the lower body shell can be improved, the completeness of outfitting to the lower body shell can be improved, the lower body shell can be efficiently transported, and the transporting device is complicated. There is nothing to do.

According to the automobile assembling method of the fourth aspect, basically the same effect as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
The workability of outfitting the underbody part and the front body part can be improved, and the work load of coupling the upper body shell and the lower body shell can be reduced.

According to the vehicle assembly method of the fifth aspect, basically the same effect as that of the first aspect can be obtained. Furthermore,
The workability of the outfitting work for the underbody portion and the front body portion can be improved, and the underbody portion can be easily joined to the upper body shell.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a method for assembling a four-door sedan vehicle, and the description will be made by defining front, rear, left and right with reference to front, rear, left and right of the vehicle body.

The process of assembling an automobile is as shown in FIG.
Basically, it comprises a press molding process, a car body assembly process, a painting process and a car body assembly process. In the car body assembly process, the upper body shell BU and the under body portion BD shown in FIG. The lower body shell BL consisting of the front body part BF and the lower body shell BL are assembled on their own assembly lines, and in the painting process, the upper body shell BU and the lower body shell BL are respectively painted as necessary,
In the vehicle assembly process, the upper body shell BU and the lower body shell BL are each equipped with necessary outfitting, and then,
A step of connecting the underbody portion BD to the upper body shell BU by moving the underbody portion BD, which is separate or integral with the front body portion BF, relative to the upper body shell BU from the front to the rear of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction. After that, lower body shell BL and upper body shell B
U is joined to assemble a body shell B composed of an upper body shell BU and a lower body shell BL, and then a lid member and a lower unit 160 are assembled to the body shell B to assemble an automobile. The press-molding step is generally known, and therefore its explanation is omitted.

First, regarding the upper body shell BU, the underbody portion BD and the front body portion BF,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. The underbody portion BD includes a front floor 1, a pair of left and right front frames, a shaft tunnel 2, and a second cross member 3
And a pair of left and right seat brackets 4 and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the front floor 1 includes a honeycomb-shaped substrate 1a made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.
And a reinforcing plate 1b made of aluminum or aluminum alloy fixed to both upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 1a. The reinforcing plate 1b may be made of a steel plate member.

The front body portion BF includes a pair of left and right front side frames 7 and wheel apron reinforcements 8, left and right wheel aprons 9, a cowl dash structure 10, a dash lower panel 5, and a hinge pillar 6.
(See FIG. 15) It is composed of a closed cross-section structure 6A and the like constituting the front part. The upper body shell BU includes a body side panel 11 forming a vehicle body side portion, a rear body 12 forming a vehicle body rear portion, and a roof panel 13 forming a vehicle body upper portion. Body side panel 11
Is a side outer panel 14 and a side inner panel 15.
Both panels 14 and 15 form a front pillar 16 having a closed cross section, a closed cross section structure 6B forming the rear part of the hinge pillar 6, a center pillar 18, a rear pillar 19, and a pair of left and right side sills 20. Rear body 12
Is composed of a rear floor, a main center floor 40, a pair of left and right rear frames 21, a third cross member 41, a fourth cross member, and the like. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 51, the main center floor 40 and the third cross member 41
May be attached to the underbody portion BD, or in order to increase the strength and rigidity of the front portion of the upper body shell BU,
As shown in phantom in FIG. 2, the cowl dash structure 10
The cowl member 10A may be attached to the upper body shell BU.

The connecting structure of the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner lower portions of the left and right side sills 20 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy or other materials manufactured by extrusion molding or the like. The metal receiving member 31 of the side sill 2
0 is provided from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the side sill 2 via the plurality of bolts 32 or by welding.
0, and the receiving member 31 is integrally formed with a pair of upper and lower receiving portions 31a and 31b protruding inward. The left and right ends of the front floor 1 are engaged between the receiving portions 31a and 31b. A possible engagement groove 33 is formed over substantially the entire length from the front end portion of the side sill 20, and the left and right ends of the front floor 1 of the underbody portion BD are slid from the front into the engagement groove 33. Then, attach it to the lower part of the upper body shell BU. The underbody portion BD is assembled in a state where the adhesive 30 is applied to the engagement groove 33 in advance, and the underbody portion BD is joined and fixed to the upper body shell BU. In this case, since the engaging groove 33 is filled with the adhesive 30 and adhered, a reliable seal can be achieved.
However, after the underbody portion BD is assembled, the adhesive 30
May be injected into the engagement groove 33 to join the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD. Also, in addition to bonding, the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD
May be fastened with bolts. The front floor 1 may be made of fiber reinforced synthetic resin.

When the front floor 1A made of steel plate is used instead of the front floor 1, as shown in FIG.
The letter-shaped receiving member 31A is fixed to the receiving member 3 by welding or bolts.
An engaging groove 34 capable of engaging both left and right ends of the front floor 1A may be formed between the lower receiving portions 31c and 31d of the 1A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, a pair of upper and lower substantially L-shaped receiving members 31B are vertically symmetrically welded or fixed to the inside lower part of the side sill 20 by welding or bolts to receive the receiving portions 31e of both receiving members 31B.
Forming engaging grooves 34A capable of engaging the left and right ends of the front floor 1A between 31f, inserting the left and right ends of the front floor 1A into the engaging grooves 34A from the front, and the underbody portion BD to the upper body shell BU You may assemble to the lower end part of.

A side sill having a closed cross-section structure made of aluminum or aluminum alloy manufactured by extrusion molding or the like as the side sill 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 13. As shown in FIG. 6, left and right side sills 2
A receiving portion 35A that receives the left and right ends of the front floor 1 from below is provided in the lower inside of the 0A so as to horizontally project inward from the front end to the rear end of the side sill 20A.
The left and right ends of the front floor 1 are slidably inserted into the upper side of the receiving portion 35A from the front, and the both are bonded with the adhesive 30
Or fix it with bolts. Note that the reinforcing closed cross-section portion 35C may be integrally formed as shown by a two-dot chain line. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the receiving portion 35B is provided at the middle portion of the side sill 20B.
Engagement groove 3 that is provided in parallel with the receiving portion 35A and that can engage both left and right ends of the front floor 1 between the receiving portions 35A and 35B.
3A may be formed and the front floor 1 may be fixed with a bolt and / or an adhesive. It should be noted that urethane foam 35E may be filled inside the side sill 20B to enhance rigidity. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in order to make the assembling of the front floor 1 easier, the receiving portion 35 of the side sill 20C is formed.
The gap between A and 35D may be increased and the adhesive 30 may be filled between the receiving portion 35D and the front floor 1.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the side sill 20
Receiving part 35F / 35 with a closed cross-section structure at the inner lower part and middle part of D
G is formed, and an internally enlarged engagement groove 33A is formed between them.
The engaging portion 37 having a closed cross-section is formed at both ends of the front floor 1, the front end surface and the rear end surface of the engaging portion 37 are opened, and the adhesive 30 is filled in the engaging groove 33A. In this state, the engaging portion 37 may be inserted from the front into the engaging groove 33A to join the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, the side sill 20E
Communication hole 36 that opens into the engagement groove 33A in the receiving portion 35G of
a is formed at predetermined intervals and the left and right ends of the front floor 1 are inserted into the engagement grooves 33A, and the communication holes 36 are formed.
The adhesive 30 may be filled into the engagement groove 33A from a to join the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD. Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a receiving portion 35H and an internally enlarged engagement groove 33B are formed in the inner lower portions of the left and right side sills 20F, and a lateral T-shaped engagement groove is formed in the inner upper portion of the side sill 20F. 38, the engaging portions 37A at both ends of the front floor 1 are engaged with the engaging grooves 33B and supported by the receiving portions 35H, and the engaging grooves 38
The outer ends of the seat bracket 4 and the second cross member 3 may be coupled to the side sill 20A via an engaging member 39 that engages with the. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, the engaging grooves 33B and 33C are formed in the outer middle step portion and the lower end portion of the side sill 20G.
And the upper body shell BU so that the engaging portions 37B and 37C at the outer end of the FRP front floor 1B are engaged with the engaging grooves 33B and 33C and supported by the receiving portion 35I. The underbody portion BD is joined.

At the front end portion of the third cross member 41, a flange portion in the vehicle width direction along the rear end portion of the front floors 1, 1A and 1B is formed so as to project forward, and the upper body shell BU is formed. The rear end portions of the front floors 1, 1A and 1B inserted into the are lapped on the flange portion in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance, and the both are joined by an adhesive or bolts. In addition, a receiving member having a U-shaped cross-section that opens forward is provided at the front end of the third cross member 41.
Installed along the rear edge of A / B, front floor 1.1
Insert the rear end of A and 1B into the engaging groove of this receiving member,
You may make it couple | bond with an adhesive agent, a bolt, etc.

The connecting structure of the front body portion BF and the upper body shell BU will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 15, the closed cross-section structure that constitutes the hinge pillar 6 is a split surface 6a that is inclined with respect to the vertical plane facing the vehicle width direction.
Is divided into a pair of front and rear closed cross-section structures 6A and 6B, and the front body part BF and the upper body shell BU are respectively provided with the closed cross-section structures 6A and 6B. As shown in FIG. Assemble relative to the body shell BU from the front, and combine both closed cross-section structures 6A and 6B. In this way, the front body portion BF and the upper body shell BU have a closed cross-section structure 6A.
By providing B respectively, the strength / rigidity of them and the strength / rigidity of the hinge pillar 6 can be enhanced before the connection. Reference numeral 17 is a reinforcing member of the instrument panel, and this reinforcing member 17 is a front body portion BF.
Is coupled to the side closed cross-section structure 6A. Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the hinge pillar 6 may be divided into two pairs of front and rear closed cross-section structures 6C and 6D by a vertical division surface 6b facing in the vehicle width direction.

As the coupling structure, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 14, the hinge pillar 6 is divided into two parts by a dividing surface 6c inclined forward in the vehicle width direction, and the body structure BF / BU has a closed cross-section structure 6E.・ 6F may be formed respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the hinge pillars 6 may be provided on the upper body shell BU side, or as shown in FIG.
The hinge pillar 6G is attached to the front body portion BF, and the hinge pillar outer 6H is attached to the upper body shell BU, so that the front body portion BF and the upper body shell B are attached.
The hinge pillar 6 may be configured by connecting U. However, when the side sills shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 are used, the lower end portion of the hinge pillar 6 is joined to the side sills with bolts or the like.

At the rear end portion of the dash lower panel 5 of the front body portion BF, a flange portion extending in the vehicle width direction along the front end portions of the front floors 1, 1A and 1B is formed so as to project rearward, Front floor 1.1A
The front end portion of 1B is wrapped around the flange portion in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance, and the both are joined with an adhesive or a bolt. A receiving member having a U-shaped cross section that opens rearward is provided at the rear end of the dash lower panel 5 in the vehicle width direction along the front end of the front floors 1.1A and 1B.
The front end portion of 1B may be inserted into the engaging groove of the receiving member and may be joined with an adhesive or a bolt.

Next, a method of assembling the automobile will be described. [Body assembly process] The upper body shell BU, the underbody part BD, and the front body part BF are assembled on their own assembly lines, but the description of the assembly line for assembling the body parts BD and BF is omitted.
Assembly line BUL for assembling the upper body shell BU
Will be described. In this assembly line BUL, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, nine stations S1 to S9 are provided, and the assembling jig unit JU is sequentially transferred by a carrying device (not shown) over these nine stations S1 to S9.
The upper body structure BU is assembled by sequentially positioning and fixing the vehicle body member with respect to the inner panel of the assembling jig unit JU. It is assumed that a plurality of assembling jig units JU are prepared and made to stand by at the jig stock station ST according to the type of vehicle, and the transfer device is a linear type or lift & carry with a general configuration. It is a type of transport device.

First, the assembly jig unit JU is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. The assembling jig unit JU includes a pallet P, an RF holding mechanism for positioning and fixing the rear body 12, and a pair of left and right SPs for positioning and fixing the left and right side inner panels 15.
Holding mechanism and front header 22 of roof panel 13
And a pair of front and rear RH holding mechanisms for positioning and fixing the rear header 23, respectively.

Explaining the RF holding mechanism, a pair of left and right support brackets 45 are provided on the rear portion of the pallet P at predetermined intervals in front and rear, and each support bracket 4
5 is provided with a positioning pin 46 and a clamp device C1, and the front and rear ends of the left and right rear frames 21 of the rear body 12 are positioned on the pallet P by the four positioning pins 46, and the pallet is clamped by the four clamp devices C1. Fixed on P.

The SP holding mechanism is for positioning and fixing the left and right side inner panels 15 respectively, and is provided on the left and right portions of the pallet P respectively, but the left and right S
Since the P holding mechanism has a bilaterally symmetrical structure, only the left one will be described. A fixed base 47 is provided on the left side of the pallet P, a support plate 48 is supported on the fixed base 47 so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and a substantially lateral F-shaped support frame 49 is provided on the support plate 48. Clamping devices C2 for fixing the roof rail inners at the upper ends of the side inner panels 15 are provided at the upper ends of the pair of front and rear vertical columns 49a of the support frame 49, and the support plate 48 is provided with the center aligner 18A. A positioning device P1 for positioning the middle stage part and a clamping device C3 for fixing the middle part are provided, and the vicinity of the lower end of the rear inner liner 19A of the side inner panel 15 is positioned at the rear end of the horizontal member 49b of the support frame 49. A positioning device P2 for fixing and a clamping device C4 for fixing are provided.

Further, a support table 50 is provided on the pallet P in front of the fixed table 47, a movable plate 51 is supported on the support table 50 so as to be movable in the left and right directions, and a vertical column 52 is provided on the movable plate 51. Is provided upright, and a substantially U-shaped support frame 53 is provided above the vertical column 52. The support frame 53 is fixed to the positioning device P3 for positioning the hinge pinner 17A of the side inner panel 15. A pair of upper and lower clamp devices C5 are provided, and the left side inner panel 15 is positioned by the positioning devices P1 to P3.
It is also fixed via the clamp devices C2 to C5.

Explaining the RH holding mechanism, a pair of front and rear vertical columns 5 is provided between the fixed bases 47 on the left and right of the pallet P.
4 is provided upright, a support frame 55 is provided between the upper ends of both the vertical columns 54, and a pair of arms 55a on the front side of the support frame 55 has end portions near both ends of the front header 22 from below. A positioning device P4 for positioning and a clamping device C6 for fixing are provided, and the rear end portion of the bifurcated arm portion 55b at the rear end of the support frame 55 is provided with a portion near both ends of the rear header 23. A positioning device P5 for positioning and a clamping device C7 for fixing are provided respectively from the sides, and the front header 22 is positioned and fixed to the pallet P via a pair of positioning devices P5 and C6. , Rear header 23
Is positioned and fixed to the pallet P via a pair of positioning devices P6 and a clamp device C7. The pair of arm portions 5 provided in the central portion of the support frame 55
At both ends of 5c, there are provided a positioning device P6 for positioning the vicinity of both ends of the roof bow 24 sub-assembled to the roof panel 13 and a clamp device C8 for fixing the positioning device P6.

As shown in FIG. 24, each of the clamp devices C1 to C8 is a toggle clamp device having a general structure including a substantially crank-shaped clamp lever 56 and an air cylinder 57 for rotationally driving the clamp lever 56. The positioning devices P1 to P6 have a general structure including a positioning pin 58 and an air cylinder 59 for driving the positioning pin 58 forward and backward. In addition, in the SP holding mechanism, as shown in FIG.
4, the clamp lever 4 of the clamp device C5
5 is an opening 15a formed in the side inner panel 15
And the side inner panel 15 is clamped.

23, the clamp devices C2 to C4 and the positioning devices P1 and P2 are connected via a support plate 48 and a support frame 49, and the clamp devices C5 and positioning device P3 are connected via a vertical column 52 and a movable plate 51. As shown in the drawings, when assembling the vehicle body member to the assembling jig unit JU, the driving mechanism (not shown) moves the solid body members to the assembling positions shown in the solid lines to assemble the necessary vehicle body members, and then the upper body is assembled. After assembling the structure BU, the assembly jig unit JU is driven to move to the retreat position shown by imaginary lines so that the assembly jig unit JU can be pulled out downward from the floor opening 1c (see FIG. 24) before the assembly of the front floor 1. To be done.

Next, a vehicle body member supplied to the vehicle body assembly line BUL will be described with reference to FIGS. The rear body 12 is sub-assembled in the first sub-line SL1. The left and right side inner panels 15 are composed of an inner panel body, a roof rail inner, an impact bracket, a wheel house, a suspension reinforcing material, and the like, and are sub-assembled in the second sub line SL2.

The front header 22 and the rear header 23 as roof inner members of the roof panel 13 are
Each of them is composed of a header inner panel, a header outer panel and the like, and is sub-assembled in the third sub-line SL3. The left and right side outer panels 14 are composed of an outer panel body, a front hinge reinforcing material, a rear hinge reinforcing material, a center pillar reinforcing material, a rear striker reinforcing material, a corner plate, etc., and are sub-assembled in the fourth sub line SL4. The roof panel 13 includes an outer panel body, a roof bow 24, and the like, and is sub-assembled at the fifth sub line SL5. The bonnet 25 and the trunk lid 26 are each sub-assembled in a sub-line not shown, and the four side doors 27 are each provided with a door inner panel, a door outer panel, a sash, etc., and are sub-assembled in a sixth sub-line SL6.

Next, a method of assembling the upper body shell BU will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 25 to 28. The upper body shell BU is assembled by sequentially assembling the vehicle body members to the assembling jig unit JU which is sequentially transferred over the stations S1 to S9 of the vehicle body assembly line BUL. The contents of the assembling work will be sequentially described from the upstream side. Incidentally, the assembling jig unit JU in the stations S1 to S9 in the drawing is omitted in the drawing.

In the first station S1, as shown in FIG. 25, the rear body 12 is fed from the first subline SL1 and positioned after the assembly jig unit JU transferred from the jig stock station ST and positioned. Fix it. At this time, as shown in FIG. 21, the rear body 12
Are accurately positioned and fixed to the assembly jig unit JU via the four positioning pins 46 and the four clamp devices C1. In the second station S2, as shown in FIG. 25, the second sub-line SL is provided for the assembling jig unit JU transferred from the first station S1 and positioned.
After supplying the left and right side inner panels 15 from 2, they are positioned and fixed. At this time, the left and right side inner panels 1
As shown in FIG. 21, the mounting jig unit J is attached to the mounting jig unit J through the positioning devices P1 to P3 and the clamping devices C2 to C5.
Position and fix to U with high accuracy.

Here, the transfer device 60 for transferring the side inner panel 15 to the second station S2 will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 27, the upper part of the downstream end of the second subline SL2 and the second station. A guide rail (not shown) is provided over the upper portion of S2, and the guide rail has a pair of left and right vertical frames 61 extending downward.
Is movably supported, and an elevating arm 62 is cantilevered on both vertical frames 61 so as to be vertically movable.
The lifting arm 62 is driven up and down by a lifting drive mechanism (not shown) provided near the upper end of the vertical frame 61.

A guide rail 63 is attached to the side surface of each elevating arm 62, and a base plate 64 that is driven to move in the left and right direction by a cylinder 65 is supported by the guide rail 63. The piston rod 66 of the cylinder 66 is erected.
A movable plate 67 is provided at the lower end of a, and a support arm 68 and a rocking prevention arm 69 that can be inserted from the door opening of the side inner panel 15 are rotatably provided on the movable plate 67. 15 is conveyed while being supported by a supporting arm 68 and held by a rocking prevention arm 69 so as not to rock.

At the third station S3, as shown in FIG. 25, the front header 22 and the rear header 23 are supplied from the third sub-line SL3 to the positioned assembling jig unit JU and then positioned and fixed. .. At this time, as shown in FIG. 22, the headers 22 and 23 are respectively provided with positioning devices P4 and P5 and a clamping device C6.
-Position accurately with C7. After that, the two welding robots 70 provided in the third station S3 temporarily weld both ends of the headers 21 and 23 to the left and right side inner panels 15, and temporarily weld the side inner panels 15 to the rear body 12. ..

At the fourth station S4, as shown in FIG. 25, the two welding robots 71 perform additional welding, the left and right side inner panels 15 are joined to the rear body 12, and the headers 22 and 23 are left and right. It is connected to the side inner panel 15 of. At the fifth station S5, FIG.
As shown in, the left and right side outer panels 14 are supplied from the fourth sub-line SL4 and positioned and fixed to the left and right side inner panels 15 fixed to the assembly jig unit JU.

At the sixth station S6, as shown in FIG. 26, the roof panel 13 is supplied from the fifth sub-line SL5 to the assembling jig unit JU and then positioned and fixed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 22, the roof panel 1
3 is accurately positioned and fixed via the positioning device P6 and the clamp device C8. Thereafter, the two welding robots 72 temporarily weld the side outer panel 14 to the side inner panel 15, and the roof panel 13 to the front and rear headers 22 and 23 and the side outer panel 14 by temporary welding.

At the seventh station S7, as shown in FIG. 26, two welding robots 73 are additionally weld-welded to the vehicle body member temporarily welded at the sixth station S6.
In the eighth station S8, as shown in FIGS. 26 and 28, the pair of left and right door supply robots 75 sequentially supply the front and rear side doors 27 from the sixth sub-line SL6, and the side doors 27 are paired up and down. The hinge member 76 of the side outer panel 14 with the nut runner 79 of the fastening device 78.
Temporarily stop. The door supply robot 75 is an articulated robot having a known structure, and the hand 75a thereof is provided with a frame 81 having a pair of toggle clamp devices 80,
The clamp lever 80a of the clamp device 80 is inserted through the window opening, and the clamp lever 80a is configured to hold the door sash.

At the ninth station S9, as shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 9, the upper body structure BU assembled at the stations S1 to S8 is lifted by the elevating device 82 to pull out the assembly jig unit JU from the upper body structure BU to the lower side relatively, and at the same time, the assembly jig unit JU. Is transferred to the jig stock station ST, and the Abber body structure BU is transferred to a transfer station (not shown) in the coating line.

The elevating device 82 will be described. As shown in FIG. 29, a vertical column 83 is erected at a right portion of the ninth station S9 and the transfer station at a predetermined distance in the front and rear direction. The up-and-down arms 84 are supported so as to be movable up and down, a support frame 85 is provided at the tip of both the up-and-down arms 84, and a guide rail 86 is installed between the front and rear support frames 85. And the lifting arm 84 are both driven up and down by a lifting drive mechanism 87.

A base plate 88 is provided on the guide rail 86.
Is movably suspended in the front-rear direction, and the base plate 88
29, four support arms 89 capable of supporting the upper body shell BU from below are swingably supported, and each support arm 89 is supported by a cylinder 90 attached to an arm portion 85a of a support frame 85. Is opened and closed to the use position shown by the one-dot chain line and the retracted position shown by the two-dot chain line, and the upper body shell BU is lifted as shown by the solid line from the ninth station S9 to the transfer station. The shell BU is transferred, and as shown in FIG. 32, the upper body shell BU is lowered at the transfer station and set in the coating jig unit 91.

Here, a modification in which the vehicle body assembly line BUL is partially changed will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 30, the side inner panel 15 and the side outer panel 14 are sub-assembled to form the body side panel 1.
Sub line SL20 for assembling 1 is provided, and sub line S
The left and right body side panels 11 are supplied from L20 to the second station S20, and the left and right body side panels 11 are supplied from the first station S1 to the second station S2.
It is transferred to A and positioned and fixed on the assembly jig unit JU which has been positioned.

Next, in the second subline SL21, the assembling jig unit JU in which the roof panel assembly member 13A in which the front and rear front headers 22 and the rear headers 23 are subassembled to the roof panel 13 in advance is positioned at the third station S3A. Then, the two welding robots 72A perform the temporary welding on the vehicle body member assembled to the assembly jig unit JU after being supplied to the assembly jig unit JU. Next, the additional welding is performed by the two welding robots 73A at the fourth station S4A, and then the welding robot 73A is transferred to the eighth station S8.

[Coating Process] Next, the coating process will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 to 36. In this painting process, the upper body shell BU (however, this upper body shell BU is not included in the side door 2
7 and the trunk lid 26 are temporarily fixed), the left and right front fenders 28, and the bonnet 25 are set in the same coating jig unit 91, and the necessary coating is sequentially applied to the underbody. Required coating is applied to the portion BD and the front body portion BF, respectively.

First, the coating jig unit 91 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, four wheels 9 are provided.
2 is a substantially rectangular frame-shaped base frame 9 that can be moved.
3 is provided, a pair of left and right holding mechanisms 94 for fixedly holding the rear frame 21 of the upper body shell BU is provided at a rear portion of the buff frame 93, and a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the base frame 93 is provided. A pair of left and right holding mechanisms 94 for fixedly holding the lower end of the closed cross-section structure 6B at the rear of the hinge pillar 17 is provided, and the upper body shell BU is provided with the base frame 93 via these four holding mechanisms 94.
It is fixedly held at.

As shown in FIG. 34, in each of the holding mechanisms 94, the left and right fixing pins 96 mounted on the support brackets 95 are operated outward by the operating levers 97, and the outer ends of the fixing pins 96 are moved. The operation lever 97 is attached to the rear frame 21 or the reference hole (not shown) of the closed cross-section structure 6B, and in this state.
The upper body shell BU by engaging the engaging member 98 with the engaging member 98.
Is fixedly held on the base frame 93. In order to fix the front fender 28 and the hood 25 to the base frame 93, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 35, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame-shaped support frame 99 is provided at the front part of the base frame 93, and the left and right front fenders are provided. 28 is fixed to the base frame 93 by inserting the support pins 100 provided on the support frame 99 into the three bolt holes for fixing the front fender.
The bonnet hinge 25a is temporarily fixed to and held by a pair of left and right fixed blocks 101 provided on the support frame 99 with bolts.

Next, a coating process for applying coating using the coating jig unit 91 will be described with reference to FIG. The four side doors 27, the upper body shell BU, the bonnet 25, and the front fender 28 set in the coating jig unit 91 are suspended by the hanger 102 together with the coating jig unit 91, and each side of the coating line. It shall be transferred to the station in sequence.

In the chemical conversion process, the coating jig unit 9 is used.
After degreasing the upper body shell BU and the vehicle body member set to 1 with, for example, an alkaline degreasing agent,
A zinc phosphate-based chemical conversion film is formed by a continuous spray method, and then thoroughly washed with water. In the undercoating step, the upper body shell BU and the vehicle body member are immersed together with the coating jig knit 91 in a paint tank containing, for example, an epoxy electrodeposition paint, and a voltage of 200 to 400 V is applied as the body member cathode. Cationic electrodeposition coating is applied, and after electrodeposition coating, sufficient washing with water is carried out, followed by baking and drying at 170 ° C. for 25 minutes. In the undercoat application step, urethane or PVC-based chipping-resistant paint is applied by spraying on the lower outer surface of the upper body shell BU, the lower outer surface of the side door 27, the outer surface of the rear end side lower portion of the front fender 28, and the like. Then, for example, a chipping-resistant coating film having a thickness of 100 to 200 μm is formed.

In the intermediate coating step, the upper body shell BU set in the coating jig unit 91 and the vehicle body member are grounded and, for example, an epoxy ester-based coating is applied.
Electrostatic coating is performed by charging to 60 to -90 kV, the solvent is evaporated after setting for 5 to 10 minutes after coating, and baking is performed at 140 to 150 ° C for 20 to 25 minutes in the next drying step. In the top coating step, the upper body shell BU set in the coating jig unit 91 and the vehicle body member are grounded, and, for example, melamine / alkyd resin or acrylic resin-based coating material is charged to −60 to −90 kV and electrostatically coated. After coating, set the solvent for 5 to 10 minutes after coating to evaporate the solvent, and 140 to 150 ° C in the next drying step.
Bake for 25 minutes to dry.

As described above, the side door 27, the upper body shell BU, the front fender 28, and the bonnet 25 are used in each step from the chemical conversion treatment step to the top coating step.
And are set together in the same coating jig unit 91, and are coated together, so that variations in the coating color can be prevented, and the coating line and the transport device including the hanger 102 can be prevented from becoming complicated. This is advantageous in terms of equipment economy, and moreover, it is also advantageous in terms of running cost because the carry-out amount (consumption amount) of the electrodeposition paint adhering to the hanger 102 can be reduced. A mechanism for holding a light lid, a garnish, etc. may be provided in the front portion of the support frame 99, and these vehicle body members may be painted together with the upper body shell BU.

Next, the coating process of the underbody portion BD will be described. First, in the underbody portion processing step, a sealer is applied to a necessary portion of the underbody portion BD, and a hole cover for a hole formed in the underbody portion BD. Work such as installation of, and laying of melt sheet. Next, in the undercoat applying step, urethane or PVC is applied to the lower surface of the underbody portion BD.
The chipping-resistant paint of the system is applied by spraying, and is baked and dried in a drying oven common to the drying oven used in the drying step after the intermediate coating step of the upper body shell BU, for example, 100 to 2
A chipping resistant coating film of 00 μm is formed. When the front floor 1 is made of a steel plate, the underbody portion BD may be set together with the upper body shell BU in the same coating jig unit 91 and coated together until the intermediate coating step.

Similar to the upper body shell BU, the front body portion BF is subjected to chemical conversion treatment, undercoat coating and undercoat coating, and is common to a drying oven used in a drying step after the middle coating step of the upper body shell BU. Bake and dry in the drying oven. In this way, the body part BD
Since the BF is dried in the same drying furnace as the upper body shell BU, the drying efficiency can be improved, the running cost can be reduced, and the facility can be economically advantageous. It should be noted that the body portion BD.
The BF may be baked and dried. As shown in FIG. 36, a holding jig for fixing and holding the front body portion BF to the front part of the base frame 93A is used by using the painting jig unit 91A in which the support frame 99 of the painting jig unit 91 is omitted. A mechanism 94A is provided to hold this holding mechanism 9.
4A through the front body part BF to the base frame 9
The front fender 28 and the bonnet 25 may be temporarily fixed to the front body portion BF while being held by the 3A, and the front body portion BF may be painted together with the side door 27 and the upper body shell BU.

After applying the necessary coating as described above,
From the coating jig unit 91 to the upper body shell BU
Remove the left and right front fenders 28 and bonnet 25, and from the upper body shell BU, the left and right side doors 2
7 and the trunk lid 26 are removed, and the body member set in the coating jig unit 91 and both body portions BD.
The BF is transferred to each dedicated outfitting line in the vehicle assembly process.

[Vehicle Assembly Process] Next, the vehicle assembly process will be described with reference to FIGS. 37 to 46. In this vehicle assembly process, the outfitting line including the exclusive outfitting line of the upper body shell BU is configured as a main outfitting line, and as shown in FIG. 37, the outfitting line is outfitted to each of the outfitting lines dedicated to the main outfitting line. Both the body parts BD and BF, the body members such as the lid member, and the fittings are sequentially supplied, and these are assembled to the upper body shell BU to assemble the automobile.

First, a dedicated equipment line for each vehicle body member will be described. In the exclusive rigging line for the upper body shell BU, as shown in FIG. 38, the upper body shell BU is set on the dolly carrier device 110, and is carried along the rigging line while being provided on the carrier dolly device 110. By the outfitting robot 115, a screw grommet, a fastener, a harness, an interior unit (including a top ceiling, a sun visor, a room mirror, etc.), a rear strut, and a rear combination lamp are attached to a portion of the upper body shell BU on the passenger compartment 29 side. , Package unit (including package trim, speaker, high mount lamp, etc.), rear bumper, rear floor mat, rear seat, luggage compartment unit, rear window glass, etc.

To briefly explain the carrier vehicle device 110, a self-propelled carrier vehicle 114 that travels along an outfitting line is provided, and a plurality of carrier bodies 114 for positioning and holding the upper body shell BU are provided on the carrier vehicle 114. A support bracket 116 is erected, and a vehicle 2 of the upper body shell BU from the floor opening 1c is provided in the central portion of the carriage 114.
A robot 115 to be inserted into the robot 9 is provided, and the robot 1
Sub-pallets 117 are provided on both left and right sides of 15,
A plurality of outfittings are set in a predetermined arrangement on each sub-pallet 117, and the tool installation table 1 is provided on the left side of the robot 115.
18 is provided outside the upper body shell BU, and a plurality of tools detachably attached to the hand of the robot 115 are set in a predetermined arrangement on the tool installation base 118. Since the robot 115 is a multi-joint robot having a general configuration, its detailed description will be omitted.

A robot 115 is provided at the rear of the carrier truck 114.
A control box 119 for controlling the robot is provided, and the robot 115 has the control box 119.
Is controlled based on a command from the above, and the necessary outfittings are sequentially assembled to the upper body shell BU while moving the carrier 114. Since the fittings are assembled to the upper body shell BU with the underbody portion BD separated in this way, the robot 1 is installed from the floor opening 1c of the upper body shell BU.
15 can be inserted, and the work of assembling the fittings in the vehicle interior 29 can be greatly automated, and the fittings can be efficiently applied. Further, since the upper body shell BU is outfitted while the transport carriage 114 is moved, there is almost no dead time for the inter-station transport on the outfitting line. However, it goes without saying that the outfittings may be assembled while intermittently moving the carrier truck 114 over a plurality of stations. If necessary, the upper body shell BU is transferred to the carrier vehicle device 112 having a rotary support mechanism for rotatably supporting the upper body shell BU as shown in FIG. It is also possible to assemble the fittings such as the top sealing TP with respect to the upper body shell BU by the automatic machine 113 provided on the line side in a state of being rotated by a predetermined angle.

Moreover, as described above, the assembly jig unit J
Upper body shell B based on inner panel using U
By assembling U, the assembling accuracy can be maintained high, and since the robot 115 is installed on the transport carriage 114 together with the upper body shell BU, the positioning accuracy of the robot 115 with respect to the upper body shell BU can be maintained high. It is possible to smoothly proceed with automatic outfitting. In addition, since the robot 115 and the carrier 114 can be removed from the outfitting line when they are out of order, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the operating rate of the outfitting line, and also when the outfitting line is changed due to a model change. It is also possible to teach the robot 115 with. Further, when the robot 115 or the carrier 114 is newly installed or repaired, a trial can be performed outside the outfitting line.

In the outfitting line dedicated to the underbody portion BD, as shown in FIG. 40, the underbody portion BD
Are sequentially positioned and fixed to a pallet (not shown) and sequentially transferred to a plurality of stations of the outfitting line. First, the change lever 150, the parking brake lever 151, the floor mat 152,
The rear seat belt 153 and the rear console 154 and other fittings are assembled, then small parts such as fasteners and bolts are assembled by a robot (not shown), and then the left and right front seats 155 are assembled by a robot (not shown). The four seat protectors 156 that cover the feet of the front seat 155 are attached to the. As described above, since the outfitting parts are assembled to the underbody part BD in the exclusive outfitting line in a state where the outfitting parts are separated from the upper body shell BU, the work efficiency of assembling the outfitting parts is significantly improved by adopting a robot. You can

In the exclusive fitting line for the front body portion BF, as shown in FIG. 42, the front body portion BF is
With the carriage set on the carriage device 120, the outfitting lines are sequentially transferred, and the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and
Fittings such as wiper motor, dash unit (including instrument panel assembly, air conditioning unit, etc.) 157 are installed.

The carrier vehicle device 120 is provided with a support mechanism 123 capable of switching the posture of the front body portion BF between a substantially horizontal horizontal posture and an inverted posture shown by a solid line, and the front body portion BF according to the equipment. The posture is changed, and the assembly work of the outfitting is performed by the automatic machine 122 on the line side. The dash unit 157 and the like are shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, it is positioned and mounted on the front body portion BF held in the inverted posture by the line side supply device 121, and is assembled to the front body portion BF by the line side automatic machine 122. As described above, the posture of the front body part BF is changed to assemble the fittings, so that the work efficiency of the assembling work can be significantly improved, and the holding mechanism for holding the fittings to the front body BF, etc. Can be omitted.

The side door 27 and the front fender 2
In the outfitting line dedicated for 8, bonnet 25, and trunk lid 26, after black coating, application of secondary rust preventive oil, installation of moldings and rubber, etc., harness, lamp, window regulator, etc. Install.
As described above, since the necessary outfittings are assembled in the dedicated outfitting line with the lid member removed from the upper body shell BU, the work efficiency of these can be significantly improved.

Next, a joining process for joining the upper body shell BU, the underbody portion BD and the front body portion BF will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
The front body part BF is assembled relative to the underbody part BD from the front, and both body parts BD and BF are combined to assemble the integrated lower body shell BL.
The body parts BD and BF are connected by bolt / nut connection, adhesive connection, welded connection, or combination thereof.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 43 to 45, the lower body shell BL is set on the movable carriage 125 of the joining station CS1 and the upper body shell BU is hung by the hanger 127 to the left and right of the joining station CS1. It is fixed to the pair of fixed bases 126, the movable carriage 125 is moved from the front to the rear of the vehicle body in the rearward direction to the lower side of the upper body shell BU, and the lower body shell BL is assembled from the front relative to the upper body shell BU. In addition, the left and right ends of the front floor 1 are inserted into the left and right engagement grooves 33 of the side sill 20 from the front, and the left and right ends of the front floor 1 are engaged and supported on the receiving portions 31b of the engagement grooves 33. Then, the engaging groove 33 is fixed by the adhesive 30. In parallel with this, the cross-sectional structures 6A and 6B that form the hinge pillar 6 are combined in the front and rear, and the other connecting portions of the front floor 1 and the upper body shell BU are connected by the fastening robot 128 or the like provided between the fixed bases 126 ( For example, the closed section structures 6A and 6B are connected together with the rear end of the front floor 1 and the like, and the lower body shell BL and the upper body shell BU are combined to assemble the body shell B. .. For this connection, a bolt / nut connection, an adhesive connection, a weld connection, or a combination of these is adopted. When the cowl member 10A (see FIG. 2) is attached to the upper body shell BU, the reclining device is used to prevent the upper end of the front seat 155 from interfering with the cowl member 10A. To bring the upper body shell BU and the underbody shell BL together.

As a modified example of the joining process for joining the upper body shell BU and the lower body shell BL, as shown in FIGS.
After assembling D from the front relative to the upper body shell BU and connecting them, the front body portion BF
May be assembled relative to the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD from the front and coupled.

Next, the body shell B is hung on a transport hanger (not shown) and sequentially transferred to a plurality of stations for constructing the lid member, and the side door 27 and the trunk lid 26 are attached to the body shell B. After installing the windshield and adjusting it, assemble them in order. In this way, since the lid member is erected before assembling the lower unit 160 having a relatively large weight, the body shell B can be carried by making the most effective use of a carrying device having a relatively simple structure such as a carrying hanger. Further, since the lid member is assembled before the reference hole on the body shell B side is hidden or blocked by the assembly of the lower unit 160, the lid member is assembled with the body shell B accurately positioned in a predetermined station. Since the lid members are assembled to the body shell B which can be manufactured and has high rigidity, the assembling accuracy of these lid members can be significantly improved. Furthermore, the upper body shell BU
Since the windshield is assembled after the lower body shell BL and the lower body shell BL are coupled, the lower end of the windshield can be coupled without interfering with the upper end of the front seat 155. The side door 27 is assembled to the body shell B by the door supply robot 75 and the fastening device 7 used in the vehicle body assembly process.
It is assumed that a door supply robot and a fastening device having the same configuration as that of No. 8 are used.

Next, in the lower unit assembling step of assembling the lower unit 160 to the body shell B,
As shown in FIG. 46, the pallet 12 is previously sublined.
9, a lower unit 1 including an engine 161, which is positioned and fixed on the vehicle 9, a transmission (not shown), front and rear suspensions 162, an exhaust pipe 163, a fuel tank 164, and the like.
60 is transferred onto the conveyor 130 of the combining station CS2, and the body shell B is hung by a supporting arm 131 of a lifting device (not shown) to combine the stations CS2.
The lower unit 160 is relatively assembled to the body shell B from below by lowering the body shell B, and the lower unit is connected by the two fastening robots 132 provided at the lower part of the coupling station CS2. Attach 160 to body shell B with bolts or the like.
Since the lower unit 160 is assembled to the highly rigid body shell B as described above, the lower unit 160 that has a great influence on the traveling performance can be assembled with high precision.

Next, the left and right front faders 28 and the bonnet 25 are assembled and adjusted with respect to the body shell B, and then the tires and the like are put under the unit 16.
Assemble to 0 to assemble a car. In this way, since the bonnet 25 is assembled after the lower unit 160 is assembled, the lower unit 1 is attached to the body shell B.
When the 60 is assembled, interference with the bonnet 25 does not occur, and a holding device or the like for holding the bonnet 25 in the open state can be omitted, which is advantageous in terms of equipment economy, and the work of assembling the lower unit 160 The efficiency can be increased.

In the vehicle assembling process, about 39 minutes are required for the fitting work for the upper body shell BU, about 9 minutes for the fitting work for the underbody portion BD, and the front body portion B.
It takes about 25 minutes to outfit F, and the outfitting line including the outfitting line for the upper body shell BU, which requires the most outfitting time, is configured as the main outfitting line. The body parts BD and BF can be supplied without any operation, and the vehicle assembly line can be operated efficiently.

Next, a modification of the automobile assembling method will be described. As shown in FIG. 50, in the vehicle body assembling process, the lower body shell BL in which the underbody portion BD and the front body portion BF are integrated and the upper body shell BU are assembled on their own assembly lines. still,
As shown in FIG. 50, the cowl member 10A of the cowl / dash structure 10 may be attached to the upper body shell BU, or as shown in FIG.
0 and the third cross member 41 may be attached to the lower body shell BL. Next, in the coating step, the upper body shell BU was subjected to the required coating in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the lower body shell BL was subjected to the required processing in the same manner as the underbody portion BD. rear,
The necessary coating is applied by a dedicated coating line, and then baking and drying are performed in a drying oven common to the drying oven used in the intermediate coating step of the upper body shell BU or the drying step after the top coating step.

Next, in the vehicle assembling process, as shown in FIG. 52, the necessary fittings are attached to the upper body shell BU in the same manner as in the above embodiment, and the lower body shell BL is attached.
For the above, the fittings assembled to the underbody portion BD and the front body portion BF in the above-described embodiment are assembled, and as shown in FIGS.
Assemble L from the front relative to the upper body shell BU, and connect both body shells BU and BL. Furthermore, here, a modified example of the coupling structure for additionally coupling the upper body shell BU and the underbody portion BD will be described.

As shown in FIG. 53, the side sills 20H made of steel plate are formed integrally with the left and right ends of the front floor 1A, respectively, and the inner side sills 20a having a closed cross section,
Outer side sill portion 20b having a closed cross-section integrated with the lower end portion of the body side panel of the upper body shell BU.
And a receiving portion 35J horizontally projecting inward is formed at the inner lower end of each outer side sill portion 20b.
By moving the underbody portion BD relatively rearward with respect to the upper body shell BU, the left and right end portions of the underbody portion BD are engaged and supported on the left and right receiving portions 35J, respectively. The outer side sill portions 20b are bonded and fixed with an adhesive.
When such a joining structure is adopted, a large adhesive area can be formed, so that strong adhesive bonding can be achieved.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 54, the side sills 20I are integrally fixed to the left and right ends of the front floor 1 including the same honeycomb substrate 1a and the reinforcing plates 1b on both upper and lower sides thereof, respectively, or It is divided into an inner side sill portion 20c made of an aluminum alloy and having a closed cross section, and an outer side sill portion 20d having a closed cross section which is integrated with the lower end portion of the body side panel of the upper body shell BU, and the inside of each outer side sill portion 20d. A receiving portion 35K horizontally projecting inward is formed at the lower end portion, and by moving the underbody portion BD rearward relative to the upper body shell BU, the left and right end portions of the underbody portion BD are received to the left and right. Between the inner side sill portion 20c and the outer side sill portion 20d by engaging and supporting them on the portion 35K. Bonded fixed by an adhesive. When such a joining structure is adopted, a large adhesive area can be formed, so that strong adhesive bonding can be achieved. The method of assembling the automobile of the present application is not limited to the 4-door sedan vehicle,
As a matter of course, the invention can be applied to various door and two-door automobiles or open body automobiles.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an assembly process diagram of an automobile.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper body shell, an under body portion, and a front body portion.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of a side sill and front floor coupling structure.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a main part of a side sill and a front floor according to a modified example.

FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of a coupling structure according to a modification.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a main part of a hinge pillar coupling structure.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG.

FIG. 16 is a view corresponding to FIG. 15 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 17 is a view corresponding to FIG. 15 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 18 is a view corresponding to FIG. 15 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 19 is a view corresponding to FIG. 15 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the overall process of the vehicle body assembly line.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an assembly jig unit.

FIG. 22 is a side view of the assembly jig unit.

FIG. 23 is a plan view of an assembly jig unit.

FIG. 24 is a front view of the assembly jig unit.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory view of a main part process of the vehicle body assembly line of FIG. 20.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory view of a main part process of the vehicle body assembly line of FIG. 20.

FIG. 27 is a front view of the transfer device.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a door supply robot and a fastening device.

FIG. 29 is a front view of the lifting device.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory view of a main part process of a vehicle body assembly line according to a modification.

FIG. 31 is a drawing of the automobile painting process.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of an underbody shell, a vehicle body member, and a coating jig unit.

33 is a perspective view of the coating jig unit of FIG. 32. FIG.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of relevant parts near a holding mechanism.

35 is a sectional view taken along the line 35-35 of FIG. 32.

FIG. 36 is a view corresponding to FIG. 33 of the assembly jig unit according to the modification.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory view of the overall process of the vehicle assembly line.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a carrier vehicle device.

FIG. 39 is a view, corresponding to FIG. 38, of the carrier vehicle according to the modification.

FIG. 40 is a process explanatory view of the outfitting line for the underbody portion.

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of a main part of a fitting line for the front body part.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the underbody portion and the front body portion in the joining process.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of the upper body shell and the lower body shell in the coupling step.

FIG. 44 is a side view of a joining station joining the upper and lower body shells.

FIG. 45 is a front view of the joining station.

FIG. 46 is a side view of a joining station for assembling the lower unit.

FIG. 47 is an overall process explanatory view of a vehicle body assembly process according to a modification.

FIG. 48 is a perspective view of an upper body shell and an underbody portion in a coupling process of a modified example.

FIG. 49 is a perspective view of an upper body shell and a front body portion in a coupling process of a modified example.

50 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of the upper body shell and the lower body shell of the modified example.

51 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of the upper body shell and the lower body shell of the modified example.

FIG. 52 is an overall process explanatory view of the vehicle assembly process according to the modification.

FIG. 53 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

FIG. 54 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the coupling structure according to the modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

B body shell BU upper body shell BL lower body shell BD underbody part BF front body part 1.1A / 1B front floor 11 body side panel 13 roof panel 20, 20A, 20B, 20C side sill 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G, 20H・ 20I
Side sill 26 Trunk lid 27 Side door 31b, 31d, 31f, 35A Receiver 35F, 35H, 35I, 35J, 35K Receiver 160 Lower unit 161 Engine 162 Suspension

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Toshiaki Kazuki 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Motor Corporation

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A lower body shell of an automobile body shell including at least an underbody portion including a front floor and a front body portion which is separate or integral with the underbody portion, a roof member, left and right body side panels, and left and right sides. Of the side sill and the upper body shell including the receiving portions for receiving the left and right ends of the front floor, respectively, are separately assembled, and the upper body shell and the lower body shell are respectively outfitted, and then separated from the front body portion or Through the process of moving the integrated underbody part rearward relative to the upper body shell in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and engaging both left and right end parts of the front floor on the left and right receiving parts, respectively. A method of assembling an automobile, comprising combining a body shell, comprising: the upper body shell and the lower body. After being combined with the deckle, at least one of a side door, a trunk lid and a back door is assembled to the body shell, and then a lower rotation unit formed by unitizing at least a front suspension and an engine is assembled to the body shell. Car assembly method. 2. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the bonnet is assembled to the body shell after the assembly of the lower unit. 3. The lower body shell including the underbody portion and a front body portion integrated with the lower body portion is outfitted, and then the lower body shell is coupled to the upper body shell. Car assembly method. 4. The underbody part and the front body part separate from the underbody part are respectively fitted, and then the both body parts are connected to each other, and then the both body parts are connected to the upper body shell. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 1. 5. The underbody part and the front body part separate from the underbody part are respectively fitted, and then the underbody part is joined to the upper body shell, and then the front body part is joined to the upper body shell and the underbody part. The method for assembling an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the method is as follows.