Vehicle body manufacturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144467-B2
Application number	US-201615003660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body manufacturing apparatus includes upper jig frames having frame members that are paired with each other and are insertable into the inside of the vehicle body through respective left and right openings of the vehicle body, a coupling mechanism that freely couples and decouples the ends of the paired frame members, and a clamp mechanism that is supported on the upper jig frame and positions the vehicle body from the inside of the vehicle body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
at least one upper jig frame including a first frame member and a second frame member that are paired with each other and are insertable into an inside of a vehicle body through respective left and right openings of the vehicle body, the first frame member comprising a first end in a longitudinal direction of the first frame member, the second frame member comprising, a second end in the longitudinal direction, the first member and the second member having substantially a same length in the longitudinal direction;
a coupling mechanism including a first coupling portion attached to the first end, and a second coupling portion attached to the second end and configured to be freely coupled and decoupled to the first coupling portion, the coupling mechanism being configured to couple and decouple the first end and the second end by the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion; and
a clamp mechanism that is supported on the at least one upper jig frame and configured to clamp a workpiece with respect to the vehicle body,
wherein the clamp mechanism comprises:
a restricting jig, comprising:
a first extendable portion that includes a first proximal end portion attached to the first frame member and a first distal end portion opposed to the first proximal end portion, and is adjustable in a first distance from the first proximal end portion to the first distal end portion in an extending direction; and
a bendable locking member attached to the first distal end portion and configured to bend with respect to the extending direction and to contact with a first face of the workpiece; and

a pressing jig, comprising:
a second extendable portion that includes a second proximal end portion attached to the first frame member and a second distal end portion opposed to the second proximal end portion, and is adjustable in a second distance from the second proximal end portion to the second distal end portion in the extending direction; and
a pressing member attached to the second distal end portion and configured to press a second face of the workpiece opposed to the first face toward the first face, and

wherein, in a perpendicular direction with respect to the longitudinal direction, at least a part of the first proximal portion and at least a part of the second proximal portion are disposed adjacent to the first coupling portion.

2. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing jig is configured to press the workpiece of the vehicle body from the inside of the vehicle body to an outside of the vehicle body and the restricting jig is configured to restrict a movement of the workpiece pressed by the pressing jig toward the outside of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first frame member and the second frame member are replaceable according to a vehicle type.

4. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first frame member and the second frame member are replaceable according to a vehicle type.

5. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first extendable portion comprises a first cylinder and a first rod moved by the first cylinder that are disposed between the first proximal end portion and the first distal end portion, and is configured to move the bendable locking member toward the workpiece.

6. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first extendable portion comprises:
a first cylinder that extends outwardly obliquely and upwardly in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and is secured to the second frame member; and
a first rod that is moveable through an operation of the first cylinder, and
wherein the bendable locking member is provided on an end of the first rod.

7. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the restricting jig comprises a first cylinder that extends outwardly obliquely and downwardly in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and is secured to a jig frame main body, and a rod that is moveable through an operation of the first cylinder, and
wherein the bendable locking member is provided on an end of the rod.

8. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a slider configured to move the first frame member in the longitudinal direction, and a welding machine configured to be moved by the slider in the longitudinal direction and disposed above the first frame member.

9. The vehicle body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the slider is configured to move a post that supports the first frame member and a rack that supports the welding machine.

Assignees

• Fuji Heavy Ind Ltd
• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Hayakawa Naoki
• Sakamoto Noboru

Classifications

• B23K37/0443

  Jigs · CPC title

• B62D65/026 Primary

  by using a jig or the like; Positioning of the jig · CPC title