Method for conveying at least one vehicle component to a vehicle body with at least one robot device in an assembly station and assembly station having the robot device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486759-B2
Application number	US-201715610121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A method is disclosed for conveying a vehicle component to a vehicle body with a robot device in an assembly station. The assembly station includes a provisioning position in which the vehicle component is provisioned for conveying to the vehicle body. The assembly station further includes a final assembly location at which the vehicle component is final-assembled on the vehicle body. The robot device grips the vehicle component in the provisioning position and conveys the vehicle component to the final assembly location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for conveying a first vehicle component and a second vehicle component to a vehicle body comprising:
providing the first vehicle component in a provisioning position of an assembly station,
the provisioning position defined by a suspended conveyor;
positioning the vehicle body in a final assembly location of the assembly station,
with a height offset defined between the provisioning position and the final assembly location;
gripping the first vehicle component with a first robot device in the provisioning position;
conveying the first vehicle component with the first robot device from the provisioning position to a first side of the vehicle body in the final assembly location, the first robot device bridging the height offset during the conveying of the first vehicle component;
providing the second vehicle component in the provisioning position;
detecting a defect condition for a second robot;
based on the detection of the defect condition:
gripping the second vehicle component with the first robot device in the provisioning position;
conveying the second vehicle component with the first robot device from the provisioning position to a handover location on the first side of the vehicle body in the final assembly location,
the first robot device bridging the height offset during the conveying of the second vehicle component to the handover location;
handing over the second vehicle component to an auxiliary device to convey the second vehicle component from the handover position to a correct assembly position on a second side of the vehicle body in the final assembly location; and assembling the second vehicle component to the vehicle body.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising assembling the first vehicle component on the vehicle body.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising aligning the first vehicle component relative to the vehicle body with the first robot device for the final assembly.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising switching the first robot device over to a backup operating mode based on the detection of the defect condition of the second robot.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a second height offset is defined between the provisioning position and the handover location, and the conveying the second vehicle component with the first robot device from the provisioning position to the handover location on the first side of the vehicle body includes the first robot device bridging the first height offset and the second height offset during the conveying of the second vehicle component to the handover location.

6. A method for conveying vehicle components to a vehicle body comprising:
providing a first vehicle door in a provisioning position of an assembly station,
the provisioning position defined by a suspended conveyor;

positioning the vehicle body in a final assembly location of the assembly station, with a height offset defined between the provisioning position and the final assembly location;
gripping the first vehicle door with a first robot device in the provisioning position;
conveying the first vehicle door with the first robot device from the provisioning position to a first side of the vehicle body in the final assembly location,
the first robot device bridging the height offset during the conveying of the first vehicle door;
assembling the first vehicle door to the vehicle body;
providing a second vehicle door in the provisioning position;
detecting a defect condition for a second robot; and
based on the detection of the defect condition:

gripping the second vehicle door with the first robot device in the provisioning position;
conveying the second vehicle door with the first robot device from the provisioning position to a handover location arranged between the provisioning position and the final assembly location on the first side of the vehicle body, with a second height offset defined between the provisioning position and the handover location, the first robot device bridging the first height offset and the second height offset during the conveying of the second vehicle door to the handover location;
handing over the second vehicle door to an auxiliary device to convey the second vehicle door from the handover position to a correct assembly position on the second side of the vehicle body in the final assembly location; and
assembling the second vehicle door to the vehicle body.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the handover location is a turntable and the method further comprises transposing the second vehicle component on a turntable into the correct assembly position.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Hahn Sascha
• Hüttenmüller Uwe
• Leers Uwe
• Geinitz Steve
• Patz Manuela
• Klee Dirk
• Lehmann Steffen
• Possner Norbert

Classifications

• B62D65/18 Primary

  Transportation, conveyor or haulage systems specially adapted for motor vehicle or trailer assembly lines {(conveyors and haulage in general B65G)} · CPC title

• B62D65/06

  the sub-units or components being doors, windows, openable roofs, lids, bonnets, or weather strips or seals therefor {(assembling sealing arrangements with vehicle parts, e.g. doors, windows B60J10/45)} · CPC title

• B62D65/02

  Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components · CPC title

• B25J9/0084

  comprising a plurality of manipulators · CPC title

• B23P2700/50

  Other automobile vehicle parts, i.e. manufactured in assembly lines · CPC title