Vehicle body part rack with lateral supports able to rotate the vehicle body part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953503-B2
Application number	US-201816153217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle body part rack, being used for placing a vehicle body part during assembly or post-treatment of the vehicle body part. The rack includes a base plate and vehicle body part supports arranged on the base plate. Each support has a head, and a supporting rod connected to the head and the base plate. The supporting rod is movable with respect to the base plate and the rack has lateral supports which are able to hold the vehicle body part and to rotate it.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body part rack, being used for placing a vehicle body part during assembly or post-treatment of said vehicle body part, comprising a base plate and a plurality of vehicle body part supports arranged on the base plate, each said vehicle body part support comprising a supporting head, and a supporting rod connected to the supporting head and the base plate, the supporting rod being movable with respect to the base plate and the rack further comprises lateral supports able to hold the vehicle body part and to rotate the vehicle body part;
wherein the supporting head of at least one of the vehicle body part supports is able to rotate around an end of the supporting rod of the supporting head's corresponding vehicle body part support;
wherein the at least one support further comprises at least one spring linking the supporting head of the at least one support to the supporting rod of the at least one support.

2. The vehicle body part rack according to claim 1 wherein the at least one spring is able to act as a damper.

3. The vehicle body part rack according to claim 1 wherein the spring allows the supporting head to go back in an initial position when the supporting head does not touch the body part.

4. A vehicle body part rack, being used for placing a vehicle body part during assembly or post-treatment of said vehicle body part, comprising a base plate and a plurality of vehicle body part supports arranged on the base plate, each said vehicle body part support comprising a supporting head, and a supporting rod connected to the supporting head and the base plate, the supporting rod being movable with respect to the base plate and the rack further comprises lateral supports able to hold the vehicle body part and to rotate the vehicle body part
wherein a movement of the supporting rods is actioned pneumatically.

5. The vehicle body part rack according to claim 4 wherein air pressure acting pneumatically to cause the movement of the supporting rods is between 0.2 and 0.7 bar.

6. The vehicle body part rack according to claim 4 wherein air pressure acting pneumatically to cause the movement of the supporting rods is 0.5 bar.

7. An assembly station comprising:
a vehicle body parts assembly station;
a vehicle body parts rack for placing a vehicle body part during assembly or post-treatment of said vehicle body part, the vehicle body parts rack located at the vehicle body parts assembly station, the vehicle body parts rack includes a base plate and a plurality of vehicle body part supports arranged on the base plate, each said vehicle body part support comprising a supporting head, and a supporting rod connected to the supporting head and the base plate, the supporting rod being movable with respect to the base plate and the rack further comprises lateral supports able to hold the vehicle body part and to rotate the vehicle body part.

8. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein the lateral supports hold the vehicle body part by lateral ends of the vehicle body part.

9. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein the supporting head of at least one of the vehicle body part supports is able to rotate around an end of the supporting rod of the supporting head's corresponding vehicle body part support.

10. The assembly station according to claim 9 wherein the supporting head is able to rotate around an end of the supporting rod in an automatic manner, when the supporting head touches the vehicle body part.

11. The assembly station according to claim 10 wherein the at least one support further comprises at least one spring linking the supporting head of the at least one support to the supporting rod of the at least one support.

12. The assembly station according to claim 9 wherein the at least one support further comprises at least one spring linking the supporting head of the at least one support to the supporting rod of the at least one support.

13. The assembly station according to claim 12 wherein the at least one spring is able to act as a damper.

14. The assembly station according to claim 13 wherein the spring allows the supporting head to go back in an initial position when the supporting head does not touch the body part.

15. The assembly station according to claim 14 wherein air pressure acting pneumatically to cause the movement of the supporting rods is between 0.2 and 0.7 bar.

16. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein the supporting head and the supporting rod of at least one support are linked by a universal joint.

17. The assembly station according to claim 16 wherein the at least one support further comprises at least one spring linking the supporting head of the at least one support to the supporting rod of the at least one support.

18. The assembly station according to claim 16 wherein the supporting head is able to rotate around an end of the supporting rod in an automatic manner, when the supporting head touches the vehicle body part.

19. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein the supporting heads are made partially in a material able to deform in order to cushion the vehicle body part.

20. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein the supporting heads are made partially of a soft material.

21. The assembly station according to claim 7 wherein a movement of the supporting rods is actioned pneumatically.

Assignees

• Plastic Omnium Cie

Inventors

• Schmit Patrick
• Rapien Tony

Classifications

• B62D65/022 Primary

  Transferring or handling sub-units or components, e.g. in work stations or between workstations and transportation systems · CPC title

• B23Q7/005

  Lifting devices · 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

• B23Q1/035

  with an array of longitudinally movable rods defining a reconfigurable support surface · CPC title

• B23Q3/005 Primary

  Guides for workpieces · CPC title