Automotive assembly line body chip and scratch reducing bumper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656374-B2
Application number	US-201414156615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Jan 16, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

An automotive assembly line tool system and method utilizing a heat-shrinkable bumper disposed around a portion of an assembly line tool for absorbing kinetic energy between the portion of the tool and a work-piece on an assembly line. The bumper may be a chemically cross-linked polyolefin heat-shrinkable material having a shore D hardness of 42 or less after being heat-shrunk. The bumper may be a tubular bumper that has a continuous outer surface around its circumference and a heavy wall that is highly split-resistant. The bumper may have a life term of at least one year in an automotive assembly line environment. By protecting the tools and equipment, chips and scratches on a work-piece on the assembly line may be reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive assembly line tooling system comprising:
a body portion;
a driveshaft extending from and external to the body portion; and
a heat-shrinkable tubular bumper disposed around the driveshaft, the bumper alone surrounding the driveshaft.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the bumper has a shore D hardness of less than 42.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the bumper is a chemically cross-linked polyolefin.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the bumper has a radial shrink reduction of a quarter its original size with substantially no longitudinal reduction.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tooling system is a pneumatic tool system for running nuts or bolts to assemble components to or proximate a work-piece.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveshaft is non-parallel with the body portion.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an extension arm extending from and external to the body portion, wherein a second heat-shrinkable tubular bumper is disposed around the extension arm.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the extension arm is non-parallel with the body portion.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is secured to a robot.

10. An automotive assembly line tool comprising:
a body portion;
an extension arm extending from and external to the body portion;
a first tubular heat-shrinkable bumper disposed over and heat-shrunk directly onto the extension arm;
a driveshaft extending from and external to the body portion; and
a second tubular heat-shrinkable bumper alone disposed around the driveshaft.

11. The tool of claim 10 wherein the first tubular heat-shrinkable bumper has a continuous outer surface around a circumference of the first tubular heat-shrinkable bumper.

12. The tool of claim 10 wherein the first tubular heat-shrinkable bumper has a life term of one year or more on the tool in an automotive assembly line environment.

13. The tool of claim 10 , wherein the extension arm is non-parallel with the body portion.

14. The tool of claim 10 , wherein the driveshaft is non-parallel with the body portion.

15. The tool of claim 10 , wherein the body portion is secured to a robot.

16. The tool of claim 10 , wherein the first tubular heat-shrinkable bumper has a shore D hardness of less than 42.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Moctezuma Jocelyn
• Florencio Zoram
• Alvarez Angel

Classifications

• B25B23/00 Primary

  Details of, or accessories for, spanners, wrenches, screwdrivers (bolt tensioners B25B29/02) · CPC title

• B62B5/06

  Hand moving equipment, e.g. handle bars (for cycles B62K11/14, B62K21/12) · CPC title

• B29L2031/7502

  Supports, machine frames or beds, worktables · CPC title

• B25G1/10

  characterised by material or shape (B25G1/01, B25G1/02 take precedence {; for hand tools comprising coating rollers B05C17/0205}) · CPC title

• Y10T428/139

  Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article · CPC title