Motor vehicle body framing apparatus
US7677428B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 25, 2007 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB23K2101/006
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A motor vehicle body framing apparatus located at a welding station of a motor vehicle assembly line for use in precisely positioning body panels arriving at the welding station for welding. The apparatus includes a base structure positioned at the welding station and having a longitudinal extent in the direction of body panel movement and a transverse extent; a parking structure upstanding vertically from the base structure on either side of the welding station and each defining parking devices; and a pair of longitudinal side gates each carrying tooling fixtures for engagement with body side panels and each including parking devices operative in coaction with the parking devices on the upstanding parking structures to precisely position the gates on the parking structure and thereby precisely position the tooling fixtures relative to the body panels. A plurality of sets of gates each having tooling fixtures mounted thereon corresponding respectively to a plurality of motor vehicle body styles are provided and the sets of gates are selectively interchanged utilizing the coacting parking devices so as to readily exchange tooling fixtures to accommodate the plurality of body styles …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.