EP3807056A1

EP3807056A1 - Plant for moving vehicle bodies

Info

Publication number: EP3807056A1
Application number: EP19742919.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giampaolo Covizzi; Paolo COLOMBAROLI
Original assignee: Geico SpA
Current assignee: Geico SpA
Priority date: 2018-06-15
Filing date: 2019-06-13
Publication date: 2021-04-21
Also published as: WO2019239368A1; CN112313041A

Abstract

A plant for the sequential transport of vehicle bodies comprises a zone (12) for sequential entry of bodies and a zone (13) for sequential exit of bodies and a transport path for the bodies between the entry zone (12) and the exit zone (13). Support devices (16) for supporting the bodies at at least a predetermined height travel on the two sides of the path and move along the path between the entry zone (12) and the exit zone (13). The support devices (16) comprise support arms (25) for supporting the bodies and in the entry zone (12) there is a first device (26) for the vertical movement of a body, arranged to lift a body arriving at a first height lower than the said predetermined height, to said predetermined height, and release it onto the arms of the support devices (16) passing in the entry zone (12). A similar device (27) for lowering again the bodies may be provided at the exit.

Description

Title

"Plant for moving vehicle bodies"

Description

The present invention relates to a plant for the sequential transport of vehicle bodies between an entry point and exit point for the bodies. In particular, the plant receives sequentially at the entry point the vehicle bodies, lifts them and transports them raised as far as an exit point where it lowers the bodies again, as required. Along the raised section the bottom part of the bodies is kept sufficiently free so as to allow access by personnel who need to operate underneath the bodies.

In vehicle processing plants it is known that there exists the need to have to carry out work also on the underside of the bodies, for example in order to perform painting, sealing, checking, assembly or other types of operations. Usually, therefore, plant sections are provided where the bodies are taken up by overhead conveyors from which the bodies are suspended so as to hang downwards to a certain height, in order to allow access to the bodies from underneath.

Overhead conveyors are, however, costly, bulky and occupy a large area and therefore require both special platforms for transporting the bodies and relatively complex devices which perform transfer of the bodies from the normal ground conveyors to the overhead conveyors and vice versa.

Transfer of the bodies, together with any support systems which they may have, from the ground plants to the overhead conveyors and vice versa also takes a relatively long time and this reduces the efficiency of the plant. Moreover, in view of the complexity of the transfer, the risk of malfunctions of the system or problems during the transfer operations, with consequent stoppage of the line, is high.

The object of the present invention is therefore that of providing a plant which occupies a small area and allows easy access to the underside of the bodies and which is simple and efficient and reduces the risk of faults, problems and unprogrammed stoppages.

In the light of this object the idea which has occurred, according to the invention, is to provide a plant for the sequential transport of vehicle bodies, comprising:

- a zone for sequential entry of bodies;

- a zone for sequential exit of bodies;

- a transport path for the bodies between the entry zone and the exit zone;

- support devices for supporting the bodies at at least a predetermined height, which are arranged on the two sides of the path so as to travel along the path between the entry zone and the exit zone, the support devices comprising support arms for supporting the bodies;

- at least a first device for the vertical movement of a body, placed in the entry zone and arranged to lift a body arriving in the entry zone, from a first height lower than said predetermined height, to said predetermined height, and release it onto the arms of support devices passing in the entry zone.

In order to illustrate more clearly the innovative principles of the present invention and its advantages compared to the prior art, an example of embodiment applying these principles will be described below with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

- Figure 1 shows a schematic side elevation view of a plant designed according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a schematic plan view of the plant according to Figure 1 ;

- Figures 3, 4 and 5 show schematic cross-sectional views of the plant according to the invention during three stages of its operation;

- Figures 6 and 7 show schematic and partial views, respectively cross- sectioned and from above, of a possible rotatable mechanism for supporting the bodies in the plant according to the invention, during an opening movement;

- Figures 8 and 9 show schematic and partial views, respectively cross- sectioned and from above, of the mechanism shown in Figures 6 and 7, during a closing movement.

With reference to the Figures, Figure 1 shows a plant, denoted overall by 10, designed according to the invention for the vertical movement and raised transportation of bodies 1 1 along a transport path between an entry zone 12 for sequential arrival of the bodies and an exit zone 13 for sequential release of the bodies. The plant may comprise a frame structure (for example arches spaced along the path and horizontal connecting cross-beams).

Entry of the bodies takes place at a lower height, usually substantially close to the ground and, in any case, lower than the operating height at which the bodies are required to pass through at least a part 28 of the plant situated between the entry zone and the exit zone. The operating height in the plant is in particular a height suitable for allowing the operators or the automatic devices to carry out work on the bottom of the body, as shown for example in the zone 28. Support devices 16 for supporting the bodies at at least a predetermined height travel on the two sides of the transport path and move along the path between the entry zone 12 and the exit zone 13.

The support devices 16 comprise support arms 25 for supporting the bodies during transport along the path between the entry point and the exit point. Advantageously, the support arms may have pins 34 arranged at the free ends and able to be inserted vertically inside special seats underneath the bodies. The support arms are advantageously directed from the sides towards a longitudinal central axis of the path followed by the bodies along the plant.

At least in the entry zone 12 there is a first device 26 for the vertical movement of a body arriving in the entry zone 12 for example by means of a conventional ground conveyor line (not shown).

The vertical movement device 26 is arranged so as to lift a body from the arrival height, lower than the predetermined height for transport along the plant 10, to a predetermined height and to release the body onto the arms 25 of the support devices 16 passing in the entry zone 12 at that moment. The devices 16 with the body then travel along the transport path at a speed and, where necessary, stopping and starting again depending on the operations to be performed underneath the body. For example, the devices 16 may move, stopping in the zone (or zones) 28 so as to allow the predetermined operations to be carried out underneath the body by the personnel present in these zones, and then start moving again towards the exit point.

Advantageously, in the exit zone 13 there may be a second device 27 for the vertical movement of a body, which is arranged to pick up the body from the arms of the support devices 16 passing in the exit zone 13 and lower it from the predetermined height to a second lower exit height. A known system for conveying away the bodies from the device 27 may be provided at the exit point. For example a conventional ground conveyor line (not shown) onto which the device 27 deposits the body may be provided.

As shown in the drawings, the first vertical movement device and, if present, the second vertical movement device may each comprise a per se known pantograph-type vertical movement platform.

According to a preferred embodiment of the plant 10, on the two sides of the transport path there are tracks 14 and 1 5 along which the support devices 16 travel. The movement is advantageously obtained by means of motorized transport rings 17 and 18 which transport the support devices 16 along the tracks.

A lateral support 29 may also be provided underneath the two tracks 14 and 15 so as to better withstand the overturning torque applied to the support devices 16 by the weight of the bodies.

The motorized transport rings 17, 18 may travel between motorized actuating wheels 19, 20 and transmission wheels 21 , 22 arranged at the two ends of the plant between the entry point 12 and the exit point 13. The rings 17, 18 may for example be formed by suitable transport chains.

Returns sections of the rings 17 and 18 may travel along corresponding further rails 23, 24 advantageously parallel to the rails 14, 15 along which the outward section of the transport rings 17, 18 travel.

Preferably, the rings 17 and 18 are arranged in a same horizontal plane, as shown by way of example in the figures. Alternatively, they may also be arranged each one in a vertical or inclined plane.

Preferably, the support devices 16 may be arranged in pairs on each transport ring so that each pair is at a distance suitable for supporting on one side a body to be transported between entry point 12 and exit point 13. Moreover, opposite each pair of devices 16 on one track there is a corresponding facing pair of devices 16 on the other track, so that at least four support devices form a group of support devices for stably supporting a body 1 1 , as shown in schematic form in the central zone 14 in Figure 2. The four support devices associated with each other may be advantageously arranged at the corners of a rectangle so as to stably support a body from underneath, as is clear in Figure 2.

The pairs of devices 16 are advantageously kept facing each other so as to form the stable support with a group of four devices 16, owing to a synchronized travel movement of the rings 17 and 18. This synchronized travel movement may be obtained electrically, by means of the synchronized control of separate motors for driving each ring, or mechanically, by means of a mechanical interconnection for performing the travel movement of the two rings and, for example, a single drive motor. This may be easily imagined by the person skilled in the art and will therefore not be further shown or described.

The facing support arms 25 may be advantageously designed with dimensions such that their free ends, on which the bodies rest, leave a central space sufficient to allow the lifting devices 26 and 27 to pass through vertically. In turn, the lifting devices may be sufficiently narrow so that they can pass between the facing arms 25.

The vertical movement device 26 may thus receive an incoming body (Figure 3) and for example lift the body to a height slightly higher than the support arms, before the latter come into position on the sides of the device 26. The support arms may then enter into the entry zone owing to the travel movement of the respective rings and pass underneath the body, as can be seen also in Figure 4. The device 26 may then be lowered again so as to place the body on the arms of the support devices 16 which may thus carry the body along the plant and into the working zones, as can be seen for example in Figure 5.

If a second vertical movement device is provided in the exit zone 13, in this exit zone the operation may be performed in the reverse manner to that carried out in the entry zone 12. In particular, the devices 16 with the body pass into vertical alignment with the vertical movement device 27 which is raised so as to lift, from the support devices 16, the body from underneath (as shown in Figure 4 for the device 26). The support devices may thus move out of vertical alignment with the body and the body may be lowered (in a similar manner to that shown in Figure 3 during entry) and then conveyed out of the exit zone.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the support devices 16 may be advantageously spaced from each other along the plant so that, when a group of four supports is in the entry zone, another group of four supports is in the exit zone and a further group of four supports is in the at least one working zone 28. In this way, the entry, exit and working operations may be performed in parallel. The distance between each group of four supports and the following group of four supports may also be such that there is an intermediate space suitable for allowing the vertical passing movement of the bodies on the vertical movement devices in the entry zone and, if necessary, in the exit zone.

The support devices may be moved intermittently so as to stop the supports, pending the arrival of a body in the entry zone, and then start moving again once the lifting device has placed a body on them. Similarly, a synchronized movement may be performed in order to unload a body in the exit zone.

Alternatively, the movement of the support devices in the entry zone and/or exit zone may be continuous, with the corresponding lifting action which moves the raised body slightly forwards so as to compensate for the movement of the passing devices and place the body on them at a substantially zero relative speed, while the support devices continue to move. The body may thus be moved forwards on the lifting device by an amount sufficient to maintain the synchronism with the support devices until the lifting device places or lifts the body onto/from the support devices.

In order to obtain the movement of the body, the lifting device may for example be fully displaced alternately forwards and backwards with a forwards movement synchronized with the passing of the support devices, or only the top part or table of the lifting device supporting the body may be displaced alternately forwards and backwards, or also the top part or table of the lifting device may be provided with a system for the forwards displacement of the body, for example comprising motorized rollers or the like. The movement of the lifting device may also be passive (for example with idle rollers on the lifting device for supporting the body) and directly performed by the translation movement of the support devices, as may now be easily imagined by the person skilled in the art.

In addition to bringing the support devices into position with the arms underneath the bodies owing to the simple travel movement of the devices along the plant, if desired it is also possible to provide for an active movement of the arms of the device between an operating position and a retracted position. This for example reduces the space occupied by the devices along their return path towards the entry zone.

Advantageously, the arms of the support devices may be designed so as to be movable controllably between the supporting operating position and the retracted position by means of movement means which are designed to move them from the retracted position to the operating position before arrival in the entry zone or in the entry zone itself (for example immediately before the entry zone) and move them from the operating position to the retracted position in the exit zone or after the exit zone (for example immediately after the exit zone).

Various systems may be imagined for the displacement of the arms of the devices between the two positions. For example, the arms 25 of the support devices may move between the operating position and the retracted position by rotating about a rotation axis.

Figures 6 and 7 show two views, on a larger scale, of a possible advantageous embodiment of the support devices with movable arms.

In this embodiment the rotation axis, denoted by 30, is preferably vertical. The movement means may advantageously comprise cams 31 for moving the arms between the operating position and the retracted position. These cams may be integrally fixed to the rotation axis and rotate by means of interference with suitable actuating surfaces due to the said translation movement of the devices 16 along their transport path.

It is thus possible to avoid the use of active means (for example motors or linear actuators), although they may always be provided, if desired.

As can be clearly seen in Figures 6 and 7, the cams may for example have a petal-like form, with the petals arranged at 90° relative to each other about the rotation axis 30, so as to interfere with a suitable peg 32 fixed in a suitable position in the entry zone 12 where - as clearly visible from Figure 7 - it is required that the arm of a device should pass from the retracted position (shown in solid lines) to the operating position (shown in broken lines) for subsequently supporting a body.

Similarly, in the vicinity of the exit zone 13 a second peg 33 may be provided in the position where it is required that the arm of a device 16 should pass from the operating position (shown in solid lines) to the retracted position (shown in broken lines), as is clear from Figure 9, after the body has been raised and removed from the supporting arms of the devices 16.

In this way, the arms may move along the return path (for example the return path of the ring), and be arranged in the retracted position, and then return into the operating position when they arrive in the vicinity of the entry zone, as is clear also from Figure 1 , so as to then travel along the outward path, transporting the bodies. At this point it is clear how the objects of the invention are achieved. The plant according to the invention is simple, reliable and fast, moreover allowing full and easy access underneath the bodies.

Obviously the above description of the embodiments applying the innovative principles of the present invention is provided only by way of example of these innovative principles and must therefore not be regarded as limiting the scope of the rights claimed herein.

For example, the path between the entry point and exit point of the bodies may be rectilinear, as shown in the figures, or may be varyingly curved, as desired. Also, the height of the bodies along the path may be constant or may vary depending on the specific requirements. The variations in height and/or direction of the path in the plant may be easily achieved by suitably designing the form of the travel tracks and the transport rings.

The number of support devices or groups of four support devices may be different from that shown in the figures, for example in order to obtain several simultaneous working zones 28 along the plant and/or a greater number of bodies simultaneously present in the plant and/or a greater length of the plant.

Claims

1 . Sequential transport plant for vehicle bodies, including:

- a zone (12) for sequential entry of bodies;

- a zone (13) for sequential exit of bodies;

- a transport path for the bodies between the entry zone (12) and the exit zone (13);

- support devices (16) for supporting the bodies at at least a predetermined height, which are arranged on the two sides of the path so as to travel along the path between the entry zone (12) and the exit zone (13), the support devices (16) comprising support arms (25) for supporting the bodies;

- at least a first device (26) for the vertical movement of a body, placed in the entry zone (12) and arranged to lift a body arriving in the entry zone (12), from a first height lower than said predetermined height, to said predetermined height, and release it onto the arms of support devices (16) passing in the entry zone (12).

2. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that in the exit zone (13) there is a second device (27) for the vertical movement of a body, which is arranged to pick up a body from the arms of the support devices (16) passing in the exit zone (13), and lower it from the predetermined height to a second exit height lower than said predetermined height.

3. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that on the sides of the transport path there are tracks (14, 15) along which the support devices travel.

4. Plant according to Claim 3, characterized in that on the sides of the path there are motorized rings (17, 18) for transporting the support devices (16) along the tracks.

5. Plant according to Claim 4 characterized in that the motorized rings (17, 18) are horizontal.

6. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the arms (25) of the support devices (16) are movable controllably between a supporting operating position and a retracted position by means of movement means (31 , 32, 33) which are designed to move them from the retracted position to the operating position before or in the entry zone and move them from the operating position to the retracted position in or after the exit zone.

7. Plant according to Claim 6, characterized in that the arms (25) of the support devices (16) move between the operating position and the retracted position by rotating around a rotation axis (30).

8. Plant according to Claim 7, characterized in that the rotation axis (30) is vertical.

9. Plant according to Claim 6, characterized in that movement means comprise cams (31 ) for moving the arms (25) between the operating position and the retracted position, which are operated by interference with actuating surfaces (32, 33) due to the translation of the devices.

10. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the first vertical movement device comprises a pantograph-type vertical movement platform (26).

1 1 . Plant according to Claim 2, characterized in that the second vertical movement device comprises a pantograph-type vertical movement platform (27).

12. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the support devices (16) are arranged in pairs on each side of the path with pairs facing so as to have groups of four associated support devices arranged at the corners of a rectangle so as to support a body from below.

13. Plant according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the first vertical movement device (26) is adapted to perform a limited horizontal translation of the body so as to synchronize a forward movement thereof with a translation of the support devices.

14. Plant according to Claim 2, characterized in that the second vertical movement device (27) is adapted to perform a limited horizontal translation of the body so as to synchronize a forward movement thereof with a translation of the support devices.