FR3122152A1 - Device for the automatic dismantling of motor vehicle door hinges - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for the automatic and simultaneous removal of the two hinges of a motor vehicle door each comprising a hinge (G) in the form of a vertical axis (A) the end of which is provided with a collar (C ), the two hinges being mounted in opposition so that their respective collar (C) is facing each other between the two hinges, characterized in that it comprises at least one rotary screw (1) coupled to a motor (M) and connected to two gripping members (2) of said collars ensuring the axial extraction of the hinge (G) by rotation of the said screw, each of the said gripping members (2) being associated with a vibratory element (3) facilitating the extraction of the hinge. Figure of the abstract: Fig. 2A

Description

Device for the automatic dismantling of motor vehicle door hinges

The invention applies to the field of dismantling motor vehicle door hinges.

More specifically, the invention relates to an improved device intended to ensure the automatic and simultaneous dismantling of temporary door hinges.

In the factory, on the assembly lines of car manufacturers, the doors are temporarily mounted on the body before the vehicle passes through the paint shop.

This temporary assembly is ensured by means of hinges allowing the doors to be locked in the open position at approximately 70° to facilitate the passage of the painting robots in the doorways and in the body. The doors are then removed, both to facilitate access to the passenger compartment and to allow them to be fitted.

Temporary hinges generally comprise two hinges of simple structure which are therefore separated when dismantling the doors and subsequently replaced by permanent hinges when reassembling the doors after covering.

Today, the doors are dismantled manually by an operator who uses a gripper/conveyor to support the door and a so-called winegrower's pruner modified ad-hoc to successively unlock, one by one, the hinge of each hinge, extract it manually and recover it.

However, these temporary hinges, which have previously been coated with cataphoresis and painted, are sometimes difficult to extract, which involves significant manual effort and leads to premature wear of the secateurs, which must then be repaired or replaced frequently.

In addition, this mode of disassembly mobilizes an operator on each side of the vehicle which penalizes the surfaces on the assembly line by occupying two side positions as well as the edges of lines where the doors are loaded manually on the conveyor.

Moreover, this manual and laborious operation is likely to generate appearance defects when a hinge, torn off too suddenly, falls on the already painted body and causes a chipping.

Patent FR2988318B1 describes pliers for disassembling or reassembling a motor vehicle door hinge. This gripper comprises a fixed jaw and a movable jaw intended to bear on the hinge and a wedge removably fixed to the movable jaw so that when the gripper is closed, this wedge can bear axially on the axis of the hinge.

Patent FR2705605B1 describes a device for the robotic dismantling of a motor vehicle door articulated on the body using at least one hinge with removable hinges by rectilinear lifting of the door.

However, none of these prior devices makes it possible to automatically and simultaneously dismantle the two hinges of the same door while retaining the hinges in order to retrieve and collect them.

In this context, the invention aims to overcome the technical problems and to remedy the insufficiencies of the previous devices by proposing to replace the current "wine grower" shears (modified) by a motorized system facilitating the simultaneous dismantling of the two door hinges in reducing the efforts made and recovering the temporary hinges for possible recycling.

This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a device for the automatic and simultaneous dismantling of the two hinges of a motor vehicle door each comprising a hinge in the form of a vertical axis, the end of which is provided with a collar, the two hinges being mounted in opposition so that their respective collar is face-to-face between the two hinges, characterized in that it comprises at least one rotary screw coupled to a motor and connected to two organs gripping said flanges ensuring the axial extraction of the hinge by rotation of said screw, each of said gripping members being associated with a vibratory element facilitating the extraction of the hinge.

According to an advantageous characteristic, the device of the invention comprises at least one guide column mounted parallel to the rotating screw.

Preferably, each gripping member is associated with an element ensuring the recovery of the hinge after extraction.

According to a specific variant embodiment, this recovery element is a magnetic suction cup.

According to a first embodiment of the device of the invention, the grippers consist of forks connected to the rotating screw by antagonist rings.

According to a first variant embodiment, the rotary screw is a single ball screw.

According to another variant, the rotary screw is a single endless screw connected to the two gripping members via two sections whose respective threads are in reverse helices.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the dismantling device comprises two sets mounted head to tail, each set being formed of a pair of parallel rotating screws and coupled, via a pinion, to a motor, each of the screws being connected to a pivoting finger forming with the symmetrical finger of the parallel screw a gripping member of the flange of the hinge.

Preferably, the motor is mounted interposed between them together.

According to a specific embodiment, the vibratory element is a piezoelectric actuator.

Another object of the invention is a method of implementing a device for the automatic and simultaneous dismantling of temporary door hinges having the characteristics defined above for the assembly of a motor vehicle.

The dismantling method of the invention is part of a program aimed at automating all of the operations after the painting step and comprising, in particular, the opening of the doors, the unhinging, the unhooking of these doors and their transfer by conveyor.

The dismantling device according to the invention thus allows complete automation of the vehicle assembly process by being mounted, for example, on a manipulator attached to the arm of a robot.

This improved device, by making it possible to adjust the position of each extraction member, thus facilitates the dismantling of the hinges and proves to be versatile and adaptable to all types of doors and/or vehicles equipped with temporary hinges provided with a hinge with collar.

The device of the invention thus makes obsolete the use of secateurs which proved to be fragile due to a critical and intensive exploitation of their mechanical possibilities.

The invention also makes it possible to reduce the forces exerted on the hinges and to improve the compactness of the tooling, in particular, by using a single motor while offering space saving at the entrance to the assembly line. which is particularly valuable in the context of the factory integration of assembly operations for plug-in hybrid vehicles.

This advantage is accompanied by an appreciable reduction in the size of the teams. Indeed, the automation of the complete process makes it possible to move the dismantling task to an area upstream of the assembly flow without the intervention of an operator.

Finally, the invention makes it possible to jointly recover the hinges with a view to possible recycling.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description, with reference to the appended and detailed drawings below.

is a front view of a temporary door hinge for a motor vehicle.

is a side view of a first embodiment of the device of the invention for the automatic dismantling of motor vehicle hinges.

is a detail and top view of the device of the .

is a partial side view of a second embodiment of the device of the invention for the automatic dismantling of motor vehicle hinges.

is a partial sectional and top view of the device .

For greater clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs in the description and in the figures.

Naturally, the embodiments of the device of the invention illustrated by the figures presented above and described below, are given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided that it is possible to propose and combine different modes to propose others.

The invention relates to the dismantling of the temporary hinges at the exit of the painting station with a view to removing the doors to facilitate access to the passenger compartment and allow interior trim.

The doors are generally provided with two temporary hinges mounted in opposition. Each of these hinges (FIGS. 1 and 2A) comprises a hinge G in the form of a vertical axis A, one end of which is provided with a flange C of larger diameter. The two hinges G are coaxial and their respective collar C is thus face to face between the two hinges, as illustrated by the .

The invention proposes a device making it possible to dismantle, automatically and simultaneously, the two hinges of the same door while retaining the hinges G to recover and collect them, with a view to possible recycling.

The device of the invention can be produced according to two embodiments represented respectively by FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3A, 3B. Each of these modes comprises at least one rotary screw 1 coupled to a single motor M and connected to two members 2 for gripping the collars C of the hinges G. These members ensure the axial extraction of the hinge G by traction thanks to the rotation of the screw 1 motorized.

In general, this dismantling device comprises a guide column 4 mounted parallel to the screw 1. According to a first option, the invention provides that each gripping member 2 is associated with an element 5 ensuring the recovery of the hinge after extraction. The recovery element 5 is, for example, made up of a magnetic suction cup.

According to a second option, complementary to the first option, which is advantageously used to reduce the forces required to tear off the hinges G and facilitate their extraction, the invention provides that each gripping member 2 is provided with a vibratory element 3 , here in the form of piezoelectric actuators, which transmit high-frequency vibrations to the hinges.

In the first embodiment of the device of the invention, illustrated by FIGS. 2A and 2B, the gripping members 2 consist of forks (one of which is shown in the ) connected to the rotary screw 1 by rings 6 antagonists. The forks have two branches 2a, 2b whose ends are bevelled to facilitate gripping of the collars C. These branches define between them a space whose width d is substantially equal to the diameter of the collars C.

This rotary screw 1 is here a single endless screw connected to the two grippers via its two sections, respectively, top and bottom 1a, 1b whose respective threads 10a, 10b are in reverse helices. A variant of this embodiment, not shown, consists in replacing the endless screw with a ball screw.

Thus, the dismantling device of the invention consists of the combination of three distinct means. The first means consists of the rotating screw 1 (worm or ball screw). This screw is formed either of two sections with inverted threads secured to each other in a coaxial and opposite manner, or formed of a single rod whose upper and lower parts have inverted threads. The screw 1 is driven in rotation by a single motor M (mounted here in the upper part) in order to ensure the simultaneous tearing of the two hinges G.

The second means consists of members 2 ensuring the extraction of the hinges G. Each of these members 2 is connected to the screw 1 by a ring 6. Before coming into action, the members 2 move in the opposite direction parallel to the the common vertical axis A of the hinges of the two hinges to first position themselves precisely opposite these hinges (which have a variable distance between centers depending on the type of door). Then, to perform the extraction of the hinges G the members 2 come into engagement with the flanges C on which they exert axial traction in opposite directions to extract the hinges from their housing.

The third means consists of vibratory elements 3 which assist the gripping members 2 by transmitting high-frequency vibrations to the hinges, dividing the pull-out force of the hinges G by a factor of approximately 10.

A fourth means, which is optional, consists of the element 5 for recovering the hinges G after extraction. This method is particularly suitable if you want to recycle the hinges. The element 5 consists, preferably, of a magnetic suction cup whose attraction effect is canceled by the circulation of an electric current in a coil. This means has the advantage of being economical in terms of electrical energy and of being positively safe because it always works in the absence of current. However, this element is not useful for the second embodiment of the invention, as described below.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the dismantling device comprises two assemblies mounted superimposed (and only one of which is illustrated by the ) each comprising a pair of parallel rotary screws 11, 12 coupled, via a pinion 7, to a motor M. The two sets are mounted head to tail and the motor M is preferably arranged in between.

Each of the screws 11, 12 of each set is connected (here at their lower part) to a pivoting finger 21, 22 forming, with the symmetrical finger of the parallel screw, a gripping member of the upper part of the hinge G under the flange C. Holding and guiding columns 9a, 9b parallel to the screws 11, 12 mounted on either side and bearings 10 for passing the screws ensure the rigidity and mechanical strength of the device.

The two fingers 21, 22 pivot in a substantially horizontal plane around axes parallel to the axis A of the hinges and come into position on either side of the flange C thanks to the simultaneous rotation of the two screws 11, 12. This simultaneous movement is permitted by the central position of the motor M equipped with a single pinion 7 actuating two other toothed wheels 8a, 8b diametrically opposed.

Provision is also made in this second embodiment for one of the fingers 21, 22 to be provided with a vibratory element (not shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B) such as, for example, a piezoelectric actuator similar to that used in the first embodiment, to facilitate the extraction of the hinge G. This second embodiment is advantageous in that it makes it possible to ensure the recovery of the hinges without using an independent recovery device.

Thanks to its two embodiments described above, the device of the invention allows the adjustment of the position and, in particular of the height of each of the gripping members, according to the position of the hinges, making it versatile and adaptable to any type of door or vehicle fitted with this type of hinge.

Claims (10)

Device for the automatic and simultaneous dismantling of the two hinges of a motor vehicle door each comprising a hinge (G) in the form of a vertical axis (A) the end of which is provided with a collar (C), the two hinges being mounted in opposition so that their respective flange (C) faces each other between the two hinges, characterized in that it comprises at least one rotating screw (1) coupled to a motor (M) and connected to two gripping members (2) of said flanges ensuring the axial extraction of the hinge (G) by rotation of the said screw, each of the said gripping members (2) being associated with a vibratory element (3) facilitating the extraction of the hinge. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one guide column (4, 9a, 9b) mounted parallel to the said rotary screw (1). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each gripping member (2) is associated with an element (5) ensuring the recovery of the hinge (G) after extraction. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the said recovery element (5) is a magnetic suction cup. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping members (2) consist of forks connected to the said rotary screw (1) by antagonist rings (6). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rotary screw (1) is a single ball screw. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said rotary screw (1) is a single endless screw connected to the two gripping members (2) via two sections (1a, 1b) whose respective threads are in reverse helices . Device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises two sets mounted head to tail, each set being formed of a pair of rotary screws (11, 12) parallel and coupled, via a pinion, to a motor (M), each of the screws (11, 12) being connected to a pivoting finger (21, 22) forming with the symmetrical finger of the parallel screw a member for gripping the collar (C) of the hinge (G). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said vibratory element (3) is a piezoelectric actuator. Method of implementing a device for the automatic and simultaneous dismantling of temporary door hinges according to one of the preceding claims for the assembly of a motor vehicle.