A flexible body-in-white assembly system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a flexible vehicle body assembly system, comprising a bottom positioning mechanism, a positioning frame, a positioning gripper, an external running shaft, and a manipulator; the positioning frame is used to provide precise positioning and clamping for the front crossbeam of the roof and the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure; the positioning gripper is used to precisely position and clamp the left / right side enclosures and to position and clamp the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure and the front crossbeam of the roof; the external running shaft is arranged on both sides of the bottom positioning mechanism and is used to drive the manipulator to move; the manipulator is used to grab the welding gun for vehicle body welding. The beneficial effects of the present invention are: for the assembly of a specific vehicle model, only a specific positioning gripper needs to be designed, and the bottom positioning mechanism, positioning frame, external running shaft, and manipulator can be universal, with the advantages of high equipment utilization, strong vehicle model scalability, small investment scale, etc., and is suitable for the flexible production of multiple varieties and small batches of vehicle models.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile manufacturing, and in particular to a flexible vehicle body assembly system. Background Art

[0002] Body assembly refers to the formation of the body-in-white skeleton by combining the lower body assembly, left / right side panel assemblies, rear panel, and several cross beams of the roof. It is an extremely critical link in the production of the body-in-white and determines the body strength and precision of the entire body-in-white.

[0003] At present, the general assembly forms of automobile bodies are generally in the form of translation gable-type, tetrahedron turntable-type and other general assembly systems (such as the Chinese invention patent with application number CN202011563903.2). They occupy a large area, require a lot of equipment, and require the deployment of multiple manipulators (robots). They only realize the welding of the formed welds at the general assembly station, and the remaining welds of the body are repaired at subsequent stations. In addition, the design position of each positioning cylinder cannot be adjusted, and it is only suitable for the production of large-scale models.

[0004] However, for a variety of small-batch models, the above-mentioned automobile body assembly system is too expensive and cannot achieve flexible production of multiple models. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a flexible automobile body assembly system to solve the technical problem that the existing automobile body assembly system cannot achieve flexible production of multiple models.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a flexible vehicle body assembly system, comprising a bottom positioning mechanism, a positioning frame, a positioning gripper, an external walking axis and a manipulator;

[0007] The bottom positioning mechanism is used to position and clamp the left / right side panels, position the lower vehicle body, and position and clamp the joint between the lower end of the side panels and the door sill beam;

[0008] The positioning frame is used to provide precise positioning and clamping for the front crossbeam of the roof and the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure;

[0009] The positioning gripper is used to accurately position and clamp the left / right side panels, as well as to position and clamp the rear panel upper crossbeam and the roof front crossbeam;

[0010] The external walking shafts are arranged on both sides of the bottom positioning mechanism and are used to drive the manipulator to move;

[0011] The manipulator is used to grab the welding gun for car body welding.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bottom positioning mechanism includes a base, a front end positioning unit of a left / right side panel front reinforcement plate, a lower body positioning unit, a side panel lower end positioning unit, a side panel rear end positioning unit, and a positioning gripper lower positioning unit; the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end positioning unit is used to position and clamp the front end of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate; the lower body positioning unit is used to position the lower body; the side panel lower end positioning unit is used to position and clamp the overlapping edges of the side panel lower end and the floor sill beam lower end in the Y direction; the side panel rear end positioning unit is used to clamp the side panel rear end in the X direction; the positioning gripper lower positioning unit is used to position and clamp the front / rear lower positioning device of the positioning gripper, and provide an air source to the positioning gripper.

[0013] In some embodiments, the front end positioning unit of the left / right side front reinforcement plate includes a first Z-direction support portion, a first mounting base, a first cylinder translation portion, a first front limit portion, a first rear limit portion, a first mounting seat and an XYZ positioning clamping portion. The first Z-direction support portion is a fixed structure for supporting the end suspension mounting surface connecting the front end of the left / right side front reinforcement plate and the frame; the first cylinder translation portion provides Y-direction translation for the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping portion, and the first cylinder translation portion includes a first translation cylinder and a first translation guide rail; the first front limit portion is mounted on the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping portion. After the positioning clamping part is moved forward to its position, it is flipped up for limit locking; after the first rear limit part is installed on the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping part returns to its original position, it is flipped up for limit locking; a first slider is formed at the bottom of the first mounting seat, and the first slider can move on the first translation guide rail, and the first translation cylinder is used to drive the first slider to move, and the front and rear ends of the first translation guide rail are provided with positioning blocks, which cooperate with the first front limit part and the first rear limit part, and the top of the first mounting seat provides installation support for the XYZ positioning clamping part; the XYZ positioning clamping part is used to perform Z-direction positioning and XY-direction clamping on the front end of the left / right side front reinforcement plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the lower body positioning unit includes a left / right front longitudinal beam positioning portion, a lower body Z-direction support portion, a second cylinder translation portion, a second rear limit portion, a second front limit portion and a rear cross beam positioning portion. The left / right front longitudinal beam positioning portion is used to position the suspension mounting holes on the left / right front longitudinal beams; the lower body Z-direction support portion is used to support the lower body in the Z direction; the second cylinder translation portion includes a second translation cylinder, a second translation guide rail and a second slider. The second translation cylinder is used to drive the second slider to move so that the rear cross beam positioning portion installed on the second slider can move forward and backward in the X direction thereon to switch the vehicle model; the second front limit portion is used to limit the position of the rear cross beam positioning portion, and the rear cross beam positioning portion is used to position the suspension mounting holes on the rear cross beam.

[0015] In some embodiments, the side panel lower end positioning unit includes a second mounting base, a first slide Y-direction forward limiting portion, a third cylinder translation portion, a second Z-direction support portion and a Y-direction positioning clamping portion, and the second mounting base is installed on the base; the first slide Y-direction forward limiting portion is used to limit the Y-direction translation of the Y-direction positioning clamping portion installed on the third cylinder translation portion; the second Z-direction support portion is used to support the side panel in the Z direction; the Y-direction positioning clamping portion is evenly distributed along the X-direction of the bottom of the side panel, and is used to perform Y-direction positioning and clamping on the overlapping edges of the lower end of the side panel and the lower end of the floor sill beam.

[0016] In some embodiments, the side panel rear end positioning unit includes a third mounting base, a fourth cylinder translation portion, a second slide Y-direction forward limiting portion, a second mounting seat, an X-direction positioning clamping portion and a positioning gripper rear upper positioning clamping portion. The third mounting base is equipped with a fourth cylinder translation portion, the fourth cylinder translation portion is equipped with a second mounting seat, and several groups of X-direction positioning clamping portions are arranged on the second mounting seat. The X-direction positioning clamping portion is used to perform X-direction positioning and clamping on the rear end of the side panel. The positioning gripper rear upper positioning clamping portion includes a first positioning plate, and the first positioning plate is provided with a first X-direction waist-shaped positioning hole for Z-direction positioning of the front / rear upper positioning device of the positioning gripper. The positioning gripper rear upper positioning clamping portion also includes a first Y-direction clamping cylinder, and the first Y-direction clamping cylinder is used to clamp the front / rear upper positioning device on the Y-direction positioning surface of the first positioning plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the lower positioning unit of the positioning gripper includes an air supply interface, a fourth mounting base, a support seat, a protective cover, a lower positioning clamping part, a first connecting plate, an X-forward limit block, a Y-direction limit block, a Z-direction support block, an X-direction rear limit block and a transition support block, and the air supply interface is connected to a compressed air source; the lower end of the support seat is connected to the fourth mounting base, and the upper end is connected to the first connecting plate, with a rotating shaft in the middle, and the lower positioning clamping part is driven by a driving cylinder to rotate around the rotating shaft to realize the opening and clamping of the lower positioning clamping part; two sets of first steel wheels are installed on the lower positioning clamping part, and the first steel wheels are used to clamp the front / rear lower positioning device of the positioning gripper on the Y-direction limit block and the Z-direction support block.

[0018] In some embodiments, the positioning gripper includes a positioning gripper frame, a positioning clamping assembly and a quick-change device. The positioning gripper frame includes a frame body, a front / rear lower positioning device, and a front / rear upper positioning device. The positioning clamping assembly includes a front main positioning pin assembly for the side panel, a rear main positioning pin assembly for the side panel, a rear crossbeam positioning pin assembly for the side panel, an X-direction clamping assembly for the side panel, a Y-direction clamping assembly for the side panel, and a Z-direction clamping assembly for the side panel. The positioning pin assembly is a double-guide column structure, and the assembly is driven forward and backward by a translation cylinder. The clamping assembly is driven by a flip cylinder to rotate, clamp, and open. The quick-change device includes a male disk and a female disk. The male disk is mounted on the manipulator, and the female disk is mounted on the frame body of the positioning gripper.

[0019] In some embodiments, the lifting and conveying roller bed includes a vertical lifting function part and a horizontal conveying function part.

[0020] In some embodiments, the flexible vehicle body assembly system further includes a slide, a gripper storage rack, and a welding gun storage rack. The slide is disposed on the lifting and conveying roller bed, the gripper storage rack is used to store positioning grippers, and the welding gun storage rack is used to store welding guns.

[0021] Compared with the existing technology, the beneficial effect of the technical solution proposed by the present invention is that for the overall assembly of a specific vehicle model, only a specific positioning gripper needs to be designed, and the bottom positioning mechanism, positioning frame, external walking axis and machine manipulator can be universal, which has the advantages of high equipment utilization, strong vehicle model scalability, small investment scale, etc., and is suitable for the flexible production of multiple varieties and small batches of vehicle models. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the flexible vehicle body assembly system provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bottom positioning mechanism, positioning gripper, lifting and conveying roller bed and slide;

[0024] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bottom positioning mechanism;

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the front end positioning unit of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate;

[0026] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the front end positioning unit of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate from another perspective;

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 3A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lower vehicle body positioning unit;

[0028] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the side panel lower end positioning unit;

[0029] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the side panel rear end positioning unit;

[0030] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the side panel rear end positioning unit from another perspective;

[0031] Figure 10 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lower positioning unit of the positioning gripper;

[0032] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lower positioning unit of the positioning gripper in another perspective;

[0033] Figure 12 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning frame;

[0034] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning frame body;

[0035] Figure 14 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the top cover front crossbeam positioning part;

[0036] Figure 15 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the rear upper crossbeam positioning and clamping assembly;

[0037] Figure 16 yes Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper front positioning clamping part of the positioning gripper;

[0038] Figure 17 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning gripper;

[0039] Figure 18 yes Figure 17 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning gripper frame;

[0040] Figure 19 yes Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the positioning and clamping assembly;

[0041] Figure 20yes Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the quick-change device;

[0042] Figure 21 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the lifting and conveying roller bed;

[0043] Figure 22 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the skid;

[0044] Figure 23 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the external walking axis;

[0045] Figure 24 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the gripper storage rack;

[0046] Figure 25 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the welding gun storage rack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the accompanying drawings constitute a part of this application and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 The present invention provides a flexible vehicle body assembly system, including a bottom positioning mechanism 1, a positioning frame 2, a positioning gripper 3, a lifting and conveying roller bed 4, a slide 5, an external walking shaft 6, a manipulator 7, a gripper storage rack 8, and a welding gun storage rack 9.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 The bottom positioning mechanism 1 is a bilaterally symmetrical structure, with the lifting and conveying roller 4 positioned in the center. The main functions of the bottom positioning mechanism 1 are to provide a mounting base for the fixture, positioning and clamping the front ends of the left and right side panel reinforcements, positioning the lower body, positioning and clamping the overlap between the lower end of the side panel and the door sill, and positioning and clamping the rear end of the side panel. The bottom positioning mechanism 1 includes a base 11, a positioning unit 12 for the front ends of the left and right side panel reinforcements, a positioning unit 13 for the lower body, a positioning unit 14 for the lower end of the side panel, a positioning unit 15 for the rear end of the side panel, and a positioning unit 16 for the lower portion of the positioning gripper.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 3 The base 11 is a channel steel structure, the upper surface of the channel steel structure is covered with a first bottom plate, and the lower part of the channel steel structure is surrounded by footings. The base 11 is used to support and install the various fixture units located above it.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end positioning unit 12 is used to position and clamp the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end to ensure the Y-direction opening size of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate when assembled, the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end positioning unit 12 includes a first Z-direction support portion 121, a first mounting base 122, a first cylinder translation portion 123, a first front limit portion 124, a first rear limit portion 125, a first mounting seat 126 and an XYZ positioning clamping portion 127, the first Z-direction support portion 121 is a fixed structure, supporting the end suspension mounting surface where the front end of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate is connected to the vehicle frame; the first cylinder translation portion 123 provides Y-direction translation for the first mounting seat 126 and the XYZ positioning clamping portion 127, the first cylinder translation portion 123 includes a first translation cylinder 1231 and a first translation guide rail 1232; The front limiting portion 124 is flipped up for limiting and locking after the first mounting seat 126 and the XYZ positioning and clamping portion 127 are advanced into position; the first rear limiting portion 125 is flipped up for limiting and locking after the first mounting seat 126 and the XYZ positioning and clamping portion 127 are returned to their original positions; a first slider 1261 is formed at the bottom of the first mounting seat 126, and the first slider 1261 can move on the first translation guide rail 1232, and the first translation cylinder 1231 can drive the first slider 1261 to move, and the front and rear ends of the first translation guide rail 1232 are provided with positioning blocks, which cooperate with the first front limiting portion 124 and the first rear limiting portion 125, and the top of the first mounting seat 126 provides installation support for the XYZ positioning and clamping portion 127; the XYZ positioning and clamping portion 127 includes 2 groups of cylinder units, which perform Z-direction positioning and XY-direction clamping on the front end of the left / right side front reinforcement plate.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 6The lower body positioning unit 13 is used to position the lower body after the lifting and conveying roller bed 4 and the slide 5 fall. According to the principle of consistency of positioning reference, the main positioning reference of the body is the four suspension mounting holes on the left / right front longitudinal beam and the rear cross beam on the lower body floor. Therefore, the structure of the lower body positioning unit 13 is consistent with the positioning structure of the lower body of the pre-installation station, and it mainly positions the four suspension mounting holes on the lower body. The lower body positioning unit 13 includes a left / right front longitudinal beam positioning part 131, a lower body Z-direction support part 132, and a second cylinder translation part 133. 33. The second rear limiting unit 134, the second front limiting unit 135 and the rear cross beam positioning unit 136, the left / right front longitudinal beam positioning unit 131 are used to position the upper suspension mounting holes of the left / right front longitudinal beams. The cylinder used is a hook pin cylinder. The positioning pin is built-in with a flip clamping hook. When the positioning hole on the lower body falls into the positioning pin, the clamping hook flips out and clamps the lower body to the positioning surface of the positioning pin, saving the space for adding a separate clamping unit. A lower body proximity switch is installed next to the hook pin cylinder to detect whether there is a lower body on the work station; the lower body Z-axis support The support assembly 132 is a fixed assembly, which is mainly used to support the lower body in the Z direction; the second cylinder translation assembly 133 includes a second translation cylinder 1331, a second translation guide rail 1332 and a second slider 1333. The second translation cylinder 1331 is used to drive the second slider 1333 to move, so that the rear crossbeam positioning assembly 136 installed on the second slider 1333 can move forward and backward in the X direction thereon, mainly playing the role of vehicle model switching; the second rear limiting assembly 134 is a cylinder flip limiter, which limits the position of the rear crossbeam positioning assembly 136 ; The second front limit part 135 is a cylinder flip limiter, which limits the position of the rear cross beam positioning part 136; the rear cross beam positioning part 136 is installed on the second slider 1333, which is used to position the suspension mounting hole on the rear cross beam. The selected cylinder is also a hook pin cylinder, which plays a positioning and clamping role. The difference from the left / right front longitudinal beam positioning part 131 is that the hook pin cylinder is installed on a group of flip cylinders. When positioning is required, the flip cylinder flips up the hook pin cylinder for positioning and clamping. When the vehicle body is transported, the flip cylinder falls down to ensure the passability of the vehicle body transportation.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 7The side panel lower end positioning unit 14 is used to perform Y-direction positioning and clamping on the overlapping edge of the lower end of the side panel and the lower end of the floor sill beam to ensure the quality of spot welding. The side panel lower end positioning unit 14 includes a second mounting base 141, a first slide Y-direction forward limiting portion 142, a third cylinder translation portion 143, a second Z-direction supporting portion 144 and a Y-direction positioning clamping portion 145. The lower end of the second mounting base 141 is mounted on the base 11, and the upper end thereof is used for the installation of various components; the first slide Y-direction forward limiting portion 142 mainly limits the Y-direction translation of the Y-direction positioning clamping portion 145 on the third cylinder translation portion 143; the second Z-direction supporting portion 144 is used to support the side panel in the Z direction; the Y-direction positioning clamping portion 145 is evenly distributed along the X-direction of the bottom of the side panel, mainly performing Y-direction positioning and clamping on the overlapping edge of the lower end of the side panel and the lower end of the floor sill beam.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The side panel rear end positioning unit 15 is used to clamp the side panel rear end in the X direction. The side panel rear end positioning unit 15 includes a third mounting base 151, a fourth cylinder translation portion 152, a second slide Y-direction forward limiting portion 153, a second mounting seat 154, an X-direction positioning clamping portion 155 and a positioning gripper rear upper positioning clamping portion 156. The third mounting base 151 is an L-shaped column structure, and a fourth cylinder translation portion 152 is installed in its vertical direction. The fourth cylinder translation portion 152 is installed on the second mounting seat 154. Several groups of X-direction positioning clamping portions 155 are arranged on the second mounting seat 154 to clamp the side panel rear end. X-direction positioning and clamping, the Y-direction front end of the L-shaped column of the third mounting base 151 is the rear upper positioning and clamping part 156 of the positioning gripper, and the rear upper positioning and clamping part 156 of the positioning gripper includes a first positioning plate 1561, and the first positioning plate 1561 is provided with a first waist-shaped positioning hole 15611 in the X-direction, which is used for Z-direction positioning of the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3, and the rear upper positioning and clamping part 156 of the positioning gripper also includes a group of first Y-direction clamping cylinders 1562, which are used to clamp the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3 on the Y-direction positioning surface of the first positioning plate 1561.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11The positioning gripper lower positioning unit 16 is used to position and clamp the front / rear lower positioning device 312 of the positioning gripper 3 and provide an air source to the positioning gripper 3 so that the positioning gripper 3 can still be clamped after the manipulator 7 is disengaged from the positioning gripper 3. The positioning gripper lower positioning unit 16 includes an air supply interface 161, a fourth mounting base 162, a support base 163, a protective cover 164, a lower positioning clamping part 165, a first connecting plate 166, an X forward limit block 16 7. Y-axis limit block 168, Z-axis support block 169, X-axis rear limit block 1610 and transition support block 1611. The air supply interface 161 is a floating quick-connect connector. The lower end is connected to a fixed compressed air source, and the upper end is driven by a telescopic cylinder to move up and down and connect and disconnect with the upper air source interface of the positioning gripper 3; the lower end of the support seat 163 is connected to the fourth mounting base 162, and the upper end is connected to the first connecting plate 166. There is a rotating shaft in the middle, and the lower positioning clamping part 165 is driven by a drive The pneumatic cylinder 1651 drives the rotation around the rotation axis to realize the opening and clamping of the lower positioning clamping part 165; two sets of first steel wheels 1652 are installed on the lower positioning clamping part 165, and the first steel wheels 1652 are used to clamp the front / rear lower positioning device 312 of the positioning gripper 3 on the Y-direction limit block 168 and the Z-direction support block 169; the first connecting plate 166 is equipped with an X-direction forward limit block 167, a Z-direction support block 169, and an X-direction rear limit block 1 610, transition support block 1611; a group of second steel wheels 1671 and third steel wheels 1612 are respectively installed on the X-forward limit block 167 and the X-rearward limit block 1610, which are used to perform X-direction positioning of the front / rear lower positioning device 312 of the positioning gripper 3; a group of fourth steel wheels are installed on the transition support block 1611, and the top of the fourth steel wheel is horizontal with the Z-direction support block 169, which is used to provide auxiliary support when the front / rear lower positioning device 312 of the positioning gripper 3 enters.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 12 The positioning frame 2 spans across both sides of the base 11 and is used to provide precise positioning and clamping for the front crossbeam of the roof and the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure when the vehicle body is assembled, and to provide positioning and clamping for the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3. The positioning frame 2 includes a positioning frame body 21, a positioning portion 22 for the front crossbeam of the roof, a positioning and clamping portion 23 for the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure, and a front upper positioning and clamping portion 24 for the positioning gripper.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 The positioning frame body 21 includes a frame consisting of four supporting columns 211, two cross beams 212 and a longitudinal beam 213. The top of the longitudinal beam 213 is welded with reinforcing ribs, and the two side surfaces of the longitudinal beam 213 are welded with the top cover front cross beam positioning part 22 and the rear enclosure upper cross beam positioning clamping part 23.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 14The top cover front cross beam positioning part 22 is symmetrical about the longitudinal beam 213 of the positioning frame body 21, and is used to accurately position the top cover front cross beam. It consists of a second base plate 221, a first cylinder slide part 222, a second connecting plate 223 and a first positioning part 224.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 15 The rear upper cross beam positioning and clamping part 23 is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal beam 213 of the positioning frame body 21. It is mainly used for precise positioning and clamping of the rear upper cross beam. It consists of a third base plate 231, a second cylinder slide part 232, a third connecting plate 233, a second positioning part 234 and a supporting clamping part 235.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 16 The front upper positioning clamping part 24 of the positioning gripper is used to position and clamp the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3. The structure of its positioning clamping part is consistent with the structure of the rear upper positioning clamping part 156 of the positioning gripper of the side panel rear end positioning unit 15, and is composed of a cantilever mounting seat 241, a second positioning plate 242 and a clamping part body 243. A second waist-shaped positioning hole 2421 in the X direction is opened on the second positioning plate 242, which is mainly used for Z-direction positioning of the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3. The clamping part body 243 is a group of second Y-direction clamping cylinders, which are used to clamp the front / rear upper positioning device 313 of the positioning gripper 3 on the Y-direction positioning surface of the second positioning plate 242.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 17 The positioning gripper 3 is a bilaterally symmetrical structure. Its primary function is to precisely position and clamp the left and right side panels, as well as the rear panel crossbeam, rear panel upper crossbeam, and roof front crossbeam. Together with the roof front crossbeam positioning assembly 22 and rear panel upper crossbeam positioning and clamping assembly 23 on the positioning frame 2, and the left and right side panel front reinforcement plate front end positioning units 12, lower body positioning unit 13, side panel lower end positioning unit 14, and side panel rear end positioning unit 15 on the bottom positioning mechanism 1, the positioning gripper 3 precisely positions the vehicle body during assembly, ensuring the accuracy of the vehicle body frame. The positioning gripper 3 comprises a positioning gripper frame 31, a positioning and clamping assembly 32, and a quick-change device 33.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 17 and Figure 18The positioning gripper frame 31 includes a frame body 311, a front / rear lower positioning device 312, and a front / rear upper positioning device 313. The frame body 311 is welded from a round steel pipe, and reinforcement ribs are added in some positions to ensure its rigidity. According to the arrangement position requirements of the positioning clamping part 32, a mounting plate for the positioning clamping part 32 is welded on the frame, and a mounting plate for the quick-change device 33 is welded in the middle; the front / rear lower positioning device 312, the front / rear upper positioning device 313 are installed at the four corners of the frame body 311. The rear upper positioning device 313, wherein the front / rear lower positioning device 312 cooperates with the positioning gripper lower positioning unit 16 on the bottom positioning mechanism 1, and the front / rear upper positioning device 313 cooperates with the positioning gripper rear upper positioning clamping part 156 of the side panel rear end positioning unit 15 and the positioning gripper front upper positioning clamping part 24 on the positioning frame 2 to jointly complete the positioning and clamping of the positioning gripper frame 31, and then the positioning and clamping part 32 installed on the positioning gripper frame 31 completes the positioning and clamping of the side panel.

[0063] Please continue to refer to Figure 18 The front / rear lower positioning device 312 is an assembled structure, which is assembled from multiple components. The upper end connecting plate is connected to the frame body 311, and the lower surface of the lower end T-block contacts the Z-direction support block 169 to support the positioning gripper 3 in the Z direction. The two side surfaces contact the X-forward limit block 167 and the X-rear limit block 1610 to position the positioning gripper 3 in the X direction. The front end positioning block contacts the Y-direction limit block 168 to limit the positioning gripper 3 in the Y direction. Two positioning blocks are installed on the rear end inclined surface, which contact the two groups of first steel wheels 1651 on the lower positioning clamping part 165, pressing the entire front / rear lower positioning device 312 onto the lower positioning unit 16 of the positioning gripper.

[0064] Please continue to refer to Figure 18 The front / rear upper positioning device 313 is also an assembled structure, assembled from multiple parts, and the rear end is connected to the frame body 311. The first waist-shaped positioning hole 15611 of the first positioning plate 1561 and the second waist-shaped positioning hole 2421 on the second positioning plate 242 are in contact. The front and rear ends of the front / rear upper positioning device 313 are connected by a multi-stage mounting plate, a connecting plate and a ball-type connecting rod structure. The ball-type connecting rod is used to enable the front end positioning pin to have a certain amount of rotational activity, so that it can smoothly enter the waist-shaped positioning hole of the positioning plate.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 19 The positioning and clamping part 32 includes a front main positioning pin part 321 of the side panel, a rear main positioning pin part 322 of the side panel, a rear crossbeam positioning pin part 323, a side panel X-direction clamping part 324, a side panel Y-direction clamping part 325, and a side panel Z-direction clamping part 326. The positioning pin part is a double-guide column structure and the translation cylinder drives the part forward and backward, and the clamping part is driven by the flip cylinder to rotate, clamp and open.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 20 The quick-change device 33 mainly serves to connect the manipulator 7 and the positioning gripper 3. The quick-change device 33 includes a male disk 331 and a female disk 332. The male disk 331 is installed on the manipulator 7, and the female disk 332 is installed on the frame body 311 of the positioning gripper 3. There are corresponding air sources and electrical interfaces on the male disk 331 and the female disk 332. After connection, compressed air and electrical signals can be transmitted from the manipulator 7 side to the cylinder and electrical components on the positioning gripper 3 side, so as to realize the opening and closing control of the positioning clamping part on the positioning gripper 3 by the manipulator 7.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 21 The lifting and conveying roller bed 4 has the functions of vertical lifting and horizontal conveying, including a vertical lifting function part 41 and a horizontal conveying function part 42, wherein the vertical lifting function part 41 adopts a belt cam pair for vertical lifting. In other embodiments, the vertical lifting function part 41 can also directly adopt a cylinder, and the horizontal conveying function part 42 adopts a chain roller pair for horizontal conveying. The car body is dropped on / off the lower car body clamp through vertical lifting, and the slide 5 and the car body are transported to the next work station through horizontal conveying.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 22 The slide 5 is welded by longitudinal and transverse rectangular tubes. The slide 5 is provided with a body positioning device and several groups of body lower body support devices. The slide 5 is set on the lifting and conveying roller bed 4.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 23 , the external travel shaft 6 is equipped with guide rails, racks, travel switches and other components. The manipulator 7 mounting base is equipped with a drive motor and gears, which can drive the manipulator 7 to move on the guide rails of the external travel shaft 6, thereby increasing the working radius and range of the manipulator 7.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 24 The gripper storage rack 8 is used to store the positioning gripper 3. Once the positioning gripper 3 has completed the body assembly and positioning, the robot 7 grabs the welding torch (not shown) to weld the body's forming welds. After welding, the robot 7 moves the positioning gripper 3 back to the gripper storage rack 8 and grabs the welding torch again to repair the remaining welds on the body. The gripper storage rack 8 is a frame structure welded from square tubes and fixed to the ground with chemical bolts. It is equipped with three positioning gripper support components, two positioning gripper locating pin components, and a quick-change device protection device to provide support and positioning for the positioning gripper 3.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 25 The welding gun storage rack 9 is used to store the welding gun and is fixed to the ground by chemical bolts. It is provided with a welding gun support part, a positioning pin part and a quick-change device protection, which can provide support and positioning for the welding gun.

[0072] The working process is as follows:

[0073] (1) Body frame pre-assembly

[0074] (1) A pre-assembly station is set up before the body assembly station. The left / right side panel assembly is roughly positioned at the pre-assembly station. The left / right side panel assembly is manually installed on the lower body. Then, several cross beams of the rear panel and roof are installed on the left / right side panel assembly to form a preliminary body-in-white skeleton.

[0075] (2) Pre-lap buckles are provided on the product structure at the joints between the left / right side panel assembly and the lower body sill beam, the rear panel cross beam, and the roof cross beam. The pre-lap buckles are convex structures, approximately trapezoidal, and initially at 90 degrees. Three sets of pre-lap buckles are provided at the joints with the lower body sill beam, and one set each at the joints with the rear panel cross beam and the roof cross beam. Rectangular grooves are provided at the joints between the rear panel cross beam and the roof cross beam and the pre-lap buckles to facilitate the pre-lap buckles to pass through the cross beams.

[0076] (3) The body line uses a roller slide to transport the body between workstations. After the lower body arrives at the pre-installation station, the roller slide falls, and the lower body assembly falls into the lower body fixture and is positioned and clamped. The left / right side panel assembly is manually placed on the lower body fixture for rough positioning (X direction, Z direction). After rough positioning, a rubber hammer is used to knock 90 degrees the three sets of pre-lap buckles at the overlap between the left / right side panel assembly and the lower body door sill beam and press them on the inner side of the lower body door sill beam to complete the pre-installation of the left / right side panel; then the rear panel crossbeam, rear panel upper crossbeam, and top cover front crossbeam are placed in turn into the pre-lap buckles at the corresponding overlap positions on the left / right side panel, and bent 90 degrees with a rubber hammer to prevent parts from falling off;

[0077] The above steps do not involve the flexible vehicle body assembly system provided by the present invention.

[0078] (2) Overall assembly of the vehicle body

[0079] (4) After the pre-installation of the left / right side panel assembly, rear panel crossbeam, and roof crossbeam is completed at the pre-installation station, the lifting and conveying roller bed 4 is raised to convey the body-in-white frame to the assembly station. After it is in place, the lifting and conveying roller bed 4 is lowered to allow the body-in-white frame to fall onto the lower body fixture of the assembly station;

[0080] (5) At the assembly station, the manipulators 7 arranged on both sides of the vehicle body first grab the positioning gripper 3, place the positioning gripper 3 on the positioning frame 2, and clamp it. Then, several groups of positioning pins, positioning blocks, and clamping units on the positioning gripper 3 complete the precise clamping and positioning of the left / right side panel assembly, rear panel crossbeam, rear panel upper crossbeam, and roof front crossbeam;

[0081] (6) After accurately clamping and positioning the left / right side panel assembly, rear panel crossbeam, rear panel upper crossbeam, and roof front crossbeam, the manipulator 7 disengages the positioning gripper 3 and then grabs the welding gun to weld the formed welds at the combined workstation;

[0082] (7) After the forming welds are welded, the manipulator 7 grabs the positioning gripper 3, releases each clamping unit, and places the positioning gripper 3 back on the gripper storage rack 8;

[0083] (8) The robot 7 grabs the welding gun to complete the welding of the welding points at the combined workstation;

[0084] (9) When switching vehicle models, the manipulator 7 grabs the positioning gripper 3 corresponding to the vehicle model to complete the precise positioning of the corresponding vehicle model, which has high flexibility and scalability.

[0085] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by any technician familiar with this technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible vehicle body assembly system, characterized in that: It includes bottom positioning mechanism, positioning frame, positioning gripper, lifting and conveying roller bed, external walking axis and manipulator; The bottom positioning mechanism is used to position and clamp the left / right side panels, position the lower vehicle body, and position and clamp the joint between the lower end of the side panels and the door sill beam; The positioning frame is used to provide precise positioning and clamping for the front crossbeam of the roof and the upper crossbeam of the rear enclosure; The positioning gripper is used to accurately position and clamp the left / right side panels, as well as the rear panel upper crossbeam and the roof front crossbeam; The external walking shafts are arranged on both sides of the bottom positioning mechanism and are used to drive the manipulator to move; The manipulator is used to grab the welding gun for car body welding; The bottom positioning mechanism includes a base, a front end positioning unit of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate, a lower body positioning unit, a side panel lower end positioning unit, a side panel rear end positioning unit, and a positioning gripper lower positioning unit; The left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end positioning unit is used to position and clamp the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate front end; The lower vehicle body positioning unit is used to position the lower vehicle body; The side panel lower end positioning unit is used to position and clamp the overlapping edge of the side panel lower end and the floor sill lower end in the Y direction; The side panel rear end positioning unit is used to clamp the side panel rear end in the X direction; The positioning gripper lower positioning unit is used to position and clamp the front / rear lower positioning device of the positioning gripper and provide an air source to the positioning gripper; The front end positioning unit of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate includes a first Z-direction support portion, a first mounting base, a first cylinder translation portion, a first front limit portion, a first rear limit portion, a first mounting seat and an XYZ positioning clamping portion. The first Z-direction support portion is a fixed structure for supporting the end suspension mounting surface connecting the front end of the left / right side panel front reinforcement plate and the vehicle frame; the first cylinder translation portion provides Y-direction translation for the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping portion, and the first cylinder translation portion includes a first translation cylinder and a first translation guide rail; the first front limit portion is mounted on the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping portion. After the front is installed and put into position, it is flipped up for limit locking; the first rear limit part is installed on the first mounting seat and the XYZ positioning clamping part is returned to its original position and then flipped up for limit locking; a first slider is formed at the bottom of the first mounting seat, and the first slider can move on the first translation guide rail. The first translation cylinder is used to drive the first slider to move. The front and rear ends of the first translation guide rail are provided with positioning blocks, which cooperate with the first front limit part and the first rear limit part. The top of the first mounting seat provides installation support for the XYZ positioning clamping part; the XYZ positioning clamping part is used to perform Z-direction positioning and XY-direction clamping on the front end of the left / right side front reinforcement plate.

2. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower body positioning unit includes a left / right front longitudinal beam positioning portion, a lower body Z-direction support portion, a second cylinder translation portion, a second rear limiting portion, a second front limiting portion and a rear cross beam positioning portion. The left / right front longitudinal beam positioning portion is used to position the suspension mounting holes on the left / right front longitudinal beam; the lower body Z-direction support portion is used to support the lower body in the Z direction; the second cylinder translation portion includes a second translation cylinder, a second translation guide rail and a second slider. The second translation cylinder is used to drive the second slider to move so that the rear cross beam positioning portion installed on the second slider can move forward and backward in the X direction thereon to switch the vehicle model; the second front limiting portion is used to limit the position of the rear cross beam positioning portion, and the rear cross beam positioning portion is used to position the suspension mounting holes on the rear cross beam.

3. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side panel lower end positioning unit includes a second mounting base, a first slide Y-direction forward limiting part, a third cylinder translation part, a second Z-direction supporting part and a Y-direction positioning clamping part, and the second mounting base is installed on the base; the first slide Y-direction forward limiting part is used to limit the Y-direction translation of the Y-direction positioning clamping part installed on the third cylinder translation part; the second Z-direction supporting part is used to support the side panel in the Z direction; the Y-direction positioning clamping part is evenly distributed along the X-direction of the bottom of the side panel, and is used to perform Y-direction positioning and clamping on the overlapping edges of the lower end of the side panel and the lower end of the floor sill beam.

4. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end positioning unit of the side panel includes a third mounting base, a fourth cylinder translation portion, a second slide Y-direction forward limiting portion, a second mounting seat, an X-direction positioning clamping portion and a rear upper positioning clamping portion of the positioning gripper. The third mounting base is equipped with a fourth cylinder translation portion, the fourth cylinder translation portion is equipped with a second mounting seat, and several groups of X-direction positioning clamping portions are arranged on the second mounting seat. The X-direction positioning clamping portions are used to perform X-direction positioning and clamping on the rear end of the side panel. The rear upper positioning clamping portion of the positioning gripper includes a first positioning plate, a first waist-shaped positioning hole in the X direction is opened on the first positioning plate, which is used for Z-direction positioning of the front / rear upper positioning device of the positioning gripper. The rear upper positioning clamping portion of the positioning gripper also includes a first Y-direction clamping cylinder, which is used to clamp the front / rear upper positioning device on the Y-direction positioning surface of the first positioning plate.

5. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower positioning unit of the positioning gripper includes an air supply interface, a fourth mounting base, a support seat, a protective cover, a lower positioning clamping part, a first connecting plate, an X-forward limit block, a Y-direction limit block, a Z-direction support block, an X-direction rear limit block and a transition support block. The air supply interface is connected to a compressed air source; the lower end of the support seat is connected to the fourth mounting base, and the upper end is connected to the first connecting plate, with a rotating shaft in the middle. The lower positioning clamping part is driven by a driving cylinder to rotate around the rotating shaft to realize the opening and clamping of the lower positioning clamping part; two sets of first steel wheels are installed on the lower positioning clamping part, and the first steel wheels are used to clamp the front / rear lower positioning device of the positioning gripper on the Y-direction limit block and the Z-direction support block.

6. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning gripper includes a positioning gripper frame, a positioning clamping part and a quick-change device. The positioning gripper frame includes a frame body, a front / rear lower positioning device, and a front / rear upper positioning device. The positioning clamping part includes a side panel front main positioning pin part, a side panel rear main positioning pin part, a rear panel crossbeam positioning pin part, a side panel X-direction clamping part, a side panel Y-direction clamping part, and a side panel Z-direction clamping part. The positioning pin part is a double-guide column structure, and the translation cylinder drives the part forward and backward. The clamping part is driven by a flip cylinder to rotate, clamp, and open. The quick-change device includes a male disk and a female disk. The male disk is installed on the manipulator, and the female disk is installed on the frame body of the positioning gripper.

7. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting and conveying roller bed includes a vertical lifting functional part and a horizontal conveying functional part.

8. The flexible vehicle body assembly system according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a slide, a gripper storage rack and a welding gun storage rack. The slide is arranged on the lifting and conveying roller bed. The gripper storage rack is used to store positioning grippers, and the welding gun storage rack is used to store welding guns.

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