reinforcement

Abstract

A reinforcement for reinforcing a vehicle body, in particular a cavity of a vehicle body, the reinforcement comprising: a carrier comprising an expandable material, wherein in an expanded state the expandable material reinforces the vehicle body. The carrier further comprises a locating portion free of the expandable material; wherein the locating portion is designed to engage with a robot, in particular a robot arm. The carrier further comprises a pushing portion free of the expandable material; wherein the pushing portion is designed to be pushed by the robot in order to release the reinforcement from the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a reinforcing member for strengthening a vehicle body and a vehicle body including the reinforcing member. Furthermore, this invention relates to a method for strengthening a vehicle body. Background Technology

[0002] In many cases, structural elements (such as the body and / or chassis) of transport and conveying devices (especially water or land vehicles or aircraft) have cavities to enable lightweight construction. However, these cavities present several challenges. Depending on the type of cavity, it must be sealed to prevent the ingress of moisture and contaminants that could corrode the structural elements. It is also often desirable to adequately reinforce the cavity (and thus the structural elements) while maintaining low weight. Furthermore, stabilizing the cavity (and thus the structural elements) is usually necessary to reduce noise, which would otherwise propagate along or through the cavity.

[0003] Moreover, as proposed in US 2013 / 0243980 A1, arranging and securing sealing or reinforcing elements inside a cavity typically requires extensive machining to allow for proper insertion of the sealing or reinforcing elements.

[0004] US 2024 / 059364 discloses a stackable baffle assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved processing method for reinforcing components used to strengthen the vehicle body.

[0006] Surprisingly, it has been found that this objective can be achieved through the features of claim 1. Therefore, the core of the invention relates to a reinforcing member for reinforcing a vehicle body (particularly a cavity within the vehicle body), the reinforcing member comprising: The carrier includes an expandable material that, in its expanded state, reinforces the vehicle body. The carrier also includes a positioning portion without the expandable material, designed to engage with a robot (particularly a robotic arm). The carrier further includes a pushing portion without the expandable material, designed to be pushed by the robot to release the reinforcement from the robot.

[0007] This allows for the reliable positioning and release of reinforcements within the vehicle body using robots, without damaging the expandable material. This enables a reduction in the amount of expandable material used, thereby improving the overall sustainability of the reinforcement.

[0008] Additional aspects of the invention are the subject of the other independent claims. Particularly preferred embodiments are summarized throughout the specification and dependent claims. Features of the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0009] A first aspect of the invention relates to a reinforcing member for strengthening a vehicle body, particularly for strengthening cavities and / or structural elements of the vehicle body. The reinforcing member includes a carrier having an expandable material, a positioning portion, and a pushing portion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the vehicle body includes a structural element with a cavity. Reinforcing members may be designed to strengthen said structural element.

[0011] The carrier comprises an expandable material. Expandable materials can be quite brittle. Therefore, they should not be touched or come into contact with, as this may damage them and thus reduce the performance of the reinforcement. In its expanded state, the expandable material reinforces the vehicle body. The expandable material can be applied to the carrier at the reinforcement location with a smaller thickness, thereby increasing the sustainability of the reinforcement due to savings in expandable material.

[0012] The carrier also includes a positioning section that does not contain expandable material. This reduces the risk of damage to the expandable material, which can be a reinforcing material. The positioning section allows the reinforcing member to be positioned within the vehicle body, particularly at structural elements. The positioning section is designed to engage with a robot, particularly a robotic arm. This engagement can be performed by the robot gripping. The positioning section is designed to operate the reinforcing member. This operation can include gripping, safely transferring it to a mounting position, and precisely positioning the reinforcing member at the mounting position. The positioning section allows the reinforcing member to be mechanically locked to the robot. This locking of the reinforcing member ensures reliable operation, eliminates unwanted movement of the reinforcing member, and improves accuracy.

[0013] The reinforcing carrier also includes a pushing section that does not contain expandable material. This reduces the risk of damage to expandable material and ensures the reinforcement of the vehicle body. In other words, the pushing section is a safe location for the robot to interact with the reinforcing component.

[0014] In one embodiment, the pushing portion is arranged on the carrier of the reinforcing member.

[0015] The push section is designed to be pushed by the robot to release the reinforcement from the robot, or conversely, to release the robot from the reinforcement. The push section can also be called the gripping section, because the gripper can push on the push section to release the robot from the reinforcement.

[0016] In this embodiment, the actuating portion is designed to be robust to prevent damage to the reinforcing member from the thrust applied as it is released from the robot. In this sense, robustness means withstanding the thrust applied to the actuating portion without substantial damage.

[0017] In the embodiments, the reinforcement can be considered as a baffle and / or damping element. This means that the application should not be limited to the reinforcement, but rather all features of the carrier having positioning and pushing portions can be transferred / applied to the baffle and / or damping element to also improve the automation of these components. Therefore, the scope of protection extends to the baffle and / or damping element.

[0018] In embodiments, suitable expandable materials include, for example, single-component epoxy resin systems that do not flow at room temperature, particularly those exhibiting increased impact strength, and containing thixotropic agents, such as aerosols or nanoclays. For example, such epoxy resin systems comprise 20 to 50 wt% epoxy liquid resin, 0 to 30 wt% epoxy solid resin, 5 to 30 wt% toughening modifier, 1 to 5 wt% physical or chemical foaming agent, 10 to 40 wt% filler, 1 to 10 wt% thixotropic agent, and 2 to 10 wt% heat-activated curing agent. Suitable toughening modifiers are reactive liquid rubbers based on nitrile rubber or derivatives of polyether polyol polyurethanes, core-shell polymers, and similar systems known to those skilled in the art.

[0019] In the embodiments, other suitable expandable materials are one-component polyurethane compositions containing a foaming agent, consisting of a mixture of a crystalline polyester containing OH groups and other polyols (preferably polyether polyols) and a polyisocyanate having blocking isocyanate groups. The melting point of the crystalline polyester should be ≥50°C. The isocyanate groups of the polyisocyanate can be blocked, for example, with nucleophiles (e.g., caprolactam, phenols, or benzoxalones). Blocking polyisocyanates (e.g., blocking polyisocyanates used in powder coating technology) that are commercially available from Degussa GmbH, Germany under the trade names Vestagon® BF 1350 and Vestagon® BF 1540 are also suitable. So-called encapsulated or surface-deactivated polyisocyanates are also suitable as isocyanates, as known to those skilled in the art and described, for example, in EP0204970.

[0020] Two-component epoxy / polyurethane compositions containing a foaming agent (e.g., described in WO 2005 / 080524 A1) are also suitable as expandable materials.

[0021] Furthermore, ethylene-vinyl acetate compositions containing foaming agents are suitable as expandable materials.

[0022] In embodiments, other suitable expandable materials are marketed by Sika Corp., USA under the trade names SikaBaffle® 240, SikaBaffle® 250, or SikaBaffle® 255, and described in patents US 5266133 and US 5373027. Such expandable materials are particularly preferred for the present invention.

[0023] Preferred expandable materials with enhanced properties are marketed by Sika Corp., USA, under the trade names SikaReinforcer® 941, SikaReinforcer® 951, SikaReinforcer® 944, or SikaReinForcer® 952. These are described in US 6387470.

[0024] In example embodiments, the expandable material has an expansion rate from 800% to 5000%, preferably from 1000% to 4000%, and particularly preferably from 1500% to 3000%. The advantage of expandable materials with this expansion rate is that they enable reliable sealing or isolation of structural elements from liquids and sound.

[0025] In this embodiment, the expandable material is designed to be temperature-induced. This has the advantage that the oven can be used to bake the dip coating, causing the expandable material to expand and thus isolating the cavity. This means no additional processing steps are required.

[0026] In the embodiments, the pushing part is designed to withstand a thrust of at least 5N, particularly at least 7N, particularly 10N, particularly 15N, and particularly 20N. This enables reliable release of the reinforcement from the robot. For heavier reinforcements, the thrust may be greater compared to lighter ones. This is necessary because the robot needs to grasp the heavier reinforcement with greater force to ensure safe engagement. Therefore, a greater thrust is required to release the robot's reinforcement.

[0027] In the embodiments, the pushing portion is designed to withstand thrust over a pushing area of ​​at least 0.75 square centimeters, particularly at least 1 square centimeter, particularly at least 2 square centimeters, and particularly at least 3 square centimeters. This allows for the safe and reliable release of the reinforcement without damaging it.

[0028] In one embodiment, the carrier includes at least one rib at a position opposite the push portion (40) on the carrier. This allows the push portion to be stabilized and to distribute and / or absorb thrust.

[0029] In one embodiment, the carrier includes first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are arranged opposite to each other. In a perspective view of the first surface, the second surface is not visible because it is arranged on the opposite side of the carrier. A pushing portion is arranged on the first surface of the carrier, and a position opposite the pushing portion is arranged on the second surface of the carrier.

[0030] In the embodiments, the positioning portion is designed as at least one of the following: - Columns, especially cylindrical or elliptical columns, especially straight or oblique columns, especially hollow columns; - Prisms with polyhedral bases, especially right or oblique prisms, especially truncated prisms, especially hollow prisms; - A truncated cone, also known as a frustum; - A cross-section with slots; - Flat surface, especially for gripping and / or vacuum engagement with robots (also known as vacuum grippers).

[0031] The hollow design of the positioning section allows the robot's gripper to grasp it at the inner surface of the hollow design, thus securely holding the reinforcement inside without damaging its structural surface. The hollow design can be described as a pocket. In embodiments, the positioning section is equipped to withstand forces applied from the robot to engage with the robot and position itself within the vehicle body.

[0032] In this embodiment, the defined positioning portion allows the reinforcement to be centered within the cavity of the vehicle body. This centering enables the reinforcement to be precisely positioned within the cavity.

[0033] In this embodiment, the positioning portion includes a closed end face. This means that the positioning portion includes at least one closed end face, and the other end of the positioning portion can be open or closed. With one end open, the robot can extend into the positioning portion from the open side, but does not pass through the closed end face of the positioning portion. In other words, the positioning portion is not designed as an opening in the reinforcement.

[0034] In another embodiment, utilizing the open end face of the positioning portion, the robot's gripper is configured to engage with the reinforcement on the side opposite to the robot gripper, for example, using an L-shaped gripper. This undercut engagement improves the positioning of the reinforcement. In this embodiment, the gripping of the positioning portion must be improved, particularly for heavier reinforcements, to reliably position the component within the cavity. This can be achieved using a robot gripper that is firmly engaged with the positioning portion, for example, by engaging the reinforcement at the rear side of the robot, particularly with an L-shaped gripper.

[0035] In an embodiment, the positioning portion includes an undercut portion, and / or, the gripper can reach behind the reinforcement. In this context, "behind" refers to the side of the reinforcement facing away from the robot. In such an embodiment, the space behind the reinforcement and / or the undercut portion needs to accommodate an L-shaped gripper. In such an embodiment, the positioning portion may have an opening and / or at least a partial opening at the rear end face. The rear end face is located on the rear side of the reinforcement, meaning behind the reinforcement. The rear side of the reinforcement (also called the rear side) is located on the opposite side of the front side. The front side may include the positioning portion. In an embodiment, there is no positioning portion on the rear side.

[0036] In the embodiments, at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: - The surface of the positioning part includes a rough surface, and / or - The positioning part includes embossing and / or The positioning section includes a first engagement element designed to engage with a second engagement element at the robot.

[0037] Rough surfaces can be, for example, ribbed and / or corrugated. This increases the contact area between the positioning portion and the robot (particularly the robot's gripper). In embodiments, rough surfaces may be arranged on the gripper jaws and / or the positioning portion. The robot's gripper jaws may be designed as open tools capable of engaging the positioning portion. The term rough refers to non-uniformity and non-softness.

[0038] Embossing enables better gripping and / or engagement between the positioning part and the robot by increasing the contact area.

[0039] The first and second engaging elements may include complementary designs to improve the interlocking of the reinforcement within the vehicle body and thus ensure reliable positioning.

[0040] In an embodiment, the carrier includes a spacer (also called a distance retainer) designed to space the reinforcement away from the vehicle body in a positioned state. The term "positioned state" can be defined as follows: in the positioned state, the reinforcement is arranged / located within the vehicle body. The distance retainer of the reinforcement can contact the vehicle body and ensure that the reinforcement is spaced apart from the vehicle body. Once the robot pushes against the reinforcement's push position, the spacer provides support for the reinforcement to facilitate the release of the robot from the reinforcement. In other words: in the positioned state, the reinforcement is positioned within the vehicle component, particularly within a cavity.

[0041] In one embodiment, the pushing portion is positioned near the spacer to prevent the reinforcement from tilting during pushing.

[0042] In embodiments, the reinforcement includes a fixing portion for securing the reinforcement to the vehicle body; specifically, the reinforcement includes a weld portion to be welded to the vehicle body. In embodiments, the weld portion is designed as a welding coin shape, and / or the weld portion is a molded part covered with welding material. In embodiments, the fixing portion is designed as a weld portion and / or a fastener, particularly a clip. In embodiments, during the process of securing the reinforcement to the vehicle body, a force is applied to the reinforcement to secure it to the vehicle body. In embodiments, this securing force can be applied via a positioning portion and / or a pushing portion.

[0043] In this embodiment, multiple fixing parts are subsequently and / or simultaneously fixed to the vehicle. This subsequent and / or simultaneous fixing can be achieved by aligning the fixing parts relative to the positioning and / or pushing parts.

[0044] In an embodiment, the reinforcement includes at least two positioning portions arranged on a carrier, enabling the reinforcement to be picked up in a balanced manner at the positioning portions, particularly by a robot. The term "balanced manner" as used herein corresponds to a uniform distribution of the reinforcement's weight. This means that the weight is evenly distributed when the reinforcement is picked up. This allows for the safe lifting of the reinforcement, preventing it from tipping over during lifting.

[0045] In one embodiment, the reinforcement includes a longitudinal axis extending along its length. The reinforcement includes two locating portions, wherein a first locating portion is arranged in the first third of the reinforcement, and a second locating portion is arranged in the last third (third third) of the reinforcement. Dividing the reinforcement into three substantially equal parts can be managed by length and / or weight. This enables a predetermined balance of the reinforcement to simplify lifting and / or handling.

[0046] In this embodiment, the reinforcement includes at least one reference portion to identify the reinforcement and at least one of its locations. This reduces the risk of reinforcement mismatch. Therefore, the robot can definitively identify the reinforcement before attaching it to the vehicle body. This reduces the risk of damage to the reinforcement and / or the vehicle body.

[0047] In one embodiment, the pushing portion is arranged substantially perpendicular to the thrust applied to release the reinforcement from the robot.

[0048] The positioning portion is located on the front side of the carrier. The front side is the accessible side of the reinforcement. In contrast to the front side, the reinforcement includes a rear side. The positioning portion and the pushing portion are located on the front side of the carrier of the reinforcement because the robot engages with the portion located on the front side. The front side is spanned by the base region of the reinforcement. The base region is surrounded by an edge region. The edge region extends circumferentially around the base region. The edge region does not have a positioning portion. The positioning portion is located at the base region of the reinforcement.

[0049] In one embodiment, the front side of the reinforcement is away from the vehicle body during installation, while the rear side of the reinforcement faces the cavity of the vehicle body.

[0050] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for reinforcing a vehicle body. The method includes the following steps: - Provide the reinforcements as described above; - Provide a robot designed to engage with a reinforcement at the positioning section of the carrier; - To enable the robot to engage with the reinforcement at the positioning section; - The reinforcement is positioned in the vehicle body (100) by means of a robot, particularly in the cavity of the vehicle body (100); - The reinforcing member is fixed in the vehicle body (100), particularly in the cavity of the vehicle body (100); - Push the robot towards the reinforcing member to release it from the reinforcing member.

[0051] This automated installation of the reinforcement within the vehicle body ensures that the reinforcement can be assembled and / or positioned within the vehicle body with minimal tolerances.

[0052] In one embodiment, the fixation of the robot to the vehicle body before release can be permanent or temporary.

[0053] In one embodiment, the fixing reinforcement is arranged in the vehicle body with a small gap to ensure that the electrophoretic coating flows around the reinforcement.

[0054] In this embodiment, the reinforcement is secured to the vehicle body, particularly within a cavity of the vehicle body, by welding it to the vehicle body. This ensures that the reinforcement is firmly fixed within the vehicle body.

[0055] In one embodiment, the reinforcement is secured to the vehicle body, particularly welded to it, before the robot releases it. In such an embodiment, it is required that the robotic arm positioning the reinforcement does not obstruct too much of the fixing arm (especially the welding robot). This allows for a combination of precise positioning and secure fixation of the reinforcement within the vehicle body.

[0056] In one embodiment, the robot itself pushes against the pushing part to release it from the reinforcement, specifically by using a clamp-like element to push.

[0057] Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of the reinforcing member as described above for reinforcing the vehicle body.

[0058] Other advantageous embodiments of the invention will become clear through example examples.

[0059] Embodiments of reinforcements, methods, and uses can be combined without any limitation. XXX may lead to clarity issues XX. Attached Figure Description

[0060] The accompanying drawings, used to explain the example embodiments, illustrate: Figure 1 This is a schematic example diagram of a reinforcing component; Figure 2 It is a partial view of the reinforcing member, including the positioning part, the pushing part, and the fixing part; Figure 3 It is a partial view including the positioning part, the pushing part, and the reinforcement of the welded coin-shaped part as the fixing part; Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the joint between the gripper and the positioning part of the reinforcement in the robot. Detailed Implementation

[0061] Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a reinforcing member 1 with a carrier 10, which includes an expandable material 20 and a positioning portion 30 without the expandable material 20. The positioning portion 30 is designed to engage with a robot, particularly with the robot's arm, such as, for example... Figure 4 As shown. The carrier 10 also includes a pushing portion 40, which does not contain the expandable material 20. The pushing portion 40 is designed to be pushed to release the reinforcement 1 from the robot. The reinforcement 1 is designed to reinforce the vehicle body 100, particularly the cavities of the vehicle body 100, especially the cavities of the structural elements.

[0062] In its expanded state, the expandable material 20 reinforces the vehicle body 100. Suitable expandable materials with reinforcing properties are, for example, sold by Sika Corp., USA under the trade names SikaReinforcer® 941, SikaReinforcer® 951, SikaReinforcer® 944, or SikaReinforcer® 952. These are described in US 6387470. Other suitable expandable materials are sold by Sika Corp., USA under the trade names SikaBaffle® 240, SikaBaffle® 250, or SikaBaffle® 255, and are described in patents US 5266133 and US 5373027. Such expandable materials are particularly preferred for the present invention.

[0063] The pushing part 40 is designed as a substantially flat and stable surface, on which thrust can be applied without damaging the reinforcement 1. The thrust can be applied directly by a robot via, for example, a gripper.

[0064] The reinforcing member 1 also includes a fixing portion 50, through which the reinforcing member 1 is fixed to the vehicle body 100. Figure 1 The fixed part 50 shown is designed as a welded part 51, which enables the reinforcement 1 to be permanently fixed to the vehicle body 100.

[0065] Figure 2 A partial view of the reinforcing member 1, including the positioning part, the pushing part, and the fixing part, is shown.

[0066] The positioning portion 30 is disposed on the front side of the carrier 10. The front side is the accessible side of the reinforcement 1. In contrast to the front side, the reinforcement 1 includes a rear side. The positioning portion 30 and the pushing portion 40 are disposed on the front side of the carrier 10 of the reinforcement 1 because the robot engages with the portion disposed on the front side. The front side is spanned by the base region of the reinforcement. The base region is surrounded by an edge region. The edge region extends circumferentially around the base region. The edge region does not have the positioning portion 30. The positioning portion 30 is disposed at the base region of the reinforcement 1.

[0067] Figure 3 A partial view of reinforcement 1 is shown, which includes a positioning portion 30, a pushing portion 40, and a welded coin-shaped portion serving as a fixing portion 50. The positioning portion 30 is designed with a substantially flat surface. This substantially flat surface can engage with a vacuum gripper. The positioning portion 30 can also serve as a reference portion 60. With the aid of the reference portion 60, the robot can identify the type of component and / or reinforcement, as well as the location of the reinforcement. This reduces the risk of damage to the reinforcement during robot operation, as the verified location of the reinforcement allows the robot to securely engage with it.

[0068] Figure 4 This image shows an enlarged view of the engagement between the robot's gripper 31 and the positioning portion 30 of the reinforcement. The positioning portion 30 has a tapered inner surface and includes a closed end face 33. The closed end face 33 faces the rear side of the reinforcement 1. The gripper 31 is designed to have a tapered outer structure. The surface of the tapered outer structure includes embossing to improve grip. The gripper claws 32 can move away from each other to engage with the positioning portion 30.

[0069] Those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the currently disclosed embodiments and examples are considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. XX may lead to clarity issues XX.

[0070] Figure Labels

[0071] 1. Reinforcing component

[0072] 100 Vehicle body

[0073] 10 carriers

[0074] 11 Spacer / Distance Holder

[0075] 20 Expandable materials

[0076] 30 Positioning Section

[0077] 31 Clamping device

[0078] 32 gripper claws

[0079] 33 End face

[0080] 40. Promotion Section

[0081] 50 Fixed parts

[0082] 51 Welding section

[0083] 60 Reference Section

Claims

1. A reinforcing member (1) for reinforcing the vehicle body (100), particularly the cavity of the vehicle body (100), the reinforcing member (1) comprising: The carrier (10) includes an expandable material (20); In the expanded state, the expandable material (20) reinforces the vehicle body (100). The carrier (10) also includes a positioning part (30) that does not contain expandable material (20); The positioning part (30) is designed to engage with the robot, especially with the robot arm; The carrier also includes a propulsion part (40) that does not contain expandable material (20); The actuation part (40) is designed to be driven by a robot in order to release the reinforcement (1) from the robot.

2. The reinforcing member (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The propulsion part (40) is designed to withstand a thrust of at least 5N, particularly at least 7N, particularly 10N, particularly 15N, particularly 20N.

3. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The propulsion part (40) is designed to withstand thrust on a propulsion area of ​​at least 0.75 square centimeters, particularly at least 1 square centimeter, particularly at least 2 square centimeters, particularly at least 3 square centimeters.

4. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At a position on the carrier opposite to the pushing portion (40), the carrier includes at least one rib.

5. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The positioning part is designed to be at least one of the following: - Columns, especially cylindrical or elliptical columns, especially straight or oblique columns, especially hollow columns; - Prisms with polyhedral bases, especially right or oblique prisms, especially truncated prisms, especially hollow prisms; - Frustalized cone; - A cross-section with slots; - Flat surface, especially for attraction and / or vacuum engagement with robots.

6. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The positioning part includes a closed end face.

7. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The surface of the positioning portion is rough; and / or, wherein the positioning portion includes embossing; and / or, wherein the positioning portion includes a first engaging element designed to engage with a second engaging element at the robot.

8. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The carrier (10) includes a spacer (11) designed to space the reinforcement (1) from the vehicle body (100) in the positioned state.

9. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The reinforcement includes a fixing portion (50) for securing the reinforcement to the vehicle body, and in particular, the reinforcement includes a welding portion (51) to be welded to the vehicle body (100), and in particular, the welding portion is designed to weld a coin-shaped portion, and / or, in particular, the welding portion is a weld material part that is overmolded.

10. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The reinforcement includes at least two positioning parts arranged on the carrier, such that the reinforcement can be picked up in a balanced manner at the positioning parts.

11. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The reinforcement includes two positioning parts, with the first positioning part located at the first third of the reinforcement and the second positioning part located at the last third of the reinforcement.

12. The reinforcing member (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The reinforcement includes at least one reference portion for identifying the reinforcement and at least one of the reinforcement's location.

13. A method for reinforcing a vehicle body (100), the method comprising the following steps: - Provide a reinforcing member according to any one of the preceding claims; - Provide a robot designed to engage with a reinforcement at the positioning section of the carrier; - To engage the robot with the reinforcement at the positioning section; - The reinforcement is positioned in the vehicle body, particularly in the cavity of the vehicle body, by means of a robot; - Secure the reinforcement to the vehicle body, especially to the cavity of the vehicle body; - Push the robot towards the reinforcing member to release it from the reinforcing member.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The reinforcement is fixed in the vehicle body (100) by welding the reinforcement to the vehicle body (100).

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein: Before the robot releases the reinforcement, the reinforcement is secured to the vehicle body, particularly by welding it to the vehicle body.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, wherein: The robot, in particular, uses a gripper to push the pusher in order to release the robot from the reinforcement.

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