GUIDE DEVICE FOR A MOVEMENT SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE BODY-IN-WHITE

Abstract

Title: GUIDE DEVICE FOR A SYSTEM FOR MOVING A BODY-IN-WHITE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE This device comprising said device (1) comprising two straight and substantially parallel side members (3) and cross members (4) connecting said side members (3) so as to form a straight passage (2) between said side members (3) and between said cross members (4). Figure for the abstract: [Fig 4]

Description

Title of the invention: GUIDE DEVICE FOR A SYSTEM FOR MOVING A BODY-IN-WHITE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to systems for moving a motor vehicle body in white, i.e. a motor vehicle structure at a stage of vehicle manufacturing in which all of the sheets constituting the vehicle structure have been assembled by welding in a chain after being stamped.

[0002] The invention relates in particular to the movement of the white box when it is on a sled, that is to say a metal platform on which the white box is positioned to move it.

[0003] The present invention aims to constitute a guide device for a sled movement system which facilitates and secures the movement of the sled by a lifting device. Previous techniques

[0004] To transport the white boxes in an assembly workshop, forklift drivers must slide the forks of the truck into ring-shaped locations provided for the forks on the sleds, without visibility of these rings, in particular when the white boxes are fitted with their privacy covers which hide these rings.

[0005] It is therefore necessary for a second operator to be placed between the white box to be moved and the forklift to guide the driver.

[0006] This maneuver clearly compromises the safety of this second operator.

[0007] No known system allows the forks of a handling machine, in particular a forklift, to be guided while being removably mounted on a sled. Statement of the invention

[0008] The aim of the invention is to propose a guide device for the forks of a handling machine, in particular a forklift, which is removably mounted on a sled, to guide the lifting of this sled by the machine.

[0009] The invention also provides a movement system comprising this device, and a method of manufacturing a vehicle using such a system.

[0010] The guidance device is capable of combining advantages of speed, simplicity and reliability for its implementation.

[0011] In view of the above, the invention relates to a guiding device for guiding a fork of a handling device, said device comprising two straight and substantially parallel side members and cross members connecting said side members so as to form a straight passage between said side members and between said cross members.

[0012] Preferably, the device further comprises a stop which is on at least one of the two side members and projects outwardly relative to said side member, said stop being adapted to abut against a ring of a sled for moving a body-in-white of a motor vehicle when said device is inserted into said ring.

[0013] For example, the stop is located approximately one-third from one end of at least one of the side members.

[0014] Advantageously, the side members have substantially the same length and there are three cross members, distributed along the side members, two of the three cross members being placed at the end of said side members, and one of the three cross members being placed substantially in the center of said side members.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the stop is placed on a first side of the side members and at least the two crosspieces placed at the end of said side members are placed on a second side of the side members opposite the first side.

[0016] Advantageously, the side members have a length of between one hundred and twenty and two hundred and fifty centimeters.

[0017] The invention also relates to a system for transporting a motor vehicle body in white, comprising a transport sled for transporting a motor vehicle body in white, said transport sled comprising rings and two guide devices as described above and inserted into the rings.

[0018] The system may further comprise a tarpaulin, said tarpaulin completely covering the body in white by being stretched up to the sled, and the lengths of the crosspieces are configured to protrude laterally from under said tarpaulin by approximately one third of their length when the two guide devices are inserted into two of the rings up to the stop.

[0019] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle, said method comprising a step of moving a body in white of said vehicle using a system as described previously, comprising the steps of providing a sled comprising at least two rings, a body in white placed on said sled and a handling apparatus comprising two parallel lifting forks, retractably placing the two guide devices in the two rings of the sled, inserting a lifting fork into each of the two guide devices substantially simultaneously, moving the sled at the same time as the body in white by driving the forks by a handling apparatus comprising said forks.

[0020] For example, in the method, the handling apparatus is a forklift, and the step of moving the sled at the same time as the white box comprises lifting said sled by said forklift. Brief description of the drawings

[0021] The invention will be better understood from a detailed study of an embodiment taken as a non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] represents the XYZ reference frame which will be used for the purposes of the description.

[0023] [Fig.2] represents the guiding device.

[0024] [Fig.3] represents a sled on which there is a white vehicle body automobile to be moved using the sled and a lifting device.

[0025] [Fig.4] represents two guide devices inserted up to their stop in a sled supporting a white tarpaulin box, with the forks of the lifting device slightly inserted into said devices.

[0026] [Fig.5] shows the devices of [Fig.4] with the forks fully inserted in the devices.

[0027] [Fig.6] represents the transport system of a vehicle body in white at car

[0028] [Fig.7] represents the system of [Fig.6] in bottom view. Detailed description

[0029] [Fig. 1] represents the XYZ reference frame which will be used for the purposes of the description.

[0030] We will refer to a direct orthonormal reference XYZ conventionally used in automobile design, in which the X axis designates the front-rear longitudinal direction of the vehicle, oriented towards the rear, the Y axis designates the transverse direction and is oriented towards the right of the vehicle, the Z axis designates the vertical direction, and is oriented upwards.

[0031] The vehicle axes are the same for the body in white of the motor vehicle, that is to say the structure of the vehicle being at a stage of vehicle manufacturing in which all of the sheets constituting the structure have been assembled by welding in a chain of ironwork after their stamping.

[0032] The white box when it is placed on a sled, that is to say a metal tray on which the white box is positioned to move it.

[0033] The white box is therefore intended to be under the sled, that is to say below along the Z axis.

[0034] [Fig.2] illustrates a guidance device 1 according to the invention.

[0035] The device 1 comprises two straight and substantially parallel side members 3.

[0036] As illustrated by [Fig.2], the side members 3 extend along the transverse axis Y, because they are intended to be used from one side of the white box 6 placed on the sled 7 to move, in particular lift, both the sled 7 and the white box 6.

[0037] The side members 3 have for example a length of between one hundred and twenty and two hundred and fifty centimeters, which allows the driver to see the devices 1 and can very easily place the forks 9 directly in the right location to insert them into the passage 2 parallel to the transverse axis up to the opposite ring of the sled 7.

[0038] The side members 3 are for example made of metal comprising aluminum or steel.

[0039] The side members 3 can be solid or tubular so as to optimize the weight of the device 1 and / or its mechanical resistance.

[0040] The device 1 further comprises crosspieces 4 connecting said side members 3 so as to form a straight passage 2 between said side members 3 and between said crosspieces 4.

[0041] The crosspieces 4 make it possible to maintain the side members 3 at a fixed and continuous distance from each other for the regularity of the straight passage 2.

[0042] Thus, a guiding device 1 is formed in which a straight passage 2 allows the guiding of a fork of a handling machine such as a forklift, which makes it possible to removably place the device 1 on a sled 7 on which the white box 6 to be moved is located, then to carry out the moving step, in particular lifting the sled 7, in complete safety, with only one operator.

[0043] The only operator is thus the driver of the handling machine, which eliminates the risk of crushing another operator during the movement stage.

[0044] Furthermore, the guiding device 1 allows the operator to save time during the manufacturing process of the motor vehicle, since they constitute means for guiding the forks 9 which are easy to insert onto the sled 7 without the need to place the forks blindly from the handling machine.

[0045] As illustrated by [Fig.3], the device 1 may comprise a stop 5 which is on at least one of the two side members 3 and projects outwards relative to said side member 3.

[0046] The stop 5 is adapted to abut against a ring 8 of a moving sled 7 of a body-in-white of a motor vehicle 6 when inserting said device 1 into said ring 8.

[0047] Thus, it is very easy for an operator to position a guide device 1 in a ring 8 in a repeatable and error-free manner without having to calculate the insertion distance.

[0048] It is also easier to place several guiding devices 1 simultaneously on the same sled 7 so that the two forks 9 of the handling machine 10 are inserted in the same way under the sled 7.

[0049] The guide device 1 protrudes from the sled 7 under the white body 6 in the rings 8 provided for this purpose and located in the lower part of the sled 7.

[0050] The rings 8 are for example recesses forming locations in which to place a device 1 for the correct lifting of the sled 7, and which are usually used to carry out this lifting without a guide device 1.

[0051] The guide devices 1 are for example inserted manually into the rings 8, or in a robotized or mechanically assisted manner.

[0052] Each guide device 1 passes through, for example, two rings 8 located on two opposite sides of the sled 7 and aligned along the transverse axis Y, so as to distribute the lifting force between the two lateralities of the sled 7.

[0053] Each guide device 1 is inserted into the recesses 8 provided for the forks on the sleds and are sufficiently wide and high for the forks to slide inside.

[0054] The guides have stops 5 which allow the operator to place them correctly in a repeatable manner.

[0055] Each stop 5 also makes it possible to prevent the device 1 from shifting along its Y axis when inserting a fork 9 into the passage 2, which can cause said device to be pushed back by friction of the fork 9 against the side members 3.

[0056] For this purpose, the rings 8 have a width greater than that of the guide device 1.

[0057] For example, the stop 5 is located approximately one third from one end of at least one of the side members 3, so as to cause approximately one third of the guide device 1 to protrude along the lateral axis Y, which makes it possible to have both a reduced bulk and a sufficient dimension of the side members 3 to be made visible to the operator from the handling machine, even when the white body is covered with a privacy tarpaulin.

[0058] The invention also relates to a system for transporting a motor vehicle body in white, comprising a transport sled 7 for transporting a motor vehicle body in white 6, said transport sled 7 comprising rings 8 and two guide devices 1 inserted into the rings 8.

[0059] As illustrated by [Fig.4], the white box 6 can be covered with a tarpaulin 11, in particular a privacy tarpaulin.

[0060] The system for transporting a motor vehicle body in white may then further comprise a tarpaulin 11, said tarpaulin 11 completely covering the body in white 6 by being stretched up to the sled 7, and the lengths of the crosspieces 4 being configured to protrude laterally from under said tarpaulin 11 by approximately one third of their length when the two guide devices 1 are inserted into two of the rings 8 up to the stop 5.

[0061] As illustrated by the same Figure, the side members 3 advantageously have substantially the same length, which allows the handling machine to reach the stop of its fork 9 at the same time in each of the guide devices 1 when there are two devices 1 on the sled 7 and two forks 9 on the handling machine 10.

[0062] The crosspieces 4 are for example three in number, distributed along the side members 3, two of the three crosspieces 4 being placed at the end of said side members 3, and one of the three crosspieces 4 being placed substantially in the center of said side members 3.

[0063] As illustrated by Figures 5 and 6, the stop 5 is for example placed on a first side of the side members 3 and at least the two crosspieces 4 placed at the end of said side members 3 are placed on a second side of the side members 3 opposite the first side.

[0064] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a motor vehicle.

[0065] The method comprises a step of moving a body in white 6 of said vehicle using a system for transporting a body in white of a motor vehicle as described previously.

[0066] The step of moving the box-in-white comprises the steps of providing a sled 7 comprising at least two rings 8, a box-in-white 6 placed on said sled 7 and a handling apparatus 10 comprising two parallel lifting forks 9, retractably placing the two guide devices 1 in the two rings 8 of the sled 7, inserting a lifting fork 9 into each of the two guide devices 1 substantially simultaneously, moving the sled 7 at the same time as the box-in-white 8 by driving the forks 9 by a handling apparatus 10 comprising said forks 9.

[0067] Thus, two guide devices 1 are for example put in place on the sled 7, at the front and at the rear, in four rings 8 placed in front and behind the sled 7, and the operator, for example the driver of the handling machine 10, therefore carries out this manipulation quickly and without possible error thanks to the stop 5, before using the handling machine 10 to lift the sled 7.

[0068] Once the guide devices 1 are in place under the sled 7 and introduced to the stop position, one end remains visible outside the protective cover 11, from the driver's position of the handling machine.

[0069] The forklift operator can therefore safely place the forks 9 under the sled 7 and then move the assembly, in particular to another assembly area for the continuation of the manufacture of the motor vehicle from the body in white 6.

[0070] The guide devices 1 are for example placed by hand, then retracted after use, and are not fixed either on the sled 7 or on the handling machine 10.

[0071] In the method, the handling device 10 is for example a forklift, and the step of moving the sled 7 at the same time as the white box 8 comprises a lifting of said sled 7 by said forklift.

[0072] A guidance device 1 is thus produced allowing the driver of a handling machine to safely lift an assembly comprising a sled 7 and a white box 6 to move them, even if this operator is alone and without any particular assistance for guidance.

Claims

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8. Claims Guiding device (1) for guiding a fork (9) of a handling device (10), said device (1) comprising two straight and substantially parallel side members (3) and cross members (4) connecting said side members (3) so as to form a straight passage (2) between said side members (3) and between said cross members (4). Device according to claim 1, further comprising a stop (5) which is on at least one of the two side members (3) and protruding outwardly relative to said side member (3), said stop (5) being adapted to abut against a ring (8) of a displacement sled (7) of a body-in-white of a motor vehicle (6) when inserting said device (1) into said ring (8). Device according to claim 2, wherein the stop (5) is located approximately one third from one end of at least one of the side members (3). Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the side members (3) have substantially the same length and the cross members (4) are three in number, distributed along the side members (3), two of the three cross members (4) being placed at the end of said side members (3), and one of the three cross members (4) being placed substantially in the center of said side members (3). Device according to claim 4 and any one of claims 2 and 3, in which the stop (5) is placed on a first side of the side members (3) and at least the two crosspieces (4) placed at the end of said side members (3) are placed on a second side of the side members (3) opposite the first side. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the side members (3) have a length of between one hundred and twenty and two hundred and fifty centimeters. System for transporting a motor vehicle body in white, comprising a transport sled (7) for a motor vehicle body in white (6), said transport sled (7) comprising rings (8) and two guide devices (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 inserted in the rings (8). System according to claim 7, further comprising a tarpaulin (11), said tarpaulin (11) completely covering the white box (6) by being stretched up to the sled (7), and the lengths of the crosspieces (4) are configured to protrude laterally from under said tarpaulin (11) of approximately one third of their length when the two guide devices (1) are inserted into two of the rings (8) up to the stop (5).

9. A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle, said method comprising a step of moving a body in white (6) of said vehicle using a system according to any one of claims 7 and 8, comprising the steps of providing a sled (7) comprising at least two rings (8), a body in white (6) placed on said sled (7) and a handling apparatus (10) comprising two parallel lifting forks (9), retractably placing the two guide devices (1) in the two rings (8) of the sled (7), inserting a lifting fork (9) into each of the two guide devices (1) substantially simultaneously, moving the sled (7) at the same time as the body in white (8) by driving the forks (9) by a handling apparatus (10) comprising said forks (9).

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the handling apparatus (10) is a forklift, and the step of moving the sled (7) together with the box-in-white (8) comprises lifting said sled (7) by said forklift.

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