U.S. patent application number 14/533159 was filed with the patent office on 2016-05-05 for system and method of assembling a vehicle body garnish.
The applicant listed for this patent is Honda Motor Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to John E. Werling.
Application Number | 20160121950 14/533159 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55699907 |
Filed Date | 2016-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160121950 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Werling; John E. |
May 5, 2016 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING A VEHICLE BODY GARNISH
Abstract
A vehicle assembly comprises a structural component that defines
a portion of a vehicle body and a garnish member. The structural
component is formed of a first metal. The garnish member is formed
of the first metal and is fixedly attached via welding or hemming
directly to the structural component in a same welding station of a
vehicle assembly line as the assembly of the structural component.
The garnish member includes a body having an outer surface which
defines an exterior surface of the vehicle body.
Inventors: |
Werling; John E.; (Dublin,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
55699907 |
Appl. No.: |
14/533159 |
Filed: |
November 5, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/191 ;
228/101; 29/897.2; 296/193.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 5/107 20130101;
B62D 65/16 20130101; B62D 65/06 20130101; B62D 65/02 20130101; B60R
13/04 20130101; B60J 5/0463 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B62D 65/16 20060101
B62D065/16; B23K 31/02 20060101 B23K031/02; B60R 13/04 20060101
B60R013/04 |
Claims
1. A vehicle assembly comprising: a structural component that
defines a portion of a vehicle body, the structural component is
formed of a first metal and includes an outer panel member secured
to an inner panel member; and a garnish member formed of the first
metal and fixedly attached via welding or hemming directly to the
outer panel member of the structural component in a same welding
station of a vehicle assembly line as the assembly of the
structural component, each of the outer panel member and the
garnish member having an outer surface which defines an exterior
surface of the vehicle body.
2. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the garnish member is
entirely formed of the first metal.
3. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the
garnish member is welded to a body of the structural component.
4. The vehicle assembly of claim 3, wherein a second portion of the
garnish member is hemmed to an edge portion of the structural
component.
5. The vehicle assembly of claim 3, wherein the structural
component is one of a trunk lid, a quarter panel, and a side
panel.
6. The vehicle assembly of claim 5, wherein the garnish member is
one of a trunk lid skin, a fender, a slide door rail cover, and a
side panel extension.
7. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, further comprising paint
covering the structural component and the outer surface of the
garnish member fixedly attached thereto, wherein paint is
simultaneously applied to the structural component and the garnish
member in a painting station of the vehicle assembly line.
8. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the garnish member is
fixedly attached to the structural component without the use of an
associated fastener or an associated bracket.
9. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the garnish member is
configured as a second structural component of the vehicle
body.
10. A system for assembling a vehicle body comprising: a vehicle
assembly line having a plurality of stations including a welding
station and a paint station located downstream of the welding
station, the welding station is adapted to receive and weld an
outer panel member to an inner panel member, the outer panel member
and inner panel member together define a structural component of a
vehicle body, the structural component is formed of a first metal,
the same welding station is further adapted to receive a garnish
member formed of the first metal and weld the garnish member
directly to the outer panel of the structural component, the outer
panel member together with the garnish member define an exterior
surface of the vehicle body; and the painting station is adapted to
receive and paint the structural component and the garnish member
welded thereto.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the structural component is a
trunk lid and the garnish member is a trunk lid skin.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the structural component is a
quarter panel and the garnish member is a fender.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the structural component is a
side panel and the garnish member is one of a slide door rail cover
and a side panel extension.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the garnish member is hemmed to
the structural component in the same welding station.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the garnish member is
configured as a second structural component of the vehicle body
adding strength to the structural component, the connection between
the garnish member and the structural component being devoid of an
associated fastener or an associated bracket.
16. A method of assembling a vehicle body comprising: providing an
outer panel member and an inner panel member in a vehicle assembly
line, the outer panel member and the inner panel member together
defining a vehicle body structural component formed of a first
metal; transferring the outer panel member and the inner panel
member of the structural component to a welding station of the
vehicle assembly line; assembling the structural component by
welding the outer panel member to the inner panel member in the
welding station providing a garnish member formed of the first
metal, the garnish member defines an exterior surface of the
vehicle body, and transferring the garnish member to the welding
station; setting the garnish member in position relative to the
assembled structural component in the welding station; and welding
the garnish member directly to the structural component in the
welding station.
17. The method of claim 16, comprising: transferring the structural
component having the garnish member welded thereto to a paining
station of the vehicle assembly line; and simultaneously painting
the structural component together with the garnish member welded
thereto.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein prior to transferring to the
painting station the garnish member is fixedly attached to the
structural component without the use of an associated fastener or
an associated bracket.
19. The method of claim 16, comprising separately hemming the
garnish member to the structural component in the welding
station.
20. The method of claim 16, comprising forming the garnish member
entirely of the first metal.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] In the manufacture or assembly of a vehicle body, it is
known to have a vehicle body assembly line including a plurality of
designated work stations in which the vehicle body is assembled and
forwarded as the assembly work proceeds. Typically, the major
structural components of the vehicle body are welded together in a
general welder (i.e., one of the stations of the assembly line
wherein primary welding operations are performed to connect the
vehicle body components to create the body-in-white body). The
vehicle body is then transferred to a painting station for the
start of the painting process.
[0002] Current vehicle body designs use plastic garnishes or bolted
on parts to cover certain portions of the assembled vehicle body
that cannot meet styling or design requirements. Generally, these
plastic garnishes are attached through metal brackets that are
affixed (via welding or fasteners) to the vehicle body. Plastic
garnishes have a higher cost and usually do not offer structural
reinforcement to that portion of the vehicle body. In addition,
bolted on parts require additional manpower which can lead to
inconsistent fit of the garnish on the vehicle body portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0003] In accordance with one aspect, a vehicle assembly comprises
a structural component that defines a portion of a vehicle body and
a garnish member. The structural component is formed of a first
metal. The garnish member is formed of the first metal and is
fixedly attached directly via welding or hemming to the structural
component in a same welding station of a vehicle assembly line as
the assembly of the structural component. The garnish member
includes a body having an outer surface which defines an exterior
surface of the vehicle body.
[0004] In accordance with another aspect, a system for assembling a
vehicle body comprises a vehicle assembly line having a plurality
of stations including a welding station and a paint station located
downstream of the welding station. The welding station is adapted
to receive and weld a structural component that defines a body
component of a vehicle body. The structural component is formed of
a first metal. The welding station is further adapted to receive a
garnish member formed of the first metal and weld the garnish
member directly to the structural component. The garnish member
defines an exterior surface of the vehicle body. The painting
station is adapted to receive and paint the structural component
and the garnish member welded thereto.
[0005] In accordance with yet another aspect, a method of
assembling a vehicle body comprises assembling a vehicle body
structural component formed of a first metal in a vehicle assembly
line; transferring the assembled structural component to a welding
station of the vehicle assembly line; providing a garnish member
formed of the first metal, the garnish member defines an exterior
surface of the vehicle body, and transferring the garnish member to
the welding station; setting the garnish member in position
relative to the structural component in the welding station; and
welding the garnish member directly to the structural
component.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a portion of a vehicle body
assembly line.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a garnish member being fixedly
attached to a vehicle body structural component in a welding
station of the vehicle body assembly line.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the vehicle body structural
component with the garnish member fixed thereto being painted in a
painting station of the vehicle body assembly line.
[0009] FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are schematic views of alternative garnish
members which can be fixed to vehicle body structural components in
a common welding station of the vehicle body assembly line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] It should, of course, be understood that the description and
drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various
modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed
without departing from the present disclosure. It will be
appreciated that the various identified components of the exemplary
system/method for assembling a vehicle body disclosed herein are
merely terms of art that may vary from one manufacturer to another
and should not be deemed to limit the present disclosure.
[0011] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer
to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 schematically
illustrates a system 100 for assembling a vehicle body 102
according to the present disclosure. The system 100 generally
includes a vehicle body assembly line 104 having a plurality of
work stations 110, including at least one welding station 112 for
forming and welding structural components 114 (e.g., a trunk lid or
tailgate, left and right side panels, and left and right quarter
panels) to a vehicle frame (not shown) that define different
portions of the vehicle body 102. The structural components 114 are
formed of a first metal, such as a steel or steel-based alloy or an
aluminum or aluminum-based alloy. As will be discussed in greater
detail below, the welding station 112 is adapted to fixedly attach
a garnish member 120 (e.g., a trunk lid or tailgate skin, a fender,
a slide door rail cover, and a side panel extension) to a
corresponding structural component 114. The garnish member 120 can
be similar to the known plastic garnishes in that the garnish
member 120 covers portions of the vehicle body 102 that do not meet
styling or design requirements.
[0012] According to the present disclosure, however, the garnish
member 120 is formed of a metal similar to that of the structural
component 114, which allows for the welding of the garnish member
120 directly to the structural component 114. This allows the
garnish member 120 to be configured as a second structural
component adding strength and rigidity to the structural component
114 and, in turn, the vehicle body 102. According to one aspect,
the garnish member 120 is entirely formed of the first metal;
although, this is not required. It should be appreciated that once
the garnish member 120 is properly fixed directly to the structural
component 114, a robot-guided handling device 126 can releasably
engage the structural component 114 with the garnish member 120
fixed thereto and set the structural component on the vehicle body
102 located on the assembly line 104. Once assembled, the vehicle
body 102 can then be transferred to another work station downstream
from the welding station 112.
[0013] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the structural component
114, shown as a trunk lid or tailgate 130, is positioned in the
welding station 112. The tailgate 130 includes a body 132 having a
peripheral edge portion 134. The body 132 is generally defined by
an outer panel member 136 secured to an inner panel member (not
shown) and, optionally, a reinforcement (not shown) interposed
between the outer and inner panel members. For example, the outer
panel member 136, inner panel member (not shown) and reinforcement
(not shown) can have respective flange portions having
complementary forms which nest and are welded together in the
welding station 112. A fixture 138 located in the welding station
112 is adapted to receive and secure the assembled structural
component 114 (i.e., tailgate 130). It should be appreciated that
the configuration of the fixture 138 in the welding station 112 can
be dependent on the structural component 114 being retained
thereby. By way of example, with the depicted tailgate 130, the
fixture 138 includes side support members 140, 142 located
laterally outwardly of the peripheral edge portion 134 of the
tailgate 130. Each side member 140, 142 can include a pair of
respective clamp mechanisms 144, 146 which engage the peripheral
edge portion 134. Once properly secured to the fixture 138, a
second robot-guided handling device 150 provided at the welding
station 112 releasably engages the garnish member 120 (e.g., a
tailgate skin) and moves the garnish member 120 into position
relative to the tailgate 130. It should be appreciated that the
second robot-guided handling device 150 can be provided with at
least one suction device for retaining the garnish member 120. This
allows the second robot-guided handling device 150 to maintain the
proper positioning of the garnish member 120 prior to attachment to
the structural component 114. The fixture 138 can also be provided
with additional clamp mechanisms (not shown) for temporarily
connecting the garnish member 120 to the structural component
114.
[0014] As is shown in FIG. 2, with the structural component 114 and
garnish member 120 being formed of similar metals, the garnish
member 120 can be fixed to the structural component 114 in the same
welding station 112 of a vehicle assembly line 102 as the assembly
of the structural component 114. By way of example, at least one
weld robot 156 located in the welding station 112 welds a first
portion 160 of the garnish member 120 directly to the body 132 of
structural component 114. According to one aspect, to further
secure the garnish member 120 to the structural component 114, a
second portion 162 of the garnish member 120 is hemmed to the
peripheral edge portion 134 of the structural component 114 via a
hemming robot 166 located in the welding station 112. When properly
secured to the structural component 114, an outer surface 168 of a
body 172 of the garnish member 120 defines an exterior surface of
the structural component 114, and, in turn, an exterior surface of
the vehicle body 102.
[0015] As indicated previously, and according to one aspect, the
robot-guided handling device 126 sets the structural component 114
with the garnish member 120 fixed thereto on the vehicle body 102
located on the assembly line 104. The vehicle body 102 can then be
transferred to a painting station 180 (FIG. 3) of the assembly line
104 downstream from the welding station 112. The painting station
180 is adapted to receive and simultaneously coat or paint the
structural component 114 and the garnish member 120. By way of
example, the painting station 180 can include a fixture 182 having
a configuration similar to the fixture 138 provided in the welding
station 112. The fixture 182 includes side support members 184, 186
having a pair of respective clamp mechanisms 188, 190 which engage
the structural component 114 and the garnish member 120. A
robot-guided painting device 200 provided at the painting station
180 simultaneously coats or paints the structural component 114 and
the garnish member 120. However, as is well known in the art, it
should be appreciated that the assembled vehicle body 102 (i.e.,
the vehicle body having each structural component 114 and its
corresponding garnish member 120 secured thereto) can be
transferred to a painting station of the assembly line adapted to
coat or paint the assembled vehicle body 102. By having the garnish
member 120 coated or painted simultaneously with the structural
component 114, a uniform color for the vehicle body can be
achieved.
[0016] As is evident from the foregoing, the present disclosure
provides a system 100 wherein a part 120 is welded and optionally
hemmed to a structural component 114 of a vehicle body 102 in a
common welding station 112 of the vehicle assembly line 104. This
allows for the part to function as a garnish member 120, covering
portions of the structural component 114 that can not be met by
other parts due to formability or function. It should be
appreciated that various structural components 114 and
corresponding garnish members 120 are contemplated. For example, as
shown in FIGS. 1-3, the structural component 114 can be a trunk lid
or tailgate 130 and the garnish member 120 is a trunk lid skin. As
shown in FIG. 4, the structural component 114 can be a quarter
panel 210 and the garnish member 120 is a fender 212. As shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6, the structural component 114 can be a side panel 214
and the garnish member 120 is one of a slide door rail cover 216
and a side panel extension 218.
[0017] As indicated previously, one benefit of the present
disclosure is that the garnish member 120 can also be configured as
a secondary structural component, adding strength and rigidity to
the complete structural component assembly. The garnish member 120
will consistently maintain its location due on the structural
component 114 to the garnish member being welded directly to the
structural component 114. Another benefit provided by the exemplary
system 100 is the provision of additional process time to allow for
an increase in welding capacity for improved vehicle body rigidity.
Welding the garnish member 120 allows for more time in assembly or
final weld due to not having to assemble a separate garnish to the
structural component as is common in vehicle body assembly. And the
connection between the garnish member 120 and the structural
component 114 is devoid of an associated fastener or an associated
bracket thereby reducing the manpower needed to assemble the
vehicle body 102. Further, when the part/garnish member 120 is to
be color matched to the structural component 114, there is no
difference in color that is found with known plastic garnishes.
This construction will allow for a lower cost and more consistent
appearance for the assembled structural component 114.
[0018] The present disclosure further provides a method of
assembling a vehicle body 102 comprising assembling a vehicle body
structural component 114 formed of a first metal in a vehicle
assembly line 104; transferring the assembled structural component
114 to a welding station 112 of the vehicle assembly line;
providing a garnish member 120 formed of the first metal, the
garnish member 120 defines an exterior surface of the vehicle body
102, and transferring the garnish member 120 to the welding station
112; setting the garnish member 120 in position relative to the
structural component 114 in the welding station 112; and welding
the garnish member 120 directly to the structural component 114.
The exemplary method further comprises separately hemming the
garnish member 120 to the structural component 114. The exemplary
method further comprises transferring the structural component 114
having the garnish member 120 welded thereto to a paining station
180 of the vehicle assembly line 104; and simultaneously painting
the structural component 114 together with the garnish member 120
welded thereto.
[0019] While, for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the method
has steps shown and described as executing serially, it is to be
understood and appreciated that the present disclosure is not
limited by the illustrated order, and some steps could occur in
different orders and/or concurrently with other steps from that
shown and described herein.
[0020] It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed
and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be
desirably combined into many other different systems or
applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or
unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or
improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in
the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following
claims.
* * * * *