US 7,498,541 B2
Method of assembling motor vehicle body
Shinobu Inoue, Ikeda (Japan); Masaharu Saito, Ikeda (Japan); Akiyoshi Hazama, Ikeda (Japan); Yasuhiro Hosokawa, Ikeda (Japan); Takuma Arai, Ikeda (Japan); Isao Kita, Ikeda (Japan); Takuji Izutani, Ikeda (Japan); and Kazuto Ikeda, Ikeda (Japan)
Assigned to Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., Osaka (Japan)
Appl. No. 10/532,440
PCT Filed Oct. 17, 2003, PCT No. PCT/JP03/13336
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Apr. 22, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO2004/037634, PCT Pub. Date May 06, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-307052 (JP), filed on Oct. 22, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0042067 A1, Mar. 02, 2006
Int. Cl. B23K 37/04 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 219—86.24  [219/79; 219/80; 29/428; 29/429; 29/430; 228/212] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of assembling a car body, the method comprising: locating a lower end of a vertical side member relative to an end of an underbody held in a predetermined position of a car body assembling line; locating the side member to the underbody at not less than two portions of the lower end; and temporarily welding, in such a locating state, the side body to the underbody;
the car body assembly line being provided, in a vicinity thereof, with a slide base which is movable between an advanced position adjacent to the car body assembly line and a retreated position away from the car body assembly line,
the car body assembly line being provided, in a vicinity thereof, with a locator which is removably placed on the slide base for locating the side member,
the car body assembly line being provided, in a vicinity thereof, with a lifter for placing the locator on the slide base when the slide base is located at the retreated position, the lifter extending from the retreated position to the advanced position of the slide base,
the locator being placed onto the lifter when the lifter is at an upper limit, the locator being placed onto the slide base when the lifter is lowered,
the side member being supported by the locator, and the slide base being moved to the advanced position for locating the side member relative to the underbody.