Abstract:
A device for placing a seal, such as a water seal, on a motor vehicle body. This device includes a jig which is placed in contact with the body of the motor vehicle, a carriage borne by the jig and able to move on the latter so as to ensure placement of the seal, and rails for guiding and orienting the carriage on the jig. A method for operating this device is also disclosed.

Description:
This application is a continuation of International Application PCT/FR99/01752 filed Jul. 16, 1999, the content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention basically concerns a device to place a joint, such as a water jet joint, on a motor vehicle body. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It also concerns a method to implement said device. 
     The expression “water jet seal” or “drip moulding seal” denotes a seal intended to be placed on the body of the vehicle at the upper portion of the door frame and used firstly to ensure that water does not trickle along the window pane or penetrate inside the passenger compartment, and secondly to limit aerodynamic noise. 
     To date, no device and method are available for glueing a water jet seal onto a motor vehicle body able to be automated and reliable with respect to the positioning of the seal on the vehicle, the pressurizing force of the seal on the corresponding surface of the body, and the fixing operation by glueing the seal onto the receiving surface of the body, this operation often proving to be ineffective and resulting in the long run to the seal being detached from the body. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention also seeks to resolve this drawback. 
     To this effect, the invention concerns a device for placing a seal, such as a water jet seal, onto a motor vehicle body, characterised in that it basically includes: a jig able to be placed in contact with the body of the vehicle; a carriage borne by the jig and able to move onto the latter for placing the seal; and means to guide and orientate the carriage on the jig. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the carriage orientation and guiding means include three rails, possibly approximately parallel, with a circular cross-section and integral with the jig, namely a first rail with a shape matching the shape of the receiving surface of the seal on the vehicle and defining the path the carriage is to follow along the body of the vehicle, a second rail keeping the force applied to the seal on its receiving surface along a direction constantly normal on the application surface of a seal, and a third rail ensuring along a direction transversal to the vehicle a correct positioning of the carriage with respect to the vehicle so that the seal is fully flush with the geometry of the body. 
     According to another characteristic of the device of this invention, the carriage comprises guiding rollers which co-operate bilaterally with the first, second and third rails respectively, the axes of the rollers co-operating with the first rail being orthogonal to the axes of the rollers co-operating with the second rail, and the axes of the rollers co-operating with the third rail forming an angle (A) with the axes of the rollers co-operating with the second rail. 
     Also according to another characteristic of this device, said carriage is made up of two elements, namely a first element bearing the rollers associated with the first and second rails, and a second element bearing the rollers associated with the third rail and slanted with respect to the first element along an angle equal to said angle (A). 
     Here, it shall be stated that said second element is fitted with a roller for applying the seal on the receiving surface, the axis of this roller being orthogonal to the axis of the rollers associated with the third rail. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, the roller for applying the seal has a throat co-operating with the seal so as to ensure it is applied and positioned on the receiving surface and is driven in rotation by a motor integral with the carriage. 
     According to a further characteristic of the invention, said application roller is mounted on an element able to activated by a jack or similar device integral with the carriage so as to exert a controlled application force of the seal on the receiving surface. 
     Again here it shall be stated that associated with the jig is a suspended adjustable stop able to co-operate with the body of the vehicle so as to ensure the correct prepositioning of the jig on said body and subsequently its drive. 
     The jig is mounted suspended and rolling on a rail by means of arms, one of which bearing said stop. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the jig is kept hooked on the body by means of brackets co-operating with the roof of said body. 
     The jig is further fitted with a motor for driving the carriage by means of a chain or similar element. 
     The invention also concerns a method to implement a device meeting the characteristics mentioned above and which is basically characterised in that when said stop has struck an extremity of the body, the jig is plated and flanged on the side of the body and said carriage is moved on the jig, whereas pressure is exerted on said application roller so as to glue the seal on the receiving surface. 
     According to another characteristic of this method, said application roller rotates quicker than a single free rolling of this roller on the seal. 
     Thus, instead of using a free rolling roller on the seal, which would provoke not only pressurizing of the seal but also a. consequent elongation of the latter by the significant force crushing the sole of the seal so that the seal would risk being subsequently retracted and come away from certain portions of the body, it is possible, by advantageously making the roller rotate faster than a simple free rolling, to create friction between the roller and the seal and thus compression in the longitudinal direction of the seal which reduces or annuls said elongation and in the long run ensures that the seal remains on the body of the vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other advantages and characteristics of the invention shall appear more readily from a reading of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and on which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation and diagrammatic view of a device according to this invention and in a position applied on the side of the body of a vehicle. 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of this device, the carriage being removed for the sake of clarity, along the arrow  11  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a highly diagrammatic partial half view of the body shown transversally to the median longitudinal axis of the vehicle and illustrating the hooking of the jig on the vehicle. 
     FIG. 4 shows a section of the carriage along the line IV—IV of FIG. 2, although said carriage is not shown on this figure. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view with partial sections of the portion of the carriage comprising the seal application roller and the mechanism for driving said roller. 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but along the arrow VI of FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown on FIGS. 1 and 2, a device according to the invention for placing a seal basically includes a jig  1  roughly having the shape of a frame or mechanical-welded support member mounted suspended and rolling on a rail  2  by means of an arm or similar element  3  so as to be able to be applied to the side of the body  4  of a motor vehicle. As can be seen later, the device of the invention can also be used if the vehicle is fixed to the work station and if it is moving continuously on the assembly line. 
     Shown at  5  are the rolling rollers of the device on the rail  2 , at  6  a balancing jack inserted on the arm  3  and avoiding any excess load of the device on the body  4 , and at  7  a hooking system with damping of the arm  3  on the jig  1 . 
     Mounted rolling on the jig  1  with respect to said jig is a carriage diagrammatically shown at  8  on FIG.  1  and clearly visible on FIG. 4, this carriage  8  ensuring placing of the seal  9  shown on FIGS. 3,  4  and  6  on a receiving surface of the care body  4 , said surface being shown at  10  on FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     The carriage  8  is guided and orientated on the jig  1  by a certain number of elements to be described subsequently in detail, it being understood that the shape of these elements and of the jig  1  correspond to a given type of vehicle or even to different versions of a given vehicle model having similar portions. 
     As shown on FIGS. 2 and 4, the jig  1  includes three rails for guiding the carriage  3 , said rails being possibly approximately parallel depending on the geometry of the body and having a cross-section with a circular shape, namely: 
     a first rail  11  having a shape matching the shape of the receiving surface  10  and defining the path the carriage  8  is to follow along the body  4  of the vehicle 
     a second rail  12  used to keep the application force of the seal  9  on the receiving surface  10  along a direction still normal to the application surface of said seal on said surface, and 
     a third rail  13  which ensures along a direction transversal to the vehicle a correct positioning of the carriage  8  with respect to the vehicle so that the seal is fully flush with the geometry of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. 
     On FIG. 4, the carriage  8  comprises guiding rollers co-operating bilaterally with the three rails  11 ,  12  and  13  respectively. 
     More specifically, the bilateral guiding rollers  14  co-operating with the first rail  11  have their axes  14   a  orthogonal to the axis  15   a  of the bilateral guiding rollers  15  co-operating with the second rail  12 . 
     As for the bilateral guiding rollers  16  co-operating with the third rail  13 , their axes  16   a  form an angle A with the axes  15   a  of the rollers  15  co-operating with the second rail  12 , this angle A being in the example shown about 40°. 
     As shown on FIG. 4, the carriage  8  is made up of two elements combined by an arm of similar element  17 , namely: 
     a first vertical element  18  bearing the bilateral rollers  14  and  15  associated with the first rail  11  and second rail  12  respectively, and 
     a second element  19  carrying the bilateral rollers  16  which are associated with the third rail  13 . This element  19  is slanted with respect to the first element  19  along an angle A which is clearly the same angle as the angle formed between the axes  16   a  of the roller  16  associated with the third rail  13  and the axes  15   a  of the rollers  15  associated with the second rail  12 . 
     In accordance with the invention, it is to be noted that the second slanted element  19  of the carriage  8  is equipped with a roller  20  for applying the seal  9  onto the receiving surface  10  of the body  4  of the vehicle. 
     The axis  20   a  of this roller is orthogonal to the axis  16   a  of the bilateral guiding rollers  16  co-operating with the third rail  13  so as to ensure along a direction transversal to the vehicle a correct positioning of the carriage so that the seal  9  is fully flush with the geometry of the vehicle. 
     The second or lower element  19  of the carriage  8  is translation-mobile with respect to the first element  18  along a direction forming with the first element an angle equal to the angle of inclination of the second element with respect to the first. This translation is provoked by the geometric variations of the third rail  13  when the carriage moves and ensures that the seal is still situated at the right of the receiving surface  10  and thus is still flush with the geometry of the passenger compartment side. 
     The application roller  20  has a throat  21  into which a portion  22  of the seal  9  penetrates so that said seal is correctly supported, applied and guided or positioned transversally on the receiving surface  10  along a direction still normal to the surface on which said seal is applied. 
     In accordance with the invention, the roller  20  for applying the seal  9  on the receiving surface  10  is driven in rotation by a motor shown at  23  on FIGS.  5  and  6  at a speed slightly faster than that of a simple free rolling of the carriage  8  on the jig  1 , as shall be explained later in detail. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show the motor  23 , which may be a pneumatic motor, which drives the roller  20  in rotation by means of a belt  24  mounted between said roller and a gear or similar element  25  fixed on the outlet shaft of the motor  23 . 
     Moreover, the roller  20  is mounted on an element  25   a  able to be activated by a jack  66  whose rod is shown at  67 , this jack  66  being of course integral with the carriage  8  and thus making it possible by means of the roller  20  to exert an application force of the seal  9  on the receiving surface  10 . 
     As can be seen on FIGS. 3 and 4, the shape of the cross section of the seal  9  is approximately an L, and as can be seen from left to right on FIG. 6, before being placed on the receiving surface  10 , this seal is orientated by an element  26  integral with the carriage  8  which also comprises fingers  27  for moving the two branches or lips of the seal to the correct position, after which the seal  9  is received in the throat  21  of the roller  20  so as to be able to be placed and applied on the receiving surface, as shown on the upper right portion of FIG.  6 . 
     With reference again to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the jig  1  is fitted with an adjustable suspended stop  28  able to co-operate with the body  24  of the vehicle so as to ensure the correct positioning of the jig  1  on said body, as shall be described later in detail. This stop  28  is integral with a piece of equipment  29  able to tilt vertically up or down by the fact that said stop  28  is carried by a unit  31  connected to a jack  30  borne by an arm  30   a,  this jack able to lift up the stop  28  and its support when the jig returns to its initial position between two consecutive vehicles. It shall be observed that the arm  30   a  is approximately parallel to the arm  3  supporting the jig  1 . 
     FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows brackets  32  integral with the jig  1  and making it possible to hook the latter on the roof  4   a  of the body  4  of the vehicle when said jig has been applied and positioned on the side of the body, as can be seen on FIG.  2 . Of course, without departing from the context of the invention, it is possible to use other means for hooking the jig  1  onto the body  4  of the vehicle. 
     FIG. 2 shows at  33  a motor for driving the carriage  8  (not shown on this figure for reasons of clarity) and whose outlet shaft  34  drives a chain, belt or similar element  35  positively connected to the carriage  8  and passing around a tensioning element  36 . 
     FIG. 2 also shows means  37  for adjusting the rails  11 ,  12  and  13 , said brackets  32  for hooking the jig  1  on the roof  4   a  of the body, and means  38  for positioning and locking the jig  1  on the middle foot  39  of the care body  4  according to a direction parallel to the median longitudinal axis of the body  4 . 
     After having described the device of the invention, there now follows a description of implementation of said device. 
     As can be seen on FIG. 1, with the aid of remote control, the operator places the device in a start position, that is basically the jig/carriage unit. 
     The stop  28  is lowered and placed in the active position shown on FIG.  2 . 
     The body  4 , which is on a production chain, moves continuously, from the left to the right as shown on FIG. 2, until its rear portion strikes the stop  28 . 
     The body  4  then drives the jig  1  with its associated carriage and the operator plates it according to a direction transversal to the vehicle along the body by applying a centering stop constituting said positioning means  38  on a body element integral with the receiving surface of the seal. Thus, the jig is auto-centred with respect to a cross axis of the vehicle. Secondly, the operator authorises a vertical descent of the jig  1  by means of the balancing jack  6  which makes it possible to place the hooking brackets  32  shown on FIG.  3 . This movement is made possible by a relative mobility of the centering stop  38  with respect to the jig  1  solely along a vertical direction. As the jig is now perfectly positioned and referenced with respect to the body  4 , the elements  32  and  38  ensure it is flanged on the latter. 
     It is to be noted that, prior to all the operations described above, the seal  9  has been inserted via its extremity inside the carriage  8 , the rest of the seal being placed freely in a support spout (not shown). 
     The operator is thus now able to trigger the positioning cycle and pressurizing the seal  9  with the aid of the jack  26  exerting pressure on the roller  20  which ensures fixing of the seal  9  by glueing on the receiving surface  10 . Then, by means of the relative movement of the carriage  8  with respect to the jig  1 , the seal  9  is fixed on said receiving surface. 
     Here it shall be observed that the seal  9  is preferably a self-adhesive seal fitted with a protection film which is of course removed before positioning the application roller  20  on the receiving surface. 
     At the end of the cycle, that is when the carriage  8  with its associated roller  20  will have applied the seal  9  over the entire length of the receiving surface, the operator removes the jig  1  by moving it away from the body of the vehicle, the stop  28  being separated from said body. 
     Here it is important to note that, according to an essential characteristic of the invention, the roller  20  for applying the seal  9  on the receiving surface  10  is subjected to a rotation torque tending to make it rotate faster than a simple free rolling of said roller on the seal. This is advantageously embodied by the motorisation of the roller  20  with the aid of the motor  23 , which compresses the seal in a longitudinal direction which reduces or indeed annuls elongation of the  5  seal according to requirements and prevents it from becoming detached from the receiving surface in the long run in certain delicate locations, such as the rounded portions of the latter. 
     In fact, as explained at the start of this description, when the seal is placed by hand or via the free rolling of a roller, the seal is compressed at the level of the roller which provokes an elongation of the latter which risks bringing about the drawbacks mentioned earlier, these being advantageously avoided by the present invention by means of motorising the application roller  20 . 
     Not only the separation stresses above are removed, but the fixing is extremely reliable owing to the significant glueing pressure and heating of the seal and the vehicle is advantageously removed. Any dilation of the seal and thus any possible cooling risking causing any ill-timed removal of the seal is advantageously avoided. 
     Of course, the invention is not merely limited to the embodiment shown and described which has been given solely by way of example. 
     On the contrary, the invention includes all the technical equivalents of the means described, as well as their combinations if these are carried out in accordance with the invention.