Patents Assigned to Variant Corporation
  • Patent number: 7685699
    Abstract: A vehicle framing system for framing an automotive vehicle body from a plurality of separate body components wherein the body components each include a reference surface. The system includes an assembly station having spaced-apart frame members positioned so that, when a vehicle carrier supporting the vehicle body components is positioned at the assembly station, the frame members extend along opposite sides of the vehicle carrier. At least two docking stations are secured to each frame member at predetermined locations. A robot mounts its associated tool arm with a docking station. At least one set of reference block and framing clamp is secured to each tool arm and these framing clamps maintain the reference surfaces of the vehicle body components against the reference blocks to hold the vehicle components at a predetermined position relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Variant Corporation
    Inventors: Dominique Baulier, Mihaela Petrescu, Thomas Stein, Justyna Klapacz