Patent Application - PANEL POSITIONING APPARATUS AND PANEL INTEGRATION METHOD > Claims

1. A panel positioning apparatus (1) in which an inner panel (12) is overlaid onto an outer panel (11) and a positioning of the outer panel (11) and the inner panel (12) with each other is performed, the apparatus comprising: an outer panel supporting device (20) adapted to support the outer panel (11) from a lower side of the outer panel (11); andan inner panel supporting device (30) adapted to support the inner panel (12) from an upper side of the inner panel (12),wherein the outer panel supporting device (20) has a lower-surface contact section (23, 26) adapted to abut against a lower surface of the outer panel (11), andwherein the inner panel supporting device (30) has an upper-surface contact section (344, 364) adapted to expose below the inner panel (12) and to abut against an upper surface of apart of the outer panel (12) against which the lower-surface contact section (23, 26) abuts.
2. A panel integration method of overlaying an inner panel (12) onto an outer panel (11) and bending a peripheral part (112) of the outer panel (11) so as to integrate the outer panel (11) and the inner panel (12) with each other, the method comprising: supporting the outer panel (11) from a lower side of the outer panel (11) by an outer panel supporting device (20), and abutting a lower-surface contact section (23, 26) of the outer panel supporting device (20) against a lower surface of the outer panel (11);supporting the inner panel (12) from an upper side of the inner panel (12) by an inner panel supporting device (30) at a part (112A, 112B) not located at a peripheral part, and exposing an upper-surface contact section (344, 364) of the inner panel supporting device (30) below the inner panel (12);relatively moving the outer panel supporting device (20) and the inner panel supporting device (30) so as to overlay the outer panel (11) and the inner panel (12) with each other, and pinching the outer panel (11) by the lower-surface contact section (23, 26) and the upper-surface contact section (334, 364); andbending the peripheral part (112) of the outer panel (11).
- 3. The panel integration method according to claim 2, wherein the upper-surface contact section (334, 364) exposes below the inner panel (12) by inserting the upper-surface contact section (334, 364) through opening (121) of the inner panel (12).