Process for manufacturing a prefabricated vehicle door module

Details Process for manufacturing a prefabricated vehicle door module Process for manufacturing a prefabricated vehicle door module

1998-12-15

2001-06-05

Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3729)

Metal working

Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...

Separate tool stations for selective or successive operation...

C029S564100, C029S857000, C029S860000, C029S430000, C029S771000, C029S783000, C029S784000, C029S787000, C029S791000, C029S795000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06240618

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a prefabricated motor vehicle door module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,842, a modular construction vehicle door and method for manufacturing the door are known. An assembly plate is provided for holding mechanical and/or electrical components. The fitting out of the assembly plate takes place in a preassembly line before it is supplied to the main assembly line of the vehicle for installation into the door.
The support plate is to consist of at least one layer made by injection moulding and is to support a drive for a window regulator mechanism. Furthermore, the support plate can also have a locking mechanism, an electronics module, and switch and electric cable which are associated with indentations, guides or positioning walls.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,109, a modular construction motor vehicle door is known having a support plate wherein a cable tree is mounted on the support plate with electrical connectors which are associated with appropriate electrical plug connections on a rigid door body. These plug connections are connected to a number of electrical components which are fixed on the door body. When mounting the support plate on the frame structure of the door there is an engagement between the opposing plug elements, wherein the plug connectors of the support plate can execute a lateral relative movement in order to produce tolerance compensation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to make the manufacture of prefabricated door modules for motor vehicle doors fitted with several electrical components more effective and thus to lower production costs.
The electrical leads or cables required for fitting out the relevant door module are ready made in precise sequence in a cable production line at the side of the main assembly line. These cables are supplied to the relevant door module preferably in sets and then installed. An electronic data processing unit controls the main assembly line of the door modules and the cable production line. The accurate matching of the cable production to the requirements of the door module variations from the point of view of timing and sequence is absolutely essential for a successful execution of the process.
With such a procedure, it is possible to provide the electrical leads as individual connections between the electrical components which are to be connected. In the present invention, the electrical leads are not combined into complex cable trees, as is usual. By replacing the cable trees with prefabricated individual connections, it is possible to save expensive manual work and material. In particular, the bands will no longer be needed for wrapping round the lead wires.
The production of the electric leads and cables required comprises basically the following steps: first at the start of the cable production line, the types of cable which have been previously fixed are prepared. For example, the cables are sorted out according to the cross-section of the lead, the number of wires and the color. The cable ends are supplied to an automatic production machine which diverts the lead pieces required and prepares the lead ends for contacting the door module support. This means that the lead ends are coated with tin, compacted or provided with a plug connection depending on the type of contacting chosen, for example soldering, ultrasonic welding or push-fit connection.
Preparing the cable, thus produced for assembly on the main assembly line of the door module, can be carried out according to a variation of the invention immediately from the cable production device whereby the cable production line can be kept very short. If an automatic assembly machine is to undertake the laying and contacting of the cable on the door module support, then the transfer of cable from the production device must ensure that the automatic assembly machine always grips the cables which are appropriate for the electrical components. To this end, for example, the ready-made cables can be laid down on a pre-holding tray divided into sectors whereby each cable is associated with a certain sector. If, moreover, the cable ends are fixed in predetermined positions, then this ensures problem-free access by the automatic assembly machine.
Naturally, the method according to the invention can also be carried out in two parallel production lines wherein the fitting out of the door module with the individual function systems, more particularly with the electrical components, and the cable production, run parallel until a fully equipped door module and a complete cable set are available and can be brought together.
Deciding on which selected method variation is to be used requires consideration of the entire conception of the unit. Special significance must be attached to the slowest method step. In the event that, for example, the performance capacity of the cable production and the cable assembly is twice as great as the performance capacity of preparing door modules with prefitted components, then the cable production line could serve two parallel main assembly lines.
The contacting of the cable ends with the associated electrical components is preferably carried out from a uniform assembly direction running substantially at right angles to the plane of the support plate. The contact spots of the electrical components are prepared accordingly. A door electronics unit which can be integrated in the drive unit for an electrical window regulator preferably serves the central supply of the electrical components with energy and, where applicable, with signals. The electronics unit itself is supplied from a main cable wire to whose main plug connection the dashboard network of the vehicle can be connected. When designing the main cable wire using multiplex technology it is possible to significantly reduce the number of leads. Although the use of several different production techniques, for example soldering, ultrasound welding and plug connection, increases the cost of production compared with the use of only one single contacting technique, this can nevertheless be of advantage when taking into account other aspects, such as for example service friendly maintenance. Thus the following concepts can also be considered:
a) The contacting of the cable with the electrical components is carried out by a cost-effective connection technique which itself cannot be released, such as soldering, whilst the other lead ends are attached to the electronics unit by means of push-fit plug connections. In the event of a failure of one of the electrical components this could be exchanged with the cable.
b) In the reverse case, where all the cables are soldered to the electronics unit and the cable ends associated with the electrical components are provided with plug connections, the cable remains when replacing one of the electrical components. However, with a failure of the electronics unit, all the cables would be lost.
c) Starting from variation b), it is also possible to replace the solder connections on the electronics unit by connections with a cut/clamp technique. This ensures that the electrical connections are protected from moisture.


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