Vehicle body panel assembly

Details Vehicle body panel assembly Vehicle body panel assembly

1997-12-02

2001-03-27

Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)

Motor vehicles

Bodies

Movable body portion facilitating engine access

C180S069210, C296S190050, C296S190050, C029S468000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206122

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle body panel assembly for a vehicle having a chassis, and to a method for assembling the same. The invention is particularly suited to a tractor engine hood or bonnet assembly.
A problem encountered when assembling two or more body panels to a frame is that of aligning the panels with respect to each other, so that a uniform small gap is maintained between the edges of the respective panels. The problem is particularly apparent when the precise position and orientation of a given panel is determined by a mounting point or points remote from an edge of that panel which needs to be lined up closely with an adjacent panel. The problem is also more evident in assemblies where one of the panels needs to be easily released by some latching means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to alleviate the problem at least in part.
To this end, a body panel assembly is provided for a vehicle having a chassis, the assembly comprising:
(a) a frame which is, in use, fast with respect to the chassis;
(b) a first body panel secured with respect to the frame;
(c) an alignment member secured to the frame by adjustable fastening means which permit adjustment of the relative positions of the alignment member and frame; and
(d) a second body panel mounted on the alignment member;
whereby, in use, the first and second body panels may be located with respect to each other by adjusting the position of the alignment member with respect to the frame.
It will be appreciated that this arrangement permits adjustments to the position and orientation of the second panel to be made to ensure that the edges of the first and second panels are accurately aligned. Accurate alignment of the panels is obviously important for aesthetic reasons, and also to ensure that the panel assembly is providing the intended degree of protection from weather, etc, to the interior space defined within the assembly.
The invention defined above is particularly useful when the second body panel needs to be releasably mounted, since a releasable latch assembly can be mounted on the alignment member.
Preferably, the alignment member is pivotally secured to the frame adjacent a first substantially straight edge of the second body panel whereby the alignment member is pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the said edge until secured by the said adjustable fastening means.
This arrangement is particularly useful where the precise dimensions of the gap between the adjacent panels is not critical but it is important that the gap is uniform all the way along the adjacent edges of the respective panels. The permanent pivotal connection between the alignment member and frame along one edge of the second panel fixes the position of that edge of the second panel. To align a roughly perpendicular edge of the second panel with another panel, it is necessary only to rotate the alignment member until the gap between the adjacent panel edges is uniform. This obviously simplifies the alignment procedure by reducing the number of degrees of freedom of the alignment member.
An alternative is for the alignment member to be mounted on the frame, such that the adjustment permitted by the adjustable fastening means constitutes sliding in a plane substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the second panel.
Again, this arrangement involves limiting the degrees of freedom for the alignment member and therefore simplifies the alignment operation. With this arrangement, the second panel may be mounted directly to the frame at a mounting point or points adjacent one edge of the panel, and the position of the opposite edge of the panel, which is mounted on the alignment member, determined by the adjustable fastening means.
Another possibility is to provide close tolerance apertures in the first body panel and alignment member respectively, a corresponding aperture of large dimensions being provided in the frame, whereby during assembly the relative positions of the first panel and alignment member may be set by inserting an aligning rod, whose dimensions closely match the said close tolerance apertures, through the said apertures in the first panel, frame and alignment member respectively.
This arrangement may be useful when the degrees of freedom of the alignment member are not restricted by mounting it for pivotal or sliding movement only.
According to the invention, a method is also provided with optional features set out in the claims dependent thereon.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1213401 (1917-01-01), Neveu
patent: 2962107 (1960-11-01), Mihal et al.
patent: 3815701 (1974-06-01), Mayhew
patent: 4969533 (1990-11-01), Holm et al.
patent: 5123695 (1992-06-01), Kanemitsu et al.
patent: 5181304 (1993-01-01), Piotrowski
patent: 5271473 (1993-12-01), Ikeda et al.
patent: 5358304 (1994-10-01), Kanemitsu et al.
patent: 6030029 (2000-02-01), Tsuda et al.
patent: 2242168 (1991-09-01), None

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