Lightweight adjustable positioning assistive device and method of use

Abstract

This invention discloses a lightweight adjustable positioning aid and its usage method. The device includes: an upper positioning mechanism for positioning the car roof and a lower positioning mechanism for positioning the car floor. The upper positioning mechanism includes an upper column, an upper positioning plate on the upper column, a pressure plate device and a positioning block on the upper positioning plate, and a guide rail on the upper column, for positioning the car roof. The lower positioning mechanism includes a lower column, a lower positioning plate at one end of the lower column, and a guide rail slider at the other end of the lower column, for positioning the car floor. The upper and lower positioning mechanisms are slidably connected, and their relative sliding adjustment devices can accommodate the different mounting bracket sizes for various car models. This effectively prevents welding deformation of the car floor during the installation and welding process of the gimbal bracket, ensuring the accurate relative position of the bracket and the roof mounting holes, and guaranteeing the welding precision of the gimbal bracket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automobile manufacturing technology, and more specifically, relates to a lightweight adjustable positioning aid and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing prevalence of gimbal devices in automobiles, their functions are being gradually developed and applied in various fields. Currently, some car models incorporate gimbal installation during manufacturing. A key concern is how to weld the gimbal bracket to the vehicle before it leaves the factory. Due to the precision requirements of automotive assembly, the placement of the gimbal bracket on the floor and the gimbal mounting holes on the roof requires high precision. However, welding deformation can occur during the welding process of both the roof and the floor, leading to a misalignment in the relative positions of the floor-mounted bracket and the roof.

[0003] Existing technologies involve pre-installing the mounting bracket of the gimbal device on the roof of the car and welding it into the roof. This installation method can effectively solve the problem of difficult positioning of the bracket, and when welding displacement occurs, the welding error can be reduced to within the design allowable range through some conventional methods.

[0004] However, for some applications where mounting brackets need to be fixed to the car floor without affecting the installation of gimbal equipment in the pre-drilled openings on the roof, existing welding methods are clearly insufficient to meet such precision requirements. A set of positioning aids adapted to these dimensional changes needs to be designed to ensure the welding of the mounting brackets and the accurate relative position of the brackets and the mounting holes on the roof. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned deficiencies or improvement needs of existing technologies, this invention provides a lightweight adjustable positioning aid and its usage method. The upper and lower positioning mechanisms are slidably connected, and their relative sliding adjustment devices adjust their lengths to accommodate mounting bracket sizes for different vehicle models. Simultaneously, by positioning the roof and fixing the vehicle floor, it effectively prevents welding deformation of the roof and floor during the installation and welding process of the gimbal bracket, thus avoiding significant deviations between the gimbal bracket's installation position on the floor and roof and its designed position, as well as misalignment of their relative positions. This ensures the accurate relative position of the bracket and the roof mounting holes, guaranteeing the precision of the gimbal bracket welding. To achieve the above objectives, according to a first aspect of this invention, a lightweight adjustable positioning aid is provided, comprising:

[0006] An upper positioning mechanism for positioning the car roof and a lower positioning mechanism for positioning the car floor;

[0007] The upper positioning mechanism includes an upper column, an upper positioning plate on the upper column, a pressure plate device and a positioning block on the upper positioning plate, and a guide rail on the upper column, to complete the positioning of the car roof.

[0008] The lower positioning mechanism includes a lower column, a lower positioning plate located at one end of the lower column, and a hand pin to position the car floor.

[0009] The upper positioning mechanism and the lower positioning mechanism are slidably connected in the middle. The length of the two is adjusted by the relative sliding adjustment device to accommodate the mounting bracket size of different vehicle models.

[0010] Furthermore, the pressure plate device includes:

[0011] A pressure plate base is provided on the upper positioning plate, a pressure plate is provided on the pressure plate base, a pressure plate pin is used to connect the pressure plate base and the pressure plate, and a pressure plate bolt is provided on the pressure plate;

[0012] Furthermore, the pressure plate is rotatable about the pressure plate pin;

[0013] The pressure plate is pressed against the car roof by the pressure plate bolt.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper positioning mechanism also includes:

[0015] The upper positioning plate is equipped with a positioning pin, two guide rail limiting blocks are fixed inside the upper column, the upper handle is fixed outside the upper column, a locking pin is installed at the lower end of the upper column, and a retaining ring is installed at the bottom of the upper column.

[0016] Furthermore, the guide rail limiting blocks are located at both ends of the guide rail to restrict relative movement of the guide rail.

[0017] Furthermore, the locking pin securely locks the upper positioning mechanism and the lower positioning mechanism together.

[0018] Furthermore, the lower positioning mechanism also includes:

[0019] A hand pin is provided on the lower positioning plate and a lower handle is provided on the lower column.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower positioning mechanism is positioned against the car floor via the hand pin.

[0021] Furthermore, the upper positioning mechanism and the lower positioning mechanism are slidably connected through the cooperation between the guide rail and the guide rail slider.

[0022] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of using a lightweight adjustable positioning aid is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0023] S100. Open the pressure plate and use the upper positioning plate, positioning block and positioning pin to locate the key mounting holes and mounting surfaces on the top cover. After positioning, close the pressure plate to clamp the top cover and lock it with the pressure plate bolt so that the whole device is suspended on the top cover.

[0024] S200. Based on the distance between the top cover and the floor, adjust the distance of the guide rail and guide rail slider to make a gap of about 5mm between the lower positioning plate and the mounting bracket of the gimbal equipment, so as to avoid inconvenient adjustment affecting the installation accuracy.

[0025] S300. Adjust the position of the lower positioning mechanism and position the mounting bracket to the designed installation position on the floor using the lower positioning plate and hand pin.

[0026] S400. After the mounting bracket is fixed, perform arc welding to fix it. After the spot welding is completed, remove this positioning tool and perform further welding on the mounting bracket.

[0027] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solutions conceived by this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0028] 1. The lightweight adjustable positioning aid of the present invention has an upper positioning mechanism and a lower positioning mechanism that are slidably connected in the middle. The length of the two is adjusted by relative sliding adjustment devices to accommodate the mounting bracket size of different vehicle models. At the same time, by positioning the roof and the floor of the car, it effectively prevents the roof and floor from deforming during the installation and welding process of the gimbal bracket, which would cause a large deviation between the installation position of the gimbal bracket on the floor and the design position, and the relative position of the two from being misaligned. This ensures the accuracy of the relative position of the bracket and the mounting hole of the roof, and ensures the welding precision of the gimbal bracket.

[0029] 2. The lightweight adjustable positioning aid of the present invention has an upper and lower positioning mechanism that can extend and retract through guide rails and sliders, and is locked by locking pins. This ensures that positioning can be completed under different vehicle sizes, while ensuring that no relative displacement occurs during welding, thus ensuring the welding accuracy of the gimbal equipment mounting bracket.

[0030] 3. The upper and lower positioning plates of the present invention are provided with multiple positioning holes to ensure that positioning can be completed under different vehicle sizes, while ensuring that no relative displacement occurs during the welding process, thus ensuring the welding accuracy of the gimbal equipment mounting bracket.

[0031] 4. The pressure plate device of the present invention uses a pressure plate to tighten and position the car roof during positioning, and at the same time uses a pressure plate and a pressure plate bolt to lock it, ensuring the positioning accuracy of the positioning aid, and allowing the lower positioning mechanism to extend and retract freely, flexibly operating the positioning between the support and the floor. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the upper positioning mechanism of a lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower positioning mechanism of a lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pressure plate device structure of a lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same technical features, specifically: 1-upper positioning mechanism, 101-upper positioning plate, 102-pressure plate device, 1021-pressure plate base, 1022-pressure plate, 1023-pressure plate pin, 1024-pressure plate bolt, 103-positioning block, 104-positioning pin, 105-upper column, 106-guide rail limiting block, 107-guide rail, 108-upper handle, 109-locking pin, 110-ring, 2-lower positioning mechanism, 201-hand pin, 202-lower positioning plate, 203-lower handle, 204-lower column, 205-guide rail slider. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of this invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0039] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a lightweight adjustable positioning aid, which includes an upper positioning mechanism 1 and a lower positioning mechanism 2 located below the upper positioning mechanism 1 and cooperating with it. The upper positioning mechanism 1 positions the upper end of the gimbal bracket to the car roof, and the lower positioning mechanism 2 positions the lower end of the gimbal bracket to the car floor. This positioning aid synchronously positions the upper and lower ends of the gimbal bracket to a preset installation position. The upper and lower positioning mechanisms are slidably connected, and their relative sliding adjustment devices can accommodate the mounting bracket sizes of different car models. Simultaneously, the positioning of the car roof and the car floor effectively prevent welding deformation of the gimbal bracket during installation and welding, which could lead to significant deviations between the installation position and design position of the gimbal bracket on the floor and roof, and misalignment of their relative positions. This ensures the accurate relative position of the bracket and the mounting holes on the roof, guaranteeing the welding precision of the gimbal bracket.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper positioning mechanism 1 includes an upper column 105 that provides overall support, an upper positioning plate 101 fixed to the upper column 105, a pressure plate device 102 and a positioning block 103 fixed to the upper positioning plate 101, a positioning pin 104 installed on the upper positioning plate 101, two guide rail limiting blocks 106 fixed inside the upper column 105, a guide rail 107 fixed between the guide rail limiting blocks 106, an upper handle 108 fixed outside the upper column 105, a locking pin 109 installed at the lower end of the upper column 105, and a retaining ring 110 installed at the lowest end of the upper column 105.

[0041] The upper column 105 is a hollow square tube structure with three closed sides, one side left open for easy connection with the lower positioning mechanism 2, and has openings on the side. The upper positioning plate 101 is a cross-shaped plate structure with multiple holes on its surface, connecting to the top of the upper column 105, and has multiple triangular reinforcing ribs between them. The reinforcing ribs are bolted to both the upper column 105 and the upper positioning plate 101, making the connection more stable, enhancing the load-bearing capacity of the upper positioning plate 101, and increasing the usable area of ​​the upper positioning plate 101. Multiple positioning blocks 103 are bolted to the four ends of the upper positioning plate 101. Each positioning block 103 is a strip-shaped platform structure with multiple countersunk holes for bolt fixing. A positioning pin mounting hole is provided at the connection between the positioning block 103 and the upper positioning plate 101. The positioning block 103 has multiple mounting holes on one side. When in use, auxiliary blocks and other auxiliary positioning structures are installed in the mounting holes to effectively prevent the device from shaking when suspended on the car roof, which would affect the positioning effect.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown, the pressure plate device 102 is fixed to both ends of the positioning plate 101 to ensure accurate positioning of the gimbal bracket and the car roof. It includes a pressure plate base 1021 fixed to the upper positioning plate 101, a pressure plate 1022 mounted on the pressure plate base 1021, a pressure plate pin 1023 for connecting the pressure plate base 1021 and the pressure plate 1022, and a pressure plate bolt 1024 mounted on the pressure plate 1022. The pressure plate base 1021 is an aviation-grade aluminum base plate with multiple through holes for bolt fixation to the upper positioning plate. The aviation-grade aluminum base plate has arched frames on both sides, each with through holes. The pressure plate 1022 is a plate-shaped structure with a central hole and one end protruding downwards. The protruding part has a transverse hole. The pressure plate pin 1023 connects the two parts movably, allowing the pressure plate 1022 to rotate along the pin to open and close, giving the pressure plate device better adaptability and ensuring its stability and accuracy during positioning. The positioning bolt 1024 is installed at the central through hole of the pressure plate 1022, pressing the pressure plate 1022 against the upper positioning plate 101 through its own threads. This allows the entire device to be stably suspended on the car roof, achieving precise positioning of the gimbal bracket and the car roof. The pressure plate device 102 of this invention has excellent positioning accuracy and flexibility. The high-precision positioning of the positioning aid is ensured by the clamping and positioning of the pressure plate and the car roof, as well as the locking mechanism between the pressure plate and the pressure plate bolt. At the same time, the free telescopic design of the lower positioning mechanism makes the positioning between the operating bracket and the floor more flexible, suitable for the installation of gimbal brackets of different heights on various car models.

[0043] The positioning pin 104 is installed at the connection opening between the upper positioning plate 101 and the positioning block 103. When the pressure plate device 2 clamps the car roof, the positioning pin adjusts its height to hold the pressure plate 1022 in place, ensuring a good clamping gap between the pressure plate and the car roof. This allows the positioning auxiliary device to better perform its function, ensuring that the car roof can be stably and accurately positioned and clamped under the action of the pressure plate device. This improves the positioning and clamping accuracy, making the entire operation process more stable and reliable.

[0044] Two guide rail limiting blocks 106 are used together. They are block-shaped alloy structures with at least two countersunk holes on their surfaces. One block is bolted to the upper inner part of the hollow section of the upper column 105, and the other is bolted to the bottom of the hollow section of the upper column 105, preventing relative movement of the guide rail limiting blocks 106 during use. A guide rail 107 is located between the two guide rail limiting blocks 106, with inwardly formed grooves on both sides and multiple evenly spaced countersunk holes within the grooves. The guide rail 107 is bolted to the inner side of the hollow section of the upper column 105. The guide rail limiting blocks 106 limit the guide rail 107 to its designed position, preventing it from falling off or shifting during use, which would adversely affect the use of the device. The upper handle 108 is welded to the outer side of the upper column 105, facilitating the transportation and operation of the upper positioning mechanism 1. The locking pin 109 is located on one end, with a handle for easy tightening, and the other end has an anti-slip cap for more effective tightening. The locking pin 109 has threads that pass through a pre-drilled hole on the upper column 105 to lock the lower positioning mechanism 2. The retaining ring 110 is located at both ends of the locking pin 109. The upper and lower positioning mechanisms can extend and retract via guide rails and sliders, and are locked by the locking pin, ensuring positioning for different vehicle sizes while preventing relative displacement during welding, thus guaranteeing the welding accuracy of the gimbal mounting bracket.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the lower positioning mechanism 2 includes a lower column 204 that supports the entire mechanism, a lower positioning plate 202 fixed to the bottom of the lower column 204, a hand pin 201 mounted on the lower positioning plate 202, a lower handle 203 fixed to the lower column 204, and a guide rail slider 205 fixed to the lower column 204.

[0046] The lower support column 204 is a T-shaped structure with the same width as the side opening of the upper support column 105. The lower positioning plate 202 is a square plate with multiple holes and shallow grooves on its surface. The T-shaped structure of the lower support column 204 is inserted into the groove and connected to it. Triangular reinforcing ribs are installed between the two, and bolts are used to connect the reinforcing ribs to the lower support column 204 and the lower positioning plate 202 respectively, making the connection more stable and the positioning effect more reliable. The hand pin 201 has a round upper and pointed lower structure. When in use, it is inserted by hand into the reserved positioning hole of the lower positioning plate 202 and the floor positioning point to complete the positioning between the gimbal bracket and the car floor. There are multiple guide rail sliders 205, located at the upper end of the lower support column 204, and the surface is grooved along the direction of the lower support column 204. The size and shape of the groove are the same as the cross-section of the guide rail. Holes are made in the grooves and fixed to the lower support column 204 with at least two bolts to prevent relative displacement during use.

[0047] In use, the lower positioning mechanism 2 slides upward along the track 107 from the lower end of the upper positioning mechanism 1. The guide rail slider 205 cooperates with the guide rail 107, allowing them to slide relative to each other on the same axis without affecting positioning in other directions. After the entire device extends or retracts to the required length, the lower column 204 is locked by the locking pin 109. This allows for free extension and retraction of the entire device, suitable for installation on gimbal brackets of different heights for various vehicle models.

[0048] Preferably, the upper positioning plate 105 and the lower positioning plate 204 are provided with multiple pin holes to address the issue of inconsistent positions and numbers of positioning holes for the gimbal bracket on different vehicle models. The invention provides multiple positioning holes on both the upper and lower positioning plates, ensuring positioning can be achieved for different vehicle sizes while preventing relative displacement during welding, thus guaranteeing the welding accuracy of the gimbal bracket.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the method of using a lightweight adjustable positioning aid includes the following steps:

[0050] S100. Open the pressure plate 1022, and position the key mounting holes and mounting surfaces on the top cover through the upper positioning plate 101, positioning block 103 and positioning pin 104. After positioning, close the pressure plate 1022 to clamp the top cover and lock it with the pressure plate bolt 1024 so that the whole device is suspended on the top cover.

[0051] S200. Based on the distance between the top cover and the floor, adjust the distance of the device through the guide rail 107 and the guide rail slider 205 so that there is a gap of about 5mm between the lower positioning plate 202 and the mounting bracket of the gimbal equipment, so as to avoid inconvenient adjustment affecting the installation accuracy.

[0052] S300. Adjust the position of the lower positioning mechanism 2, and position the mounting bracket to the designed installation position on the floor through the lower positioning plate 202 and the hand pin 201.

[0053] S400. After the mounting bracket is fixed, perform arc welding to fix it. After the spot welding is completed, remove this positioning tool and perform further welding on the mounting bracket.

[0054] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid, characterized in that, include: An upper positioning mechanism (1) for positioning the car roof and a lower positioning mechanism (2) for positioning the car floor; The upper positioning mechanism (1) includes an upper column (105), an upper positioning plate (101) on the upper column (105), a pressure plate device (102) and a positioning block (103) on the upper positioning plate (101), and a guide rail (107) on the upper column (105), which together complete the positioning of the car roof; The lower positioning mechanism (2) includes a lower column (204), a lower positioning plate (202) located at one end of the lower column (204), and a hand pin (201) on the lower positioning plate (202), which are used to jointly complete the positioning of the car floor. The upper positioning mechanism (1) and the lower positioning mechanism (2) are slidably connected in the middle. The length of the two is adjusted by the relative sliding adjustment device to accommodate the size of the mounting bracket for different vehicle models. At the same time, the positioning of the roof and the positioning of the car floor ensure the welding accuracy of the gimbal bracket.

2. The lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure plate device (102) includes: A pressure plate base (1021) is provided on the upper positioning plate (101), a pressure plate (1022) is provided on the pressure plate base (1021), a pressure plate pin (1023) for connecting the pressure plate base (1021) and the pressure plate (1022), and a pressure plate bolt (1024) is provided on the pressure plate (1022).

3. The lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure plate (1022) can rotate around the pressure plate pin (1023); The pressure plate (1022) is pressed against the car roof by the pressure plate bolt (1024).

4. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The upper positioning mechanism (1) also includes: The positioning pin (104) installed on the upper positioning plate (101), the two guide rail limiting blocks (106) fixed inside the upper column (105), the upper handle (108) fixed outside the upper column (105), the locking pin (109) installed at the lower end of the upper column (105), and the retaining ring (110) installed at the lowest end of the upper column (105).

5. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guide rail limiting block (106) is located at both ends of the guide rail (107) to restrict the relative movement of the guide rail (107).

6. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking pin (109) securely locks the upper positioning mechanism (1) and the lower positioning mechanism (2).

7. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The lower positioning mechanism (2) also includes: The guide rail slider (205) is provided on the lower positioning plate (202) and the lower handle (203) is provided on the lower column (204).

8. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lower positioning mechanism (2) is positioned with the car floor by means of the hand pin (201).

9. A lightweight adjustable positioning aid according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The upper positioning mechanism (1) and the lower positioning mechanism (2) are slidably connected through the cooperation between the guide rail (107) and the guide rail slider (205).

10. A method of using a lightweight adjustable positioning aid as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S100. Open the pressure plate (1022), and use the upper positioning plate (101), positioning block (103) and positioning pin (104) to position the key mounting holes and mounting surfaces on the top cover. After positioning, close the pressure plate (1022) to clamp the top cover and lock it with the pressure plate bolt (1024) so ​​that the whole device is suspended on the top cover. S200. Based on the distance between the top cover and the floor, adjust the distance between the guide rail (107) and the guide rail slider (205) to make the gap between the lower positioning plate (202) and the mounting bracket of the gimbal equipment about 5mm, so as to avoid the inconvenience of adjustment affecting the installation accuracy. S300. Adjust the position of the lower positioning mechanism (2) and position the mounting bracket to the designed installation position on the floor using the lower positioning plate (202) and the hand pin (201). S400. After the mounting bracket is fixed, perform arc welding to fix it. After the spot welding is completed, remove this positioning tool and perform further welding on the mounting bracket.

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