Method for mounting the air guide device on the vehicle

Abstract

Method for mounting a body structure of a vehicle on an air guide device (10), comprising at least the following steps: Providing the vehicle's body structure, Providing the air guidance device (10), wherein the air guidance device (10) comprises at least the following assemblies: a mounting bracket (11) on which the air guide device (10) can be mounted to the body structure of the vehicle, an air guide element (13) that can be moved between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position, several guide arms (15) over which the air guide element (13) can be moved, Mounting the mounting bracket (11) and the control arms (15) mounted on the mounting bracket (11) to the body structure, Providing mounting brackets (16), each having a plate-like mounting body (17) and several upward-facing projections (18) with first recesses (19) relative to the plate-like mounting body (17) in the installation position in the vehicle, mounting the respective mounting bracket (16) with or without play to upward-facing projections (20) of an adjacent control arm (15) which has second recesses (21) in the installation position in the vehicle, and mounting a mounting jig (23) firmly or without play to the mounting bracket (16), wherein fastening means (22) extend through the recesses (19, 21) of the adjacent projections (18, 20) of the respective mounting bracket (16) and the respective adjacent control arm (15), and wherein the first recesses (19) or the second recesses (21) are designed as elongated holes, Aligning the mounting brackets (16) to the control arms (15) to adjust a gap dimension between the mounting jig (23) and the body structure, free-running or tight mounting of the mounting brackets (16) on the control arms (15) after adjusting the gap between the mounting jig (23) and the body structure, Disassembling the mounting jig (23) from the mounting brackets (16), Mounting the air guide element (13) to the mounting brackets (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for mounting the air guiding device on the vehicle.

[0002] DE 10 2010 000 634 A1 discloses a vehicle with an air deflector designed as a rear spoiler module. The air deflector or rear spoiler module is mounted on a vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket accommodates a spoiler that can be moved between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position. The air deflector is a preassembled unit, with the mounting bracket being mounted in the body shell via centering units and thus centered on the body structure.

[0003] DE 10 2011 101 125 A1 discloses an adjustable air deflector for a motor vehicle and a method for assembling the adjustable air deflector. The adjustable air deflector known from this prior art has at least one joint arrangement attached to the body for the spatial movement of a support element, as well as a spoiler blade. The spoiler blade is mounted using a compensating element. The support element and compensating element each have a section running parallel to the spoiler blade and an angled section, wherein the angled sections can be fixed in a variable position relative to one another by at least one connecting means.

[0004] Another vehicle with an air deflector is known from DE 10 2011 001 054 A1. The air deflector can be attached to the body structure by means of a device, which has means for suspending the air deflector at one end and connecting means for connecting the air deflector to the device at an opposite end.

[0005] DE 103 09 369 A1 discloses another vehicle with an air guiding device. The air guiding device comprises a mounting bracket, via which the air guiding device can be mounted on a body structure of the vehicle, an air guiding element displaceable between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position, and a plurality of links, via which the air guiding element can be displaced. Mounting brackets are shown, each mounting bracket having a plate-like base body that runs horizontally in the installed position in the vehicle and downward-facing projections that are angled relative to the plate-like base body in the installed position in the vehicle. An adjacent link is mounted to the downward-facing projections of the respective mounting bracket via fastening means.

[0006] DE 10 2016 118 889 A1 discloses another vehicle with an air guiding device. The air guiding device comprises a mounting bracket, via which the air guiding device can be mounted on a body structure of the vehicle, an air guiding element that can be moved between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position, and a plurality of links via which the air guiding element can be moved. Articulation means made of articulated elements are shown. The articulated elements have horizontally extending sections in the installed position in the vehicle and a downwardly directed section, angled relative to the horizontally extending sections, in the installed position in the vehicle.

[0007] DE 10 2011 089 015 A1 discloses further prior art.

[0008] With previously known air deflectors, the precise installation of the air deflector on the vehicle poses difficulties, particularly the provision of precise gap dimensions between the air deflector and an adjacent body structure. To achieve this, it has previously been necessary to repeatedly retract and extend the movable air deflector element of a vehicle-mounted air deflector in order to change the connection to the air deflector's control arms when the air deflector element is extended and to subsequently check the gap dimension again when the element is retracted. This iterative process is time-consuming and may have to be performed multiple times. This is a disadvantage.

[0009] There is a need for a method for mounting the air deflector on a vehicle that allows the air deflector to be mounted on the vehicle more precisely with a desired gap to an adjacent body structure, without the need for iterative correction of a possibly incorrect gap.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a method for mounting the air guiding device on the vehicle.

[0011] This object is achieved by a method according to patent claim 1.

[0012] The air guiding device to be mounted has at least two mounting brackets for fastening the air guiding element to adjacent links. Each mounting bracket has a plate-like mounting body, via which the respective mounting bracket is mounted to the air guiding element. Each mounting bracket further has a plurality of upwardly directed projections, angled relative to the plate-like mounting body, with first recesses. The respective mounting bracket is fastened to the projections of the same, corresponding, upwardly directed projections of an adjacent link, which has second recesses. Fastening means extend through the recesses of adjacent projections of the respective mounting bracket and the respective adjacent link. The first recesses or the second recesses are designed as elongated holes.

[0013] Mounting brackets are therefore used to mount the air guiding device on the body structure of the vehicle, each mounting bracket having at least one plate-like mounting body and a plurality of projections angled relative to the plate-like mounting body and directed upwards in the installed position.

[0014] These projections of the mounting brackets provide first recesses that interact with the second recesses of the projections of the link to which the respective mounting body is to be connected. The second recesses are formed in corresponding, upwardly directed projections of the respective link.

[0015] Either the first recesses or the second recesses are designed as elongated holes in order to align the respective mounting angle relative to the respective handlebar during assembly and thus ultimately to set an exact gap for the air guide device attached to the body structure.

[0016] The upward projections of the respective mounting bracket and the respective control arm are easily accessible for a technician. Using an assembly jig whose dimensions correspond to the air deflector of the air deflection device, the respective mounting bracket can be precisely aligned with the respective control arm. An air deflector mounted on the mounting brackets instead of the assembly jig then has the desired gap to the adjacent body structure.

[0017] The method according to the invention for mounting the air guiding device on the vehicle comprises at least the following steps: Providing a body structure of a vehicle.

[0018] Providing the air guiding device, wherein the air guiding device has at least the following assemblies: the mounting support, via which the air guiding device can be mounted on the body structure of the vehicle, the air guiding element which can be displaced between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position, the plurality of links which can be displaced via the air guiding element.

[0019] Mounting the mounting bracket and the control arms mounted on the mounting bracket to the body structure.

[0020] Providing the mounting brackets, each having a plate-like mounting body and a plurality of upwardly directed projections.

[0021] Mounting the mounting brackets on the handlebars with play or loosely and mounting a mounting jig on the mounting bracket without play or tightly.

[0022] Aligning the mounting brackets to the control arms to set a gap between the assembly jig and the body structure.

[0023] Play-free or tight mounting of the mounting brackets on the handlebars after adjusting the gap between the mounting jig and the body structure.

[0024] Dismantle the assembly jig from the mounting brackets.

[0025] Mount the air guide element to the mounting brackets.

[0026] This method allows an air guiding device to be mounted particularly advantageously on a vehicle while ensuring an exact gap to an adjacent body structure.

[0027] Preferred developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail, without being limited thereto, with reference to the drawings. Herein: Fig. 1 a section of a vehicle in the area of ​​a mounting support, a cover of the mounting support, links and a mounting bracket of an air guiding device; Fig. 2 the section of the Fig. 1 with relocated handlebars and relocated mounting angle; Fig. 3 an enlarged detail of the Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a handlebar and a mounting bracket in individual representation; Fig. 5 assemblies of the air guiding device together with an assembly template; Fig. 6 the view of the Fig. 5 without assembly template but together with a lower shell of an air guiding element of the air guiding device; Fig. 7 the view of the Fig. 6 together with an upper shell of the air guiding element of the air guiding device; and Fig. 8 a cross section through Fig. 7.

[0028] The invention relates to a method for mounting the air guiding device on the vehicle. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of an air guiding device 10 for a vehicle, namely for a passenger car, which is to be mounted in a rear region of the vehicle on a body structure of the vehicle, in particular behind a rear window of the vehicle. Fig. 8 shows a cross section through the air guiding device 10 of the Fig. 7.

[0029] The air guiding device 10 has a mounting bracket 11. The air guiding device 10 can be mounted on a body structure (not shown) of the motor vehicle via the mounting bracket 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting bracket 11 is covered by a cover 12 to improve the visual appearance when the air guiding device 10 assumes an extended position.

[0030] In addition to the mounting bracket 11, via which the air guiding device 10 can be mounted on a vehicle body structure, the air guiding device 10 has an air guiding element 13 that can be displaced between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position. A displacement kinematics system 14, which has a plurality of links 15, is used to displace the air guiding element 10 between the retracted rest position and the extended operating position. Via the links 15, the air guiding element 13 of the air guiding device 10 can be displaced in a defined manner between the retracted rest position and the extended operating position, wherein the air guiding element 13 is coupled to the mounting bracket 11 via the links 15.The mounting bracket 11 accommodates a non-visible drive to provide drive power for the displacement of the air guide element 13, wherein the non-visible drive acts on the air guide element 13 via the links 15 of the displacement kinematics 14.

[0031] The air guiding device 10 must be mounted on the vehicle with an exact gap, in particular of the air guiding element 13, to an adjacent body structure.

[0032] The air guiding device 10 has at least two mounting brackets 16 for mounting the air guiding element 13 on the links 15 of the displacement kinematics 14. Each mounting bracket 16 has a plate-like mounting body 17 and several, preferably two, projections 18 that are angled relative to the plate-like mounting body 17 and point upwards in the installed position in the vehicle. These projections 18 of the mounting brackets 16 have first recesses 19.

[0033] The respective mounting bracket 16 is mounted on the air guide element 13 via the plate-like mounting body 17 thereof. Furthermore, the respective mounting bracket 16 is connected to an adjacent link 15 of the displacement kinematics 14 via the projections 18, which are angled relative to the plate-like mounting body 17 and directed upwards in the installed position, namely to the projections 20 of the respective adjacent link 15, which correspond to the projections 18 of the mounting bracket 16 and are also directed upwards in the installed position, wherein these projections 20 of the adjacent link 15 provide second recesses 21.

[0034] In the embodiment shown, fastening means 22 designed as mounting screws extend through the recesses 19 and 21 formed in the projections 18, 20 of the mounting brackets 16 and the adjacent links 15, which are directed upwards in the mounting position, in order to ultimately fasten the air guiding element 13 of the air guiding device 10 via the mounting brackets 16 to the links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14 of the air guiding device 10.

[0035] Either the recesses 19 in the projections 18 of the mounting brackets 16, which are directed upwards in the installed position, or the recesses 21 in the projections 20 of the adjacent control arms 15, which are directed upwards in the installed position, are designed as elongated holes in order to align the mounting brackets 16 relative to the adjacent control arms 15 before the fastening means 22 are actually tightened and thus ultimately to ensure an exact, desired gap dimension between the air guide element 13 of the air guide device 10 and an adjacent body structure of the vehicle when the air guide element 13 is retracted.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the second recesses 21 in the projections 20 of the link 15, which are directed upwards in the assembly position and which adjoins the respective mounting bracket 16, are designed as elongated holes, whereas the first recesses 19 in the projections 18 of the respective mounting bracket 16, which are directed upwards in the assembly position, are designed as threaded holes in order to enable a simple connection of the respective mounting bracket 16 to the respective adjacent link 15.

[0037] As already explained, by aligning the mounting brackets 16 to the adjacent links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14, the air guide element 13 can be connected to the links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14 in the desired orientation, so that the air guide element 13 of the air guide device 10 ultimately has an exact gap to the adjacent body structure.

[0038] The invention relates to a method for mounting the air guiding device 10 on a body structure of a motor vehicle.

[0039] First, a body structure of a motor vehicle is provided, to which an air guiding device 10 is to be mounted.

[0040] The air guiding device 10 is provided below, wherein the air guiding device 10 comprises at least the mounting support 11, the air guiding element 13 that can be moved between the retracted rest position and the extended operating position, as well as the plurality of links 15 and a drive 16 (not shown). The air guiding element 13 can be moved via the plurality of links, via which the drive (not shown) acts on the air guiding element 13.

[0041] After the body structure and the air guiding device 10 have been provided, the mounting bracket 11 of the air guiding device 10 is fastened to the body structure together with the drive (not shown) mounted on the mounting bracket and the control arms 15 also mounted on the mounting bracket 11 with the air guiding element 13 removed.

[0042] Subsequently, the mounting brackets 16 are provided, each of which has a plate-like mounting body 17 and the projections 18 with the recesses 19, which are angled relative to the mounting body 17 and directed upwards in the mounting position.

[0043] The mounting brackets 16 are then mounted with play or loosely on the corresponding links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14. This is done by guiding the fastening means 22 through the recesses 19, 21 in the adjacent projections 18, 20 of a respective mounting bracket 16 and a respective adjacent link 15, in such a way that the fastening means 22 are displaceable within recesses designed as elongated holes. As already explained, either the recesses 19 in the projections 18 of the mounting brackets 16 and the recesses 21 in the projections 20 of the respective link 15 can be designed as elongated holes.

[0044] In addition to this loose or play-related mounting of the mounting brackets 16 on the respective links 15, a mounting jig 23 (see Fig. 5), which corresponds in terms of its external dimensions to the dimensions of an air guide element 19 to be mounted later, is mounted firmly or without play on the mounting brackets 16.

[0045] After the mounting brackets 16 have been mounted with play or loosely on the control arms 15 and the mounting jig 23 has been mounted without play or firmly on the mounting brackets 16, the mounting brackets 16 are aligned with the control arms 15 in order to set a defined gap between the mounting jig 23 mounted on the mounting brackets 16 and the body structure.

[0046] After this alignment, the fastening means 22 are tightened and the mounting brackets 16 are mounted without play or firmly on the links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14.

[0047] The assembly jig 23 is then removed from the mounting brackets 16. After removing the assembly jig, the air guide element 13 can be connected to the mounting brackets 16 by first removing a lower shell 13a (see Fig. 6) is firmly mounted on the mounting brackets 16, whereby an upper shell 13b is subsequently connected to the lower shell 13a.

[0048] The air guiding device 10 is therefore attached to the body structure of a motor vehicle using special mounting brackets 16. In the assembled state, these mounting brackets 16 are connected to the lower shell 13a of the air guiding element 13 and to adjacent links 15 of the adjustment kinematics 14. The mounting brackets 16 are aligned with the links 15 using an assembly jig 23 in order to mount the air guiding element 13 on the motor vehicle with precise gap dimensions after this alignment, using the assembly jig 23 as a replacement. This alignment using the assembly jig 23 and the subsequent mounting of the air guiding element 13 can be carried out during assembly line assembly, saving time and with high precision.

Claims

[1] Method for assembling a body structure of a vehicle on an air guiding device (10), comprising at least the following steps: Providing the vehicle body structure, Providing the air guiding device (10), wherein the air guiding device (10) has at least the following components: a mounting support (11) via which the air guiding device (10) can be mounted on the body structure of the vehicle, an air guiding element (13) which can be moved between a retracted rest position and an extended operating position, several links (15) via which the air guiding element (13) can be displaced, Mounting the mounting bracket (11) and the control arms (15) mounted on the mounting bracket (11) to the body structure, Providing mounting brackets (16), each having a plate-like mounting body (17) and a plurality of projections (18) with first recesses (19) that are directed upwards in the installed position in the vehicle and are angled relative to the plate-like mounting body (17); mounting the respective mounting bracket (16) with some play or loosely on projections (20) of an adjacent link (15), which projections also point upwards in the installed position in the vehicle and have second recesses (21); and mounting a mounting jig (23) firmly or without play on the mounting bracket (16), wherein fastening means (22) extend through the recesses (19, 21) of the mutually abutting projections (18, 20) of the respective mounting bracket (16) and of the respective adjacent link (15), and wherein the first recesses (19) or the second recesses (21) are designed as elongated holes; Aligning the mounting brackets (16) to the control arms (15) to set a gap between the assembly gauge (23) and the body structure, play-free or tight mounting of the mounting brackets (16) on the control arms (15) after adjusting the gap between the mounting gauge (23) and the body structure, Dismantling the assembly template (23) from the mounting brackets (16), Mount the air guide element (13) to the mounting brackets (16). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized bythat when the mounting brackets (16) are mounted on the links (15) with play or loosely, fastening means (22) are guided through the recesses (19, 21) of mutually abutting projections (18, 20) of the mounting brackets (16) and the links (15) in such a way that the fastening means (22) are displaceable within recesses designed as elongated holes which are introduced into the projections (20) of the links (15) or into the projections (18) of the mounting brackets (16). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that when mounting the air guide element (13) on the mounting brackets (16), first a lower shell (13a) of the air guide element (13) is mounted on the mounting brackets (16) and then an upper shell (13b) of the air guide element (13) is mounted on the lower shell (13a) of the air guide element (13).

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