Mounting template for a motor vehicle door hinge.

Abstract

The invention relates to a mounting jig (1) for a hinge on a vehicle door, comprising a frame (2) having a housing for a hinge, the frame (2) supporting means for positioning the jig (1) against the door, the jig (1) comprising control means (7) allowing a plurality of distinct configurations for geometric referencing on the door when the support means are against the door, the control means (7) having a plurality of movable pins (8a, 8b), each having a pilot position, in which the pin (8a) allows referencing, and at least one standby position, in which the pin (8b) is rendered unusable for referencing, the control means (7) allowing the pins (8a, 8b) to be moved between their pilot and standby positions to form a predetermined configuration. (Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: Mounting template for a motor vehicle door hinge.

[0001] The technical field relates to jigs for mounting motor vehicle door hinges as well as methods for mounting at least one hinge using such a jig.

[0002] It is becoming increasingly common for a motor vehicle to be offered to customers in several different versions, in particular with various body shapes. Each shape generally has its own particularities which imply structural differences between each shape, in particular on the body elements attached to the chassis. This is the case, for example, with the doors and hinges which articulate them.

[0003] On motor vehicle assembly lines, hinges are positioned on doors using positioning tools that allow an operator or a robot to identify a specific area on a door for precise positioning of the hinge. The use of a positioning tool therefore saves time when mounting a hinge on a door, while ensuring precise and reproducible assembly.

[0004] Due to the different shapes of doors that exist, a specific tool is generally required for each specific type of door. Therefore, an assembly line has as many tools as there are models to be assembled on the line.

[0005] These various positioning tools are generally stored near the assembly lines, in order to allow them to be made available quickly depending on the silhouettes produced. However, the areas located near the assembly lines are particularly congested.

[0006] Thus, the diversity of silhouettes necessarily induces an increase in development and production costs, in particular because of the diversity of specific tools required, as well as a complication in the management of assembly lines and the assembly of the different versions of the vehicle.

[0007] Thus, there is a need to reduce the diversity of tools required for vehicle assembly.

[0008] The present invention aims to overcome the problems set out above. In this technical context, one aim of the present invention is to provide a template that can be used for mounting hinges on several different versions of doors.

[0009] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a mounting jig for a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, the template comprising a frame comprising at least one housing designed to accommodate at least one door hinge, the frame supporting support means designed to position the template in support on a door of a motor vehicle, the template further comprising control means designed to allow a plurality of distinct configurations, each allowing a distinct geometrical referencing of the template on the door when the support means are in support on the door, the control means having a plurality of movable control pins, each having a control position, in which the pin allows a predetermined referencing of the template, and at least one waiting position, in which the pin is rendered unusable for referencing the template,the control means for moving the control pins between their control and standby positions to form a predetermined configuration.

[0010] The invention also relates to a method for mounting a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, the method using a template according to the invention, the method comprising a step consisting of implementing the control means to select a predetermined geometric reference configuration, before positioning the template resting on the door of the vehicle.

[0011] Thus, the jig according to the invention makes it possible to assemble at least one hinge on a door having several different versions. Indeed, thanks to the different distinct configurations, the jig can be adapted to the version of the door being assembled by choosing the appropriate configuration. The use of a plurality of control pins makes it possible to produce the different configurations in a simple manner. Thus, the jig according to the invention allows the implementation of the method according to the invention which makes it possible to reduce the number of jigs required for an assembly line of a family of vehicles. A single jig according to the invention easily replaces several tools, each corresponding to a configuration of the jig. The jig according to the invention therefore makes it possible to free up storage space around an assembly line.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, each control pin, in its control position, makes it possible to define a distinct configuration of the template.

[0013] According to one possibility, when a piloting pawn is in the piloting position, the other piloting pawns are in a waiting position.

[0014] In one embodiment, moving a control pawn involves moving all control pawns.

[0015] According to one possibility, the control means comprise a mobile plate on which the control pins are fixed.

[0016] Advantageously, the movement of at least one control pin is obtained by rotating the plate.

[0017] In one embodiment, the template comprises locking means designed to block the rotation of the plate. Thus, the plate is not likely to rotate during the implementation of the method according to the invention.

[0018] According to one possibility, each piloting pin is associated with a distinct colored ring. Thus, the operator easily identifies the pin in the piloting position.

[0019] The invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] [Fig.l], represents a perspective view of a mounting template according to the invention;

[0021] [Fig.2] [Fig.2], represents a detailed view of the template of [Fig.l], showing a plate on which control pins are fixed.

[0022] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0023] A mounting template 1 according to the invention, illustrated in [Fig.l], makes it possible to mount a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, not illustrated.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig.l], the template 1 according to the invention comprises a frame 2 which comprises at least one housing 3 designed to accommodate at least one door hinge, not illustrated. In the example described, the frame 2 is in the form of a substantially flat perforated plate 4, the openings defining the housing(s) 3. The frame 2 supports support means 5 designed to position the template 1 in abutment on a door of a motor vehicle. In the example illustrated in the figures, the support means 5 have the form of at least one lug 6 arranged perpendicular to the plate 4 and sized to come to bear, for example, on one side of the door.

[0025] The template 1 further comprises control means 7 designed to allow a plurality of distinct configurations, each allowing a distinct geometrical referencing of the template 1 on the door, when the support means 5 are supported on the door. Each configuration is defined to correspond, for example, to a distinct variant of door.

[0026] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the control means 7 have a plurality of movable control pins 8a, 8b, each having a control position and at least one waiting position. In the control position, the pin 8a allows a predetermined referencing of the template 1, while in a waiting position, the pin 8b is rendered unusable for referencing the template 1. In the example illustrated in [Fig. 2], the pin 8a which is in the control position is the one which extends along an axis parallel to the lug 6 and on the same side of the plate 4.

[0027] Each piloting pin 8a, 8b, in its piloting position, makes it possible to define a distinct configuration of the template 1. For example, each pin 8a, 8b is different from the others. In the example illustrated in the figure, the pins 8a, 8b are fixed on a support 9 attached to a plate 10 of the piloting means 7. The support 9 and the pin 8a, 8b extend from the plate 10 towards a free end 11 of the pin 8a, 8b. The plate 10 has a square shape and is mounted to move relative to the frame 2, around an axis of rotation AR, illustrated in [Fig.2]. In the example illustrated in [Fig.2], a single support 9 is fixed on each side of the plate 10. Each support 9 is different so that the free end 11 of each pin 8a, 8b is located at a distance D from a central axis of the frame 2, illustrated in [Fig.2], which is specific to it.

[0028] In the template 1, the control means 7 are designed to allow the control pins 8a, 8b to be moved between their control and standby positions, to form a predetermined configuration. Thus, the configuration of the template 1 is chosen to correspond to the variant of the door on which a hinge is to be installed. Rotating the plate 10 thus makes it possible to obtain a movement of at least one control pin 8a, 8b, in this case the four pins 8a, 8b.

[0029] In the template 1 according to the invention, when a piloting pin 8a is in the piloting position, the other piloting pins 8b are in a waiting position. Advantageously, the movement of a piloting pin 8a, 8b involves the movement of all the piloting pins 8a, 8b.

[0030] Advantageously, the template 1 comprises locking means, not illustrated, designed to lock the rotation of the plate 10. Thus, once a configuration has been chosen, the template 1 can be implemented without risk of the configuration being modified.

[0031] In order to mount a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, the template 1 is used to implement a method according to the invention. The method consists of placing one or more hinges on the template 1, in one or more housings 3. Furthermore, depending on the variant of the vehicle, the operator chooses the configuration of the template 1 and uses the control means 7 to select a suitable geometric reference configuration. To do this, the operator maneuvers the plate 10 as needed. The choice of configuration can be facilitated by the fact that each control pin 8a, 8b is associated with a separate colored ring 12. Then the template 1 is positioned on the door so that the support means 5 are in support of the door and the control pin 8a which is in the control position can be inserted into a reference hole provided in the door.Once these steps have been completed, the hinge is screwed onto the door and then template 1 is removed and stored at the edge of the assembly line.

[0032] In order to facilitate the handling of the template 1, the latter has, for example, a handling handle 13 projecting from the frame 2, on the side opposite the lug 6.

[0033] Thus, the template 1 according to the invention, thanks to the plurality of control pins 8a, 8b, offers several configurations which each correspond to a conventional tool normally used. The template 1 according to the invention therefore makes it possible to reduce the number of tools required on the edges of an assembly line.

[0034] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the mounting jig described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Jig (1) for mounting a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, the jig (1) comprising a frame (2) having at least one housing (3) designed to accommodate at least one door hinge, the frame (2) supporting support means (5) designed to position the jig (1) in abutment on a door of a motor vehicle, the jig (1) further comprising control means (7) designed to allow a plurality of distinct configurations, each allowing a distinct geometrical referencing of the jig (1) on the door when the support means (5) are in abutment on the door, the control means (7) having a plurality of movable control pins (8a, 8b), each having a control position, in which the pin (a) allows a predetermined referencing of the jig (1), and at least one waiting position, in which the pin (8b) is rendered unusable for referencing the jig (1),the control means (7) making it possible to move the control pins (a, 8b) between their control and waiting positions to form a predetermined configuration.,

2. Template (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each piloting pin (8a), in its piloting position, makes it possible to define a distinct configuration of the template (1).

3. Template (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when a piloting pin (8a) is in the piloting position, the other piloting pins (8b) are in a waiting position.

4. Template (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the movement of a control pin (8a, 8b) involves the movement of all the control pins (8a, 8b).

5. Template (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control means (7) comprise a movable plate (10) on which the control pins (8a, 8b) are fixed.

6. Template (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the movement of at least one control pin (8a, 8b) is obtained by rotating the plate (10).

7. Jig (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the jig (1) comprises locking means designed to block the rotation of the plate (10).

8. Template (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that

9. each piloting pawn (8a, 8b) is associated with a distinct colored ring (12). Method for mounting a hinge on a door of a motor vehicle, the method using a template (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising a step consisting of implementing the control means (7) to select a predetermined geometric reference configuration, before positioning the template (1) resting on the door of the vehicle.

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