Adjustable Vehicle Hinge Assembly with Movable Fastening Member

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle hinge assemblies face challenges in achieving flush mounting of closure panels with the vehicle body during manufacturing, making it difficult to ensure proper alignment and adjustment.

Innovation Solution

An adjustable hinge assembly with a body mounting member, a closure panel mounting member, and a hinge connecting arm, featuring a first and second pivotal connection, along with a movably received fastening member and stop members to limit movement, allowing for adjustment of the closure panel's position relative to the vehicle body.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a traditional fixed hinge assembly is used to mount the closure panel, then the structure is simple and reliable, but it is difficult to achieve flush mounting and proper alignment with the vehicle body during manufacturing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflushness of closure panel with vehicle bodyVSAvoidhinge assembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge assembly incorporates a movable fastening member that can be adjusted along the closure panel mounting member to change the mounting position. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the closure panel to be positioned precisely to achieve flush mounting with the vehicle body, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the positional parameter of the closure panel by allowing the fastening member to move to different locations on the mounting member. This parameter adjustment enables precise control over the panel's position relative to the vehicle body, achieving the desired flushness without requiring complex additional mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the closure panel position is adjusted to achieve flushness, then the alignment precision is improved, but the adjustment process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment of closure panelVSAvoidadjustment time during manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge assembly is designed with pre-configured mounting features and a fastening member that can be easily positioned and secured. The structure allows for preliminary positioning adjustments before final tightening, enabling quick and efficient alignment during manufacturing without requiring complex adjustment procedures or excessive time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the hinge assembly allows extensive adjustment of the closure panel, then the adaptability is improved, but the risk of over-adjustment and improper positioning increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadjustment range of closure panelVSAvoidproper positioning of closure panel

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening member is designed to receive limited adjustment along the mounting member, providing just enough travel to achieve proper flush mounting and alignment. The stop members define the adjustment range to prevent over-adjustment, ensuring the closure panel is positioned correctly without allowing excessive movement that could lead to improper positioning or reliability issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Reliability

If stop members are added to limit fastening member movement, then the reliability of positioning is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning stability of closure panelVSAvoidhinge assembly components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stop members are integrated into the existing hinge assembly structure, combining the positioning limitation function with the overall mounting mechanism. This merging approach provides reliable positioning stability through the stop members while avoiding the need for entirely separate complex systems, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10968671B2Adjustable vehicle hinge assembly

Publication Date: 2021.04.06 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A hinge assembly for a vehicle closure panel includes a body mounting member configured to mount the hinge assembly to a vehicle body, a closure panel mounting member configured to mount the hinge assembly to the vehicle closure panel and a hinge connecting arm pivotally connected by a first pivotal connection at a first end to the body mounting member and pivotally connected by a second pivotal connection at a second end to the closure panel mounting member. A first fastening member is movably received by the closure panel mounting member. A first stop member limits movement of the first fastening member in a first direction toward the closure panel mounting member. A second stop member limits movement of the first fastening member in a second direction away from the closure panel mounting member.