3D Geometry Control Device for Automotive Bonnet Hinge Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling the geometry of motor vehicle bodywork elements, such as bonnets and doors, struggle to accurately compare measurements between bare elements and those mounted on a vehicle due to manufacturing tolerances affecting the geometry, leading to inconsistencies in clearance and flush characteristics on assembly lines.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional control device with adjustable fixing means, including a threaded axis and nut system, allows for precise simulation of series hinges on a control device, enabling comparison with reference hinges to assess and correct geometric deviations, ensuring accurate geometry control and assembly line compatibility without requiring changes to the control device's geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If measurements are performed on a bare bonnet, then the geometry can be checked under controlled conditions, but the manufacturing tolerances of the bare element distort the comparisons and hinder correlation with assembly line measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control device that simulates the vehicle body and hinge assembly as an intermediary system. Instead of measuring the bare bonnet directly, the device creates a controlled environment with artificial hinges and bodywork elements that replicate the assembly conditions, thereby eliminating the distortion caused by manufacturing tolerances of the bare element while maintaining measurement reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the vehicle body and hinge assembly on the control device. The artificial bodywork elements and hinges are designed to replicate the geometric relationships and clearance characteristics of the actual vehicle assembly, allowing measurements to be taken on a controlled model rather than the complex real assembly, thus improving both precision and reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If measurements are performed on a bonnet mounted on a bodywork, then the clearance and flush characteristics can be controlled, but the manufacturing tolerances of the bare bonnet distort the comparisons
Solution Approach 1:
The control device serves as an intermediary that provides a standardized reference framework. The artificial bodywork elements and hinge assemblies on the control device act as mediators between the bonnet being measured and the measurement system, ensuring that manufacturing tolerances of the bare bonnet do not distort the comparisons while maintaining controlled clearance and flush characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable parameters on the control device, including the position and orientation of artificial bodywork elements and hinges. These parameters can be modified to simulate different assembly conditions and tolerance ranges, allowing the same measurement system to accommodate variations in manufacturing precision while maintaining accurate geometry measurement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the control device geometry is changed to accommodate different hinge types, then adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device is designed with universal mounting mechanisms that can accommodate multiple hinge types through a single standardized interface. The artificial bodywork elements and support structures are configured to work with various hinge configurations without requiring changes to the fundamental device geometry, thereby achieving adaptability while minimizing complexity through multi-functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable elements on the control device that allow dynamic adaptation to different hinge types. Rather than requiring permanent structural changes, the device uses movable or repositionable components that can be adjusted as needed, maintaining a simple base structure while providing versatility through dynamic reconfiguration.
Data Source
Figure 1~6
AI summary
The device has a measurement unit i.e. sensor, for measuring a position occupied by a point of a body element i.e. engine compartment bonnet (1). A receiving unit i.e. mounting post (4-2), comprises a fixation unit constituted by a threaded pin (15), a nut (17) and a screw (18) for fixing a reference articulation piece i.e. reference hinge (10), that is preassembled to the body element. The receiving unit indifferently receives a series articulation piece i.e. series hinge, or the reference articulation piece in same conditions. An independent claim is also included for a method for three-dimensional-controlling geometry of a body element of a motor vehicle.