Vehicle Door Hinge Assembly Using Auxiliary Positioning Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for installing vehicle doors are prone to uneven gap dimensions and alignments due to tolerance fluctuations, requiring tedious and time-consuming adjustments of door hinges, and there is a need for a simpler and fully automated solution that saves component and production costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using two auxiliary devices to precisely align and fix body-side and door-side hinge parts on their respective axes, allowing the door to be hung without further alignment, compensating for manufacturing fluctuations and enabling easy assembly with reduced setup times and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional door installation methods are used, then the assembly process can be completed, but uneven gap dimensions and alignment issues occur due to tolerance fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge parts are pre-positioned and pre-adjusted on the door using a specialized device before the door is installed on the vehicle body. This preliminary positioning ensures that the hinges are already correctly aligned, eliminating the need for time-consuming adjustments after door installation and ensuring uniform gap dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
A specialized positioning device acts as an intermediary between the door and the vehicle body during assembly. This device includes reference bearings and measurement sensors that facilitate precise alignment of the hinges with the body-side hinge parts, ensuring accurate positioning without requiring complex post-installation adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex alignment devices and measurement systems are used to achieve precise door positioning, then assembly precision is improved, but device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is divided into separate functional components: reference bearings mounted on the positioning device, measurement sensors attached to the door, and a control unit. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system while maintaining high positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The door itself serves as part of the measurement system through integrated measurement sensors that detect the position of the hinges relative to the body-side hinge parts. The door's own structure and features are utilized as reference points, eliminating the need for external complex alignment equipment.
3Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are specified for hinge parts to ensure proper door alignment, then assembly quality is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device with reference bearings acts as an intermediary that compensates for tolerance variations in the hinge parts. By providing a standardized reference framework during assembly, the system allows the use of hinge parts with wider tolerances while still achieving precise final alignment, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of tolerance compensation from the hinge parts themselves to the positioning device. Instead of requiring tight tolerances in the manufactured hinge parts, the positioning device adjusts and compensates for tolerance variations during assembly, allowing hinge parts to be manufactured more economically with relaxed tolerance specifications.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The method involves accommodating a body-sided hinge part (7) in a hinge axle partial part i.e. bolt retainer, by an assisting device and positioning and aligning the body-sided hinge part to a body (1) of a vehicle by the assisting device. A door-sided hinge part is accommodated in another hinge axle partial area i.e. axle bolt, by another assisting device, and positioning and aligning the door-sided hinge part to a door by the latter assisting device. The door is suspended at the body-sided hinge part of the vehicle body after fixing the hinge parts. USE : Method for mounting a door at a vehicle. ADVANTAGE : The door-sided hinge part is accommodated in the hinge axle partial area by the assisting device, and the door-sided hinge part is positioned and aligned to the door by the assisting device, thus positioning the door at the body of the vehicle in a simple and automatic manner while reducing component cost and manufacturing cost of the door. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS : The drawing shows a schematic side perspective view of a vehicle body with an assisting device. 1 : Vehicle body 2, 3 : Door sections 4, 5 : Door column areas 7 : Body-sided hinge part 8 : Pin projection.