Floating Locating Bolt Positioning for Damage-Free Body Hole Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing positioning devices for vehicle body components with mounting holes often damage the holes during the positioning process, leading to potential water ingress and dimensional inaccuracies, especially when components are repeatedly assembled.
Innovation Solution
A positioning device featuring a radially floating locating bolt with a conical end and an inner cone recess, paired with a locking bolt that can be axially displaced, allowing for precise centering and positioning without damaging the mounting holes, and includes a pneumatic cylinder for controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rigid locating bolt is used for positioning body components, then positioning precision is improved, but damage to mounting holes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locating bolt is designed with radial floating capability, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position within the mounting hole. The bolt can move radially to accommodate variations in hole position and size, maintaining contact without exerting excessive force that would cause damage. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by enabling precise positioning while protecting the mounting holes from damage during repeated assembly operations.
2Productivity
If locating bolts are repeatedly used for assembling body components, then productivity is improved, but dimensional accuracy of mounting holes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The radial floating design allows the locating bolt to adapt to wear and dimensional changes in mounting holes over repeated use. Instead of transmitting damaging forces that would enlarge or deform holes, the floating bolt absorbs these variations through its radial movement capability, maintaining consistent positioning accuracy throughout the component's service life and enabling repeated assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mounting design anticipates potential damage from repeated positioning operations by incorporating radial movement capability before any damage occurs. This pre-built tolerance mechanism cushions against the harmful effects of repeated assembly, preventing the progressive degradation of mounting hole dimensions that would otherwise occur with rigid locating bolts.
Data Source
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AI summary
A positioning device for positioning a body component (1) with at least one receiving bore in vehicle construction, comprising a receiving bolt (2) with a conical end (3) designed to be guided axially through the receiving bore of the body component (1) in order to center and position the body component (1), wherein the receiving bolt (2) is radially floating.