Patent Application
20200299997
Trunk lids and vehicle tailgates are commonly secured in a closed position using a latch and a striker. The striker may be coupled to a body of the vehicle, for example, using threaded fasteners. Jigs configured to hold the striker in place relative to the body while the threaded fasteners are tightened during assembly of the vehicle are known. Furthermore, some known jigs include a magnet to ease assembly by holding the jig and the striker together. However, the strength of the magnets currently used is limited, due to difficulties overcoming the magnetic attraction during removal of the jig after the striker is fastened to the body.
Examples of the disclosure facilitate proper installation of a closure striker and ergonomic operation of an installation jig.
In one aspect, a closure striker installation jig is provided herein. The closure striker installation jig includes a jig body including a striker opening and at least one fastener opening defined therein. The closure striker installation jig also includes at least one magnet embedded at least partially within the jig body and a handle rotatably coupled to the body at a hinge point and including a grip and at least one handle extension. The grip is positioned on an opposite side of the hinge point as the at least one handle extension.
In another aspect, a method of coupling a vehicle closure striker to a vehicle body using a closure striker installation jig is provided herein. The method includes positioning the closure striker within a striker opening defined within the installation jig, aligning the installation jig and the vehicle body, tightening at least one fastener configured to couple the closure striker together with the vehicle body, and lifting a handle of the installation jig to separate the installation jig from the striker and the vehicle body.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Although specific features may be shown in some of the drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the examples described herein, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
The present disclosure relates generally to a closure striker installation jig, and more specifically, to a closure striker installation jig that facilitates proper installation of a closure striker in an ergonomic manner. The exemplary embodiment of the closure striker installation jig includes magnets to hold the striker to the jig, and also to hold the jig to the vehicle body. The exemplary embodiment of the closure striker installation jig also includes a handle having handle extensions configured to separate the jig from the striker and from the vehicle body without excessive pull force. The exemplary embodiment of the closure striker installation jig also includes alignment features to ensure proper placement of the striker with respect to the vehicle body.
First fastener access opening 240 is configured such that a fastener (e.g., a screw) can be inserted through opening 240, into first fastener opening 154 and a corresponding threaded opening within vehicle body 108, and such that a tightening tool (e.g., screwdriver/DC tool) has access to a head of the fastener and is able to tighten the fastener. Second fastener access opening 242 is configured such that a fastener can be inserted through opening 242, into second fastener opening 156 and a corresponding threaded opening with vehicle body 108, and such that a tightening tool has access to a head of the fastener and is able to tighten the fastener. In alternative embodiments, the fasteners are self-drilling screws. In these embodiments, the fasteners are inserted through openings 240 and 242, and a tightening tool is used to rotate the fasteners, causing the fasteners to drill into, and mate with, vehicle body 108.
In the exemplary embodiment, handle 230 is rotatably coupled to jig body 220 at a hinge point 250. More specifically, handle 230 may be rotatably coupled to jig body 220 by a first pin 252 and a second pin 254, allowing handle 230 to rotate with respect to jig body 220 around an axis 256. Furthermore, handle 230 may also include a grip 260 and at least one handle extension, for example, a first handle extension 262 and a second handle extension 264. In the exemplary embodiment, grip 260 is positioned on an opposite side of hinge point 250 as handle extensions 262 and 264.
In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of magnets may be divided into a first set of magnets and a second set of magnets. For example, the first set of magnets includes first magnet 280, second magnet 282, third magnet 284, and fourth magnet 286 of the plurality of magnets. Furthermore, the second set of magnets includes fifth magnet 288, sixth magnet 290, seventh magnet 292, and eighth magnet 294 of the plurality of magnets. The first set of magnets is configured to removably couple closure striker 140 together with jig 200. Moreover, the second set of magnets is configured to removably couple jig 200 together with vehicle body 108. In the exemplary embodiment, the plurality of magnets are rare earth magnets that provide a strong hold between jig 200 and closure striker 140 and also between jig 200 and vehicle body 108.
A magnetic attraction between a magnet and a magnetic surface that is too strong to be removed by a user by merely pulling the magnet and magnetic surface apart (i.e., either impossible for an average person to pull apart or that would cause an ergonomic concern if required to pull apart repeatedly) in some instances may be overcome by sliding the magnet toward an end of the surface. However, since opening 244 surrounds striker rod 152, sliding jig 200 after the fasteners are tightened is not possible. Moreover, the strength of magnetic attraction caused by some magnets may also preclude a sliding motion. Jig 200, and more specifically, handle 230, is configured to enable an average user to overcome a strong magnetic attraction between jig 200 and vehicle body 108.
In the exemplary embodiment, grip 260 is positioned a first distance 300 (shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, grip 260 is configured to be pulled by a user after the fasteners that couple striker 140 to vehicle body 108 are tightened. Pulling grip 260 causes rotation of handle 230 around hinge point 250, further causing handle extensions 262 and 264 to press against vehicle body 108. Handle extensions 262 and 264 pressing against vehicle body 108 causes second surface 234 of jig body 220 to separate from vehicle body 108. In other words, the force applied by the user to handle 230 causes handle extensions 262 and 264 to press against vehicle body 108 with enough force to overcome the magnetic attraction between the plurality of magnets and striker 140/vehicle body 108. Handle 230 (e.g., a beam) and pins 252 and 254 (e.g., a fulcrum) act as a lever. Since first distance 300 is longer than second distance 312, the force applied by handle extensions 262 and 264 on vehicle body 108 may be multiple times greater than the force applied by the user to grip 260. The difference in force is dependent upon a ratio of distance 300 to distance 312. For example, the ratio of distance 300 to distance 312 may be approximately 3:1. Alternatively, the ratio of distance 300 to distance 312 may be approximately 4:1 or any other ratio that allows jig 200 to function as described herein. This increase in force caused by the design of jig 200 is desirable since strong magnets are also desirable in order to securely position closure striker 140 during installation.
Jig 200 may also include a second alignment flange 360 (shown in
Jig 200 may also include at least one visual alignment indicia, for example, at least one of arrows 370, 372, 374, and 376 (shown in
Method 410 also includes aligning 414 jig 200 and vehicle body 108 and tightening 416 at least one fastener configured to couple closure striker 140 together with vehicle body 108. As described above with respect to
Method 410 also includes lifting 418 a handle, for example, handle 230, of jig 200 to separate jig 200 from closure striker 140 and vehicle body 108. For example, lifting 418 handle 230 causes rotation of handle 230 around a hinge point, for example, hinge point 250, further causing at least one handle extension, for example, handle extension 262, to press against vehicle body 108, which separates second surface 234 of jig 200 from vehicle body 108. As described above, jig 200 includes embedded magnets configured to removably couple closure striker 140 together with jig 200 and jig 200 together with vehicle body 108, and wherein lifting handle 230 and causing handle extension 262 to press against vehicle body 108 overcomes the magnetic attraction between jig 200 and vehicle body 108.
An example vehicle body, closure striker, and closure striker installation jig are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The exemplary closure striker installation jig includes embedded magnets to secure the jig, and therefore the corresponding closure striker, in a desired position with respect to the vehicle body while the closure striker is coupled to the vehicle body with fasteners. Furthermore, the exemplary closure striker installation jig includes a handle having handle extensions and configured to act as a lever to facilitate ergonomic and efficient separation of the closure striker installation jig from the closure striker and the vehicle body. Examples described herein include alignment features configured to ensure proper positioning of the closure striker installation jig and/or proper use of the closure striker installation jig. Proper use of the closure striker installation jig ensures accurate and repeatable placement of the closure striker on the vehicle body. Furthermore, examples described herein include features to prevent the jig from damaging the vehicle body when being separated from the vehicle body after the closure striker is coupled to the vehicle body with the fasteners.
Having described aspects of the disclosure in terms of various examples with their associated operations, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims. That is, aspects of the disclosure are not limited to the specific examples described herein, and all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Components of the systems and/or operations of the methods described herein may be utilized independently and separately from other components and/or operations described herein. Moreover, the methods described herein may include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed, and the order of execution or performance of the operations described herein is not essential unless otherwise specified. That is, the operations may be executed or performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular operation before, contemporaneously with, or after another operation is within the scope of the disclosure. Although specific features of various examples of the disclosure may be shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of the disclosure, any feature of a drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with any feature of any other drawing.
When introducing elements of the disclosure or the examples thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. References to an “embodiment” or an “example” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments or examples that also incorporate the recited features. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be elements other than the listed elements. The phrase “one or more of the following: A, B, and C” means “at least one of A and/or at least one of B and/or at least one of C.”
The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
