Patent Application
20110041584
The present invention relates to autobody tools, in particular, to a vehicle door aligning and leveling tool
It is a common problem in automotive vehicles that the hinged door of an automotive vehicle is either misaligned during the initial manufacture. This misalignment causes the door to not properly close or be misaligned when closed. Misalignment may cause air gaps in the seal of a closed vehicle door leading to noise heard by the driver, among other problems.
Overcoming such a misalignment is often completed by a mechanic or other automotive worker by applying a force to the lower portion of the vehicle door to improve its alignment. This may be accomplished generally by the crude method of grabbing a vehicle door with the hands and pushing or pulling on the vehicle door to improve alignment of the vehicle door. The method of grabbing a vehicle door with the hands often results in injury to assembly plant workers or other automotive workers. This method can often damage the vehicle door by either damaging the paint or leaving an indentation in the bottom of the vehicle door.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved alignment tool which can be used to apply force to the vehicle door without the danger of damaging the surface of the vehicle door. It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus which avoids scratching or damaging of any paint or any deformation of any vehicle door structure.
Yet another method of alignment involves kneeling on the ground and pulling or pushing the bottom of the vehicle door with hands to level and align the vehicle door. Again, this method often results in injury to assembly plant workers or other automotive workers.
Another object of the present invention is to minimize risk of injury to assembly plant workers or other automotive workers when aligning a vehicle door by means of using their hands or knees when aligning the vehicle door.
Vehicle door designs often vary greatly in different models and makes of vehicles. It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is simple and universal to all automotive vehicle doors and structures. It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus which will cooperate with a wide variety of automobile and vehicle structures.
Accordingly there exists a need for a tool more suitable for correcting common misalignment and level problems in vehicle doors.
The present invention is for a tool for use in aligning and leveling a vehicle door. A vehicle door typically has a door lock assembly which receives a lock pin on the door frame to secure the vehicle door in a closed position. Accordingly, the corresponding vehicle door typically includes a recess for accepting the lock pin on the door frame. The tool of the preferred embodiment includes an elongated member having a support member extending downwardly from the elongated member towards a vehicle door. The tool further includes a head member attached to the elongated member adapted to engage a vehicle door lock recess of a locking means of a vehicle door. The door leveler further includes a support plate attached to the support member adapted to rest against a vehicle door.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the elongated member may be configured with an ergonomic design to reduce burden on users of the door leveler. An ergonomic configuration of the elongated member may increase maneuverability of a vehicle door during the leveling process. The ergonomic configuration of the elongated member may include a series of bends in the elongated member. This ergonomic configuration lowers the user grip area from the head member allowing a user to gain more control and improve user lift ability. The ergonomic bends allow the grip area of the device to be substantially parallel while substantially lower than the working area of the vehicle door. Lowering the grip area allows a user of the door leveler to exert more force on the door leveler while minimizing risk of injury.
The vehicle door leveler is intended to assist in the lifting, pushing and pulling processes when aligning and leveling a vehicle door. The head member engages the vehicle door lock recess while the support plate simultaneously braces against the vehicle door. The user of the vehicle door leveler then uses the elongated member to pull or push the vehicle door in turn causing the vehicle door to move in accordance with proper alignment of the vehicle door.
A support member may extend downwardly from the elongated member to the vehicle door at various different points on the elongated member. The support member acts as a brace to further simplify use of the vehicle door leveler and to minimize burden on the user of the vehicle door leveler.
The support plate includes a front surface and a rear surface. The rear surface of the support plate is secured to the support member. The front surface of the support plate has a resilient surface adapted to prevent scratching of the paint or other damage to the vehicle door.
The foregoing and other objects, embodiments, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description which proceeds with references to the accompany drawings.
The present invention is for a tool for use in aligning and leveling a vehicle door. A vehicle door typically includes a door lock assembly which receives a lock pin on the door frame to secure the vehicle door in a closed position, as shown in
The vehicle door leveler 20 in the embodiment here specifically disclosed is primarily formed of an elongated member 24, here shown in the form of a tubular shaft. Elongated member 24 may also be, but not limited to, in the form of a rectangular elongated member or other variations of an elongated member not otherwise depicted.
Elongated member 24 may optionally include a series of bends. Elongated member 24 bends are depicted at 52 and 54. Elongated member 24 may include between zero and four bends, not otherwise depicted in the drawings. The bends 52 and 54 are intended to improve usability to a user of the door leveler. This ergonomic configuration lowers the user grip area from the head member allowing a user to gain more control and improve user lift ability. The ergonomic bends allow the grip area of the device to be substantially parallel while substantially lower than the working area of the vehicle door. Lowering the grip area allows a user of the door leveler to exert more force on the door leveler while minimizing risk of injury.
Elongated member 24 may include more or less than the two bends 52 and 54 depicted ion the drawings. Elongated member 24 may have of a medial portion 38 between a grip portion 36 and a distal portion 40. Bends 52 and 54 may be provided at the joints of the medial portion 38, grip portion 36 and the distal portion 40. Bends 52 and 54 are discussed in further detail in this description.
Elongated member 24 includes a head member 22 adapted to engage a recess 30 on a side panel 32 of a vehicle door 12. Head member 22, as depicted in
Elongated member 24 further includes a support member 28 which extends downwardly from the elongated member 24 to the side panel 32 of the vehicle door 12. In one embodiment, support member 28 is fixedly secured to elongated member 24 at the joint 34. In another embodiment, support member 28 is rotatably mounted to elongated member 24 at the joint 34. The support member 28 is designed to minimize burden on the user of the vehicle door leveler 20. The support member 28 acts as a brace to further simplify use of the vehicle door leveler 20. The support member also provides an ergonomic benefit to the user of the vehicle door leveler 20 by reducing the force needed to raise and lower the vehicle door.
The vehicle door leveler is depicted in a series of embodiments shown in
The first, second, third, fourth, seventh and eighth embodiments, as depicted in
As depicted in
The vehicle door leveler is depicted in a series of embodiments shown in
Support member 28 includes a support plate 26. In the preferred embodiment, support plate 26 is fixedly secured to the support member 28. Support plate 26 may also be rotatably mounted about support member 28 or otherwise movable on support member 28. Support plate 26 includes a rear surface 48. Support plate 26 connects to support member 28 on a location on the rear surface 48 of the support plate 26. Support plate 26 also includes a front surface 46. Front surface 46 of support plate 26 is covered, at least partially, with a resilient surface 50. Resilient surface 50 may include, but is not limited to, a cloth material, flexible rubber or other polymer material, nylon, foam, cotton substrate . . . etc. Resilient surface 50 is designed to prevent scratching, denting, or other damage to the vehicle door 12.
As demonstrated by the use in
The foregoing drawings, discussion and descriptive are illustrative of specific embodiments of the present invention, but they are not meant to be limitations upon the practice thereof. Numerous modifications and variations of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the teaching presented herein. It is the following claims, including all equivalents, which define the scope of the invention.
