Patent Application
20230313579
The embodiments described herein are related to field of vehicle hoods, and more specifically to the attachment of a vehicle hood to hinge.
There is a need to improve efficiency and ergonomics in the installation of a vehicle hood on a vehicle. In particular, there is need to be able to place the hood in place such that it will remain in place until a manufacturing associate has an opportunity to apply fasteners to complete the installation process.
The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.
According to an aspect, a hood for a vehicle movable between an open position and a closed position for covering a vehicle compartment includes a hood body having an exterior facing surface and an interior facing surface, a first bracket attached to the interior facing surface of the hood body, the first bracket including a bottom end having a downward opening slot a rotatable hinge attached to the vehicle in the vehicle compartment for moving the hood body between the open position and the closed position, a second bracket attached to the vehicle in the vehicle compartment, the second bracket being attached to a distal end of the rotatable hinge, the second bracket including a weld stud extending laterally from a side of the second bracket, and wherein the first bracket is seated on the weld stud during installation of the hood.
According to another aspect, a vehicle includes a compartment, and a hood movable between an open position and a closed position for covering the compartment. The hood includes a hood body having an exterior facing surface and an interior facing surface, a first bracket attached to the interior facing surface of the hood body, the first bracket including a bottom end having a downward opening slot, a rotatable hinge attached to the vehicle in the vehicle compartment for moving the hood body between the open position and the closed position, a second bracket attached to the vehicle in the vehicle compartment, the second bracket being attached to a distal end of the rotatable hinge, the second bracket including a weld stud extending laterally from a side of the second bracket, and wherein the first bracket is seated on the weld stud during installation of the hood.
According to yet another aspect, a hood for a vehicle movable between an open position and a closed position for covering a vehicle compartment includes a hood body having an exterior facing surface and an interior facing surface, a first bracket attached to the interior facing surface of the hood body, the first bracket including a bottom end having a downward opening slot, a rotatable hinge attached to the vehicle in the vehicle compartment for moving the hood body between the open position and the closed position, the rotatable hinge including a weld stud extending laterally from a side of the second bracket, and wherein the first bracket is seated on the weld stud during installation of the hood.
The figures depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the embodiments described herein.
Referring to
The hood 12 further includes a first bracket 24 attached to the interior facing surface 20 of the hood body 16. The first bracket 24 includes a bottom end 26 having a downward opening slot 28. The hood 12 further includes a rotatable hinge 30 attached to the vehicle 10 in the compartment 14 for moving the hood body 16 between the open position and the closed position. A second bracket 32 is preferably attached to a distal end 34 of the rotatable hinge 30, illustrated in
The first bracket 24 is seated on the weld stud 36 during installation of the hood 12 to hold the hood 12 in place while a manufacturing associate installs a first fastener 38 for attaching the first bracket 24 to the second bracket 32. The first fastener 38 may be a bolt, screw, rivet, or any other suitable fastener known to those skilled in the art. The first bracket 24 is lifted upwardly off the weld stud 36 when the first fastener 38 is installed to attach the first bracket 24 to the second bracket 32.
A second fastener 40 may be applied to attach the second bracket 32 to the rotatable hinge 30. The second fastener may be a rivet, screw, bolt, or any other suitable fastener known to those skilled in the art.
The downward opening slot 28 at the bottom end 26 of the first bracket 24 is further defined by a first angled extension 42 defining a first side 44 of the downward opening slot 28 and a second angled extension 46 defining a second side 48 of the downward opening slot 28. Each of the first and second angled extensions 42, 46 are angled at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees from the first bracket 24 so the bottom end 26 of the first bracket 24 does not interfere with or contact the second fastener 40. In the embodiment illustrated in
The first and second brackets 24, 32 and the rotatable hinge may be constructed of any suitable materials that may include metals such as steel, aluminum, magnesium, or composites or resins, or any suitable material known to those skilled in the art. Materials should be chosen to avoid galvanic corrosion and other concerns known to those skilled in the art if mixed materials are selected.
As previously stated, the first bracket 24 is seated on the weld stud 36 during installation of the hood 12 to hold the hood 12 in place while a manufacturing associate installs a first fastener 38 for attaching the first bracket 24 to the second bracket 32. The downward opening slot 28 prevents the hood 12 from falling off of the weld stud 36, thereby freeing the manufacturing associate to install the first fastener 38 is installed to attach the first bracket 24 to the second bracket 32.
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the claims.
While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatuses of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined in the appended claims.
