IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,434,678

Granted Patent B2

US 11,434,678 · App. 17/162,162 · Granted Sep 6, 2022

Adjustable vehicle hinge

Inventors: Tobias Åberg (Ljungskile, SE); Johan Prim (Sätila, SE)

Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION

E05D11/087 E05Y2201/21 E05Y2900/546

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 11,434,678
App. No.: 17/162,162
Granted: Sep 6, 2022
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Various vehicle hinge improvements are enabled herein. For instance, a hinge assembly comprises a body-side base plate. The body-side base plate comprises a body-side adjustment block extending perpendicularly away from a flat surface portion of the body-side base plate, a first body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block, and a second body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block. A first body-side adjustment bolt is received through a first body-side adjustment channel and threaded into the first body-side threaded hole, wherein rotation of the first body-side adjustment bolt facilitates adjustment of a body-side hinge member in a first direction. A second body-side adjustment bolt is received through the second body-side adjustment channel and threaded into the second body-side threaded hole, wherein rotation of the second body-side adjustment bolt facilitates adjustment of the body-side hinge member in a second direction.

Claims (78)

1. A hinge assembly, comprising:

a body-side base plate, wherein the body-side base plate comprises:

a body-side adjustment block extending perpendicularly away from a flat surface portion of the body-side base plate,

a first body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block, and

a second body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block, wherein the second body-side threaded hole is in a direction perpendicular to the first body-side threaded hole;

a body-side hinge member adjustably received on the body-side base plate, wherein the body-side hinge member comprises:

a flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member substantially coplanar with the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate,

a body-side hinge portion extending perpendicularly away from the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member,

a first body-side adjustment channel received in the body-side hinge portion configured to facilitate adjustment in a first direction, and

a second body-side adjustment channel received in the body-side hinge portion configured to facilitate adjustment in a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

a first body-side adjustment bolt received through the first body-side adjustment channel and threaded into the first body-side threaded hole, wherein rotation of the first body-side adjustment bolt facilitates adjustment of the body-side hinge member in the first direction;

a first body-side lock ring received on the first body-side adjustment bolt configured to retain a bolt head of the first body-side adjustment bolt against the body-side hinge portion;

a second body-side adjustment bolt received through the second body-side adjustment channel and threaded into the second body-side threaded hole, wherein rotation of the second body-side adjustment bolt facilitates adjustment of the body-side hinge member in the second direction; and

a second body-side lock ring received on the second body-side adjustment bolt configured to retain a bolt head of the second body-side adjustment bolt against the body-side hinge portion.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a tailgate-side base plate, wherein the tailgate-side base plate comprises:

a tailgate-side adjustment block extending perpendicularly away from a flat surface portion of the tailgate-side base plate;

a tailgate-side threaded hole received in the tailgate-side adjustment block; and

a tailgate-side locking stud extending perpendicularly away from the flat surface portion of the tailgate-side base plate;

a tailgate-side hinge member adjustably received on the tailgate-side base plate, wherein the tailgate-side hinge member comprises:

a flat surface portion of the tailgate-side hinge member substantially coplanar with the flat surface portion of the tailgate-side base plate,

a tailgate-side hinge portion extending outward from the flat surface portion of the tailgate-side hinge member, and

a tailgate-side adjustment hole received in the tailgate-side hinge portion configured to facilitate adjustment in a third direction;

a tailgate-side adjustment bolt received through the tailgate-side adjustment hole and threaded into the tailgate-side adjustment hole, wherein rotation of the tailgate-side adjustment bolt facilitates adjustment of the tailgate-side hinge member in the third direction; and

a tailgate-side lock ring received on the tailgate-side adjustment bolt configured to retain a bolt head of the tailgate-side adjustment bolt against the tailgate-side hinge portion,

wherein the tailgate-side hinge member is rotatably attached to the body-side hinge member with a shaft that passes through a pair of body-side hinge member coaxial holes of the body-side hinge member and a pair of tailgate-side hinge member coaxial holes of the tailgate-side hinge member.

3. The hinge assembly of claim 2 , wherein

the flat surface portion of the tailgate-side hinge member comprises a hole comprising a diameter larger than a diameter of the tailgate-side locking stud, wherein the tailgate-side locking stud passes through the hole of the flat surface portion of the tailgate-side hinge member.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the body-side base plate comprises a first body-side locking stud extending perpendicularly away from the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate; and

the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member comprises an adjustment hole comprising a diameter larger than a diameter of the first body-side locking stud, wherein the first body-side locking stud passes through the adjustment hole of the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member.

5. The hinge assembly of claim 4 , further comprising:

a first body-side locking nut received on the first body-side locking stud, wherein the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member is received between the first body-side locking nut and the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate, and wherein tightening of the first body-side locking nut immovably pinches the body-side hinge member against the body-side base plate.

6. The hinge assembly of claim 5 , wherein, the adjustment hole of the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member is a first adjustment hole, and wherein:

the body-side base plate comprises a second body-side locking stud extending perpendicularly away from the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate;

the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member comprises a second adjustment hole comprising a diameter larger than a diameter of the second body-side locking stud, wherein the second body-side locking stud passes through the second adjustment hole of the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member; and

a second body-side locking nut is received on the second body-side locking stud, wherein the flat surface portion of the body-side hinge member is received between the second body-side locking nut and the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate, and wherein tightening of the second body-side locking nut immovably pinches the body-side hinge member against the body-side base plate.

7. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a y-direction, and the second direction is an x-direction, and the x and y directions are in a plane parallel to the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate.

8. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first body-side mounting stud extending perpendicularly away from a second flat surface portion of the body-side base plate; and

a second body-side mounting stud extending perpendicularly away from the second flat surface portion of the body-side base plate, wherein the second flat surface portion is on a side opposite the flat surface portion of the body-side base plate.

9. The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first body-side mounting stud and the second body-side mounting stud define holes configured for mounting the body-side base plate to an automobile body.

10. A vehicle tailgate hinge assembly, comprising:

a body-side base plate adapted to be mounted to an automobile body with a pair of body-mounting studs extending perpendicularly away from a bottom surface of the body-side base plate, wherein the body-side base plate comprises:

a body-side adjustment block extending perpendicularly away from a top surface of the body-side base plate,

a first body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block, and

a second body-side threaded hole received in the body-side adjustment block, wherein the second body-side threaded hole is in a direction perpendicular to the first body-side threaded hole;

a body-side hinge member adjustably received on the body-side base plate, wherein the body-side hinge member comprises:

a bottom surface of the body-side hinge member substantially coplanar with the top surface of the body-side base plate,

a body-side hinge portion extending perpendicularly away from the top surface of the body-side hinge member,

a first body-side adjustment channel received in the body-side hinge portion configured to facilitate adjustment in a first direction, and

a first body-side lock ring received on the first body-side adjustment bolt configured to retain a bolt head of the first body-side adjustment bolt against the body-side hinge portion;

a second body-side lock ring received on the second body-side adjustment bolt configured to retain a bolt head of the second body-side adjustment bolt against the body-side hinge portion;

a pair of body-side coaxial holes at a distal end of the body-side hinge member configured to receive a shaft;