FR3055301A1 - BODY FOR VEHICLE BODY WING - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for positioning a front wing (4) adjacent to a door (6) of a vehicle body, comprising a body (12); a bearing surface (16) on the bottom (4.2) of the wing; a bearing surface (18) on the bottom (6.2) of the door (6); a mechanism (26) for pressurizing the bearing surfaces (16, 18) against the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) and the door (6); and a surface (21) for supporting a rocker (8) below the wing (4) and the door (6). The pressurizing mechanism (26) is configured to bear on an inner side of the underbody (8). The invention also relates to a method of mounting a front wing of a vehicle body.

Description

Holder (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Société anonyme.

Extension request (s)

Agent (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Public limited company.

64) TEMPLATE FOR VEHICLE BODYWING LOWER WING.

FR 3 055 301 - A1 (67) The invention relates to a device (10) for positioning a front wing (4) adjacent to a door (6) of a vehicle body, comprising a body (12) ; a surface (16) bearing on the bottom (4.2) of the wing; a support surface (18) on the bottom (6.2) of the door (6); a mechanism (26) for pressurizing the bearing surfaces (16, 18) against the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) and the door (6); and a surface (21) for bearing on a rocker panel (8) below the wing (4) and the door (6). The pressurizing mechanism (26) is configured to bear on an interior face of the rocker panel (8). The invention also relates to a method for mounting a front wing of a vehicle body.

VEHICLE BODYWORK TEMPLATE

The invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly to the assembly of bodywork elements on the body of a vehicle.

Conventionally, the front fenders of motor vehicle bodywork are bodywork elements attached to the body. For this purpose, they must be positioned on the body before being screwed on. They are conventionally mounted after the doors and must therefore be positioned in particular with respect to the adjacent front doors. To do this, it is conventional to use a tool suspended from a sliding hoist on rails arranged in height, this tool making it possible to dock the wings on the vehicle body. This type of tool cooperates with an upper part of the wings, in particular with suction cups, and thus makes it possible to position the upper part in question.

The patent document published FR 2 947 801 A1 discloses a template for positioning a front wing of the bodywork on the body of a vehicle. The template includes a frame generally extending vertically along the border between the front edge of the door and the rear edge of the wing. The template comprises, in the upper position of the chassis, means for positioning the rear upper part of the wing and, in the lower position of said chassis, means for positioning the lower part of said wing. These latter means are inserted between the front edge of the door and the rear edge of the wing and pivot by a quarter of a turn in order to bear on the interior faces of said door and said wing. This template is interesting in that it is light in construction and does not require the use of a hoist. However, it has the disadvantage of extending vertically to the upper part of the wing. This means that it cannot be used at the same time as a wing handling tool and positioning of the upper part of the wing.

The purpose of the invention is to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art. More particularly, the invention aims to facilitate the positioning of the front fenders on the body of a vehicle.

The invention relates to a device for positioning a front wing adjacent to a body door of a vehicle, comprising a body; a bearing surface on the bottom of the wing, said surface being rigidly linked to the body; a support surface on the bottom of the door, said surface being rigidly linked to the body; a mechanism for pressurizing the bearing surfaces against the wing and the door, said mechanism being mounted on the body; remarkable in that it further comprises a support surface on a rocker panel below the wing and the door, said surface being rigidly linked to the body; and the pressurizing mechanism is configured to bear on an interior face of the rocker panel.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the body is generally elongated in a longitudinal direction, the pressurizing mechanism being disposed at one end of said body in the longitudinal direction so as to be able to access the inner face of the rocker panel from the front end of said rocker panel.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pressurizing mechanism comprises a pivoting arm with a contact finger with the inner face of the rocker panel.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pressurizing mechanism comprises a lever for controlling the pivoting arm and at least one link connecting said lever to said arm.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pivoting arm, the control lever and the link (s) are configured so as to gradually increase a multiplication of force transmitted from said lever to said arm when taking support on the inner face underbody.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pivoting arm, the control lever and the link (s) are configured so that the pivot axes of said lever and of said link (s) reach an alignment and pass beyond said alignment during from the support socket on the inside of the rocker panel.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pivoting arm comprises a contact finger with the inner face of the bottom of the wing.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device further comprises a protuberance configured to cooperate with an orifice on a lower portion of the rocker panel, said protuberance being rigidly connected to the body.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a pin extending between the bearing surface on the bottom of the wing and the bearing surface on the bottom of the door, so as to be able to be housed between said wing and said door in order to limit a gap between said wing and said door.

The invention also relates to a method for mounting a front wing of a vehicle body, comprising the following steps: (a) positioning the top of the wing by means of a positioning device of said top of the 'wing, and fixing said top of the wing to the body; (b) positioning the bottom of the wing by means of a device for positioning said bottom of the wing, and fixing said bottom of the wing to the body; remarkable in that the positioning device at the bottom of the wing conforms to the invention; and steps (a) and (b) are carried out concomitantly on the same assembly station.

The measures of the invention are advantageous in that they make it possible to carry out the operations of positioning the top of the wing and the bottom of the wing concomitantly, that is to say on the same workstation. assembly with the respective devices for positioning the top and bottom of the wing present at the same time. In addition, the device of the invention is particularly easy to handle, in particular because of its compactness.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the description and the drawings, among which:

- Figure 1 is a representation of a vehicle and its right front wing attached to the vehicle body;

- Figure 2 is a first perspective representation of a positioning device for a front left wing, according to the invention;

- Figure 3 is a second perspective representation of the device of Figure 2 in the mounting position on the vehicle;

- Figure 4 is a first perspective representation of a positioning device for a right front wing, according to the invention and in the mounting position on the vehicle;

- Figure 5 is a second perspective representation of the device of Figure 4, in the mounting position on the vehicle.

Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle 2 with a right front fender 4 attached to the vehicle body. More specifically, the wing 4 comprises an upper part 4.1, or top of the wing, adjacent to the hood, to the projector, and to an upper part of the door 6, or top of the door, and a lower part 4.2, located at the rear of the front wheel, and adjacent to a lower part 6.2 of the door 6, or door sill, and to the rocker panel 8. The rocker panel is a longitudinal profile located laterally on either side of the floor of the vehicle. What has just been described also applies to the left front wing, which is symmetrical to the right front wing.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a device for positioning the bottom of a front left wing and FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a positioning device symmetrical to that of FIGS. 2 and 3, for positioning the bottom of a right front wing, such as the bottom 4.2 of the wing 4 of FIG. 1. It is understood that what is described in relation to FIGS. 2 and 3 also applies to FIGS. 4 and 5, symmetrically, and vice versa.

FIG. 2 illustrates the device alone, that is to say in the absence of the wing and the body of the vehicle. The device 10 comprises a body 12 advantageously generally elongated in a longitudinal direction. The body can be a metal plate. The device 2 can also include an interface 14 serving to support a first bearing surface 16 and / or a second bearing surface 18. The interface 14 is rigidly fixed to the body 10 and can be a cut metal sheet and folded. The first bearing surface 16 is intended to contact the bottom of the front wing while the second bearing surface 18 is intended to contact the bottom of the door adjacent to the wing in question. These surfaces 16 and 18 may each comprise a block or a portion of plate made of plastic material, attached, in particular by screwing, to the interface 14. The latter can also support a pin 20 intended to be inserted between the rear edge , generally vertical, of the front wing and the front edge, generally vertical, of the door adjacent to the wing. This pawn is used to maintain the gap between the two edges in question. The device 10 includes a third support surface 21 intended to contact the outside face of the rocker panel 8 (FIG. 1). This surface is mounted directly on the body 12.

It may comprise a plate or a layer of contact material, such as plastic, attached, in particular by screwing and / or bonding, to the body 12.

The positioning device 10 may also include a protuberance 22 rigidly fixed to the body 12 by the interfaces 24. This protuberance is intended to cooperate by engagement in a corresponding orifice on a lower portion of the underbody of the vehicle. It thus forms an indexing pilot in the X and Y directions (Figure 1).

The positioning device 10 also comprises a mechanism for pressurizing 26 of the bearing surfaces 16 and 18 against the wing and the door. This mechanism will be detailed in relation to FIG. 3.

The protrusion 22 is advantageously disposed on the rear side of the device, that is to say opposite the pressurizing mechanism 26.

Figure 3 illustrates the positioning device 10 of Figure 2 in position on the vehicle. It can be seen that the bearing surface 16 is in contact with the bottom 4.2 of the wing and that the bearing surface 18 is in contact with the bottom 6.2 of the door. The pin 20 is inserted between the adjacent edges of the bottom 4.2 of the wing and the bottom 6.2 of the door. The body 12 extends along the external lateral face of the cassia bottom 8. The protuberance 22 (not visible in FIG. 3) described previously in relation to FIG. 2 is inserted into the corresponding orifice in the lower portion of the underbody. The interfaces 24 in the form of an arm or cradle follow the lower portion of the rocker panel 8.

The pressurizing mechanism 26 essentially comprises a support 28 rigidly fixed to the body 12, an arm 30 pivotally mounted on the support 28, a control lever 32 pivotally mounted on the support 28, and a link 34 connecting the lever control 32 to the pivoting arm 30. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, the pressurizing mechanism is closed, that is to say ensuring the pressurization of the bearing surfaces on the bottom 4.2 of the wing , the bottom 6.2 the door and the rocker panel 8. It can be observed that in this position, the pivot axis of the control lever 32 and the two pivot axes of the rod 34 relative to said lever 32 and relative to the swivel arm 30 are almost aligned. When manipulating the control lever 32, the two pivot axes of the link relative to the lever 32 and the pivoting arm 30 move relative to the pivot axis of the lever 32 on the support 28 so as to align and slightly override this alignment when closing the mechanism, i.e. pressurizing. This arrangement provides a significant reduction in the force exerted on the lever as well as a natural maintenance of the mechanism in the closed position.

In FIG. 3, the positioning device 10 is disposed at the front end of the rocker panel 8, so that the pressurizing mechanism can come into contact with the interior faces of the bottom of the wing 4.2 and of the rocker panel 8 bypassing the front end of the rocker panel 8 and the fender 4.2.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a positioning device for a right front wing, this device being symmetrical to that of Figures 2 and 3. The same reference signs as those of Figures 2 and 3 are used.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be observed that the pivoting arm 30 comprises a first finger 30.1 bearing on the interior face of the rocker panel 8. It can comprise a second finger 30.2 bearing on the interior face of the bottom of the wing 4.2. The pivoting arm 30 can also include an elastic pusher 30.3 intended to exert an elastic force on the front edge of the lower wing 4.2, so as to press it along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle towards the door. The possible pin 20 (Figures 2 and 3) however forms a stop ensuring a predefined gap between the adjacent edges of the wing and the door.

Still in FIGS. 4 and 5, it can also be observed that the positioning device 10 can comprise a stop 36, advantageously in the form of a drain, rigidly connected, in this case fixed, to the body 12 (Figures 2 and 3). This stop 36 is disposed at the front longitudinal end of the body 12. It is intended to cooperate with the front edge of the rocker panel 8.

When mounting the wing on the vehicle body, the wing 4 (Figure 1) is advantageously implemented by another handling and positioning device cooperating with the upper part 4.1 (Figure 1) of the wing. Such a device is in itself well known to those skilled in the art. It can be suspended from a sliding hoist on rails arranged in height. It allows the approach and docking of the wing on the vehicle body, as well as the positioning of the upper part. While this device is still engaged with the upper part of the wing, the positioning device of the invention can be implemented in order to position the bottom of the wing. This, by its compact construction, in particular along the vertical when it is in the mounting position, avoids any interference with the above-mentioned device cooperating with the top of the wing. The wing can then be fixed, by screwing, to the vehicle body. These operations can thus be carried out on the same assembly station. Once the front fenders are mounted, the vehicle body can then proceed to painting.

Claims (10)

1. Device (10) for positioning a front wing (4) adjacent to a door (6) of the body of a vehicle (2), comprising: - a body (12); - a support surface (16) on the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4), said surface being rigidly connected to the body (12); - a support surface (18) on the bottom (6.2) of the door (6), said surface being rigidly connected to the body (12); - a mechanism (26) for pressurizing the bearing surfaces (16, 18) against the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) and the bottom (6.2) of the door (6), said mechanism being mounted on the body (12); characterized in that it further comprises: - A support surface (21) on a rocker panel (8) below the wing (4) and the door (6), said surface being rigidly connected to the body (12); and in that the pressurizing mechanism (26) is configured to bear on an inner face of the rocker panel (8). 2. Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (12) is generally elongated in a longitudinal direction, the pressurizing mechanism (26) being arranged at one end of said body in the longitudinal direction so to be able to access the inner face of the rocker panel (8) from the front end of said rocker panel (8). 3. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the pressurizing mechanism (26) comprises a pivoting arm (30) with a finger (30.1) in contact with the inner face of the bottom body (8). 4. Device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the pressurizing mechanism (26) comprises a lever (32) for controlling the pivoting arm (30) and at least one link (34) connecting said lever ( 32) to said arm (30). 5. Device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivoting arm (30), the control lever (32) and the link (s) (34) are configured so as to gradually increase a multiplication of transmitted force said lever (32) to said arm (30) when taking support on the inner face of the rocker panel (8). 6. Device (10) according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the pivoting arm (30), the control lever (32) and the link (s) (34) are configured so that the pivot axes of said lever (32) and said one or more links (34) reach an alignment and pass beyond said alignment when taking support on the inner face of the rocker panel (8). 7. Device (10) according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the pivoting arm (30) comprises a finger (30.2) in contact with the inner face of the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) . 8. Device (10) according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the device further comprises a protuberance (22) configured to cooperate with an orifice on a lower portion of the rocker panel (8), said protuberance (22) being rigidly connected to the body (12). 9. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the device comprises a pin (20) extending between the bearing surface (16) on the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) and the bearing surface on the bottom (6.2) of the door (6), so as to be able to be housed between said wing (4) and said door (6) in order to limit a gap between said wing and said door. 10. Method for mounting a front wing (4) of a vehicle body (2), comprising the following steps: (a) positioning the top (4.1) of the wing (4) by means of a device (10) for positioning said top of the wing, and fixing said top of the wing to the body; (b) positioning of the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) by means of a positioning device of said bottom of the wing, and fixing of said bottom of the wing to the body; characterized in that the device (10) for positioning the bottom (4.2) of the wing (4) conforms to one of claims 1 to 9; and steps (a) and (b) are carried out concomitantly on the same assembly station.