Adjustable and flexible hood panel support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611015-B2
Application number	US-201514967464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for holding a hood of a vehicle open during e-coat application and painting. The apparatus includes a support incorporating first and second pairs of legs attached to spaced locations on right and left sides of an engine compartment. The two pairs of legs are connected at an upper portion of the legs. A hood support bar is connected to the upper portion of both the first and second pairs of legs and extends transversely across the engine compartment. A hood striker receiving bracket may be provided on the hood support bar. The apparatus is adjustable to position the hood striker receiving bracket in a range of vertical, transverse and longitudinal locations. The adjustability of the apparatus provides a flexible hood support that reduces thermal distortion or sag due to thermal load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
first and second pairs of legs attached to spaced locations on right and left sides of an engine compartment and connected at an upper portion of the legs; and
a support bar connected to the upper portion of the first and second pairs of legs extends transversely across the engine compartment and configured to support a hood, the support bar defining a hood striker receiving area and a pair of landing pads.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support bar is adapted to be connected to the upper portion of the first and second pairs of legs to be adjustable in a range of heights.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a leg connector attached to a top portion of each pair of legs that holds the upper portion of the legs in a spaced relationship, and wherein the leg connector extends in a horizontal direction to a height adjustment leg provided on the support bar that extends in a vertical direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a slot is defined by the height adjustment leg to extend vertically and wherein a fastener secures the support bar at a selected location within the slot.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a hood of a vehicle that includes a striker rod attached to the hood, wherein the striker rod is received in a recess formed in the support bar.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support bar is a truss assembly including a planar bar including truss spacers extending between the planar bar and a plurality of landing pads assembled to the truss spacers, and wherein the hood latch receiving area is disposed between two landing pads, wherein the landing pads are adjustable to contact a hood in a range of locations spaced along the length of the truss assembly and the hood latch receiving area may be adjustable along the length of the truss assembly.

7. An apparatus in combination with a vehicle having a hood comprising:
first and second pairs of legs attached to spaced locations on right and left sides of an engine compartment and connected at an upper portion of the legs;
a support bar connected to the upper portion of the first and second pairs of legs extends transversely across the engine compartment and configured to support the hood, the support bar defining a hood striker receiving area and a pair of landing pads; and
a striker rod attached to the hood and configured to be received in a V-shaped recess defined by a hood striker receiving bracket that defines the hood striker receiving area when the hood is supported by the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a retainer pin is attached to the support bar and selectively and positively retains the striker rod in the V-shaped recess.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Baskar Shunmugam
• Gardynik Michael J
• Pope Christopher
• Nguyen Christina Dung
• VELUCHAMY Venkatasamy

Classifications

• B25B11/00

  Work holders not covered by any preceding group in the subclass, e.g. magnetic work holders, vacuum work holders (for holding or positioning work for welding, soldering, or cutting by applying heat locally B23K37/04; specially adapted to machine tools B23Q3/00) · CPC title

• E05C21/005

  Provisional arrangements between door and frame for holding vehicle doors closed or partially open during manufacturing or maintenance · CPC title

• B05B13/0285

  Stands for supporting individual articles to be sprayed, e.g. doors, vehicle body parts · CPC title

• B25H1/00 Primary

  Work benches; Portable stands or supports for positioning portable tools or work to be operated on thereby · CPC title

• B05B13/0292 Primary

  devices for holding several workpieces to be sprayed in a spaced relationship, e.g. vehicle doors spacers · CPC title