Production aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10987789-B2
Application number	US-201816228917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Jan 2, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A production aid for positioning at least one component relative to a further component includes a monolithic positioning main body configured such that, given its prescriptively correct arrangement on the further component, it predefines a prescriptively correct positioning of the component relative to the further component. The positioning main body includes at least one opening, into which a spacer bushing is positively fitted. The spacer bushing has a through hole through which a positioning pin is guided, or a positioning pivot, which is configured monolithically with the spacer bushing. The positioning main body, via the positioning pin or the positioning pivot, makes contact with the further component, and a longitudinal center axis of the through hole is arranged parallelly offset from a longitudinal center axis of the positioning pin or pivot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A production aid for positioning at least one component relative to a further component, the production aid comprising:
a monolithic positioning main body including a U-shaped member, an elongated member extending non-planar to the U-shaped member, and an angular member extending from the elongated member, the monolithic positioning main body being configured such that when arranged in a prescriptively correct arrangement on the further component, the monolithic positioning main body predefines a prescriptively correct position of the at least one component relative to the further component, wherein the monolithic positioning main body includes at least one opening; and
a spacer bushing positively fitted into the at least one opening, the spacer bushing having a through hole through which a positioning pin is guided nonplanar to the elongated member, or a positioning pivot monolithically configured with the spacer bushing nonplanar to the elongated member,
wherein the monolithic positioning main body, via the positioning pin or the positioning pivot, makes contact with the further component, wherein a longitudinal center axis of the through hole is arranged parallelly offset from a longitudinal center axis of the spacer bushing.

2. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monolithic positioning main body further comprises a hook element being orthogonal to the U-shaped member.

3. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an outer peripheral surface of the spacer bushing makes contact with a section of an inner peripheral surface of the at least one opening of the monolithic positioning main body, and are configured as a hollow cylinder having a circular or polygonal base area.

4. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an axial end face of the spacer bushing includes at least one marking which indicates a direction in which the longitudinal center axis of the through hole is arranged parallely offset from the longitudinal center axis of the spacer bushing.

5. The production aid as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the positioning main body includes at least one marking adjacent the at least one opening.

6. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monolithic positioning main body includes at least two openings and at least two differently configured spacer bushings are selectively fitted into the at least two openings and differ from one another in terms of a distance of the longitudinal center axis of the respective through hole from the longitudinal center axis of the respective spacer bushing.

7. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spacer bushing is manufactured using an additive production process or an injection molding process.

8. The production aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the monolithic positioning main body includes at least two corresponding openings having longitudinal center axes that are oriented non-parallel to one another.

9. A production aid comprising:
a monolithic positioning main body defining a plurality of openings and including a U-shaped member with a hook element being orthogonal to the U-shaped member, an elongated member extending orthogonal to the U-shaped member and having an angular member extending from and planar to the elongated member;
a plurality of spacer bushings, each spacer bushing being disposed in a corresponding one of the openings; and
a plurality of positioning members, each positioning member being coupled to a corresponding one of the spacer bushings, guided nonplanar to the elongated member, and having a central axis that is offset from a central axis of the spacer bushing.

10. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a distance of the offset of the central axes of the positioning member and the spacer bushing is different between at least two spacer bushings.

11. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a central axis of at least one opening among the plurality of openings is oriented non-parallel to a central axis of another opening among the plurality of openings.

12. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 further comprising at least one handle disposed on the monolithic positioning main body.

13. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 , wherein an axial end face of the spacer bushing includes at least one marking.

14. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 , wherein an axial end face of the spacer bushing includes at least one marking and the monolithic positioning main body includes at least one marking adjacent the plurality of openings.

15. The production aid as claimed in claim 9 , wherein an outer peripheral surface of the spacer bushing and an inner peripheral surface of corresponding opening among the plurality of openings each define a polygonal shape or circular shape.

16. A production aid comprising:
a positioning main body defining an opening and including a U-shaped member with a hook element being orthogonal to the U-shaped member, an elongated member extending orthogonal to the U-shaped member and having an angular member extending from the elongated member; and
a spacer bushing disposed in the opening, the spacer bushing defining an aperture having a central axis that is offset from a central axis of the spacer bushing, the aperture configured to receive a positioning member pin guided nonplanar to the elongated member.

17. The production aid as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the positioning main body is monolithically manufactured using an additive manufacturing process.

18. The production aid as claimed in claim 16 , wherein an axial end face of the spacer bushing includes at least one marking.

19. The production aid as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the positioning main body includes at least one marking adjacent the opening.

20. The production aid as claimed in claim 16 , wherein an outer peripheral surface of the spacer bushing and an inner peripheral surface of the opening define a polygonal shape or circular shape.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Koch Raphael
• Bognar Lars

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

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B25B27/14 Primary

  for assembling objects other than by press fit or detaching same · CPC title

• B25B27/0035

  for motor-vehicles (wrenches for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/003) · CPC title