Method for producing vehicle replacement parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11478960-B2
Application number	US-201916708681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A method produces a vehicle replacement part for a first vehicle component of a connecting system, which is fixed to a second vehicle component via a detachable clip connection. The first vehicle component has a male fixing element, and the second vehicle component has a female fixing element. To connect the first vehicle component to the second vehicle component, the male fixing element is plugged into the female fixing element and is latched. The production method of the vehicle replacement part provides an unfinished part, which is dimensioned to produce the vehicle replacement part. Then, the unfinished part is reshaped in accordance with the geometry of the first vehicle component. Male fixing elements are then provided and, in the last step, the male fixing elements are joined to the reshaped unfinished part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a vehicle replacement part for a first vehicle component of a connecting system, which is fixed to a second vehicle component via a detachable clip connection, wherein
the first vehicle component has male fixing elements, and the second vehicle component has female fixing elements and, to connect the first vehicle component to the second vehicle component, the male fixing elements are plugged into the female fixing elements and are latched, wherein the method for producing the vehicle replacement part comprises the steps of:
1) providing an unfinished part, which unfinished part is dimensioned to produce the vehicle replacement part;
2) reshaping the unfinished part in accordance with a geometry of the first vehicle component;
3) providing the male fixing elements; and
4) joining the male fixing elements to the reshaped unfinished part;
wherein joining positions of the male fixing elements to the reshaped unfinished part in step 4) correspond to positions of the male fixing elements of the first vehicle component.

2. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the reshaping of the unfinished part in step 2) is carried out by use of reshaping tools specifically matched to the geometry of the corresponding first vehicle component.

3. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 2 , wherein
the joining of the male fixing elements in step 4) is carried out by welding or adhesive bonding.

4. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the joining of the male fixing elements in step 4) is carried out by welding or adhesive bonding.

5. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the male fixing element comprises a spherical element, wherein the spherical element comprises one or more balls.

6. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the unfinished part provided is made of wood laminate.

7. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the provision and joining of the male fixing elements in steps 3) and 4) are carried out automatically by a robot arm.

8. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 1 , wherein
the female fixing elements are each a hole or a slot.

9. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 5 , wherein
the female fixing elements are each a hole or a slot.

10. The method for producing the vehicle replacement part according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
changing a ratio of the size of the hole or slot of the female fixing element to a circumference of the spherical element.

11. A method for producing a vehicle replacement part for a first vehicle component of a connecting system, which is fixed to a second vehicle component via a detachable clip connection, wherein
the first vehicle component has male fixing elements, and the second vehicle component has female fixing elements and, to connect the first vehicle component to the second vehicle component, the male fixing elements are plugged into the female fixing elements and are latched, wherein the method for producing the vehicle replacement part comprises the steps of:
1) providing an unfinished part, which unfinished part is dimensioned to produce the vehicle replacement part;
2) reshaping the unfinished part in accordance with a geometry of the first vehicle component;
3) providing the male fixing elements; and
4) joining the male fixing elements to the reshaped unfinished part;
wherein joining positions of the male fixing elements to the reshaped unfinished part in step 4) correspond to positions of the male fixing elements of the first vehicle component;
wherein the unfinished part provided is made of wood laminate.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Friedrich Martin
• Rietzel Dominik
• Schmid Bernhard

Classifications

• B29C39/021 Primary

  by casting in several steps · CPC title

• B29C39/40

  Compensating volume change, e.g. retraction {(in general B29C37/005)} · CPC title

• B60R13/0206 Primary

  Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings (devices for fastening or securing F16B) · CPC title

• B60S5/00

  Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles (vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K) · CPC title

• B21D53/88 Primary

  other parts for vehicles, e.g. cowlings, mudguards · CPC title