Modified door opening of a motorized vehicle for accommodating a ramp system and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789922-B2
Application number	US-201414574739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method of increasing a door opening width of a crossover vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair ramp or lift assembly. The method includes positioning a template on a B pillar and a template on a C pillar and marking cut lines on the pillars. The method includes cutting along the cut lines with a cutting tool to remove portions of the B pillar and the C pillar. A B pillar cover assembly is assembled and a reinforcement plate is coupled to a remaining portion of the C pillar. An adhesive is applied to the B pillar cover assembly and to a C pillar cap. A modified B pillar is produced by coupling the B pillar cover assembly to a remaining portion of the B pillar, and a modified C pillar is produced by coupling the C pillar cap to the reinforcement plate and the remaining portion of the C pillar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of increasing a width of a door opening of a crossover vehicle to accommodate a wheelchair ramp assembly or lift assembly, the vehicle including a body frame formed partially by at least an A pillar, a B pillar, and a C pillar, where the door opening is defined between the B pillar and the C pillar, the method comprising:
providing a first template corresponding to the B pillar and a second template corresponding to the C pillar;
positioning the first template on the B pillar and the second template on the C pillar; marking a first cut line with the first template on the B pillar and a second cut line with the second template on the C pillar;
cutting along the first cut line with a cutting tool to remove a portion of the B pillar;
cutting along the second cut line with the cutting tool to remove a portion of the C pillar;
assembling a B pillar cover assembly;
coupling a reinforcement plate to a remaining portion of the C pillar;
applying an adhesive to the B pillar cover assembly and to a C pillar cap; and
producing a modified B pillar by coupling the B pillar cover assembly to a remaining portion of the B pillar;
producing a modified C pillar by coupling the C pillar cap to the reinforcement plate and the remaining portion of the C pillar; and
wherein, increasing the width of the door opening between the B pillar and C pillar to enables the crossover vehicle to accommodate the wheelchair ramp assembly or lift assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a plurality of members; and
coupling the plurality of members to form the B pillar cover assembly.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coupling the plurality of members step comprises slidably engaging a tab on a first member of the plurality of members with a sleeve on a second member of the plurality of members.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coupling the plurality of members step comprises positioning each of the plurality of members in contact with the remaining portion of the B pillar so that a protruding body formed on an inner surface of each member abuts an inner surface of the remaining portion of the B pillar.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the coupling the plurality of members step comprises a tongue-and-groove connection.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
drilling and tapping a plurality of holes in the B pillar cover assembly; and
fastening the B pillar cover assembly to the remaining portion of the B pillar via fasteners.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assembling a body to the B pillar cover assembly, the body including a cavity or through-hole configured to receive a door.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the increasing the width of the door opening comprises increasing the width by at least three inches.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
clamping the B pillar cover assembly to the remaining portion of the B pillar;
triggering a waiting period; and
allowing the adhesive to dry between the B pillar cover assembly and the remaining portion of the B pillar until the waiting period expires.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coupling a reinforcement plate comprises tack welding the reinforcement plate to the remaining portion of the C pillar.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
aligning a planar surface of the C pillar cap with a planar surface of the reinforcement plate or the remaining portion of the C pillar; and
aligning a curved surface of the C pillar cap with a curved surface of the remaining portion of the C pillar.

Assignees

• Braun Corp

Inventors

• Dosenbach Eric Sajed
• Barber Timothy S
• Pugh Michael

Classifications

• A61G3/061

  using ramps · CPC title

• B62D65/00 Primary

  Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61G2220/14

  Cars · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title