Vehicle body panel rotator
OwnerKevin Atkinsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for manipulating a vehicle part. Some embodiments may comprise a first strut comprising a shaft, a second strut comprising a spindle, and a support coupled to the shaft and to the spindle. A mounting beam may be coupled to the support beam. A first mount may be coupled to a first portion of the mounting beam, and a second mount may be coupled to a second portion of the mounting beam. A third mount may be coupled to the support beam. An actuator may be coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate the shaft so that the support beam rotates around the spindle, thereby rotating a vehicle part coupled to the first mount, the second mount, and the third mount.
Claims10
An apparatus for rotating a vehicle part, the apparatus comprising:
- a first strut comprising a shaft;
- a second strut comprising a spindle;
- a support beam comprising a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the spindle;
- a mounting beam comprising a first end and a second end, the mounting beam coupled to the support beam between the first end and the second end;
- a first mount coupled to a first portion of the mounting beam;
- a second mount coupled to a second portion of the mounting beam;
- a third mount coupled to the support beam;
- and
- an actuator comprising:
- a wheel coupled to the first strut, the wheel having a first index stop and a second index stop,
- a pivot arm coupled to the shaft,
- a latch configured to engage the first index stop to prevent the pivot arm from rotating the shaft, and
- a lever coupled to the latch, the lever configured to release the latch from the first index stop to allow the pivot arm to rotate the shaft until the latch engages the second index stop;
- wherein the first mount, the second mount, and the third mount are configured to be coupled to the vehicle part, and the actuator is configured to rotate the shaft so that the support beam rotates around the spindle, thereby rotating the vehicle part.
An apparatus for rotating a vehicle part, the apparatus comprising:
- a frame comprising a shaft and a spindle;
- a support beam comprising a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the spindle;
- one or more mounts coupled to the support beam and configured to be coupled to the vehicle part;
- a wheel coupled to the frame, the wheel having a first index stop and a second index stop;
- a pivot arm coupled to the shaft;
- a latch configured to engage the first index stop to prevent the pivot arm from rotating the shaft;
- and
- a lever coupled to the latch, the lever configured to release the latch from the first index stop to allow the pivot arm to rotate the shaft until the latch engages the second index stop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.