US 6,454,035 B1 · Tilt mechanism and method for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis · patentgrep

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Abstract

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis includes a pivot pin having a pivot pin axis. The pivot pin provides a single-point pivot attachment of the body panel to the chassis such that the body panel can articulate about the pivot pin axis relative to the chassis. A support member pivotably connects to the chassis about the pivot pin axis by the pivot pin. The support member has a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of the support member. The tilt axis is perpendicular to the pivot pin axis. The support member supports the vehicle body panel weight through a pivotal connection between a support member end and the body panel. The pivotal connection allows the body panel to pivot relative to the chassis about the tilt axis via a bearing. A torsion bar is within the support member. One portion of the torsion bar is secured to the support member and another portion is secured to the body panel by a slot that receives a torsion bar end. The torsion bar biases the body panel relative to the chassis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about the tilt axis. The slot is hour-glass-shaped such that the body panel can pivot about the tilt axis relative to the chassis without loading the torsion bar over a specified angular range about the tilt axis.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a support member having a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of said support member, said support member having a support member end, said support member end being adapted to pivotably connect to said body panel such that said body panel can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said support member, and said support member being adapted to support at least part of a vehicle body panel weight;
and
a pivot pin having a pivot pin axis along a longitudinal extent of said pivot pin, said support member being adapted to pivotably attach to said chassis about said pivot pin axis by said pivot pin, said tilt axis being generally perpendicular to said pivot pin axis, said pivot pin being adapted to support said at least part of said vehicle body panel weight, and said pivot pin being adapted to provide a single-point pivot attachment of said body panel to said chassis such that said body panel can articulate about said pivot pin axis relative to said chassis.

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a support member adapted to connect to said chassis at one portion of said support member, said support member having a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of said support member, said support member having a support member end, said support member being adapted to pivotably connect to said body panel at said support member end such that said body panel can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said chassis, and said support member being adapted to support at least part of a vehicle body panel weight,
a torsion bar within said support member, said torsion bar being secured to said support member at one portion of said torsion bar, said torsion bar having a twist axis along a longitudinal extent of said torsion bar, said twist axis being substantially axially aligned with said tilt axis, said torsion bar having a torsion bar end, and said torsion bar being adapted to bias said body panel relative to said chassis about said twist axis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about said tilt axis;
and
said torsion bar end adapted to be seated in an hour-glass-shaped slot formed in said body panel such that said body panel can pivot about said twist axis relative to said chassis without loading said torsion bar over a specified angular range about said tilt axis.

1 more element

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a support member adapted to connect to said chassis at one portion of said support member, said support member having a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of said support member, said support member having a support member end, said support member end being adapted to pivotably connect to said body panel such that said body panel can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said chassis, said support member being adapted to support at least part of a vehicle body panel weight;
a torsion bar within said support member, said torsion bar being secured to said support member at one portion of said torsion bar, said torsion bar being adapted to secure to said body panel at a torsion bar end, said torsion bar having a twist axis along a longitudinal extent of said torsion bar, said twist axis being substantially axially aligned with said tilt axis, and said torsion bar being adapted to bias said body panel relative to said chassis about said twist axis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about said tilt axis;
and
a tilt restraint adapted to provide a limit on said pivotal range about said tilt axis, said tilt restraint being located within and fixed to said support member, said tilt restraint being axially located along said tilt axis proximate to said support member end, and said tilt restraint being adapted to abut with a surface of said torsion bar at said limit to hinder further pivoting about said tilt axis.

1 more element

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a pivot pin having a pivot pin axis along a longitudinal extent of said pivot pin, said pivot pin being adapted to support said at least part of said vehicle body panel weight, and said pivot pin being adapted to provide a single-point pivot attachment of said body panel to said chassis such that said body panel can articulate about said pivot pin axis relative to said chassis;
a support member adapted to pivotably connect to said chassis about said pivot pin axis by said pivot pin, said support member having a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of said support member, said tilt axis being generally perpendicular to said pivot pin axis, said support member having a support member end, said support member end being adapted to pivotably connect to said body panel such that said body panel can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said chassis, said support member being adapted to support at least part of a vehicle body panel weight;
a torsion bar having a twist axis along a longitudinal extent of said torsion bar, said twist axis being substantially axially aligned with said tilt axis, wherein one portion of said torsion bar is secured to said support member and said torsion bar is within said support member, said torsion bar being adapted to bias said body panel relative to said chassis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about said tilt axis, said torsion bar having a torsion bar end;
and
said torsion bar end adapted to be seated in an hour-glass-shaped slot formed in said body panel such that said body panel can pivot about said twist axis relative to said chassis without loading said torsion bar over a specified angular range about said tilt axis.

2 more elements

A tilt mechanism for pivoting a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a chassis bracket adapted to attach to said chassis;
first and second pivot brackets adapted to attach to said body panel;
a pivot pin supported by and extending through said chassis bracket along a pivot pin axis of said pivot pin, said chassis bracket having a clevis structure to receive said pivot pin, said pivot pin being adapted to support at least part of a vehicle body panel weight, and said pivot pin being adapted to provide a single-point pivot attachment of said body panel to said chassis such that said body panel can articulate about said pivot pin axis relative to said chassis;
a support member pivotably connected to said chassis bracket about said pivot pin axis and within said clevis structure at a support member midpoint by said pivot pin, said support member having a tilt axis along a longitudinal extent of said support member, said support member being adapted to support said at least part of said body panel weight;
first and second compliant members adapted to urge a substantially parallel position of said support member relative to said chassis about said pivot pin, said members being proximate to said pivot pin within said clevis structure and being attached to said chassis bracket, and said members being prestressed and in contact with said support member when said support member is not being pivoted about said pivot pin, said first compliant member being attached to said chassis bracket on one side of said pivot pin, said second compliant member being attached to said chassis bracket on another side of said pivot pin;
first and second hard stops formed on said chassis bracket, said hard stops being adapted to limit a support member pivotal range of said support member about said pivot pin;
a flat rectangular-shaped torsion bar within said support member and secured to said support member midpoint at a torsion bar midpoint, said torsion bar having a twist axis along a longitudinal extent of said torsion bar, said twist axis being generally perpendicular to said pivot pin axis and being substantially axially aligned with said tilt axis, said torsion bar being adapted to bias said body panel relative to said chassis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about said tilt axis, wherein each end of said torsion bar forms a first and second key pin;
a first hour-glass-shaped slot formed in said first pivot bracket, said first slot being adapted to receive said first key pin such that said first pivot bracket can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said chassis bracket without loading said torsion bar over a specified angular range;
a second hour-glass-shaped slot formed in said second pivot bracket, said second slot being adapted to receive said second key pin such that said second pivot bracket can pivot about said tilt axis relative to said chassis bracket without loading said torsion bar over said specified angular range;
two bearings, one of said bearings being fixed to each of said pivot brackets, said bearings having a bearing rotation axis substantially axially aligned with said tilt axis, each of said bearings forming a socket to receive each end of said support member, said bearings being adapted to transfer said at least part of said body panel weight from said pivot brackets to said support member while also allowing said pivot brackets to pivot about said tilt axis relative to said support member;
and
a tilt restraint adapted to provide a limit on a pivot bracket rotational range of said pivot bracket about said tilt axis, said tilt restraint being located within and fixed to said support member, said tilt restraint being axially located along said tilt axis proximate to one of said ends of said support member, and said tilt restraint being adapted to abut with a surface of said torsion bar at said limit to hinder further pivoting about said tilt axis.

9 more elements

A method of assisting a pivotal movement of a vehicle body panel relative to a vehicle chassis, comprising the steps of:

supporting at least a portion of a vehicle body panel weight with a first torsional force stored in a torsion bar when said body panel is in a first position, said torsion bar having a twist axis, said torsion bar being adapted to bias said body panel relative to said chassis about said twist axis along at least an angular portion of a pivotal range about a tilt axis, said tilt axis being substantially axially aligned with said twist axis;
pivoting said body panel about said tilt axis relative to said chassis from said first position to a second position;
supporting at least a portion of said body panel weight with said first torsional force stored in said torsion bar about said twist axis as said body panel pivots about said tilt axis from said first position to said second position;
unloading said torsion bar at said second position;
pivoting said body panel about said tilt axis relative to said chassis from said second position to a third position without loading said torsion bar;
loading said torsion bar at said third position;
pivoting said body panel about said tilt axis relative to said chassis from said third position to a fourth position;
supporting at least a portion of said body panel weight with a second torsional force generated in said torsion bar about said twist axis as said body panel pivots about said tilt axis from said third position to said fourth position, said first torsional force having a first rotational direction about said twist axis being opposite of a second rotational direction of said second torsional force about said twist axis;
and
supporting at least a portion of said body panel weight with said second torsional force stored in said torsion bar when said body panel is in said fourth position.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.