Methods for determining the existence and the size of a gap and for determining the amount by which a portion of an assembly deflects
AssigneesFord Global Technologies, LLC, Metronom U.S. Inc.
InventorsKelly Michael Kohlstrand, Stephen Lewis Bruford, Stefan Obenauer, Ingobert Schmadel
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Abstract
A method 500 and an assembly 200 for determining the presence of gaps located between a first portion 240 of a partially assembled apparatus 228 and a second portion 230. The existence and size of the gap may be discerned by use of a wireless gap sensor 309 which is engaged by the portion 230 as it abuts or comes into close proximity with the portion 240. Other methods 400 and 500 may be respectively used to respectively discern the existence and the size of a gap within an assembled vehicle and to measure the deflection of a portion of an apparatus, such as a vehicle.
Claims16
A method for determining the existence of a gap between the door frame and a door of a vehicle of the type having a removable seal member which is operatively disposed upon said frame, said method comprising the steps of determining the existence of leakage into said vehicle;
- removing said seal after said existence of said leakage is determined;
- providing a wireless gap sensor;
- opening said door of said vehicle;
- removing said seal;
- operatively mounting said wireless gap sensor upon said frame;
- closing said door against said wireless gap sensor, effective to cause said wireless gap sensor to ascertain the existence of a gap between said door frame and said door of said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.