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US 7,922,229 B1Granted
Reconfigurable body exterior panel assembly for vehicle
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsBrian V. Castillo, Wade W. Bryant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle has a body with a body opening and a reconfigurable body exterior panel that is mountable over the opening in first and second panel positions. The panel is pivotable about a panel pivot axis and is mounted on a pair of swing arms that are pivotable relative to the body about a bodyside pivot axis. The swing arms are Z-shaped and interact with stops to orient the panel in the first and second panel positions.
Claims15
A vehicle comprising:
- a body including a body opening surface defining a perimeter of a body opening;
- a reconfigurable body exterior panel having a first surface configured to mount against the body opening surface in a first panel position and a second surface configured to mount against the body opening surface in a second panel position where the exterior panel is in a different orientation relative to the body than when in the first panel position;
- a pair of panel-side pivot pins secured to the exterior panel and defining a panel pivot axis about which the exterior panel is pivotable;
- a pair of swing arms each having a first end mounted to a respective one of the panel-side pivot pins and a second opposed end;
- a pair of bodyside pivot pins mounted to the respective second ends of the swing arms and pivotally secured relative to the body for allowing pivoting of the swing arms relative to the body;
- a first mode stop mounted to the exterior panel spaced from the panel-side pivot pins and configured to engage one of the swing arms to prevent further rotation of the exterior panel relative to the swing arms in a first direction when the exterior panel is in the first panel position;
- and a second mode stop mounted to the exterior panel and spaced from the first mode stop and the panel-side pivot pins and configured to engage one of the swing arms to prevent further rotation in a second, opposed direction when the exterior panel is in the second panel position.
4 more elements
A vehicle comprising:
- a body including a body opening surface defining a perimeter of a body opening;
- a reconfigurable body exterior panel having a sealing flange including a first surface configured to mount and seal against the body opening surface in a first panel position and an opposed second surface configured to mount and seal against the body opening surface in a second panel position where the exterior panel is in a different orientation relative to the body than when in the first panel position;
- a pair of panel-side pivot pins secured to the exterior panel and defining a panel pivot axis about which the exterior panel is pivotable;
- a pair of swing arms each having a first end mounted to a respective one of the panel-side pivot pins and a second opposed end, wherein each of the swing arms are Z-shaped, including a panel-side portion extending away from the first end, a bodyside portion extending away from the second end and an intermediate portion extending in a nonparallel direction between and connecting the panel-side portion and the bodyside portion, an intersection of the panel-side portion and the intermediate portion forming a first catch, and an intersection of the bodyside portion and the intermediate portion forming a second catch;
- a pair of bodyside pivot pins mounted to the respective second ends of the swing arms and pivotally secured relative to the body for allowing pivoting of the swing arms relative to the body;
- a first mode stop pin extending from the sealing flange, spaced from the panel-side pivot pins and configured to engage the first catch on one of the swing arms to prevent further rotation of the exterior panel relative to the swing arms in a first direction when the exterior panel is in the first panel position;
- and a second mode stop pin extending from the sealing flange and spaced from the first mode stop pin and the panel-side pivot pins and configured to engage the second catch on one of the swing arms to prevent further rotation in a second, opposed direction when the exterior panel is in the second panel position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.