Adjustable abutment

Abstract: An automobile decklid pop-up bumper (10) for assembly with an apertured workpiece, such as the framework of an automobile engine compartment having an aperture and a helical internal marginal portion defined around the aperture, includes a housing (12) with an enlarged end portion (20) for engaging the automobile bonnet and a shank portion (28) extending from the enlarged end portion for inspection through the aperture. The shank portion (28) has a helical thread (32) for threadingly engaging the helical marginal portion around the aperture. The housing (12) has an axial bore (46) with a portion (48) of reduced radial dimension within the enlarged end portion (20). The portion (48) of reduced radial dimension defines a shoulder (50). Disposed within the axial bore (46) is a plunger (14) having an elongate cylindrical portion (54) and a disk-like base (56), the elongate cylindrical portion (54) extending through the portion (48) of reduced radial dimension and the disk-like base (56) interfering with the shoulder (50) to prevent the plunger (14) from passing completely through the axial bore (46). Biasing means (42, 44) direct the elongate cylindrical portion (54) out through the enlarged end portion (20) of the housing (12), and enable the plunger (14) to raise the bonnet by a slight amount when the bonnet latch mechanism is released.

Description: The present invention relates to an automobile adjustable abutment which is arranged to engage a bonnet of the automobile as the bonnet is brought down into a locked position over an engine compartment of the automobile. In the usual case, at least two of the adjustable abutments are provided at respective sides of the engine compartment to vertically align the bonnet with the bodywork when the bonnet is closed, the adjustable abutments thus forming part of bonnet bumper assemblies. A prior art bonnet bumper assembly has included a workpiece, which may, for example, be the frame of the engine compartment, having an aperture formed therein which is coined or otherwise deformed to define a helical thread about the aperture. An abutment member having an enlarged end and a threaded shank portion extending from the enlarged end is arranged to be threadingly received by the aperture. The abutment member is rotated into the aperture by a sufficient number of revolutions so that the enlarged end is at a desired position to align the bonnet when closed. Also, indentations about the aperture have been provided in the engine compartment frame to enable the relatively thin sheet metal into which the aperture is formed to receive abutment members having relatively large threads. Such prior art bonnet bumper assemblies exhibit the deficiency that, after numerous closings of the bonnet, the vibration caused by the closing of the bonnet can cause the threaded abutment member to rotate in the aperture and thus become misadjusted. As a result, after such numerous bonnet closings, the prior art abutment members do not properly align the bonnet with the adjacent bodywork. Further, prior art abutment members have had a flat end surface for engaging the underside of the bonnet. Such flat engaging surfaces allow the bonnet to vibrate laterally during automobile movement and do not positively locate the bonnet in the proper lateral position upon being closed. To address these problems in the bonnet bumper assemblies of the prior art, the bonnet bumper assembly shown in US-A-4653968, has an adjustable rotatable abutment member whose inadvertent rotation, after being adjusted, is precluded notwithstanding the vibrations caused by the closing of the automobile bonnet. The abutment member is also capable of preventing lateral bonnet vibration and positively locating the bonnet in its proper lateral position upon being closed. To these ends, the bonnet bumper assembly shown in US-A-4653968 comprises a workpiece including an aperture and a helical internal marginal portion defined around the aperture, and an abutment member having an end portion arranged to engage the bonnet when closed, a shank portion extending from the end portion including a helical thread for being threadingly received by the aperture, and detent means including first means carried by the shank portion in the form of ribs and second means carried by the workpiece in the form of indentations and arranged to co-operate with the first means for releasably locking the shank portion within the aperture against rotation at predetermined rotational intervals of the shank portion. The abutment member end portion includes a part-spherical surface portion for co-acting with a stamped recess in the underside of the bonnet to prevent lateral bonnet vibration and to provide repeated lateral alignment of the bonnet upon each closure thereof. Notwithstanding the advantages of the bonnet bumper assembly of US-A-4653968 there is still a need in the art for a bonnet bumper assembly of the same type which includes a means for lifting the bonnet by a small amount when a bonnet latch mechanism for retaining the bonnet is released. It is also known from FR-A-2565649 for a similar, but not necessarily adjustable, abutment to include a housing with an axial bore containing a spring biased plunger and with means for preventing the plunger from passing completely through the bore. According to the present invention, however, there is provided an automobile adjustable abutment in an automobile frame which has a substantially helical marginal portion defining an aperture and a first plurality of detent means at circumferentially spaced intervals on said helical marginal portion and for engaging an automobile bonnet which is movable relatively to said automobile frame, said adjustable abutment comprising: a member having an end portion engaging said automobile bonnet and having a shank portion extending from said end portion for insertion through said aperture in said automobile frame, said shank portion including a helical thread threadingly engaging said helical marginal portion around said aperture, and said shank portion further including a second plurality of detent means at circumferentially spaced intervals engaging with said first plurality of detent means on said helical marginal portion, thereby releasably locking said member against rotation with respect to said automobile frame to set said member at a selected position with respect to said automobile bonnet; characterised in that said member is in the form of a housing having an axial bore with a portion of reduced radial dimension within said end portion such that said portion of reduced radial dimension defines a shoulder within said axial bore; a plunger is provided, said plunger having an elongate cylindrical portion and a disk-like base of greater radial dimension than said elongate cylindrical portion, said plunger being disposed within said axial bore such that said elongate cylindrical portion extends through said portion of reduced radial dimension and said disk-like base interferes with said shoulder to prevent said plunger from passing completely through said axial bore; and means is provided for biasing said disk-like base of said plunger towards said shoulder; whereby, in use, when a latch mechanism for retaining said automobile bonnet is released, said automobile bonnet is lifted relatively to said automobile frame by an amount corresponding to the travel of said plunger relatively to said housing before said disk-like base of said plunger is obstructed by said shoulder within said axial bore of said housing. An automobile adjustable abutment, in accordance with the present invention, will now be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side view of an automobile adjustable abutment according to the present invention; and Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the automobile adjustable abutment of Figure 1. The accompanying drawings shown an automobile adjustable abutment according to the present invention in the form of an automobile decklid pop-up bumper 10 which comprises a housing 12 and, extending from within the housing 12, a plunger 14. The housing 12 includes an enlarged end portion 20 having a hexagonal nut portion 22, a cylindrical portion 24, and a raised generally part-spherical surface portion 26 on the cylindrical portion 24 opposite the hexagonal nut portion 22. The surface portion 26 is arranged to abut or engage the undersurface of a bonnet of an automobile when closed. Extending from the end portion 20 is a shank portion 28 which includes a root 30. Upon the root 30 there is formed a helical thread 32 having a leading flank 34 and a trailing flank 36. The housing 12 also includes a nose portion 38 which is an extension of the shank portion 28 and has a diameter equal to the diameter of the root 30. The nose portion 38 is provided to lead the bumper 10 into a helical impression and aperture in a workpiece. The housing 12 is preferably formed by a moulding operation of a material having an elastomeric characteristic such as, for example, nylon. As can clearly be seen in Figure 1, the leading flank 34 of the helical thread 32 is provided with a plurality of ribs 40 which extend radially outwardly from the root 30 of the shank portion 28. Preferably, at least two such ribs 40 are provided for each turn of the helical thread 32 and are unequal in number to the number of indentations formed about the aperture into which the bumper 10 is disposed. Alternatively, four such ribs 40 per turn of the helical thread 32 may be provided. The ribs 40 constitute a first plurality of detent means separated at predetermined circumferentially spaced intervals. The ribs 40 releasably lock the bumper 10 against rotation in a helically rimmed aperture provided with a plurality of indentations. The plurality of indentations constitute a second plurality of detent means separated at predetermined circumferentially spaced intervals about the helically rimmed aperture. The number of ribs 40 provided is generally different from the number of indentations. The circumferentially spaced intervals of said first plurality of detent means may be unequal to the circumferentially spaced intervals of said second plurality of detent means. In this way, the angular spacing between successive locking positions of said bumper 10 are circumferentially spaced a distance less than the circumferentially spaced intervals of either said first or second plurality of detent means. The ribs 40 extend from the crest of the helical thread 32 to the root 30. The ribs 40 could, however, terminate tangent to the root 30 or just short of the root 30. In either of these alternative constructions, the bumper 10 will function as required. Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the automobile decklid pop-up bumper 10 which may be seen to additionally comprise a helical spring 42 and a cap 44. As is apparent in Figure 2, housing 12, which is the sole element presented in cross-section, has an axial bore 46 with a portion 48 of reduced radial dimension defining a shoulder 50. At the end of the axial bore 46 further from the shoulder 50 is a groove 52 running circumferentially about the surface thereof. Plunger 14 is disposed within axial bore 46 and comprises an elongate cylindrical portion 54 and a disk-like base 56 of greater radial dimension than portion 54. By interfering with disk-like portion 54, shoulder 50 prevents plunger 14 from passing completely through axial bore 46. Plunger 14 is preferably moulded from a polymeric resin material, such as an acetal resin or a nylon resin. Helical spring 42 is disposed in axial bore 46, where it is compressed against disk-like portion 54 of plunger 14 when cap 44 seals it therein. Cap 44, also essentially disk-shaped, has a circumferential flange 58 enabling it to snappingly seal the axial bore 46 through the interference fit of flange 58 within groove 52. Alternatively, or additionally, cap 44 may be sonically welded in place. Spring 42, preferably made of steel, biases the plunger 14 outward from the axial bore 46, as it is compressed between disk-like portion 54 and cap 44. Elongate cylindrical portion 54 of plunger 14 protrudes through the centre of the part-spherical surface portion 26 of the enlarged end portion 20 of housing 12, but is even with said part-spherical surface portion 26 when the bonnet is closed upon it and latched. Cap 44 is preferably moulded from a reinforced polymeric resin material, such as 30% glass-filled nylon black. From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that the present automobile decklid pop-up bumper 10 provides a new and improved bonnet bumper assembly compared with that shown in US-A-4653968. By virtue of the spring-biased plunger 14 incorporated in the bumper 10, the elongate cylindrical portion 54 of which is compressed within axial bore 46 when the automobile bonnet is closed and latched, the bonnet may be lifted by a small amount when the latch mechanism is released enabling the bonnet to be grasped more easily for complete raising.

Claims: An automobile adjustable abutment (10) in an automobile frame which has a substantially helical marginal portion defining an aperture and a first plurality of detent means at circumferentially spaced intervals on said helical marginal portion engaging an automobile bonnet which is movable relatively to said automobile frame, said adjustable abutment (10) comprising: a member (12) having an end portion (20) engaging said automobile bonnet and having a shank portion (28) extending from said end portion for insertion through said aperture in said automobile frame, said shank portion (28) including a helical thread (32) threadingly engaging said helical marginal portion around said aperture, and said shank portion (28) further including a second plurality of detent means (40) at circumferentially spaced intervals engaging with said first plurality of detent means on said helical marginal portion, thereby releasably locking said member (12) against rotation with respect to said automobile frame to set said member (12) at a selected position with respect to said automobile bonnet; characterised in that said member is in the form of a housing (12) having an axial bore (46) with a portion (48) of reduced radial dimension within said end portion (20) such that said portion (48) of reduced radial dimension defines a shoulder (50) within said axial bore (46); a plunger (14) is provided, said plunger having an elongate cylindrical portion (54) and a disk-like base (56) of greater radial dimension than said elongate cylindrical portion, said plunger (14) being disposed within said axial bore (46) such that said elongate cylindrical portion (54) extends through said portion (48) of reduced radial dimension and said disk-like base (56) interferes with said shoulder (50) to prevent said plunger (14) from passing completely through said axial bore (46); and means (42, 44) is provided for biasing said disk-like base (56) of said plunger (14) towards said shoulder (50); whereby, in use, when a latch mechanism for retaining said automobile bonnet is released, said automobile bonnet is lifted relatively to said automobile frame by an amount corresponding to the travel of said plunger (14) relatively to said housing (12) before said disk-like base (56) of said plunger (14) is obstructed by said shoulder (50) within said axial bore (46) of said housing (12). An automobile adjustable abutment according to claim 1, characterised in that said means for biasing said disk-like base (56) of said plunger (14) towards said shoulder (50) comprises a spring (42) disposed within said axial bore (46) against said disk-like base (56) of said plunger (14) and means (44) for compressing said spring (42) against said disk-like base (56). An automobile adjustable abutment according to claim 2, characterised in that said means for compressing said spring (42) against said disk-like base (56) is a cap (44) secured across said axial bore (46). An automobile adjustable abutment according to claim 3, characterised in that said cap (44) is sonically welded across said axial bore (46). An automobile adjustable abutment according to claim 3, characterised in that said cap (44) is a disk having a circumferential flange (58) and said axial bore (46) has a circumferential groove (52) whereby said cap may be snappingly engaged across said axial bore by an interference fit between said flange (58) of said cap and said groove (52) of said axial bore. An automobile adjustable abutment according to claim 5, characterised in that said cap (44) is also sonically welded across said axial bore (46). An automobile adjustable abutment according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that said cap (44) is moulded from a reinforced polymeric resin material. An automobile adjustable abutment according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterised in that said spring (42) is a helical spring. An automobile adjustable abutment according to any preceding claim when assembled with a frame for an engine compartment of an automobile and engaged with a bonnet for said automobile.

Inventors: TAYLOR PHILIP A, TRAUSCHT JAMES R, TAYLOR, PHILIP A., TRAUSCHT, JAMES R.
Applicants: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: E05F5
IPC codes: F16B39, E05F5