Patent Publication Number: US-7900729-B2

Title: Hood adjustment assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Heavy-duty (HD) vehicles, such as Class 8 trucks, are often assembled to accommodate specific customer requirements and requests. Satisfying these requirements and requests normally requires manual assembly of at least some of the components. Reducing the amount of time or labor needed to manually install a particular part results in reduced assembly costs and higher output. Traditionally, installing the hood of an HD vehicle can require two persons and a significant amount of time to properly locate and install the hood on the vehicle frame. 
     In a typical installation of a hood on an HD vehicle, the hood must be properly located on the vehicle frame such that the hood to cab cowl gap is within predetermined standards. The hood position is normally unique for each vehicle; therefore, an installer must often install the hood several times before the hood is in an appropriate position relative to the cab. This can lead to increased assembly time and lower output. 
     Additionally, installation of the hood normally requires at least two people. After the hood is properly located on the vehicle frame as described above, a first person must hold the hood in position while a second person retrieves fasteners and secures the hood to the vehicle frame. 
     It is therefore desired to have an adjustment assembly for adjustably securing the hood to the vehicle, which will result in a reduction in the number of persons required for adjusting the position of the hood and/or installing the hood. 
     SUMMARY 
     An adjustment assembly for adjustably coupling a first structural member to a second structural member is provided. The adjustment assembly includes a clamping member adapted to engage a portion of the first structural member and at least one fastener adapted to pass through the clamping member and the first and second structural members. The fastener is moved into a first position to fixedly couple the first structural member to the second structural member, and the fastener is moved into a second position to adjustably couple the first structural member to the second structural member. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the present disclosure will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental view of one suitable embodiment of an adjustment assembly constructed in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the adjustment assembly is shown coupling a first structural member to a second structural member; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the adjustment assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the adjustment assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein the first structural member is shown in a first position; and 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the adjustment assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein the first structural member is shown in a second position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One suitable embodiment of an adjustment assembly  10  will now be described with reference to the drawings where like numerals correspond to like elements. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the adjustment assembly  10  aids an operator when installing a hood H on a vehicle frame, or chassis C. Although the adjustment assembly  10  will be described hereinafter with reference to heavy duty trucks, it will be appreciated that aspects of the adjustment assembly  10  have wide application, and may be suitable for use with other vehicles or machines where adjustable coupling of a first structural member to a second structural member is desired. Accordingly, the following descriptions and illustrations herein should be considered illustrative in nature, and thus, not limiting the scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the adjustment assembly  10  disposed within a heavy duty vehicle V for adjustably coupling the hood H to the chassis C. It is preferred that first and second substantially identical adjustment assemblies  10  are disposed on the right and left sides of the vehicle V for coupling the hood H to the chassis C. However, for clarity, only one adjustment assembly  10  will be hereinafter described. Moreover, it should be appreciated that any preferred hood and chassis design may be used; and therefore, the hood H and chassis C described and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4  should be seen as illustrative only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The adjustment assembly  10  is coupled to the hood H through a first structural member, or hood bracket  12 , which is preferably made of metal or any other sufficiently durable material. The hood bracket  12  includes a hood mounting portion  14  and an adjustment portion  16 . The hood mounting portion  14  is suitably formed to mount to the underside of a vehicle hood H in any well-known manner, such as with a plurality of fasteners. However, it should be appreciated that the hood bracket  12  may instead be formed as part of the hood H. In the embodiment shown, the hood mounting portion  14  secures to the interior of the hood H on one side of the hood H. The adjustment portion  16  is suitably formed on the hood bracket  12  such that it extends outwardly in a substantially transverse manner from the interior of the hood to be received within a portion of the adjustment assembly  10  (see also  FIG. 2 ). The adjustment portion  16  may comprise a bottom edge of the hood bracket  12  that is sufficiently wide to engage a portion of the adjustment assembly  10 . 
     The adjustment assembly  10  is coupled to the chassis C through a second structural member, or chassis bracket  17 , which is preferably made of metal or any other sufficiently durable material. As can best be seen by referring to  FIG. 2 , the chassis bracket  17  includes a chassis mounting portion  18  and an adjustment assembly mounting portion  20 . The chassis mounting portion  18  is suitably formed to be mounted to the chassis C in any well-known manner (see  FIG. 1 ). It is preferred that the chassis mounting portion  18  be pivotally mounted to the chassis C such that the chassis bracket  17 , the hood adjustment assembly  10 , and the hood bracket  12  can move with the hood H when the hood is moved between an open and closed position in a manner well-known in the art. The adjustment assembly mounting portion  20  may be substantially flat such that it may easily engage a portion of the adjustment assembly  10  to couple the chassis C to the adjustment assembly  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the adjustment assembly  10  will be described in greater detail. As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the adjustment assembly  10  adjustably couples the hood bracket  12  to the chassis bracket  17  to effectively couple the hood H to the chassis C. The adjustment assembly  10  includes a clamping member  22  that is substantially C shaped in cross section to define an outward retainer portion  24  and an inward retainer portion  26 . The clamping member  22  is preferably made of a semi flexible material such that the outward and inward retainer portions  24  and  26  may be moved closer together when a clamping force is applied to the clamping member  22 . The clamping member  22  includes at least one outward opening  28  formed in the outward retainer portion  24  and at least one inward opening  30  (shown hidden in  FIG. 2 ) formed in the inward retainer portion  26 . In the embodiment shown, the outward and inward openings  28  and  30  are in substantial alignment. Preferably, the outward retaining portion  24  includes two outward openings  28  and the inward retainer portion  26  includes two corresponding inward openings  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hood bracket  12  is disposed between the outward and inward retaining portions  24  and  26  of the clamping member  22  to couple the clamping member  22  to the hood bracket  12 . If necessary, a section of the outward or inward retaining portions  24  or  26  may be removed to correspond to any structural webbing, flange, etc., formed on the hood bracket  12 . As illustrated in the FIGURES, a portion  44  of the outward retaining portion  24  between the outward openings  28  is removed to receive a structural flange of the hood bracket  12  when the clamping member  22  engages the hood bracket  12 . 
     The adjustment portion  16  of the hood bracket  12  includes a plurality of longitudinal slots  32  that align with the outward and inward openings  28  and  30  of the outward and inward retainer portions  24  and  26 , respectively, when the clamping member  22  engages the hood bracket  12 . The outward and inward openings  28  and  30  formed in the clamping member  22 , as well as the longitudinal slots  32  formed in the hood bracket  12 , are adapted to receive a suitable fastener  34 , such as a bolt, therewithin. The bolts  34  pass through the outward openings  28  of the clamping member  22 , the longitudinal slots  32  of the hood bracket  12 , and the inward openings  30  of the clamping member  22  to couple the clamping member  22  to the hood bracket  12 . 
     The clamping member  22  is further mounted to the chassis bracket  17  to couple the hood bracket  12  to the chassis bracket  17 . The adjustment assembly mounting portion  20  of the chassis bracket  17  is adapted to engage the bottom surface of the inward retainer portion  26  of the clamping member  22 . The adjustment assembly mounting portion  20  includes openings  36  that correspond to the inward openings  30  of the clamping member  22 . In this manner, the bolts  34  may also pass through the openings  36  in the chassis bracket  17  to further couple the clamping member  22  to the chassis bracket  17 . After the bolts  34  pass through the clamping member  22 , the hood bracket  12 , and the chassis bracket  17 , a nut  38  is thereafter received on the end of each bolt to secure the chassis bracket  17  to the hood bracket  12 . A washer or other fastening element may also be received on the bolt  34  before the nut  38  is threadingly received thereon. 
     As the nuts  38  are tightened or loosed on the bolts  34 , the bolts  34  remain in a substantially stationary position within the clamping member  22 . The outward openings  28  in the outward retainer portion  24  are shaped and sized to receive a square neck portion  42  of the bolt  34 . With the square neck portion  42  received within the openings  28 , the bolt  34  cannot rotate within the outward openings  28 . As a result, the bolts  34  remain substantially stationary as the nuts  38  are threaded onto the bolt  34 . The clamping member  22  is also designed such that the outward and inward openings  28  and  30  and the outward and inward retainer portions  24  and  26  align the bolts  34  in a substantially perpendicular position relative to the clamping member  22 . The clamping member  22  retains the bolts in a substantially perpendicular arrangement as the hood H is being adjusted, which prevents the bolts  34  from racking and binding the hood H. 
     If desired, a dampening pad  40  may be disposed between the clamping member  22  and the chassis bracket  17  to reduce the vibrational effects of the chassis C on the hood H. The dampening pad  40  may be made from any suitable elastomeric material, such as rubber. The dampening pad  40  includes a plurality of openings  42  that are substantially aligned with the openings  28 ,  30 , and  36 , and are adapted to receive the fastener  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , when mounting and positioning the hood H on the vehicle V, the hood bracket  12  is received within the clamping member  22 , and the bolts  34  are passed through the openings  28  and  30  in the clamping member  22  as well as the longitudinal slots  32  in the hood bracket  12 . The clamping member  22  is then mated with the chassis bracket  17  (with the dampening pad  40  disposed therebetween, if desired) by engaging the bottom surface of the inward retainer portion  26  with the adjustment assembly mounting portion  20  of the chassis bracket  17 . The bolts  34  are received within the openings  36  in the chassis bracket  17 , and the nuts  38  are thereafter threaded onto the bolts  34  to secure the clamping member  22 , the hood bracket  12 , and the chassis bracket  17  together. 
     To at least temporarily fix the position of the hood bracket  12  and hood H with respect to the chassis C, the nut is tightened on the bolt  34  until the head of the bolt applies a force on the outward retainer portion  24 . As a result, the clamping member  22  applies a clamping force on the adjustment portion  16  of the hood bracket  12  to secure the hood bracket  12  within the clamping member  22 , thereby securing the hood bracket  12  to the chassis bracket  17 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the position of the hood H may need to be adjusted after securing it to the vehicle V. To adjust the position of the hood bracket  12 , and thus the hood H, the nut  38  is loosened on the bolt  34  such that the head of the bolt no longer exerts a substantial force on the outward retaining portion  24 . With the nut  38  loosened, the outward retainer portion  24  springs outwardly to at least partially release the clamping grip on the adjustment portion  16  of the hood bracket  12 . With the adjustment portion  16  of the hood bracket  12  loosely received within the clamping member  22 , the hood bracket  12  can slide within the clamping member  22 . It should be appreciated that the nut  38  need only be loosened to sufficiently reduce the clamping force on the hood bracket  12  such that the hood bracket  12  is moveable within the clamping member  22 . It may be desired to loosen the nut  38  such that the hood bracket  12  moves only when a sufficient force is exerted on the hood H by an operator or machine, in addition to the gravitational effects on the hood H. In this manner, when an operator or machine repositions the hood, the hood is at least temporarily secured in this second position while the operator tightens the nuts  38 . 
     The movement path of the hood bracket  12  within the clamping member  22  is defined by the longitudinal slots  32 . The hood bracket  12  can move within the clamping member  22  until an edge of a longitudinal slot  32  engages the shaft of a bolt  34 . Thus, the length of the longitudinal slots  32  can be varied to increase or decrease the adjustability of the hood H through the adjustment assembly  10 . Moreover, the adjustment portion  16  may include additional longitudinal slots that intersect the existing longitudinal slots  32  such that the hood H can be adjusted in two or more directions. Moreover, the adjustment slots  32  may instead be formed in the clamping member  22  and the chassis bracket  17 . As such, the hood bracket  12  and fasteners  34  would instead move together along the path defined by the longitudinal slots formed within the clamping member  22 . 
     After the hood adjustments are made, the nuts  38  are tightened on the bolts  34  to secure the hood bracket  12  within the clamping member  22 . In this manner, the hood H is secured to the vehicle V. 
     The adjustment assembly  10  provides the advantage of allowing a user to adjust the position of the hood H without disconnecting the hood H from the vehicle V. When the nuts  38  are sufficiently loosened on the bolts  34 , the outward retainer portion  24  springs outwardly to at least partially release the clamping grip on the adjustment portion  16  of the hood bracket  12 . As such, the hood bracket  12  is moveable within the clamping member  22 , yet the hood bracket  12  remains secured to the chassis bracket  17  through the fasteners  34 . Thus, only one person is required to adjust the position of the hood H, thereby reducing assembly time, repair costs, etc. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.