Patent Publication Number: US-2020284078-A1

Title: Adjustable hinge assembly for automobile tailgate

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to an adjustable hinge assembly for an automobile tailgate. In particular, the hinge assembly contains adjustment screws for adjusting the position of the tailgate relative to the automobile body after installation of the tailgate. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Automobile tailgates are used to close the rear opening of an automobile. Typically, the tailgate is mounted to the automobile&#39;s body by a hinge which allows the tailgate to open or close by rotation on the hinge. The hinge usually contains a folding mechanism having a first bracket attached to the body of the automobile and a second bracket attached to the tailgate. The tailgate may be opened or closed by the action of the hinge. 
     During assembly or operation of the automobile the hinge or the tailgate may become misaligned which leads to poor positioning, poor seal, and poor gap and flush control of the tailgate. Current hinge designs require complicated and time consuming steps, such as loosening of the hinge from the automobile body and/or the tailgate, to adjust and realign the hinge for proper alignment of the tailgate. The loosening of the hinge leads to uncontrolled and unwieldy handling of the tailgate. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a hinge assembly that allows for simple, quick, and controlled adjustment of the tailgate hinge. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the present invention provides an adjustable hinge assembly for an automobile tailgate. The hinge assembly contains a first mounting plate configured for mounting to an automobile body, a first hinge member attached to the first mounting plate, a second mounting plate configured for mounting to a tailgate, and a second hinge member attached to the second mounting plate. The first and second hinge members are hingely connected. Adjustment screws are positioned on the hinge assembly to adjust the position of the first hinge member on the first mounting plate in the x- and y-direction. An adjustment screw is positioned on the hinge assembly to adjust the position of the second hinge member on the second mounting plate in the z-direction. When assembled and in a closed position (a position of the hinge to keep the tailgate closed), the x-, y-, and z-directions are approximately orthogonal to each other. By being able to adjust the positions of the first and second hinge members on their respective mounting plates, the position of the tailgate on the automobile body can be adjusted for proper fitting after installation. 
     Another aspect of the present invention provides an automobile where a tailgate is attached to the automobile body by at least one of the adjustable hinge assembly described above. 
     Methods for making and using the different aspects of the present invention are also provided. 
     Other aspects of the invention, including apparatuses, devices, kits, processes, and the like which constitute part of the invention, will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing background and summary, as well as the following detailed description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings 
         FIG. 1  is a drawing showing a first perspective view of a hinge assembly according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a drawing showing a second perspective view of the hinge assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a drawing showing a third perspective view of the hinge assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a drawing showing a perspective view of the first mounting plate; 
         FIG. 5  is a drawing showing a plan view of the first mounting plate shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a drawing showing a perspective view of the first hinge member; 
         FIG. 7  is a drawing showing a perspective view of the second mounting plate; 
         FIG. 8  is a drawing showing a plan view of the second mounting plate shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a drawing showing a perspective view of the second hinge member; and 
         FIG. 10  is a drawing showing a close up view of an assembled adjustment screw. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with the reference to accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     For purposes of the following description, certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The characterizations of various components and orientations described herein as being “front,” “back,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “upright,” “right,” ‘left,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” or the like designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made and are relative characterizations only based upon the particular position or orientation of a given component as illustrated. These terms shall not be regarded as limiting the invention. The words “downward” and “upward” refer to position in a vertical direction relative to a geometric center of the apparatus of the present invention and designated parts thereof. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a hinge assembly  100  is designed and configured to be easily adjustable after the mounting of a tailgate to an automobile body. The hinge assembly  100  contains a first mounting plate  102 , a second mounting plate  104 , a first hinge member  106 , and a second hinge member  108 . The first mounting plate  102  is configured to mount to the body of the automobile; and the second mounting plate  104  is configured to mount to the tailgate. That said, one skilled in the art would understand that it is possible to reverse the hinge assembly  100  so that the first mounting plate  102  and the first hinge member  106  are mounted to the tailgate, and the second mounting plate  103  and the second hinge member  108  are mounted to the body of the automobile. The first hinge member  106  is mounted on the first mounting plate  102 . As discussed in further detail below, the mounting of the first hinge member  106  on the first mounting plate  102  can be adjustable in a first direction x (x-direction) and a second direction y (y-direction), where the first and second directions are approximately orthogonal to each other and are parallel to the plane of the first mounting plate  102 . The second hinge member  108  is mounted on the second mounting plate  104 . As discussed in further detail below, the mounting of the second hinge member  108  on the second mounting plate  104  can be adjustable in a third direction z (z-direction) parallel to the plane of the second mounting plate  104 . The first and second hinge members  106  and  108  are hingely connected to provide a hinge therebetween. In the closed position of the hinge assembly, the x-, y-, and z-directions are approximately orthogonal to each other. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-5 , the first mounting plate  102  contains a substantially flat, planar body  200  configured to be mounted flush against the automobile body. The mounting of the first mounting plate  102  to the automobile body may be by adhesive, welding, or fasteners (e.g., screws, nuts/bolts, rivets, etc.). In certain embodiments, at least two fasteners  202  are used to mount the first mounting plate  102  to the automobile body. The fasteners  202  may be welded to the mounting plate  102  and configured to mount the mounting plate  102  to the automobile body. The planar body  200  contains mounting posts  203  extending perpendicularly from the plane of the planar body  200  for mounting of the first hinge member  106  thereon (as noted below, these mounting posts  203  may be replaced by bolts). The mounting posts  203  may be threaded to accept nuts  208  for holding the first hinge member  106  against the planar body  200 . Additionally, the planar body  200  contains adjustment tabs  204   x  and  204   y  extending perpendicularly from the planar body  200  in the same direction as the mounting posts  203 . The first adjustment tab  204   x  contains an oval through opening  206   x  for passing of an adjustment screw  110   x  therethrough (see  FIG. 3 ). The opening  206   x  has a center axis in the x-direction, and a major axis in the y-direction orthogonal to the x-direction (both the x- and y-directions are parallel to the major plane of the planar body  200 ). The second adjustment tab  204   y  contains an oval through opening  206   y  for passing of an adjustment screw  110   y  (see  FIG. 2 ) therethrough. The opening  206   y  has a center axis in the y-direction, and a major axis in the x-direction. The head of each the adjustment screws  206   x  and  206   y  is retained adjacent to its respective adjustment tab  204   x  or  204   y , so that the head cannot back away from the adjustment tab  204   x  or  204   y . In a preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 10 , a lock ring  600  is used to retain the head of the adjustment screw  110   x  against the adjustment tab  204   x . The lock ring  600  clips to the shaft of the adjustment screw  110   x  on the side of the adjustment tab  204   x , such that the head of the adjustment screw  110   x  and the locking ring  600  are on opposing sides of the adjustment tab  204   x . That way, the locking ring  600  prevents the head of the adjustment screw  110   x  from backing away from the adjustment tab  204   x . A similar locking ring may also be used for the other adjustment screws  110   y  and  110   z  (described below). 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the first hinge member  106  contains a base  300  and a hinge arm  304 . The base  300  is configured to be mounted adjacent to and in contract with the first mounting plate  102 . The base  300  contains holes  302  that are in registry and aligned with the mounting posts  203  on the first mounting plate  102 , so that the mounting posts  203  can pass therethrough when the base  300  is placed against the first mounting plate  102 . Nuts  208  are then used to secure the hinge member  106  to the first mounting plate  102 . It is important that the holes  302  are slightly larger than the mounting posts  203 , so that adjustments can be made as described below. In certain embodiments, the diameter of the holes  302  are about 4 to about 8 mm, or about 5 mm to about 8 mm larger than the diameter of the mounting posts  203 . The diameter of the hole  302  depends on the adjustability designed into the first hinge member  106 . For example, if the adjustability is ±2.5 mm, then the holes  302  are about 5 mm larger than the mounting posts  203 . Likewise, for an adjustability of ±4 mm, then the diameter of the holes  302  are about 8 mm larger than the diameter of the mounting posts  203 . The first hinge member  106  also contains a hinge arm  304  extending perpendicularly from the base  300 . The hinge arm  304  may contain two arm members  304   a  and  304   b  as illustrated in the drawings, but may also be effectively designed with a single arm member. The distal end of the hinge arm  304  (the end farthest away from the base  300 ) contains a hole  306  configured to accept a shaft  308  therethrough. The shaft  308  is configured to hingely connect the first hinge member  106  to the second hinge member  108  (as described below). The hinge arm  304  contains a threaded hole  310   x  that is in registry and aligned with the opening  206   x  on the first mounting plate  102 , when the first hinge member  106  is properly positioned on the first mounting plate  102 . The first hinge member  106  also contains a wall  312  rising perpendicularly from the base  300  and facing a direction perpendicularly to the hinge arm  304 . The wall  312  contains a threaded hole  310   y  that is in registry and aligned with the opening  206   y  on the first mounting plate  102 . 
     To attach the first hinge member  106  to the first mounting plate  102 , the base  300  of the first hinge member  106  is positioned against the planar body  200  of the first mounting plate  102 , such that the mounting posts  203  of the first hinge member  106  passes through the holes  302  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ). Nuts  208  are then used to secure the first hinge member  106  to the first mounting plate  102  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Although mounting posts  203  and nuts  208  are described and shown in the drawings, it may be possible to use bolts/nuts to attach the first hinge member  106  to the first mounting plate  102 . In that case, holes are located in the planar body  200  where the mounting posts  203  are shown. Bolts are then placed through the holes to substitute for the mounting posts  203 . When the nuts/bolts are used, appropriate water tight gaskets should be used to prevent water seepage. Adjustment screw  110   x  is then placed through opening  206   x  and threadedly engaged to hole  310   x  (screwed into hole  210   x ) (see  FIG. 3 ). Adjustment screw  110   y  is then placed through opening  206   y  and threadedly engaged to hole  310   y  (see  FIG. 2 ). The adjustment screws  110   x  and  110   y  are used to make adjustments to the position of the first hinge member  106  relative to the first mounting plate  102  in approximately the x- and y-directions, respectively. Because the heads of the adjustment screws  110   x  and  110   y  are retained against their respective adjustment tabs  204   x  and  204   y , e.g. by the locking ring  600 , the turning of the screws  110   x  and  110   y  moves only the first hinge member  106  relative to the first mounting plate  102 , when the nuts  208  are loosened. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , the second mounting plate  104  contains a substantially flat, planar body  400  configured to be mounted flush against the tailgate. The mounting of the second mounting plate  104  to the tailgate may be by adhesive, welding, or fasteners (e.g., screws, nuts/bolts, rivets, etc.). In certain embodiments, at least two fasteners are used to mount the second mounting plate  104  to the tailgate. The fasteners are place through holes  402  to mount the second mounting plate  104  to the tailgate. The planar body  400  contains one or more mounting posts  403  for mounting of the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104  (as noted below, the mounting post  403  may be replaced with nut/bolt similar to that disclosed above for the first mounting plate  102 ). The planar body  400  further contains an adjustment tab  404  extending perpendicularly from the planar body  400 . The adjustment tab  404  contains an opening  406  for passing of an adjustment screw  110   z  (see  FIG. 2 ) therethrough. The opening  406  has a center axis approximately in the z-direction (see  FIG. 8 ). Like adjustment screws  110   x  and  110   y , the adjustment screw  110   z  is also retained on its respective adjustment tab  404 , e.g., by a lock ring  600 , and prevented from backing therefrom. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the second hinge member  108  contains a base  500  and a hinge arm  304 . The base  500  is configured to be mounted adjacent to and in contract with the second mounting plate  104 . The base  500  contains holes  502  that are in registry and aligned with the mounting posts  203  on the second mounting plate  104 , so that the mounting posts  203  can pass there through when the base  500  is placed against the second mounting plate  104 . Nuts  408  threadedly engaging the mounting posts  203  can be used to secure the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104 . It is important that the holes  502  are slightly larger than the bolts, so that fine adjustments can be made as described below. The difference between the size of the holes  502  and the size of the mounting posts  203  depends on the desired adjustability of the second hinge member  108  similar to that discussed above for the first hinge member  106 . The second hinge member  108  also contains a hinge arm  504  extending away from the base  500 . The distal end of the hinge arm  504  (the end farthest away from the base  500 ) contains a hole  506  configured to accept the shaft  308  there through. The shaft  308  is configured to hingely connect the second hinge member  108  to the first hinge member  106  (as described below). The proximal end of the hinge arm  504  (the end adjacent to the base  500 ) contains a threaded hole  510  that is in registry and aligned with the opening  406  on the second mounting plate  104 , when the second hinge member  108  is properly positioned on the second mounting plate  104 . In an embodiment, the hinge arm  504  may form a curve, e.g. a quarter circular curve, as it extends away from the base  500 . The hinge arm  504 , however, may be of different shapes as long as it does not interfere with the opening or closing of the tailgate. 
     To attach the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104 , the base  500  of the second hinge member  108  is positioned against the planar body  400  of the second mounting plate  104 , such that the holes  502  of the second hinge member  108  aligns with the mounting posts  403  of the second mounting plate  104  (see  FIG. 3 ). Threaded engagement of nuts  408  with the mounting posts  403  are then used to secure the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104  (see  FIG. 3 ). Although nuts  408  and mounting posts  403  are described and shown in the drawings, it may be possible to use bolts/nuts to attach the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104 . In that case, holes are located in the planar body  400  where the mounting posts  403  are shown. Bolts are then placed through the holes to substitute for the mounting posts  403 . When the nuts/bolts are used, appropriate water tight gaskets should be used to prevent water seepage. Adjustment screw  110   z  is then placed through opening  406  and threadedly engaged to hole  510  on the second hinge member  108  (see  FIG. 2 ). The adjustment screws  110   z  can be used to make adjustments to the position of the second hinge member  108  in approximately the z-direction. Because the adjustment screw  110   z  is prevented from backing away for its respective adjustment tab  404 , e.g. by the locking ring  600 , the turning of the adjustment screw  110   z  moves the second hinge member  108  relative to the second mounting plate  104 , when the nuts  408  are loosened. 
     To complete the hinge assembly  100 , the distal ends of the first and second hinge members  106  and  108  are hingely connected by the shaft  308 . The shaft  308  is placed through the hole  306  of the first hinge member  106  and the hole  506  of the second hinge member  108 . The holes  306  and  506  are sufficiently sized to allow the first and second hinge members  106  and  108  to rotate around the shaft  308 , thereby allowing for hinging movement between the first and second hinge members  106  and  108 . When the hinge assembly  100  is in the closed position, the x-, y-, and z-directions are approximately orthogonal to each other. 
     The parts of the hinge assembly  100  may be made from metals and/or polymeric materials. For example, the hinge assembly  100  is made from steel and/or aluminum. The parts of the hinge assembly  100  may be made using techniques known in the art, such as, but not limited to, forging, molding, machining, laser shaping, stereo lithography, sintering, or combinations thereof. 
     The hinge assembly  100  is used to attach a tailgate to the body of an automobile. In certain embodiments, at least two hinge assemblies  100  are used to attach the tailgate. The first mounting plate  102  is attached directly to the body of the automobile, e.g. by fasteners  202 ; and the second mounting plate  103  is attached directly to the tailgate, e.g. by fasteners  402 . Once the tailgate is roughly attached to the body of the automobile by the hinge assembly (or assemblies), fine adjustment of the position of the tailgate may be accomplished through the adjustment screws  110   x ,  110   y , and  110   z . The adjustment screws  110   x ,  110   y , and  110   z  are retained on their respective adjustment tabs  204   x ,  204   y , and  404 , such that the screws are allowed to rotate around their center axes, but do not substantially move in the direction of the center axes and cannot back away from their respective adjustment tabs  204   x ,  204   y , and  404 . To make the adjustments, the nuts  208  (holding the first hinge member  106  to the first mounting plate  102 ) and  408  (holding the second hinge member  108  to the second mounting plate  104 ) are loosened. The loosened nuts  208  and  408  allow the hinge members  106  and  108  to “float” on their respective mounting plates  102  and  104 . The adjustment screws  110   x ,  110   y , and  110   z  are then used to adjust the position of the hinge members  106  and  108  in approximately the x-, y-, and z-directions, respectively; thereby, adjusting the position of the tailgate relative to the automobile body. Depending on the desired adjustment, each of adjustment screws  110   x ,  110   y , and  110   z  may be turn to advance into its respective threaded holes  310   x ,  310   y , or  510 , respectively, or may be turn to back out (though not completely) of its respective threaded holes  310   x ,  310   y , or  510 . Because the screws are  110   x ,  110   y , and  110   z  are retained on their respective adjustment tabs  204   x ,  204   y , and  404 , as described above, the rotation of the screw  110   x  or  110   y  moves the first hinge member  106  toward or away from the respective adjustment tabs  204   x  or  204   y , and the rotation of the screw  110   z  moves the second hinge member  108  toward or away from the respective adjustment tab  404 . 
     The hinge assembly  100  may be engineered and used for attaching any tailgate to an automobile. The tailgate may typically be used on a station wagon, a sports utility vehicle (SUV), or a truck. The tailgate may be opened by lifting the bottom of the tailgate away from the automobile body. 
     Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.