Abstract:
A grille carrier for at least partially supporting a vehicle grille during installation is provided. The grille carrier includes a base, first and second walls extending from the base, and a top having an upper surface. The top is supported by a U-shaped support forming part of a stem attached to and extending from the base. The upper surface of the top includes a pair of projections for at least partially supporting the grille during installation. The projections are positioned at different distances away from a centerline each include a base and a head. The base is formed of four walls which are perpendicular to one another in one embodiment, and the head covers the base and forms a lip around its periphery. The lip prevents the partially supported grille from coming off during installation.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates generally to grille carriers, and more specifically to a grille carrier designed to partially support a grille during installation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     While the interiors of pickup trucks have become larger, more comfortable, and more sophisticated through the years, the exterior of the vehicle still plays a significant, if not dominant, role in the selection of a vehicle. One area of the vehicle exterior which has received substantial attention is the front grille. Through the years, whether on automobiles or trucks, the front grille has often been the centerpiece that grabs the attention of the observer resulting in grilles of increasing size. 
     While large grilles are presently desired by pickup truck enthusiasts, the larger grilles can present significant issues during installation within the manufacturing process. During installation it is important to center the grille between the headlamps. To do so, care must be given by the operator when positioning the grille on a grille carrier which has been previously mounted to the frame of the vehicle. While centering the grille seems a relatively straightforward task, the growing size of the grilles has added some complexity. Options for overcoming these complexities including utilizing more than one operator to install the grille or providing some sort of aid to the lone operator charged with mounting and centering the grille. 
     One type of aid provided to the operator is in the form of flexible locator tabs extending laterally from outboard sides of the grille. The locator tabs are designed to contact one of the headlamps in the event the grille is being installed off center, i.e., too close to one of the headlamps. The contact with the headlamp was intended to direct the grille away from the headlamp assembly with which contact was being made and back toward a more centered position. In this manner, one or the other locator tabs would provide assistance in locating the grille during installation and before the grille was secured to the grille carrier. 
     While the locator tabs have provided significant assistance in centering grilles during installation, the growing size of some grilles has diminished the ability of the locator tabs to provide suitable assistance. This is due primarily to the actions of the operators during the installation process. Given the size of the larger grilles, some operators have resorted to resting the grille on the grille carrier by engaging metal tabs or snaps positioned along a lower edge of the grille/grille carrier. Once engaged, however, the frictional force is sufficient to prevent the locator tabs from deflecting the grille toward the center when contact with the headlamps is made. This results in some grilles being installed in an undesirable position between the headlamp assemblies. 
     In other words, the grille is being initially positioned on the grille carrier in a manner that prevents any later lateral movement of the grille due to contact between the locator tabs and the headlamps. The result is that the grilles can be installed outside of the acceptable tolerances with regard to centering between the headlamps. Accordingly, a need exists for a grille carrier capable of eliminating the identified issues associated with centering the grille between headlamps during the installation process. Ideally, the grille carrier would support at least a portion of the weight of the grille during the installation process. This would eliminate the need to engage the metal tabs/snaps of the grille allowing the grille to move laterally for centering before being secured to the grille carrier. It would be most desirable if the lateral movement were the result of the centering tabs contacting the headlamp assemblies or the operator applying force during the installation process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a grille carrier includes a base having first and second ends, a first wall attached to and extending from the first end of the base, a second wall attached to and extending from the second end of the base, a top having first and second connected portions, each of the first and second connected portions having first and second ends and an upper surface, and a stem having a first end attached to and extending from the base and a second end attached to a U-shaped support, the U-shaped support having first and second upwardly extending arms, wherein a first end of the first connected portion of the top is supported by and connected to a second end of the first wall and a second end of the first connected portion of the top is supported by and connected to the first upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, a first end of the second connected portion of the top is supported by and connected to a second end of the second wall and a second end of the second connected portion of the top is supported by and connected to the second upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, and the upper surface of the first connected portion and the upper surface of the second connected portion each include a projection for at least partially supporting a grille during installation. 
     In one possible embodiment, at least the base, the first and second walls, the top, and the stem are integrally molded. 
     In another possible embodiment, the second wall includes upper and lower portions and the upper portion is at least partially offset from the lower portion. In still another possible embodiment, the lower portion of the second wall includes a tab extending toward the stem, the tab supporting the upper portion of the second wall. In yet another, the first wall includes upper and lower portions, and further includes a first corner brace extending between the lower portion of the first wall and the first connected portion and a second corner brace extending between the tab of the lower portion of the second wall and the second connected portion. 
     In still yet another possible embodiment, the grille carrier further includes third and fourth corner braces, the third and fourth corner braces extending from the base to opposing sides of the stem. 
     In one other possible embodiment, the projection of the first connected portion is a first distance away from the first upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support and the projection of the second connected portion is a second distance away from the second upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. In another possible embodiment, the first and second projections each include a base and a head, the base including four walls. In another, the head covers the base and forms a lip around a periphery of the head. 
     In one alternate embodiment, a grille carrier includes a base having first and second ends, a flange extending downward from the base, a first wall attached to and extending from the first end of the base, a second wall attached to and extending from the second end of the base, a top having first and second connected portions, each of the first and second connected portions having first and second ends and an upper surface, and a stem having a first end attached to and extending from the base and a second end attached to a U-shaped support, the U-shaped support having first and second upwardly extending arms, wherein a first end of the first portion of the top is supported by and connected to a second end of the first wall and a second end of the first portion of the top is supported by and connected to the first upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, a first end of the second portion of the top is supported by and connected to a second end of the second wall and a second end of the second portion of the top is supported by and connected to the second upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, and the upper surface of the first connected portion and the upper surface of the second connected portion each include a projection for at least partially supporting a grille during installation. 
     In another possible embodiment, the flange includes a plurality of substantially rectangular apertures including a central aperture substantially centered below the stem. 
     In still another possible embodiment, the at least the base, the flange, the first and second walls, the top, and the stem are integrally molded. 
     In yet another possible embodiment, the projection of the first connected portion is a first distance away from the first upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support and the projection of the second connected portion is a second distance away from the second upwardly extending arm of the U-shaped support, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     In still another alternate embodiment, a carrier for supporting a grille of a vehicle includes a base supporting upwardly extending walls adjacent ends of the base, a flange extending downward from the base, and a top attached to the upwardly extending walls adjacent ends of the top and to an upwardly extending stem supported by the base, wherein the top includes an upper surface including first and second projections on which the grille is supported during installation, the first projection extending from the upper surface a first distance away from the upwardly extending stem and the second projection extending from the upper surface a second distance away from the upwardly extending stem, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     In one other alternate embodiment, the at least the base, the upwardly extending walls, the flange, the top, and the upwardly extending stem are integrally molded, and wherein the flange includes seven substantially rectangular apertures. 
     In another possible embodiment, a central aperture of seven substantially rectangular apertures formed in a flange is centered below the stem, and the seven rectangular apertures are spaced a substantially equidistance apart. 
     In still one other possible embodiment, each of the first and second projections include a base and a head. 
     In the following description, there are shown and described several embodiments of a grille carrier for removing debris from a metal wire formed by a process utilizing a lubricant. As it should be realized, the devices and methods are capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the methods and assemblies as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the device and method and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a is a perspective view of a grille carrier adjacent a grille of a vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a is a perspective view of a grille mounted on a grille carrier; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a projection extending from the grille carrier and through an aperture formed in the grille; 
         FIG. 3 a    is a sectional view of the projection extending from the grille carrier and through an aperture formed in the grille; 
         FIG. 4  is a is a perspective view of the grille carrier; 
         FIG. 5  is a front plan view of the grille carrier; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of the grille carrier; 
         FIG. 7  is a side plan view of the grille carrier; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the griller carrier including the first projection; and 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the griller carrier including the second projection. 
     
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the grille carrier, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures, wherein like numerals are used to represent like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1  which illustrates a grille carrier  10  for a vehicle. The described grille carrier  10  is an integrally molded unit and includes upwardly extending projections or tabs  12 ,  14 . The projections  12 ,  14  are designed to receive apertures  16 , generally in the shape of slots, formed in a grille  18  of a vehicle (not shown). The grille  18  is shown adjacent the grille carrier  10  in  FIG. 1  and mounted on the grille carrier in  FIG. 2 . 
     During the installation process, the grille  18  and, more specifically, the grille apertures  16  are positioned over the projections  12 ,  14  and lowered onto an upper surface  20  of the grille carrier  10 . In this manner, the upper surface  16  of the grille carrier  10  supports at least a portion of the weight of the grille. By supporting at least a portion of the weight of the grille  18  by essentially hanging the grille from the grille carrier projections  12 ,  14 , a single operator can more readily align the grille  18  before securing the grille to the grille carrier  10 . This hanging arrangement leaves a lower portion of the grille  18  free for movement (e.g., to swing away from the grille carrier  10  while being supported by the projections  12 ,  14  and for centering alignment on the vehicle). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3   a , the grille apertures  16  are formed as slots in the described embodiment. Accordingly, the grille  18  is free for movement in a lateral, i.e., a side to side or cross the vehicle, direction (shown by action arrow A) within the grille apertures  16 . In other words, the shape of the grille apertures  16  allows the grille  18  to float cross vehicle within acceptable tolerances. The limits of the tolerances are established by ends  22  of the grille apertures  16 . This freedom of movement is intended to allow the grille  18  to be centered on the grille carrier  10  between headlamps of the vehicle prior to fixing the grille to the grille carrier. 
     Even more, hanging or suspending the grille  18  by the projections  12 ,  14  on the grille carrier  10  allows locator tabs (not shown) which may extend from the grille  18  in alternate embodiments to function through contact with the headlamps which provides assistance in aligning the grille. Alternately, or in addition to the locator tabs, the operator may simply apply a suitable force to the grille  18  to move the grille to a central position on the grille carrier  10  utilizing the projections  12 ,  14  and grille apertures  16  to ensure that movement of the grille is within the acceptable tolerances. In other words, the slots  16  work in combination with the projections  12 ,  14  to ensure that the grille  18  is substantially centered on the grille carrier  10  during installation. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the grille carrier  10  further includes a base  24  having first and second ends  26 ,  28 . A first wall  30  is attached to and extends from the first end  26  of the base  24 . A second wall  32  is similarly attached to and extends from the second end  28  of the base  24 . A top  34  includes first and second connected portions  36 ,  38 . Each of the first and second connected portions  36 ,  38  includes first and second ends and an upper surface. A stem  40  includes a first end  42  attached to and extending from the base  24  and a second end  44  attached to a U-shaped support  46 . The U-shaped support  46  includes first and second upwardly extending arms  48 ,  50 . 
     A first end  52  of the first connected portion  36  of the top  34  is supported by and connected to a second end  54  of the first wall  30 . Similarly, a second end  56  of the first connected portion  36  of the top  34  is supported by and connected to the first upwardly extending arm  48  of the U-shaped support  46 . A first end  58  of the second connected portion  38  of the top  34  is supported by and connected to a second end  60  of the second wall  32 . A second end  62  of the second connected portion  38  of the top  34  is supported by and connected to the second upwardly extending arm  50  of the U-shaped support  46 . 
     As perhaps best shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper surface  20  of the grille carrier  10  includes an upper surface  64  of the first connected portion  36  and an upper surface  66  of the second connected portion  38 . The first projection  12  is attached to and extends from the upper surface  64  of the first connected portion and the second projection  14  is similarly attached to and extends from the upper surface  66  of the second connected portion  38 . As indicated above, in the described embodiment, the grille carrier  10  is integrally molded including the first and second projections  12 .  14 . Alternate embodiments may be fully or partially integrally molded, or otherwise. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the second wall  32  in the described embodiment includes upper and lower portions  68 ,  70  with the upper portion being at least partially offset from the lower portion. A tab  72  extends from the lower portion  70  of the second wall  32  toward the stem  40 . The tab  72  supports the upper portion  68  of the second wall  32 . In a different manner, the first wall  30  includes upper and lower portions  74 ,  76 . A first corner brace  78  extends between the lower portion  76  of the first wall  30  and the first connected portion  36  and a second corner brace  80  extends between the tab  72  and the second connected portion  38 . Third and fourth corner braces  82 ,  84  extend from the base  24  to opposing sides  86 ,  88  of the stem  40 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a rear of the grille carrier  10  includes a plurality of structural supports  90  positioned with the base  24 , first and second walls  30 ,  32 , stem  40 , and the first and second upper connected portions  36 ,  38 . The structural supports  90  are integrally molded with the grille carrier  10  and provide support for the base  24 , first and second walls  30 ,  32 , stem  40 , and the first and second upper connected portions  36 ,  38 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 6 , and perhaps best shown in  FIG. 5 , a flange  92  extends from the base  24 . In the described embodiment, the flange  92  extends downwardly and includes a plurality of substantially rectangular apertures  94 . The plurality of apertures  94  are essentially rectangular in shape with radii  96  in each corner thereof. In the described embodiment, there are seven substantially rectangular apertures  94  including a central aperture  98  substantially centered below the stem  40 . The seven substantially rectangular apertures  94  are spaced a substantially equidistance apart beginning from the central aperture  98  moving outward in either direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the flange  94  extends downwardly from a rear portion of the base  24 . As further shown, the upper surface  64  of the first connected portion  36  of the top  34  and the upper surface  66  of the second connected portion  38  are substantially flat. As described above, the first and second projections  12 ,  14  extend from the upper surfaces  64 ,  66  to support the grille  18  during installation. The absence of slope within the upper surfaces  64 ,  66  more readily accommodates flanges  100 ,  102  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) extending from the grille  18  in which the slots  16  are formed. In this manner, slippage during the installation process when the grille  18  is hanging from the projections  14 ,  16  is minimized. 
     In the described embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the first and second projections  12 ,  14  are not positioned an equidistance from a centerline of the grille carrier  10 . While the first and second projections  12 ,  14  are shown rather small in  FIG. 5 ,  FIGS. 8 and 9  which are both enlarged portions of the grille carrier  10  illustrating the first and second projections  12 ,  14 , respectively, and portions of the grille carrier  10  further demonstrate this fact. 
     In other words, the first projection  12  shown in  FIG. 8  is a certain distance d 1  from an outer face of the first upwardly extending arm  48  of the substantially U-shaped support  46 . Similarly, the second projection  14  shown in  FIG. 9  is a certain distance d 2  from an outer face of the second upwardly extending arm  50  of the substantially U-shaped support  46 . Although clearly depicted in the noted figures, the second distance, d 2 , is greater than the first distance, d 1 . 
     As further shown, the first and second projections  12 ,  14  are identical except for their respective locations on the grille carrier  10 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the second projection  14  includes a base  104  and a head  106 . The base  104  and head  106  are integrally molded in the described embodiment as noted above. Even more, the base  104  is generally shaped like a plus sign and includes four walls extending from a central portion. The four walls are generally perpendicular to adjacent walls of the four walls forming the plus sign. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the head  106  is sufficiently large to cover the base  104 , including the four walls, forming a lip  108  around a periphery of the head. The lip  108  helps prevent the grille  18  (more specifically, the apertures  16  formed in the grille flanges  100 ,  102 ) from slipping off of the grille carrier  10  and the first and second projections  12 ,  14  during the installation process. Once the grille  10  is positioned over the first and second projections  12 ,  14 , the lips  108  of the projections provide substantial resistance against the edges of the apertures  16  in the grille  18  thereby limiting the potential for the grille  18  to slip off of the grille carrier  10  during installation. 
     In summary, numerous benefits resulting from the grille carrier having first and second projections to assist the installation of a grille on the grille carrier, are illustrated in this document. The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.