Abstract:
A door positioner for holding open a side door of a vehicle body, in particular during a surface treatment of the vehicle body, includes a U-shaped bracket with a first limb, a second limb and a connecting element connecting the two limbs. The two limbs are deflectable elastically against one another in a shear plane. Arranged at the free end of the first limb is a fastening piece for the detachable fastening of the door positioner on an inner surface of the side door. Provided at the free end of the second limb is an actuating part for deflecting the second limb relative to the first limb. Located on the second limb between the connecting element and the actuating part is a fixing means for spring locking of the door positioner on a door spar of the vehicle body.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of International Application PCT/EP2005/003437, with an international filing date of Apr. 1, 2005 and claiming priority of German Utility Model DE 20 2004 005 393.4 filed Apr. 1, 2004. The full disclosure of both earlier applications is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a door positioner for holding open a side door of a vehicle body, in particular during a surface treatment of the vehicle body. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the production of vehicles, a body shell is first produced from individual parts. This is then treated in a surface treatment plant in different ways, e.g. by applying paints and other coatings. Generally the body shell is immersed in this process in immersion baths and rotated and/or moved in a translatory manner therein. 
     During the immersion process the side doors of the body shell should be slightly opened, so that all parts of the side doors and the door surrounds can be treated uniformly. An open position of the side doors is also favorable so that paints and other liquids can drain from the body shell more easily. 
     If a body shell with opened side doors is moved in an immersion bath, the dynamic pressures caused by the movement could lead to the side doors closing again or opening too far. To prevent this, door positioners are used, which hold the slightly opened side doors in a defined open position in the immersion baths and frequently also during processing in other processing stations. 
     Known door positioners basically comprise an L-shaped angle with a short limb and a long limb. The free end of the short limb bears a fastening piece, via which the door positioner can be screwed or otherwise fastened detachably to the inside of the side door. At the other end the short limb is connected via a leaf spring to the long limb, which in the fitted state extends into the interior of the body shell. 
     Arranged laterally on the long limb is a retaining notch, which in the open position of the side door engages in a rebate of the vertical door spar. Arranged at the free end of the long limb is an actuating part, with which the long limb can be swung out against the resistance of the leaf spring in a horizontal plane a few degrees from its resting position. Due to horizontal swinging of the long limb the retaining notch can be brought into engagement with the rebate of the door spar, in order to fix the side door in the open position. By renewed actuation of the actuating part this fixing can be released again, so that the side door can be closed or completely opened. 
     On the known door positioner the actuating part is situated relatively far in the interior of the body shell. If a robot is to be used for opening and closing the side door, this must reach with one robot arm relatively far into the interior of the body shell to be able to operate the actuating part. This is disadvantageous insofar as paint traces and other particles, which have settled on the robot arm, can detach themselves from this and fall down onto the door sill when the robot arm reaches into the body shell. Since the door sill is not generally clad on motor vehicles, such contaminations can result in expensive extra work on the body shell to guarantee an aesthetically perfect appearance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is therefore to specify a door positioner with which contamination of the door sill, in particular in automatic operation of the door positioner, can be prevented. 
     This object is achieved by a door positioner comprising: 
     a U-shaped bracket, which has a first limb, a second limb and a connecting element connecting the two limbs, the two limbs being deflectable elastically against one another in a shear plane, 
     a fastening piece arranged at the free end of the first limb for the detachable fastening of the door positioner on an inner surface of the side door, 
     an actuating part arranged at the free end of the second limb, with which part the second limb can be deflected compared with the first limb, and with a fixing means arranged on the second limb between the connecting element and the actuating part for spring locking of the door positioner on a door spar of the vehicle body. 
     Due to the use of a U-shaped bracket instead of an L-shaped arrangement of two limbs it becomes possible to move the actuating part away from the interior of the body shell to the vicinity of the side door. In particular, in a resting position of the door positioner, in which the limbs are not deflected, the actuating part can lie approximately opposite the fastening piece. 
     If the actuating part is now grasped manually or with the aid of the robot arm, paint traces and other articles that detach themselves from the robot arm or the actuating part can no longer fall onto the door sill. Rather such particles are deposited on the inner surface of the side door, which is later covered by trim elements and thus no longer visible. 
     Since the actuating part is arranged at the free end of the second limb, the forces required to deflect the limbs are small on account of the long lever arm. 
     The use of a U-shaped bracket also has the advantage that if a dynamic pressure acts from inside on the side door fixed in the open position, the second limb with the fixing means is deflected even more strongly towards the door spar. In the case of the majority of fixing means considered, this leads to the fixing becoming even firmer. With the conventional L-shaped arrangements of the limbs, a pressure acting from inside the body shell on the side door, on the other hand, results in the limb, which bears the retaining notch engaging in the door rebate, being moved away from the door rebate, due to which the locking is released and the side door can swing far out. Such a side door swinging far out can strike e.g. a side wall of the immersion bath, which can lead to damage to the side door and/or the wall. 
     On the other hand, the particularly secure locking of the door positioner with the door spar permits the bracket to be designed such that to deflect the limbs relatively small forces are sufficient. This is particularly advantageous if the door positioner is to be actuatable manually. 
     The actuating part can be a ring joined to the second limb, the diameter of which ring is matched to an actuating cone of a robot arm. An actuating cone of this kind tends to be used on robot arms, as the cone centers itself in the ring, so that the robot arm needs to be positioned less accurately relative to the body shell. 
     It is generally most favorable if the actuating cone can be inserted into the ring from above. In relation to the shear plane, in which the limbs are deflected and which in general will run basically horizontally in the installed state of the door positioner, the ring should then enclose an angle of less than 25° and preferably of less than 5°. 
     For the shearing action of the two limbs of the bracket there are two options. On the one hand, the bracket plane, in which the two limbs are arranged in their resting position, can coincide with the shear plane. Expressed in another way, the limbs of the U-shaped bracket remain in the bracket plane even on deflection. 
     Admittedly it is even more favourable if the two limbs are arranged in their resting position in a plane that runs perpendicular to the shear plane. In the installation position on the side door the limbs then lie in a vertical plane above one another. This is favourable because the fastening point for the fastening piece should lie lower than the actuating part, which is fastened to the opposing limb and must be easily accessible from outside. 
     The deflectability of the two limbs can be guaranteed in that one or more parts of the bracket, i.e. the two limbs and the connecting piece, have elastic properties. A deflectability of the limbs can be achieved most easily if these are rigid and only the connecting piece is elastically bendable. 
     The two limbs and the connecting piece can also be formed, however, in a single piece from an elastic material. The deflectability of the limbs is then determined by the cross-section of the material and its elastic properties. 
     The fixing means, with which the door positioner can catch on the door spar of the vehicle body, comprises a recess in the simplest case, in which recess a protruding part of the door spar, for example a rebate, can engage. The recess can be formed such that it tightly encloses the rebate in the manner of a retaining notch, so that the door positioner can be fixed on the door rebate with little play. 
     Preferably at least one projection is formed on an inner surface of the recess in such a way that the rebate or a similar part of the door spar can touch the projection only at one point or along one line. Due to such a point- or line-like contact between the door positioner and the door spar, it is achieved that only very small quantities of paints or other coatings can be deposited on the door positioner. The risk that such deposits detach themselves again from the door positioner and result in contaminations of other parts of the body shell on falling is accordingly small. 
     Generally it is expedient if the door positioner facilitates locking of the side door in a closed position or almost closed position. For this purpose a fixed counterpart deflectable together with the second limb can be arranged on the second limb between the fixing means and the actuating part, which counterpart interacts with a locking element, which is arranged on the first limb and extends outwards from the first limb in the shear plane, such that the door spar or a part thereof is clamped in a closed position of the side door between the locking element and the counterpart. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of a practical example with reference to the drawing. In this, 
         FIG. 1  shows a view in perspective of a door positioner according to the invention according to a first practical example of the invention in the assembled state; 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of a door positioner according to the invention according to a second practical example of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of the door positioner from  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a view in perspective of the door positioner from  FIG. 2  from underneath; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of a door positioner according to the invention according to a third practical example of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows a top view of the door positioner from  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows in a view in perspective a door positioner designated  10  overall as well as parts of a body shell of a car. These parts in detail are a front left side door  12 , which is slightly opened, a left rear side door  14  and a door spar  16  running approximately vertically with a rebate  18  pointing forwards. 
     Formed on the front left side door  12  is an inner tongue  20 , to which a door lock is attached in final assembly of the car. For this purpose the inner tongue  20  has a hole, which is used however prior to final assembly for the detachable fastening of the door positioner  10 . The details of the fastening depend on the design details of the body shell and for this reason are not shown in greater detail in  FIG. 1 . In the case of the door positioner  10  it is assumed that a fastening bolt  22  of the door positioner  10  is screwed to the inner tongue  20 . 
     The fastening bolt  22  is welded onto a bent section  24  of a first limb  26 , which together with a second limb  28  and a leaf spring  30  connecting the two limbs  26 ,  28  forms a U-shaped bracket  32 . In the assembly position of the door positioner  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , the two limbs  26 ,  28  are basically arranged vertically above one another, so that a bracket plane determined by the bracket  32  likewise runs vertically. The leaf spring connected via rivets  31  to the limbs  26 ,  28  facilitates a deflection of the second limb  28  in a shear plane that runs in the assembly state basically horizontally and thus perpendicular to the bracket plane. The deflectability of the second limb  28  relative to the first limb  26  is indicated in  FIG. 1  by arrows  34 . 
     Welded on the second limb  28  is a fixing frame  36 , which extends in a plane parallel to the shear plane and is formed by a rear cross brace  38 , a front cross brace  40 , a left longitudinal brace  42  and a right longitudinal brace  44 . The fixing frame  36  is manufactured in a single piece by laser welding from a steel plate and—like the door positioner  10  as a whole—is formed in mirror symmetry to the bracket plane. Due to this formation in mirror symmetry the door positioner  10  can be used not only for positioning the left front side door  12 , but also for positioning the right front side door. 
     Welded on below the front cross brace  40  is a swing limiting bracket  41 , which encloses the first limb  26  and in this way limits the deflection of the second limb  28  relative to the first limb  26 . 
     Formed laterally on the fixing frame  36  are a left and a right index notch  46  and  48  respectively, the shape of which is matched to the geometry of the rebate  18  of the door spar  16 . In the practical example shown, the index notches  46 ,  48  are formed by the rear cross brace  38  on the one hand and projections  50 ,  52  on the other hand, which are formed on the longitudinal braces  42  and  44  at a distance from the rear cross brace  38 . 
     Welded on a section  54  of the second limb  28  bent upwards is an actuating ring  56 , which extends in a ring plane running parallel to the shear plane. Welded on the upperside of the first limb  26  is a locking rod  58 , which is roughly the length of the front cross brace  40 , but is located somewhat closer to the actuating ring  56 . 
     It goes without saying that the parts of the door positioner explained above can be joined to one another not by welding but also in another way, e.g. by screwing or riveting. 
     The door positioner  10  functions as follows: 
     Following assembly of the body shell, the door positioner  10  is screwed with the aid of the fastening bolt  22  to the front left side door  12 . The first limb  26  pointing downwards in the assembly position is joined in this way rigidly to the side door  12 . To hold the side door  12  in a defined open position for subsequent treatments in a surface treatment plant, the actuating ring  56  is grasped and pressed away from the door spar  16 . The second limb  28  is thereby deflected via the leaf spring  30  compared with the first limb  26  in the direction of the arrows  34 . The side door  12  is now opened so far that the left index notch  46  is opposite the rebate  18 . The actuating ring  56  is now released again, due to which the second limb  28  with the fixing frame  36  attached to it springs back again into the original resting position. 
     The left index notch  46  engages in this case with the rebate  18 . The side door  12  is now fixed in a defined open position via the door positioner  10  relative to the rebate  18  of the door spar  16 . 
     To transfer the side door  12  to the closed position again, the actuating ring  56  is deflected once again in the direction of the arrows  34 , due to which the left index notch  46  is removed from the rebate  18  again. The side door  12  can now either be opened wide, in order to be able to carry out work for example on the inner surface of the side door  12 , or it is transferred to a completely or virtually closed position. 
     To fix the side door  12  in a (virtually) closed position, the second limb  28  is deflected via the actuating ring  56  and the side door  12  closed so far that the rebate  18  can lock between the front edge of the front cross brace  40  on the one hand and the locking rod  58  if the second limb  28  springs back again. In this way the side door  12  is again—but now in a (virtually) closed position—fixed compared with the rebate  18  and can only be opened by renewed deflection of the actuating ring  56 . 
     The actuating ring  56  is not only suitable for manual actuation, but also permits actuation by a robot arm. As a handling tool the robot arm preferably has a cone, which can be inserted into the actuating ring  56 . The cone centres itself automatically in the actuating ring  56  in this process, so that the robot arm can actuate the door positioner  10  even if the robot arm is not positioned exactly relative to the body shell. 
     The U-shaped form of the bracket  32  results in the actuating ring  56  being arranged at least approximately above the fastening bolt  22 , which for its part is located in the assembly state over the inner surface of the side door  12 . Paint traces or other particles that detach themselves from the actuating ring  56  and/or a robot arm when the actuating ring  56  is actuated thus fall onto the inside of the side door  12 . Since the inside of the side door  12  is normally clad later, such contaminations do not spoil this. Soiling of the door sill, which is not generally clad, is thus reliably excluded. 
     If the side door  12  is pulled outwards in the open position, e.g. as a result of a dynamic pressure in an immersion bath, the forces acting via the bracket  32  on the left index notch  46  result in the second limb  28  being deflected slightly towards the door spar  16 . In this way the index notch  46  wedges even more strongly with the rebate  18 , so that an unintentional opening of the side door  12  is reliably avoided. 
       FIGS. 2 to 4  show another practical example of a door positioner in a side view, a top view and a view in perspective from obliquely underneath. Identical or corresponding parts here are designated by numbers increased by 100 and are not explained again. 
     The door positioner designed  110  overall differs from the door positioner  10  in that a fastening stirrup  160  instead of a fastening bolt  22  is welded on the bent section  124  of the first limb  126 , which stirrup is supported via a stabilizing plate  162  on the locking rod  158 . Two parallel limbs  164 ,  166  of the fastening stirrup  160  are provided with coaxial holes  170  and  172 , which are used to take up a fastening screw. The fastening stirrup  160  is dimensioned in this case such that between the limbs  164 ,  166  a projection provided with a through hole can be taken up, which projection is formed on the inner surface of the side door  12 . 
     Apart from this, the door positioner  110  shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4  has no swing limiting bracket  41 . 
     So that the index notches  146 ,  148  lie as much as possible in point form adjacent to the rebate  18 , projections  174 ,  176  in the form of a truncated cone can be formed on the inner surface of the index notches  146 ,  148 , as is shown by way of example in  FIG. 3  for the right index notch  148 . Instead of projections  174 ,  176  in the form of a truncated cone, ribs extending perpendicular to the plane of the paper in  FIG. 3  of e.g. triangular cross-section can be provided on the inner surfaces of the index notches  146 ,  148 , which ribs can be fabricated more easily than projections  174 ,  176  in the form of a truncated cone. The rebate  18  then only lies along the edges projecting inwards of the ribs on the fixing frame  136 . 
     A solely point- or line-like contact between the fixing frame  136  and the rebate  18  has the advantage that the door positioner  110  removes less material from the surface of the rebate  18 . This is favourable even if the surface of the rebate  18  should no longer be visible later. It is namely prevented that material remains sticking unnecessarily to the door positioner  110 , which clogs the index notches  146 ,  148  or soils other parts of the body shell if it detaches itself again from the index notches  146 ,  148 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show a third practical example of a door positioner in a side view and top view corresponding to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The representations of  FIGS. 5 and 6  are not true to scale and contain some drawing errors. Parts that correspond to the door positioner  10  shown in  FIG. 1  are designated by reference numbers increased by 200 and are not explained once more individually. 
     To fasten the door positioner  210  on the side doors  12  a sleeve  270  with a hole  272 , which has an inner thread  274 , is provided on the first limb  226 . The door positioner  210  can thus be screwed on the inner surface of the side door  12  without using a nut. 
     It is clear from these practical examples that the fastening means with which the door positioner is fastened on the inner surface of the side door  12  have to be matched to their respective design conditions. Both the geometrical shape of the door spar  16  and the way how the door positioner  10  can be fastened to the side door  12  determine the shape and position of the index notches. One and the same door positioner can for this reason not generally be used both for the front and for the rear side doors. Use for another body shell is not generally possible either without at least exchanging the fixing frame or modifying the fastening means. 
     The above description of the preferred embodiments has been given by way of example. From the disclosure given, those skilled in the art will not only understand the present invention and its attendant advantages, but will also find apparent various changes and modifications to the structures and methods disclosed. The applicant seeks, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as de-fined by the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.