US 12,078,570 B2
Apparatus, kit and method for simulating a vehicle surface and mapping a spray pattern of a water leak tester
Muhammad Arham, Pickering (CA); Timothy Brien Sirola, Barrie (CA); Jason Travis McLeod, Markham (CA); and Norbert L. Kukta, Barrie (CA)
Assigned to HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/559,294.
Prior Publication US 2023/0194377 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. G01F 1/76 (2006.01); F16S 3/06 (2006.01); G01F 3/36 (2006.01); G01M 3/04 (2006.01); B05B 12/08 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 3/04 (2013.01) [F16S 3/06 (2013.01); B05B 12/084 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle surface simulation apparatus for mapping a spray pattern of a plurality of water nozzles of a water leak tester configured to spray water onto an exterior of a vehicle during a water leak test, the vehicle surface simulation apparatus comprising:
a jig having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a vertical direction that are orthogonal to each other, the jig configured to simulate a plurality of exterior surface portions of a first vehicle and a plurality of exterior surface portions of a second vehicle that is different from the first vehicle, the jig including,
at least one side area extending along the longitudinal direction, the side area is configured to represent at least a portion of a side-view profile of each of the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and
at least a first end area extending along the transverse direction, the first end area is configured to represent at least a portion of a front-view profile of the first vehicle and at least a portion of a rear-view profile of the second vehicle;
at least one funnel that includes an inlet and is removably supported in one of the areas such that the inlet lies in a plane that represents a predetermined surface of the vehicle;
at least one container removably supported by the jig; and
at least one conduit connected to and extending from the funnel to the container, and the conduit is in fluid communication with the funnel and the container,
wherein the jig includes,
a first longitudinal member bounds a portion of the side area, and
a second longitudinal member connected to and extending from the first longitudinal member at an angle with respect to the first longitudinal member, the second longitudinal member bounds a portion of the side area and a portion of the first end area, and the second longitudinal member represents a front pillar of the first vehicle in the side-view profile of the first vehicle and a rear pillar of the second vehicle in the side-view profile of the second vehicle,
wherein the jig includes a first transverse member connected to and extending from the second longitudinal member at a second angle, the first transverse member bounds a portion of the first end area, and the first transverse member represents the front pillar of the first vehicle in the front-view profile of the first vehicle and the rear pillar of the second vehicle in the rear-view profile of the second vehicle.