Background of Invention Generally, in the process of manufacturing a vehicle, the vehicle body and doors are painted simultaneously. This is required to ensure color match between the body and the doors, which could not otherwise be guaranteed if the doors were painted separately.

In this manner, the door assemblies are fitted onto the door hinges and positioned in proper vehicle orientation. Subsequently, during the painting process, the door assemblies are repeatedly opened and closed to permit access to all of the surfaces to be painted by the painting equipment. During some of these operations, the vehicle doors must be positioned and retained in the open position. Alternately, other operations require that the vehicle doors be positioned and retained in the closed position.

Accordingly, the door assemblies must be equipped with means for releasably positioning and retaining the doors in the open or closed position.

Heretofore, difficulties have been encountered in equipping the door assemblies with a suitable detent mechanism. More particularly, due to the overspray of the paint and other adverse environmental conditions, the production check strap assemblies cannot be utilized. Accordingly, temporary check strap fixtures have been utilized.

More particularly, a multiple piece check strap assembly is secured to the door assembly and operably coupled to the vehicle body. The temporary check strap fixture provides a detent for the door assembly between an open and closed position. Upon completion of the painting process, the temporary check strap fixture is uncoupled from the body, the door assemblies are removed from the vehicle body and then the temporary check strap fixture is removed from the door assembly. Since each temporary check strap fixture is fairly costly, they are reconditioned by removing excess paint from the fixture and

recycled for use again on other vehicle bodies. Thus, these temporary check strap fixtures are costly in design, in installation, and in maintenance.

Additionally, detent mechanisms have been proposed which require the mechanism to be screwed to the hinge or the use of a particular type of hinge, which has a removable hinge pin as illustrated in United States Patent No. 5,577,295, entitled"Three Diameter Hinge Pin". The screw-on type detent mechanism adds considerable cost to the door painting process due to the fastener cost, drilling and tapping of the thread in the body bracket, and the cost of removal. The mechanism that requires the removal of the hinge pin limits it to applications which employ this type of hinge.

Summary of the Invention The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a vehicle door prop clip which is easily installed without a fastener and is easily removed.

It is desirable to provide a simple tool for removing the prop clip after painting.

In a major aspect, the invention comprises a vehicle door hinge-mounted prop clip comprising at least one flexible interference lobe adapted to releasably contact a portion of the hinge as the door is rotated about the hinge from a closed position towards an open position, said contact compressing the interference lobe and generating sufficient frictional resistance to releasably hold the door in a partially or fully opened position.

In a further aspect, the interference lobe comprises two spaced legs adapted to compress against one another during contact between the hinge and the interference lobe.

In a further aspect of the invention, the interference lobe comprises an aperture communicating with a slot to the exterior of the clip, the slot defining a space between

two legs.

In a further aspect of the invention, a first recess at a first distal end is adapted for receiving an edge portion of a web portion of a body bracket portion of the hinge.

In a further aspect, the prop clip comprises a second recess, intermediate the first distal end and the interference lobe, adapted to receive a hinge pin.

In a further aspect, the prop clip comprises a third leg adjacent the second recess to partially surround the second recess, and adapted to snappingly engage the hinge pin.

In a further aspect of the invention, the intereference lobe of the prop clip is adapted to releasably contact the door bracket during opening and to retain the door in the open position.

In a further aspect, the clip is removable from the hinge without removal of a hinge pin.

In a further aspect, the invention comprises a vehicle door hinge-mounted clip removal tool, comprising an elongate handle, a pair of offset hooks spaced from each other at a distance greater than the thickness of the prop clip, and an abutment surface located between the hooks adapted to engage the clip.

In a further aspect, the invention comprises a method of removing a vehicle door hinge-mounted prop clip in contact with a hinge without removal of a hinge pin, comprising exposing the clip to a clip removal tool comprising an elongate handle, a pair of offset hooks spaced from each other at a distance greater than the thickness of the door prop clip, and an abutment surface located between the hooks; locating the tool surrounding the clip with the hooks contacting the hinge pin; rotating the tool in

contact with the hinge pin to contact the abutment surface with the clip; continuing to rotate the tool until the clip releases contact with the hinge, and can be removed.

Description of the Drawings In drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1-is a perspective view of a vehicle incorporating a door hinge with a door prop clip of the present invention; FIG. 2-is a perspective view of a door hinge and prop clip of FIG. 1; FIG. 3-is a top plan view of a door hinge in a closed condition; FIG. 4-is a top plan view of the door hinge of FIG 3 in a mid-position; FIG. 5-is a top plan view of the door hinge of FIG 3 in an open condition; FIG. 6-is a perspective view of a door hinge and removal tool; FIG. 7-9-are top plan views showing the removal tool removing the prop clip of the present invention.

Description of the Invention Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a prop clip 10 mounted on a door hinge 12. Door hinge 12 comprises a body bracket 14 secured by bolts 16 to the vehicle and a door bracket 18 secured by bolts to a vehicle door 20. Door bracket 18 is pivotally connected to body bracket 14 by a pin 22. Door 20 can be removed from the vehicle by removing the bolts which secure the door bracket 18 to the door 20.

Door hinge 12 is conventional in design and manufacture. Such hinges can be found on a JEEP CHEROKEE.

Door bracket 18 has a central U-shaped portion 24 having two legs 26,28 extending from a light 30. Legs 26,28, each have an aperture for receiving pin 22.

The door prop clip 10 is generally elongated having a first recess 32 formed at a distal end for receiving an edge portion of web 34. At an opposite end, an interference lobe 36 comprises an aperture 38 communicating with a slot 40 presenting relatively flexible legs 42,44. Intermediate the ends of the door prop clip 10 is a recess 46 for receiving hinge pin 22. Leg 48 partially surrounds recess 46 to snappingly engage pin 22. Preferably, the prop clip 10 is made from a mineral reinforced nylon resin, having flex modulus of 5100 MPa.

Referring to Fig. 3, the door prop clip 10 is illustrated in the door closed and shipping position. In this position, the hinge 12 can be installed on the vehicle and a door 20 bolted thereon.

The door prop clip 10 is frictionally fitted between the hinge pin 22 and the web 34, where the engagement between the hinge pin 22 and the clip 10 is a snap fit. As the door 20 and the door bracket 18 is opened, bridge 30 frictionally engages the interference lobe 36 and will compress legs 42,44 (FIG. 4). Once the door is opened to the fully open position (FIG. 5), the bridge 30 has moved beyond the interference lobe 36, which now restricts the movement of the door 20 to maintain the door 20 in the open condition for painting.

To remove the prop clip 10, a tool 50 is required. The tool 50 comprises an elongate handle 52 and a pair of offset hooks 56,58 which are spaced from each other.

Preferably, hooks 56,58 are spaced at a distance slightly greater than the thickness of

the door prop clip 10. An abutment surface 60 is located in the light between hooks 56, 58.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the hooks 56,58 are extended about the hinge pin 22 such that the leg 48 of the prop clip 10 engages the abutment surface 60. The tool 50 is rotated which rotates and slides the prop clip 10 such that recess 32 disengages from web 34 and then pops out. The prop clip 10 can be discarded or preferably re-used.

While the present invention has been described in reference to a particular embodiment, one skilled in the art can recognize that certain modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.