The present application claims priority of DE 10 2017 131 058.4, filed Dec. 22, 2017, the priority of this application is hereby claimed and this application is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a flap assembly for a vehicle, having a flap which that is pivotably drivable by a linear actuator drive about a pivot axis counter to the gravity of the flap from a closed position to an opened position, and a spring assembly that acts in a supporting manner on the flap. The actuator drive has a housing with one end articulated on a component of the body of the vehicle. An actuator rod extends from the other end of the housing, with an external end of the actuator rod being articulated on the flap at a radial spacing from the pivot axis.
In the case of flap assemblies of this type for a vehicle it is known that the spring assembly acts across the entire stroke of the flap. This is indeed supportive in the case of the opening stroke. However, the force of the spring assembly has to be additionally overcome during the closing stroke.
An object of the invention to provide a flap assembly of the type mentioned at the outset for a vehicle, which by way of a simple construction, avoids any additional force to be overcome in during the closing stroke of the flap.
The object is achieved according to the invention in that a spring assembly is releasably disposed on the flap-side end region of the housing of the actuator drive and includes a compression spring with a first end supported on the housing and a second end that acts on the flap at an initial opening angle of the flap <10° and, in the closed position of the flap, is held so as to be pretensioned by the flap.
The actuator drive is, for example, a spindle drive or a hydraulic or pneumatic piston/cylinder unit.
In the case of this configuration, supporting the opening stroke is performed only at the beginning of the opening stroke, when an additional support is required. The effort in terms of force required in the further course after the opening stroke is substantially lower and does not require any further support. An additional resistance to be overcome is present only at the end of the closing stroke. However, the latter also acts as a protective function in relation to an excessive powerful, undamped mechanical impact of the flap in the closed position.
The releasable disposal of the spring assembly that forms a separate functional group on the housing enables the same actuator drive to be used both with as well as without the spring assembly, as well as already existing actuator drives to be retrofitted with a spring device. A defective spring device can also be readily replaced while retaining the actuator drive.
Furthermore, one and the same actuator drive can be provided with dissimilar spring devices which can differ, for example, in terms of the force of the compression spring and/or the initial opening angle.
On account of the simple and robust construction of the spring assembly the latter is largely maintenance-free, operates largely without noise, and by virtue of the simple components thereof can be produced in a cost-effective manner.
When all elements of the spring assembly have passage openings which are coaxial with the actuator rod and through which the actuator rod protrudes, the spring assembly is disposed in an installation-space-saving manner so as to be symmetrical on the housing of the actuator drive.
In order to avoid wear on account of friction of the compression spring on the flap, the compression spring acts on the flap by way of a compression element according to an embodiment of the invention.
In a simple and cost-effective embodiment the compression spring is a coil compression spring.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the spring assembly has a sleeve-type spring housing with end region that faces the housing, the sleeve-type spring housing being disposable on the housing of the actuator drive and having an annular-disk-type support wall which is capable of being supported on the housing of the actuator drive and on which the compression spring, by way of the end thereof that faces the housing of the actuator drive, bears. A spring assembly according to this embodiment is simple to dispose in the correct installed position.
In order for the compression spring to be protected from external influences, the spring housing can have a guide sleeve which in a coaxial manner extends from the support wall away from the housing, and in which the compression spring is disposed.
The initial opening angle of the flap is determined in a simple manner when the compression element is disposed so as to be displaceable in the guide sleeve, wherein the guide sleeve has a detent that delimits the maximum stroke of the compression element.
A simple plug-fit assembly is possible on account of the end region of the spring housing that faces the housing being capable of being plug-fitted onto the flap-side end of the housing that has the same cross section.
In order for the spring assembly to be fixed to the housing of the actuator drive in a simple manner, an end region of the sleeve-type spring housing that faces the housing is capable of being fixed in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner in the plug-fitted position of said end region to the flap-side end of the housing. No tools are thus required for fixing.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be explained in more detail hereunder. In the drawing:
A spring assembly illustrated in
An end region 3 of the spring housing 1 faces an actuator housing 20 of an actuator drive 22 (the actuator drive is shown in
In order for the spring housing 1 to be fixed to the flap-side end region of the housing of the actuator drive, the end region 3 on the internal side thereof has a radially encircling latching appendage 13 which in the installed position of the spring housing 1 latches into a corresponding radially encircling latching groove on the flap-side end region of the actuator housing 20. The spring assembly is thus held in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner on the flap-side end region of the actuator housing 20.
As can be seen in particular in
The spring housing 1 has a guide sleeve 4 which, from the support wall 2, extends counter to the end region 3, a pretensioned coil compression spring 5 being disposed in said guide sleeve 4.
One end 5a of the coil compression spring 5 bears on the support wall 2, and another opposing end 5b of the spring 5 bears on a radial widening (flange portion) 6 of a sleeve-type compression element 7.
The end 5a of the coil compression spring 5 that faces the end region 3 is guided in a step 8 of a reduced diameter of the guide sleeve 4, the step 8 having a diameter that is approximately identical to that of the coil compression spring 5.
The compression element 7 has a sleeve-type receptacle 9 which is directed so as to be coaxial with the support wall 2 and in which the other end 5b of the coil compression spring 5 is guided.
The radial widening 6 by way of the coil compression spring 5 is impinged with a force counter to a detent which is formed by a securing ring 10 inserted into an annular groove 15 that is configured so as to radially encircle the internal wall of the guide sleeve 4.
As the flap 26 moves from the opened position shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2017 131 058.4 | Dec 2017 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6588526 | Polz | Jul 2003 | B1 |
6953220 | Takehara | Oct 2005 | B2 |
7393040 | Guillez | Jul 2008 | B2 |
7758097 | Dilley | Jul 2010 | B2 |
9222296 | Hamminga | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9976332 | Scheuring et al. | May 2018 | B2 |
20070261306 | Hanna | Nov 2007 | A1 |
20070289397 | Ritter | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20070296244 | Borrmann | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20100186528 | Hillen | Jul 2010 | A1 |
20110068721 | Bochen | Mar 2011 | A1 |
20120000304 | Hamminga | Jan 2012 | A1 |
20120013143 | Schiegel | Jan 2012 | A1 |
20120137803 | Bochen | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20150376929 | Scheuring | Dec 2015 | A1 |
20160069117 | Leonard | Mar 2016 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1351556 | May 2002 | CN |
1607130 | Apr 2005 | CN |
102216547 | Oct 2011 | CN |
10144791 | Mar 2003 | DE |
102015110089 | Dec 2015 | DE |
102014117454 | Jun 2016 | DE |
0334253 A11 | Sep 1989 | EP |
H1035536 | Feb 1998 | JP |
Entry |
---|
European Search Report dated Apr. 9, 2019. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20190194996 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |