Hinge for vehicle doors with integrated doorstop device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6532627
  • Patent Number
    6,532,627
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, March 28, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 18, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A hinge for vehicle doors having a first hinge element (14), a hinge pin (18) rotatably carried by the first hinge element (14) and a second hinge element (16) removably attached to the hinge pin (18). The hinge further includes a retention device (12) including a plurality of rolling members connected in rotation to the pin (18) and cooperating with elastic structure (54) which tends to force the rolling members (38) to engage with a rolling race. The rolling members are balls (38) connected in rotation to the pin (18) via a guiding plate (40) provided with positioning seats (42) for the balls (38).
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a hinge for a vehicle doors with an integrated doorstop device that is designed to withhold the door in one or more stable positions, for example in a partially open position and in a fully open position.




2. State of the Art




A hinge having the characteristics described in the preamble to claim 1 from the document EPA-897044. The said document describes a hinge including a first hinge element and a second hinge element articulated together by means of a hinge pin which is carried by the first hinge element in such a way that it can be rotated about a hinge axis and is fixed in a removable way to the second hinge element. This known hinge comprises a doorstop device including a plurality of rollers, which can turn about respective axes set radially with respect to the axis of the hinge. The rollers are carried by a supporting structure which is fixed to the hinge pin. A helical spring in compression pushes the rollers so that they enter into rolling contact against a rolling race which is integral with the first hinge element.




BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hinge for vehicle doors of the type comprising a doorstop device with rolling retention members that is simpler, more compact and more economical than known solutions.




According to the present invention, the above purpose is achieved by a hinge having the characteristics that form the subject of claim


1


.











DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS




The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example, and in which:





FIG. 1

is a front schematic view of a hinge according to the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an axial section of the hinge of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is an exploded perspective view of the hinge according to the present invention; and





FIG. 4

is a plan view according to the arrow IV of FIG.


1


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




With reference to the above figures, the number


10


designates a hinge for vehicle doors comprising a doorstop device


12


integrated in the structure of the hinge. The hinge


10


comprising a first hinge element


14


, a second hinge element


16


and a hinge pin


18


. The first hinge element


14


has a cylindrical seat


20


in which a cylindrical portion


22


of the hinge pin


18


is mounted so that it can turn, with the interposition of a bushing


24


made of anti-friction material (FIG.


2


). The second hinge element


16


is fixed, so that it can be removed, by means of a screw


26


on a fixing portion


28


of the hinge pin


18


. The fixing portion


28


has a conical part provided with radial teeth which inserts into a seat having a complementary shape provided on the second hinge element


16


.




The doorstop device


12


comprises a cup


30


having an internal surface on which is defined a circular rolling race along which, are formed a plurality of engagement seats


32


formed by impressions having the shape of spherical cups. The cup


30


is integral in rotation with the first hinge element


14


, for example by means of a pin


34


(FIG.


2


). The cup


30


has a hole through which the hinge pin


18


extends with play. The cup


30


further has a circular side wall


36


which defines the external limit of the rolling race.




Arranged inside the cup


30


is a plurality of balls


38


, which, in the example illustrated in the figures, are four in number. A guide plate


40


is provided with seats


42


, within which respective balls


38


are withheld. The guide plate


40


is integral in rotation with the hinge pin


18


. For example, the guide plate


40


may be provided with a square hole


44


, which engages a square portion


46


of the hinge pin


18


. The guide plate


40


and the rolling members


38


are thus integral with the hinge pin


18


for movements of rotation about the axis A of the hinge.




The doorstop device


12


further comprises a thrust plate


48


provided with an annular rolling race


50


. The thrust plate


48


is integral with the hinge pin


18


for movements of rotation about the axis A of the hinge, but is free to slide axially with respect to the hinge pin


18


along the axis A. For example, the thrust plate


48


is provided with a square hole


52


, which engages in a sliding way the square portion


46


of the pin


18


.




The retention device


12


further comprises an elastic element


54


, consisting, for example, of a helical spring in compression, which exerts on the plate


48


a force directed parallel to the hinge axis A that keeps the balls


38


in rolling contact with the cup


30


. The spring


54


is compressed between the plate


48


and a contrast element


56


fixed on the pin


18


. For example, the contrast element


56


may be screwed onto a threaded portion


58


of the pin


18


.




Operation of the hinge referred to above is described in what follows. A relative movement between the first hinge element


14


and the second hinge element


16


about the hinge axis A produces a relative rotation about the axis A between the guide plate


40


and the cup


30


. The balls


38


engage the seats


42


of the guide plate


40


and are thus drawn by the guide plate


40


in relative rotation with respect to the cup


30


. The spring in compression


54


pushes the balls


38


against the cup


30


. The relative motion between the balls


38


and the cup


30


brings the balls into positions corresponding to respective positioning seats


32


. The seats


32


are positioned so that the balls


38


engage the respective seats


32


simultaneously.




The position between the first hinge element


14


and the second hinge element


16


at which the balls


38


engage the seats


32


defines a relative position of stable engagement. In fact, in this position the force of the spring withholds the first hinge element


14


and the second hinge element


16


in the relative position of stable engagement until a rotational torque of a predetermined value sufficient to cause the balls


38


to come out of engagement with the seats


32






The engagement seats


32


are arranged in such a way as to define the stable retention positions with the desired angle between the first hinge element


14


and the second element


16


, which corresponds to predefined positions of the door with respect to the vehicle



Claims
  • 1. A hinge for vehicle doors, comprising:a hinge pin having a hinge axis; a first hinge element mounted for rotation on the hinge pin about the hinge axis; a second hinge element fixed in a removable way to the hinge pin; and a retention device capable of holding the first hinge element and the second hinge element in at least one relative positions the retention device comprising: a holding element fixed to the first hinge element and having a rolling race with at least one engagement seat; at least one ball-shaped rolling member; a thrust-applying element having a surface in contact with the at least one ball-shaped rolling member; elastic means contacting the thrust-applying element to force the at least one ball-shaped rolling member into engagement with the rolling race; and a guiding plate connected to rotate with the hinge pin and having at least one positioning seat for holding the at least one ball-shaped rolling member, wherein the guiding plate is contained between the holding element and the thrust-applying element.
  • 2. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein the holding element comprises a cup having a rolling race in which a plurality of engagement seats is formed, which have the shape of spherical cups, the cup being provided with a circular side wall defining the outer limit of the rolling race.
  • 3. A hinge according to claim 2, wherein the thrust-applying element comprises a plate-shaped element that is fixed for rotation with the hinge pin and is movable relative to the hinge pin in the direction of the hinge axis.
  • 4. A hinge according to claim 3, wherein the plate-shaped element has a first surface and a second opposite surface, the elastic means directly contacting the first surface and the at least one ball-shaped rolling member directly contacting the second opposite surface.
  • 5. A hinge according to claim 2, wherein the cup is integral in rotation with the first hinge element.
  • 6. A hinge according to claim 2, wherein the guiding plate is contained within the circular side wall of the cup.
  • 7. A hinge according to claim 1, further comprising:a contrast element secured to an end portion of the hinge pin for compressing the elastic structure, the contrast element being spaced from and formed independent of the guiding plate.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
TO00A0295 Mar 2000 IT
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
1180669 Oellrich et al. Apr 1916 A
1687174 Mountford et al. Oct 1928 A
2635281 Feldberg Apr 1953 A
2922669 Hansen Jan 1960 A
3028619 Schlage et al. Apr 1962 A
4829633 Kassner May 1989 A
5173993 Baker Dec 1992 A
6029314 Kluting et al. Feb 2000 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
0897044 Feb 1999 EP