This application claims the benefit of United Kingdom Application Serial No. GB0602724.7, filed on Feb. 10, 2006, entitled “A MECHANISM FOR OPENING A CLOSURE” and is incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for operating a pivoted closure on a vehicle body, and more particularly to a mechanism for operating tailgates, trunk lids, and hoods.
An actuator assembly for opening and closing a tailgate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,567. The actuator assembly includes an actuator rod that reciprocates in a linear direction perpendicular to the pivoting axis of the tailgate. However, this construction may not be easily packaged within some vehicles.
It is therefore desirable to provide an actuator assembly that alters the direction of force of the actuator rod to the required direction for opening and closing the tailgate within various packaging restraints.
An actuator assembly for pivotally moving a closure includes an actuator, a first bar, a second bar, and an operating strut. The actuator includes an actuator rod that is reciprocable along a longitudinal axis. The first bar has one end pivotally connected via a first pin to the actuator rod and the other end pivotally connected via a second pivot to the operating strut. The second bar has one end pivoted relative to an actuator body of the actuator and the other end pivotally connected via a fourth pivot to the first bar, between the first pivot and second pivot. The four pivots have substantially parallel axes that are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the actuator. In this way, linear movement of the actuator rod induces a scissor movement of the first and second bars, resulting in the operating strut moving in a required direction.
One advantage of the invention is that an actuator assembly is provided that alters the direction of force of the actuator rod to a required direction for opening and closing the tailgate within various packaging restraints.
Another advantage of the invention is that an actuator is provided that can be incorporated within existing vehicle platforms.
Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.
For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of the examples of the invention:
In the following figures, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same components in the various views.
Referring to
The actuator body 15 is securely mounted on a bracket 17 for attaching to a desired portion of a vehicle body and determining the direction of the linear movement of the actuator rod 16 for the desired end use, for example opening and closing a closure 29. Examples of closures 29 include a tailgate and a liftgate. The present invention is concerned with the conversion of the linear motion of the actuator rod 16 from movement along the longitudinal axis L-L of the actuator 11 to a linear motion along another axial direction, which in the present example is normal to the longitudinal axis L-L.
The outer end of the rod 16 is connected to one end of a first bar 20 via a first pin 18, with the other end of first bar 20 pivotally connected to one end of a strut 21 by a second pivot pin 19. A second bar 22 is pivoted at one end to the bracket 17 via a third pin 24 (shown in
Referring now to
In
Referring now to
As best shown in
From the fully open position shown in
The locus of the pivot 19 and hence the direction of the load exerted by the actuator 11 may be altered to bias either side of the normal locating the pivot pin 23 away from the midpoint of the first bar 20. The locus may additionally or alternatively be varied by offsetting the pivot 18 from the longitudinal axis of the actuator 11. By selection of the location of the pivots 23, 24, it is possible to make the pivot 19 move along desired paths to exert a load in a required direction.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0602724.7 | Feb 2006 | GB | national |
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20070187987 A1 | Aug 2007 | US |