Abstract
During the transition from the opening to the closing movement of a glove compartment door, or vice versa, undesirable noises (“clicking”/“popping”) can be reduced by providing regions of a housing surrounding a rotation damper with a contact region made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing.
Claims
1. A housing (1) of a linear damper which forms a guide for a rotation damper (2) and is provided with at least one engagement element (10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16), the longitudinal extension of which extends parallel to an axial direction of a rotational movement of the rotation damper (2), wherein the rotation damper (2) is provided with an outer structure which forms a counter engagement element (8) that is configured to correspond to the engagement element, and wherein a contact region (17, 18) of the at least one engagement element (10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16), in which the counter engagement element (8) of the rotation damper (2) is in contact with the engagement element (10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16) of the housing (1) during movement in a direction of movement, is made at least in sections of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing (1).
2. The housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein both the engagement element and the counter engagement element have a structure configured for form-fitting interengagement, wherein the structures are configured in the form of a toothing, wherein at least one tooth (13, 14) is provided as the engagement element.
3. The housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the contact region (17, 18) is selected such that the rotation damper (2) is still in secure engagement with the housing (1) when the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing is worn down.
4. The housing (1) according to claim 3, wherein the contact region (17, 18) has a covering of about 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm.
5. The housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (1) is formed from at least one first component and the contact region (17, 18) is formed from at least one second component having a lower modulus of elasticity than the at least one first component which forms the remainder of the housing in a multicomponent injection molding process.
6. The housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the contact region (17, 18) is disposed on a flank (10, 11, 13, 14) and/or on an inner peripheral surface (19) of the housing (1).
7. The housing (1) according to claim 6, wherein the contact region (17, 18) covers three quarters or half or a quarter of the inner peripheral surface (19) of the housing (1) and/or a flank (10, 11, 13, 14) in axial direction.
8. The housing (1) according to claim 1, wherein the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the housing (1) is a thermoplastic elastomer.
9. A method for producing a housing (1) which surrounds a rotation damper (2), by molding a contact region in which the rotation damper (2) is in contact with the housing (1) onto an already preformed remainder of the housing, wherein the contact region is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the remainder of the housing, wherein the method for producing a housing (1) which surrounds a rotation damper (2) is carried out using a multicomponent injection molding process, by injection molding at least one component to create a housing (1), and by injection molding at least one further component to create a contact region (17, 18) in which the rotation damper is in contact with the housing, wherein the at least one further component is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing, and wherein a thermoplastic elastomer is used as the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing.
10. The method for producing a housing (1) which surrounds a rotation damper (2), by including an additional part (3) comprising the contact region in which the rotation damper (2) is in contact with the housing, wherein said part is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] The apparatus and the method are illustrated in detail in the following with reference to the figures.
[0039] FIG. 1 shows a housing of a linear damper, which comprises a rotation damper and has two abutment surfaces and a toothed damper insert;
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a housing of a linear damper, which comprises a rotation damper and has an inner row of teeth for engagement with a toothed damper insert;
[0041] FIG. 3 shows a part for insertion into the housing, which has a contact region made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing;
[0042] FIG. 4 shows a housing, in which all of the surfaces of the flanks of the teeth have been provided with a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing,
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a housing, in which half of the surfaces of the flanks of the teeth have been provided with a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing;
[0044] FIG. 6 shows a housing, in which half of the surfaces of the flanks of the teeth have been provided with a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing;
[0045] FIG. 7 shows a housing, in which three-quarters of the surfaces of the flanks of the teeth have been provided with a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing;
[0046] FIG. 8 is another view of a housing of FIG. 4-7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show two rotation dampers 2 and respective housings 1 of dampers. The rotation dampers 2 are accommodated in these housings 1 in inner chambers 6. The housings 1 provide precise lateral guidance for the rotation damper. The housings 1 can be connected to other not depicted structural elements via flanges 4 and 5. The rotation damper 2 and the housing 1 are connected to a not depicted rack via a pinion 20. The rack or flange are used for connection to a further structural element such as a glove compartment door or for connection to the remainder of the structure, which, for example in the case of a glove compartment door, can be the remainder of the dashboard. Since the housings 1 form a precise guide for the rotation dampers 2, the precise engagement of the pinion 20 connected to the rotation damper in the rack is ensured.
[0048] The rotation dampers 2 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are toothed. Whereas the individual teeth in FIG. 1 are separated by grooves 7, i.e. groove-shaped depressions, and have a trapezoidal cross-section, in FIG. 2 the rotation damper is provided with an external toothing 8 in which the individual teeth have a triangular cross-section. In FIG. 1, the housing 1 has a widening 9, i.e. a region in which the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the housing 1 is greater than the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the remainder of the housing. At the transition of this region 9 to the remainder of the inner peripheral surface of the housing, the flanks (engaging flanks) 10 and 11 form engagement regions in which the teeth having the trapezoidal cross-section of the rotation damper 2 can engage.
[0049] In FIG. 2, the toothing 8 on the rotation damper 2 is embodied with teeth having a triangular cross-section. A toothed portion 12 is correspondingly provided on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 1. This toothed portion 12 comprises at least one tooth, but, as shown in the following figures, two teeth are preferred. It is also possible to use four teeth for the toothed portion 12, as shown in FIG. 2.
[0050] In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the direction of movement is from top to bottom. If the rotation damper and the housing are used for a glove compartment door, for example, the rotation damper 2 abuts the widening 9 or the toothed portion 12 when the glove compartment door is opened. When the glove compartment door is closed, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rotation damper 2 abuts the segment of the lower inner peripheral surface of the housing opposite to the widening 9 or the toothed portion 12. Another possible operating state occurs when the direction of movement is reversed. After the glove compartment door has been opened completely or partially, the rotation damper 2 still abuts the widening 9 or the toothed portion 12. At the beginning of the movement in the other direction, i.e. in closing direction of the glove compartment door, the rotation damper 2 lifts away from the widening 9 or the toothed portion 12 without already abutting the segment of the inner peripheral surface of the housing which, in the figures, is lower. The rotation damper 2 is thus freely rotatable in the housing 1. This state is consequently referred to as freewheeling.
[0051] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the housing 1, in which the inner peripheral surface 19 of a part 3 or an insert element 3 is coated with a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing. The inner peripheral surface 19 of said housing part 3 thus has the desired property of noise reduction. A circular segment-like support element 21 is furthermore provided in the region of the teeth. This support element 21 is optional and is in particular provided to support the rotation damper 2 and prevent it from tilting. The inner peripheral surface 19 can also be configured to support the rotation damper 2 and prevent it from tilting. To achieve sufficient stability, the teeth 13, 14, and also the surface of the housing part 3 facing away from the rotation damper have to be made of the same material as the remainder of the housing. The teeth 13, 14 are therefore likewise coated with the same material with which the inner peripheral surface is coated. As a result, the entire surface of the contact region consists of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing. The term contact region is understood here to be a region of the inner peripheral surface in which the rotation damper 2 of FIG. 1 or 2 can be in contact with the housing 1 during movement of the glove compartment door.
[0052] FIG. 5 shows how the insert 3 shown in FIG. 3 is inserted into a housing 1 and can effect noise reduction.
[0053] FIGS. 5-7 show further embodiments of the housing 1 in which only portions of the teeth 13 and 14 are provided with contact regions 17 and 18. Even if not all of the inner peripheral surface of the housing 1 is provided with contact regions made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing, good noise reduction can nonetheless be achieved while at the same time saving material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing. It goes without saying that the contact regions 17 and 18 do not have to be disposed at the end of the teeth 13 and 14 which in the Fig. is on the bottom, but can also be located at the center of the axial extent of the teeth 13 and 14 or at their upper end. The dividing line between the contact region 17 or 18 also does not necessarily have to extend in the peripheral direction of the inner surface of the housing. It can also extend in axial or a different direction.
[0054] The not-to-scale FIG. 5-7 show that the contact regions represent a thickening of the teeth. If the covering of the material of the contact regions is preferably 0.2 mm, the material having the lower modulus of elasticity projects, e.g. 0.2 mm, beyond the regions of the tooth flanks that are not provided with a contact region. The flanks of the teeth in the non-visible region below the contact region are accordingly provided with 0.2 mm deep recesses into which the material for the contact regions is inserted.
[0055] FIG. 5 shows that approximately half of the surface of the tooth flanks of the teeth 13 and 14 is provided with contact regions 17 and 18. In FIG. 6, only about a quarter of the surface of the tooth flanks of the teeth 13 and 14 is provided with contact regions 17 and 18, as a result of which a particularly high saving of material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing can be achieved. In FIG. 7, on the other hand, three-quarters of the surface of the tooth flanks of the teeth 13 and 14 are provided with contact regions 17 and 18, which provides improved noise reduction relative to the housings shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0056] The embodiments of FIG. 5-7 are suitable for producing the contact regions in a method having two steps. For example, the housing is first produced by injection molding from a plastic such as PA, PBT, PE, PP or ABS. The contact regions are then molded onto the housing, for example, by applying the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing onto the housing by coating, e.g. by spraying from a nozzle.
[0057] The embodiments of FIG. 5-7 are also suitable for producing the material of the actual housing and the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing together in a multicomponent injection molding process. This makes it possible to produce a housing according to the invention in a particularly small number of production steps.
[0058] A thermoplastic elastomer is preferably used as the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing.
[0059] FIG. 8 shows a housing 1 in which the region opposite to the teeth 13 and 14 is visible. A cylindrical surface, which is still located on the damper, runs on the depicted contact ribs 15 and 16 when the damper is in the freewheeling position.
[0060] It can further be provided that the contact region 17, 18 is disposed in a recess of the housing 1 and the dimensions of the recess do not exceed the dimensions of the contact region.
[0061] The contact region 17, 18 can be disposed on a flank 10, 11, 13, 14.
[0062] The contact region 17, 18 can be disposed on an inner peripheral surface 19 of the housing 1.
[0063] According to a method for producing a housing 1 which surrounds a rotation damper 2, it is provided that an additional part 3 having the contact region in which the rotation damper 2 is in contact with the housing is included, whereby the part is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing.
[0064] According to a further method for producing a housing, a contact region in which the rotation damper 2 is in contact with the housing 1 can be molded onto an already preformed remainder of the housing, whereby the contact region is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the remainder of the housing.
[0065] Furthermore, by means of a multicomponent injection molding process,
[0066] by injection molding at least one component to create a housing 1, and
[0067] by injection molding at least one further component to create a contact region 17, 18 in which the rotation damper is in contact with the housing, whereby
[0068] the at least one further component is made of a material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the material of the remainder of the housing.
[0069] A thermoplastic elastomer can be used as the material having a lower modulus of elasticity than the housing.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0070] 1 Housing
[0071] 2 Rotation damper
[0072] 3 Additional part
[0073] 4, 5 Flange
[0074] 6 Inner chamber
[0075] 7 Groove (groove-shaped depression)
[0076] 8 Toothing
[0077] 9 Widening
[0078] 10, 11 Engaging flank
[0079] 12 Toothed portion
[0080] 13, 14 Tooth
[0081] 17, 18 15, 16 Contact region
[0082] 19 Inner peripheral surface of the housing
[0083] 20 Pinion
[0084] 21 Support element
