Hinge device for opening and closing a vehicle door

Abstract

The hinge device performs the opening and closing of a door of a vehicle without the door changing orientation. The device has an L-shaped arm provided with two ends attached in a pivotable way, around parallel rotation axes, to respective mounting bodies, one being fixable to the door and the other to the frame of the vehicle. Each body has a concentric pulley body with the respective rotation axis and fixed to a respective mounting body. The device further has a linking mechanism that extends along the arm and has a path formed by a first segment and a second segment that cross at least once.

Claims

1. A hinge device for operating the opening and closing of a door fastened to a frame of a vehicle, configured so that the door does not change orientation during said operation, wherein the hinge device comprises an arm provided with two ends attached in a pivotable way, around parallel rotation axes, to respective mounting bodies, one being fixable to the door and the other to the frame of the vehicle, wherein each mounting body comprises, coinciding with each associated end of the arm, a concentric pulley body with a respective rotation axis and fixed to a respective mounting body, and the hinge device further comprising linking means that extend along the arm and rest on the pulley grooves, being partially rolled up determining two end contact points on the linking means with each of the pulley grooves, wherein the arm has an angled shape, having two angled sections configured in a general L shape, the path of the linking means comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being the one that extends between the first end contact points of the pulley grooves and the second segment being the one that extends between the second end contact points of the pulley grooves, and the path of the linking means comprises at least one crossing of segments, wherein the first segment crosses the second segment; wherein the arm comprises at least one diverting element arranged on one of the angled sections of the arm, between the bend of the arm and one of the pulley bodies, the contour surface of which is convex-curved, having a diameter smaller than the diameter of any of the pulley bodies, and where one side of the diverting element is in contact with the first segment and another side of the diverting element is in contact with the second segment of the path of the linking means, the at least one diverting element being arranged such that the crossing (P1, P2) of segments is located between the diverting element and the pulley body located on the same section of the arm upon which the diverting element is arranged; and wherein the arm further comprises, a central diverting element arranged on the bend of the arm, the contour surface of which is convex-curved, having a diameter smaller than the diameter of any of the pulley bodies, and where one side of the central diverting element is in contact with both the first segment and the second segment of the path of the linking means.

2. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the arm comprises at least two diverting elements, each one arranged on one of its angled sections, between the bend of the arm and one of the pulley bodies, the contour surface of which is convex-curved and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of any of the pulley bodies, each one of the two diverting elements being in contact on one of its sides with the first segment and another one of its sides being in contact with the second segment of the path of the linking means, and each diverting element is arranged such that there is a crossing (P1, P2) of segments located between each diverting element and the corresponding pulley body located on the same angled section of the arm upon which the diverting element is arranged.

3. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment of the path of the linking means run at different heights at least between a diverting element and the central diverting element, such that the contact section of the part of the linking means that follow the first segment with the convex-curved contour surface of the central diverting element is located vertically above or below the contact section of the part of the linking means that follow the second segment with the convex-curved contour surface of the central diverting element, the vertical direction being a direction parallel to that of the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm pivot.

4. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one crossing (P1, P2) between the first segment and the second segment of the path of the linking means occurs at a different height, one segment being located at a height that is different than that of the other, being considered a height measured according to a direction parallel to that of the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm pivot.

5. The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein the convex-curved contour surfaces of the central diverting element and of the diverting element or elements are provided with perimeter slots for guiding the contact of the linking means with said surfaces.

6. The hinge device according to claim 5, wherein the pulley grooves comprise two perimeter portions located at different heights around the respective pulley body, or they are configured according to a helical path around the respective pulley body for guiding the contact of the linking means with the pulley grooves.

7. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the central diverting element is formed by a prismatic body with an elliptical base, with the ability to rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm pivot, said axis of the central diverting element being firmly attached to the arm, and being locked in a specific rotation position wherein the linking means adopt a state of tension upon contact with the central diverting element.

8. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the linking means comprise at least one belt or at least one filiform element.

9. The hinge device according to claim 8, wherein the linking means comprise two belts and wherein one belt follows the path of the first segment and the other belt follows the path of the second segment.

10. The hinge device according to claim 9, wherein the first ends and the second ends of each belt are secured in a removable way to the pulley grooves of the first pulley and the second pulley, respectively.

11. The hinge device according to claim 10, wherein the two belts of the linking means have the same length.

12. The hinge device according to claim 8, wherein each belt of the linking means is flat and is made up of a sheath that contains a plurality of cords arranged in parallel and formed by intertwined filiform elements.

13. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting body that may be fixed to the door houses a motor with a rotation axis that causes the arm to rotate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the hinge device object of the invention. In said drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hinge device object of the invention, fastened to a frame of a vehicle and to a door thereof, in an intermediate position between a closed door and an open door;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge device object of the invention, in a closed door position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inside of the hinge device of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hinge device of FIG. 2, however some outer parts of the arm are not shown in order to show the arrangement of the central diverting element and the diverting element that comes in contact with the first segment of the path of the linking means;

(6) FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are perspective views of the hinge device object of the invention fastened to the frame of a vehicle and the door thereof at different positions that range from a closed door position to an open door position, respectively, wherein the device is shown without the outer part of the arm in order to show the elements arranged therein;

(7) FIGS. 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d are enlarged views of the hinge device shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d, respectively;

(8) FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the end of the arm attached to the mounting body fixed to the door, partially uncovered to show the first pulley grooves;

(9) FIG. 8 shows another detailed view of the arm attached to the mounting body fixed to the door, partially uncovered to show grooves of the first pulley and the perimeter slots of the closest diverting body; and

(10) FIG. 9 is a detailed view of the transverse cross section of one of the two flat belts that make up the linking means according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(11) FIG. 1 shows the hinge device 1 object of the invention, fastened to a frame 101 of a vehicle and a door 100 thereof, in an intermediate position between a closed door and an open door 100. FIG. 2 shows the same hinge device 1 but isolated and in a closed door 100 position (FIG. 2). The hinge device 1 for performing the opening and closing of the door 100 fastened to the frame 101 is configured so that the door 100 does not change orientation during said operation, as observed in FIGS. 5a to 5d, which sequentially show the positions of the components of the hinge device 1 from the closed door 100 position to the open door 100 position.

(12) FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the hinge device 1 comprises an arm 2 provided with two ends attached in a pivotable way, around parallel rotation axes, to respective mounting bodies 3 and 4. The first mounting body 3 can be fixed to the door 100 by a bolt joint plate or by any other form of conventional fastening (see FIG. 8), while the second mounting body 4 can be fixed in a similar way to the frame 101 of the vehicle, at a short distance from the opening 102 of the frame 101 where the door 100 fits, as shown in FIG. 1. The mounting body 3 that may be fixed to the door 100 houses in its interior a motor with a rotation axis that causes the arm 2 to rotate to open and close the door 100 (see FIGS. 5a to 5d).

(13) Each mounting body 3, 4 comprises, coinciding with each associated end of the arm 2, a concentric pulley body 5, 6 with the respective rotation axis and fixed to a respective mounting body 3, 4. This can be seen in FIG. 3, wherein the pulley body 5 forms part of the first mounting body 3 and the pulley body 6 forms part of the second mounting body 4.

(14) FIG. 3 also shows that the hinge body 1 further comprises linking means 7 that extend along the arm 2 and rest on the pulley grooves 5, 6. The linking means 7 are partially rolled up in the pulley grooves 5, 6, the linking means 7 on the grooves determining two end contact points 51 and 52 on the first pulley 5 and 61 and 62 on the second pulley 6.

(15) On the hinge device 1, it is worth noting that the arm 2 has an angled shape, such that two angled sections 21 and 22 are clearly distinguished, configuring a general L shape. In the drawings, only FIGS. 1 to 3 show the angled shape of the arm 2, since the other figures do not show part of the arm 2 in order to show the linking means 7 that run along its interior and other components that will be explained further on.

(16) In FIGS. 1-4 and 6a-6d it is easy to see that the path of the linking means 7 comprises a first segment 71 and a second segment 72. The first segment 71 extends between the first end contact points 51 and 61 of the pulley grooves 5 and 6, while the second segment 72 extends between the second end contact points 52 and 62 of the pulley grooves 5 and 6. It is very important to note that the path of the linking means 7 comprises at least one crossing of segments wherein the first segment 71 crosses the second segment 72. In fact, in the hinge device 1 shown in the drawings, the path comprises two crossings P1 and P2, as shown in FIG. 3.

(17) Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows that the arm 2 comprises two diverting elements 8, each one arranged on one of its angled sections 21, 22 between the bend of the arm 2 and a corresponding pulley body 5, 6. The contour surface of each diverting element is convex-curved and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of any of the pulley bodies 5 and 6. Each one of the two diverting elements 8 is in contact on one of its sides with the first segment 71 and another one of its sides is in contact with the second segment 72 of the path of the linking means 7. Each diverting element 8 is arranged such that there is a crossing P1, P2 of segments located between each diverting element 8 and the corresponding pulley body 5, 6 located on the same angled section 21, 22 of the arm 2 upon which the diverting element 8 is arranged.

(18) The arm 2 comprises, in addition to the two diverting elements 8, a central diverting element 9 arranged on the bend of the arm 2, the contour surface of which is convex-curved, having a diameter smaller than the diameter of any of the pulley bodies 5 and 6. FIG. 4 clearly shows that one side of the contour surface of the central diverting element 9 is in contact with both the first segment 71 and the second segment 72 of the path of the linking means. In other words, a crossing of segments as such does not occur on the central diverting element 9.

(19) In fact, the first segment 71 and the second segment 72 of the path of the linking means 7 run at different heights at least between a diverting element 8 and the central diverting element 9, such that the contact section of the part of the linking means 7 that follow the first segment 71 with the convex-curved contour surface of the central diverting element 9 is located vertically above or below the contact section of the part of the linking means 7 that follow the second segment 71 with the convex-curved contour surface of the central diverting element 9. In light of the above, it is considered that the vertical direction is a direction parallel to that of the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm 2 pivot. This vertical arrangement of the segments 71 and 72 can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 6a-6d.

(20) Furthermore, the crossings P1 and P2 between the first segment 71 and the second segment 72 occur at different heights, one segment being located at a height that is different from that of the other, and being considered a height measured according to a direction parallel to that of the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm 2 pivot.

(21) To favor the vertical arrangement of the first segment 71 with respect to the second segment 72, the convex-curved contour surface of the central diverting element 9 and of the diverting elements 8 are provided with perimeter slots for guiding the contact of the linking means 7 with said surfaces (see FIG. 8).

(22) For the same purpose, the pulley grooves 5 and 6 comprise two perimeter portions located at different heights around the respective pulley body 5, 6, or they are configured according to a helical path around the respective pulley body 5, 6 for guiding the contact of the linking means 7 with the pulley grooves 5 and 6. This configuration can be seen in FIGS. 6d, 7 and 8.

(23) The central diverting element 9 is formed by a prismatic body with an elliptical base, with the ability to rotate around an axis parallel to the rotation axes with respect to which the ends of the arm 2 pivot. The axis of the central diverting element 9 is firmly attached to the arm 2. Advantageously, the central diverting element 9 is able to be locked in a specific rotation position wherein the linking means 7 adopt a state of tension upon contact with the central diverting element 9. Thus, thanks to the configuration of its elliptical base, when it rotates vertically, the distance from its rotation center to its contact surface with the segments 71 and 72 varies, meaning that the linking means are tensed when the distance increases, and loosening occurs when it rotates to decrease tension, if considered excessive or to facilitate disassembling tasks.

(24) Although the linking means can be formed by a single element, preferably a flat belt that follows the path indicated, with variations in height depending on the segment, the linking means 7 preferably comprise two elements in the form of flat straps or belts 73 and 74 (see FIG. 7), wherein a belt 73 follows the path of the first segment 71 and the other belt 74 follows the path of the second segment 72. The two flat belts 73 and 74 of the linking means 7 have the same length, which greatly facilitates the mounting of the hinge device 1, since it is not necessary to distinguish one from the other.

(25) Preferably, as shown in FIG. 9, corresponding to the section according to a transverse cross section of one of the flat belts 73 or 74, each belt is made up of a casing or sheath 75 that contains a plurality of cords 70 arranged in parallel and formed by filiform elements, preferably intertwined. The filiform elements are preferably made from steel or aramid. The sheath 75 is a polymeric material, preferably of polyurethane.

(26) Each filiform element 73 and 74 has a first end and a second end that are fixed in a removable way and respectively to the pulley grooves of the first pulley 5 and the second pulley 6. The first end 73a of the filiform element 73 is shown in FIG. 8. In order to fix the first end 73a, the groove of the first pulley 5 is arranged on a plate or sheet configured to clip and keep said end retained.