Opening and closing mechanism comprising a dead-center spring element

Abstract

An opening and closing mechanism includes a dead-center spring element for a swivelable part, and a control curve is provided on a side wall of the swivelable part, and the dead-center spring element engages the control curve via a swivelable control lever to control an opening and closing force progression with the aid of the control curve.

Claims

1. An opening and closing mechanism comprising: a movable part movable from a dead-center position to a closed position and from the dead-center position to a usage position, wherein the dead-center position is between the closed position and the usage position; a dead-center spring element which acts on the movable part; a control curve mounted on the movable part, the control curve being engageable by the dead-center spring element and having an angular deflection, wherein: when the dead-center spring element engages the control curve on one side of the angular deflection, the dead-center spring element urges the movable part in a closing direction toward the closed position to move the movable part toward the closed position, when the dead-center spring element engages the control curve on a side of the angular deflection opposite the one side, the dead-center spring element urges the movable part in an opening direction toward the usage position to move the movable part toward the usage position, and when the dead-center spring element engages the angular deflection, the dead-center spring element urges the movable part neither in the opening direction or in the closing direction, whereby a moment that the dead-center spring element applies on the movable part is zero and the movable part is in the dead-center position; a stop which limits an opening motion of the movable part in the opening direction and which is overcome when a misuse force is applied to the movable part in the opening direction, whereby the stop is elastically deformed and the movable part is moveable to a misuse position which is past the usage position in the opening direction.

2. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a moment which the dead-center spring element applies to the movable part, when the movable part is in the closed position or in the usage position, is greater than a moment the dead-center spring element applies to the movable part when the movable part is adjacent the dead-center position.

3. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the movable part is swivelably mounted and the angular deflection is a dead-center point which the dead-center spring element engages when the movable part is in the dead-center position.

4. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the control curve is curved at the dead-center point.

5. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the dead-center spring element is configured to snaps into a recess of the control curve when the movable part is in the closed position and snap into a recess of the control curve when the movable part is in the usage position.

6. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the dead-center spring element includes at a swivelable control lever which engages the control curve.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in greater detail in the following with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings. The drawings are a simplified and schematized depiction for ensuring an understanding of the invention and for describing the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of an opening and closing mechanism including a dead-center spring element according to an exemplary embodiment in a closed position;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the opening and closing mechanism including the dead-center spring element in a dead-center position; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows the opening and closing mechanism including the dead-center spring element in a usage position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) The opening and closing mechanism according to the invention, which is depicted in the drawings, includes a swivel compartment 1 as a movable, namely swivelable part 2, and a leg spring 3 as a dead-center spring element 4. The movable part 2 is swivelable about a swivel axis 5 from a closed position, which is shown in FIG. 1, into an open position, which is shown in FIG. 3, and vice versa. FIG. 2 shows the movable part 2 in a dead-center position, which is located between the closed position and the usage position. The closed position and the usage position can also be referred to, in general, as two planned end positions of the movable part 2 for a planned usage.

(6) A spring coil 6 of the leg spring 3 forming the dead-center spring element 4 is accommodated on a fixed bearing journal 7, on which a control lever 8 is swivelably mounted. A swivel axis 9 of the control lever 8 extends parallel to and at a distance from the swivel axis 5 of the swivel compartment 1 forming the movable part 2. One spring leg 10 of the leg spring 3 rests against a fixed abutment 11 and another spring leg 12 of the leg spring 3 acts on the control lever 8 in the direction of the swivel axis 5 of the movable part 2.

(7) The control lever 8 is angled and is pressed by the leg spring 3 forming the dead-center spring element 4 against a control curve 13, which is disposed on a side wall 14 of the swivel compartment 1 forming the movable part 2. The control curve 13 is angled and, starting from an angular deflection 15, comprises a closing section 16 and, on another side of the angular deflection 15, comprises an opening section 17, the two sections approaching each other with slight curvatures tangentially to the swivel axis 5 of the movable part 2 of the opening and closing mechanism according to the invention. If the movable part 2 is located between the dead-center position shown in FIG. 2 and the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the leg spring 3 forming the dead-center spring element 4 presses the angled control lever 8 against the closing section 16 of the control curve 13. A line of action 18 of a spring force 19, which is depicted using an arrow and which is applied onto the control curve 13 by the dead-center spring element 4, extends perpendicularly to the control curve 13, assuming there is no friction. The profile of the closing section 16 of the control curve 13 is selected in such a way that the distance 20 of the line of action 18 of the spring force 19 from the swivel axis 5 of the movable part 2 increases as the distance of the movable part 2 from the dead-center position increases and the movable part approaches the closed position. The distance 20 is to be measured radially with respect to the line of action 18 and the swivel axis 5. The distance 20 of the line of action 18 of the spring force 19 of the dead-center spring element 4 from the swivel axis 5 of the movable part 2, which increases during the approach to the closed position, means that the lever arm, with which the dead-center spring element 4 engages at the control curve 13 via the control lever 8, increases in size. As a result, the decreasing spring force of the dead-center spring element 4, which relaxes during the approach to the closed position, can be partially compensated for, completely compensated for, or over-compensated for, depending on the profile of the closing section 16 of the control curve 13. The closing force, which is applied onto the movable part 2 by the dead-center spring element 4 in the direction of the closed position, thus decreases by a lesser extent than the spring force of the dead-center spring element 4, or remains constant, or even increases.

(8) In the closed position of the movable part 2, the angled control lever 8 snaps into a recess 21 in the closing section 16 of the control curve 13, by which the movable part 2 is held closed in the closed position, as well as by the spring force applied by the dead-center spring element 4. Such a recess can also be provided for the usage position of the movable part 2 in the opening section 17 of the control curve 13. The exemplary embodiment comprises the recess 21 only for the closed position.

(9) The opening section 17 of the control curve 13 extends, according to the description provided above, to the closing section 16 in such a way that the distance of the line of action 18 of the spring force 19 of the dead-center spring element 4 from the pivot axis 5 of the swivel compartment 1 forming the movable part 2 increases when the movable part 2 approaches the usage position, starting from the dead-center position. As a result, during the opening of the movable part 2 as well, after the dead center has been overcome, a force applied by the dead-center spring element 4 via the control lever 8 onto the movable part 2 in an opening direction decreases by a lesser extent than the spring force of the dead-center spring element 4, does not decrease, or even increases, when the movable part 2 approaches the usage position.

(10) In the dead-center position of the swivel compartment 1 forming the movable part 2, as shown in FIG. 2, the dead-center spring element 4 presses the control lever 8 against the angular deflection 15 of the control lever 8 and the line of action 18 of the spring force 19 of the dead-center spring element 4 intersects the swivel axis 5 of the movable part 2, and therefore the movable part 2 is acted on neither in the direction of the closed position nor in the direction of the usage position. The angular deflection 15 of the control curve 13 can also be referred to as a dead-center point of the control curve 13.

(11) The dead-center spring element 4 is preloaded both in the closed position and in the usage position of the swivel compartment 1 forming the movable part 2; in the dead-center position, the tension and, therefore, the spring force of the dead-center spring element 4, are at their greatest.

(12) A stop 22 in the form of a ball catch 23 is depicted only in FIG. 3. This stop 22 limits the opening motion of the swivel compartment 1 by way of the arrangement of the rear edge, shown at the top in the figure, in the usage position. In the event of increased force in the opening direction, for example due to misuse, the ball catch 23 gives way, and therefore the stop 22 can be overcome and the swivel compartment 1 will be in a misuse position. Neither the stop 22 nor the dead-center spring element 4 is damaged as a result. By swiveling back into the closed position and overcoming the stop 22 again, the swivel compartment can be repaired again, i.e., moved into a position for the planned usage.