Hinge for a Flap of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A hinge for a flap of a motor vehicle includes a flap element which is designed to be secured to the flap. A pivoting element is designed to be secured to a body of the motor vehicle such as to be rotatable about a hinge axis, wherein in a first location the flap element is connected to the pivoting element so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis, and in a second location, which is offset relative to the first location, the flap element is connected to the pivoting element via a releasable securing element. A spacer maintains a distance between the pivoting element and the flap element in an installed position, in which the securing element is released and the flap element is rotated relative to the pivoting element about the rotational axis in comparison to a normal position.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A hinge for a flap of a motor vehicle, comprising: a flap element which is designed for fastening to the flap; a pivot element which is designed for rotatable fastening about a hinge axis to a body of the motor vehicle, wherein, at a first point, the flap element is connected to the pivot element so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein, at a second point offset from the first point, the flap element is connected to the pivot element via a releasable fastening element; and a spacer for maintaining a distance between the pivot element and the flap element in an installation position, in which installation position the fastening element is released and the flap element is rotated relative to the pivot element about the axis of rotation in relation to a normal position.

12. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the fastening element in a released state permits rotation of the flap element about the axis of rotation into the installation position and, in a fixed state, connects the flap element and the pivot element rotatably to each other.

13. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the spacer comprises a spacer screw which is screwed into the pivot element or flap element.

14. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the spacer is positioned between the axis of rotation and the fastening element.

15. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the spacer is positioned between the axis of rotation and the pivot axis.

16. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the flap element has a first lever region on one side of the axis of rotation and a second lever region on the other side of the axis of rotation, the first lever region is configured for connection to the flap, and the second lever region overlaps with the pivot element.

17. The hinge according to claim 16, wherein the fastening element is arranged on the second lever region.

18. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the pivot element has a protrusion region which protrudes past the axis of rotation, wherein the flap element strikes against the protrusion region in the installation position.

19. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the pivot element and the flap element together form a U shape.

20. A motor vehicle, comprising: a body; a flap; and at least one hinge for the flap, the hinge comprising: a flap element which is fastened to the flap; a pivot element which is rotatably fastened about a hinge axis to the body of the motor vehicle, wherein, at a first point, the flap element is connected to the pivot element so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein, at a second point offset from the first point, the flap element is connected to the pivot element via a releasable fastening element; and a spacer for maintaining a distance between the pivot element and the flap element in an installation position, in which installation position the fastening element is released and the flap element is rotated relative to the pivot element about the axis of rotation in relation to a normal position.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the flap is a tailgate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0022] FIG. 1 shows one exemplary embodiment of a hinge according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a hinge 1 for a flap 101 of a motor vehicle. The hinge 1 is fastened here to a body 100 of the motor vehicle. The flap 101 and the body 100 are merely illustrated purely schematically in order to show the arrangement of the hinge in the motor vehicle. The flap 101 is in particular the tailgate. The illustrated region of the body 100 is in particular the rear end of the roof region. A secondary closing edge 102 is located between the flap 101 and the illustrated region of the body 100. In the region of this secondary closing edge 102, a sufficiently large construction space for, for example, fitting a seal is desirable during the installation or the repair of the motor vehicle.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows that the hinge 1 comprises a flap element 2 and a pivot element 3. The flap element 2 is designed for fastening to the flap 101. The pivot element 3 is connected to the body 100 so as to be rotatable about a hinge axis 5. For this purpose, the hinge 1 comprises a bearing block 4 to which the pivot element 3 is correspondingly rotatably fastened. The bearing block 4 in turn is fastened, for example, to the inner side of the body 100.

[0025] The flap element 2 and the pivot element 3 are rotatably connected to each other at an axis of rotation 6. The hinge axis 5 and the axis of rotation 6 are in particular parallel to each other. The axis of rotation 6 is formed, for example, by a screw or a bolt.

[0026] In addition to the fastening via the axis of rotation 6, the flap element 2 and the pivot element 3 are connected to each other via a fastening element 7. The fastening element 7 protrudes in the form of a screw through the flap element 2 and the pivot element 3. The fastening element 7 can be released and fixed by means of a nut screwed onto it.

[0027] The flap element 2 is divided into a first lever region 9 and a second lever region 10. The axis of rotation 6 is located between these two lever regions 9, 10.

[0028] The first lever region 9 is connected to the flap 101. The second lever region 10 overlaps with the pivot element 3. The screw of the fastening element 7 protrudes through the second lever region 10 such that the head of the screw rests on the second lever region 10.

[0029] The pivot element 3 protrudes over the axis of rotation 6 with a protrusion region 11. This protrusion region 11 forms a stop for the flap element 2, in particular the first lever region 9. FIG. 1 shows in principle the normal position of the hinge 1, in which the flap element 2 and pivot element 3 are not rotated in relation to each other and are fixedly connected to each other by the fastening element 7. In the dashed-line illustration, an installation position is shown in which the fastening element 7 is released and the flap element 2 is rotated relative to the pivot element 3 by approx. 15? about the axis of rotation 6 until the flap element 2 strikes against the protrusion region 11.

[0030] In order, in this installation position, to fix the rotated state between the flap element 2 and pivot element 3, a spacer 8 in the form of a spacer screw is provided. The spacer 8 is screwed into the pivot element 3. Starting from the position shown in FIG. 1, the spacer 8 is screwed in further and lies against the pivoted flap element 2 such that the flap element 2 is prevented from pivoting back about the axis of rotation 6 into the normal position.

[0031] The flap element 2 together with the pivot element 3 form a U shape in the exemplary embodiment shown. By pivoting into the installation position, the two limbs of the U shape are moved away from each other, as a result of which the gap at the secondary closing edge 102 is increased. The spacer 8 is located between the axis of rotation 6 and fastening element 7 and between the axis of rotation 6 and hinge axis 5. The spacer 8 in the form of the spacer screw is screwed into this U shape from the outside. The nut of the fastening element 7 can likewise be released and can be fixed from the outside with respect to this U shape.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0032] 1 hinge [0033] 2 flap element [0034] 3 pivot element [0035] 4 bearing block [0036] 5 hinge axis [0037] 6 axis of rotation [0038] 7 fastening element [0039] 8 spacer [0040] 9 first lever region [0041] 10 second lever region [0042] 11 protrusion region [0043] 100 body [0044] 101 flap [0045] 102 secondary closing edge