HINGE FOR A LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT

Abstract

A luggage compartment hinge having a first hinge leaf with one bearing bush arranged between two second hinge leaf bushes. In an axle tube, non-rotatably connected to the first hinge leaf bush and rotatable in the second hinge leaf bearing bushes, there is a torsion spring, fastened at its first end to the axle tube and at its second end to a pretensioning adjusting element. A pivoting-movement damping element is arranged between the first and second hinge leaves. The adjusting element includes: a latching element in the second hinge leaf second bush with a ratchet wheel having an outer gear rim; a locking pawl mounted on the second bush for engagement in the outer gear rim; and a stop element which limits the rotation angle of the adjusting element. This arrangement allows the locking effect of the locking pawl to be ensured even without axial pretensioning of the torsion spring.

Claims

1. A hinge (900) for a luggage compartment, comprising: a first hinge leaf and a second hinge leaf (100, 200), wherein the first hinge leaf (100) has a bearing bush (110), the second hinge leaf (200) has a first bearing bush (210) and a second bearing bush (220), spaced apart from and arranged coaxially with the first bearing bush (210), between which the bearing bush (110) of the first hinge leaf (100) is arranged and rotatable about a common hinge axis (910); an axle tube (300) non-rotatably connected to the bearing bush (110) of the first hinge leaf (100) and rotatably mounted in the first and second bearing bushes (210, 220) of the second hinge leaf (200); a torsion spring (400) arranged in the axle tube and having a first end (410) attached to the axle tube and a second end (420) connected to an adjusting element (600) for pretensioning the torsion spring (400); a damping element (500) for damping a pivoting movement of the hinge, which is non-rotatably arranged in the first bearing bush (210) of the second hinge leaf (200) and is connected to the axle tube (300); the adjusting element (600) comprises, for pretensioning the torsion spring (400), a) a latching element (610) arranged in the second bearing bush of the second hinge leaf (200) with a ratchet wheel (615) having an outer gear rim, b) a locking pawl (620) mounted on the second bearing bush for engagement with the outer gear rim of the ratchet wheel (615), and c) a stop element that limits an angular rotation range (a) of the adjusting element (600); wherein a locking effect of the locking pawl (620) is ensured without axial pretensioning of the torsion spring (400).

2. The hinge according to claim 1, further comprising a spring (630) arranged between the second bearing bush (220) and the locking pawl (620) that supports the locking effect of the locking pawl (620) by counteracting a pivoting movement of the locking pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel (615).

3. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein the spring (630) is a compression spring.

4. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the stop element comprises a stop disk (700) co-rotating with the adjusting element (600) and a limiter (710) comprising a radially outwardly pointing circular ring sector and a stop pin (720) mounted in the second bearing bush (220) in a rotationally fixed manner.

5. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein the angular rotation range (a) of the limiter (710) is selected so that the first end of the circular ring sector (710) forms a stop for the target torque in an open state of the hinge and the second end of the circular ring sector (720) forms a stop for an overtorque protection of the torsion spring.

6. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein the stop disk (700) is an integral part of the adjusting element (600).

7. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet wheel (615) is an integral part of the adjusting element (600).

8. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the damping element (500) acts such that the damping decreases as the opening of the hinge increases.

9. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein a characteristic curve of the damping element (500) is set such that a speed of the opening movement is essentially uniform.

10. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein an unlocking opening is provided in a housing of the second bearing bush (220), through which the locking pawl (620) in adapted to be unlocked via an inserted tool.

11. A luggage compartment for an aircraft or vehicle, comprising: a container for receiving objects, having an opening; a flap which is adapted to close the opening; and at least two hinges according to claim 1 connected between the container and the flap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] The invention will now be explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, using particularly preferred embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a fully assembled variant of the same hinge;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the stop disk.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows the exploded assembly of components of a hinge according to this description. Reference signs 100 and 200 denote the first and second hinge leaves, respectively, wherein the first hinge leaf 100 has a bearing bush 110 which is to be arranged between the two bearing bushes 210 and 220 of the second hinge leaf 200. Reference signs 310 and 320 denote bearing shells which can be inserted into the bearing bushes 210 and 220 and may have friction-reducing properties. The axle tube 300 is a central connecting element with an outer contour 330 that can be inserted into the bearing bush 110 with a corresponding inner contour 120 in a rotationally secure manner. A torsion spring 400 is inserted into the axle tube 300, the first end 410 of which may be a loop or a pin-shaped end, depending on the design of the wire end. The anchoring in the axle tube 300 can then be achieved, for example, in a slot or by inserting the wire end into a corresponding simple opening (not shown in the figure). The absence of axial clamping under tension greatly simplifies the assembly of the hinge.

[0040] The axle tube is connected to a damping element 500 in a torque-locking manner, e.g. by inserting corresponding surface structures into each other. The damping element 500 in turn has an outer contour that allows it to be inserted into the first bearing bush in a variety of angular positions and anchored there. The second end 420 of the torsion spring 400 can be inserted into an adjusting element 600 similar to the anchoring in the axle tube 300. The adjusting element 600, which is integrally formed in a body, comprises a latching element 610 and a ratchet wheel 615 with a gear tooth outer contour.

[0041] The pawl 620 is provided to engage in the ratchet wheel 615 and is mounted so as to be pivotable about an axis which is formed by an axle pin 640. A spring, in this case a compression spring 630, secures the position of the locking pawl 620 when it engages in the ratchet wheel 615.

[0042] The indicated planes P and P coincide after assembly of the hinge parts. This also makes it clear that the axle pin 640 is accommodated in the side cheek of the second bearing bush 220 in the bearing opening 225. The compression spring 630 is located between the outer lever arm of the locking pawl 620 and the housing of the bearing bush 220. Reference sign 660 indicates the internal engagement (here: hexagonal recess) for a rotary tool with which the latching element 610 can be rotated. An opening in the cover (lid 650) allows access to the internal engagement 660 even after the hinge has been assembled.

[0043] The arrow below the locking pawl indicates the direction in which a tool should be used to unlock the locking pawl. The insertion opening in the housing of the bearing bush 220 is not visible in FIG. 1.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a hinge 900 according to the above disclosure in the assembled state in the open position. The reference signs describe the same components as in FIG. 1. The hinge axis is indicated by 910.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of a stop disk 700 with the circular sector-shaped limiter 710. Its stop surfaces 711 and 712 are shown as examples and represent only one of several possible designs. The stop pin 720 is shown in contact with surface 712. The contour of the cover 650 is indicated by a dashed line for orientation purposes.