Vehicle with removable flap

Abstract

A swing panel or flap is pivotally attached to a vehicle body with a hinge. The hinge includes a first fitting part fastened to a first selected vehicle part under the body and flap, and a second fitting part fastened to the second selected vehicle part under the body and flap. The second fitting part is joined with the first fitting part so that it can pivot around a hinge axis. A head of a post of the first vehicle part is inserted through a passage of the first fitting part. A control part is movable between a locked position, in which it engages between an undercut of the head and the first fitting part, and a released position, in which it is retracted from the undercut, and the head is free to traverse the passage.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for a vehicle having a flap pivotably attached to a body, the hinge assembly comprising: a first fitting part having a passage formed therein; a second fitting part operably coupled to the first fitting part so that it can pivot around a first axis; and a control part coupled to the first fitting part and movable between a locked position to engage between a head of a post and the first fitting part, and a released position to disengage the head of the post.

2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control part comprises a slot for receiving the head so that the control part engages between the head and the first fitting part in the locked position.

3. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the control part pivotable around a second axis between the locked position and released position.

4. The hinge assembly according to claim 3, wherein the second axis is located between the first axis and the passage.

5. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein first fitting part comprises includes a base plate in which the passage is formed, and straps angled on either side of the base plate for supporting at least one pin.

6. The hinge assembly according to claim 5, wherein the control part further comprises a gripping section protruding out of a gap between the straps in the locked position.

7. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second fitting part prevents movement of the control part from the locked position into the released position when the flap is in a closed position.

8. The hinge assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a buffer biased between the second fitting part and the control part when the flap is in the closed position.

9. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the post has a groove formed around the head to provide a flank for engaging the control part.

10. The hinge assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first fitting part is configured to fold over the post from above the head.

11. A vehicle comprising a flap pivotably attached to a body and the hinge assembly according to claim 1.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the head of the post is configured to traverses a passage in a first vehicle part, and a base of the post abuts against a side of the first vehicle part facing away from the hinge.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the first vehicle part comprises the body and the second vehicle part comprises the flap.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the flap comprises a luggage compartment flap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

(2) FIG. 1 is a luggage compartment flap of a motor vehicle;

(3) FIG. 2 is a detail of the luggage compartment flap from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is an isolated hinge of the luggage compartment flap;

(5) FIG. 4 is a post for anchoring the hinge on the body side;

(6) FIG. 5 is a section through a roof frame of a vehicle body and a luggage compartment flap, the hinge of which has been placed on a post of the roof frame, but not yet locked thereto;

(7) FIG. 6 is the roof frame and luggage compartment flap with hinge in the locked position and the luggage compartment flap open;

(8) FIG. 7 is the roof frame and luggage compartment flap in the closed position;

(9) FIG. 8 is the hinge according to another embodiment, and

(10) FIG. 9 is a section through the hinge locked to the roof frame according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description.

(12) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from the inside of a luggage compartment swing panel or flap 1 of a motor vehicle. Sheet metal parts of the luggage compartment flap form a frame all around a rear window 2. Secured to an upper profile 3 of the frame are two hinges 4, the structural design of which will be described in greater detail below.

(13) The two hinges 4 are structurally identical, so that it is sufficient to show only one of them in a magnified view on FIG. 2. A fitting part 5 on the flap side formed as a single piece out of a strong sheet metal includes a base plate 6, which is fastened by two threaded fasteners 7 to the upper profile 3 so as to flatly abut the latter, and a tongue protruding from an upper edge of the base plate 6, which is rolled up to form a joint area 8 that rotatably incorporates a pin 10 that defines the pivoting axis 9 of the hinge 4. The pin 10 passes through two straps 11 of a body-side fitting part 12 on either side of the joint area 8. Just as on the flap side, the fitting part 12 is formed as a single piece out of a strong sheet metal on the body side, and the two straps 11 are joined together as a single piece by a base plate 13. A circular passage 14 is visible in the base plate 13. The passage 14 is provided to incorporate the head 16 of a post 15 anchored to the roof frame of the vehicle body, which will be described in greater detail later with reference to FIG. 4.

(14) A second pin 17 is suspended on the straps 11 between the base plate 13 and the pin 10, parallel to the latter. This pin 17 forms a pivoting axis of a control part 18, of which essentially only two lateral walls 19 parallel to the straps 11 are discernible on FIG. 2 between the straps 11.

(15) The control part 18 is more clearly discernible from the isolated view of the hinge 4 on FIG. 3. In this view, the control part 18 is pivoted out of the gap away from the straps 11 in the direction of the vehicle rear, thus making visible a cylindrical wall 20 extending between the lower edges of the lateral walls 19 and centered roughly on the pin 17. A slot 21 is recessed in the cylindrical wall 20. The slot 21 is open toward a front edge of the cylindrical wall 20 hidden between the straps 11 on FIG. 3. A rear wall 22 of the control part 18 that joins the two lateral walls 19 faces upward in the released position shown on FIG. 3, and a gripping section 23 protrudes upwardly from a lower end of the rear wall 22. The cylindrical wall 20 does not overlap the base plate 13 in the released position.

(16) The post 15 shown on FIG. 4 has a foot 24 in the form of a disk, from which the head 16 centrally protrudes. Distributed around the head 16 on the upper side of the foot 24 are welding projections 25, which are provided to be resistance-welded to the roof frame when the post 15 has been inserted into a passage of a roof frame.

(17) The length of a first cylindrical area 26 of the head 16 as viewed from the foot 24 is dimensioned in such a way that, when the post 15 is welded to the roof frame and the hinge 4 has been placed on the roof frame so that the head 16 engages into the passage 14, a flank 27 between the first cylindrical area 26 and a groove 28 upwardly adjoining the latter is flush with the upper side of the base plate 13. In this way, when the control part 18 is downwardly pivoted out of the released position shown on FIG. 3 into the locked position, the head 16 can slip into its slot 21, wherein the edges of the cylindrical wall 20 bordering the slot 21 engage into the groove 28, and a frictional contact between the inside of the cylindrical wall 20 and a flank 29 upwardly bordering the groove 28 toward a second cylindrical area 30 ensures that the body-side fitting part 12 is firmly seated on the post 15.

(18) FIGS. 5 to 7 use schematic sections to illustrate the assembly of the luggage compartment flap 1 on the roof frame here marked 31. The roof frame 31 includes two metal sheets 32, 33, which are welded together along flanges 34, 35 strung out in the transverse direction of the vehicle, so as to form the hollow profile of the roof frame 31. Formed at the rear of the two flanges 35 are two passages 36, into which a respective post 15 is inserted from below and welded by way of its foot 24 to the lower side of the flange 35.

(19) The base plate 13 of the body-side fitting part 12 lies on the upper side of the flange 34, wherein the post 15 engages into the passage 14 of the base plate 13. Since parts lying outside the section plane are not shown on FIGS. 5 to 7, the only visible parts of the control part 18 are essentially the rear wall 22, the gripping section 23 and a short piece of the cylindrical wall 20 at the end of the slot 21. The post 15 does not engage into the slot 21 yet in this position.

(20) On FIG. 6, the control part 18 is pivoted around the pin 17 into the locked position, in which the cylindrical wall 20 engages into the groove 28 of the post 15. The luggage compartment flap 1 itself is still in the open position, as on FIG. 5.

(21) However, after the body-side fitting part 12 has been locked by the control part 18 engaging into the groove 28 on the roof frame 31, the luggage compartment flap 1 can be downwardly pivoted into the closed position, as shown on FIG. 7. In the closed position, the base plate 6 of the flap-side fitting part 5 abuts firmly against a rubber buffer 37 of the control part 18, and the control part 18 is immovably fixed between the post 15 on the one hand and the base plate 6 on the other. This prevents the hinged lock from detaching with the luggage compartment flap closed 1. In addition, the control part 18 is exposed to an impact each time the luggage compartment flap 1 is closed, which impinges it into the locked position. As a result, the luggage compartment flap 1 cannot cause the lock to inadvertently be released even with repeatedly opening and closing. By contrast, lifting the gripping section 23 makes it possible to smoothly release the lock with the flap open 1 without a tool, and since the flap 1 lies stably on the roof frame 31 even after unlocked, a single user can dismantle the flap 1 without expending any effort, even when only holding it up at its free end.

(22) FIGS. 8 and 9 show a perspective view or section of a variant of the hinge 4, in which a spring-loaded ball 38 is recessed on the sole of the cylindrical wall 20 between the end of the slot 21 and the rear wall 22. Complementarily thereto, a recess 39 is formed in the base plate 13, into which the ball 38 latches in the locked position. In order to pivot the control part 18 out of the locked position into the released position shown on FIG. 8, the spring resistance holding the ball 38 pressed into the recess 39 must thus be overcome.

(23) While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.