KR-102962236-B1 - AUTOMOTIVE DOOR HINGE WITH DOOR CLOSE ASSIST

KR102962236B1KR 102962236 B1KR102962236 B1KR 102962236B1KR-102962236-B1

Abstract

An automobile door hinge includes a first bracket and a second bracket that can be optionally mounted on either the door or the car body. A cam element mounted immovably on the second bracket includes a cam surface configured to engage with a cam follower that is immovably accommodated within a first housing of the first bracket. An energy storage means stores and releases energy when the cam follower moves longitudinally in a first direction within the first housing and then moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction. When the first bracket rotates relative to the second bracket within a predetermined angle range, longitudinal movement of the cam follower occurs, and when the door is closed, the cam follower engages with the cam surface and moves longitudinally in the second direction, thereby releasing the energy stored in the energy storage means to assist in closing the door.

Inventors

레히티, 마이클 고든

Assignees

멀티매틱 인코퍼레이티드

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20211220

Claims (20)

It is a hinge that rotatably connects a vehicle door and a vehicle body, and the hinge is: A first bracket that can be mounted on either the door or the car body and has a first housing; A second bracket that can be mounted on the other of the above door and the vehicle body; A cam element non-rotatably mounted on a second bracket having a cam surface configured to engage with a cam follower—the cam element having at least one shaft configured to rotatably connect a first bracket to a second bracket—; A cam follower configured to be non-rotatably received within a first housing and to move longitudinally within the first housing when engaged with a cam surface; and An energy storage means configured to store energy when the cam follower moves longitudinally in a first direction and to release energy when the cam follower moves longitudinally in a second direction opposite to the first direction; Includes, where: Relative rotation of the first bracket with respect to the second bracket within a predetermined angle range between the first bracket and the second bracket causes longitudinal movement of the cam follower; When the door is opened, if the first bracket is rotated in the first direction beyond a predetermined angle range relative to the second bracket and past a predetermined position, the first horizontal plane of the cam follower and the second horizontal plane of two or more horizontal planes of the cam element come into contact, thereby stopping the longitudinal movement of the cam follower in the first direction; and A hinge characterized by the fact that when the door is closed, if the first bracket is rotated past a predetermined position for the second bracket in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the cam follower engages with the cam surface and moves longitudinally in the second direction, thereby releasing energy stored by an energy storage means to help close the door.
In paragraph 1, The above cam surface includes at least one cam element inclined surface; and A hinge characterized by the above cam follower including at least one cam follower inclined surface configured to engage with at least one cam element inclined surface.
In paragraph 2, The above hinge is in a closed hinge state when the cam follower can no longer move rotationally relative to the cam element and energy can no longer be released by the energy storage means; The above hinge is in a first partially open hinge state when at least one cam follower inclined surface is engaged with a cam element inclined surface and additional energy can be stored or released by an energy storage means as the door rotates; The above hinge is in a second partially open hinge state when the first horizontal plane of the cam follower contacts the second horizontal plane of the cam element, allowing relative rotation between them without additional storage or release of energy by an energy storage means; and The hinge is characterized by being in a fully open hinge state when the cam follower can no longer move rotationally relative to the cam element and can no longer store energy by the energy storage means.
In paragraph 1, At least one shaft further comprises a first shaft accommodated within a first housing, wherein: The first shaft is cylindrical; The energy storage means is configured to surround the first shaft; and A hinge characterized by a cam follower being configured to slide longitudinally with a first shaft and to surround the first shaft so as to rotate relative to the first shaft.
In paragraph 4, A hinge characterized by further including a retaining means engaging with a first shaft to restrict the longitudinal translation of a cam element in a first housing.
In paragraph 5, A hinge characterized by the above-mentioned holding means additionally allowing an energy storage means to store an initial amount of energy to apply at least a predetermined amount of preload to a cam follower.
In paragraph 5, A hinge characterized in that the above-mentioned retaining means comprises a pin that is rotatably connected to a first shaft and rotates in a bushing when mounted in a first housing.
In paragraph 1, At least one shaft of the cam element further includes a second shaft protruding in the opposite direction to the first shaft; The second shaft is non-rotatably seated within the second housing of the second bracket; and A hinge characterized by the fixing means attached to the second shaft fixing a cam element to the second housing.
In paragraph 8, The second shaft above includes a screw portion; and The above-mentioned fixing means includes a threaded fastener configured to engage with a corresponding threaded portion of the second shaft, and thereby A hinge characterized in that the first bracket is separable from the second bracket by removing the fastener to release the second shaft within the second housing.
In paragraph 1, The above cam element includes a first anti-rotation function part; and A hinge characterized by the fact that the second bracket includes a second rotation prevention function configured to engage with a first rotation prevention function to prevent rotation between the cam element and the second bracket.
In Paragraph 10, The first anti-rotation function part includes a male polygonal tapered coupling surface of a conical joint; and A hinge characterized by the above-mentioned second anti-rotation function comprising a female polygonal tapered coupling surface of a conical joint.
In paragraph 1, At least one longitudinal groove recessed in one of the inner cylindrical surface of the first housing and the circumferential surface of the cam follower; and A hinge further comprising: at least one spline extending longitudinally from the other of the inner cylindrical surface of the first housing and the circumferential surface of the cam follower; wherein the at least one spline is configured to translate longitudinally by engaging with at least one groove to facilitate longitudinal translation of the cam follower within the first housing while preventing rotation of the cam follower within the first housing.
A hinge assembly characterized in that, in a hinge assembly, the hinge according to claim 1 operates together with a door checker configured to maintain the door in a plurality of rotational positions relative to the vehicle body.
In Paragraph 13, A hinge assembly characterized by including a component of a second hinge connecting the door and the vehicle body.
In paragraph 1, A hinge characterized by the energy storage means including a spring.
In paragraph 15, A hinge characterized by the above spring including a coil spring.
In paragraph 1, A hinge characterized by friction between the first horizontal plane of the cam follower and the second horizontal plane of the cam element providing a door check function.
In paragraph 1, A hinge characterized by further including a releaseable fixing means configured to maintain the first bracket and the second bracket in the assembly.
In paragraph 1, The cam surface includes at least one cam element inclined surface; The cam follower includes at least one cam follower inclined surface configured to engage with at least one cam element inclined surface; A hinge characterized by the energy storage means including a coil spring.
In Paragraph 19, The cam element further includes a first cylindrical shaft accommodated within a first housing, and Here: The above coil spring is configured to surround a first shaft; and A hinge characterized by a cam follower configured to surround a first shaft, slidingly coupled to the first shaft in the longitudinal direction, and rotating relative to the first shaft.

Description

Autonomous door hinge with door closing assist function The present invention relates to hinges, and in particular to an automobile door hinge that facilitates the closing of a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body and the separation of the vehicle door from the vehicle body. Generally, an automobile door hinge includes a vehicle door component and a body component that is rigidly mounted to the vehicle door and the vehicle body, respectively. In many cases, the door component is rotatably connected to the body component using a pivot pin rigidly mounted to either the door component or the body component, and the other of the door component and the body component can rotate freely around the pivot pin. FIGS. 1A and FIGS. 1B are drawings illustrating a vehicle door rotatably connected to a vehicle body using a hinge. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating the components of a hinge according to some embodiments. FIGS. 3a to 3d, FIGS. 4a, and FIGS. 4b are drawings illustrating the assembly of components of a hinge according to some embodiments. FIGS. 5a to 5c are drawings illustrating the function of a hinge according to some embodiments. FIGS. 6a to 6d are drawings illustrating the process of separating a vehicle door and rotatably reconnecting it to the vehicle body according to some embodiments. The embodiments, examples, and alternatives of the preceding paragraph, claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of the various modes or individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. The features described in relation to one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible. details One aspect of the present invention includes a hinge configured to rotatably connect a vehicle door and a vehicle body. The hinge includes a first bracket and a second bracket, which can be mounted to the door or the vehicle body, respectively, using a fixed fastener, welding, bonding, riveting, or other means. In some embodiments, the first bracket may be mounted to the door and the second bracket may be mounted to the vehicle body. In other embodiments, the first bracket may be mounted to the vehicle body and the second bracket may be mounted to the door. A cam follower is rotatably received within a first housing of the first bracket and is configured to translate longitudinally within the first housing. In some embodiments, the cam follower may include a reciprocating plunger. A cam element is rotatably mounted to the second bracket and includes a cam surface configured to engage with the cam follower. An energy storage means is configured to store energy when the cam follower translates longitudinally in a first direction and to release energy when the cam follower translates longitudinally in a second direction opposite to the first direction. In some embodiments, the energy storage means may include an elastic element such as a spring. The spring may be a spring of a constant ratio or a spring of a variable ratio. In a preferred embodiment, the energy storage means is a coil spring. Other possible energy storage means include compressible, elastic rubber or plastic components, compressed gas (e.g., gas cylinders), and thermal energy storage, but other energy storage means may also be used. Rotation of the first bracket relative to the second bracket within a predetermined angle range causes longitudinal movement of the cam follower. As the door opens, the rotation of the first bracket causes the cam follower to rotate and engage with the cam surface. As the cam follower engages with the cam surface, the cam follower translates longitudinally in a first direction within the first housing, causing the energy storage means to store energy. In a preferred embodiment, the first bracket rotates by a predetermined amount (e.g., 4 degrees, 5 degrees, 7 degrees, or another amount) relative to the second bracket before the cam follower engages with the cam surface. Through this rotation gap, the door can be partially opened without a reaction of cam force between the cam follower and the cam surface of the cam element. This rotation gap may be useful during door removal when the first bracket and the second bracket are separated. The rotation gap may also cause overslam. While the door is open, when the first bracket rotates past a predetermined position (e.g., 20 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, or other amount) relative to the second bracket, the first horizontal plane of the cam follower and the second horizontal plane of the cam element come into contact, thereby stopping the longitudinal movement of the cam follower. In a preferred embodiment, friction between the first horizontal plane of the cam follower and the second horizontal plane of the cam element provides a door check function that helps maintain the door in an open state. On the other hand, when the door is closed, when the first bracket rotates past a predetermined position relative to the second