A balance strut with variable damping for a car tailgate

Abstract

The present invention discloses a balance strut with variable damping for a vehicle tailgate, which comprises a spiral spring and a damping mechanism. The damping mechanism is a variable damping mechanism, and the variable damping mechanism includes a guide rod, an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, and a pair of pressing blocks that are relatively movably arranged. The inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and is connected to one end of the guide rod. The pair of pressing blocks are radially movably arranged in the inner sleeve. An elastic element in compression and an electromagnetic induction coil for generating a magnetic force to attract the pressing blocks are provided between the pair of pressing blocks. In the non-powered working condition, there is damping inside the balance strut, and there is also frictional damping inside the electric strut. The two kinds of damping jointly support the tailgate to make it hover. In the powered working condition, the damping inside the balance strut is greatly reduced. When the electric strut works, it only needs to overcome its own frictional damping. The resistance overcome by the electric strut is reduced, that is, the motor power required during operation is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automotive electric tailgates, and more particularly to a variable-damping balance strut for an automotive tailgate. Background Art

[0002] With the development of automotive electrification technology, electric control systems have been widely applied in automobiles. Among them, electric tailgate systems have been installed on more and more vehicle models, improving the user's comfort while enhancing the overall grade of the vehicle.

[0003] Common forms of electric tailgate systems include double electric strut systems and single electric strut systems. The double electric strut system means that both struts are electrically controlled drive struts, and the supporting force values of the two electric struts are balanced, and will not cause a twisting force on the tailgate centered on the hinge. The single electric strut system consists of one electric strut and one balance strut; generally, the balance strut is composed of a spiral spring and a gas spring; in the non-powered state, the internal damping of the electric strut realizes the tailgate hovering, and there is no damping in the balance strut, which leads to unbalanced force values of the two struts and is likely to cause plastic deformation of the sheet metal at the strut bracket and the tailgate hinge positions.

[0004] The existing double electric strut system: the resistances of the two struts are the same, but the price is relatively high. Considering cost reduction, more and more vehicle models adopt the single electric strut system. The mechanical part of the existing single electric strut system mainly consists of one electric strut and one balance rod, and most of the balance rods use gas springs without damping as the support rods.

[0005] The existing single electric strut system mainly has two types of balance rods: one type of balance rod is mainly composed of a spiral spring and a gas spring, and the main disadvantage is that there is no damping device inside, and it cannot provide the resistance when the tailgate hovers in the non-powered working condition; the other type of balance rod is mainly composed of a spiral spring and a damping mechanism, and the main disadvantage is that the electric strut needs to overcome greater resistance in the electric working condition. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Aiming at the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a variable-damping balance strut for an automotive tailgate, which adjusts to an appropriate resistance in the non-powered working condition to ensure tailgate hovering, and reduces the damping of the balance strut in the powered working condition.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0008] The balance strut with variable damping for the automobile tailgate comprises a helical spring and a damping mechanism. The damping mechanism is a variable damping mechanism, which includes a guide rod, an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, and a pair of pressing blocks that are relatively movably arranged. The inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and is connected to one end of the guide rod. The pair of pressing blocks are radially movably arranged in the inner sleeve. An elastic element in compression and an electromagnetic induction coil for generating a magnetic force to attract the pressing blocks are arranged between the pair of pressing blocks.

[0009] Furthermore:

[0010] The inner sleeve is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends, and the axis of the inner sleeve is coaxial with the axis of the outer sleeve.

[0011] One end of the guide rod is located inside the outer sleeve. A connecting plate is provided at one end of the guide rod, and the connecting plate is rigidly connected to the outer wall of the inner sleeve.

[0012] The pair of pressing blocks include a side pressing block and the other side pressing block that are movably matched, and a guiding structure that cooperates with each other is provided on the inner sides of the two pressing blocks.

[0013] A friction layer is provided on the outer end surface of the pressing block corresponding to the inner wall of the outer sleeve.

[0014] One side of the inner sleeve is connected to the connecting plate, and a wire harness hole for the wire harness to pass through is provided on the opposite side of the inner sleeve. A wire harness connected to the electromagnetic induction coil is provided in the wire harness hole.

[0015] The guiding structure includes a guide cylinder provided on one side pressing block and a guide post provided on the other side pressing block. The guide post is located inside the guide cylinder. The elastic element is a helical spring, and the helical spring is compressed and sleeved on the guiding structure.

[0016] The electromagnetic induction coil is fixedly provided on the inner side of one pressing block.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0018] The balance strut with variable damping for the automobile tailgate has a reasonable structural design. In the non-powered working condition, there is damping inside the balance strut, and there is also frictional damping inside the electric strut. The two kinds of damping jointly support the tailgate to make it hover. In the powered working condition, the damping inside the balance strut is greatly reduced. When the electric strut works, it only needs to overcome its own frictional damping. The resistance overcome by the electric strut is reduced, that is, the motor power required during operation is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The following briefly describes the content expressed by each drawing in this specification and the marks in the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the balance strut of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the variable damping mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is an exploded schematic view of the variable damping mechanism of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic principle of the variable damping mechanism of the present invention.

[0024] In the figure:

[0025] 1. Guide rod, 2. Outer sleeve, 3. Inner sleeve, 4. One side pressing block, 5. The other side pressing block, 6. Helical spring, 7. Electromagnetic induction coil. Specific embodiments

[0026] The following will, with reference to the accompanying drawings and through the description of embodiments, further elaborate in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the balance strut with variable damping for the automobile tailgate includes a helical spring a and a damping mechanism b; the damping mechanism is a variable damping mechanism, and the variable damping mechanism includes a guide rod 1, an outer sleeve 2, an inner sleeve 3, and a pair of pressing blocks arranged to move relative to each other. The inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and is connected to one end of the guide rod. A pair of pressing blocks are arranged in the inner sleeve so as to be radially movable, and a compressed elastic element and an electromagnetic induction coil 7 for generating a magnetic force to attract the pressing blocks are provided between the pair of pressing blocks.

[0028] The inner sleeve 3 is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends, and the axis of the inner sleeve is coaxial with the axis of the outer sleeve; one end of the guide rod is located inside the outer sleeve, and a connecting plate is provided at one end of the guide rod 1, and the connecting plate is rigidly connected to the outer wall of the inner sleeve.

[0029] One side of the inner sleeve is connected to the connecting plate, and a wire harness hole for the wire harness to pass through is provided on the opposite side of the inner sleeve. A wire harness connected to the electromagnetic induction coil is provided in the wire harness hole; the structure is compact and convenient for layout and installation.

[0030] A friction layer is provided on the outer end surface of the pressing block corresponding to the inner wall of the outer sleeve 2. When the electromagnetic induction coil is not energized, the elastic element acts on the pressing block, and the friction layer on the outer surface of the pressing block contacts with the inner wall of the outer sleeve to form a frictional resistance, which is convenient for suspending the supported tailgate.

[0031] A pair of pressing blocks includes a one-side pressing block 4 and a the-other-side pressing block 5 that are movably matched, and a guiding structure that cooperates with each other is provided inside the two pressing blocks; the guiding structure includes a guide cylinder provided on the one-side pressing block and a guide post provided on the the-other-side pressing block. The guide post is located inside the guide cylinder, and the elastic element is a helical spring 6. The helical spring is compressed and sleeved on the guiding structure; the structure is compact, occupies a small space, and is convenient for layout and installation.

[0032] The electromagnetic induction coil is fixedly arranged on the inner side of a pressing block, and the guiding structure is located in the electromagnetic induction coil, with a compact structure.

[0033] The balance strut structure of the present invention is reasonably designed. In the non-powered state, there is damping inside the balance strut, and there is also frictional damping inside the electric strut. The two dampings jointly support the tailgate to make it hover. In the powered state, the damping inside the balance strut is greatly reduced. When the electric strut works, it only needs to overcome its own frictional damping. The resistance overcome by the electric strut is reduced, that is, the motor power required during operation is reduced.

[0034] Specific assembly and working principle description: After the parts inside the inner sleeve are installed, it is pressed into the outer sleeve, and the assembly is simple; one pressing block and the other pressing block are connected by a spring and pressed into the inner sleeve. The electromagnetic induction coil is screwed and installed on the other pressing block.

[0035] The materials of one pressing block and the other pressing block are steel, and the parts of one pressing block and the other pressing block that cooperate with the outer sleeve are friction materials. After the spring is compressed and installed, it presses tightly against one pressing block and the other pressing block, generating frictional resistance at the contact surface with the outer sleeve.

[0036] When its electromagnetic induction coil is energized, as shown in the appendix Figure 4 shown, according to the right-hand screw rule, the electromagnetic induction coil is equivalent to a bar magnet, and the magnetic force sucks one pressing block in, so that there is no contact between it and the inner surface of the outer sleeve, thus no frictional resistance is generated, and the motor power required during operation is reduced.

[0037] The balance strut has a set of electronically controlled damping mechanisms inside it. When it is not powered, the mechanism generates appropriate damping to ensure the hovering function of the tailgate, ensure the balance of the tailgate support force, and reduce the torsional force received by the tailgate; when it is powered, the damping is greatly reduced, and the load driven by the electric strut is reduced, which helps to reduce the motor power and improve the service life of the transmission mechanism.

[0038] The present invention can design different spring-adjusted balance rod resistances according to the tailgates of different vehicle models, and can achieve the hovering of the tailgate in the non-powered state. In the powered state, the electromagnetic induction coil can adjust the electromagnetic force generated by controlling the current and the number of turns of the coil. When the electromagnetic force overcomes the spring force, almost no frictional resistance is generated between the contact surface of one pressing block and the outer sleeve.

[0039] The above is only a description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The above technical features can be arbitrarily combined to form multiple embodiment schemes of the present invention.

[0040] The present invention has been described exemplarily above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited by the above methods. As long as various non-substantive improvements are made by adopting the concept and technical solutions of the present invention, or the concept and technical solutions of the present invention are directly applied to other occasions without improvement, they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A balance strut with variable damping for a car tailgate, comprising a helical spring and a damping mechanism, characterized in that: The damping mechanism is a variable damping mechanism, and the variable damping mechanism includes a guide rod, an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, and a pair of pressing blocks that are relatively movably arranged. The inner sleeve is located inside the outer sleeve and is connected to one end of the guide rod. The pair of pressing blocks are radially movably arranged in the inner sleeve, and a compressed elastic element and an electromagnetic induction coil for generating a magnetic force to attract the pressing blocks are provided between the pair of pressing blocks.

2. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 1, wherein: The inner sleeve is a sleeve structure with openings at both ends, and the axis of the inner sleeve is coaxial with the axis of the outer sleeve.

3. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 1, wherein: One end of the guide rod is located inside the outer sleeve, and a connecting plate is provided at one end of the guide rod. The connecting plate is rigidly connected to the outer wall of the inner sleeve.

4. The variable-damping balance stay bar for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 1, wherein: The pair of pressing blocks include a side pressing block and an opposite side pressing block that are movably matched, and a matching guiding structure is provided on the inner sides of the two pressing blocks.

5. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that: A friction layer is provided on the outer end surface of the pressing block corresponding to the inner wall of the outer sleeve.

6. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 3, wherein: One side of the inner sleeve is connected to the connecting plate, and a wire harness hole for the wire harness to pass through is provided on the opposite side of the inner sleeve. A wire harness connected to the electromagnetic induction coil is provided in the wire harness hole.

7. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 4, wherein: The guiding structure includes a guide cylinder provided on the side pressing block and a guide post provided on the opposite side pressing block. The guide post is located inside the guide cylinder. The elastic element is a helical spring, and the helical spring is compressively sleeved on the guiding structure.

8. The variable-damping balance strut for a vehicle tailgate according to claim 7, wherein: The electromagnetic induction coil is fixedly provided on the inner side of one pressing block.

Images