Opening and closing device for motor vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to an opening and closing device (2), comprising a valve (24) rotatably fixed to a hinge arm and an actuator (72) for operating the valve (24), wherein the actuator (72) is coupled to a rotatable spindle (62), which is coupled to a valve operating element (12) such that when the spindle (62) rotates, the valve operating element performs a translational and rotational movement to lock and move the valve (24).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an opening and closing device comprising a flap rotatably fastened to an articulated arm and an actuator for actuating the flap. Background Art

[0002] Motor vehicles have a flap or cover on their bodywork, which, for example, covers the charging station of an electric vehicle or the fuel tank pipe of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. When the electric vehicle is to be charged and the charging station must be accessed, the flap is swung aside. In the closed position, the flap should shield or isolate the charging station from external and environmental influences as effectively as possible. For this purpose, a sealing device is typically provided, on which the flap rests in the closed position.

[0003] To ensure the vehicle is always available and operational, the charging station must be accessible at the desired time. This means, in particular, that the driver can open the flap without tools. Actuating the flap can be difficult due to external influences, such as extreme cold, ice, or snow. Ice, in particular, can make opening and closing the flap difficult. In heavy snow, bridging the seal when closing the flap can be difficult.

[0004] In order to mechanically assist the user when operating the valve, an actuator can be used. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a device with a flap which assists the user when opening and closing the flap. In addition, a corresponding method is provided.

[0006] In terms of the device, this object is achieved by a preferred solution having the characteristics of the invention. According to the invention, the actuator is connected to a rotatable spindle, which is coupled to a shutter operating element so that when the spindle rotates, the shutter operating element performs a translational and rotational movement to lock and move the shutter.

[0007] This object is also achieved by a method having the features of the invention.

[0008] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of further alternatives.

[0009] The present invention is based on the idea of ​​providing a device that assists the user when operating a valve by applying an opening and closing force. Specifically, a device is provided that provides increased opening and closing forces. This assist function should be provided over a predetermined distance starting from the closed position.

[0010] As is now recognized, these requirements can be met by rotating the drive spindle, thereby enabling the axial application of force to the flap by interaction with the flap operating element.

[0011] Advantageously, the actuator is designed as an electric motor with a worm gear that cooperates with a worm wheel arranged on the spindle, with the worm gear being arranged perpendicular to the axial direction of the spindle. This arrangement eliminates the need for force deflection to achieve locking, as is required with translational movement. The worm gearing achieves the desired self-locking effect.

[0012] The shutter operating element preferably has a key part, which has an internal thread that cooperates with the external thread of the spindle, wherein a locking sleeve is provided, which partially surrounds the key part and has a guide groove, and the key part has a cam that is movable in the guide groove.

[0013] Therefore, the key is driven solely axially by the spindle. The additional rotation of the key is forced by the guide slot or guide groove. This allows axial excitation of the key by means of the guide slot or guide groove control to be converted into a rotary motion at the desired moment for locking in the lock on the flap. This also allows for a direct rotary pulse for emergency unlocking.

[0014] The guide groove preferably has a first region extending in the axial direction of the locking sleeve and an adjacent region having a component perpendicular to the axial direction. The guide groove is advantageously configured in an S-shape, having a section extending axially first from one end of the locking sleeve, a further axial section, and an intermediate section connecting the two sections, in which the guide groove also has a component extending perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0015] The key has at least one locking element at one end that can be locked with a lock on the flap. The lock can be mounted or fixed to the inside of the flap or can be integrally formed with the flap. The locking geometry has the reverse side of the locking hook and thereby causes the removed key, i.e., the head end of the key with the locking element, to sink in or out.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flap has separate electric drives for the full opening and closing movements. The device according to the invention executes the closing / opening path, in particular the last / first distance, in particular the last / first 10 mm, with increased force and locks the flap in the closed position.

[0017] Preferably, two locking elements are provided, each of which is configured as a locking hook, so that a symmetrical and stable locking can be achieved.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, emergency unlocking device is set. In this way, even if actuator breaks down or fails, also can open valve, especially manually open.

[0019] The emergency unlocking device preferably has teeth that mate with the teeth of the locking sleeve. The emergency unlocking device is advantageously designed as a rod. During normal operation of the device, i.e., when the actuator is functional, the emergency unlocking device prevents the locking sleeve from rotating, so that the guide groove of the locking sleeve predetermines the translational or rotational movement of the key. For emergency unlocking, the emergency unlocking device is moved so that the locking sleeve rotates. This also rotates the key and unlocks the flap. This design enables the use of a self-locking drive, as the actuator does not need to be actuated for emergency unlocking.

[0020] Preferably, at least one button and / or sensor is provided on the end of the spindle facing away from the valve. The button is particularly useful for implementing a push-to-open function. When the operator presses the valve toward the vehicle and actuates the button, the key rotates to unlock the valve.

[0021] The device advantageously comprises a housing, wherein the main shaft is supported in the axial direction on the housing by a compression spring. The spring can be used to adjust the thrust required for the opening. Overall, the thrust is generated by overcoming the main drive (in the case of an electrically movable flap), the sealing device, and the spring.

[0022] A cover is preferably provided for covering the housing. This cover is preferably placed on the side of the housing facing away from the key element and, therefore, also on the side facing away from the flap when installed, simplifying access to the device components. Arranging the components in the housing allows for their integration, thus simplifying operation. Furthermore, these components are protected from external influences such as moisture, snow, or dust.

[0023] Advantageously, the key and the spindle are arranged in the housing so as to be axially movable together, thereby enabling a push-to-open function. This decouples the pushing motion from the worm gear. The thrust is then generated solely by overcoming the main driving force of the flap and, in particular, the rubber seals and spring preload present in the device.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the flap is designed as a charging flap for a charging station of a motor vehicle. It is rotatably mounted on the vehicle, preferably on the vehicle body. The present invention also relates to a motor vehicle having the above-described device, wherein the flap is rotatably mounted on the vehicle, preferably on the vehicle body.

[0025] The advantages of the present invention lie in the fact that an electric motor, including contactors and control electronics, can be omitted. The device is less prone to failure because no movably mounted components are located in the externally accessible area of ​​the actuator unit. A robust design against misuse forces is achieved. A simple and robust two-stage transmission is provided by means of a drive worm on the brake motor shaft and a main shaft with gears. The spring force of the compression spring must be overcome during the push-to-open function, thereby simplifying operation.

[0026] The device is suitable for all lids or flaps where an additional force is important when opening and closing. It assists the opening / closing action and the locking action of all types of flaps / doors.

[0027] The device performs a dual function. On the one hand, it assists in opening and closing the flap, in particular as an icebreaker in icy conditions. On the other hand, it serves to lock the flap and can be used, in particular, as part of a central locking mechanism for a motor vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with the aid of the drawings. All described and / or illustrated features, either alone or in any meaningful combination, constitute the subject matter of the invention, regardless of their summary in the claims or their reference back to them. The drawings are partially schematic:

[0029] Figure 1 An opening and closing device with a flap, a housing and an actuator is shown in a preferred embodiment,

[0030] Figure 2 The exploded diagram shows Figure 1 components of the device,

[0031] Figure 3 Shown in side view according to Figure 1 components of the device, and

[0032] Figure 4 Show Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In all figures, identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0034] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2, an opening and closing device 2 is shown, which has a housing 6 that can be closed with a housing cover 10. A locking sleeve 14 is rotatably guided in the housing 6 of the device 2. The locking sleeve 14 has a sliding guide or guide groove 18, which extends parallel to the axial direction 22 of the locking sleeve 14 in a first section or region 26, then extends in an S-shape in a second section or region, and again extends parallel to the axial direction 22 in a third section or region 34.

[0035] A key 16 with a projection 42 is arranged regionally in the locking sleeve 14. The key 16 serves as the shutter actuating element 12. The guide groove 18 is designed to match the locking geometry. This is due to the rotation angle required to reliably lock the key 16 in the lock and the axial movement required to increase the force required to open / close the shutter.

[0036] The third section 34 of the guide groove 18 serves for inserting the key 16 into the locking sleeve 14. The two sections 26 and 30 of the guide groove are of great importance for the function of the device 2, since they allow the flap 24 to be axially actuated and locked.

[0037] Accordingly, the device 2 has a flap 24 connected to a lock 38. The lock 38 can be fastened to the flap 24. The flap 24 and the lock 38 can also be formed integrally with one another.

[0038] The key 16 has a projection 42 that engages in the guide groove 18. The guide groove causes the locking sleeve 14 to rotate about its longitudinal axis. The key 16 also has a head 46, which preferably has two locking hooks 50 (only one locking hook 50 is shown in the figure), which, in the forward displacement state of the locking sleeve 14, engage or engage in the lock 38 according to the key lock principle.

[0039] As the flap 24 closes, the locking hook 50 rotates into the undercut of the lock 38 due to the guide rail and / or the guide groove 18. In this way, the required pulling force can be transmitted during the closing process of the flap 24. The locking sleeve 14 also has an end 104 with a flange 108. The flange 108 of the locking sleeve 14 is initially circumferential, but is then trimmed around teeth that engage in the emergency release 94 and then trimmed again to allow or limit rotation when the emergency release is actuated.

[0040] The device 2 includes a main shaft 62, which is connected to a worm gear 66 in a rotationally fixed manner. The main shaft 62 and the worm gear 66 can also be formed integrally. The main shaft 62 is driven by an actuator 72 having a threaded worm 70. Thus, the actuator 72 and the threaded worm 70 form a worm gear. Together with the gear 66, the threaded worm 70 and the main shaft 62 form a two-stage transmission with a robust and simple design. The main shaft 62 and the threaded worm 70, or the drive worm, provide the required self-locking in this system, making a separate locking device, for example, by means of an additional motor / actuator, unnecessary.

[0041] The spindle 62 has an external thread 40 and the key 12 has a corresponding internal thread 44. The external thread 40 of the spindle 62 preferably has a pitch in the range of 2 mm to 8 mm, in particular 5 mm.

[0042] As mentioned above, the device 2 has an emergency unlocking device 94 which is essentially rod-shaped and has teeth 102 which cooperate with teeth 98 on the worm wheel 66. In this way, during normal operation of the device 2, i.e. when the actuator 72 is functional, the emergency unlocking device 94 prevents the locking sleeve 14 from rotating.

[0043] The axial components of the device 2, namely the key 16, the locking sleeve 14, and the spindle 62, are held in a stationary position by a compression spring 78. The worm gear 66 and the locking sleeve 14 are held in place and / or fixed in the housing by the housing cover 10. The spindle 62 is pressed against the locking sleeve 14 by the spring 78 and is thereby held stationary. The key 16 is connected to the spindle 62 by a threaded fit and is thus also held stationary.

[0044] The compression spring 78 is arranged axially between the button 100 and the spindle 62. The compression spring 78, together with the actuator resistance (not shown) for the overall movement of the flap 24 and the flap seal, essentially determines the thrust force.

[0045] exist Figure 2 The device 2 is shown in the figure (the flap 24 is not shown for clarity), with the flap 24 in the closed position. To assist in opening the flap 24, the actuator 72 rotates the worm screw 70, thereby rotating the worm wheel 66. As long as the cam 42 runs in the first section 26 of the guide groove 18, the spindle 62 also rotates, and the key 16 undergoes an axial stroke and moves in the opening direction 52. In this way, the flap 24 can be lifted. The locking hook 50 is locked in the lock 38.

[0046] As spindle 62 continues to rotate, projection 42 enters a second section that extends not only in axial direction 22 but also has a component perpendicular to that direction. As a result, key element 16 performs both axial movement or translation and rotation. This unlocks locking hook 50 in lock 38 and allows flap 24 to be opened. To close flap 24, these components are moved in the corresponding opposite or rotational direction.

[0047] To implement the push-to-open function, the key 16 is supported in the locking sleeve 14 together with the spindle 62 so as to be movable over a certain distance. If the user presses the flap 24 in the push direction 74, the key 16 and the spindle 62 are moved together in this direction against the pressure of the pressure spring 78 until the button 100 is actuated. When the button 100 is activated, the actuator 72 can be controlled so as to initiate the normal opening process, which includes the activation of the auxiliary opening.

[0048] The device 2 may also include two or more buttons 100 having different functions and being activated at different axial travels of the spindle 62 and the key 16 .

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, a sensor is used instead of a button. In this embodiment, a pin is preferably installed or employed in the key 16, extending through the spindle 62 to the sensor. In this manner, the sensor detects the axial position of the key 16, which indicates the position of the valve 24 within its travel range. This allows for other functions besides the push-to-open function.

[0050] According to this example, the requirement that the valve 24, when closing, extends beyond the closed position by a predetermined distance (e.g., 2 mm) to pre-compress the seal before returning to the final closed position can be met. A button with multiple switching points can also be used instead of the sensor and pin. Furthermore, this function can be omitted and a simple button can be used to detect the push.

[0051] During normal operation, the emergency unlocking device 94 secures the locking sleeve 14, which determines the movement of the key element 16 via its guide groove 58, against rotation. For emergency unlocking, the emergency unlocking device 94 is moved in the emergency unlocking direction 110, so that the key element 16 rotates due to the interaction of the teeth 98, 102 and unlocks the lock 38. In this way, the emergency unlocking function of the self-locking actuator 72 is achieved by the rotatability of the locking sleeve 14.

[0052] The device 2 preferably comprises a bellows (not shown in the figures) as protection against external influences and is therefore a completely encapsulated system.

[0053] exist Figure 3 and Figure 4 The side view and cross-section view are shown according to Figure 1 components of the device.

[0054] Reference Signs List

[0055] 2 Turn the device on and off

[0056] 6 Shell

[0057] 10 Housing cover

[0058] 12 Valve operating element

[0059] 14 Locking sleeve

[0060] 16 key pieces

[0061] 18 guide groove

[0062] 22 Axial

[0063] 24 valves

[0064] 26 First Segment

[0065] 30 Second Segment

[0066] 34 Section 3

[0067] 38 Lock

[0068] 40 external thread

[0069] 42 Bump

[0070] 44 internal thread

[0071] 46 Head

[0072] 50 Locking hook

[0073] 52 Open direction

[0074] 62 spindle

[0075] 66 worm gear

[0076] 70 thread worm

[0077] 72 actuators

[0078] 74 Driving Direction

[0079] 78 pressure spring

[0080] 94 Emergency unlocking device

[0081] 98 teeth

[0082] 100 buttons

[0083] 102 teeth

[0084] 104 end

[0085] 108 flange

[0086] 110 Emergency unlock direction.

Claims

1. An opening and closing device (2), comprising a shutter (24) rotatably fixed to a hinge arm and an actuator (72) for operating the shutter (24), It is characterized by: The actuator (72) is coupled to a rotatable spindle (62) which is coupled to a shutter operating element (12) such that upon rotation of the spindle (62), the shutter operating element (12) performs translational and rotational motions to lock and move the shutter (24). The actuator (72) is configured as an electric motor having a threaded worm (70) that meshes with a worm wheel (66) arranged on the main shaft (62), and the threaded worm (70) is arranged perpendicular to the axial direction of the main shaft (62). The shutter operating element (12) has a key (16) having an internal thread (44) that cooperates with an external thread (40) of the spindle (62), and a locking sleeve (14) is provided, which regionally surrounds the key (16), and the locking sleeve (14) has a guide groove (18), and the key (16) has a projection (42) that can move in the guide groove, and The internal thread (44) is arranged on the circumferential inner surface of the key member (16) facing away from the valve (24), the protrusion (42) is arranged on the circumferential outer surface of the key member (16) facing away from the valve (24), and a part of the locking sleeve (14) with the guide groove (18) surrounds a part of the main shaft (62) with the external thread (40).

2. The device (2) according to claim 1, wherein The guide groove (18) has a first section or region (26) extending in the axial direction (22) of the locking sleeve (14) and a second section or region (30) adjoining the first section or region, the second section or region having a component perpendicular to the axial direction (22).

3. The device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The key piece (16) has at least one locking element at one end, which can be locked with a lock (38) on the flap (24).

4. The device (2) according to claim 3, wherein Two locking elements are provided, each of which is designed as a locking hook (50).

5. The device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein An emergency unlocking device (94) is provided.

6. The device (2) according to claim 5, wherein The emergency unlocking device (94) has teeth (102) that cooperate with the teeth (98) of the locking sleeve (14).

7. The device (2) according to any one of claims 1-2, 4 and 6, wherein At least one button (100) and / or sensor is arranged on the end of the spindle (62) facing away from the flap.

8. The device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, 4 and 6, comprising a housing (6), wherein: The spindle (62) is supported on the housing (6) in the axial direction via a compression spring (78).

9. The device (2) according to any one of claims 1-2, 4 and 6, wherein The key element (16) and the spindle (62) are arranged in the housing (6) so as to be axially movable together.

10. The device (2) according to any one of claims 1-2, 4 and 6, wherein The flap (24) is designed as a charging flap for a charging station.

11. A method for assisting the opening and / or closing of a rotatably mounted flap (24) by means of an opening and closing device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The spindle (62) rotates so that when the spindle (62) rotates, the flap operating element (12) performs a translational and rotational movement to axially operate the flap (24) and lock the flap (24).

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