A vehicle access cover structure and a vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of vehicle flap structure and car, including base, hinge shaft, swan neck type hinge arm and outer cover;Swan neck type hinge arm is hinged in base by hinge shaft with spring;Bottom seat is equipped with the accommodation cavity that is matched with the rotation stroke of swan neck type hinge arm;Hinge shaft is connected in the accommodation cavity;Outer cover inner surface is fixedly connected with the free end of swan neck type hinge arm, outer cover is openable and closeable with base with hinge shaft as axis, outer cover can be matched and buckled in the opening of base;The application has waterproof dustproof, guiding and limiting function, swan neck type vehicle flap is opened to maximum design angle under the action of hinge shaft force spring, inertia and impact in the opening direction of outer cover are absorbed by buffer structure to prevent irreversible damage caused by endurance impact, and effectively avoid the damage risk that may be caused under over-opening misuse working condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and in particular to a vehicle cover structure and an automobile. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle cover, including charging port cover / fueling port cover, has become an indispensable structure on automobiles as various new energy vehicles develop rapidly. It serves as a decorative part that covers the charging port / fueling port, enables charging / fueling functions, ensures a continuous and beautiful external appearance, and has an opening and closing function.

[0003] The gooseneck plastic charging / fueling port cover assembly with LOCK PUSH-PUSH lock (press once to unlock the outer cover and lock, press again to lock, hereinafter referred to as LPP lock) has become the mainstream choice for all levels of vehicles due to its advantages such as good appearance matching, relatively low cost, and easy disassembly and assembly. It can be used for charging ports, fuel ports, or hydrogen refueling ports, and has a very wide range of applications.

[0004] These types of charging / fueling port covers have a wet zone inside, with drainage holes at the bottom. Water, mud, or dust particles can enter this wet zone under different vehicle usage conditions. If the LPP lock comes into prolonged or excessive contact with water, mud, or dust particles during use, there is a risk of the lock cylinder jamming or even the locking function failing. Furthermore, to ensure remote locking and easy opening, the locking mechanism of gooseneck charging / fueling port covers is usually positioned at the end furthest from the hinge axis, forming a cantilever. The hinge axis has a weak limiting effect on this mechanism, and it is easily affected by the weight of the outer cover or other external forces, causing misalignment between the outer cover and the latch when closed, resulting in difficulty closing. Additionally, the locking end of the outer cover is prone to vertical loosening when closed, affecting the overall vehicle quality and user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention proposes a vehicle cover structure. The limiting and locking mechanism combines waterproofing, dustproofing, guiding, and limiting functions. When the gooseneck vehicle cover automatically opens to its maximum design angle under the action of the hinge shaft assist spring, the inertia and impact of the outer cover opening direction are absorbed by the buffer structure to prevent irreversible damage caused by durable impacts. Furthermore, it effectively avoids the risk of damage that may occur under over-opening or misuse conditions.

[0006] This invention proposes a vehicle cover structure, including a base, a hinge shaft, a gooseneck hinge arm, and an outer cover. The gooseneck hinge arm is hinged to the base via a spring-loaded hinge axis. The base has a cavity that matches the rotational stroke of the gooseneck hinge arm; The hinge shaft is connected to the accommodating cavity; The inner surface of the outer cover is fixedly connected to the free end of the gooseneck hinge arm. The outer cover is connected to the base with the hinge axis as the axis and can be opened and closed. The outer cover can be matched and fastened to the opening of the base. The outer cover is hinged to the fixed base through the hinge axis to form a movable part that can be rotated and opened and closed. The inner surface of the outer cover has a protruding limiting locking sleeve with a lock hole. The inner wall of the base on the side away from the hinge axis has a boss, and a groove corresponding to the position of the limiting locking sleeve is provided on this boss. An outer cover lock is fixed through and fixed to the inner bottom wall of the groove. The body of the outer cover lock is fixed to the outer surface of the base corresponding to the position of the groove. The body of the outer cover lock is connected to a central locking actuator. The central locking actuator can perform electronic locking / unlocking of the outer cover lock via the vehicle's central locking signal, making the LPP lock tongue unable / able to be pressed and extended. The lock tongue of the outer cover lock is exposed and housed in the groove through a sealing sleeve. The limiting locking sleeve can be sleeved on the lock tongue of the outer cover lock, and the limiting locking sleeve can be locked and fixed to the lock tongue of the outer cover lock. The lower end face of the limiting locking sleeve locked to the lock tongue is suspended. Above the bottom wall of the lower groove, the outer cover lock is an LPP lock. The LPP lock tongue can be extended / retracted axially by pressing. When the outer cover is closed, the LPP lock tongue is inserted into the lock hole in the limiting locking sleeve. Pressing the outer cover downwards compresses the lock tongue axially, while the lock tongue rotates itself, screwing the locking pin at the end of the lock tongue into the lock hole to perform the locking function. When the outer cover is opened, pressing the outer cover again pushes the lock tongue out axially, while the lock tongue rotates itself, screwing the locking pin at the end out of the lock hole, and the outer cover can be opened. The outer wall of the limiting locking sleeve and the inner side walls at both ends of the lower groove of the base are in clearance fit, so that the outer wall of the limiting locking sleeve can be guided by the limiting side walls at both ends of the lower groove, correctly falling into the lower groove and engaging with the lock tongue of the outer cover lock.

[0007] The outer wall of the limiting locking sleeve has guide ribs protruding at the positions of the inner walls at both ends of the lower groove. Each guide rib can be adjacent to the inner wall of the corresponding lower groove. The outer wall of each guide rib has an inwardly inclined guide slope at the end near the opening of the limiting locking sleeve. The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope and the extension line of the outer wall of the guide rib is an acute angle. The position of the limiting locking sleeve is far from the hinge shaft, forming a cantilever. The hinge shaft has a weak limiting effect on it. It is easily affected by the weight of the outer cover or other external forces, which can cause the limiting locking sleeve and the bolt of the LPP lock to be misaligned when closed. This design incorporates the length and angle of the guide rib. During the closing process of the outer cover, the guide rib is already within the lower groove before the LPP latch enters the lock hole inside the limiting locking sleeve. This ensures the alignment of the latch and the lock hole during subsequent closing. Considering the influence of the outer cover's weight, the guide angle of the lower guide rib is increased to enhance its tolerance. Simultaneously, when the outer cover is closed, the guide rib is fully inserted into the lower groove. Its position near the root of the inner plate of the outer cover, along with the limiting rib, achieves a vertical limiting function for the outer cover through a very small gap, effectively preventing the outer cover from loosening.

[0008] The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope and the extended line of the outer side wall of the guide rib on the same side is 10°-15°.

[0009] The vertical distance between the lower end face of the limit locking sleeve opening that is fixed to the locking tongue and the inner bottom wall of the corresponding groove is 6mm-10mm. Sufficient gap needs to be left between the lower end face of the limit locking sleeve and the inner bottom wall of the groove to ensure that they do not collide or interfere with each other when the outer cover is opened and closed by pressing the locking tongue. However, if the gap is too large, the waterproof, dustproof and guiding functions will be weakened.

[0010] The upper ends of the inner sidewalls at both ends of the lower groove extend upwards with limiting ribs. The height of these limiting ribs is 5mm-10mm. If the height is too low, they cannot provide effective waterproofing and dustproofing, and will weaken the guiding function. When water or mud enters the charging cover from the gap between the outer plate of the charging cover and the base, the limiting ribs can prevent water or mud from flowing into the LPP lock tongue position. The water flows out laterally through the water-guiding angle of the inner inclined slope of the upper surface of the protrusion, and is discharged outside the vehicle through the drainage structure on the base. When the water volume is large, it may overflow the limiting ribs. At this time, the limiting locking sleeve has covered the lock tongue, protecting the lock tongue's moving mechanism from contact with water or mud. The water flows out laterally through the water-guiding angle of the inner inclined slope of the inner bottom wall of the groove, and is discharged outside the vehicle through the drainage hole on the base. This effectively reduces the risk of lock failure and jamming caused by water entering the lock body and dust accumulating on the lock tongue.

[0011] The upper end face of the boss and the inner bottom wall of the lower groove are both provided with inwardly inclined slopes in the same direction. The water flows out laterally through the water guiding angle of the inwardly inclined slopes provided on the upper end face of the boss and the inner bottom wall of the lower groove, and is discharged outside the vehicle through the drainage hole on the base.

[0012] The base has a charging port with a dust cover on its inner bottom wall, or a filling port with a sealing cover on its inner bottom wall; a drain hole is provided at the corner of the inner bottom wall near the boss on the outer edge of the charging port with a dust cover or the filling port with a sealing cover.

[0013] The outer cover includes an outer cover plate and an inner cover plate. The inner cover plate protrudes from the middle of the inner surface of the outer cover plate. The upper end of the limiting locking sleeve is fixed to the outer top wall of the inner cover plate. The outer top wall of the inner cover plate is also provided with a hook for attaching the dust cover of the charging seat when charging electric vehicles or the fuel tank sealing cover when refueling fuel vehicles, to prevent them from being lost or affecting the charging / refueling operation. The protruding inner cover plate and the fixedly connected outer cover plate form a hollow cavity. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with grid-like reinforcing ribs to enhance the overall bending strength of the outer cover.

[0014] A first limiting support rib protrudes from the outer arc surface of the gooseneck hinge arm, which is rotatably housed within the receiving cavity of the base, near the hinge axis. A second limiting support rib is located on the outer wall of the gooseneck hinge arm above the first limiting support rib. The inner wall of the base has limiting buffer rubber corresponding to the positions of the first and second limiting support ribs. The first limiting support rib can contact the corresponding limiting buffer rubber, and the second limiting support rib is adjacent to the corresponding limiting buffer rubber. The gap between the second limiting support rib and the corresponding limiting buffer rubber is 1mm-3mm. When the outer cover is opened to its maximum design angle, the first limiting support rib on the gooseneck hinge arm contacts the limiting buffer rubber, which is double-injected onto the base, thus mitigating the impact force during opening. The system absorbs energy and limits the outer cover from opening further. At this time, the second limiting support rib and the limiting buffer soft rubber are not in contact, maintaining a design gap of 1mm-3mm. When the outer cover continues to open under external force (misuse condition), the limiting buffer soft rubber and the gooseneck hinge arm undergo slight deformation, causing the second limiting support rib to contact the limiting buffer soft rubber. This achieves the second stage of buffer protection and further limits the outer cover from opening too much, preventing irreversible damage that may occur when it opens too much, and improving the ability to resist misoperation during use. In addition, the limiting buffer soft rubber usually needs to be designed with local cuts to avoid the motion envelope of the second limiting support rib during the opening process of the outer cover, so as to prevent the limiting buffer soft rubber and the second limiting support rib from contacting prematurely before the outer cover is opened to the maximum angle, which would cause the charging outer cover to jam.

[0015] An automobile includes a vehicle cover structure and a side panel sheet metal, wherein the vehicle cover structure is fixed to the side panel sheet metal at a position corresponding to a charging port or fuel tank opening.

[0016] Beneficial effects The limiting and locking mechanism of this invention has waterproof and dustproof, guiding and limiting functions. When the gooseneck vehicle cover automatically opens to the maximum design angle under the action of the hinge shaft assist spring, the inertia and impact of the outer cover opening direction are absorbed by the buffer structure to prevent irreversible damage caused by durable impact, and effectively avoid the risk of damage that may be caused by over-opening misuse. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention viewed from the hinge axis side towards the boss side.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the guide and limiting cross-sectional structure of the limiting locking sleeve and boss of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge axis normal section structure of the outer cover of the present invention in the open state.

[0021] In the picture: 1. Base; 11. Receiving cavity; 12. Boss; 121. Lower groove; 1211. Limiting rib; 13. Charging port; 14. Limiting and cushioning soft rubber; 2. Hinge pin; 3. Gooseneck hinge arm; 31. First limiting support rib; 32. Second limiting support rib; 4. Outer cover; 41. Limit locking sleeve; 411. Guide rib; 4111, Guide ramp; 42. Outer cover and outer plate; 43. Outer cover and inner panel; 44. Hook; 45. Grille-shaped reinforcing ribs; 5. Outer cover lock; 6. Central locking actuator. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted, and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, not all of them.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "first position" and "second position" refer to two different positions.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections or detachable connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] Example 1 See Figures 1-4 As shown, a vehicle cover structure includes a base 1, a hinge shaft 2, a gooseneck hinge arm 3, and an outer cover 4. The gooseneck hinge arm 3 is hinged to the base 1 via a hinge shaft 2 with a spring. The base 1 has a receiving cavity 11 that matches the rotation stroke of the gooseneck hinge arm 3; The hinge shaft 2 is connected inside the accommodating cavity 11; The inner surface of the outer cover 4 is fixedly connected to the free end of the gooseneck hinge arm 3. The outer cover 4 is connected to the base 1 in an openable manner with the hinge shaft 2 as the axis. The outer cover 4 can be matched and fastened to the opening of the base 1. The inner surface of the outer cover 4 is provided with a limiting locking sleeve 41 with a locking hole. The inner side wall of the base 1 away from the hinge shaft 2 is provided with a boss 12. The boss 12 is provided with a lower groove 121 corresponding to the position of the limiting locking sleeve 41. The inner bottom wall of the lower groove 121 is fixedly inserted through the outer cover lock 5. The body of the outer cover lock 5 is fixed to the outer surface of the base 1 corresponding to the position of the lower groove 121. The body of the outer cover lock 5 is connected to the central locking actuator 6. The lock tongue of the outer cover lock 5 is exposed and contained in the lower groove 121 through a sealing sleeve. The limiting locking sleeve 41 can be sleeved on the lock tongue of the outer cover lock 5, and the limiting locking sleeve 41 can be locked and fixed with the lock tongue of the outer cover lock 5. The lower end face of the limiting locking sleeve 41 locked and fixed with the lock tongue is suspended above the inner bottom wall of the lower groove 121. The outer side wall of the limiting locking sleeve 41 and the inner side walls of both ends of the lower groove 121 of the base 1 are in clearance fit.

[0026] The outer side wall of the limiting locking sleeve 41 is provided with guide ribs 411 at the positions of the inner side walls at both ends of the lower groove 121. Each guide rib 411 can be adjacent to the inner side wall of the corresponding lower groove 121. The outer side wall of each guide rib 411 is provided with an inwardly inclined guide slope 4111 at the end near the opening of the limiting locking sleeve 41. The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope 4111 and the extension line of the outer side wall of the guide rib 411 is an acute angle.

[0027] The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope 4111 and the extended line of the outer wall of the guide rib 411 on the same side is 15°.

[0028] The vertical distance between the lower end face of the opening of the limiting locking sleeve 41, which is fixed to the locking tongue, and the inner bottom wall of the corresponding lower groove 121 is 8mm.

[0029] The upper ends of the inner sidewalls at both ends of the lower groove 121 extend upwards with limiting ribs 1211, the height of which is 7mm.

[0030] The upper end face of the boss 12 and the inner bottom wall of the lower groove 121 are both provided with inwardly inclined slopes in the same direction.

[0031] The base 1 has a charging port 13 with a dust cover on its inner bottom wall; a drainage hole (not shown in the figure) is provided at the corner of the inner bottom wall of the charging port 13 with the dust cover near the boss 12.

[0032] The outer cover 4 includes an outer cover plate 42 and an inner cover plate 43. The inner cover plate 43 protrudes from the middle of the inner surface of the outer cover plate 42. The upper end of the limiting locking sleeve 41 is fixed to the outer top wall of the inner cover plate 43. The outer top wall of the inner cover plate 43 is also provided with a hook 44. The protruding inner cover plate 43 and the fixedly connected outer cover plate 42 form a hollow cavity. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with grid-shaped reinforcing ribs 45.

[0033] A first limiting support rib 31 protrudes from the outer arc surface of the gooseneck hinge arm 3, which is rotatably housed in the accommodating cavity 11 of the base 1, near the hinge shaft 2. A second limiting support rib 32 is provided on the outer arc surface of the gooseneck hinge arm 3 above the first limiting support rib 31. A limiting buffer soft rubber 14 is provided on the inner side wall of the base 1 corresponding to the positions of the first limiting support rib 31 and the second limiting support rib 32. The first limiting support rib 31 can contact the limiting buffer soft rubber 14 at the corresponding position, and the second limiting support rib 32 is adjacent to the limiting buffer soft rubber 14 at the corresponding position. The gap between the second limiting support rib 32 and the limiting buffer soft rubber 14 at the corresponding position is 2mm.

[0034] Example 2 An automobile includes a vehicle cover structure and a side panel sheet metal, wherein the vehicle cover structure is fixed to the side panel sheet metal corresponding to the position of the charging dock.

[0035] Although the invention has been specifically shown and described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, all of which shall be within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle cover structure, comprising a base (1), a hinge shaft (2), a gooseneck hinge arm (3), and an outer cover (4); the gooseneck hinge arm (3) is hinged to the base (1) via a hinge shaft (2) with a spring; the base (1) is provided with a receiving cavity (11) matching the rotation stroke of the gooseneck hinge arm (3); the hinge shaft (2) is connected to the receiving cavity (11); the inner surface of the outer cover (4) is fixedly connected to the free end of the gooseneck hinge arm (3), the outer cover (4) is openable and closable with the base (1) via the hinge shaft (2), and the outer cover (4) can be matched and fastened to the opening of the base (1); characterized in that: The inner surface of the outer cover (4) is provided with a limiting locking sleeve (41) with a locking hole. The inner side wall of the base (1) away from the hinge axis (2) is provided with a boss (12). The boss (12) is provided with a lower groove (121) corresponding to the position of the limiting locking sleeve (41). An outer cover lock (5) is fixed through the inner bottom wall of the lower groove (121). The outer cover lock (5) is an LPP lock. The body of the outer cover lock (5) is fixed to the outer surface of the base (1) corresponding to the position of the lower groove (121). The body of the outer cover lock (5) is connected to a The central locking actuator (6) and the locking tongue of the outer cover lock (5) are exposed and housed in the lower groove (121) through the sealing sleeve. The limiting locking sleeve (41) can be sleeved on the locking tongue of the outer cover lock (5) and the limiting locking sleeve (41) can be locked and fixed with the locking tongue of the outer cover lock (5). The lower end face of the limiting locking sleeve (41) locked and fixed with the locking tongue is suspended above the bottom wall of the lower groove (121). The outer side wall of the limiting locking sleeve (41) and the inner side walls of both ends of the lower groove (121) of the base (1) are in clearance fit. The upper ends of the inner sidewalls at both ends of the lower groove (121) extend upwards with limiting ribs (1211), the height of which is 5mm-10mm; The outer side wall of the limiting locking sleeve (41) is provided with guide ribs (411) at the positions of the inner side walls at both ends of the lower groove (121). Each guide rib (411) can be adjacent to the inner side wall of the corresponding lower groove (121). The outer side wall of each guide rib (411) is provided with an inwardly inclined guide slope (4111) at the end near the opening of the limiting locking sleeve (41). The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope (4111) and the extension line of the outer side wall of the guide rib (411) is an acute angle.

2. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the inwardly inclined guide slope (4111) and the extended line of the outer wall of the guide rib (411) on the same side is 10°-15°.

3. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical distance between the lower end face of the opening of the limiting locking sleeve (41) which is fixed to the locking tongue and the inner bottom wall of the corresponding lower groove (121) is 6mm-10mm.

4. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end face of the boss (12) and the inner bottom wall of the lower groove (121) are both provided with inwardly inclined slopes in the same direction.

5. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) has a charging port (13) with a dust cover on its inner bottom wall, or a filling port with a sealing cover on its inner bottom wall; a drain hole is provided at the corner of the inner bottom wall near the boss (12) on the outer edge of the charging port (13) with a dust cover or the filling port with a sealing cover.

6. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer cover (4) includes an outer cover plate (42) and an inner cover plate (43). The inner cover plate (43) protrudes from the middle of the inner surface of the outer cover plate (42). The upper end of the limiting locking sleeve (41) is fixed to the outer top wall of the inner cover plate (43). The outer top wall of the inner cover plate (43) is also provided with a hook (44). The protruding inner cover plate (43) and the fixedly connected outer cover plate (42) form a hollow cavity. The inner wall of the cavity is provided with grid-shaped reinforcing ribs (45).

7. The vehicle cover structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first limiting support rib (31) is provided on the outer side wall of the arc surface near the hinge shaft (2) of the gooseneck hinge arm (3) which is rotatably housed in the housing cavity (11) of the base (1), and a second limiting support rib (32) is provided on the outer side wall of the gooseneck hinge arm (3) above the first limiting support rib (31); a limiting buffer soft rubber (14) is provided on the inner side wall of the base (1) corresponding to the positions of the first limiting support rib (31) and the second limiting support rib (32). The first limiting support rib (31) can contact the corresponding limiting buffer soft rubber (14), and the second limiting support rib (32) is adjacent to the corresponding limiting buffer soft rubber (14). The gap between the second limiting support rib (32) and the corresponding limiting buffer soft rubber (14) is 1mm-3mm.

8. A car, characterized in that: The vehicle cover structure as described in any one of claims 1-7 further includes a vehicle side panel sheet metal, wherein the vehicle cover structure is fixed to the vehicle side panel sheet metal at a position corresponding to the charging socket or fuel tank opening.

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