Lifting assistance system for motor vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a lift assist system for a motor vehicle. A lift assist system for use with a motor vehicle assembly is provided. An exemplary lift assist system may include features to reduce the rate at which a tailgate pivots open and reduce the amount of force required to pivot the tailgate closed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to motor vehicles and, more particularly, to a lift assist system for an opening and closing member of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Many vehicles include a tailgate disposed at the rear of the vehicle. The tailgate may include additional features that increase the weight of the tailgate, thereby causing the tailgate to open too quickly or be too difficult to close. Summary of the invention

[0003] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly comprising: a tailgate configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position; and a lift assist system connected to the tailgate and comprising a torsion bar and a nitrogen strut, wherein the lift assist system is configured such that when the tailgate pivots from the open position to the closed position, the torsion bar applies a first force on the tailgate and the nitrogen strut applies a second force on the tailgate.

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly in which the torsion bar extends between a first end rotatably attached to a support assembly and a second end fixedly attached to a fixture box.

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the support assembly includes a flange and a shaft that extends through and rotates relative to the flange, and the first end includes an attachment sleeve configured to receive the shaft.

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly in which the clamp box is secured to a lower wall of the tailgate.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the second end does not rotate relative to the fixture box when the tailgate pivots between the closed position and the open position.

[0008] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the nitrogen strut includes a first end pivotably attached to a support assembly and a second end fixedly attached to an end wall of the vehicle.

[0009] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the vehicle end wall is a laterally extending surface of a vehicle side wall.

[0010] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the second end is above a bumper of the vehicle.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly, wherein the support assembly includes a bracket, a support, a cup, a flange, and a bell crank.

[0012] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly in which the nitrogen strut is mounted in an open area defined by a vehicle sidewall and an outer panel of a vehicle body.

[0013] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly comprising: a tailgate positioned between a first vehicle sidewall and a second vehicle sidewall, the tailgate being configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position; a torsion bar rotatably attached to the first vehicle sidewall at a first end and fixedly attached to a fixture box at an opposite second end; and a nitrogen strut pivotally attached to the tailgate at a first end and fixedly attached to a portion of the second vehicle sidewall at an opposite second end.

[0014] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the first end of the torsion bar extends through a first side of the tailgate and is attached to a support assembly that is secured to the first vehicle sidewall.

[0015] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the support assembly includes a flange and a shaft extending through and rotating relative to the flange, and the shaft is received within an attachment sleeve at the first end.

[0016] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the second end of the torsion bar includes an attachment section that is received within a channel of the fixture box such that the second end does not rotate relative to the fixture box.

[0017] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the first end of the nitrogen strut is attached to a support assembly secured to the tailgate.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly, wherein the support assembly includes a bracket, a support, a cup, a flange, and a bell crank.

[0019] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the support member includes a slot configured to receive a shaft extending through the second side of the tailgate and the bracket.

[0020] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein a drive rod extends through the support and the bell crank, and the bell crank includes a post to which the second end of the nitrogen strut is attached.

[0021] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly wherein the second end of the nitrogen strut is above a vehicle bumper.

[0022] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle assembly in which the nitrogen strut is mounted in an open area defined by a second vehicle side wall and an outer panel of a vehicle body.

[0023] Lift assist system for motor vehicles BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 Selected portions of an exemplary vehicle are schematically illustrated.

[0025] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An exemplary tailgate of a vehicle in an open position.

[0026] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 An exemplary torsion bar for an exemplary tailgate of a vehicle.

[0027] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 One end of an exemplary torsion bar.

[0028] Figure 5 Shows Figure 3 The other end of an exemplary torsion bar.

[0029] Figure 6 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary nitrogen strut for an exemplary tailgate of a vehicle.

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A perspective view of an exemplary nitrogen pillar.

[0031] Figure 8 An example bracket and an example support assembly configured to attach an example nitrogen strut to an example tailgate are shown.

[0032] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 A perspective view of an exemplary support assembly.

[0033] Fig.10 A first position of an exemplary nitrogen strut is shown.

[0034] Fig.11 A second position of an exemplary nitrogen strut is shown.

[0035] Fig.12Select portions of another example vehicle are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present disclosure details a lift assist system for controlling the movement of a vehicle tailgate. An exemplary lift assist system may include a torsion bar and a nitrogen strut. The torsion bar and the nitrogen strut may include features for reducing the force required to move the vehicle tailgate from an open position to a closed position. In some embodiments, the torsion bar may be configured to apply a first force on the tailgate, and the nitrogen strut may be configured to apply a second force on the tailgate. These and other features are discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs of this detailed description.

[0037] Figure 1 Selected portions of a vehicle 10 are schematically shown. The vehicle 10 may include an opening and closing member, here a tailgate 14, a torsion bar 18, and a nitrogen strut 22. As discussed further below, the torsion bar 18 and the nitrogen strut 22 may be configured to establish a lift assist system 24 that may both reduce the rate at which the tailgate 14 pivots open and reduce the amount of force required to pivot the tailgate 14 closed. The tailgate 14 and the lift assist system 24 together establish a vehicle assembly of the vehicle 10.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 10 is depicted as a pickup truck. However, the vehicle 10 may alternatively be a sedan, a van, a sport utility vehicle (SUV), or any other vehicle configuration. Although specific component relationships are shown in the drawings of the present disclosure, the drawings are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The layout and orientation of the various components of the vehicle 10 are shown schematically and may vary within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the various drawings attached to the present disclosure are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some features may be enlarged or minimized to emphasize certain details of a particular component or system.

[0039] In this example, the tailgate 14 is located at the rear of the vehicle 10 and may be positioned between a pair of vehicle side walls of the vehicle body 26. More specifically, one end of the tailgate 14 is adjacent to a first vehicle side wall 30 and the other opposing end of the tailgate 14 is adjacent to a second vehicle side wall 34.

[0040] The tailgate 14 can be positioned relative to the vehicle body 26. Figure 1 The closed position shown in Figure 2 When in the closed position, the tailgate 14 provides a barrier between the exterior of the vehicle 10 and a vehicle cargo area 38, such as a vehicle bed. When in the open position, the tailgate 14 allows a user to access the vehicle cargo area 38.

[0041] The tailgate 14 may include an integrated accessory component 42, such as a step, that may be deployed when the tailgate 14 is in the open position. In some examples, the accessory component 42 may add weight to the tailgate 14, thereby making the tailgate 14 open faster or more difficult to close. Thus, the lift assist system 24 may be provided on the vehicle 10 to facilitate a more positive user experience when opening or closing the tailgate 14.

[0042] The torsion bar 18 of the lift assist system 24 may be mounted at least partially within the tailgate 14. In this example, the torsion bar 18 extends longitudinally within the tailgate 14.

[0043] The nitrogen strut 22 of the lift assist system 24 may be mounted on the outside of the tailgate 14. In this example, the nitrogen strut 22 is mounted adjacent to the second vehicle side wall 34.

[0044] Figures 3 to 5 Shown with Figure 1 1 and 2. The torsion bar 18 of the exemplary lift assist system 24 of the embodiment of the present invention may be provided with additional details. The torsion bar 18 may extend between a first end 46 and a second end 50. The first end 46 may extend through a first side 54 of the tailgate 14 and then through a bracket 58, which may be secured (e.g., bolted, welded, adhered, etc.) to the first side 54.

[0045] The first end 46 of the torsion bar 18 may include an attachment sleeve 62 for rotatably attaching to the first vehicle side wall 30 via a support assembly 66. The support assembly 66 may include a rotatable shaft 70 and a flange 74. In this example, the rotatable shaft 70 extends through the flange 74. The rotatable shaft 70 can rotate relative to the flange 74. The attachment sleeve 62 is generally cylindrical and may include a hole 78 for receiving the rotatable shaft 70. The rotatable shaft 70 may be configured to correspond to the shape of the attachment sleeve 62. The flange 74 may include a groove 82 for holding the rotatable shaft 70 against the flange 74. The flange member 74 may be fixed (e.g., bolted, welded, adhered, etc.) to the first vehicle side wall 30 of the vehicle body 26 so that the torsion bar 18 can rotate relative to the first vehicle side wall 30.

[0046] The second end 50 of the torsion bar 18 may include an attachment section 78 for fixedly attaching to a clamp box 82. The clamp box 82 may be fixed (e.g., bolted, welded, adhered, etc.) to a surface, which in this example is a lower wall 86 of the tailgate 14. In other examples, the clamp box 82 may be fixed to other portions of the vehicle body 26, including but not limited to the second vehicle side wall 34, an inner panel sheet metal section, and an inner hinge reinforcement and / or an outer hinge reinforcement. The attachment section 78 may include a curved portion 90 and a flat portion 94 that is substantially flat relative to the curved portion 90 and the generally cylindrical shape of the torsion bar 18.

[0047] The fixture box 82 may include a first section 98 and a second section 102 that cooperate to receive the attachment section 78 of the second end 50. An underside 106 of the first section 98 may provide a channel 110 for receiving the flat portion 94, and an upper side 114 of the second section 102 may provide a channel 118 for receiving the curved portion 90. In this example, the channel 110 is generally U-shaped, and the channel 118 is generally arc-shaped.

[0048] When the attachment section 78 is installed between the first section 98 and the second section 102, the flat portion 94 can abut the upper wall 122 of the channel 110, the opposite side wall 126 of the channel 110 can abut the opposite side wall 130 of the channel 118, and the curved portion 90 of the attachment section 78 can abut the lower wall 134 of the channel 118, so that the attachment section 78 is fixed so as not to rotate relative to the clamp box 82. However, the clamp box 82 can cause the torsion bar 18 to pivot with the tailgate 14. For example, if the clamp box 82 is fixed to the lower wall 86 of the tailgate 14, the clamp box 82 can pivot with the tailgate 14 between the closed position and the open position. In the event that the attachment section 78 cannot rotate within the clamp box 82, the torque is transmitted to the first end 46 of the torsion bar 18, which then causes the attachment sleeve 62 to rotate with the rotatable shaft 70 relative to the first vehicle side wall 30 of the vehicle body 26 (see Figure 4 ).

[0049] The torsion bar 18 can be configured to assist the user in raising the tailgate 14. For example, when the user pivots the tailgate 14 from the closed position to the open position, the second end 50 of the torsion bar 18 and the clamp box 82 move with the tailgate 14, which causes the first end 46 of the torsion bar 18 and the attachment sleeve 62 to rotate with the rotatable shaft 70 relative to the first vehicle side wall 30 (see FIG. Figure 4). This action causes the internal components of the torsion bar 18 to store torsional energy. When the user subsequently pivots the opening and closing member 14 from the open position back to the closed position, the torsion bar 18 releases the stored energy and exerts a first force on the tailgate 14. The first force may be a spring-like force that reduces the external force required by the user to move the opening and closing member 14 back to the closed position.

[0050] Figures 6 to 9 Shown with Figure 1 1 and 1 . The nitrogen strut 22 of the exemplary lift assist system 24 of FIG. 1 is associated with additional details. The nitrogen strut 22 can be installed in the open area 142 defined by the second vehicle side wall 34 and the outer panel 146 of the vehicle body 26. The outer panel 146 can form the outer contour of the vehicle body 26. The nitrogen strut 22 can be hidden by other components (e.g., tail lights) and therefore is generally not visible from the exterior of the vehicle 10.

[0051] The nitrogen strut 22 may include a first end 150 and a second end 154. The first end 150 may be pivotally attached to a support assembly 158. The support assembly 158 may include a bracket 162, a support 166, a cup 170, a flange 174, and a bell crank 178.

[0052] The bracket 162 can be fixed (e.g., bolted, welded, adhered, etc.) at the second side 182 of the tailgate 14, and thus can move with the tailgate 14 relative to the second vehicle side wall 34. The bracket 162 can include a shaft 186 for attaching to the support 166. The shaft 186 is fixed and thus does not pivot relative to the bracket 162. In this example, the shaft 186 extends through an opening defined at the second side 182 and then passes through the bracket 162. A portion of the shaft 186 can be received in a slot 190 of the support 166. The support 166 can include a first section 194 and a second section 198. The first section 194 can extend laterally outward away from the side 202 facing the inner side of the flange 174. When the shaft 186 is in the slot 190, the first section 194 can be pivotally attached to the bracket 162. The second section 198 can extend laterally outward away from the side 206 facing the outer side of the flange 174. The second section 198 may be pivotally attached to the bell crank 178 via a drive rod 210. The drive rod 210 may extend through the cup 170, the flange 174, and the bell crank 178.

[0053] The cup 170 can be fixed (e.g., welded, adhered, etc.) to the flange 174, which is fixed (e.g., bolted, welded, adhered, etc.) to the second vehicle side wall 34. Therefore, the cup 170 does not rotate relative to the support 166 and the flange 174. The cup 170 can include one or more portions 214 that extend laterally outward away from the inboard-facing side 202 of the flange 174 and at least partially surround the support 166.

[0054] The bell crank 178 may include a post 216 for pivotably attaching the support assembly 158 to the first end 150 of the nitrogen strut 22 .

[0055] When the tailgate 14 is in the closed position (see Figure 1 and Figure 6 ) and open position (see Figure 2 and Figure 3 ), the bracket 162 and the shaft 186 rotate relative to the second vehicle side wall 34. The support member 166 rotates with the shaft 186 and therefore also rotates with the bracket 162, which causes the bell crank 178 to rotate relative to the flange 174.

[0056] The second end 154 of the nitrogen strut 22 may be fixedly attached to a vehicle end wall 218 of the vehicle body 26. The vehicle end wall 218 may be a laterally extending surface of the vehicle side wall 34. In this example, the second end 154 of the nitrogen strut 22 is attached at a location above the bumper 222 of the vehicle 10. However, other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] The nitrogen strut 22 may be configured as a compressed gas strut having damping capability. Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown in, for example, the first end 150 may include a sealed container 226 containing pressurized nitrogen G, and the second end 154 may include a rod 230 and a piston 234. The nitrogen G in the sealed container 226 may pass through an opening 238 provided between a first side 242 of the piston 234 and a second side 246 of the piston 234.

[0058] Fig.10 The tailgate 14 is shown in the closed position (see Figure 1 and Figure 6 ) when the nitrogen support 22 is in the first position, and Fig.11 The tailgate 14 is shown in the open position (see Figure 2 and Figure 3 ) when the nitrogen strut 22 is in the second position. When the user pivots the tailgate 14 from the closed position to the open position, the bracket 162, the shaft 186, the support member 166 and the bell crank 178 pivot relative to the second vehicle side wall 34 (see Figures 6 to 9 ). As the bell crank 178 pivots, the first end 150 of the nitrogen strut 22 is pulled away from the second end 154 of the nitrogen strut 22 under tension, and the nitrogen G passes from the second side 246 of the piston 234 through the opening 238 to the first side 242 of the piston 234. The volume of the nitrogen G on the first side 242 is thereby increased, which in turn increases the amount of pressure applied to the first side 242 and decreases the amount of pressure applied to the second side 246. This pressure differential between the first side 242 and the second side 246 causes the nitrogen strut 22 to inhibit or control the rate at which the first end 150 moves away from the second end 154. Therefore, the nitrogen strut 22 can cause the tailgate 14 to pivot more slowly from the closed position to the open position.

[0059] When the user pivots the tailgate 14 from the open position to the closed position, the first end 150 of the nitrogen strut 22 is compressed and pushed toward the second end 154, and the nitrogen gas G passes from the first side 242 of the piston 234 through the opening 238 to the second side 246 of the piston 234. The volume of the nitrogen gas G on the second side 246 is thereby increased, which in turn increases the amount of pressure applied to the second side 246 and reduces the amount of pressure applied to the first side 242. This pressure difference between the first side 242 and the second side 246 causes the nitrogen strut 22 to apply a second force on the tailgate 14. The second force may be a compressive force that reduces the external force required to move the tailgate 14 to the closed position.

[0060] Throughout this disclosure, like reference numerals refer to like elements where appropriate, and reference numerals incremented by 1000 or multiples thereof refer to improved elements that are understood to incorporate the same features and benefits of the corresponding elements.

[0061] Fig.12 Another example vehicle 1010 is shown. The vehicle 1010 can include a tailgate 1014, a torsion bar 1018, and a nitrogen strut 1022. The torsion bar 1018 can be rotatably attached to a first vehicle sidewall at one end 1046 and fixedly attached to a fixture box 1082 at an opposite end 1050. The nitrogen strut 1022 can be pivotally attached to the tailgate 1014 at a first end 1150 and fixedly attached to the vehicle body 1026 at a second end 1154. In this example, the second end 1154 can be attached at a location vertically below the tailgate 1014. In a particular example, the nitrogen strut 1022 is vertically aligned parallel to the tailgate 1014.

[0062] The torsion bar and nitrogen strut of the present disclosure can establish a lift assist system for a vehicle. For example, the torsion bar and nitrogen strut can include features that cooperate to reduce the force required to move the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position. The nitrogen strut can also include features for reducing the rate at which the opening and closing member moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0063] Although different non-limiting embodiments are shown as having specific components or steps, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these specific combinations. Some of the components or features from any one of the non-limiting embodiments may be used in combination with features or components from any one of the other non-limiting embodiments.

[0064] It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings.It should be understood that although specific component arrangements are disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements may also benefit from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0065] The foregoing description should be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that certain modifications may occur within the scope of the present disclosure. For these reasons, the attached claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle assembly, comprising: a tailgate configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position; as well as a lift assist system connected to the tailgate and including a torsion bar and a nitrogen strut, The lift assist system is configured such that when the tailgate is pivoted from the open position to the closed position, the torsion bar applies a first force on the tailgate and the nitrogen strut applies a second force on the tailgate.

2. The vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the torsion bar extends between a first end rotatably attached to the support assembly and a second end fixedly attached to the fixture box.

3. The vehicle assembly of claim 2, wherein the support assembly includes a flange and a shaft extending through the flange and rotating relative to the flange, and the first end includes an attachment sleeve configured to receive the shaft.

4. The vehicle assembly of claim 2, wherein the clamp box is secured to a lower wall of the tailgate.

5. The vehicle assembly of claim 2, wherein the second end does not rotate relative to the clamp box when the tailgate pivots between the closed position and the open position.

6. A vehicle assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the nitrogen strut comprises a first end pivotably attached to the support assembly and a second end fixedly attached to the vehicle end wall.

7. A vehicle assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vehicle end wall is a laterally extending surface of a vehicle side wall, or optionally, wherein the second end is above a vehicle bumper, or optionally, wherein the support assembly includes a bracket, a support member, a cup, a flange and a bell crank.

8. A vehicle assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the nitrogen strut is mounted in an open area defined by a vehicle side wall and an outer panel of a vehicle body.

9. A vehicle assembly comprising: a tailgate positioned between the first vehicle side wall and the second vehicle side wall, the tailgate being configured to pivot between a closed position and an open position; a torsion bar rotatably attached to the first vehicle sidewall at a first end and fixedly attached to the clamp box at an opposite second end; as well as A nitrogen strut is pivotally attached to the tailgate at a first end and fixedly attached to a portion of the second vehicle sidewall at an opposing second end.

10. The vehicle assembly of claim 9 wherein the first end of the torsion bar extends through the first side of the tailgate and is attached to a support assembly that is fixed to the first vehicle side wall, and optionally wherein the support assembly includes a flange and a shaft that extends through and rotates relative to the flange and is received within an attachment sleeve at the first end.

11. The vehicle assembly of any one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the second end of the torsion bar includes an attachment section that is received within a channel of the fixture box such that the second end does not rotate relative to the fixture box.

12. The vehicle assembly of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first end of the nitrogen strut is attached to a support assembly, the support assembly being fixed to the tailgate, and optionally wherein the support assembly includes a bracket, a support, a cup, a flange and a bell crank.

13. The vehicle assembly of claim 12, wherein the support member includes a slot configured to receive a shaft extending through the second side of the tailgate and the bracket, or optionally, wherein a drive rod extends through the support member and the bell crank, and the bell crank includes a post attached to the second end of the nitrogen strut.

14. The vehicle assembly of any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the second end of the nitrogen strut is above a vehicle bumper.

15. The vehicle assembly of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the nitrogen strut is mounted in an open area defined by the second vehicle side wall and an outer panel of the vehicle body.

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