Opening device

Abstract

The invention relates to an opening device for a motor vehicle door, in particular a handle-free motor vehicle door, for example a handle-free motor vehicle side door. For this purpose, the opening device comprises an electric drive (1 to 4) and an associated adjusting element (5) for loading the door leaf. The adjusting element (5) acts on the door leaf along its adjustment stroke (S) with a stroke-dependent force. According to the invention, the electric drive (1 to 4) acts on the adjusting element (5) with a rack-and-pinion mechanism (7, 8) connected therebetween, the rack-and-pinion mechanism (7, 8) acting on the adjusting element (5) with different transmission ratios along an adjusting path (S) of the adjusting element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an opening device for a motor vehicle door, in particular a handleless motor vehicle door, such as a handleless motor vehicle side door, the opening device comprising an electric drive and an associated adjusting element for applying pressure to a door leaf, wherein the adjusting element applies pressure to the door leaf along its adjustment travel with a travel-dependent force. That is, the electric drive acts on the associated adjusting element and applies pressure to the door leaf by means of the adjusting element. Background Art

[0002] Opening devices for motor vehicle doors are known in many designs and are used in the prior art and in practice. In practice, the relevant opening device ensures, in accordance with the description in DE 10 2015 103826 A1, that the associated door leaf of the relevant motor vehicle door can be opened at least in a gap relative to the motor vehicle body by means of the opening device. Thus, the operator or user of the motor vehicle can then grasp the door leaf through the gap created in this way and thereby swing the door leaf upwards about its swing axis in the example case and open it.

[0003] Of course, in principle, not only the swingable motor vehicle side doors can be equipped with such an opening device, but also, alternatively, tailgates, sliding doors, etc. can also be opened in this way. Alternatively, the front hood can also be equipped with such an opening device.

[0004] In either case, in a motor vehicle door equipped with the associated opening device, an outer door handle or an outer door grip is generally dispensable and the motor vehicle door can be designed particularly advantageously in terms of aerodynamics.

[0005] For this purpose, various embodiments of such opening devices are known in the prior art. For example, FR 2814 771 A1 shows an opening device that acts on a rod-shaped adjusting element in a screw-driven manner so that the adjusting element can open and, if necessary, lock the door leaf in a desired manner.

[0006] In another embodiment corresponding to DE 10 2018 132 665 A1, the door leaf can be held by means of an adjusting element or adjusting means. For this purpose, the adjusting element has a locking means or a locking rod. This can provide a positive connection with the motor vehicle body.

[0007] In the prior art of this type according to DE 10 2011 015 669 A1, a push element is provided, which is driven by a motor to transfer the motor vehicle door or the associated door leaf by a swinging movement to the ejection position. For this purpose, the push element is equipped with an outer rod and an inner rod in two parts, which can be swung relative to each other. Since the outer rod is equipped with an arc-shaped stop ring, for example, and is moved against the door leaf by means of it in order to open the door leaf, a stroke-dependent force is achieved along the adjustment stroke of the adjustment element, by means of which the adjustment element is loaded with the door leaf.

[0008] The prior art has been proven in principle, but there is still room for improvement. In practice, the structure of this type of teaching according to DE 10 2011 015 669 A1 is relatively complex, and the frictional contact of the stop ring of the outer rod on the inside of the hatch or motor vehicle door leads here on the one hand to damage of the motor vehicle door and on the other hand to increased wear on the stop ring. In addition, the interaction between the curved stop ring on the one hand and the door leaf loaded by it on the other hand takes up a relatively large space for mutual interaction. This is disadvantageous against the background that the installation space between the associated motor vehicle door and the motor vehicle body is usually limited, because the interior of the motor vehicle door that usually accommodates the electric drive is typically filled with other devices, such as side impact protection, window lifts, loudspeakers, side airbags, etc. Summary of the invention

[0009] In contrast, the object of the present invention is to further develop such an opening device for a motor vehicle door in such a way that a functionally appropriate and structurally simple application of force to the adjusting element is possible.

[0010] In order to solve this technical problem, this type of opening device for a motor vehicle door is characterized within the scope of the present invention in that an electric drive loads an adjusting element with a rack and pinion mechanism connected in between, wherein the rack and pinion mechanism acts on the adjusting element with different transmission ratios along the adjusting stroke of the adjusting element.

[0011] For this purpose, the rack and pinion mechanism is usually equipped with a spiral pinion, which meshes with the rack. Here, the meshing portion between the pinion and the relevant rack can be advantageously designed as an involute toothing.

[0012] Such involute toothings are characterized by a tooth profile in which the contact point of two meshing tooth flanks moves in a straight line during the overall meshing. As a result, such involute toothings are relatively insensitive to changes in the axial distance. Accordingly, any position tolerances or deviating circular movements of the bearing point have little influence, so that such involute toothings are designed for robust applications in connection with such opening devices.

[0013] In most cases, the helical pinion defines a rolling curve whose radius increases along the adjustment path of the adjusting element. In order to adapt to the increasing radius of the rolling curve of the helical pinion, the toothed rack meshing therewith is arranged at an angle relative to the pinion and thus the adjusting element. The angle of inclination of the inclined arrangement is adapted to the increase in the radius of the pinion.

[0014] That is, in order to keep the spiral pinion with its increased radius relative to the pinion shaft in mesh with the rack without skewing over the entire adjustment stroke of the adjusting element, the rack is arranged obliquely. In addition, the adjusting element is usually connected to the rack.

[0015] In this way, the rack meshing with the helical pinion moves in the direction predetermined by the inclination angle of the inclined setting when the pinion moves, which typically corresponds to the linear movement of the adjusting element connected to the rack. As a result, the adjusting element can be transferred from a final position, for example in a state retracted relative to the housing, to another final position, which corresponds to the position of the adjusting element exposed relative to the housing. Of course, the adjusting element can also be moved again into the retracted position. In this case, the housing accommodates the entire opening device according to the invention in its interior and ensures a sealed arrangement, except for the opening through which the adjusting element passes. As a result, the adjusting element can be transferred into the two described final positions.

[0016] Furthermore, the helical pinion is usually coupled to a drive wheel of a transmission mechanism of an electric drive. The transmission mechanism is usually a reduction gear mechanism, by means of which the fast-running movement of the driven shaft of an electric motor as a component of the electric drive is converted into a relatively slow rotation of the associated drive wheel and thus of the helical pinion.

[0017] The adjusting element is usually designed as an adjusting slide that can be loaded linearly. In order to support the adjusting slide in the housing or to support the adjusting slide relative to the housing, a linear guide is provided inside the housing. As a result, the adjusting element or the linearly movable adjusting slide can be easily moved relative to the vehicle body and thus the desired adjustment movement of the door leaf relative to the vehicle body can be ensured.

[0018] All this is achieved while taking into account a particularly functional and compact design. The functionally-satisfactory design is achieved by initially applying a high torque to the adjusting element or the linearly movable adjusting slide from the retracted end position of the adjusting element inside the housing by means of a helical pinion, taking into account a small part of the entire adjusting stroke. As a result, the adjusting slide or the adjusting element can apply a high force or a high transmission ratio to the door leaf at the beginning of the adjusting stroke, thereby achieving the final release of the applied door leaf from, for example, the surrounding door rubber seal even if, for example, the motor vehicle door is frozen relative to the motor vehicle body.

[0019] With increasing adjustment travel, a reduced force is now required to load the door leaf, which corresponds overall to a lower transmission ratio of the helical pinion to the meshing rack or the rack-and-pinion mechanism. This results in a lower force for loading the door leaf and a major part of the adjustment travel of the adjusting element is completed simultaneously at a simultaneously increased speed. In contrast, the rack-and-pinion mechanism operates with its maximum transmission ratio at the beginning of the adjustment movement of the adjusting element from the retracted end position in order to eliminate possible ice buildup as described.

[0020] Due to the helical pinion and the associated increase in the radius of the rolling geometry relative to the axis of the helical pinion, the door leaf is desirably loaded overall along its adjustment path with an initially high and then continuously decreasing force depending on the path.

[0021] All this is achieved while taking into account a compact design, which is located in a protected and sealed manner inside the housing. As a result, the opening device can be located as a whole inside the motor vehicle door and, taking into account the constricted spaces or limited installation space that are usually present there, installation in the wet space of the motor vehicle door is simultaneously possible due to the encapsulation. This is a major advantage of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show only one embodiment; in the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 An overview of the opening device according to the invention is shown,

[0024] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The different functional positions of the opening device are shown in detail.

[0025] Figure 3 Specific implementation variations are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The drawing shows an opening device for a motor vehicle door. In practice, the opening device in question is located inside the motor vehicle door, i.e., for this purpose it can be mounted inside the motor vehicle door in a manner close to the axis relative to the swing axis of the motor vehicle side door, as described in detail in DE 10 2015 103 826 A1 already referenced. For this purpose, the opening device has an electric drive 1, 2, 3, 4, which can be driven according to the motor vehicle door. Figure 3 See the specific view in .

[0027] The associated adjusting element 5 is loaded by means of the electric drive 1 to 4 to open the door leaf itself as a component of the motor vehicle side door (not explicitly shown) relative to the associated motor vehicle body. Here, the adjusting element 5 acts on the door leaf along its adjustment travel S with a travel-dependent force.

[0028] According to Figure 1 It can be seen from the comparison of the upper view and the lower view in FIG. 5 that the adjusting element 5 can be moved along the adjustment stroke S, that is, from Figure 1 Starting from the first end position or retracted position shown in the upper part of the housing 6, the housing 6 is moved into an exposed second end position. Figure 1 Here, the housing 6 is designed as a whole to be closed and is completely accommodated in its interior. Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3 The opening 6a in the housing 6 ensures that the adjusting element 5 can be moved through it from one end position to the other end position and back. The opening device received inside the housing 6 can be installed in this way in a wet chamber of a motor vehicle door, in particular a motor vehicle side door, which is equipped with the opening device.

[0029] according to Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3 It can be seen that the electric drive devices 1 to 4 act on the adjusting element 5 with the interposition of a rack and pinion mechanism 7, 8. Here, the rack and pinion mechanism 7, 8 acts on the adjusting element 5 with different transmission ratios along the adjustment path S of the adjusting element, as explained in detail below. For this purpose, the rack and pinion mechanism 7, 8 in its basic structure first has a helical pinion 7, which meshes with the rack 8. An involute toothing is provided here between the pinion 7 and the rack 8, as already described at the beginning.

[0030] Here, the spiral pinion 7 can be swung as a whole around the shaft 9. Here, the transmission wheel 4 ensures the swung movement of the spiral pinion 7, to which the spiral pinion 7 is coupled, which can be adjusted according to the rotation of the transmission wheel 4. Figure 3 see.

[0031] For this purpose, the drive wheel 4 is designed as a component of the transmission mechanism 2, 3, 4 of the electric drive device 1 to 4. In fact, the electric drive device 1 to 4 includes an electric motor 1 and the relevant transmission mechanism 2, 3, 4, which is designed as a reduction transmission mechanism 2, 3, 4 according to this embodiment. In this way, the fast-running movement of the driven shaft of the electric motor 1 is reduced to a relatively slow rotation of the gear or drive wheel 4 on the output side.

[0032] The helical pinion 7 defines in particular the Figure 2A and Figure 2B The rolling curve 10 shown is described in that the helical pinion 7 has radii R1, R2, which increase along the rolling curve 10 described in this way from an initial value of the radius R1 to an end value of the radius R2. In this way, the rolling curve 10 according to this embodiment is designed as a circular arc segment as a whole, according to which the pinion 7 is designed helically.

[0033] It can be seen that the rolling curve 10 has an increasing radius along the adjustment travel S of the adjustment element 5, so that the radius increases from the initial value R1 to the final value R2. With the increasing radius or the spiral rolling curve 10, the spiral pinion 7 acts on the rack 8. In order to prevent the teeth of the pinion 7 on the one hand and the rack 8 on the other hand from wedging, the rack 8 is arranged according to this embodiment in an inclined manner relative to the pinion 7 and the adjustment element 5, which usually moves back and forth in a straight line. The angle α associated with this inclined arrangement is adapted to the increase in radius of the spiral pinion 7 or is matched to this radius increase. In other words, the inclination angle α of the inclined arrangement of the rack 8 is determined accordingly according to the difference between the initial radius R1 and the radius R2 finally achieved, in order to ensure a uniform meshing of the teeth.

[0034] In this way, the adjusting element 5 is designed as a linearly movable adjusting slide 5. In fact, the housing 6 has a linear guide 11 in its interior for this purpose, by which the adjusting slide 5 can be moved linearly along its adjustment travel S from one end position to another end position and can be moved back.

[0035] This process can be best performed in Figure 2A and Figure 2B can be seen in the comparison of Figure 2A In the embodiment, the adjusting slide 5 is in its retracted final position, corresponding to Figure 1 If the helical pinion 7 is now pivoted in the clockwise direction about its axis 9 starting from this end position by means of the electric drive 1 to 4, the outer circumferential toothing of the helical pinion 7 ensures that the rack 8 is increasingly tilted in accordance with its tilting arrangement taking into account the angle α.

[0036] In this process, the helical pinion 7 acts on the toothed rack 8 with an initial radius R1, so that the toothed rack 8 and the adjusting slide 5 connected thereto are loaded with a high force, taking into account the high transmission ratio and the small adjustment path. This high force is required at the beginning of the opening process, for example, to loosen the door leaf from the surrounding rubber seal, even in the frozen state of the motor vehicle door.

[0037] With the increasing movement of the helical pinion 7, the radius increases until the value R2 is reached at the end of the adjustment stroke S. With this, the transmission ratio is reduced, the partial stroke of the adjustment stroke S is increased, and the adjustment speed of the adjustment slide 5 is increased. This continues until the value according to Figure 2B The functional location, Figure 2B Corresponding to Figure 1 , in which the adjusting slide 5 has already assumed its exposed position relative to the housing 6 .

Claims

1. An opening device for a motor vehicle door, in particular a handleless motor vehicle door, for example a handleless motor vehicle side door, comprising an electric drive (1 to 4) and an associated adjusting element (5) for loading the door leaf, wherein: The adjusting element (5) loads the door leaf along its adjustment travel (S) with a travel-dependent force. It is characterized in that The electric drive devices (1 to 4) load the adjusting element (5) with a rack and pinion mechanism (7, 8) connected in between, wherein the rack and pinion mechanism (7, 8) acts on the adjusting element (5) with different transmission ratios along the adjusting stroke (S) of the adjusting element.

2. The opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rack and pinion mechanism (7, 8) comprises a spiral pinion (7) meshing with a rack (8).

3. The opening device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The meshing portion between the pinion (7) and the rack (8) is designed as an involute toothing.

4. The opening device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The helical pinion (7) defines a rolling curve (10), the radius (R1, R2) of which increases along the adjustment travel (S) of the adjustment element (5).

5. The opening device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The rack (8) is arranged to be inclined relative to the pinion (7).

6. The opening device according to claim 5, characterized in that The inclination angle (α) of the inclined arrangement is matched to the radius increase (R1, R2) of the pinion (7).

7. The opening device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that The adjustment element (5) is coupled to the rack (8).

8. The opening device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that The pinion (7) is coupled to a transmission wheel (4) of a transmission mechanism (2, 3, 4) of an electric drive device (1 to 4).

9. The opening device according to claim 8, characterized in that The transmission mechanism (2, 3, 4) is designed as a reduction transmission mechanism (2, 3, 4).

10. The opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The adjusting element (5) is designed as an adjusting slide block (5) capable of linear movement.

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