Reel for a rear hatch of a motor vehicle
By designing a retractor structure that includes a cable, a rotating wheel, and a spiral spring, the problem of easy bending and damage of the cable when the trunk tailgate is flipped up is solved, achieving a simple, robust, and reliable cable retraction effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NINGBO AUTO CABLE CONTROLS
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
When the tailgate of a car is flipped up to the vertical position, the cable is prone to bending and irregularity, which hinders storage operations and is easily damaged. Existing retractors are not targeted and practical enough.
Design a retractor structure including a cable, a rotating wheel, a spiral spring, and a limiting pin. The cable is wound around the rotating wheel and wound by the spiral spring. The limiting pin prevents the cable from detaching. The structure is simple and does not require an additional limiting structure. The cable is hinged to the rear door to prevent bending and wear.
It achieves a rear hatch that allows the cable to remain unobstructed and less prone to damage when the tailgate is flipped up to a vertical position. It is easy to operate, extends the cable's lifespan, and has a robust and reliable structure, making it suitable for car trunk tailgates.
Smart Images
Figure CN224549907U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive cable technology, specifically a retractor for the tailgate of a car trunk. Background Technology
[0002] The tailgate of a car, such as a sedan, is sometimes used in the wild to allow people to sit facing the opposite direction of the car, for convenience such as fishing. Generally, the trunk lid or trunk cover is opened first, and then the two hinges of the tailgate are opened downwards to a comfortable sitting position.
[0003] In existing technology, when the tailgate is in a seated position, it is generally supported by a cable with a steel wire rope inside and a soft sleeve outside. There is a cable on each side of the tailgate and on the box inside the trunk.
[0004] However, in actual use, the above-mentioned existing technologies have the following shortcomings: When the tailgate needs to be retracted and flipped up to a vertical position, a special limiting structure is required on the trunk to prevent it from opening downwards at will, which is relatively cumbersome; due to the certain rigidity of the steel wire rope, after the tailgate is flipped up to a vertical position, the bending state of the two cables is very irregular, which can easily hinder the storage of items in the trunk and other operations, and can also be damaged due to irregular bending or collision or scratches with other hard objects; and other existing retractors are not very targeted or practical if applied to this situation. Utility Model Content
[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a retractor for the tailgate of a car trunk that can be tightened when the tailgate is retracted into the trunk and flipped up to be vertical, and whose cable can be wound inside the retractor without getting in the way and is not easily damaged.
[0006] The technical solution of this utility model is to provide a retractor for a car trunk tailgate, including a cable and a retractor body fixed inside the trunk body; the retractor body includes a chassis bracket, a wheel located on one side of the chassis bracket for winding the cable, and a wheel cover to prevent the cable from detaching from the first cable annular groove of the wheel, the wheel cover being fitted over the wheel and fixed to the chassis bracket; the retractor body also includes a spiral spring located on the other side of the chassis bracket and a spring cover covering the spiral spring and fixed to the chassis bracket; one end of the wheel axle is rotatably fitted in the center hole of the wheel cover, and the other end of the wheel axle is rotatably fitted in the center hole of the chassis bracket, extending into the center hole of the spiral spring and locking the inner end of the spiral spring; the outer end of the spiral spring is locked onto the spring cover; a cylindrical pin is provided on the wheel to fix one end of the cable, and the other end of the cable is connected to the tailgate; the cable also has a limiting pin for limiting its movement with the chassis bracket.
[0007] With the above structure, the retractor of this utility model for the tailgate of a car trunk has the following advantages:
[0008] When the rear door needs to be retracted, the spring force of the spiral spring retracts the cable when the person leaves the rear door, automatically flipping the rear door up to a vertical position. There is no need for a special limiting structure on the trunk body, nor is there any need for manual operation to limit it, making its operation relatively simple.
[0009] Because the force of the spiral spring causes the pulley to wind the wire rope and wrap it around the first cable annular groove of the pulley, after the tailgate is flipped up to the vertical position, the two cables on both sides are prevented from being irregularly bent, thus avoiding obstruction of storage or other operations in the tailgate. They are also prevented from being damaged by irregular bending, collisions with or abrasions with other hard objects. In other words, when the tailgate is flipped up to the vertical position, it is neither obstructive nor easily damaged, significantly extending the service life of the cables.
[0010] This utility model of a retractor has a simple structure and is applied to the cable retraction of the tailgate of a car trunk. It is highly targeted and practical. Generally, the retractor body can be fixed to a rigid trunk body. The cable also has a limiting pin for limiting its connection with the chassis bracket. It is easy to understand that the limiting pin can withstand the weight of a person sitting on the rear panel, which is placed downwards and in a roughly horizontal position, making the cable strong and ensuring a firm, stable, and reliable operation.
[0011] Furthermore, there are two retractors, both with identical structures. The other end of the pull cable of one retractor is connected to the left side of the tailgate, and the other end of the pull cable of the other retractor is connected to the right side of the tailgate. With this structure, both sides of the tailgate utilize the retractor of this invention, and the identical structure of the retractors makes manufacturing and installation more convenient, further ensuring the technical effects of automatic retraction, minimal obstruction and damage, and a robust, stable, and reliable structure.
[0012] Furthermore, the chassis support has a limiting plate bent at 90° to the chassis base. The limiting plate has a first through hole for the cable to pass through. A limiting pin, fitted and fixed to the steel wire rope of the cable, engages with the limiting plate when the back panel is in a seated position and the cable is under stress. With this specific structure for the limiting pin and chassis support, manufacturing and assembly are more convenient, the cable winding or stretching process is more flexible and convenient, and the mechanical performance for bearing the weight of the human body is better.
[0013] Furthermore, a noise-reducing washer with a second through hole is provided between the end face of the limit pin and the limit plate. With the above structure, during the cable extension process when the back plate is rotated downwards to the seated position, noise generated by metal-to-metal collisions is prevented, providing customers with a better experience. It also prevents wear caused by repeated impacts, thus relatively extending the service life of the rewinder.
[0014] Furthermore, an L-shaped plate is fixed to the outer side of the limiting plate, serving as both a reinforcement and a cable guide. The L-shaped plate has a third through hole and a guide sleeve for the cable to pass through. With this structure, the cable's mechanical properties for bearing the weight of a person sitting on the backrest are improved, its guiding function is enhanced, and its extension and retraction are more flexible, smooth, and reliable.
[0015] Furthermore, the other end of the cable is hinged to the tailgate. With the above structure, the connection between the other end of the cable and the tailgate is hinged, allowing the tailgate and the cable with the steel wire rope to move relative to each other, making the process of closing or opening the tailgate more flexible, smoother, and more reliable.
[0016] Furthermore, a bolt is screwed onto both sides of the tailgate. The outer side of the hexagonal head of the bolt has a hinge post with a cable annular groove. The cable loop at the other end rotates and fits into the cable annular groove. With this specific structure, the hinge structure is relatively simple, and the connection between the cable end and the tailgate is more flexible, stable, and reliable.
[0017] Furthermore, an anti-wear and noise-reducing pad is provided between the spiral spring and the other surface of the chassis support. The noise-reducing pad has a fifth center hole for the wheel axle to pass through. With the above structure, during the repeated winding or unwinding process of this retractor, wear between the spiral spring and the other surface of the chassis support is prevented, thus extending the service life of the retractor. It also prevents noise generated by metal-to-metal friction, providing customers with a better experience. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the retractor of this utility model (several bolts and nuts are omitted).
[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the AA section structure.
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable in this utility model when the cable ring is omitted and it is fixed with a cylindrical pin.
[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the cable ring and the hinge bolt in this utility model.
[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the retractor body in this utility model. Figure 1 (Several bolts and nuts omitted).
[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the explosion structure.
[0024] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the retractor body in this utility model. Figure 2 (Roughly rotated 180°).
[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure (the limiting pin, noise-reducing washer, and anti-wear and noise-reducing pad were not exploded).
[0026] Figure 9 yes Figure 6 Enlarged schematic diagram of the intermediate rotating wheel (angle changed, and transition groove shown).
[0027] As shown in the figure:
[0028] 1. Cable, 11. Wire rope, 12. Sleeve, 13. Limit pin, 14. Cable ring, 15. Metal-clad sleeve;
[0029] 2. Retractor body; 21. Chassis bracket; 211. Limiting plate; 2111. First through hole; 212. First arc-shaped convex ring; 213. First ear plate; 2131. First bolt through hole; 214. First center hole; 215. Protruding post; 2151. Threaded hole; 216. Chassis; 2161. L-shaped buckle; 21611. Horizontal opening; 217. First connecting vertical plate; 22. Rotary wheel; 221. Wheel axle; 2211. Bushing; 2212. Hollow shaft; 22121. I-shaped groove; 222. Axial pin hole; 223. First cable annular groove. 224. Transition groove; 23. Rotary wheel cover; 231. Second center hole; 232. Cover plate; 233. Second ear plate; 2331. Second bolt through hole; 234. Second connecting vertical plate; 235. Guard claw; 236. Second arc-shaped convex ring; 24. Spiral spring; 241. Third center hole; 242. Inwardly folded 90° clamping plate; 243. U-shaped clamping plate; 2431. Arc plate; 2432. Straight plate at free end; 25. Spring cover; 251. Clamping block; 252. Cylindrical wall; 2521. Notch; 2522. Straight plate groove; 253. Fourth center hole;
[0030] 3. Cylindrical pin;
[0031] 4. Noise-reducing washer; 41. Second through hole;
[0032] 5. L-shaped plate; 51. Third through hole; 52. Guide sleeve;
[0033] 6. Hinged bolt; 61. Screw; 62. Rotating force-applying head; 63. Hinged column; 631. Second cable annular groove.
[0034] 7. Anti-wear and noise reduction pad; 71. Fifth center hole. Detailed Implementation
[0035] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these descriptions of specific embodiments are intended to aid in understanding this utility model, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various specific embodiments of this utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0036] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown.
[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a retractor for a car trunk tailgate is provided. There may be two retractors with identical structures. The other end of the pull cable 1 of one retractor is connected to the left side of the tailgate, and the other end of the pull cable 1 of the other retractor is connected to the right side of the tailgate.
[0038] A preferred embodiment of the present invention for a retractor for a car trunk tailgate includes a cable 1 and a retractor body 2 fixed inside the trunk. The retractor body 2 includes a chassis bracket 21, a pulley 22 located on one side of the chassis bracket 21 for winding the cable 1, and a pulley cover 23 to prevent the cable 1 from detaching from the first cable annular groove 223 of the pulley 22. The pulley cover 23 is fitted over the pulley 22 and fixed to the chassis bracket 21. The retractor body 2 also includes a spiral spring 24 located on the other side of the chassis bracket 21 and a spring cover 25 covering the spiral spring 24 and fixed to the chassis bracket 21. The rotating wheel 22 is rotatably fitted onto the chassis bracket 21 and the rotating wheel cover 23. Specifically, one end of the rotating wheel 22's axle 221 is rotatably fitted into the center hole of the rotating wheel cover 23 (e.g., the second center hole 231), while the other end of the rotating wheel 22's axle 221 is rotatably fitted into the center hole of the chassis bracket 21 (e.g., the first center hole 214) and extends into the center hole of the spiral spring 24 (e.g., the third center hole 241), locking the inner end of the spiral spring 24. The outer end of the spiral spring 24 is engaged with the spring cover 25. The rotating wheel 22 has a cylindrical pin 3 that fixes one end of a pull cable 1, and the other end of the pull cable 1 is connected to the rear door. The pull cable 1 also has a limiting pin 13 for limiting its movement against the chassis bracket 21.
[0039] Both the chassis bracket 21 and the wheel cover 23 can be made of stamped sheet metal parts, with multiple bends and multiple stamped reinforcing ribs, which saves materials and increases strength.
[0040] The chassis support 21 has a limiting plate 211 bent at 90° to the chassis 216 of the chassis support 21. The limiting plate 211 has a first through hole 2111 for passing through the cable 1. The limiting pin 13, which is sleeved and fixed to the steel wire rope 11 of the cable 1, limits the limiting plate 211 when the back panel is in the seated position and the cable 1 is under force, so as to bear the weight of the person sitting on the back panel.
[0041] The center hole on one side of the chassis bracket 21 that mates with the rotating wheel 22, such as the first center hole 214, may be provided with a first arc-shaped protrusion 212 protruding from this surface, making the rotation of the rotating wheel 22 relative to this surface more flexible and with less resistance. The other side of the chassis bracket 21 that mates with the spiral spring 24 is flat. The chassis bracket 21 may have two first ear plates 213, each with a first bolt through hole 2131. The retractor body 2 is fixed to the trunk body, such as a metal frame, by two bolts passing through the first bolt through holes 2131 of the two first ear plates 213 of the chassis bracket 21 and tightened into the threaded holes on the metal frame in the trunk body. Each first ear plate 213 may be connected by a first connecting vertical plate 217 integrally stamped and reinforced.
[0042] The axle 221 of the rotating wheel 22 can be divided into two parts. One part consists of bushings 2211 protruding from both sides of the central hole. The two bushings 2211 are rotatably fitted into the central hole of the chassis bracket 21 (such as the first central hole 214) and the central hole of the rotating wheel cover 23 (such as the second central hole 231), respectively, so that the rotating wheel 22 can rotate flexibly and concentrically. The other part is a hollow shaft 2212 that extends into the central hole of the spiral spring 24 (such as the third central hole 241). The hollow shaft 2212 is coaxially fixed to the end of the bushing 2211 near the spiral spring 24.
[0043] An axial pin hole 222 can be provided on the rotating wheel 22, through which the cylindrical pin 3 is interference-fitted in the axial pin hole 222. The axial pin hole 222 is connected to the annular groove 223 of the first cable through a transition groove 224. The inner end of the cable 1, such as the inner end of the wire rope 11, or this end, is fixed to the cylindrical pin 3, such as by integral casting or welding.
[0044] The wheel cover 23 may include a cover plate 232 and two symmetrical second ear plates 233. Each second ear plate 233 may have a second bolt through hole 2331. The chassis support 21 may have two protrusions 215 with threaded holes 2151. Two second bolts can be passed through the respective second bolt through holes 2331 of the respective second ear plates 233 and screwed into the threaded holes 2151 of the respective protrusions 215 to fix the wheel cover 23 to the chassis support 21. The cable 1 wound on the first cable annular groove 223 of the wheel 22 is limited by the second connecting vertical plates 234 connecting the two symmetrical second ear plates 233. In other words, each second ear plate 233 can be connected by a single integrally stamped second connecting vertical plate 234. The wheel cover 23 may also be provided with multiple claws 235, such as two claws, to prevent the cable 1 from detaching from the first cable annular groove 223 of the wheel 22. The inner surface of the outer cover 23 of the rotating wheel 22 that mates with the rotating wheel 22 may be provided with a second arc-shaped protrusion 236 that axially protrudes from the inner surface, such as the second center hole 231, so that the rotation of the rotating wheel 22 and the surface is more flexible and has less resistance.
[0045] It is easy to understand that the cable 1 wound around the spool 22 includes a section of wire rope 11, a limiting pin 13, and a portion of the wire rope 11 covered by a sleeve 12.
[0046] The inner end of the spiral spring 24 can be secured by the axle 221 of the rotating wheel 22 using the following specific structure: The inner end of the spiral spring 24 may have a retaining plate 242 that is bent inwards by 90°. The end of the axle 221 of the rotating wheel 22, which extends into the central hole (e.g., the third central hole 241) of the spiral spring 24, has a slot 22121 that engages with the retaining plate 242 bent inwards by 90°. The retaining plate 242 bent inwards by 90° and the slot 22121 engage with each other. The inward bending is also called an inward or outward fold.
[0047] The spring cover 25 is fixed on the surface of the other side of the chassis support 21, and can adopt the following specific structure: an L-shaped buckle 2161 is punched out on the chassis of the chassis support 21, which is fixed on the chassis 216 and protrudes in the direction of the spring cover 25. A pair of locking blocks 251 are symmetrically provided on both sides of the outer circumference of the spring cover 25. The pair of locking blocks 251 can be rotated into the L-shaped buckle 2161 with a horizontal opening 21611.
[0048] The outer end of the spiral spring 24 is engaged with the spring cover 25, which can be achieved using the following specific structure: the outer end of the spiral spring 24 is folded 180° to form a U-shaped retaining plate 243. The cylindrical wall 252 of the spring cover 25, or cylindrical wall body, is provided with a notch 2521 for engaging the arc-shaped plate 2431 of the U-shaped retaining plate 243 at the outer end of the spiral spring 24. The outer circumferential wall at the notch 2521 of the spring cover 25 is provided with a straight plate groove 2522 for accommodating the straight plate 2432 of the free end of the U-shaped retaining plate 243. The spring cover 25 may be provided with a central hole, such as a fourth central hole 253.
[0049] The specific structure of the limiting pin 13 can be as follows: the center hole of the limiting pin 13 is fitted onto the wire rope 11 of the cable 1, located at the junction of the wire rope 11 and the sleeve 12 of the cable 1, and the limiting pin 13 and the wire rope 11 can be riveted and fixed.
[0050] There is a noise-reducing washer 4 with a second through hole 41 between the end face of the limiting pin 13 and the limiting plate 211. The noise-reducing washer 4 can be a rubber washer or a soft plastic washer.
[0051] The outer side of the limiting plate 211 is fixed with multiple bolts and nuts. An L-shaped plate 5 serves as a reinforcement and cable guide. The L-shaped plate 5 has a third through hole 51 for cable 1 and a guide sleeve 52.
[0052] The other end of cable 1 can be hinged to the rear door.
[0053] The specific structure of the hinge can be as follows: A screw 61 with a hinge bolt 6 is screwed onto both sides of the rear door. The outer end of the large rotating force-applying head 62 of the hinge bolt 6 has a hinge post 63 with a second cable annular groove 631. The hinge post 63 is coaxial with the large rotating force-applying head 62 and the screw 61. The cable ring 14 at the other end of the cable 1 is rotatably fitted into the second cable annular groove 631. The specific structure of the cable ring 14 can be as follows: After the cable 1 is wrapped with a sleeve 12 of steel wire rope 11 to form the cable ring 14, its free end, which overlaps with the cable 1, is covered by a metal-clad sleeve 15 and then riveted and fixed.
[0054] Between the surface of the spiral spring 24 and the other side of the chassis bracket 21, there is a wear-resistant and noise-reducing pad 7. The wear-resistant and noise-reducing pad 7 has a fifth center hole 71 for the axle 221 of the wheel 22 to pass through. The wear-resistant and noise-reducing pad 7 can be a rubber pad or a soft plastic pad.
[0055] A sedan is also called a private car or a small car. The rear door is also called a tailgate. The rotating wheel 22 is also called a reel or coil. The spiral spring is also called a coil spring. The spring cover is also called a coil spring cover. The through hole can be called a cable through hole. The cable annular groove can also be called an annular groove for accommodating the cable. The sleeve 12 is called a flexible sleeve.
[0056] Components, structures, or quantities not marked above are not shown in the drawings, and some components are not marked in the drawings. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only. In case of any inconsistency between the drawings and the text description, or between the drawings themselves, the text description shall prevail.
[0057] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A retractor for a car trunk tailgate, characterized in that: The device includes a cable and a retractor body fixed inside the trunk. The retractor body includes a chassis bracket, a wheel located on one side of the chassis bracket for winding the cable, and a wheel cover to prevent the cable from disengaging from the wheel's cable groove. The wheel cover is fitted over the wheel and fixed to the chassis bracket. The retractor body also includes a spiral spring located on the other side of the chassis bracket and a spring cover covering the spiral spring and fixed to the chassis bracket. One end of the wheel axle is rotatably fitted into the center hole of the wheel cover, and the other end of the wheel axle is rotatably fitted into the center hole of the chassis bracket, extending into the center hole of the spiral spring and locking the inner end of the spiral spring. The outer end of the spiral spring is locked onto the spring cover. The wheel has a cylindrical pin that fixes one end of the cable, and the other end of the cable is connected to the tailgate. The cable also has a limiting pin for limiting its movement against the chassis bracket.
2. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two retractors, both with the same structure. The other end of the pull cable of one retractor is connected to the left side of the tailgate, and the other end of the pull cable of the other retractor is connected to the right side of the tailgate.
3. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chassis support has a limiting plate that is bent at 90° to the chassis of the chassis support. The limiting plate has a first through hole for the cable to pass through. The limiting pin, which is fitted and fixed to the steel wire rope of the cable, limits the cable when the back panel is in the seated position and the cable is under force.
4. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 3, characterized in that: There is a noise-reducing washer with a second through hole between the end face of the limit pin and the limit plate.
5. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 3, characterized in that: An L-shaped plate is fixed to the outer side of the limiting plate, which serves as a reinforcement and cable guide. The L-shaped plate has a third through hole for the cable and a guide sleeve.
6. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other end of the cable is hinged to the rear door.
7. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 6, characterized in that: Both sides of the rear door are screwed with a bolt. On the outside of the hexagonal head of the bolt is a hinge post with a cable annular groove. The cable ring at the other end of the cable rotates and fits into the cable annular groove.
8. The retractor for a car trunk tailgate according to claim 1, characterized in that: There is a wear-resistant and noise-reducing pad between the spiral spring and the other surface of the chassis support. The noise-reducing pad has a fourth through hole for the wheel axle to pass through.