Door edge protection device

Abstract

Door edge protection device for a motor vehicle door, comprising a door edge protection profile which is movably guided relative to the door at at least two locations lying one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the door, wherein the door edge protection profile is driven via an eccentric lever (1) rotatably mounted in the door, the eccentric lever (1) having an eccentric axis (3) on which a drive (4) acts, and wherein the door edge protection profile is driven against a tensioning return spring (8), and the return spring (8) acts on the eccentric axis (3), characterized in that a leg spring (7) is arranged as an overload protection spring between a single cable drum (5) of the drive (4) and the eccentric axis (3), which leg spring is arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric axis (3) so as to surround it, wherein this leg spring (7) is fixed on the one hand in the eccentric axis (3) and on the other hand to the cable drum (5), and wherein the return spring (8) is arranged in the eccentric axis (3) is arranged,which is hollow and protrudes with one of its legs from the hollow eccentric axis (3).

Description

The present invention relates to a door edge protection device for motor vehicle doors according to the preamble of claim 1.Such edge protection devices have edge protection bodies which are arranged within the door body in the vicinity of the opening door edge and, when the door is opened, pivot around the door edge and engage around the latter, so that the door edge is protected against impacts against adjacent vehicles or other obstacles such as trees, walls, etc. during the further opening.Edge protection body devices of this type are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,221,411 A, DE 199 34 404 A1, DE 102 15 903 A1, DE 10 2004 031 798 A1 and WO 2005 / 021 305 A1. A disadvantage of these known edge protection devices is that the edge protection body, when it is extended from the rest position--when the door is closed--predominantly performs an approximately 180° rotation about an axis parallel to the door edge or parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis when the door is opened. However, since the door edge of a motor vehicle door is usually not straight but curved, in the known devices the edge protection bodies cannot be formed with an elongate contour adapted to the edge contour, but can only protect a narrow region of the edge. Furthermore, some of these are expensive structures requiring space.U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,991 A1 likewise discloses a door edge protection device in which a protection profile is extended by means of an eccentric lever which is driven by a pull and reset by means of a restoring spring.An edge protection device is known from DE 94 05 958 U1, in which the edge protection profile is mounted twice, wherein the mounting facing away from the door edge is a linear guide, which simultaneously serves to drive the edge protection profile, while the mounting facing the door edge is carried out by means of an intermediate lever mounted on the door, which causes a pivoting movement of the edge protection profile about the door edge during the forward and rearward movement of the drive. The disadvantage here is that the pivoting movement does not allow the edge protection profile to be moved around the entire door edge, since the intermediate lever, due to the linear drive, can only execute a pivoting movement of less than 180°. This surrounding of the door edge by the door edge protection profile is necessary, however, if the door edge is to be effectively protected, in particular in the case of sharp corners and edges against which the door is opened.From EP 2 065 260 B1 of its own, a door edge protection device on a motor vehicle door is known, having a door edge protection profile which is guided movably with respect to the door at at least two locations located one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the door, wherein the door edge protection profile is driven via an eccentric lever rotatably mounted in the door. The eccentric lever is rotatable with respect to the door edge protection profile via an eccentric bolt and the eccentric lever is rotated via an end position parallel to the longitudinal direction of the door and a translatory forward-rearward movement of the door edge protection profile is thus generated. The eccentric lever is driven by means of a Bowden cable via a connected double pulley. The rotation of the pulley caused by the Bowden cable causes not only the rotation of the eccentric lever, but also the compression of a spring by means of a further Bowden cable in order to guide the Bowden cable back into the initial position when the load is released.DE 10 2014 015 476 A1 discloses a locking device for a vehicle door comprising a blocking member for blocking unlocking of the vehicle door when a predefined actuation speed of a door handle of the vehicle door is exceeded, and an overload clutch for limiting a force occurring during this blocking. The overload coupling is a spring between the door handle and the door lock.It is the object of the invention to provide an alternative in which the drive mechanism does not break in the event of overload, and likewise to provide a simpler alternative with a small structural size.This object is achieved by a door edge protection device having the features of claim 1.What is disclosed is a door edge protection device for a motor vehicle door, having a door edge protection profile which is guided movably with respect to the door at at least two locations situated one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the door, wherein the door edge protection profile is driven via an eccentric lever rotatably mounted in the door, the eccentric lever has an eccentric axis on which a drive acts, and wherein the door edge protection profile is driven against a clamping restoring spring and the restoring spring acts on the eccentric axis. According to the invention, a leg spring is arranged between a single cable drum of the drive and the eccentric axle as an overload protection spring, which is arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric axle surrounding the latter, wherein this leg spring is fixed on the one hand in the eccentric axle and on the other hand on the cable drum, and wherein the restoring spring is arranged in the eccentric axle, which is of hollow design, and protrudes with one of its legs from the hollow eccentric axle.It has been recognized that if an overload clutch is provided between the drive and the eccentric axle, it is possible to prevent the drive mechanism of the door protection device from being destroyed, in particular when it is closed.The overload function protects the door edge protection device from damage in the event that, when the door is closed, the protection strip of the door edge protection device is accidentally held fast on the door edge. In the case of a "positive-locking" connection between the door and door edge protection movement, this leads to the destruction of the mechanics due to the large reduction ratio. The direction of action is "door closing".The overload protection can be formed by a leg spring acting in the opposite direction to the restoring spring (see below).As already mentioned above, the eccentric axle is hollow, so that the restoring spring is arranged in the interior of the eccentric axle, which additionally saves installation space.In other words, it has been recognized that an overload clutch in the form of a frictional connection between the cable drum and the eccentric axis is advantageous. For this purpose, a leg spring acting in the opposite direction to the restoring spring is arranged as an overload protection against over-rotation between the cable drum and the eccentric axle.An eccentric mounting of the drum would also be conceivable. The "overload springs" known hitherto, as are known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,991 A1 FIG. 2, act in the case of an impact. The direction of action is "door opening".It has additionally been recognized that if the drive for rotating the eccentric axle is formed by a single cable drum in combination with a restoring spring which is tensioned directly by the rotation of the eccentric axle and acts directly on it, it is possible to simplify the construction of the known door edge protection device. In other words, the cable drum is used for extension, whereas the restoring spring is used for retraction.In particular, the overload clutch, i.e. the overload protection spring, is then arranged between the cable drum and the eccentric axis.According to EP 2 065 260 B1, a double cable drum drive is known, one cable drum for extending the door edge protection device, the second for restoring the unit.The drive for rotating the eccentric axis is formed by a single cable drum in combination with a leg spring, wherein the restoring spring is a leg spring which is tensioned directly by the rotation of the eccentric axis and acts directly on the latter.In this case, the leg spring, i.e. the overload protection spring, can be arranged axially with respect to the eccentric axis, and, as already mentioned, arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric axis, can surround the eccentric axis.The advantage of the single cable drum drive is, in contrast, the extremely space-saving arrangement. This is advantageous in particular when using a leg spring if a rotation of more than 90° is necessary for the eccentric drive, since the second cable drum or a transmission gear is necessary for the return.The leg spring does not require a separate drive, as is the case in the prior art. The drive unit of the door edge protection device can also be constructed more compact and with fewer parts.This applies in particular if the leg spring is arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric axis and surrounds the eccentric axis. Thus, it is tensioned in the simplest manner by rotating the eccentric axis or counteracts this rotation and thus permits a resetting.Many embodiments are possible for driving the eccentric lever, some of which advantageous ones are described below. These examples are not complete, but rather all drives are suitable which apply a torque to the eccentric lever and thus cause a rotation thereof.The eccentric lever has an eccentric axis on which the drive acts. The drive can then be applied to the eccentric lever from a position which can also be mounted outside the displacement mechanism.The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures, wherein the same reference numerals in the figures denote the same elements, unless otherwise indicated. The following are shown: FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of an eccentric lever with an eccentric axis; FIG. 1B shows a schematic view from below of the eccentric lever according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 2 shows a schematic view from the front of the eccentric lever according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the eccentric lever according to FIG. 2 along the line A-A; and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the eccentric lever according to FIG. 1 along the line B-B.The figures show an eccentric lever 1 as it is used as part of a door edge protection device according to EP 2 065 260 B1.For this purpose, the eccentric lever 1 would be connected, as described in EP 2 065 260 B1, to the door edge protection profile via an eccentric bolt 2 by means of a retaining rod.The eccentric lever 1 is mounted rotatably in the door about an eccentric axis 3 and is driven by a Bowden cable 4.Connected to the eccentric lever 1 is a simple cable drum 5, which is arranged concentrically with respect to the eccentric axis 3 and by means of which the eccentric lever 1 is driven by means of the Bowden cable 4. By pulling on the Bowden cable 4, the eccentric lever 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow C in a known manner.When the cable drum 5 is rotated, the eccentric axle 3 operatively connected thereto is likewise rotated. A leg spring 7 mounted on the eccentric axle 3 also rotates and tensions as soon as the eccentric lever 1 is moved to a block or cannot rotate any further for other reasons.The leg spring 7 is interposed as an overload protection spring between the cable drum 5 and the eccentric axle 3, i.e. the cable drum rotation rotates the leg spring 7 and the latter rotates the eccentric axle 3 and thus the eccentric lever 1.Inside the hollow eccentric axle 3 there is a second leg spring as a restoring spring 8, which likewise stresses when the eccentric axle 3 is rotated, but in the opposite direction. If the tension in the Bowden cable 4 is reduced, the restoring spring 8 pulls the eccentric lever 1 back into the initial position again.The overload function protects the door edge protection device from damage in the event that, when the door is fired, the protection strip of the door edge protection device is accidentally held on the door edge. In the case of a "positive-locking" connection between the door and door edge protection movement, this otherwise leads to the destruction of the mechanics on account of the great reduction ratio. The direction of action is "door closing".

Claims

Door edge protection device for a motor vehicle door, having a door edge protection profile which is guided movably with respect to the door at at least two locations situated one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the door, wherein the door edge protection profile is driven via an eccentric lever (1) rotatably mounted in the door, the eccentric lever (1) has an eccentric axis (3) on which a drive (4) acts, and wherein the door edge protection profile is driven against a tensioning restoring spring (8) and the restoring spring (8) acts on the eccentric axis (3), characterized in that a leg spring (7) is arranged between a single cable drum (5) of the drive (4) and the eccentric axis (3) as an overload protection spring, which leg spring is arranged on the outer circumference of the eccentric axis (3) so as to surround the latter, wherein this leg spring (7) is fixed on the one hand in the eccentric axis (3) and on the other hand on the cable drum (5), and wherein the restoring spring (8) is arranged in the eccentric axis (3), which is of hollow design, and protrudes with one of its legs from the hollow eccentric axis (3).Door edge protection device according to claim 1, characterised in that the drive (4) is configured for rotating the eccentric axle (3) by the single cable drum (5) in combination with the restoring spring (8), wherein the restoring spring (8) is a leg spring which is tensioned directly by the rotation of the eccentric axle (3) and acts directly on the latter.Door edge protection device according to claim 2, characterised in that the leg spring (7) is arranged axially to the eccentric axis (3).

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