Closure mechanism for a fuel tank recess of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Such a closure arrangement with a cover part that covers the tank recess flush with an edge of the tank recess in a closed position and releases it in an open position, with a guide structure arranged in the area of ​​the tank recess in a vehicle-mounted state in the ready-to-use state, which forms a positive guide for the cover part between the closed position and the open position such that the cover part, starting from a closed position, performs a parallel displacement relative to the edge of the tank recess out of the flush position and then moves away from the tank recess, as well as with a drive system that is connected to the cover part and has a gear drive, is known. According to the invention, the guide structure has a linear guide section for moving the lid part from the closed position inwards towards the center of the vehicle and a subsequent circular arc section to then pivot the lid part away from the tank recess in order to move the lid part inwards. Use in passenger cars

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a closure assembly for a fuel tank recess of a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. Such a closure assembly is known from DE 10 2021 129 941 A1 or DE 10 2022 113 349 A1. The known closure assemblies are each provided for a fuel tank recess of a motor vehicle and have a closure cover that closes the respective fuel tank recess flush in a closed position and releases it in an open position. Each closure assembly has a guide structure that comprises a linear guide section for displacing the closure cover inward from the closed position and an adjoining circular arc section. After the inward displacement, the closure cover is moved away from the fuel tank recess along the circular arc section in order to release it.

[0002] Another closure arrangement is known from DE 10 2020 209 607 A1, there in the embodiment according to the Fig. 7 to 9. A fuel tank recess of a motor vehicle in the area of ​​an outer body shell of the motor vehicle serves to refuel an energy storage device of a drive system of the motor vehicle with electricity. To cover the fuel tank recess flush with the outer body shell, a cover part is provided which can be displaced between the closed position flush with the outer body shell and an open position. The cover part is guided in a parallel, displaceable manner in a vehicle-side guide structure. A drive system with a drive gear and a rack element assigned to the cover part, which meshes with the drive gear, serves to displace the cover part between the closed position and the open position. The drive gear is driven by an electric drive motor.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide a closure arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset which enables accommodation in a compact installation space of a motor vehicle.

[0004] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. In contrast to the prior art, in which the cover part is displaced longitudinally inwards or outwards relative to the vehicle center parallel to the outer skin of the body, in the solution according to the invention the cover part is pivoted in the direction of the open position in order to release the tank recess for refueling the corresponding energy storage device. The tank recess can be designed for refueling with electricity or for refueling with a liquid energy supplier such as fuel for an internal combustion engine or hydrogen for a fuel cell. The solution according to the invention is suitable for use in passenger cars as well as for use in commercial or truck vehicles. In contrast to a linear displacement parallel to the outer skin of the body, a pivoting of the cover part requires only a small amount of installation space on the vehicle.

[0005] According to the invention, the cover part has a pivot bearing axis which is guided in the guide structure along the linear guide section for limited linear movement. The pivot bearing axis is advantageously aligned at least largely parallel to a plane of the tank recess which is spanned by an edge of the tank recess, preferably an edge of the tank recess flush with the outer body shell. Depending on the position of the vehicle-side tank recess, the pivot bearing axis can advantageously be aligned substantially in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, vertical direction, or transverse direction. The limited linear mobility of the pivot bearing axis enables a limited inward lifting movement of the cover part relative to the tank recess in order to cancel the flush alignment of the cover part with the edge of the tank recess and thus release the cover part for the desired pivoting movement.

[0006] In a further embodiment of the invention, the cover part is rigidly connected to a support frame on which the pivot bearing axis is arranged and which has a rack section that meshes with a drive pinion of a drive motor of the drive system. The drive system therefore transmits its drive force via the drive pinion to the rack section of the support frame in order to subject the cover part to the successive limited linear movement and subsequent pivoting movement.

[0007] In a further embodiment of the invention, the rack section has a straight toothed section and a circularly curved toothed section that is curved coaxially to the pivot bearing axis. The straight toothed section effects the desired linear movement, i.e., the lifting movement of the cover part. The circularly curved toothed section effects the desired pivoting movement of the cover part.

[0008] In a further embodiment of the invention, the circular arc section of the guide structure is arranged at a radial distance relative to the pivot bearing axis of the cover part. This provides, in addition to the pivot bearing in the area of ​​the pivot bearing axis, a stable pivot guide along the circular arc section. The circular arc section is advantageously provided as a slotted guide in the guide structure.

[0009] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support frame has two parallel, spaced-apart support legs, between which the pivot bearing axis extends and on each of which a rack section is arranged. Two drive pinions are provided that can rotate synchronously with each other and are driven by a common drive motor. This ensures particularly stable guidance of the cover part.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the invention, the guide structure comprises a structural frame with two parallel, spaced-apart frame sections, each of which contains identical linear guide and circular arc sections. The linear guide and circular arc sections are preferably designed as sliding guides, in which corresponding sliding pins of the support legs of the support frame of the cover part are guided.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the invention, the two frame sections flank the respective support leg of the support frame on the outside. This further improves the compact design of the closure assembly. Furthermore, the stability of the guide for the lid part is also further improved.

[0012] Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the claims. A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below and illustrated with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view from the inside of a vehicle of an embodiment of a closure arrangement according to the invention in the area of ​​a tank recess of a motor vehicle, Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the closure arrangement according to Fig. 1 from a different perspective and Fig. 3 to 6 in a side view the closure arrangement according to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in different positions of a cover part, whereby Fig. 3 the closed position and Fig. 6 shows the opening position of the cover part.

[0013] A motor vehicle has, according to Fig. 1 comprises a vehicle fender 1 as part of a body shell, in which a recess is provided on the outside, which is delimited by an edge 2 of a fuel tank recess that is flush with the body shell. The fuel tank recess is intended for refueling an on-board energy storage device of the motor vehicle with electricity. For this purpose, a charging socket L ( Fig. 3) located in the fuel tank recess. The charging socket L accommodates a mobile charging plug of a charging cable that can be connected to a charging station to refuel the vehicle's electrical energy storage system with electricity.

[0014] The recess in the outer body shell of the vehicle fender 1 can be closed or opened by a cover part 3, as can be seen from the Fig. 3 to 6. In a closed position, the cover part 3 is flush with the edge 2 of the fuel tank recess, with the outer side of the cover part 3 facing the vehicle's exterior being flush with the body's outer skin. The cover part 3 is also referred to as the fuel tank flap.

[0015] The cover part 3 is fastened at its end to a support frame 4 which, when the cover part 3 is in the closed position flush with the outer skin, projects from a rear side of the cover part 3 towards the vehicle interior. The support frame 4 has two mutually parallel support legs 9, between which a pivot bearing axis S extends at a parallel distance from a rear side of the cover part 3. The pivot bearing axis S is formed by two mutually coaxial pivot pins on the opposite support legs 9, each of which projects outwards away from the opposite support leg 9. The pivot pins of the pivot bearing axis S are each mounted for limited linear movement in a slotted guide serving as a linear guide section 14, approximately orthogonal to a plane spanned by the edge 2 of the tank recess.The two guide rails are provided in two parallel, spaced-apart frame sections of a structural frame 6 of a guide structure, wherein the guide structure is mounted fixedly to the vehicle. The lateral frame sections of the structural frame 6 of the vehicle-mounted guide structure flank the two support legs 9 on the outside, each parallel. The two frame sections of the structural frame 6 are firmly connected to one another, preferably in one piece, via cross members of the guide structure 5 (not further designated).

[0016] The two support legs 9 also each have a leg extension that is radially spaced from the pivot bearing axis S and, at its free end region, each carries a guide pin 13 that is mounted for linear movement in a circular arc section 12 in the form of a circular arc-shaped slotted guide of the respective frame section of the structural frame 6. The circular arc-shaped slotted section, namely the circular arc section 12, is aligned coaxially with the pivot bearing axis S in an end position of the pivot bearing axis S displaced inward from the edge 2 of the tank recess towards the vehicle center. Adjoining an upper end region of the respective circular arc-shaped slotted section 12 is a linear guide section 15 in the form of a slotted section, which is aligned parallel to the linear guide section 14 in the form of the slotted guide and has the same longitudinal extent as the linear guide section 14.

[0017] The guide rail and the guide rail section form linear guide sections 14, 15, and the circular arc-shaped guide rail in each frame section of the structural frame 6 of the guide structure forms a circular arc section 12 of the guide structure in the sense of the invention. The cover part 3 is thus moved from the closed position according to Fig. 3 can initially be moved inwards in a lifting manner relative to the edge 2 of the tank trough, before the pivot pins of the pivot bearing axis S strike a rear edge of the link guide 14 and the linear link section 15. In this position, the cover part 3 can now be rotated about the pivot bearing axis S (in the illustration according to the Fig. 3 to 6 clockwise) upwards, whereby the guide pins 13 of the support legs 9 move downwards in the circular arc-shaped guide section of the respective frame section of the structural frame 6. A return displacement of the cover part 3 from the open position according to Fig. 6 back to the closed position according to Fig. 3 is carried out in reverse order using the described forced guidance components of the guidance structure.

[0018] To enable automatic movement of the cover part 3 between the closed position and the open position, a drive system is provided which has an electric motor drive 7. The electric motor drive is formed by an electric motor and a suitable gear mechanism which drives two coaxial drive pinions 8 which are connected to one another in a rotationally fixed manner via a synchronization axis (not further specified). The two drive pinions 8 are each assigned to one of the two support legs 9. To enable drive by means of the drive pinions 8, the support legs 9 of the cover part 3 have, in the region of the respective leg extension, a toothed rack section at their respective upper edge. This rack section is formed by a circularly curved toothed section 10 and a straight toothed section 11 extending rearward from the cover part 3 towards the free front end region of the leg extension.The circularly curved toothing section 10 and the straight toothing section 11 mesh with the respective drive pinion 8, wherein the respective drive pinion 8 is designed as a spur gear.

[0019] Based on the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 it can be seen that the electric motor drive 7 is flanged on the outside to a front frame section of the structural frame 6 in the drawing plane and is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the two drive pinions 8 and the synchronization shaft by means of an output shaft (not shown).

[0020] As soon as the electric motor drive 7 is activated in the closed position of the cover part 3, the resulting rotation of the drive pinion 8 causes a force transmission to the toothed sections 11 and consequently a displacement of the leg extensions orthogonal to the plane spanned by the edge 2 of the tank recess inwards. In the illustration according to the Fig. 3 to 6, the drive pinion 8 is driven counterclockwise for this purpose. The support legs 9 of the support frame 4 of the cover part 3 are positively guided by the pivot pins of the pivot bearing axis S in the straight linear guide sections 14 and the linear guide sections 15 of the structural frame 6 until the pivot pins of the pivot bearing axis S strike the rear edge of the respective linear guide section 14. The leg extensions of the support legs 9 of the support frame 4 are now displaced inward toward the center of the vehicle so far that the meshing teeth of the drive pinion 8 are located at the transition between the straight toothed section 11 and the circular toothed section 10.A further counterclockwise rotation of the drive pinion 8 by the electric motor drive 7 now inevitably causes the support legs 9 to pivot about the pivot bearing axis S, the pivot pins of which rest on the rear edge of the linear guide sections 14 and can therefore no longer be linearly displaced, but can only be rotated due to their cylindrical structure. The circular-arc-shaped toothed section 10 meshes with the drive pinion 8, while the link pins 13 are displaced downwards along the circular arc path in the circular-arc-shaped pivot guide of the structural frame 6. As soon as the link pins 13 strike a lower edge of the circular-arc-shaped link guide, the open end position, i.e. the opening position, of the cover part 3 is reached.The electric motor drive 7 switches off automatically in this end position because a control device of the electric motor drive 7 (not shown) has detected that the end position has been reached by means of a sensor system (also not shown).

[0021] When the cover part 3 is moved from the open position according to Fig. 6 back to its closed end position, ie the closed position according to Fig. 3, the electric motor drive 7 drives the drive pinions 8 in the opposite direction of rotation. This results in a forced movement of the cover part 3 by means of the forced guide components of the structural frame of the guide structure and by means of the toothed sections 10 and 11 in the correspondingly reversed order. A suitable sensor system is also provided for the closed position of the cover part 3, which detects when the cover part 3 has reached the closed position and is coupled to the control device for the electric motor drive 7 in order to move it after reaching the end position, ie the closed position of the cover part 3 according to Fig. 3, to switch off.

Claims

[1] Closure arrangement for a fuel tank recess of a motor vehicle, with a cover part (3) which covers the fuel tank recess in a closed position flush with an edge (2) of the fuel tank recess and releases it in an open position, with a guide structure (5) which is arranged in a vehicle-fixed manner in the region of the fuel tank recess in a ready-to-use state and which forms a positive guide for the cover part (3) between the closed position and the open position in such a way that the cover part (3), starting from a closed position, carries out a parallel displacement relative to the edge (2) of the fuel tank recess out of the flush position and then moves away from the fuel tank recess, and with a drive system which is operatively connected to the cover part (3) and has a toothed gear, wherein the guide structure (5) has a linear guide section (14,15) for moving the cover part (3) from the closed position towards a vehicle centre inwards and an adjoining circular arc section (12) in order to subsequently pivot the cover part (3) away from the tank recess for moving the cover part (3) inwards, , characterized by that the cover part (3) has a pivot bearing axis (S) which is guided in the guide structure (5) along the linear guide section (14) in a limited linearly movable manner. [2] Closure arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the cover part (3) is firmly connected to a support frame (4) on which the pivot bearing axis (S) is arranged, and which has a rack section which meshes with a drive pinion (8) of a drive motor of the drive system. [3] Closure arrangement according to claim 2, characterized bythat the rack section has a straight toothing section (11) and a circular arc-shaped toothing section (10) which is curved coaxially to the pivot bearing axis (S). [4] Closure arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the circular arc section (12) of the guide structure (5) is arranged at a radial distance relative to the pivot bearing axis (S) of the cover part (3). [5] Closure arrangement according to claim 2, characterized by that the support frame (4) has two support legs (9) spaced parallel to one another, between which the pivot bearing axis (S) extends and on each of which a rack section is arranged, and that two drive pinions (8) which can be rotated synchronously with one another and can be driven by a common drive motor are provided. [6] Closure arrangement according to claim 5, characterized bythat the guide structure (5) has a structural frame (6) with two frame sections spaced parallel to one another, in which identical linear guide and circular arc sections (14, 15, 12) are formed. [7] Closure arrangement according to claim 6, characterized by that the two frame sections flank the respective support leg (9) of the support frame (4) on the outside.

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