LIFTING DEVICE FOR A COMPONENT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND METHOD FOR FIXING AT LEAST ONE SUPPORT ARM OF A LIFTING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lifting device for an assembly of a motor vehicle with the features of the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for fixing at least one support arm of a lifting device with the features of independent claim 9. State of the art

[0002] Lifting devices are largely used in automotive workshops to assemble or disassemble heavy components, such as drive systems. These devices typically consist of a load-bearing unit to hold the component and a support unit that can be attached to the lifting unit. The load-bearing unit is positioned relative to the vehicle component by moving or adjusting the support arms.

[0003] A lifting device for a motor vehicle assembly is already known from DE 10 2014 117 703 A1. The lifting device has a load-bearing unit with at least one support arm. A coupling unit for detachably connecting the support arm to the motor vehicle assembly is arranged on the support arm.

[0004] EP 3 336 633 A1 also shows a lifting device for a motor vehicle assembly. The motor vehicle assembly has a load-bearing unit with at least one support arm pivotable about a longitudinal axis of the load-bearing unit, and a coupling unit arranged on the support arm for detachably connecting the support arm to the motor vehicle assembly. Furthermore, a locking unit is shown, which makes it possible to secure the set position of the support arm, i.e., the position of the support arm pivoted relative to the load-bearing unit. The locking unit has a brake element which can be adjusted towards a housing body of the load-bearing unit by means of an actuating element, in particular a clamping lever. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the invention to provide a lifting device for a motor vehicle assembly, as well as a method for fixing at least one support arm of a lifting device, which enables a particularly simple, safe and efficient method of fixing the support arm. The lifting device according to the invention makes it possible to achieve any angular adjustment of the support arms.

[0006] It is advantageous that the lever clamp has at least two spring-loaded pins on the side facing the central disc, which can disappear into a recess against a spring force. In this way, the clamping action is achieved by a force transmission that is several times greater than the spring force, and therefore with a higher force than if only two smooth or roughened surfaces were pressed against each other by the lever clamp.

[0007] A further advantage is achieved by the fact that the central disc has bores with an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the spring-loaded pins, allowing for a positive fit between the spring-loaded pins and the bores. This positive fit between the at least one pin and the bore further strengthens the fixation.

[0008] The arrangement of the holes on the outer edge of the central disc is advantageous, as this allows for a smaller and more cost-effective design of the lever clamp.

[0009] It is advantageous if the bores are arranged as closely together as possible and at uniform intervals along the outer edge of the central disc, as this increases the possibility of simultaneous force-fit and form-fit. If an angular position is chosen where only force-fit is possible, and an extremely high axial force acts on the support arm, only a small displacement of the support arm in the axial direction is possible. Due to the axial displacement, even after a movement of just a small degree, a spring-loaded pin and a bore can form a form-fit, thus blocking further displacement.

[0010] Due to its simple and cost-effective design, a lever clamp, which can be fixed to the central disc by means of a threaded screw, is advantageous.

[0011] In order to make the lifting device as flexible and easy to adapt as possible to different vehicle assemblies, it has a coupling unit or a receiving unit which is arranged longitudinally displaceable on the support arm and is designed for the detachable connection of the support arm to the vehicle assembly.

[0012] It is advantageous if the at least one support arm can be fixed by friction, whereby at least one spring-loaded pin, located on the lever clamp, is pressed against the central disc. Because fixing can be achieved solely through friction, the support arm can be set to any desired angular position. This is a significant advantage, as it allows for flexible adjustment of the lifting device. Due to the force exerted by the spring-loaded pins on the surface of the central disc, secure fixing of the support arm is also possible in positions where no positive locking occurs.

[0013] A particular advantage is that, depending on the angle of the fixing of at least one support arm, at least one spring-loaded pin and a bore in the central disc also engage in a positive fit, as the spring-loaded pin engages in a bore. This positive fit, which acts in addition to the frictional fit, improves the fixing. Examples of implementation

[0014] Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and explained in more detail in the following description.

[0015] They show: Figure 1 a perspective view of a lifting device with a load-bearing unit with four support arms, Figure 2 an enlarged section of a central disc with a support arm, showing the fixing of the support arm in the closed state; Figure 3an enlarged section of a central disc with a support arm, which shows the fixing of the support arm in the open state and Figure 4 A first view of the central disc with holes. Embodiments of the invention

[0016] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a lifting device 1 with a load-bearing unit 2 and a support unit 4, which can, for example, be attached to a lifting unit. The load-bearing unit 2 serves to connect to a component of a motor vehicle and therefore has at least one support arm 3.

[0017] An embodiment with four support arms 3 is shown in the Figure 1The four support arms 3 are shown, rotatable about a central axis 10. To make the connection between a component of a motor vehicle and the load-bearing unit 2 as flexible as possible, the support arms 3 can have at least one coupling unit 9 or at least one receiving unit 9, which are arranged to be longitudinally displaceable on the support arm 3 and are designed to allow the support arm 3 to be detachably connected to the assembly of the motor vehicle.

[0018] In addition to at least one support arm 3, the load-bearing unit 2 also has a central disk 11, wherein the central disk 11 is arranged rotationally symmetrically around the central axis 10.

[0019] The support arms 3 are connected by a lever clamp 30, such that an edge 12 of the central disc 11 is located between the lower edge of the central disc 11 and the lever clamp 30. The lever clamp 30 can be used to fix the support arm 3 to the central disc 11, preventing it from moving, or to release it, allowing it to rotate about the central axis 10.

[0020] Figure 2Figure 1 shows an enlarged section of a central disc 11 with a support arm 3, illustrating how the support arm 3 is fixed in the closed position. The lever clamp 30 is attached to the end of the support arm 3 facing the central disc 11. An edge 12 of the central disc 11, which serves as a guide edge, is enclosed by both the support arm 3 and the lever clamp 30. The support arm 3 is fixed by tightening the screw 13, which is located in a threaded section. The support arm 3 is loosened by loosening the screw 13, which is located in the threaded section.

[0021] The support arm 3 is further connected to the central disc 11 via a bracket 14, which is rotatable around a support, so that the support arm 3 is connected to the central disc 11 even when the fixing is open.

[0022] Figure 3shows an enlarged section of the central disk 11 with a support arm, which shows the fixing of the support arm in the open state.

[0023] The lever clamp 30 has at least two spring-loaded pins 32 on the side facing the central disc 11. The spring-loaded pins 32 are spring-loaded and can be fully retracted into a recess in the lever clamp 30 against a spring force. The recess has a diameter that corresponds to the outer diameter of the spring-loaded pins 32. The spring-loaded pins 32 can have a circular cross-section and a rounded tip.

[0024] When the support arm 3 is fixed to the central disc 11 by tightening the screw 13, the spring-loaded pins 32 are recessed in the depression and exert a force corresponding to the spring force on the surface of the central disc 11.

[0025] In another embodiment, the central disc 11 can have bores 33. Figure 4 A corresponding central disc 11 with bores 33 is shown. The bores 33 are located on the underside of the central disc 11, i.e., the side facing the support unit 4. The bores 33 are arranged such that they can engage positively with the spring-loaded pins 32 when the support arm 3 assumes an angular position, so that the bore 33 and the spring-loaded pin 32 are opposite each other. The bores 33 have an inner diameter that corresponds to the outer diameter of the spring-loaded pins 32.

[0026] The bores 33 are arranged at the same distance from the central axis 10 as the spring-loaded pins 32. The bores 33 are usually located at the outer edge of the central disc 11, so that the spring-loaded pins 32 can engage positively with the bores 33. The bores 33 are arranged at uniform intervals along the outer edge of the central disc 11.

[0027] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, seventy-two bores 33 are evenly distributed on the central disk 11. The center point of each bore 33 forms an angle of 5° from the central axis 10 to the next bore 33. Each bore 33 has a diameter of 5 mm and a depth of 4.5 mm. Six spring-loaded pins 32 are arranged on the lever clamp 30, the center point of each circular pin 32 forming an angle of 5.2° from the central axis 10 to the center point of the next pin 32.

[0028] The fixing of at least one support arm 3 to the central disc 11 can be done in two ways, depending on the chosen angular position.

[0029] If the angular position is chosen such that no spring-loaded pin 32 and no bore 33 are directly opposite each other, the support arm 3 is fixed by frictional engagement. This frictional engagement occurs when the spring-loaded pins 32, arranged on the lever clamp 30, are pressed against the central disc 11.

[0030] If, on the other hand, the angular position is chosen such that at least one spring-loaded pin 32 and at least one bore 33 are opposite each other, the support arm 3 is fixed by a positive locking and a frictional locking. The positive locking occurs when at least one spring-loaded pin 32 engages with at least one bore 33 by the spring-loaded pin 32 engaging in the bore 33, and the remaining spring-loaded pins 32 are pressed against the central disk 11 and engage in a frictional locking.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment of the Figure 2 and 3The lever clamp 30 has six spring-loaded pins 32.

[0032] In the embodiment with six spring-loaded pins 32, the support arm 3 is fixed by a purely frictional connection (the angular position is chosen such that the bores 33 and the pins 32 are not opposite each other) by pressing the six spring-loaded pins 32 against the wall of the central disc 11. Since each of the spring-loaded pins 32 is subjected to a spring force, a frictional connection is established between the support arm 3 and the central disc 11, which corresponds to at least six times the spring force. In addition to the force exerted by the springs, a frictional connection also occurs due to surface friction between the other contact points between the support arm 3 with lever clamp 30 and the central disc 11.

[0033] If, in this embodiment, the angular position is chosen such that a spring-loaded pin 32 and a bore 33 are directly opposite each other, the support arm 3 is fixed by a positive locking and a frictional locking action. In the frictional locking action, the remaining five spring-loaded pins 32 are pressed against the wall of the central disc 11. Since each of the spring-loaded pins 32 is subjected to a spring force, a frictional locking action occurs between the support arm 3 and the central disc 11, which corresponds to at least five times the spring force. In addition to the force exerted by the springs, a frictional locking action also occurs due to surface friction between the other contact points between the support arm 3 with lever clamp 30 and the central disc 11.

Claims

1. Lifting apparatus (1) for an assembly of a motor vehicle, having a load suspension unit (2) with at least one carrying arm (3) and a support unit (4) which can be arranged on a lifting unit, the at least one carrying arm (3) being rotatable about a central axis (10), characterized in that the at least one carrying arm (3) is connected to a lever clamp (30), wherein the carrying arm (3) can be fixed to a central disc (11) by the lever clamp (30) such that the carrying arm (3) can no longer be moved, wherein an edge (12) of the central disc (11) is enclosed both by the carrying arm (3) and by the lever clamp (30), wherein the central disc (11) is arranged rotationally symmetrically about the central axis (10).

2. Lifting apparatus (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lever clamp (30) has at least two spring-loaded pins (32) on the side facing the central disc (11).

3. Lifting apparatus (1) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the spring-loaded pins (32) can be completely retracted into a depression counter to a spring force.

4. Lifting apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central disc (11) has bores (33) which have an inner diameter which corresponds to the outer diameter of the spring-loaded pins (32), and therefore a form-fitting connection can take place between spring-loaded pins (32) and bores (33).

5. Lifting apparatus (1) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the bores (33) are arranged on the outer edge of the central disc (11).

6. Lifting apparatus (1) according to Claim 5, characterized in that the bores (33) are arranged at a uniform distance along the outer edge of the central disc (11).

7. Lifting apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lever clamp (30) can be fixed to the central disc (11) by a screw (13) which is guided by a thread (36).

8. Lifting apparatus (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein a coupling unit (9) or receiving unit (9) is arranged in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the carrying arm (3) and is designed for the releasable connection of the carrying arm (3) to the assembly of a motor vehicle.

9. Method for fixing at least one carrying arm (3) of a lifting apparatus (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing of the at least one carrying arm (3) is brought about by a frictional connection, in which at least one spring-loaded pin (32), which is located on the lever clamp (30), is pressed against the central disc (11).

10. Method for fixing at least one carrying arm (3) according to Claim 9, wherein, depending on the angular position during the fixing of the at least one carrying arm (3), at least one spring-loaded pin (32) and a bore (33) of the central disc (11) additionally enter into a form-fitting connection by a spring-loaded pin (32) engaging in a bore (33).