Door hinge device for vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle door hinge device is disclosed. A vehicle door hinge device according to one embodiment of the present invention enables each door to open and close independently in a vehicle without a B-pillar, wherein a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of the door moves diagonally outward along a rail by the driving force of a motor inside a case, thereby securing the rotational trajectory of the door.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door hinge device, and more specifically, to a vehicle door hinge device that enables each door to open and close independently by pushing the hinge portion of the door outward from the vehicle body in a vehicle without a B-pillar. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, vehicle doors serve the important function of separating the interior and exterior of a vehicle, blocking external noise, rain, dust, and wind, and absorbing impact along with the side structure in the event of a side collision to safely protect the occupants.

[0003] There are various types of vehicle doors, including special-purpose doors, but hinged swing doors are most commonly used in passenger vehicles.

[0004] Typically, a swing door refers to a door that opens outward from the vehicle body around a hinge axis installed between the vehicle body and the hinge bracket, and has the advantages of being easy to open and close, having a simple structure, and being easy to maintain and repair.

[0005] Meanwhile, some vehicles feature opposing swing doors that provide a great sense of openness when opened and are advantageous for passengers getting on and off.

[0006] These opposing swing doors are classified into types without a B-pillar and types with a B-pillar.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a vehicle equipped with opposing swing doors according to an example of the prior art, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the portion where the front door and the rear door meet in the vehicle of FIG. 1.

[0008] First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of a facing swing door applied to a vehicle (100) without a B-pillar is shown. A hinge portion of the front door (110) is installed at the front end of the front door (110), and a hinge portion of the rear door (120) is installed at the rear end of the rear door (120).

[0009] For such opposing swing doors, a latch (LC) is installed on one side of the front door (110) or rear door (120) to maintain a locked state.

[0010] In addition, a sealing (S) for airtightness is installed between the rear end of the front door (110) and the front end of the rear door (120).

[0011] As described above, the opposing swing door of the vehicle (100) without a B-pillar has a good sense of openness when passengers get in and out or during leisure activities, but it has a disadvantage that the order of opening and closing is predetermined, such as having to open the front door (110) first or close it later, due to interference problems where the rotational trajectories of the front door (110) and the rear door (120) overlap when the front door (110) and the rear door (120) are opened and closed.

[0012] As such, the opening and closing sequence of the front door (110) and the rear door (120) is predetermined, so there is a problem that the rear door (120) cannot be opened or closed independently.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a vehicle equipped with opposing swing doors according to another example of the prior art, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the portion where the front door and the rear door meet in the vehicle of FIG. 3.

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an example of a facing swing door applied to a vehicle (200) having a B-pillar (230) is shown. In this case, the front door (210) has a hinge portion installed at the front end of the front door (210), and the rear door (220) has a hinge portion installed at the rear end of the rear door (220).

[0015] These opposing swing doors are equipped with a latch (LC) to maintain a locked state between each side of the front door (210) and the rear door (220) and the B-pillar (230).

[0016] In addition, a sealing (S) for airtightness is installed between the rear end of the front door (210) corresponding to the B-pillar (230) and the front end of the rear door (220) and the B-pillar (230).

[0017] As such, the opposing swing door of the vehicle (100) with the B-pillar is configured so that the front door (210) and the rear door (220) rotate relative to the B-pillar (230), allowing each to open and close independently, which has the advantage of a free operating sequence, but there is a problem that the sense of openness is reduced during passenger boarding / alighting or leisure activities due to the application of the B-pillar (230).

[0018] As such, the opposing swing door has a difference in the sense of openness depending on the presence or absence of the B-pillar, and there is a difference in the opening and closing operation of the front door and the rear door.

[0019] Meanwhile, as described above, in order to resolve the problem of the operating sequence of the front door (110) and the rear door (120) while maintaining the openness of the vehicle (100) without a B-pillar, there are examples in which a gooseneck type hinge device is applied as a door hinge device for a facing swing door, but such a gooseneck type hinge device requires a lot of extra space in the width direction of the vehicle body due to the characteristics of its shape, making it difficult to configure the vehicle body layout.

[0020] Accordingly, in order to apply a facing swing door to a vehicle without a B-pillar, a door hinge device is required to implement a new opening and closing structure. Prior art literature

[0021] The matters described in the background technology section of the Korean Intellectual Property Office Publication No. 2019-0028966 (Publication Date: March 20, 2019) are intended to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not prior art already known to a person skilled in the art to which this technology belongs. The problem to be solved

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a vehicle door hinge device that enables door opening and closing operation in a vehicle without a B-pillar, wherein a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of the door moves diagonally outward from the vehicle body by the driving force of a motor inside a case, thereby securing the rotational trajectory of the door. means of solving the problem

[0023] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a vehicle door hinge device may be provided, comprising: a case installed diagonally toward the outside of the vehicle body on one side of the vehicle body corresponding to one end of the door, having a guide slot formed on the outer surface, and having rails formed longitudinally on the upper and lower sides of the interior; a hinge slider installed to slide along the rail through a slider inside the case, and connected via a hinge axis to a door hinge bracket fixed to one end of the door outside the case through the guide slot; and a driving unit configured such that a nut bracket installed on a screw arranged longitudinally inside the case is connected to the hinge slider, thereby causing the hinge slider to move along the rail by motor driving.

[0024] The above door may have one end formed by the front end of the front door or the rear end of the rear door.

[0025] The above case may include an outer case having guide slots formed along the longitudinal direction on the upper and lower portions of the cross-section to guide the hinge slider; and an inner case assembled with the outer case, having the motor and screw of the drive unit fixed on the inner portion.

[0026] In addition, the rail may be composed of an upper rail and a lower rail that are arranged longitudinally along the internal joint of the inner case and the outer case and fixed to the inner upper surface and the inner lower surface, respectively.

[0027] The hinge slider may comprise an inner hinge slider, the upper and lower sides of which are respectively connected to slide along the rail through the slider inside the case; and an outer hinge slider, which is integrally connected to the inner hinge slider through the guide slot outside the case and whose tip is hinge-connected to the door hinge bracket through a hinge axis.

[0028] Here, the outer hinge slider may comprise: an upper outer hinge bar integrally connected to one side of the upper portion of the inner hinge slider through an upper guide slot formed on the upper portion of the outer surface of the case from the outside of the case; a lower outer hinge bar integrally connected to one side of the lower portion of the inner hinge slider through a lower guide slot formed on the lower portion of the outer surface of the case from the outside of the case; and an outer connecting bar that interconnects the upper and lower outer hinge bars from the outside of the case.

[0029] Additionally, the door hinge bracket may comprise an upper door hinge bracket fixed to the upper side of one end of the door and hinge-connected to the front end of the upper outer hinge bar through a hinge axis; and a lower door hinge bracket fixed to the lower side of one end of the door and hinge-connected to the front end of the lower outer hinge bar through a hinge axis.

[0030] The above driving unit may include: a motor fixed on the inner cross-section of the case; a reduction gear configured on the motor shaft of the motor to reduce and output the rotational force of the motor; a screw arranged parallel to the rail, with one end connected to the reduction gear and the other end rotatably installed on the inner cross-section of the case through a bearing member; and a nut bracket movably installed on the screw, with one end fixed to the hinge slider. Effects of the invention

[0031] A vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention allows a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of the door to slide along a rail in an outward diagonal direction of the vehicle body by the driving force of a motor inside a case to secure a rotational trajectory of the door in advance, thereby enabling both doors to be opened and closed simultaneously, and also enabling one door to be opened and closed independently.

[0032] In addition, the hinge portion of the door automatically slides diagonally outward along the hinge slider by the driving force of the motor, and then the sliding position of the hinge slider is maintained in a fixed state through motor control so that the door opening and closing operation can be achieved stably.

[0033] Accordingly, the vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention maintains the advantage of a good sense of openness when passengers get on or off or engage in leisure activities in a facing swing door of a vehicle without a B-pillar, and has the effect of not affecting the order of opening and closing the doors even when each door is opened and closed.

[0034] In addition, the vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of being slim compared to a conventional gooseneck type hinge device, and also has the advantage of being able to accommodate the vehicle body layout configuration without requiring extra space due to the operating radius. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0035] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a vehicle equipped with a facing swing door according to an example of the prior art. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the part where the front door and the rear door meet in the vehicle of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating a vehicle equipped with opposing swing doors according to another example of the prior art. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the part where the front door and the rear door meet in the vehicle of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an inner perspective view of a vehicle door to which a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIGS. 6 and FIGS. 7 are perspective views projecting a case of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 8 to 10 are plan cross-sectional views illustrating the stepwise operation states of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0037] However, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are depicted arbitrarily for the convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is shown in the drawings; thicknesses have been enlarged or reduced to clearly represent various parts and regions. Additionally, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted to clearly explain the embodiments of the present invention.

[0038] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, for convenience of explanation, the upper left direction of FIG. 5 is defined as the front and the lower right direction as the rear. Additionally, the vehicle door hinge device according to the embodiment of the present invention is described as an example applied to the rear door behind the passenger seat.

[0039] FIG. 5 is an inner perspective view of a vehicle door to which a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are projected perspective views of a case of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The vehicle door hinge device (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention is described as being applied to the rear door behind the passenger seat of a passenger vehicle without a B-pillar, but is not limited thereto and can also be applied between the front doors (FDR) on both sides and the vehicle body (BD) of a passenger vehicle without a B-pillar, and between the rear doors (RDR) on both sides and the vehicle body (BD).

[0041] That is, when the doors are opened or closed, the front door (FDR) or the rear door (RDR) moves to the outside of the vehicle body (BD) in each diagonal direction in front of or behind the vehicle body (BD), thereby securing the rotational trajectory of each door, allowing both doors to be opened and closed simultaneously or one door to be opened and closed independently.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, a vehicle door hinge device (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a case (10), a hinge slider (20), and a driving unit (30).

[0043] The above case (10) is installed diagonally toward the outside of the vehicle body on one side of the vehicle body (BD) corresponding to one end of the door (DR).

[0044] Here, the term "door (DR)" may refer to a front door (FDR) or a rear door (RDR), and may refer to both simultaneously. That is, in the case of a front door (FDR), one end may be one side of the front end of the front door (FDR), and in the case of a rear door (RDR), one end may be one side of the rear end of the rear door (RDR).

[0045] And one side of the vehicle body (BD) on which the above-mentioned front door (FDR) is installed refers to one side of the front of the vehicle body (BD), and at this time, the front door (FDR) may be installed diagonally toward the front outer side of the vehicle body (BD).

[0046] In addition, one side of the vehicle body (BD) on which the rear door (RDR) is installed refers to one side of the rear of the vehicle body (BD), and at this time, the rear door (RDR) may be installed diagonally toward the rear outer side of the vehicle body (BD).

[0047] The above case (10) has two guide slots (SL1) and (SL2) formed on the outer surface, and an upper rail (RL1) and a lower rail (RL2) are installed along the longitudinal direction on the upper and lower sides, respectively, inside.

[0048] That is, the above case (10) is formed by assembling an outer case (11) and an inner case (13) together.

[0049] The above outer case (11) faces the outside of the vehicle body (BD), and is cut along the longitudinal direction at the upper and lower parts of the cross-section, respectively, so that an upper guide slot (SL1) and a lower guide slot (SL2) are formed parallel to each other.

[0050] The inner case (13) faces the inner side of the vehicle body (BD) and is assembled with the outer case (11).

[0051] And the upper rail (SL1) is arranged longitudinally along the internal joint of the outer case (11) and the inner case (13) and fixed to the inner upper surface, and the lower rail (SL2) is arranged longitudinally along the internal joint of the outer case (11) and the inner case (13) and fixed to the inner lower surface.

[0052] In addition, the hinge slider (20) is installed between the outer case (11) and the inner case (13) via the upper rail (RL1) and the lower rail (RL2), and the driving unit (30) is installed on the inner cross-section of the inner case (13).

[0053] The hinge slider (20) is installed to slide along the upper rail (RL1) and lower rail (RL2) through two sliders (SD1) (SD2) inside the case (10), and is connected to a door hinge bracket (3) fixed to one end of the door (DR) outside the case (10) through two guide slots (SL1) (SL2) via a hinge shaft (5).

[0054] That is, the hinge slider (20) is composed of an inner hinge slider (21) located inside the case (10) and an outer hinge slider (23) located outside the case (10).

[0055] The inner hinge slider (21) is slidably connected to the upper rail (RL1) through the upper slider (SD1) and to the lower rail (RL2) through the lower slider (SD2) inside the space between the outer case (11) and the inner case (13).

[0056] The outer hinge slider (23) is integrally connected to the inner hinge slider (21) through the upper and lower guide slots (SL1) (SL2) on the outside of the outer case (11), and its tip is hinge-connected to the door hinge bracket (3) through the hinge shaft (5).

[0057] Here, the outer hinge slider (23) is formed by an upper outer hinge bar (25), a lower outer hinge bar (27), and an outer connecting bar (29).

[0058] That is, the upper outer hinge bar (25) is integrally connected to one side of the upper part of the inner hinge slider (21) through an upper guide slot (SL1) formed on the upper part of the outer surface of the outer case (11) from the outside of the outer case (11).

[0059] The lower outer hinge bar (27) is integrally connected to one side of the lower portion of the inner hinge slider (21) through a lower guide slot (SL2) formed on the lower portion of the outer surface of the outer case (11) from the outside of the outer case (11).

[0060] Additionally, the outer connecting bar (29) is formed by interconnecting the upper and lower outer hinge bars (25)(27) on the outside of the outer case (11).

[0061] And the door hinge bracket (3) is composed of an upper door hinge bracket (3a) and a lower door hinge bracket (3b).

[0062] That is, the upper door hinge bracket (3a) is fixed to the upper side of one end of the door (DR) and is hinge-connected to the tip of the upper outer hinge bar (25) through the hinge shaft (5).

[0063] In addition, the lower door hinge bracket (3b) is fixed to the lower side of one end of the door (DR) and is hinge-connected to the front end of the lower outer hinge bar (27) through a hinge shaft (5).

[0064] And the above driving unit (30) is configured such that a nut bracket (33) is installed on a screw (31) arranged along the longitudinal direction inside the outer and inner cases (11)(13), and the nut bracket (33) is connected to the inner hinge slider (21) so that the hinge slider (20) slides along the upper and lower rails (RL1)(RL2) by driving a motor (35).

[0065] That is, the above drive unit (30) is composed of a motor (35), a reduction gear (37), a screw (31), and a nut bracket (33).

[0066] The motor (35) is assembled and fixed on one side of the inner cross-section of the inner case (13).

[0067] Here, the motor (35) may be a stepper motor capable of controlling rotational speed and rotational direction.

[0068] The above reduction gear (37) is configured on the motor shaft (35a) of the motor (35) to reduce the rotational force of the motor (35) and output it.

[0069] The screw (31) is positioned parallel to the upper and lower rails (RL1)(RL2) inside the case (10), with one end connected to the output side of the reduction gear (37) and the other end rotatably installed on the inner cross-section of the inner case (13) through a bearing member (40).

[0070] Here, the bearing member (40) is fixed by fastening a bearing (41), which rotates and supports the other end of the screw (31), to the inner case (13) through a bearing block (43).

[0071] The nut bracket (33) is movably installed on the screw (31), and one side is fixed to the inner hinge slider (21).

[0072] That is, the nut bracket (33) moves in the forward and backward direction on the screw (31) which rotates by the rotational power of the motor (35), and transmits the rotational power to the forward and backward movement so that the hinge slider (20) slides along the upper and lower rails (RL1) (RL2).

[0073] Here, the screw (31) and the nut bracket (33) may be formed as a ball screw structure that makes rolling contact through a plurality of balls between them.

[0074] FIGS. 8 to 10 are plan cross-sectional views illustrating the stepwise operation states of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Hereinafter, the specific operation of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

[0076] First, referring to Fig. 8, the door (DR) is in a closed state.

[0077] At this time, the hinge axis (5) connecting the door (DR) and the car body (BD) is moved diagonally inward along with the hinge slider (20) of the car body (BD), and one end of the door (DR) is in a position where the door (DR) maintains a closed state.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 9, in order to open the door (DR) while it is closed as described above, the motor (35) is first driven to rotate the screw (31) through the reduction gear (37). Accordingly, the nut bracket (33) connected to the screw (31) moves diagonally outward along the screw (31) of the vehicle body (BD).

[0079] Then, the hinge slider (20), which is fixedly connected to the nut bracket (33), slides diagonally outward along the upper and lower rails (RL1) (RL2) together with the nut bracket (33) to the outside of the vehicle body (BD).

[0080] At this time, the hinge slider (20) moves the upper and lower door hinge brackets (3a) and (3b), which are hinged to the ends of the upper and lower outer hinge bars (25) and (27) of the outer hinge slider (23) respectively through the hinge shaft (5), diagonally outward from the vehicle body (BD).

[0081] Accordingly, the hinge portion (HG) of the door (DR) with the vehicle body (BD) moves diagonally outward from the vehicle body (BD), thereby securing a rotational trajectory without interference with the vehicle body (BD) or other doors (DR).

[0082] Referring to FIG. 10, when the door (DR) is opened with the rotational trajectory of the door (DR) secured as shown, the door (DR) opens without interference around the hinge axis (5).

[0083] Meanwhile, the operation of closing the door (DR) is performed in the opposite way to the operation of opening the door (DR) as described above, and a detailed explanation of the operation is omitted.

[0084] Accordingly, the vehicle door hinge device (1) according to the embodiment of the present invention allows the hinge slider (20), which is connected to the hinge portion (HG) of the door (DR), to slide diagonally outward along the upper and lower rails (RL1) (RL2) by the driving force of the motor (35) inside the case (10) to maintain a state in which the rotational trajectory of the door (DR) is secured in advance, thereby making it possible to open and close both doors (DR) simultaneously and to open and close one door (DR) alone.

[0085] In addition, the hinge portion (HG) of the door (DR) can automatically slide diagonally outward along the hinge slider (20) by the driving force of the motor (35), and then the sliding position of the hinge slider (20) can be maintained in a fixed state through the control of the motor (35), thereby enabling stable door opening and closing operation.

[0086] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such embodiment and includes all modifications within the scope recognized as equivalent that can be easily modified by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0087] 1: Door hinge mechanism 3: Door hinge bracket 5: Hinge axis HG: Hinge part BD: Chassis FDR: Front Door RDR: Rear Door DR: Door 10: Case 11: External case 13: Medial case 20: Hinge Slider 21: Inner hinge slider 23: Outer hinge slider 25: Upper outer hinge bar 27: Lower outer hinge bar 29: External connecting bar 30: Drive unit 31: Screw 33: Nut bracket 35: Motor 37: Reducer 40: Bearing member 41: Bearing 43: Bearing block SL1, SL2: Upper and lower guide slots RL1, RL2: Upper and lower rails SD1, SD2: Upper and lower sliders

Claims

Claim 1 A vehicle door hinge device comprising: a case installed diagonally toward the outside of the vehicle body on one side of the vehicle body corresponding to one end of the door, with rails formed longitudinally on the upper and lower sides of the interior, respectively; a hinge slider installed to slide along the rails through a slider inside the case, and connected to a door hinge bracket fixed to one end of the door outside the case via a hinge axis; and a driving unit configured such that a nut bracket installed on a screw arranged longitudinally inside the case is connected to the hinge slider, thereby causing the hinge slider to move along the rails by motor driving. Claim 2 In claim 1, the door is a vehicle door hinge device in which one end is formed as the front end of a front door or the rear end of a rear door. Claim 3 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 1, comprising: an outer case having guide slots formed along the longitudinal direction on the upper and lower portions of the cross-section to guide the hinge slider; and an inner case assembled with the outer case, wherein the motor and screw of the driving unit are fixed on the inner cross-section. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the rail comprises an upper rail and a lower rail arranged longitudinally along the internal coupling portion of the inner case and the outer case and fixed to the inner upper surface and the inner lower surface, respectively, forming a vehicle door hinge device. Claim 5 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge slider comprises: an inner hinge slider, wherein the upper and lower sides are each connected to slide along the rail through the slider inside the case; and an outer hinge slider, wherein the outer side is integrally connected to the inner hinge slider through a guide slot formed on the outer surface of the case outside the case, and the tip is hinge-connected to the door hinge bracket through a hinge axis. Claim 6 In claim 5, the vehicle door hinge device comprises: an upper outer hinge bar integrally connected to one side of the upper portion of the inner hinge slider through an upper guide slot formed on the upper portion of the outer surface of the case from the outside of the case; a lower outer hinge bar integrally connected to one side of the lower portion of the inner hinge slider through a lower guide slot formed on the lower portion of the outer surface of the case from the outside of the case; and an outer connecting bar mutually connecting the upper and lower outer hinge bars from the outside of the case. Claim 7 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 6, wherein the door hinge bracket comprises: an upper door hinge bracket fixed to the upper side of one end of the door and hinge-connected to the front end of the upper outer hinge bar through a hinge axis; and a lower door hinge bracket fixed to the lower side of one end of the door and hinge-connected to the front end of the lower outer hinge bar through a hinge axis. Claim 8 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit comprises: a motor fixed on the inner cross-section of the case; a reduction gear configured on the motor shaft of the motor to reduce and output the rotational force of the motor; a screw arranged parallel to the rail, having one end connected to the reduction gear and the other end rotatably installed on the inner cross-section of the case through a bearing member; and a nut bracket movably installed on the screw, having one end fixed to the hinge slider.

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