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 stable opening and closing operation of the door in a vehicle without a B-pillar, wherein a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of the door slides diagonally outward along a rail inside a case to secure the rotational trajectory of the door, and then a striker fixed to the hinge slider is restrained to a latch portion fixed to the case to fix the sliding position of the hinge slider.

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 stable opening and closing operation of a door in a vehicle without a B-pillar, wherein a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of a door slides diagonally outward along a rail inside a case to secure the rotational trajectory of the door, and then a striker fixed to the hinge slider is restrained to a latch portion fixed to the case to fix the sliding position of the hinge slider. 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 and having a guide slot formed on the outer surface; rails formed longitudinally on the upper and lower sides of the interior of the case, respectively; and a hinge slider connected via a hinge axis to a door hinge bracket fixed to one end of the door through the guide slot while being installed to slide along the rails inside the case, wherein the vehicle door hinge device comprises: a striker installed on one side of the hinge slider; and a latch portion installed on one side of the interior of the case, which restrains or releases the striker through a claw lever and a pawl lever on a base plate at a position where the hinge slider slides diagonally toward the outside of the vehicle body.

[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] Additionally, the door hinge device may further include a driving unit that provides driving force to cause the hinge slider, which is connected via a nut bracket on a screw arranged along the longitudinal direction inside the case, to slide along the rail by motor driving.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The striker can be fixed upward to one side of the lower part of the hinge slider.

[0028] The above latch portion may have the base plate fixed to the inner cross-section of the case so as to restrain the striker through the claw lever while the hinge slider slides diagonally outward from the vehicle body.

[0029] Additionally, the latch portion comprises: a base plate fixed to one side of the inner cross-section of the case and having an insertion groove formed on one side corresponding to the striker; a claw lever having a restraining groove formed on one side to restrain the striker and a protruding locking end formed on the other side for limiting unidirectional rotation, and being rotatably pin-coupled to the base plate corresponding to the inner side of the insertion groove; a pawl lever having a supporting end formed on one side to act on the locking end and a protruding release end formed on the other side, a protruding detection end formed on one side between the supporting end and the release end, and a protruding damping end formed on the other side between the supporting end and the release end, and being rotatably pin-coupled to the base plate corresponding to one side of the claw lever; and a release gear rotatably installed on the base plate via a gear shaft corresponding to one side of the pawl lever, having a release projection formed on the lower side that acts on the release end of the pawl lever. and may include a release motor that is fixed to the base plate adjacent to the release gear, and has a motor gear that meshes with the release gear fixed to the motor shaft.

[0030] The above release gear may be made of a worm wheel, and the above motor gear may be made of a worm.

[0031] The above latch portion may further include a pole switch fixed to the base plate corresponding to the detection end of the pole lever to detect the rotational position of the pole lever.

[0032] Additionally, the latch portion may further include a claw damper installed on one side of the base plate to support one side of the claw lever and suppress rotation; and a pawl damper installed on the other side of the base plate to support the damping end of the pawl lever and suppress rotation.

[0033] Additionally, the latch portion may further include a claw spring that is fitted onto the pin of the claw lever and elastically supports the claw lever in a rotational direction that releases the restraint of the striker; and a pawl spring that is fitted onto the pin of the pawl lever and elastically supports the pawl lever in a rotational direction in which the support end supports the locking end of the claw lever.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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. Effects of the invention

[0037] A vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention can fix the sliding position of a hinge slider by ensuring that, in a vehicle without a B-pillar, a hinge slider connected to the hinge portion of the door slides diagonally outward along a rail inside a case to secure the rotational trajectory of the door, and then a striker fixed to the hinge slider is restrained to a latch portion fixed to the case.

[0038] Accordingly, it is possible to open and close both doors simultaneously, or to open and close a single door independently.

[0039] In addition, after the hinge portion of the door automatically slides diagonally outward along the hinge slider by the driving force of the motor, the striker can be restrained through the latch portion without separately controlling the motor to maintain the sliding position of the hinge slider in a fixed state, thereby enabling stable door opening and closing operation.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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

[0042] 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 and 9 are perspective views of a latch portion applied to a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 10 to 12 are plan cross-sectional views illustrating the stepwise operation states of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a step-by-step operation state diagram of a latch portion applied to a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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, 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, and FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are perspective views of a latch portion applied to a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] 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).

[0048] 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, so that both doors are opened and closed simultaneously, or each door is opened and closed independently.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, a vehicle door hinge device (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a case (10), a hinge slider (20), a driving unit (30), a striker (7), and a latch part (50).

[0050] 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).

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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).

[0053] 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).

[0054] In addition, 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.

[0055] That is, the above case (10) is formed by assembling an outer case (11) and an inner case (13) together.

[0056] 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.

[0057] The inner case (13) faces the inner side of the vehicle body (BD) and is assembled with the outer case (11).

[0058] 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.

[0059] Additionally, the hinge slider (20) is installed between the outer case (11) and the inner case (13) to move along 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).

[0060] Additionally, a latch portion (50) is installed on one side of the lower portion of the inner cross-section of the inner case (13) inside the space between the outer case (11) and the inner case (13).

[0061] 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).

[0062] 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).

[0063] 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).

[0064] 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).

[0065] 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).

[0066] 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).

[0067] 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).

[0068] 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).

[0069] And the door hinge bracket (3) is composed of an upper door hinge bracket (3a) and a lower door hinge bracket (3b).

[0070] 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).

[0071] 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).

[0072] And the driving unit (30) has a nut bracket (33) 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) to provide a driving force so that the hinge slider (20) slides along the upper and lower rails (RL1)(RL2) by driving the motor (35).

[0073] 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).

[0074] The motor (35) is assembled and fixed on one side of the inner cross-section of the inner case (13).

[0075] Here, the motor (35) may be a stepper motor capable of controlling rotational speed and rotational direction.

[0076] 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.

[0077] Here, the reduction gear (37) may be configured in a known manner to reduce the rotational speed of the motor shaft (35a) through a reduction gear configured inside and transmit it to the screw (31).

[0078] 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).

[0079] 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).

[0080] The nut bracket (33) is movably installed on the screw (31), and one side is fixed to the inner hinge slider (21).

[0081] 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).

[0082] 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.

[0083] And the striker (7) is fixedly installed on one side of the lower portion of the inner hinge slider (21) inside between the outer and inner cases (11)(13).

[0084] Here, the striker (7) may be formed in a rod shape and is positioned to be restrained by the latch part (50) while sliding diagonally outward from the vehicle body together with the inner hinge slider (21).

[0085] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the latch portion (50) is installed on one side of the lower portion of the inner cross-section of the inner case (13) corresponding to the bearing member (40) inside the outer and inner cases (11) (13).

[0086] This latch part (50) operates to restrain or release the striker (7) through the claw lever (53) and pawl lever (55) on the base plate (51) at a position where the hinge slider (20) slides diagonally outward from the vehicle body.

[0087] That is, the latch portion (50) includes a base plate (51), a claw lever (53), a pawl lever (55), a release gear (81), and a release motor (RM), and the base plate (51) is fixed to the inner cross-section of the inner case (13) so that the striker (7) can be restrained through the claw lever (53) while the hinge slider (20) slides diagonally outward from the vehicle body.

[0088] The base plate (51) is fixed to one side of the lower portion of the inner hinge slider (13), and an insertion groove (51a) is formed on one side corresponding to the striker (7).

[0089] The above claw lever (53) is rotatably coupled to the base plate (51) via a pin (53a) corresponding to the inner side of the insertion groove (51a). Additionally, the claw lever (53) has a restraining groove (61) formed on one side to restrain the striker (7), and a protruding locking end (63) formed on the other side to restrict rotation in one direction.

[0090] The above pole lever (55) is rotatably connected to the base plate (51) via a pin (55a) corresponding to one side of the claw lever (53).

[0091] And the above pole lever (55) has a support member (65) formed on one side that protrudes to act on the locking member (63), and a release member (67) formed on the other side that protrudes. Additionally, a detection member (69) is formed on one side between the support member (65) and the release member (67), and a damping member (68) is formed on the other side between the support member (65) and the release member (67).

[0092] The release gear (81) is rotatably installed on the base plate (51) via a gear shaft (81a) corresponding to one side of the pawl lever (55). Additionally, the release gear (81) has a release projection (83) formed on its lower side that acts on the release end (67) of the pawl lever (55).

[0093] The release motor (RM) is fixed to the base plate (51) adjacent to the release gear (81). Additionally, the release motor (RM) transmits rotational power through a motor gear (87) installed on the motor shaft (85) that meshes with the release gear (81).

[0094] Here, the release gear (81) may be made of a worm wheel, and the motor gear (87) may be made of a worm.

[0095] This latch portion (50) further includes a pole switch (59) that detects the rotational position of the pole lever (55). The pole switch (59) is fixed to the base plate (51) corresponding to the detection portion (69) of the pole lever (55).

[0096] The above-mentioned pole switch (59) can detect the rotational position of the pole lever (55) and output a rotational position signal of the pole lever (55) so as to control the operation of the release motor (RM) according to the signal.

[0097] Additionally, the latch portion (50) further includes a claw damper (71), a pawl damper (73), a claw spring (75), and a pawl spring (77).

[0098] The above claw damper (71) is installed on one side of the base plate (51) corresponding to one side of the catch portion (63) of the claw lever (53), and supports one side of the claw lever (53) to suppress unidirectional rotation and reduce contact noise.

[0099] Additionally, the pole damper (73) is installed on the other side of the base plate (51) corresponding to one side of the damping end (68) of the pole lever (55), and supports the damping end (68) of the pole lever (55) to suppress unidirectional rotation and reduce contact noise.

[0100] The above claw spring (75) is fitted onto the pin (53a) of the claw lever (53) and is installed to elastically support the claw lever (53) in a rotational direction that releases the restraint of the striker (7).

[0101] Additionally, the above-mentioned pole spring (77) is fitted onto the pin (55a) of the above-mentioned pole lever (55) and is installed to elastically support the above-mentioned pole lever (55) in a rotational direction in which the support end (65) supports the locking end (63) of the above-mentioned claw lever (53).

[0102] 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. 10 to 12 and FIG. 13.

[0103] FIGS. 10 to 12 are plan cross-sectional views illustrating stepwise operating states of a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a stepwise operating state diagram of a latch portion applied to a vehicle door hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] First, referring to Fig. 10, the door (DR) is in a closed state.

[0105] At this time, the hinge axis (5) connecting the door (DR) and the car body (BD) is moved inward diagonally to the car body (BD) together with the hinge slider (20), and the hinge part (HG) of the door (DR) is in a position where the door (DR) maintains a closed state.

[0106] At this time, referring to step (S1) of FIG. 13, the latch portion (50) is in a state where the support portion (65) of the pawl lever (55) is disengaged from the catch portion (63) of the claw lever (53), and the claw lever (53) is rotated by the claw spring (75) so that the restraint groove (61) of the claw lever (53) is opened toward the insertion groove (51a) of the base plate (51).

[0107] Additionally, the above-mentioned pole switch (59) is disengaged from the detection end (69) of the pole lever (55) and does not output a detection signal, and the release projection (83) on the release gear (81) is positioned opposite to the release end (67) of the pole lever (55).

[0108] Referring to FIG. 11, in order to open the door (DR) while it is closed as described above, the motor (35) is driven to rotate the screw (31) through the reduction gear (37). Accordingly, the nut bracket (33) connected to the screw (31) moves along the screw (31) toward the outer diagonal of the vehicle body (BD).

[0109] 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).

[0110] 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), in the outer diagonal direction of the vehicle body (BD).

[0111] 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).

[0112] At this time, referring to step (S2) of FIG. 13, the latch part (50) is in a state where it is restrained in the restraint groove (61) by the rotation of the claw lever (53) as the striker (7) on the hinge slider (20) is inserted into the insertion groove (51a) on the base plate (51).

[0113] That is, as the claw lever (53) rotates due to the force of insertion of the striker (7), the locking member (63) pushes the support member (65), and the pole lever (55) rotates while overcoming the elastic force of the pole spring (77), and then rotates back in the opposite direction due to the elastic force, so that the support member (65) is in a position to support the locking member (63).

[0114] At this time, the pole switch (59) can be operated by the detection terminal (69) of the pole lever (55) to output a detection signal.

[0115] In this way, with the latch portion (50) restraining the striker (7), the door (DR) is fixed in a state where the hinge portion (HG) with the vehicle body (BD) slides diagonally outward from the vehicle body (BD).

[0116] Referring to FIG. 12, 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).

[0117] Meanwhile, the operation of closing the door (DR) is performed in the opposite way to the operation of opening it, so a detailed explanation is omitted, but the operation of the latch part (50) for opening the door (DR) is explained as follows.

[0118] To close the door (DR), as in step (S3) of FIG. 13, first, the release motor (RM) is driven to rotate the release gear (81).

[0119] Then, the release projection (83) formed on the lower side of the release gear (81) pushes the release end (67) of the pawl lever (55) so that the support end (65) is disengaged from the locking end (63) of the claw lever (53).

[0120] In this state, when the motor (35) of the drive unit (30) is driven in the reverse direction, the screw (31) is rotated in the reverse direction through the reduction gear (37). Accordingly, the nut bracket (33) moves along the screw (31) in the inner diagonal direction of the vehicle body (BD), and the hinge slider (20) slides together with the nut bracket (33) along the upper and lower rails (RL1) (RL2) in the inner diagonal direction of the vehicle body (BD).

[0121] At this time, referring to step (S4) of FIG. 13, the latch part (50) is rotated by the elastic force of the claw lever (53) by the claw spring (75) as the striker (7) comes out of the insertion groove (51a) on the base plate (51), and the striker (7) is released from the restraint state from the restraint groove (61).

[0122] At this time, the support portion (65) of the pole lever (55) maintains the support release position of the locking portion (63) of the claw lever (53), and the pole switch (59) is detached from the detection portion (69) of the pole lever (55) and becomes an initial state in which it does not output a detection signal.

[0123] Accordingly, in a vehicle door hinge device (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a vehicle without a B-pillar, a hinge slider (20) connected to the hinge portion (HG) of the door (DR) slides diagonally outward along the upper and lower rails (RL1) (RL2) by the driving force of the motor (35) inside the case (10) to secure the rotational trajectory of the door (DR). At this time, the striker (7) on the hinge slider (20) is constrained by the latch portion (50) on the case (10) to fix the sliding position of the hinge slider (20).

[0124] Therefore, after the sliding movement of each door (DR), the stability of the opening and closing operation is ensured, and each door (DR) can be opened and closed independently.

[0125] In addition, after the hinge portion (HG) of the door (DR) automatically slides diagonally outward along the hinge slider (20) by the driving force of the motor (35), the sliding position of the hinge slider (20) can be fixed by restraining the striker (7) through the latch portion (50) without separately controlling the motor (35).

[0126] 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

[0127] 1: Door hinge mechanism 3: Door hinge bracket 5: Hinge axis 7: Striker 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 50: Latch 51: Base Plate 53: Claw Lever 55: Paul Lever 59: Pole Switch 61: Restraint Home 63: The Haunting Group 65: Support group 67: Release Unit 68: Damping stage 69: Detector 71: Claw Damper 73: Pole Damper 75: Claw Spring 77: Paul Spring 81: Release Gear 83: Release protrusion 85: Motor shaft 87: Motor Gear RM: Release motor 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; rails formed longitudinally on the upper and lower sides inside the case, respectively; and a hinge slider connected via a hinge axis to a door hinge bracket fixed to one end of the door while installed to slide along the rails inside the case, wherein the device comprises: a striker installed on one side of the hinge slider; and a latch portion installed on one side inside the case, which restrains or releases the striker through a claw lever and a pawl lever on a base plate at a position where the hinge slider slides diagonally toward the outside of the vehicle body. 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, wherein the door hinge device further comprises a driving unit that provides a driving force to cause the hinge slider, connected via a nut bracket on a screw arranged along the longitudinal direction inside the case, to slide along the rail by motor driving. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, 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, 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. Claim 5 In claim 1, the striker is a vehicle door hinge device that is fixed upward to one side of the lower portion of the hinge slider. Claim 6 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the latch portion has the base plate fixed to the inner cross-section of the case so as to restrain the striker through the claw lever while the hinge slider slides diagonally outward from the vehicle body. Claim 7 In claim 6, the latch portion comprises: a base plate fixed to one side of the inner cross-section of the case and having an insertion groove formed on one side corresponding to the striker; a claw lever having a restraining groove formed on one side to restrain the striker and a protruding locking end formed on the other side for limiting unidirectional rotation, and being rotatably pin-coupled to the base plate corresponding to the inner side of the insertion groove; a pawl lever having a supporting end formed on one side to act on the locking end and a protruding release end formed on the other side, a protruding detection end formed on one side between the supporting end and the release end, and a protruding damping end formed on the other side between the supporting end and the release end, and being rotatably pin-coupled to the base plate corresponding to one side of the claw lever; and a release gear rotatably installed on the base plate via a gear shaft corresponding to one side of the pawl lever, having a release projection formed on the lower side to act on the release end of the pawl lever. A vehicle door hinge device comprising: a release motor fixed to the base plate adjacent to the release gear, and a motor gear meshing with the release gear fixed to the motor shaft. Claim 8 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 7, wherein the release gear is made of a worm wheel and the motor gear is made of a worm. Claim 9 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 7, further comprising a pawl switch fixed to the base plate corresponding to a detection end of the pawl lever to detect the rotational position of the pawl lever. Claim 10 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 7, further comprising: a claw damper installed on one side of the base plate to support one side of the claw lever and suppress rotation; and a pawl damper installed on the other side of the base plate to support the damping end of the pawl lever and suppress rotation. Claim 11 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 7, further comprising: a claw spring that is fitted onto a pin of the claw lever and elastically supports the claw lever in a rotational direction that releases the restraint of the striker; and a pawl spring that is fitted onto a pin of the pawl lever and elastically supports the pawl lever in a rotational direction in which the support end supports the locking end of the claw lever. Claim 12 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 13 In claim 12, the outer hinge slider 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 that interconnects the upper and lower outer hinge bars from the outside of the case; a vehicle door hinge device. Claim 14 A vehicle door hinge device according to claim 13, 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.

Images