AU2010305095B2

AU2010305095B2 - Device for the safe opening, in particular during emergency opening, of a hatch cover on a fighting vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU2010305095B2
Application number: AU2010305095A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Olaf Striepke
Original assignee: Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH
Current assignee: Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH
Priority date: 2009-10-06
Filing date: 2010-10-05
Publication date: 2015-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 2030-10-05
Also published as: AU2010305095A1; WO2011042152A1; DE102009048366A1; DE102009048366B4; EP2486364A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for the safe opening, in particular during an emergency opening, of a hatch cover (2) on a fighting vehicle, which hatch cover is connected to a drive device (11) and an intermediate wheel (5), wherein the intermediate wheel (5) is carried in the device and is functionally connected to the drive device (11) and is normally engaged with an intermediate gearing (1). The device (10) additionally has a release bearing (4) that releases the intermediate wheel (5) from the intermediate gearing (1) and thus the drive device (11) from the intermediate gearing (1) upon intervention with a tool from the outside.

Description

1 DEVICE FOR THE SAFE OPENING, IN PARTICULAR DURING EMERGENCY OPENING, OF A HATCH COVER ON A FIGHTING VEHICLE 5 TECHNICAL FIELD The invention is concerned with the problem that during emergency manual opening of an electromechanical sliding hatch or its hatch cover from the outside, the carriage is opened with a tool (quad T wrench), whereby 10 the end switch for detecting the end position of the closed hatch signals "hatch open". This can lead to the hatch being closed again, since the electrical drive unit is not deenergized. 15 A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of any of the 20 claims. Where the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising" are used in this specification (including the claims) they are to be interpreted as specifying 25 the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components, but not precluding the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or group thereto. 30 An apparatus for opening and closing a hatch cover was disclosed in DE 10 2004 059 016 B4. In this apparatus, the hatch cover was operated by coil springs via the respective crank lever and moved upwards along a lifting path and supported by a stop until the maximum 35 stroke was achieved.

2 A further apparatus is known from DE 20 2005 003 541 Ul. A rack is arranged on the hatch cover, wherein a driven pinion of a gearbox connected to an actuator engages the rack. An automatic braking and locking 5 device is interposed between the driven pinion and the actuator. In addition, a brake hub is arranged on the driven pinion so as to be fixed to it, wherein the brake hub comprises at least one cam guide and is arranged in a control sleeve. The effect of the cam 10 guide is that a rotary relative motion between the brake hub and the control sleeve enables lifting of the brake hub against a force. DE 200 07 620 Ul also has as its subject an apparatus 15 for opening and closing the hatch cover of a sliding hatch in a similar manner to DE 20 2005 003 541 Ul. Such devices are frequently operated with a switch-off delay of approx. 20 seconds until the drive switches 20 off automatically, in order to allow the cover to be opened manually when deenergized. It is a disadvantage here that the operator has to know this and that unnecessary time elapses. As a result of this, rapid action in an emergency is difficult. 25 It is desirable to ensure that the cover is not closed again, in particular in the event of an emergency manual opening. 30 Attempts to directly decouple the gearwheel on the rack, in order to make the hatch cover movable by hand, have the disadvantage that the hatch cover has to be moved directly without a gearbox, which is problematic in an inclined plane owing to the weight of the hatch. 35 Also the variant, wherein the drive is to be switched off with the aid of a sensor as soon as the T wrench (the tool) is applied, was not considered further in 3 view of the vulnerability of such sensors and an additional electrical control / integration of the sensor, but is certainly also a solution. 5 Under the premise that the opening mechanism should allow intuitive operation to enable the hatch to be opened from the outside, regardless of whether the electrical drive is operating, and the sliding hatch cover should remain controllable by means of a T 10 wrench and the gear ratio should remain usable for easier operation, the invention is, however, based on the idea that, in the event of an emergency opening, only the drive will be decoupled and displacement of the gearwheel parallel to the rack takes place without 15 the force flow to the T wrench operating element being interrupted. A pivotable torque support is released by pressure on the actuating bolt, in order to pivot the gearwheel 20 into a position without engaging the drive unit. The torque generated by the T wrench leads to a changeover and to the hatch being already slightly open. After the T wrench is released, the bolt latches back into the disengaged position as a result of spring force on the 25 bolt. The hatch is moved to the opened position by simple rotation of the T wrench. The hatch is closed by a reversed sequence of the operating steps. It is then restored into the original 30 state and can again be moved by means of the electrical drive. This design, or the principle of the solution, can also be used as the opening mechanism for the first entry 35 into the vehicle and for the last exit from the vehicle. Although the system is not supplied with power in these situations, it can still be operated with a suitable mechanical opening device.

4 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first aspect of the invention provides a system for opening and closing of a hatch cover on a fighting 5 vehicle, in which the hatch cover includes a toothed rack arranged thereon and the system includes a drive device which can be driven via an intermediate wheel and an intermediate gear wheel, said intermediate wheel being supported in the apparatus and being 10 operatively connected to the rack and drive device through the intermediate gear wheel wherein the apparatus includes a clutch release bearing which receives the intermediate wheel and which can be pivoted, and which on engagement with a tool, releases 15 the intermediate wheel from the intermediate gear wheel and hence releases the drive device from the intermediate gear , such that detachment of the hatch cover from the driving device can be controlled via the intermediate wheel and the toothed rack. 20 The clutch release bearing comprises a bolt with an engagement means for the tool. The clutch release bearing comprises a groove in which the bolt latches into a bore on the opposite side. The bolt is pressed 25 against a plate, which is preferably loaded by coil springs, and is restored after release. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in detail using an 30 example embodiment with drawings. They show: Fig.1, 2 a perspective view of an intermediate gear wheel for a sliding hatch with a pivotable clutch release bearing for the intermediate 35 wheel, 5 Fig.3 a perspective view of the clutch release bearing with an intermediate gear wheel from below, 5 Fig.4 a perspective view of the clutch release bearing from below, Fig.5 a further perspective representative of the 10 freewheel of the clutch release bearing. In Fig. 1, an intermediate gear wheel is represented by 1 as part of a sliding hatch 2. A bolt for a T wrench (tool) is represented by 3 and a 15 pivotable clutch release bearing for an intermediate wheel 5 is represented by 4. The pivotable clutch release bearing 4 is incorporated into a device 10, which in turn accommodates the intermediate gear 5 and is placed between the intermediate gear wheel 1 and the 20 drive unit 11. Fig. 2 shows the same arrangement with engagement of the bolt 3 in the clutch release bearing 4. The bolt 3 for the T wrench is brought into engagement with the 25 clutch release bearing 4 by pressing the T wrench into the corresponding aperture 6 in the bolt 3, and can be pivoted with the aid of the clutch release bearing 4. The release of the intermediate gear wheel 5 now takes place by turning the T wrench (the bolt 3) . The bolt 3 30 for the T wrench is moved along a groove 9 in the device 10 or the bolt 3 moves along this groove 9. The bolt 3 is preferably pressed against a plate 7 that is loaded by coil springs, preferably two springs 12 (not shown in detail), and is restored after being released 35 (Fig. 4). Fig. 3 shows the groove 9 in an improved representation. As already explained, the bolt 3 moves 6 along the groove 9 and latches in a bore 8 on the opposite side after release of the T wrench. In this way, the clutch release bearing 4 adopts the 5 position represented in Fig. 5, in which the hatch 2 can now be controlled with the T wrench separately from the drive unit 11.

Claims

1. A system for opening and closing of a hatch cover on a fighting vehicle, in which the hatch cover 5 includes a toothed rack arranged thereon and the system includes a drive device which can be driven via an intermediate wheel and an intermediate gear wheel , said intermediate wheel being supported in the apparatus and being operatively connected to the rack 10 and drive device through the intermediate gear wheel wherein the apparatus includes a clutch release bearing which receives the intermediate wheel and which can be pivoted, and which on engagement with a tool , releases the intermediate wheel from the intermediate 15 gear wheel and hence releases the drive device from the intermediate gear , such that detachment of the hatch cover from the driving device can be controlled via the intermediate wheel and the toothed rack. 20

2. The opening and closing system according to Claim 1, wherein, the clutch release bearing comprises a bolt with an engagement means for the tool.

3. The opening and closing system according to Claim 25 1 or 2, wherein, said clutch release bearing comprises a groove in which the bolt latches into a bore on the opposite side.

4. The opening and closing system according to one of 30 the Claims 1 to 3, wherein, the bolt is pressed against a plate.

5. The opening and closing system according to one of the Claims 1 to 4 which is loaded by coil springs, and 35 is restored after release. 8

6. A system for opening and closing of a hatch cover on a fighting vehicle as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.