CN110271395B

CN110271395B - Tail gate assembly and vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN110271395B
Application number: CN201810212804.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 后藤龙一郎; C.惠勒
Original assignee: Weilai Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: NIO Holding Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-15
Filing date: 2018-03-15
Publication date: 2023-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-15
Also published as: CN110271395A

Abstract

The application provides a tail gate assembly and a vehicle. The tail gate assembly includes: a tail gate cover; a folding tail wing on the tail door cover; a link pivotally connected to an inside of the tail gate cover; and an actuation device pivotally connected to the link; wherein from an initial position when the tail gate is closed and the tail wing is stowed, the actuation device is operable to act on the link in a first direction to cause the tail gate to open and is operable to act on the link in a second direction different from the first direction to cause the tail wing to deploy. The tail gate assembly has high integration level, and reduces the cost and weight of the tail gate assembly and the vehicle.

Description

Tail gate assembly and vehicle

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of vehicle tailgate structures, and more particularly to a vehicle tailgate structure with a single actuation device to effect tailgate opening and tail wing deployment.

Background

The tail wing of the vehicle can be used as an aerodynamic component to reduce the lifting force of the tail part of the vehicle when the vehicle runs at a high speed, and the vehicle can be helped to run closely to the ground, so that the running stability of the vehicle is improved, and the air resistance is reduced. For folding tail systems, additional actuation means, such as a motor, are required to deploy or stow the tail, which increases the weight and cost of the vehicle, especially for electric vehicles, and minimizing the weight of the vehicle is desirable.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application aims to solve or at least alleviate the problems of the prior art.

The application aims to operate a tail gate actuating device and a tail actuating device by using the same actuating device, thereby omitting a separate tail actuating device and reducing the cost and weight of a vehicle.

According to some aspects, the present application provides a tailgate assembly comprising:

a tail gate cover;

a folding tail wing on the tail door cover;

a link pivotally connected to an inside of the tail gate cover; and

an actuation device pivotally connected to the link;

wherein from an initial position when the tail gate is closed and the tail wing is stowed, the actuation device is operable to act on the link in a first direction to cause the tail gate to open and is operable to act on the link in a second direction different from the first direction to cause the tail wing to deploy.

Optionally, the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

Optionally, in the tailgate assembly, the actuation device is a telescopic actuation device that is extended from the initial position to act on the link in the first direction, and shortened to act on the link in the second direction.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the tail wing comprises a tail wing actuating rod, the tail wing actuating rod is pivotally connected with the connecting rod, and the actuating device rotates the connecting rod and drives the tail wing actuating rod to enable the tail wing to be unfolded when acting on the connecting rod along the second direction.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the tail gate further comprises a limiting block, and the limiting block stops the connecting rod from continuing to rotate after the actuating device acts on the connecting rod along the second direction to enable the connecting rod to rotate to a certain degree.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the actuation device is connected to the same side of the pivotal axis of the link as the tail actuation lever to output a force in the second direction to the tail actuation lever to deploy the tail.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the actuating device and the tail actuating lever are connected to both sides of the pivot axis of the link so as to output a force in the first direction to the tail actuating lever to deploy the tail.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the tail gate cover has a stop member disposed on a rear side of the link, and when the actuating device acts on the link from the initial position in the first direction, the stop member blocks the link from rotating, so that a force of the actuating device acts on the tail gate cover through the link and the stop member to open the tail gate cover.

Optionally, in the tailgate assembly, a spring is further included disposed between the link and the stop member, the spring being pre-compressed in the initial position to provide assistance when the actuation device acts on the link in the second direction from the initial position.

Optionally, in the tail gate assembly, the tail gate assembly further includes a first locking mechanism disposed on the actuating device or on the connecting rod, the first locking mechanism locks the tail wing position during and after the opening and closing of the tail gate cover, and/or the tail gate assembly further includes a second locking mechanism disposed at the tail wing, and the second locking mechanism locks the tail wing at the unfolding position after the tail wing is unfolded.

In another aspect, a vehicle is provided that includes a tailgate assembly according to various embodiments.

The tail gate assembly has high integration level, and reduces the cost and weight of the tail gate assembly and the vehicle.

Drawings

The principles of the present application will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

figure 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle tailgate according to an embodiment in an initial position,

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of a connecting rod portion of a vehicle tailgate according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a vehicle tailgate according to an embodiment when open;

FIG. 4 illustrates an enlarged view of a connecting rod portion of a tail gate of a vehicle during tail wing deployment in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a tail gate of a vehicle when deployed in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates an enlarged view of a portion of a connecting rod according to an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates an enlarged view of a portion of a connecting rod according to another alternative embodiment; and

fig. 8 shows a schematic view of a locking mechanism of a tailgate of a vehicle according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

It is to be understood that, according to the technical solution of the present application, those skilled in the art may propose various alternative structural modes and implementation modes without changing the true spirit of the present application. Accordingly, the following detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the application and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the application to the precise form disclosed.

Terms of orientation such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or possible to be mentioned in the present specification are defined with respect to the configurations shown in the drawings, which are relative concepts, and thus may be changed according to different positions and different use states thereof. These and other directional terms should not be construed as limiting terms.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle tailgate according to one embodiment of the application in an initial position, which is the position in which the tailgate 1 is closed and the tail 5 is stowed. The tail gate assembly includes: a tail gate cover 1; a folding tail 5 on the tail gate cover 1; a link 31, the link 31 being connected to the inside of the tail gate cover 5; and an actuating device 2 pivotally connected to the link 31. Wherein from the initial position shown in fig. 1 the actuating device 2 can act on the connecting rod 31 in a first direction D1 to cause the tail gate cover 1 to open, and from the initial position shown in fig. 1 the actuating device 2 can act on the connecting rod 31 in a second direction D2 different from the first direction D1 to cause the tail wing 5 to deploy. As is known, the folding tail 5 may be fixed to the tail gate housing 1, and the tail 5 may be unfolded with respect to the tail gate housing 1 to function to improve the stability of the vehicle at high speeds, and the tail 5 may be retracted when the tail 5 is not required to function. In some embodiments, the first direction D1 may be opposite to the second direction D2. In some embodiments, the actuation device is a telescopic actuation device, such as the telescopic device shown in fig. 1 and 3, which is commonly used as a tailgate actuator, examples being referred to those listed in US patent publication No. US20070194599A1 published 8, 23 in 2007. The telescopic device comprises a first cylinder 21 and a second cylinder 22, which are mutually nestable, the second cylinder 22 being able to extend with respect to the first cylinder 21, so that the whole actuating device acts on said link 31 in a first direction D1, and the second cylinder 22 being able to retract with respect to the first cylinder 21, so that the whole actuating device shortens, so that it acts on the link 31 in a second direction D2. Other types of actuation means may be employed in alternative embodiments, such as any actuator known in the art capable of performing bi-directional linear motion.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of a link portion of a vehicle tailgate according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 2, the link 31 is pivotally connected to the portion 11 of the tailgate 1 at a pivot point 32. The end 23 of the actuator 2 is pivotally connected to the link 31 at pivot point 231 and the tail actuating lever 4 is pivotally connected to the link 31 at pivot point 41. The tail gate housing 1 further comprises a stop member 12 arranged at the rear side of the link 31, which stop member 12 blocks the link 31 from rotating along the pivot point 32 when the end 23 of the actuating means acts on said link 31 in the first direction D1 from the initial position, so that the force of the actuating means is transmitted to the tail gate housing 1 via the link 31 and the stop member 12 for opening the tail gate housing 1. As can be seen in fig. 1, the end 23 of the actuator 2 is pivotally connected to the link 31, the other end is pivotally connected to a first pivot point 61 on the vehicle body 6 by means of a pivot shaft, and the tailgate 1 is further pivotally connected to a second pivot point 62 on the vehicle body 6 by means of a pivot shaft, the second pivot point 62 being spaced apart from the first pivot point 61. As shown in fig. 3, the quadrilateral structure is formed by the pivot points 61, 62, 32 and 231, the distance between the spaced pivot points 61 and 62 is constant during opening of the tailgate 1, the distance between the pivot points 62 and 32 and the distance between the pivot points 32 and 231 is constant, and the relationship between the pivot points 62 and 32 and the pivot points 32 and 231 is constant due to the presence of the stop member 12 (i.e. the angle between the line of pivot points 62 and 32 and the line of pivot points 32 and 231 remains constant), so that as the actuator 2 is extended, the distance between the pivot points 61 and 231 increases and the tailgate 1 will open.

With continued reference to FIG. 4, an enlarged view of the connecting rod portion of the tail gate of a vehicle during tail wing deployment is shown in accordance with an embodiment. The tail actuating rod 4 is connected to the link 31, and when the actuating device acts on the link 31 from the initial position in the second direction D2, the link 31 is rotated and drives the tail actuating rod 4 to extend the tail. Specifically, when the actuator 2 is contracted, the end 23 thereof acts on the link 31 in the second direction D2, so that the link 31 rotates about the R direction from the position shown by the broken line in fig. 4, thereby bringing the tail actuating lever 4. In some embodiments, a stopper 7 may be provided on the front side of the link 31, the stopper 7 being arranged to stop the link 31 from continuing to rotate after the actuator 2 acts on the link 31 in the second direction D2 to rotate the link 31 to a certain extent. In other words, the stopper 7 serves to restrict the angle or degree of rotation of the link 31. As shown in fig. 5, when the actuating device 2 is shortened, the connecting rod 31 is rotated, thereby driving the tail actuating lever 4. The tail actuating lever 4 in turn acts on the tail link structure 51 to cause the tail 5 to unwind.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in fig. 4 and 5, the tail 5 is of a type which expands in response to the pulling force of the tail actuating lever 4, at which time the end 23 of the actuating means is pivotally connected to the same side of the pivot axis 32 of the link 31 as the tail actuating lever 4, so that a force in the second direction D2, i.e. a pulling force, is output to the tail actuating lever 4 to expand the tail. However, in alternative embodiments, thrust may also be provided on the tail actuating lever 4 to incorporate a type of tail that deploys in response to the thrust of the tail actuating lever 4. Specifically, referring to fig. 6, the end 23 of the actuating device 2 and the tail actuating lever 4 are pivotally connected to both sides of the pivot axis 32' of the link 31 at positions 232 and 42 of the first and second ends of the link 31, respectively. In this structure, the link 31 is pivotally connected to the inside of the rear door cover 1 through a central axis 32', and the link front side is provided with a stopper member including a stopper member first portion 13', the inside of the stopper member first portion 13 'defining a space allowing the link 31 to rotate, the lower end of the stopper member first portion 13' being provided with a stopper member second portion 12', the stopper member second portion 12' functioning the same as the stopper member 12 shown in fig. 2. When the end 23 of the actuator 2 acts on the link 31 in the first direction D1 from the initial position, the second portion 12' of the stopper member blocks the rotation of the link 31, the force of the actuator 2 acts on the tail gate housing 1 via the link and the stopper, causing the tail gate housing 1 to open, and when the end 23 of the actuator 2 acts on the link 31 in the second direction D2 from the initial position, the link 31 rotates in the direction R, outputting a thrust force F3 to the tail actuating rod 4, which thrust force F3 can cause a corresponding type of tail to be deployed. In addition, the stopper member first portion 13' restricts a space in which the link 31 is allowed to rotate, thereby defining the rotation angle of the link 31.

As shown in fig. 7, since the actuator device mentioned in US20070194599A1 is required to overcome the resistance force generated by the spring therein when contracted, in some embodiments, the spring 8 is disposed between the link 31 and the stopper member 12, and in the initial position the spring 8 is pre-compressed to provide an assistance force to assist the contraction of the actuator device 2 when the actuator device 2 acts on the link 31 in the second direction D2 from the initial position.

With continued reference to fig. 8, in some embodiments, to prevent the tail wing 5 from being unfolded by mistake, a first locking mechanism 81 may be further provided on the actuating device 2 or on the connecting rod 31, where the first locking mechanism 81 locks the tail wing position during and after the opening and closing of the tail gate cover 1, so that the tail wing cannot be unfolded or retracted during and after the opening and closing of the tail gate cover 1. In some embodiments, a second locking mechanism 82 may be further provided at the tail 5, where the second locking mechanism 82 locks the tail 5 in the extended position after the tail 5 is extended, preventing the tail actuating lever 4 from continuously exerting force on the link 31. The first and second locking mechanisms 81 and 82 may employ mechanical or electronic locks commonly known in the art.

In addition, the application also provides a vehicle comprising the tail gate assembly of each embodiment.

The tail gate assembly according to the present application provides an actuation device that is common to tail gate hood opening and tail wing deployment, eliminating a separate tail wing actuation device, saving costs and reducing body weight. The tail actuation device may be used in conjunction with a tail actuated by either pulling or pushing forces. The tail gate assembly has high integration level and compact structure.

It should be understood that all of the above preferred embodiments are exemplary and not limiting, and that various modifications or variations of the above-described specific embodiments, which are within the spirit of the application, should be made by those skilled in the art within the legal scope of the application.

Claims

1. A tailgate assembly, comprising:

a tail gate cover;

a folding tail wing on the tail door cover;

a link pivotally connected to an inside of the tail gate cover; and

an actuating device connected to the link;

2. The tailgate assembly of claim 1 wherein the actuation device is a telescopic actuation device that extends from the initial position to act on the link in the first direction, the telescopic actuation device shortens to act on the link in the second direction.

3. The tailgate assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the first direction is opposite the second direction.

4. A tail gate assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tail comprises a tail actuating lever, the tail actuating lever being connected to the link, the actuating means acting on the link in the second direction to cause the link to rotate and to drive the tail actuating lever to deploy the tail.

5. The tailgate assembly of claim 4 further comprising a stop block that blocks continued rotation of the link after the actuation device acts on the link in the second direction to rotate the link to a degree.

6. The tail gate assembly of claim 4, wherein the actuation device is coupled to the same side of the pivot axis of the link as the tail actuation lever to output a pulling force to the tail actuation lever to deploy the tail.

7. The tail gate assembly of claim 4, wherein the actuation device and the tail actuating lever are coupled to opposite sides of the pivot axis of the link to output thrust to the tail actuating lever to deploy the tail.

8. A tailgate assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the tailgate cover has a stop member disposed on a rear side of the link, the stop member blocking rotation of the link when the actuator acts on the link in a first direction from the initial position, such that a force of the actuator acts on the tailgate cover through the link and the stop member to cause the tailgate cover to open.

9. The tailgate assembly of claim 8, further comprising a spring disposed between the link and the stop member, the spring being pre-compressed in the initial position to provide assistance when the actuation device acts on the link in the second direction from the initial position.

10. A tail gate assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a first locking mechanism provided on the actuator or on the linkage, the first locking mechanism locking the tail gate housing in position during and after opening and closing of the tail gate housing, and/or a second locking mechanism provided at the tail gate, the second locking mechanism locking the tail gate in the extended position after deployment of the tail gate.

11. A vehicle comprising a tailgate assembly according to any one of claims 1-10.