CN115071575A

CN115071575A - Vehicle with articulated step

Info

Publication number: CN115071575A
Application number: CN202110273693.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 冯帅; W·德莱佩雷尔
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2021-03-15
Filing date: 2021-03-15
Publication date: 2022-09-20

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle including an access opening, a door for closing the access opening, and a hinged step for facilitating access to the vehicle through the access opening. The hinged step is capable of being flipped between a use position and a non-use position. The body includes a lower beam forming a lower boundary of the access opening. With the door closed and the hinged step in the non-use position, the hinged step is between the door and the lower beam. In particular, in the non-use position of the hinged step and when the door is closed, a major portion of the hinged step is sandwiched between the door and the lower beam.

Description

Vehicle with articulated step

Technical Field

The invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a passenger car, having an articulated step.

Background

Patent document DE102007008700a1 discloses a passenger car with steps that can be moved from a use position into a non-use position. In the non-use position, the step is positioned in a recess of a sill (side sill) to be aligned with the outer contour of the car. The steps are positioned just below the side doors of the car so that the steps can be moved even with the side doors closed.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle with articulated steps, wherein the integration of the articulated steps is improved.

The object is achieved by a vehicle according to the invention.

A vehicle according to the present invention includes an access opening, a door for closing the access opening, and a hinged step for facilitating access to the vehicle through the access opening. The hinged step may be flipped between the use position and the non-use position. The body includes a lower beam forming a lower boundary of the access opening. With the door closed and the hinged step in the non-use position, the hinged step is between the door and the lower beam. In particular, in the non-use position of the hinged step and when the door is closed, a major portion of the hinged step is clamped between the door and the lower beam.

According to the invention, in the non-use position of the articulated step and when the door is closed, a major part of the articulated step is not visible, which improves the visual impression of the vehicle. Furthermore, the aerodynamics of the vehicle is improved in that the steps, or at least a major part of the steps, are covered by the door and thus do not form part of the vehicle exterior. Furthermore, in the non-use position, the hinged steps are protected from contamination and icing so that the function of movement of the hinged steps is not impeded.

Preferably, the vehicle is a passenger car, i.e. a car or a private car. The lower beam is preferably a side sill, i.e. a side sill which can also be designed as a door sill.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the articulated step is located in the wet area of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the sealing of the passenger compartment is not affected. The hinged step does not traverse the seal layer.

Advantageously, the seal is provided between the door and the lower beam, defining a boundary between the wet and dry regions of the vehicle.

Further, in the non-use position, the step face of the hinged step may face the upwardly facing surface of the lower beam.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the hinged step and the side beam have mutually adapted profiles in the closed position of the hinged step.

In view of this, the hinged step requires only very little installation space.

The door may be a front door, a rear door or a rear door. The tailgate is also designed as a hatch.

The door may be a sliding door or a hinged door, such as a front hinged door, a rear hinged door, a gull wing door, a scissor door.

Preferably, the hinged step is non-foldable.

The hinged step is rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lower beam.

The hinged step may be manually movable. Alternatively or additionally, a motor is provided for automatically moving the articulated step.

Drawings

The drawings are briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a hinged step with a door closed and the hinged step in a non-use position according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a hinged step according to the described embodiment of the invention, with the door open and the hinged step in a non-use position.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a hinged step according to the described embodiment of the invention, with the door open and the hinged step in a position between a non-use position and a use position.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle having a hinged step according to the described embodiment of the invention, with the door open and the hinged step in the use position.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 1 to 4.

As shown in fig. 1, the passenger car includes a rocker 7 (side member) which is a side sill according to the present invention and is a portion of a vehicle body extending between front and rear wheels. The rocker 7 forms the lower boundary of the entrance 1 to the passenger compartment of the car. In fig. 1, the entrance is closed with a side door 3 that overlaps the upper portion of the rocker 7. The hinged step 5 is rotatably connected to the door sill 7 by a hinge 53. The axis of rotation of the hinge 53 is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the threshold 7 and to the longitudinal axis of the car. The hinged step 5 has substantially the cross-sectional shape of the letter "L", the hinged step 5 being in a non-use position, wherein the hinged step 5 is turned into close contact with or at least adjacent to the threshold 7. In particular, the hinged step 5 is sandwiched between the lower side of the interior of the side door 3 and the upper side and side edges of the rocker 7. Further, a seal 9 is provided for sealing a gap between the frame of the side door 3 and the rocker 7 to prevent noise, water, and the like from entering the vehicle compartment. The hinged step 5 in the non-use position is completely in the wet area 11 of the inlet 1. The wet area 11 of the inlet 1 is defined as the outer side of the sealing layer of the seal 9. The dry region 13 of the inlet is on the passenger compartment side of the seal 9.

With the side door 3 closed, the hinged step 5 does not rotate from the non-use position into the use position, as shown in fig. 1.

In fig. 2, the vehicle access opening 1 is shown open. The side door 3 is opened. The hinged step 5 is in the non-use position. To move the hinged step 5 into the use position, the step is rotated about the hinge 53 until the stop 55 of the hinged step 5 comes into contact with the stop surface of the threshold 7, as shown in fig. 4.

In the use position of the articulated step 5, the step surface 51 faces upwards to form a step for a person to enter the passenger compartment of the passenger car or to leave the passenger compartment. The upward facing side 71 of the threshold 7 forms another step. In the non-use position of the hinged step 5, the step surface 51 and the upward facing side 71 of the threshold face each other.

The hinged step 5 is moved by means of an electric motor. The control unit of the car controls the movement of the articulated steps 5. In particular, a mode is provided in which the hinged step 5 is automatically moved into the use position with the side door 3 open. With the side door 3 closed, the hinged step 5 is automatically moved into the non-use position. Closing of the side door 3 is inhibited until the hinged step 5 is in the non-use position. One or more sensors are provided to monitor the position of the articulated step 5.

Claims

1. Vehicle, in particular passenger vehicle, comprising an entrance opening (1), a door (3) for closing the entrance opening (1) and a hinged step (5) for facilitating access to the vehicle through the entrance opening (1), which can be flipped between a use position and a non-use position, wherein the vehicle body comprises a lower beam (7) forming the lower boundary of the entrance opening (1), the hinged step (5) being located (sandwiched) between the door (3) and the lower beam (7) in case the door (3) is closed and the hinged step (5) is in the non-use position.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the articulated step (5) is located in a wet area (11) of the vehicle.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a seal (9) is provided between the door (3) and the lower beam (7), defining a boundary between a wet zone (11) and a dry zone (13) of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle according to any of claims 1-3, wherein in the non-use position the step surface (51) of the articulated step (5) faces an upwardly facing surface (71) of the lower beam (7).

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said articulated step (5) and side sill (7) have mutually adapted profiles in the closed position of the articulated step (5).

6. Vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the door (3) is a front, rear or rear door.

7. Vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the door (3) is a sliding door or a hinged door, such as a front hinged door, a rear hinged door, a gull-wing door, a scissor door.

8. Vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the articulated step (5) is not foldable.