EP2354400B1

EP2354400B1 - A hinge with integrated door-stop device for vehicle doors

Info

Publication number: EP2354400B1
Application number: EP10425022.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vittorio Audisio
Original assignee: Gammastamp SpA
Current assignee: Gammastamp SpA
Priority date: 2010-02-03
Filing date: 2010-02-03
Publication date: 2013-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-03
Also published as: EP2354400A1

Description

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to a hinge for vehicle doors that is equipped with an integrated door-stop device designed to withhold the door of the vehicle in a plurality of positions with a different angle of opening.
Usually, hinges for vehicle doors comprise a first hinge element, designed to be fixed to an upright of a vehicle, an axially fixed hingepin, which is able to turn with respect to the first hinge element about a hinge axis, and a second hinge element, designed to be fixed to a door of the vehicle and fixed in a removable way to a head portion of the hingepin.
Fixing in a removable way of the second hinge element to the pin derives from the need to enable disassembly and re-assembly of the door of the vehicle in a simple and fast way. Hinges for vehicle doors of the type referred to above provided with integrated door-stop devices must be designed and built so as not to hinder disassembly of the door.

Description of the prior art

The Italian application for utility model No. T02009U000016 , filed in the name of the present applicant, describes a hinge for vehicle doors with integrated door-stop device, wherein the door-stop device comprises an outer casing fixed with respect to the first hinge element, housed in which is a first disk carrying a plurality of retention balls. Set within the casing is a second disk, rotationally fixed with respect to the pin and pushed elastically into engagement with the retention balls.
DE-A-4115997 discloses a hinge according to the preamble of claim 1, including door-stop device comprising a casing and an elastic retention element housed inside the casing and acting on a retention portion of the hingpin with flattened portions. The elastic retention element includes an annular body of elastomeric material which holds in position retention bodies which act on the flattened portions of the hingepin.
The main drawback of the hinge described in the documents T02009U000016 and DE-A-4115997 is the fact that the door-stop device comprises a large number of components, assembly of which is difficult to automate.

Object and summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a hinge for vehicle doors that is equipped with an integrated door-stop device, which is formed by a small number of components and can be assembled in a simple way that is easy to automate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hinge with a retention device designed to withhold the door in an open position with any angle of opening.
According to the present invention, the above purposes are achieved by a hinge having the characteristics forming the subject of Claim 1.
Preferred embodiments of the invention form the subject of the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings, which are provided purely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hinge with integrated door-stop device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view from a different angle of the hinge of Figure 2 ; and
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the part indicated by the arrow IV in Figure 3 .

With reference to Figure 1 , designated by 10 is a hinge for vehicle doors according to the present invention. The hinge 10 comprises a first hinge element 12 and a second hinge element 14 articulated with respect to one another about a hinge axis A. The hinge 10 moreover comprises a door-stop device 16 designed to withhold the hinge elements 12, 14 in a stable relative angular position.
With reference to Figures 2 and 3 , the first hinge element 12 comprises a substantially L-shaped metal body having a fixing portion 20 provided with holes 22 for being fixed by means of screws to an upright of a vehicle. The first hinge element 12 has an articulation portion 24, in which a through hole 26 is formed. Preferably, the articulation portion 24 comprises an element made of plastic material 28 co-moulded on one part of the metal body 18. The articulation portion 24 has a first face 30 and a second face 32 opposite to one another, which delimit the articulation portion 24 in a direction orthogonal to the hinge axis A.
The hinge 10 comprises a hingepin 34 formed by a monolithic body made of metal material, in which a head portion 36, an articulation portion 38, and a retention portion 40 are obtained.
The head portion 36 has a conical stretch, in which two teeth 42 are formed. The head portion 36 moreover has a terminal cylindrical stretch 44 with a threaded axial hole. The hingepin 34 has an annular groove 46, set between the articulation portion 38 and the retention portion 40. The hingepin 34 is fixed axially with respect to the first hinge element 12 by means of an elastic ring 47 that engages in the annular groove 46 of the pin 34.
The articulation portion 38 has a circular cross section and a length slightly greater than the distance between the two opposite faces 30, 32 of the articulation portion 24. The retention portion 40 has an elliptical cross section and projects in an axial direction from the face 32 of the first hinge element 12.
The articulation portion 38 of the hingepin 34 engages in a rotatable way the hole 26 of the first hinge element 12. Preferably, a bushing 48 is set between the articulation portion 38 and the internal wall of the hole 26. The head portion 36 of the hingepin 34 protrudes from the first face 30 of the first hinge element 12. Preferably, a bent-back rim of the bushing 48 is set between a radial surface of the pin 34 and the face 30.
The second hinge element 14 is designed to be fixed to a door of a vehicle. The second hinge element 14 has a seat 50 that establishes a shape fit with the conical portion and with the teeth 42 of the head portion 36 of the hingepin 34. The first hinge element 14 is fixed in a removable way to the head portion 36 by means of an axial screw 52 that engages the threaded hole of the terminal cylindrical portion 44 of the pin 34.
With reference to Figures 2 , 3 and 4 , the door-stop device 16 comprises a casing 54 having a blind hole 56 and a front face 58, which is set in contact with the second face 32 of the articulation portion 24. Preferably, formed on the face 58 are arched recesses 60, engaging in which are projections having a corresponding shape 62 that are formed on the face 32 of the articulation portion 24. The projections 62 are preferably formed on the portion made of plastic material 28 co-moulded on the metal body 18. Furthermore, preferably formed on the face 58 of the casing 54 is a recess having a square or rectangular shape 64, in which a portion 66 of the metal body 18 of the first hinge element 12 that protrudes from the face 32 engages.
The retention device 16 comprises an elastic retention element 68 housed in the blind hole 56.
Preferably, the elastic retention element 68 can is of metal material with high elastic properties, for example spring steel. The elastic retention element 68 can be inserted in the blind hole 56 and withheld in said hole in an angularly fixed way by means of shape fitting. Alternatively, the casing 54 can be made of injection-moulded plastic material, and the elastic retention element 68 can be co-moulded in the hole 56.
In any case, the retention element 68 is rotationally fixed with respect to the casing 54.
With reference to Figure 4 , the elastic retention element 68 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, with a base 70 and two elastically deformable side walls 72. The base 70 and the side walls 72 define a retention seat 74, in which the retention portion 40 of the hingepin 34 is inserted with radial interference. Preferably, the elastic retention element 68 has a length substantially equal to the length of the retention portion 40. The length in the direction of the axis A of the elastic retention element 68 is greater than the maximum diameter of the retention portion 40 of the pin 34. The retention device 16 could comprise two or more elastic retention elements 68 aligned to one another within the hole 56 in the direction of the axis A.
With reference to Figures 2 and 3 , the casing 54 of the door-stop device 16 is fixed to the articulation portion 24 of the first hinge element 12. Said fixing is preferably obtained by means of screws 76 that extend through through holes 78 formed in the portion made of co-moulded plastic material 28 of the articulation portion 24. The screws 76 engage corresponding holes 80 formed in the casing 54. The holes 80 are set at angular distances from one another and extend parallel to the hinge axis A.
When the door-stop device 16 is fixed to the face 32 of the first hinge element 12, the retention portion 40 of the hingepin 34 is elastically gripped between the elastic walls 72 of the elastic retention element 68. The hingepin 34 is withheld by friction in any angular position. The retention torque acting on the pin 34 varies as a function of the angular position of the pin according to a law of a sinusoidal type. Preferably, the retention torque is minimum in the position of the pin 34 corresponding to the door closed and is maximum in the position of complete opening of the door.
A particularly advantageous characteristic of the door-stop device 16 is that its geometry guarantees a hermetic closing thereof when it is fixed to the hinge element 12. The door-stop device 16 is consequently not damaged by the treatments to which the body of a vehicle is subjected when being prepared for painting. The door-stop device 16 is moreover completely isolated from the external environment and is not subject to accumulation of dust, water, or dirt. Assembly of the door-stop device 16 on the hinge element 12 is particularly simple and fast and is easy to automate. Furthermore, the door-stop device 16 is made up of a very small number of components.
Another advantage of the solution according to the present invention is that the first hinge element 12 and the second hinge element 14 may be substantially identical to those of hinges of normal production without an integrated door-stop device. To apply the door-stop device 16 to a hinge of normal production it is sufficient to add the portion made of co-moulded plastic material 28 on the articulation portion 24 and replace the pin 34 with a pin provided with an integral retention portion 40 as described previously.
The hinge according to the present invention moreover presents the advantage of withholding the door of the vehicle in any angular position selected.

Claims

A hinge for vehicle doors, comprising:
- a first hinge element (12) comprising a fixing portion (20) and an articulation portion (24), wherein the fixing portion (20) is equipped with holes for fixing the first hinge element (12) to an upright of a vehicle and wherein the articulation portion (24) has only a single through hole (26) with a longitudinal axis defining a hinge axis (A), and a first face (30) and a second face (32);

- a hingepin (34), which is axially fixed with respect to the first hinge element (12) and is able to turn about said hinge axis (A), said hingepin (34) having a head portion (36) and an articulation portion (38) with circular cross section that engages said through hole (26) of said first hinge element (12) in a rotatable way, wherein the head portion (36) of the hingepin (34) protrudes from the first face (38) of said first hinge element (12), and wherein said hingepin (34) comprises an integral retention portion (40) that extends axially from the articulation portion (38) and protrudes from the second face (32) of said first hinge element (12);

- a second hinge element (14) fixed in a removable way to the head portion (36) of said hingepin (34); and

- a door-stop device (16) associated to said first hinge element (12) and to said hingepin (34) for withholding the hingepin (34) in a plurality of angular positions, the door-stop device (16) comprising a casing (54) having a blind hole (56) and a front surface (58) in contact with said second face (32) of said first hinge element (12), and an elastic retention element (68) acting on said integral retention portion (40) ;
characterised in that said retention portion (40) of said hingepin (34) has an elliptical cross section and that said elastic retention element (68) is made of metal material, has a substantially U-shaped cross section, is elongated in the direction of said hinge axis (A), is inserted in said blind hole (56) of said casing (54) and is angularly constrained with respect to the casing (54) by shape fit, the elastic retention element (68) having a retention seat (74) in which the retention portion (40) of said hingepin (34) is engaged with radial interference.
The hinge according to Claim 1, characterized in that the hingepin (34) comprises an annular groove (46) between said articulation portion (38) and said retention portion (40), the annular groove (46) being engaged by a retention ring (47) that constrains the hingepin (34) axially with respect to the first hinge element (12).
The hinge according to Claim 1, characterized in that said casing (54) of said door-stop device (16) is made of injection-moulded plastic material and in that said elastic retention element (68) is co-moulded in said blind hole (56) of said casing (54).
The hinge according to Claim 1, characterized in that said elastic retention element (68) has a length in an axial direction greater than the maximum diameter of said retention portion (40) of said hingepin (34).
The hinge according to Claim 1, characterized in that the casing (54) of said door-stop device (16) is fixed to the first hinge element (12) by means of a plurality of screws (76) that extend through through holes (78), which are formed in said hinge portion (24) and extend parallel to said hinge axis (A).
The hinge according to Claim 1, characterized in that the articulation portion (24) of said first hinge element (12) comprises an element made of plastic material (28) co-moulded on a metal body (18) in which said articulation hole (26) is formed.