EP3401473B1 - Device for unlocking an openable body section - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for unlocking an opening.

The field of the present invention is more particularly the field of vehicles intended to receive a tipper or trailers. This type of vehicle or trailer generally has an opening to facilitate loading. To lock this opening in the closed position, it is common to mount a locking means, generally a latch, a hook or a bolt, movable between a closed position and an open position.

There are control means most often having a lever, sometimes another control element, which unlocks the latch or the closing device by moving it from the closed position to the open position. With such a system, the control means is generally located in the immediate vicinity of the closure device. It is therefore necessary to move to the closing / control device to lock and / or unlock the opening.

Furthermore, for security reasons, it is common to place two closure systems when the opening is large. The opening is then generally done by two separate control means. To lock or unlock the opening, it is then necessary to act successively on the two control means and move from one to the other.

The idea behind the present invention is to facilitate the locking / unlocking maneuver of an opening and in particular to avoid going from one closing device to another to act on them.

The document US-3,027,188 discloses a rear bucket door which can be pivoted around an upper axis (pendulum door) or around a lower axis (like a drop side). This door has an upper tubular housing and a lower tubular housing which each receive an unlocking mechanism. Each unlocking mechanism is designed so that an action on a handle simultaneously controls two latches. Each control handle is only movable in rotation about an axis.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device for unlocking an opening leaf for which the control means is can be operated remotely so that it can be used as easily as possible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unlocking device adaptable according to the habits of the user. Preferably, this device will be reliable and its cost price will preferably be limited.

• un moyen de verrouillage précontraint en position fermée,
• un moyen de commande présentant un logement,
• un câble, relié au moyen de verrouillage et passant à travers le logement du moyen de commande,

le moyen de verrouillage étant monté mobile sur l'ouvrant entre une position fermée et une position ouverte permettant respectivement de maintenir fermé ou déverrouillé l'ouvrant.To this end, the present invention provides a device for unlocking an opening comprising:

• a prestressed locking means in the closed position,
• a control means having a housing,
• a cable, connected to the locking means and passing through the housing of the control means,

the locking means being mounted movably on the opening between a closed position and an open position allowing respectively to keep closed or unlocked the opening.

According to the present invention, this unlocking device further comprises a guide means,
the control means is mounted to slide on said guide means in a first predefined path between a point A and a point B,
and the housing is mounted mobile according to a movement distinct from a trajectory parallel to the first trajectory between a rest position and an actuated position, said rest position keeping the cable substantially under tension and said actuated position being capable of exerting traction on the cable causing the locking means to pass from the closed position to the open position regardless of the location of said control means between points A and B.

Thanks to this structure, it is possible to move the control means along the guide means in order to have an unlocking control of the opening adapted to the needs of the user. Indeed, it is practical for the user to have an order in different places on the opening depending on the parking of the vehicle or the direction of unloading for example. In addition, this device has a real advantage in terms of ergonomics depending on whether the user is left or right handed. This structure also has the advantage of being simple. In another embodiment, the housing can be replaced by an assembly formed by two separate housings.

In a device according to the invention, said control means can advantageously be mounted in translation between points A and B, along an axis X. This embodiment is particularly advantageous since the control means then follows a rectilinear trajectory along the X axis guided by the guide means.

In a device as described above, the control means is advantageously a flywheel mounted in rotation about an axis Z perpendicular to a plane P formed by the opening, the housing being a conduit through which the cable passes and, when the control is in the rest position, said conduit is substantially parallel to the axis X, said flywheel being brought into its actuated position by a rotation comprised substantially between -90 and +90 degrees. By allowing the control to be actuated both clockwise and counterclockwise, the steering wheel advantageously allows right-handed users like left-handers to quickly unlock the sash by turning the control in the direction that is most convenient for them. .

Advantageously, the steering wheel has a handle articulated by means of hinges and movable between a first position retracted substantially in the plane of the steering wheel and a second gripping position where said handle is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the opening. The steering wheel can then be operated with one hand. In this way, the steering wheel provides an excellent means of gripping.

Advantageously, the guide means extends over a part of the opening between A and B, said guide means preferably being a guide rail.

Preferably, the rail is advantageously a C-profile having a base from which extend two branches of unequal lengths, each branch being provided with a return, extending towards one another parallel to the base of the profile.

For even more security, a device according to the invention can include two locking means. The cable is then fixed on said locking means and is capable of simultaneously driving the passage of the two locking means from their closed position to their open position. These locking means thus form a double locking of the opening preventing an unexpected unlocking which can be a source of accidents, in particular on a moving motor vehicle. In this embodiment, the unlocking of the opening is done in a simplified manner by the user by actuating a single control means which will cause the locking means to pass simultaneously from their closed position to their open position to release the opening .

In a device as described above, the cable is advantageously placed inside a groove on the guide means. Thus for more security, the cable is protected from any accidental or intentional external deterioration. A cavity is formed inside the opening over the entire length of the guide means and open towards the control means. The cavity is of a suitable size so as not to obstruct the second trajectory of the control means.

The device according to the invention will advantageously include one or more angle gear (s) for changing the direction of the cable. It is thus possible to modify the cable trajectory so that it is at a height different from that of the locking means or means. The main interest is, in the case of a very high opening, to keep the control means, along the cable path, at a height easily accessible by the user.

Preferably, the locking means is a latch and more preferably a rotary latch. Rotary latches are locking mechanisms well known in the automotive industry for closing doors and doors in particular.

Alternatively, the control means can be a lever mounted on a plate, itself mounted in translation along the guide means. The lever is mounted in rotation, on the plate, movable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The housing is then a ring located between the hinge and the end of the lever so that the passage from the position retracted to the deployed position will cause the ring to perform a circular arc movement perpendicular to the X axis.

• La figure 1 est une vue de face d'une forme de réalisation préférée d'un dispositif de déverrouillage d'un ouvrant,
• La figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'une partie d'un moyen de commande du dispositif de déverrouillage de la figure 1 en position de repos et une partie d'un câble,
• La figure 3 est une vue de profil d'une partie du dispositif de déverrouillage de la figure 1 et plus particulièrement d'un moyen de commande disposé dans un moyen de guidage et un ouvrant,
• La figure 4 est une vue éclatée du moyen de commande du dispositif de déverrouillage de la figure 1,
• La figure 5 est une vue de face d'une partie du moyen de commande en position actionnée et une partie du câble du dispositif de déverrouillage de la figure 2, et
• La figure 6 est une vue de face de la partie du moyen de commande de la figure 5 dans une autre position actionnée et une partie du câble du dispositif de déverrouillage.

Details and advantages of the present invention will appear better from the following description, given with reference to the appended schematic drawing in which:

• The figure 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a device for unlocking an opening leaf,
• The figure 2 is a perspective view of part of a control means of the device for unlocking the figure 1 in the rest position and part of a cable,
• The figure 3 is a side view of a part of the unlocking device of the figure 1 and more particularly of a control means disposed in a guide means and an opening,
• The figure 4 is an exploded view of the control means of the device for unlocking the figure 1 ,
• The figure 5 is a front view of part of the control means in the actuated position and part of the cable of the unlocking device of the figure 2 , and
• The figure 6 is a front view of the part of the control means of the figure 5 in another actuated position and part of the cable of the unlocking device.

The figure 1 shows the constituent parts of a device for unlocking an opening. We see on this figure 1 two locking means 110, a cable 120, a control means 130, a guide means 140 and two bevel gears 150. The control means 130 has a handle 136 movable between a retracted position and a gripping position. The opening is not shown for readability in this figure. This is for example a tipper drop side.

The locking means 110 illustrated here are rotary latches but they could also be latches movable in translation. The invention does not relate to the locking means, these are not detailed here. The locking means sketched on the figure 1 correspond purely by way of illustration and without limitation each time to a rotary latch as described in more detail in the French application FR1751263 (not published when this application was filed). Each rotary latch therefore has here two metal parts, substantially flat and coplanar, cooperating with each other and each mounted in rotation about an axis. The two axes of rotation are two parallel rods fixed on the sash. One of these two substantially flat parts has an open housing. Each latch is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the housing is engaged with a locking member fixed to a frame on which the opening is mounted. In the unlocked position the locking member is released. The locking member is a metal cylinder but may have another shape capable of cooperating with the open housing or be made of another material. The latches 110 are mechanically prestressed in the locked position. Their passage from a locked position to an unlocked position is effected by a force on the latch 110 against the force which preloads it. The latches 110 thus allow locking in the closed position of the opening.

The cable 120 is preferably of substantially circular section. It can be made of a textile of the type used for parachutes, paragliders or any other material offering mechanical resistance to traction. The cable 120 is advantageously very stiff, that is to say very inelastic, so that a displacement of one point of the cable 120 affects its entire length. The cable 120 is fixed at a point 121 on each of the latches 110 at each of its ends so that when the latches 110 are in the locked position the cable 120 is kept substantially taut but without being constrained. In the case where the device would have only one latch 110, at least one fixing point 121 of the cable 120 will be on the latch 110 and another fixing point of the cable will be on the opening so that the cable 120 passes through the control means 130 between its two fixing points. The axis passing through the two fixing points 121 is called the Y axis. The cable 120 is capable of controlling the unlocking of each latch 110 when a pull is made on the cable 120.

The control means 130 illustrated in the drawing is a steering wheel. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, it is formed of a first disc 133 and a second disc 135 arranged opposite one another and connected by a blade 138 which extends along a diameter of each of the discs, parallel to these.

The first disc 133 is of a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the second disc 135. They are both arranged in a plane corresponding substantially to the plane of the opening. The blade 138 is of elongated rectangular shape having a length corresponding substantially to the diameter of the first disc 133 and a width much less than its length. The blade 138 is connected by one of its ends to the first disc 133 so as to leave between the blade 138 and the first disc 133 a first slot and is connected by its other end to the second disc 135 so as to leave between the blade 138 and the second disc 135 a second slot.

The first disc 133 is hollowed out so as to present two orthogonal branches 133a and 133b each corresponding to a diameter of the first disc and a peripheral strip 133c. This configuration makes it possible to lighten the first disc 133. However, the first disc 133 may be full. The branch 133a is traversed lengthwise by a cylindrical housing 132 of any section. The blade 138 extends opposite the branch 133b of the disc which does not integrate the housing 132. In order to promote gripping, the steering wheel 130 has a handle 136 articulated by means of two hinges fixed to the second disc 135. The latter thus serves as a support for the handle 136 and also as a hubcap.

The steering wheel 130 may be made of synthetic material or metal.

The guide means 140 extends over a part of the opening between a point A and a point B. The guide means 140 is preferably a guide rail. The rail will advantageously be a C-profile having a base from which extend two branches of unequal lengths, each branch being provided with a return 142, 143 extending towards one another parallel to the base of the streamlined but with an offset. The returns 142, 143 extend over the entire length of the guide means. Each return 142, 143 is preferably integrated into the opening by partially covering a groove formed by the C-shaped section. This rail cooperates with the flywheel while maintaining the first disc 133 inside the groove. The two returns 142, 143 cooperate with the first and second slots in the steering wheel. This rail is advantageously made of the same material as the opening. Advantageously, the housing 132 which receives the cable 120 is placed, as here, in the part of the flywheel 130 located inside the groove. The cable 120 is then placed in the groove which will protect it from a risk of deterioration coming from the outside. In a particularly advantageous manner, the entire cable 120 runs in a space arranged inside the opening.

The corner gears 150 are curved gutters which have an inlet and an outlet where the direction of the cable 120 at the inlet is different from the direction of the cable 120 at the outlet. Indeed, each bevel gear 150 here has a constant curvature forming an arc of a circle. The bevel gear 150 may also be a simple tube bent lengthwise.

The operation of this device is now described with reference in particular to figures 4 and 5 .

The flywheel 130 is mounted in rotation along an axis Z perpendicular to a plane P formed by the opening. The flywheel 130 is also mounted movable in translation along the guide means 140 which follows the path of the cable 120 between point A and point B along an axis X. The cable 120 can slide through the housing 132 of the flywheel 130 and, when the flywheel 130 is in the rest position, said housing 132 is substantially collinear with the axis X. The flywheel is brought into its actuated position by a rotation included, at most in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing , between about +80 degrees ( figure 5 ) and -80 degrees ( figure 6 ). In addition, the housing 132 is advantageously of a length corresponding substantially to the diameter of the first disc 133 of the flywheel 130, which makes it possible to carry out maximum traction on the cable 120 during the rotation of the flywheel 130. The flywheel 130 moves along the guide means 140 by means of the first disc 133 and of the blade 138 which are inserted into the C-profile. The first disc 133 is mounted mobile along the guide means 140 and makes it possible to maintain the 'assembly of the steering wheel 130 during its translation along the X axis.

The purpose of the bevel gear 150 is to divert the direction of the cable 120 at the ends of the guide means 140. This deflection makes it possible, advantageously, to place the flywheel 130 at a different height from the latches 110 in the case where the latches 110 are located at a height which is not ergonomic to be within easy reach of a user. The guide means 140 and the steering wheel 130 are placed at a height substantially between, for example, 1.40 meters and 1.80 meters in the case of mounting on a vehicle to facilitate gripping of the steering wheel. These values are purely illustrative and not limiting. The advantage of the invention is to be able to adapt easily to the environment. The angular references 150 then make it possible to deflect the path of the cable 120 in order to fix the latches 110 at any height. Indeed, whatever the control height, the height of the locking latches is free to design.

To unlock a latch 110, it is necessary to move the preloaded latch 110 from the closed position to the open position, which results in the release of the locking member. To carry out this operation, it is necessary to pull the latch 110 against the force which prestresses it. This movement is possible by exerting traction on the cable 120 which will move the latch 110 and release the locking member. To do this, it is necessary to grasp the handle 136 by passing it from its retracted position to its gripping position and to impulse a rotation movement with the handle 136. This rotation of the handle 136 makes it possible to rotate the steering wheel 130 around the axis Z so as to move the housing 132 through which the cable 120 passes. In this way, the cable 120 is displaced and the latches 110 are unlocked.

In summary, from the position illustrated on the figure 1 in particular, the user has first of all the possibility of moving the flywheel 130 along the guide means to the location which is most functional for him. It is then necessary to rotate the handwheel 130 in one direction or the other about the axis Z, to exert a displacement of the cable 120 sufficient to come to exert a force against the restoring force of the latches 110 and to release the latches 110 and unlock the door.

The proposed device 100 is an ergonomic device. Its handling is easy. Unlocking can be done simply with a single hand, although it can present a double security. Locking is automatic.

This device 100 has the advantage of being simple and of a limited cost price. The number of parts used is limited. It can be even more limited if it is implemented without bevel gears.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above by way of nonlimiting example and to the variants mentioned, but it extends to the embodiments within the reach of those skilled in the art in the scope of the claims below.

For example, the device shown in the drawing is a preferred form of a device for unlocking an opening leaf and has many optional characteristics. Thus, for example, as shown, it immediately appears to those skilled in the art that the unlocking device shown comprises on the one hand, a control means which is a steering wheel and, on the other hand, angular references for deviating the path of a cable which actuates two latches but the present invention could relate to a device without handwheel with another control means, without bevel gear and with a single latch. The movement for controlling the unlocking is here a rotation. A translation could also be suitable. One could for example have a carriage sliding in a guide rail, this carriage carrying a slide which can move in a direction distinct from the direction given by the guide rail, for example (and preferably) perpendicular to this direction. The housing receiving the cable would then be produced in the slide. By moving the slide relative to the carriage, the cable would then act on the locking means.

Claims (9)

1. Device for unlocking an openable body section (100) comprising:

   - a locking means (110) prestressed in a closed position,

   - a control means (130) having a compartment (132),

   - a cable (120) connected to the locking means and passing through the compartment (132) of the control means (130),

   the locking means (110) being mounted such that it can move on the openable body section (100) between a closed position and an open position respectively allowing the openable body section (100) to be held closed or to be unlocked,
   characterised in that it further includes a guide means (140),
   in that the control means (130) is mounted such that it can move by sliding on said guide means (140) according to a first predefined trajectory between a point A and a point B, and
   in that the compartment (132) is mounted such that it can move by a separate movement of sliding according to a trajectory parallel to the first trajectory, between a rest position and an actuated position, said rest position holding the cable (120) substantially taut and said actuated position being capable of exerting tensile stress on the cable (120) driving the passage of the locking means (110) from the closed position to the open position independently of the location of said control means (130) between the points A and B.
2. Unlocking device according to claim 1, characterised in that said control means (130) is mounted such that it can move in translation between the points A and B, along an axis X.
3. Unlocking device according to claim 2, characterised in that the control means (130) is a handwheel mounted such that it rotates about an axis Z perpendicular to a plane P formed by the openable body section, the compartment being a duct through which the cable (120) passes and, when the control means is in the rest position, said duct is substantially parallel to the axis X, said control means (130) being brought into the actuated position thereof by a rotation that substantially lies in the range -90 to +90 degrees.
4. Unlocking device according to claim 3, characterised in that the handwheel has a handle (145) that is articulated by hinges, and is capable of moving between a first retracted position substantially in the plane of the handwheel and a second grasping position wherein said handle (136) is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the openable body section.
5. Unlocking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises two locking means and in that the cable is fixed to said locking means and is capable of simultaneously driving the passage of the locking means from the closed position thereof to the open position thereof.
6. Unlocking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cable is placed inside a groove on the guide means.
7. Unlocking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises one or more angle transmissions allowing the direction of the cable to be changed.
8. Unlocking device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guide means (140) is a guide rail which extends over part of the openable body section between A and B.
9. Device for unlocking an openable body section according to claim 8, characterised in that the rail has a C-shaped profile having a base from which two branches of unequal lengths extend, each branch being provided with a return, extending towards one another parallel to the base of the profile.

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