EP3476715A1 - Mechanism for opening/closing a door leaf relative to a frame - Google Patents

Abstract

Opening / closing mechanism (10) of an opening (12) relative to a frame (14). The mechanism (10) is configured to cause at the opening an elevation of the sash (12) of a closure plane to an opening plane parallel to the closure plane, followed by a pivoting of the sash ( 12) about a pivot axis (V) orthogonal to the translation of the opening, and conversely to closing. The mechanism (10) comprises for this purpose: a fixed frame (50); a movable frame (55) mounted in translation on the fixed frame; a hinge piece (61) pivotally mounted on the movable frame and coupled to an attachment mechanism to the sash; an actuator comprising an output member (25) operable in a direction orthogonal to the pivot axis (V) of the opening (12); and a transmission (30, 70, 73, 74, 73 ', 74'). The transmission includes a transmission linkage (30) including a first hinge (31a) pivotally coupled to the output member (25), and a second hinge (31b) pivotally coupled to the hinge member. The fixed frame (50) comprises a guide arrangement (52, 80, 80 ') configured to cooperate with the transmission so that the displacement of the output member (25), upon opening of the mechanism, causing the movable frame (55) to rise relative to the fixed frame (50), and then rotating the hinge piece (61) to a desired angle to move from a closed configuration to an open mechanism configuration. open close.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of the opening / closing mechanisms of opening, of the type causing opening to a translation of the opening of a closure plane to a plane of opening parallel to the closure plane, followed by pivoting of the opening around a pivot axis orthogonal to the translation of the opening, and conversely to closure.

BACKGROUND-TECHNOLOGY

In the field of the invention, it is conventional to consider a complex kinematic, consisting on the one hand, for the opening, to release the opening of the opening plane of the frame by a translation in a direction orthogonal to the plane opening the frame, then to rotate the opening around a parallel or coincident axis of rotation at one of its edges and, secondly, for closing, to rotate the sash around the axis of rotation to bring it back in a plane parallel to that of the frame, then to translate the opening so that it comes to fit into the frame.

Such kinematics is justified in particular when the opening, in the closed position, is embedded in the frame with very little play and has a thickness that does not allow, given the small clearance between the opening and the frame, to proceed, for opening, to only and directly a pivoting. It is therefore necessary to release the opening from the frame by a translational movement orthogonal to its own plane (and therefore that of the frame) and then rotate it. Of course, there are close mechanisms in which the rectilinear translation is followed for example by a curvilinear translation of the opening or even a second rectilinear translation perpendicular to the first.

In the case of the opening / closing mechanisms proceeding, at the opening, a translation of the opening orthogonally to its own plane followed by a rotation, many applications can be envisaged, and in particular: the doors and windows housing; opening of vehicles, whether on land (road or rail), sea or air; safe doors, and lids for boxes, suitcases, attaché cases.

Numerous mechanical solutions have been proposed by the prior art to obtain a displacement decomposition such as that applied in the context of the invention (translation and rotation).

The skilled person therefore has at his disposal a wide choice of designs, more or less adapted to the applications and according to the constraints or criteria of the specifications related to the opening / closing mechanism. Thus, it is clear that the weight and strength criteria are different for a safe door than those for a suitcase lid.

Furthermore, depending on the application, the opening / closing mechanism can be manual, motorized or "mixed", that is to say allowing both modes of operation, manual and motorized. However, with regard to applications using a motorization, it is conventional to use an actuator dedicated to one of the two displacements. In this sense, several cases are possible, namely: an actuator dedicated to the translation, the rotation of the opening being obtained manually; an actuator dedicated to the rotation, the translation of the opening being obtained manually; two actuators, one dedicated to translation and the other to rotation.

Of course, for the mechanisms for which it is desired to drive the two displacements, the fact of having to implement two actuators generates drawbacks among which: the size and integration of the two actuators; the cumulative weights of the actuators; the synchronization, or even the servoing of the two actuators with each other; the time of assembly and the adjustment of the two actuators, and the cost of the actuators.

It goes without saying that such disadvantages are multiplied by a factor equal to the number of hinges equipping where appropriate the equipment provided with the opening / closing mechanism. In addition, these disadvantages may be more detrimental to some applications than others. Indeed, the problem of congestion for example is all the more worrying that the available volume is reduced, as is the case in a suitcase, or in an attache case.

Other considerations may also tend to increase the difficulty or inconvenience of implementing two actuators, in particular: the aesthetic nature of the mechanism, in the case where it is desired to make the most discrete possible, the mechanism and its actuators; the requirement of high quality perception, with regard to limit the noise and vibration level of the mechanism as much as possible; the need for high-level reliability, in terms of removing, or at least minimizing, the need for maintenance interventions, and the "elegance" of the opening / closing kinematics, providing a feeling of softness and fluidity of movement of the opening.

The invention particularly aims to solve the disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a mechanism for opening / closing an opening relative to a frame, of the type causing the opening a translation of the opening of a closure plane to a plane opening parallel to the closure plane, followed by a pivoting of the opening around a pivot axis orthogonal to the translation of the opening, and conversely to the closure, which allows the motorization of the two movements with a system actuator less cumbersome and easier to integrate a mechanism of the same capacity of the prior art.

The invention also aims to provide such an opening / closing mechanism which involves less weight than a mechanism of the same capacity of the prior art.

The invention also aims to provide such an opening / closing mechanism which allows to consider simplifications of implementation of the actuating system and / or its mounting and adjustment.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an opening / closing mechanism which achieves a high level of performance, reliability and perceived quality by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objectives, as well as others that will appear later, are achieved through a first aspect of the invention which relates to a mechanism for opening / closing an opening relative to a frame. The mechanism is configured to cause at the opening an opening of the opening of a closure plane to an opening plane parallel to the closure plane, followed by a pivoting of the opening around a pivot axis orthogonal to the translation of the opening, and conversely to the closure. The mechanism comprises for this purpose a fixed frame; a mobile frame mounted in translation on the fixed frame; a hinge piece pivotally mounted on the movable frame and coupled to a hitch mechanism opening it; an actuator comprising an output member operable in a rectilinear direction orthogonal to the axis of pivoting of the opening; and a transmission. This transmission comprises a transmission rod comprising a first hinge pivotally coupled to the output member, and a second hinge pivotally coupled to the hinge piece. The fixed frame comprises a guide arrangement configured to cooperate with the transmission so that the displacement of the output member, upon opening of the mechanism causes the mobile frame to rise relative to the fixed frame, then rotating the hinge piece at a desired angle to move from a closed configuration to an open configuration of the open / close mechanism.

According to a first essential characteristic of the invention, an actuating system uses a single actuator to move the opening in translation and pivoting. It should be noted that the actuation system may include, for each hinge of the mechanism (in a configuration where several hinges are present), a single actuator (with as many actuators as there are hinges) or alternatively, a single and common actuator with several hinges. The unique actuator principle, common to translation and pivoting, provides many advantages including: limiting the weight of the mechanism; limitation of the overall dimensions of the mechanism and, consequently, easier integration in the assembly including the opening and the frame, and simplifications of assembly and adjustment.

In addition, as will become clearer later, the reduction in size allows to discretely integrate the actuator or actuators, to consider an aesthetically advantageous result.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the guide arrangement comprises a guide path provided with a rectilinear portion followed by a curved portion along an arc-of-circle. The rectilinear and curved portions are intended to cooperate with one end of the transmission rod under the action of the displacement of the output member along the rectilinear direction.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the transmission further comprises a coupling rod pivotally coupled by one of its ends to the hinge part and to the transmission rod and comprising at the other end thereof a coupling member. guide. The guide arrangement further comprises a first and a second rail arranged to cooperate with the guide member.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the first and second guide rails are arranged facing one another and each comprise successively a rectilinear portion extending vertically, a convex portion and a curved portion. Each portion has a first and a second surface located on either side of the guide rail and each defining a guide path.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the guide member comprises a bearing arranged inside a circular opening of the coupling rod and two pairs of rollers each mounted on a roller support. The roller supports are arranged on either side of the bearing so that the rollers of each support are kept in contact on either side of the thickness of the respective guide rail to move along their axis. respective guide path when opening and closing the mechanism to ensure the pivoting of the opening in a precise path without any play.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the attachment mechanism to the opening is arranged to be actuated in rotation about the pivot axis orthogonal to the translation of the opening. This pivot axis corresponds to a virtual pivot axis located above the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the mechanism for attaching to the opening comprises a rod support secured to the hinge piece and several links pivotally coupled by one of their ends to the link support and the other to their ends to the mechanism of attachment to the opening. The attachment mechanism forms a deployable and foldable parallelogram.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism further comprises a parallelogram actuating member comprising an actuating arm pivotally coupled to one of the links on the one hand and to an arm support. on the other hand. The arm support is secured to the movable frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the opening / closing mechanism further comprises a coupling rod connected to one end of the transmission rod such that the axis of the rod is perpendicular to a plane in which the link. The rod is also pivotally coupled to the hinge piece.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the movable frame comprises an elongated and curved shaped window within which the coupling rod passes through.

According to an advantageous embodiment, each end of the transmission rod is pivotally coupled respectively to the output member and the hinge part on either side of the movable frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the output member is in the form of a carriage mounted in translation on a worm. One end of the worm is coupled to a motor while the other end is mounted in a bearing so that rotation of the motor drives the carriage along the rectilinear direction orthogonal to the axis of pivoting of the opening.

A second aspect of the invention relates to an attaché case comprising a box constituting a frame, a cover constituting an opening, and a mechanism according to the invention coupling the lid to the box.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the cover is at least partially embedded in the box when the briefcase is in a closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

• La figure 1a est une vue en perspective d'un attaché-case selon la forme de réalisation préférentielle comportant le mécanisme d'ouverture/fermeture, l'attaché-case étant dans une configuration ouverte ;
• La figure 1b est une vue partielle de la figure 1a montrant le mécanisme d'ouverture/ fermeture dans son emplacement ;
• La figure 2 est une vue en coupe partielle d'un côté latéral de l'attaché-case dans une configuration fermée ;
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe partielle de l'autre côté latéral de l'attaché-case dans une configuration fermée ;
• La figure 4 est une vue similaire à la figure 3 lorsque l'attaché-case est dans une configuration ouverte ;
• La figure 5 est une vue selon différents plans coupe du mécanisme d'ouverture/fermeture ;
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'une partie du mécanisme d'ouverture/fermeture
• Les figures 7a à 7e représentent chacune une vue similaire à la figure 2 lorsque l'attaché-case se trouve dans les configurations suivantes : couvercle surélevé avec pivotement du couvercle respectivement de 0°, 2.4°, 4.8°, 50° et > 90° par rapport au caisson ;
• La figure 8a est une vue en perspective de l'actionneur et du bâti mobile couplé à la charnière laquelle est connectée à l'agencement du type parallélogramme;
• La figure 8b est une vue en éclaté du bâti mobile de la figure 8a, et
• La figure 9 est une vue en éclaté du mécanisme d'ouverture/fermeture.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings among which:

• The figure 1a is a perspective view of an attache case according to the preferred embodiment including the opening / closing mechanism, the briefcase being in an open configuration;
• The figure 1b is a partial view of the figure 1a showing the opening / closing mechanism in its location;
• The figure 2 is a partial sectional view of a lateral side of the briefcase in a closed configuration;
• The figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the other lateral side of the briefcase in a closed configuration;
• The figure 4 is a view similar to the figure 3 when the briefcase is in an open configuration;
• The figure 5 is a view according to different sectional planes of the opening / closing mechanism;
• The figure 6 is a perspective view of part of the opening / closing mechanism
• The Figures 7a to 7e each represent a view similar to the figure 2 when the case is in the following configurations: raised lid with lid pivoting respectively of 0 °, 2.4 °, 4.8 °, 50 ° and> 90 ° relative to the box;
• The figure 8a is a perspective view of the actuator and the movable frame coupled to the hinge which is connected to the parallelogram type arrangement;
• The figure 8b is an exploded view of the moving frame of the figure 8a , and
• The figure 9 is an exploded view of the opening / closing mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORMAT OF REALIZATION

As illustrated by Figures 1a to 9 , an opening / closing mechanism 10 ( figure 1b ) according to the invention is integrated in a briefcase and is coupled to an actuator 17 for moving an opening 12 relative to a frame 14. The opening is the cover of the briefcase while the frame is the box of attache-case.

The opening / closing mechanism 10 of the briefcase comprises a fastening mechanism 13 having a fastening portion 13a connected to the cover 12. The fastening mechanism 13 and is adapted to cause the opening of the fastener attache case by a translation of the attachment portion 13a of a closure plane of the box 14 as illustrated by the Figures 2 and 3 to an opening plane parallel to the closure plane as illustrated by the figure 7a . The attachment portion 13a of the cover 12 is translated in elevation relative to the box 14 of a position from which the cover is at least partially embedded in the box 14 at a position in which it is clear of the box.

At the opening of the briefcase, this translation movement is followed by a pivoting of the attachment portion 13a, and therefore of the cover 12, around a virtual pivot axis V orthogonal to the translation direction as illustrated by the Figures 7a to 7e , with a pivot angle which can vary substantially in a range of 90 ° for example, or even beyond. Of course, on closing, the order of movement and movements in themselves of the fastening mechanism 13 of the cover are reversed. Thus, starting from the open configuration of the briefcase as illustrated by the figure 7e , the lid attachment portion 13a is first folded in pivoting to be brought back into a plane parallel to that of box 14 ( figure 7a ). the attachment part 13a is then translated so that the cover of the briefcase is embedded, at least partially, in the box 14 in a closed position.

For the sake of clarity, a detailed description of the various elements of the opening / closing mechanism integrated into the briefcase will be given first, followed by a description of the kinematics of these elements when opening the door. of the cover 12 in translation then in rotation about the virtual pivot axis V with reference to the different opening sequences with respect to the casing 14 as illustrated by the Figures 7a to 7e .

Description of the elements of the opening / closing mechanism

With reference in particular to the figure 9 , the actuator 17 comprises a motor 18, carried by a frame 20, and a worm 21 whose one end is coupled to the motor 18 while the other of its ends and arranged in a bearing 22 mounted on the frame 20. The actuator 17 further comprises an output member 25 in the form of a carriage engaged with the worm 21 so that a rotation of the worm 21 actuates the carriage 25 in a rectilinear direction transverse to the translation of the opening 12 and orthogonal to the virtual pivot axis V. The carriage 25 is guided by two rails and two ball bearings (not shown) fixed to the frame 20.

The carriage 25 also comprises a cylindrical opening receiving a rod 26a of a linear sensor 26 arranged to give the electronics the position of the carriage 25. Such a design makes it possible to optimize the guiding and the precision of the drive, contributing also to the reliability and the holding in time of the mechanism. Furthermore, according to this preferred embodiment, the worm is driven directly by the motor, that is to say without gearbox, in order to have only a very low rotation torque of the screw. involving a significant reduction of noise generated by the actuator, and ease of use in the context of a manual actuation. In this way, we obtain a reversibility as to the use of the mechanism. In other words, the mechanism operates either via the motorization of the mechanism, or by a manual drive which, of course, can be performed without any incidence or degradation in the subsequent motorized operation. It should be noted that the use of a larger worm and a reducer ensuring an identical ratio can also be considered according to an alternative embodiment. For example, a 1mm pitch worm with a direct drive motor is equivalent to a worm at 3mm pitch coupled to a geared motor with a reduction ratio of 3. The important thing is to ensure a constant ratio between the speed of the motor and the linear speed of the carriage 25 while selecting a ratio with regard in particular criteria of noise, power consumption, weight and reversibility of the mechanism.

As can be distinguished in particular for example on figures 3 and 4 , the actuator is coupled to a transmission including in particular a transmission rod 30 arranged to connect the carriage 25 with a hinge part 61 rotatable about a pivot axis A and forming an integral part of the hinge 60 (which will be described in detail later) connecting the cover 12 to the box 14 of the briefcase. The transmission rod is similar to a bent rod 30 having a first and a second straight portion 30a, 30b joined by a bent portion to form an angle between the two straight portions preferably between 120 ° and 140 ° ( figure 3 ). The transmission rod 30 comprises a first hinge 31a, at one of its ends, pivotally coupled to the carriage 25, and a second hinge 31b, at the other of its ends, pivotally coupled to the hinge part 61 The coupling of the transmission rod 30 at the hinge part 61 is achieved by means of a coupling rod 32 (FIG. figure 6 ) connected to one end of the connecting rod 30 so that the axis of the rod 32 is perpendicular to a plane in which the connecting rod 30 moves. This rod 32 comprises on one segment an engagement surface 33 which can be example the shape of a roller operable in rotation around the rod 32. The specific form of the transmission rod 30 has been determined in order to reduce the size of the actuator while maintaining the travel necessary for the displacement of the carriage 25 .

Referring in particular to Figures 3 to 6 , the opening / closing mechanism comprises a guide system in translation and in rotation. This device comprises a fixed frame 50 on which is mounted a mobile frame 55 so as to be displaced in translation relative to the fixed frame 50 ( figure 9 ). For this purpose, two slides 54a, 54b are arranged on either side of the fixed frame 50 and are oriented at 90 ° relative to each other in a plane perpendicular to a closure plane of the attachment. box. The movable frame 55, meanwhile, has at each of its lateral sides two slides 57a, 57a ', 57b, 57b' ( figure 8b ) also oriented 90 ° relative to each other in the same plane. These four slides are movably mounted in translation on the two slides 54a, 54b of the fixed frame 50.

The latter comprises a guide arrangement comprising a guide path 52 and a first and second guide rail 80, 80 'arranged facing one another ( figure 6 ). The guide rails 80, 80 'have a profile almost identical to the guide track 52 and are in fact strictly identical in their function except that the rails 80, 80' provide two additional functions, namely: i) a perfect control of the position of the cover 12 in a precise path during the passage between the linear displacement of the cover (in elevation) and the rotation thereof and ii) a perfect control of the position of the movable frame 55 during the opening of the cover which is also not affected by any external stress that could be exerted on the cover 12 of the briefcase.

The guiding track 52 comprises a rectilinear portion 52a extending perpendicularly to a closing plane of the briefcase followed by a curved portion 52b in the form of an arc-of-circle concentric with the pivot axis A. This guide track is intended to impose on the roller 33 of the coupling rod 32, which is coupled to the transmission rod 30 and hinge piece 61, a displacement in translation followed by a displacement in an arc of a circle when the opening of the attachment portion 13a of the cover 12 of the briefcase and conversely to the closure. Like the guiding track 52, each guiding rail 80, 80 'comprises a rectilinear portion 81, 81' vertical and a curved portion 87, 87 in arc-of-circle whose tangent of the lower part the arc-of-circle is essentially perpendicular to the rectilinear portion 81, 81 '. Moreover, the radius of curvature of the curved portion 87, 87 'is identical to the radius of curvature of the curved portion 52b of the guide track 52 of the fixed frame 50. By contrast, unlike the guide track 52, each guide rail 80, 80 'has a convex rounded portion 84, 84' connecting the rectilinear portion 81, 81 'to the curved portion 87, 87'.

The translation and rotation guiding system also comprises a coupling rod 70 pivotally coupled at one of its ends to the hinge part 61 and to the transmission rod 30 around a pivot point C through the coupling rod 32. The coupling rod 70 is also coupled to the movable frame 55 via a connecting rod support 72, one end of which is pivotally mounted on the mobile frame 55 a pivot point F while the other end is pivotally mounted on the coupling rod 70 about a pivot point G. The coupling rod 70 further comprises at the other of its ends a circular opening inside which is arranged a guide member intended to cooperate with the first and the second guide rail 80, 80 'during the opening and closing of the briefcase.

As illustrated in particular in figure 8b , the guide member comprises a bearing 71 mounted inside the circular opening of the coupling rod 70 and two pairs of rollers 73, 74, 73 ', 74' each mounted on a roller support 75, 75 arranged on either side of the bearing. The roller supports 75, 75 'are connected together by a connecting rod 76 passing inside the inner race of the bearing. It should be noted that anti-friction means other than ball or roller bearings can be envisaged. Referring in particular to the figure 6 , the coupling rod 70 is arranged between the first and the second guide rail 80, 80 'so that each pair of rollers 73, 74, 73', 74 'of the guide member cooperate with their rail. respective guiding when opening and closing the briefcase to ensure the pivoting of the cover 12 ( figure 1a ) according to a precise trajectory without any play.

Since the two guide rails 80, 80 'are identical and the rollers disposed on either side of the bearing 71 are arranged to cooperate in the same way with their respective rail, only the bearing surfaces of the rail of 80 as well as the interaction of the rollers 73, 74 with them will be described later for the sake of brevity.

The guide rail 80 comprises a first and a second surface each defining a guide track against which the respective rollers of the guide member of the coupling rod 70 come into contact. More particularly, according to the figure 2 the rectilinear portion has a straight bearing surface 82 and an opposite straight bearing surface 83, the rounded portion has a convex bearing surface 85 and a concave bearing surface 86 opposite and the curved portion has a surface d upper support 88 and a lower bearing surface 89.

The inter-axis between the pairs of rollers 73, 74, 73 ', 74' ( figure 8b ) is determined so that the rollers of each support 75, 75 'are in contact on either side of the thickness of the respective guide rail. Furthermore, each roller support comprises an elastically deformable zone in order to vary the inter-axis of the rollers, on the one hand, to make up the clearances between the guide rail and the rollers as they move along the rail. and on the other hand, to avoid a possible seizure of the mechanism. The roller supports are preferably made of steel having a series of recesses extending transversely to the direction connecting the axes of the rollers. Thus, the metal portion acts as a spring between the axes of the rollers.

As can be seen more particularly in figures 6 and 8b , the movable frame 55 has a curved window having a curve identical to the arc-of-circle 52b of the guide path 52 of the fixed frame 50. The coupling rod 32 connects the transmission rod 30 to the hinge piece 61 through from this window 56.

According to Figures 8a and 8b , the hinge 60 therefore comprises the hinge part 61 and an actuating arm 63 of a folding and foldable parallelogram which will be described later. The hinge part 61 is provided with a central cut-out 61a situated in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis A. The actuating arm 63 is pivotally mounted about a pivot point E ( figure 2 ) on an arm support 64 secured to the movable frame 55. The arm 63 and the support 64 pass through the central cut 61a of the hinge part 61 while avoiding any friction with the part 61 when the latter pivots around its pivot axis A. The hinge part 61 also has a cylindrical opening 61b traversed by a pivot 62 whose ends are arranged in two pivot supports 58a, 58b located respectively on the mobile frame 55 and on a cover 59, which forms with the mobile frame 55 a housing for the various elements of the hinge 60.

As illustrated in particular in figure 6 the fastening mechanism 13 comprises a rod holder 15, which forms a single piece with the hinge piece 61, and a plurality of links 16a, 16b, 16c pivotally coupled at one end to the link support 15 and by the other of their ends to the attachment portion 13a of the cover 12. One of the three links, in this case the rod 16a, is also pivotally coupled to the actuating arm 63 around a pivot point D.

The attachment mechanism 13 of the cover forms the deployable and foldable parallelogram. This is configured to change the position of the attachment portion 13a of the cover 12 relative to the box 14 of the briefcase at the initiation of rotation of the lid so that the opening movement of the lid can be performed in a rotation along the virtual pivot axis V located closest to the box 14 while avoiding any friction therewith.

Functional description of the opening / closing mechanism

When the briefcase is in a closed configuration as illustrated by the Figures 2 and 3 , one of the sides of the carriage 25 is close to the bearing 22 of the worm 21. The first portion 30a of the transmission rod 30 is aligned along an axis perpendicular to the closing plane of the briefcase while the parallelogram is in an expanded configuration. According to figure 3 , the roller 33 of the coupling rod 32 is in abutment against the rectilinear portion 52a of the guide track 52. Moreover, the coupling rod 70 is against the bottom of the box 14 with the rollers 73, 74 of the 'guiding member located on either side of the rectilinear portion 81 of the guide rail 80 bearing against the rectilinear surfaces 82, 83 so as to ensure a coupling without any play. Finally, the actuating arm 63 and the actuating rod 16a of folding the parallelogram are retracted.

In order to open the briefcase, the motor 18 is actuated so that the rotation of the worm 21 moves the carriage 25 towards the motor 18 according to the opening sequence illustrated by the figure 7a . The displacement of the carriage 25, during this sequence, has the effect of towing the mobile frame 55 in elevation along the slides 57a, 57b via the transmission rod 30, which pivots in rotation around the pivot point B. The translation of the movable frame 55 continues as and when the rod 30 is pulled by the carriage 25 until the roller 33 arrives at the top of the straight portion 52a of the guide track 52. During this sequence of elevation of the frame 55, the guide rod 32 and the connecting rod support 72 drive the coupling rod 70 upwards. The rollers 73, 74 therefore move along their respective straight surface 82, 83 until they are at the top of the rectilinear portion 81 to ensure perfect control of the position of the movable frame 55 during its elevation relative to the fixed frame. Moreover, the hinge part 61 being pivotally coupled to the mobile frame 55, the elevation of the latter also causes the lifting of the rod support 15.

With reference to Figures 7b and 7c , the carriage 25 continues to move toward the motor 18, pulling the coupling rod 70 and the hinge piece 61 in a direction substantially along its longitudinal axis through the coupling rod 32 coupled to the connecting rod of transmission ( figure 6 ). During this opening sequence, the traction movement applied to the hinge part 61 initiates its rotation around the pivot axis A, which has the effect of tilting the support rods 15. Moreover, the displacement of the coupling rod 70 tends to pivot the roller support 75 so that the roller 73 moves in elevation along the convex surface 85 of the rounded portion 84 while the roller 74 is a support against the concave surface 86. This is accompanied by a displacement in elevation of one end of the connecting rod 70, which, by the interplay with the support 72 will also result in an elevation of the other end of the connecting rod coupling member 70 rotatably coupled to the transmission rod 30 via the coupling rod. This makes it possible to ensure perfect control of the position of the attachment part 13a of the cover (and consequently of the cover) when the attachment part 13a moves from a translational movement to a rotational movement. During this critical phase, the roller 33 is forced to pass from the rectilinear portion 52a to the curved arcuate portion 52b of the guide path 52 (FIG. figure 5 ).

With reference to the figure 7d , the carriage 25 continues to move towards the motor 18, which causes the displacement of the roller 33 of the transmission rod 30 along the arcuate portion 52b of the guide path 52 ( figures 3 and 4 ). During this sequence, the coupling rod 70 and the hinge part 61 are drawn further by the coupling rod 32 in the same direction as the carriage 25. The hinge part 61 continues its rotation about the pivot axis A , thus increasing the angle of inclination of the rod support 15 relative to the box 14 of the briefcase. The displacement of the roller 33 along the arcuate portion 52b is in coincidence with the displacement of the rollers 73, 74 along the curved portion 87 respectively against the corresponding upper and lower bearing surfaces 88, 89 of the guide rail 80 to ensure a smooth pivoting of the lid in a precise path while avoiding any undesirable movement of the lid.

Once the carriage 25 is at the end of travel and the cover of the briefcase is fully open, that is to say that the attachment portion 13a of the lid is inclined at more than 90 ° relative to at box 14 as shown in figure 7e , the rollers 73, 74 of the guide member is at the other end of the curved portion 87 while the roller 33 is also at the other end of the curved portion 52b of the guide path 52 ( figure 4 ). The second rectilinear portion 30b of the transmission rod 30 is arranged at this time along an axis parallel to the bottom of the box 14.

The progressive opening of the fastening mechanism 13 of the cover relative to the box 14 of the briefcase of a closed position in which the cover is embedded in the box, to an open position in which the lid forms with the box An angle of at least 90 ° is made possible by the folding and foldable parallelogram. The actuating arm 23 of the parallelogram can bring it into a folded configuration in the open position of the briefcase.

With reference to the figure 7a , the actuating arm 63, the arm support 64 and the actuating rod 16a are retracted and will unfold gradually during the opening of the briefcase by rotation relative to each other around their respective pivot point D , E until reaching a full deployed position as illustrated in FIG. figure 7e . The actuating link 16a is arranged to fold down against the link support 15 and the attachment portion 13a of the cover when the cover is approaching at a 90 ° angle with respect to the casing 14 resulting in the same. occasion the folding of the other two rods 16b, 16c.

It goes without saying that the mechanism just described is completely reversible and therefore the functional description of the mechanism when closing the cover of the briefcase is not described for reasons of brevity.

Moreover, the opening / closing mechanism that has been described is not exclusively adapted to a briefcase but to any other article comprising an opening and a frame.

List of references

• Opening / closing mechanism 10
  Opening 12
  • Mechanism of attachment 13 to the opening
    • Fastening part 13a
    • Virtual pivot axis V
    • Tie support 15
    • Ties 16a, 16b, 16c
      • Actuating link 16a
• Sleeping 14
  • box
• Actuator 17
  • Engine 18
    • Chassis 20
  • Worm 21
    • Tier 22
  • Exit Organ 25
    • trolley
    • Linear sensor 26
      • Rod 26a
• Transmission
  • Transmission connecting rod 30
    • Bielle bent
      • First straight portion 30a
      • Second straight portion 30b
      • Angled portion
    • First articulation 31a
    • Pivot B
    • Second articulation 31b
    • Pivot C
  • Coupling rod 32
    • Engagement portion
      • Roller 33
  • Connecting rod 70
    • Circular opening 70a
    • Bearing 71
      • Ball bearing
    • Connecting rod holder 72
      • Pivot point F
      • G pivot point
  • Guide organ
    • First pair of pebbles 73, 74
    • First support 75 of pebbles
    • Second pair of rollers 73 ', 74'
    • Second support 75 'of pebble
    • Connecting rod 76 of pebble supports
• Guide system in translation and in rotation
  Fixed mount 50
  • Slides 54a, 54b
  • Guide arrangement
  • Guideway 52
    • Straight portion 52a
    • Curved portion 52b
      • Portion in arc-of-circle
  • First guide rail 80
    • Straight portion 81
      • Straight bearing surface 82
      • Opposite rectilinear bearing surface 83
    • Rounded portion 84
      • Convex bearing surface 85
      • Concave bearing surface 86
    • Curved portion 87
      • Upper support surface 88
      • Lower support surface 89
  • Second guide rail 80 '
    • Straight portion 81 '
    • Rounded portion 84 '
    • Curved portion 87 '
• Mobile building 55
  • Guide window 56
    • Curved
      • Arc
    • Slides 57a, 57a ', 57b, 57b'
    • Pivot supports 58a, 58b
    • Cache 59
• Hinge 60
  • Hinge piece 61
    • Central cutting 61a
    • Cylinder opening 61b
      • Swivel axis A
      • Swivel 62
  • Actuating member of the parallelogram
    • Actuating arm 63
      • Pivot point D
      • Pivot point E
      • Arm support 64

Claims (14)

Opening / closing mechanism (10) of an opening (12) relative to a frame (14), the mechanism (10) being configured to cause at the opening an elevation of the opening (12) of a closure plane to an opening plane parallel to the closure plane, followed by a pivoting of the opening (12) about a pivot axis ( V ) orthogonal to the translation of the opening, and conversely to the closure, said mechanism (10) comprising for this purpose: a fixed frame (50), a movable frame (55) mounted in translation on the fixed frame, a hinge piece (61) pivotally mounted on the movable frame and coupled to a fastening mechanism (13) to the sash, an actuator comprising an output member (25) operable in a direction orthogonal to the pivot axis ( V ) of the opening (12), a transmission (30, 70, 73, 74, 73 ', 74') comprising a transmission link (30) comprising a first articulation (31a) pivotally coupled to the output member (25), and a second articulation (31b) pivotally coupled to the hinge part, the fixed frame (50) comprising a guide arrangement (52, 80, 80 ') configured to cooperate with the transmission so that the displacement of the output member (25), upon opening of the mechanism causes the movable frame (55) to rise relative to the fixed frame (50), and then to rotate the hinge piece (61) by a desired angle to move from a closed configuration to an open configuration of the mechanism 'open close. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide arrangement comprises a guide path (52) provided with a rectilinear portion (52a) followed by a curved portion (52b) in an arc-of-circle, said portions (52a, 52b) being intended to cooperate with one end of the transmission rod (30) under the action of the displacement of the output member (25) along the rectilinear direction. Mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transmission further comprises a coupling rod (70) pivotally coupled at one of its ends to the hinge piece (61) and to the transmission rod (30) and having at its other end a guide member (73, 74, 73 ', 74'), the guide arrangement further comprising a first and a second rail (80, 80 ') arranged to cooperate with the guide member. Mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the first and second guide rails (80, 80 ') are arranged facing one another and each comprise successively a rectilinear portion (81, 81') extending vertically, a convex portion (84, 84 ') and a curved portion (85, 85'), each portion having a first and a second surface on either side of the guide rail (80, 80 ') and each defining a guide path. Mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that said guide member comprises a bearing (71) arranged inside a circular opening of the coupling rod (70) and two pairs of rollers (73, 74, 73 '). , 74 ') each mounted on a support of rollers (75, 75') arranged on either side of the bearing so that the rollers of each support are kept in contact on both sides of the thickness respective guide rail to move along their respective guide path when opening and closing the mechanism to ensure the pivoting of the opening in a precise path without any play. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the attachment mechanism (13) to the opening (12) is arranged to be actuated in rotation about the pivot axis ( V ) orthogonal to the translation of the opening, which corresponds to a virtual pivot axis located above the frame (14). Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening mechanism (13) to the opening (12) comprises a rod support (15) integral with the hinge piece (61) and several rods (16a , 16b, 16c) pivotably coupled at one end to the link support (15) and at the other end to a fastening portion (13a) to the opening (12), the mechanism fastener (13) forming a deployable and foldable parallelogram. The mechanism of claim 7, further comprising an actuator (63) of the parallelogram comprising an actuating arm (63) pivotally coupled to one of the links (16a) on the one hand and a carrier arm (64) on the other hand, the arm support (64) being integral with the movable frame (55). A mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a coupling rod (32) connected to one end of the transmission rod (30) such that the axis of the rod (32) is perpendicular to a plane wherein the transmission rod (30) moves, and in that the rod is further pivotally coupled to the hinge piece (61). Mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that the movable frame (55) comprises a window (56) of elongated and curved shape within which the coupling rod (32) passes through. Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each end of the transmission rod (30) is pivotally coupled respectively to the output member (25) and the hinge piece (61) on the other hand. other of the mobile frame (55). Mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the output member is in the form of a carriage (25) mounted in translation on an endless screw (21), one of the ends of the screw endless being coupled to a motor (18), the other end being mounted in a bearing (22) so that the rotation of the motor (18) drives the carriage (25) along the rectilinear direction orthogonal to the pivot axis ( V ) of the opening (12). Attaché-case comprising a box (14) constituting a frame, a cover (12) constituting an opening, and a mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims coupling the cover (12) to the box (14). Attache-case according to claim 13, characterized in that the cover (12) is at least partially embedded in the box (14) when the briefcase is in a closed position.

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