FR2732717A1 - HINGE WITH SEVERAL ARTICULATIONS - Google Patents

Abstract

A hinge with several joints (1) for motor vehicles consists of two support parts (2), (3) fixed one on the body and the other on the pivoting flap, and, of two levers (8) , (9) articulated on the support pieces (2), (3) around parallel axes (4 to 7) each of which consists of a riveted bolt (12) which passes through an eye (10), (11 ) provided with a coating (13) of maintenance-free material. This hinge is distinguished by the fact that the articulated levers (8), (9) have in the area of their eyes (10), (11) a rectangular cross section and, in the area between the joints an enlarged cross section whose shape deviates from the rectangle. The transition zone (14) between the eyes (10), (11) and the longitudinal segment with an enlarged cross section located between the joints has a wedge shape. At least one of the articulated levers (8), (9) is provided with an elbow (17).

Description

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  The present invention relates to a multi-articulated hinge

  for hinging covers or shutters on motor vehicles, which consists of a first support part fixed to the bodywork, a second support piece fixed to the hood or flap, and, at least two articulated levers assembled with the support pieces being mobile about parallel axes,

  each of the axes of articulation of said articulated levers being constituted by a

  lon rivé fixed without possibility of rotation in the corresponding support piece and through an eye of the articulated lever which is provided with a coating of material

not requiring maintenance.

  Hinges with several articulations of this type appearing under

  form of an articulated parallelogram are known from the prior art. The the-

  articulated hinges of the hinge with several articulations, which are articulated on the

  two supporting parts around axes parallel to each other, are con-

  staggered cuts of dishes, particularly sheet metal, which offer the advantage of a

  very simple conformation and a very small footprint of the hinge.

  But the edges of articulated levers of this type often have sharp edges despite trimming measures which implies a risk of injury

  for the personnel responsible for mounting the hood or shutter on the motor vehicle

  bile. This risk is further increased by the fact that the multi-hinge

  collapsible culations to require the smallest possible clutter is mounted at a place in the vehicle body, difficult to access. In addition, the risk of rust is almost inevitable in this area because of the poor adhesion of the varnish on the sharp edges and the thin layer of varnish. Hinges with multiple joints of this type are

  commonly produced by stamping which has the disadvantage of

  depending on the shape of the hinge, waste material more or less important after cutting. In addition, this type of known and usual manufacture always requires at least two separate work steps, the first step of work consisting in the cutting of the articulated levers and the second step

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  working in the trimming of sharp edges of said levers; it is necessary to add another phase of unavoidable work, consisting in the transport of

  cutting of the levers from the stamping station to the trimming station.

  In view of the state of the art which has just been described, the object of the present invention is to improve a hinge with several joints of the type previously described so that it is possible to obtain a simplification of the production and a reduction in its cost, and, to eliminate any risk of rust on the sharp edges and any risk of injury to the assembly personnel and the user of the vehicle, while maintaining the easy pivoting of the hinged flap and without reducing the useful volume of the interior space and without the need to take any measures

  particular as to the conformation of the bodywork.

  To achieve these objectives, the present invention proposes that the

  articulated ones, in one piece each, have, in the area of their eyes, a substantially rectangular cross-section, and, in the area between the points of articulation on the two support pieces, a cross-section whose shape deviates from the rectangle, the transition zone between the eyes and the longitudinal segment whose shape of the cross-section deviates from the rectangle, presenting at least on one side a flattening a shape of

  corner in at least one inclined plane on the longitudinal axis of the articulated levers.

  The height of the thickening of the median zone of the articulated levers corres-

  laying on the part of which the shape of the cross-section deviates from the

  angle, is preferably limited to the amount corresponding to the height of the

  heads of riveted bolts constituting the axes of articulation. This amount is sufficient

  to obtain a cross-section whose shape avoids angular ridges

other articulated levers.

  Because of the departure from the current mode of manufacture and the usually rectangular shape of the cross section of the articulated levers and the fact that the cross section of the segment of the articulated levers located between the

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  articulation points on the two supporting parts is enlarged, it is possible to avoid the formation of sharp edges in critical areas without losing stability, which considerably reduces or even completely eliminates the risk of injury to the personnel responsible for assembly and for the user during maneuvers on the hinge with several joints, respectively in the luggage compartment or the engine space. In addition, the construction according to the invention makes it possible to apply the paint more evenly over the entire surface of the articulated levers so as to reduce the risk of formation of

  paint areas thinner and therefore the risk of rust. The abandoned

  gift of the usual rectangular shape of the cross-section of the articulated levers

  The abutments also imply an abandonment of the embossing process usually used and inevitably leading to more or less significant material falls and the formation of sharp edges along the cutting lines, a process which was relatively expensive. The construction according to the invention

  offers the possibility of using an extrusion process for the manufacture of

  articulated ones, which eliminates the problem of falling material and

trimming.

  According to the invention, the enlarged cross-section, deviating from the rectangular shape, articulated levers may have the shape of a rounded polygon or oval. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the articulated levers in one piece have in their area between the joints an enlarged cross section, deviating from the rectangle; they consist of a longitudinal segment of round circular cross section. It is advantageously provided that the articulated levers consist of longitudinal segments of tubes or rods of circular section, which offers the advantage of a method of manufacturing without falling.

and less expensive.

  In connection with the fact that the shape of the cross section of the articulated levers changes over their length, it is advantageously provided that the

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  at least in the region of the articulation points of the articulated levers, the abutments have bends so that the points of articulation on the two supporting parts are laterally offset relative to each other. 'a

  amount corresponding to the largest diameter of the articulated levers.

  According to the invention, it can be provided that the zones of the articulated levers comprising the eyes are situated in the plane of the longitudinal median axes of said levers and that the wedge-shaped transition zones between the eyes and the longitudinal segment of the levers whose shape of the section deviates from

  rectangle, are arranged symmetrically.

  To reduce the space required for mounting the car-

  In a multi-jointed arrangement, it can be advantageously provided that at least one of the articulated levers in one piece has a bend perpendicular to its longitudinal extent. Said bend is preferably located in the transition zone between the zone of the articulated lever with larger diameter and the zone of its articulation on the corresponding support piece. In order to obtain a conformation of the hinge allowing significant space savings, the elbow of the articulated lever directly follows the corresponding elbow of the room

concerned.

  Instead of bends in the area of the articulation points of

  articulated levers, it may also be provided that the zones of the articulated levers

  abutments with eyes for the points of articulation, be shifted in

  height in relation to the plane of the longitudinal median axis of said levers

  culés. The wedge-shaped transition zones located between said eyes for the articulation and the longitudinal segment of the levers whose shape of the section

  transverse deviates from the rectangle, are then formed only on one side.

  In order to obtain a hinge with several articulations with easy operation, the lever joints are provided with a coating of material that does not require maintenance, the articulated levers in one piece being able to

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  present in the area of their eyes or articulation points

  parallel to their axes of articulation.

  According to the invention, the effective length of the articulated levers is determined so that the multi-joint hinge has a pivot angle of up to about 100, and the pivoting flap is

  consisting of a tailgate or a trunk lid of a motor vehicle.

  It may further be provided that the opening movement, respectively

  the hinged flap by means of the multi-hinge hinge

  a spring, in particular a pressurized gas spring or a coil spring, the ends of said spring being hinged

  on the first and second support pieces.

  The invention will be explained in a purely indicative manner during the

  description of an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

  FIG. 1 is a view from above of a hinge with several articula-

in accordance with the invention.

  FIG. 2 is a side view of a hinge with several articulations according to the invention, the position of the hinge corresponding to the opening

  extreme of the hinged flap being indicated by a dashed line.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of an articulated lever constituted

a circular section tube.

  FIG. 4 is a section corresponding to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of an articulated lever constituted

a rod of circular section.

  FIG. 6 is a section corresponding to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of an articulated lever which is

  provided in the area of his eyes sleepers.

  A shutter which, in the closed position, is flush with the bodywork of the vehicle not shown in the drawing, is suspended cantilevered on the bodywork

  of the vehicle via a multi-hinge hinge (1).

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  Said hinge (1) consists of a first support piece (2) to be fixed to the bodywork and a second support piece (3) to be fixed on the flap, as well as at least two pivoting levers (8), (9) articulated on the two support pieces

  (2), (3) about axes (4 to 7) parallel to each other. The axes of articulation

  of said levers (8), (9) each consist of a riveted bolt (12) arranged

  without possibility of rotation in the corresponding support piece (2), (3) and

  pouring an eye (10), (11) into the articulated lever (8), (9) which is provided with an

  garment (13) made of non-maintenance material. The two levers

  abutments (8), (9), each consisting of a single piece, are made from

  round. The areas of the articulated levers (8), (9) provided with the eyes (10), (11) pre-

  have a cross section of substantially rectangular shape, while the area of said articulated levers (8), (9) located between the points of articulation on the support parts (2), (3), has a cross section enlarged by

  relative to that of the points of articulation and deviating from the rectangular shape.

  According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the articulated levers

  are made of tubes or rods of circular cross section so

  that the area between the hinge points has a cylindrical shape

  drique. The articulated levers which are in one piece (8), (9), have in the area of their points of articulation on the corresponding support piece (2), (3) a transition zone (14) shaped corner which is extended by the area provided with eye for the joint and having a cross section of substantially rectangular shape. The first support piece (2) is provided

  bores (15) enabling it to be fastened by screws to the bodywork not shown.

  felt on the drawing. The second support piece (3) is provided with bores

  logues (16) allowing its fixing by screw on the hinged flap. In order to reduce the space required to house the hinge with several joints, the transition zone of the articulated lever located between its larger diameter zone

  and its hinge zone, comprises an elbow (17) whose fold is perpendicular to

  to the longitudinal extent of said articulated lever (8). If necessary, the other

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  articulated lever (9) may also include such a bend. According to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the articulated levers (8), (9) which are in one piece, comprise in the zone of their eyes linages (18). The movements of opening and closing of the hinged flap on the body by the hinge with several joints, are assisted by a spring (19), in particular

  a pressurized gas spring, whose ends (20), (21) are articu-

  alternately on the first, respectively on the second support piece (2), (3), about an axis parallel to the axis of articulation of the levers but offset relative thereto. According to the embodiment shown, the hinge with several articulations has an opening angle that can

reach about 100.

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Claims (6)

  1. Hinge with several articulations for articulating covers or shutters on motor vehicles, which consists of a first support piece (2) fixed to the bodywork, a second support piece (3) fixed on the bonnet or flap, and, at least two articulated levers (8), (9) assembled with the supporting parts (2), (3) being movable about parallel axes (4 to 7), each of articulation axes of said articulated levers being constituted by a riveted bolt (12) fixed without possibility of rotation in the corresponding support part and through   an eye (10), (11) of the articulated lever which is provided with a coating (13) made of   non-maintenance-requiring element, characterized in that the one-piece articulated levers (8), (9) have, in the area of their eyes (10), (11), a substantially rectangular cross-section, and, in the area   between the joints on the two supporting parts (2), (3), a trans-   versale whose shape deviates from the rectangle, the transition zone (14) between   eyes (10), (11) and the longitudinal segment whose shape of the trans-   versale deviates from the rectangle, presenting at least on one side a wedge shape   in at least one inclined plane on the longitudinal axis of the articulated levers.   2. hinge with multiple joints according to claim 1 characterized in that the articulated levers (8), (9) which consist of a longitudinal segment of round, have in the area between the joints a section   transverse enlarged, oval or round.   3 hinge with multiple joints according to claim 2 characterized in that the articulated levers (8), (9) consist of longitudinal segments   tubes or rods of circular section. 9 2732717   Multi-joint hinge according to one of Claims 1 to 3   characterized in that the regions of the articulated levers (8), (9) comprising the eyes (10), (11) are located in the plane of the longitudinal median axes of said levers and in that the wedge-shaped transition zones between the eyes (10), (11) and the longitudinal segments of the levers whose shape   cross section deviates from the rectangle, are arranged symmetrically.   Multi-joint hinge according to one of Claims 1 to 4   characterized in that at least one of the articulated levers (8), (9) has, inside or in extension, wedge-shaped transition regions between the eyes (10), (11) and its longitudinal segment, an elbow (17) whose   fold is perpendicular to its longitudinal extent.   6, multi-joint hinge according to one of claims 1 to 3   characterized in that the regions of the articulated levers (8), (9) comprising the eyes (10), (11) are offset in height with respect to the plane of the longitudinal central axis of said articulated levers (8), (9) and in that the transition zones   Wedge (14), located between the eyes (10), (11) and the longitudinal segment   tudinal of said levers, the shape of the cross section deviates from   rectangle, are only formed on one side.   Multi-joint hinge according to one of Claims 1 to 6   characterized in that the areas of the articulated levers (8), (9) comprising the   eyes (10), (11) are provided with linings (18) parallel to the axis of articulation.   Multi-joint hinge according to one of claims 1 to 7   characterized in that the effective length of the articulated levers (8), (9) is determined so that the multi-joint hinge has a 2732717   pivoting angle of up to about 100 and in that the pivoting flap   consists of a tailgate or a trunk door of a motor vehicle.   Multi-joint hinge according to one of claims 1 to 8   characterized in that the opening and closing movement of the hinged flap by means of the multi-hinge hinge is assisted by a spring (19) consisting in particular of a pressurized gas spring or an articulated coil spring. on the two bearing pieces (2), (3) alternately about axes parallel to the axes of the articulated levers (8), (9) and staggered   laterally with respect to these.