FR2968697A1 - DEVICE FOR CONNECTING A VEHICLE HATCH DRIVE - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for connecting the output shaft (5) of a drive to the hinge of a tailgate comprising a lever (10) provided with a housing (12) for the output shaft (5) and a shaped orifice slider (11), an adapter piece (3) with a pin (30). The adapter piece (3) is connected to the hinge and the pin (30) passes through the slide (11). A fastener (2) holds the workpiece (3) on the lever (10). The trunnion (30) has a bearing area (31) and a fastening area (32) for attachment to the member (2) to prevent the adapter piece (3) from being detached from the lever (10). .

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connecting device for connecting the output shaft of a drive to the hinge of a vehicle tailgate.

State of the art It is known to operate the tailgate of the vehicle using a drive or liftgate actuator. By way of example, document DE 10 2006 024 349 A1 describes such a device comprising a drive lever connected to the output shaft of the drive and having a slide. The slide receives a sliding roller. The device further comprises an adapter piece provided with a journal rotatably housed in the roller. This known device is nevertheless relatively bulky and its mounting is relatively difficult because of the multiplicity of different parts that compose it.

DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for connecting the output shaft of a drive to the hinge of a vehicle tailgate comprising: - a drive lever provided with a housing for receiving the output shaft 20 as well as a slide-shaped orifice, - an adapter piece provided with a pin, * the adapter piece being connected to the hinge, and * the pin passing through the shaped orifice. slider, - a fastener for holding the adapter member to the driving lever, connecting device in which * the journal has a bearing area and a fastening area for attachment to a fastener, * the journal is connected to the fastening element in the fastening zone 30 to prevent the adapter part from being detached from the driving lever, and the bearing zone comes into the lever-shaped orifice of the lever for carrying out a bearing assembly and / or slippery mounting.

2 The connecting device according to the invention offers the advantage vis-à-vis the state of the art to be more economical manufacturing and easier assembly. The invention reduces the number of parts and reduce the risk of mounting error. This result follows from the invention in that the device consists of only three main parts, namely a drive lever, an adapter piece and a fastener. The drive lever includes the slide-shaped port and a housing for introducing the output shaft of the drive. The adapter piece which constitutes the interface with the hinge of the tailgate comprises a trunnion having a bearing zone, in particular a cylindrical zone, and a fixing zone. The bearing area is located in the slide-shaped hole of the drive lever. The fastener is connected to the attachment area and holds the adapter piece to the drive lever. This arrangement of the bearing zone of the fastening element on the trunnion of the adapter piece makes it possible to have a particularly compact design. In the slide-shaped hole the bearing area provides both the bearing and / or sliding function when opening / closing the tailgate. The slide-shaped orifice is preferably an oblong hole and the relative position between the trunnion bearing zone and the neck-smooth port changes during the opening phase of the tailgate. The bearing zone then offers a very low sliding resistance, which simplifies the operation of opening / closing the tailgate. The oblong hole makes it possible to compensate the tolerances of the parts which are reflected in the radial direction. Preferably, the trunnion of the adapter piece has a bearing surface, preferably between the bearing zone and the fixing region of the trunnion. In the mounted state, the fixing element thus comes against the bearing surface so that the fixing element takes a defined position. To avoid mounting errors of the fastening element on the adapter part, the depth of the neck-smooth orifice is preferably less than the axial length of the bearing zone, which ensures that the drive lever which, in the mounted state, is located between the adapter piece and the fastener element remains free to move. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the device further comprises a prestressing element which, in a particularly preferred manner, is installed between the fixing element and the driving lever. The prestressing member thus exerts a prestressing force in the axial direction to avoid in operation, the noise of the device such as for example a beat noise or other.

In order to make assembly easy and simple, by ensuring a defined position of the prestressing element with respect to the fastening element and / or the driving lever, it is preferable to provide a recess or counterbore which receives the element of prestressing. The prestressing element is preferably a spring element, in particular a corrugated spring, closed on itself. Preferably a connection by the form between the fastening region of the trunnion and the fixing element makes a particularly fast and simple mounting. The bonding by the shape is preferably a riveted bond obtained by deformation of the free end of the fastening zone. This allows for a simple and secure way the connection between the end of the trunnion and the fastener without requiring additional separate parts. Just pass the free end of the fastening area of the trunnion through the passage opening of the fastener and then deform the free end to make the riveted connection. The fastening area of the trunnion may be cylindrical or oval or have a polygonal shape, in particular of triangle or quadrangle. According to another development of the invention, the fastening element comprises at least one clearance and the driving lever comprises at least one projecting portion corresponding to the clearance. This projecting portion comes into relief in the axial direction of the drive lever leaving a clearance between the clearance and the projecting portion. This allows a pre-positioning of the adaptation piece which can thus be mounted in a preferred position. The connection by the form having clearance between the clearance and the projecting portion, li-

4 mites the movement of the adaptation piece. The clearance between the clearance and the projecting portion limits both the stroke of the adapter piece in the slide and the pivot angle of the adapter piece. It should be noted that the clearance can also be provided on the drive lever and the projecting portion on the fastener. The invention also relates to a drive or tailgate actuator comprising a device as defined above for connecting the output shaft of the drive, in particular an electric motor, to the hinge of the tailgate. The present invention will be described hereinafter in more detail with the aid of preferred embodiments of a dis-positive for connecting the output shaft of a drive to the hinge of a tailgate shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the various components. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 in the assembled state; FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the slide of a driving lever; corresponding to a second embodiment of the invention, - Figure 5 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a device according to the invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The description hereafter made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 corresponds to a device 1 serving to connect the output shaft 5 of a drive to the hinge of a tailgate corresponding to a first embodiment of the invention. According to FIG. 2, the device 1 comprises a driving lever 10, an adaptation piece 3, a fixing element 2 and a spring element 4. The adaptation piece 3 constitutes the interface with the hinge, not shown a hatchback; the adapter piece 35 has threads 35 for attachment to the hinge. Alternatively, instead of a tapping, it is also possible to weld a nut to the adapter piece 3. It should also be noted that the protruding parts described above can be provided on the fastener 2 and the Correspondingly shaped cavities will then be formed in the drive lever 10. The adapter piece 3 further comprises a pin 30 with a bearing zone 31 and a fixing zone 32. Between the bearing zone 31 and the fixing zone 32 has a bearing surface 33 directed radially. The bearing zone 31 and the fixing zone 32 have a cylindrical shape.

The drive lever 10 has a slotted orifice 11 which, in this embodiment, is in the form of an oblong hole. The driving lever 10 also includes a housing 12 in the form of a through hole for receiving the output shaft 5 of the drive. The output shaft 5 is for example a splined shaft which is installed in a corresponding form of the housing 12 by a connection by force and shape. According to FIG. 2, the spring element 4 of this embodiment is a closed annular corrugated washer installed between the driving lever 10 and the fixing element 2. The fastening element 2 has the form of a disc and has a mounting hole 21 therethrough and an annular groove 22 on the side facing the drive lever 10. The annular groove 22 receives the spring element 4, which, on the one hand, facilitates the mounting and on the other hand prevents the spring element 4 from being excessively compressed at the time of assembly. It should be noted that the width of the gap as well as the depth of the annular groove 22 and the preload of the spring element 4 are adjustable. According to FIG. 3, the fastening element 2 is fixed to the adapter part 3 by a riveted connection 6. The riveted connection 6 is made from the material of the free end 34 of the journal 30. For assembly the bolt 30 is firstly installed in the slide-shaped orifice 11 of the driving lever 10 and then the spring element 4 and the fastening element 2 are placed on the part of the trunnion 30 which protrudes the orifice in the form of a slide 11 and then, the shore connection 6 is made by deforming the free end 34 of the trunnion. The annular groove

6 22 provided in the fixing element 2 then prevents the spring element 30 from being excessively compressed. The annular groove 22 preferably has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the spring element 4. In the installed state, the fixing element 2 thus comes directly against the bearing surface 33 of the journal 30. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the length (1) of the bearing surface 31 is slightly greater than the depth (t) of the slide-shaped orifice 11. This ensures that the mounting operation does not entail the clamping piece 3 is clamped in the slide-shaped orifice 11. The axial clearance (a) which remains after assembly is then compensated by the spring element 4. Thus, the device 1 according to FIG. The invention can be used to connect the output shaft 5 to the hinge of a tailgate; this device has a simplified construction using known, economical methods. In addition, according to the invention, it is possible to simply integrate additional components, in particular noise-reducing components such as, for example, the spring element 4 to compensate the clearance. FIG. 4 shows a device corresponding to FIG. a second embodiment of the invention for which the same references as in the first example of embodiment have been used to designate the same elements or elements of the same function. In FIG. 4, only the part of the driving lever 10 has been shown in the direction of the fixing element 2. The periphery of the orifice 11 in the form of a slide is bordered by an additional countersink 13 receiving the spring element 4. It should be noted that this makes it possible to eliminate the annular groove 22 in the fastening element 2; one can also have the annular groove 22 and the countersink 13 to receive the spring element 4. For the rest, this embodiment corresponds to the previous embodiment, which avoids repeating the description already made. FIG. 5 shows a device 1 according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention for which the same references as in the preceding examples have been used to designate the same elements or elements of the same function. The third embodiment also allows a pre-positioning of the adaptation piece 3, allowing the fitting part 3 to be mounted only in

7 a predefined position. For this, there is provided a fastener 20 having laterally two clearances 25, 26. The recesses 25, 26 are through in the axial direction X-X and rectangular in this embodiment. The driving lever 10 also has two projecting portions 15, 16 of rectangular shape projecting in the axial direction X-X. The projecting parts have a shape corresponding to the shape of the recesses or cavities 25, 26 leaving a clearance between the recesses 25, 26 and the projecting parts 15, 16. The distance (s) between the protruding parts 15, 16 and the bottom of the clearances 25, 26 thus limits a pivoting angle (a) of the adapter piece 3 with respect to the driving lever 10. The width (b) of the recesses 25, 26 limits the stroke of the adaptation piece 3 in the longitudinal direction Z of the slide-shaped orifice 11. Thus, by positioning the fastening element 20 on the projecting parts 15, 16, it is possible to pre-position the adaptation piece . It is then possible to definitively fix the attachment piece 20 to the fastening zone 31 of the stud before or after mounting the adapter piece to the tailgate. It should be noted that the arrangement of the recesses and the projecting parts can also be reversed, that is to say that the protruding parts can be provided on the fastening element 20 and the clearances provided on the lever. drive 10, which limits the movement of the adapter piece. It is also possible to place the fastening element 20 only to position the adapter part 3, freely on the journal, that is to say on the protruding parts 15, 16, and after fixing the part d 3, turn it 90 ° and then fix it by the riveted connection 6 to the fastening zone 32 of the journal 30. In this way, the freedom of movement of the bearing zone 31 over the entire axial length of the bearing is used in particular. 11. For the rest, this embodiment corresponds to the embodiments described above, which avoids repeating this description to which reference is made.

8 NOMENCLATURE

1 Device for connecting the drive shaft to the hinge of a tailgate 2 Fastening element 3 Adapter piece 4 Spring element 5 Output shaft 6 Riveted fastener 10 Drive lever 11 Sliding hole 13 Lamination Projecting part 16 Projecting part 15 20 Fixing element 21 Mounting hole 22 Annular groove 25 Clearance 26 Clearance 31 Bearing area 32 Fixing area 33 Support surface 34 Free end of journal 30 35 Tapping t Opening depth slider-shaped a Axial clearance b Clearance width 25, 26 Z Longitudinal direction30

Claims (1)

CLAIMS 1 °) Device for connecting an output shaft (5) of a drive to a vehicle tailgate hinge comprising: - a drive lever (10) provided with a housing (12) for receiving-l an output shaft (5) and a slide-shaped orifice (1 1), - an adapter piece (3) provided with a pin (30), the adapter piece (3) being intended to be connected to the hinge, and 10 * the pin (30) passing through the slide-shaped orifice (11), - a fastening element (2; 20) for holding the adapter piece (3) to the lever drive (10), connecting device in which * the trunnion (30) has a bearing zone (31) and an attachment zone (32) for attachment to a fastening element (2; 20); trunnion (30) is connected to the fastening element (2; 20) in the attachment zone (32) to prevent the adapter part (3) from coming off the drive lever (10), and * the bearing area (31) comes from ns the slide-shaped opening (11) of the drive lever (10) for bearing mounting and / or sliding mounting. 2 °) Device according to claim 1, characterized by a bearing surface (33) on the trunnion (30) between the bearing zone (31) and the fixing zone (32), the fastening element (2) ) being applied against the bearing surface (33). 3) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the depth (t) of the slotted orifice (11) is less than the axial length (1) of the bearing zone (31). 35i0 4 °) Device according to claim 1, further comprising a prestressing element (4) which provides the axial pre-stress, * the prestressing element (4) being placed in particular between the fastening element (2) and the drive lever (10). Device according to Claim 4, characterized in that the fixing element (2) and / or the driving lever (10) comprise a countersink (13; 22) for receiving the prestressing element (4). . Device according to Claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the prestressing element (4) is a spring element, preferably a corrugated spring. 7 °) Device according to claim 1, characterized by a connection by the form between the fastening area (32) of the pin (30) and 20 the fastening element (2). 8 °) Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the connection by the form is a riveted connection (6) obtained by deforma- tion of the free end (34) of the fastening area (32). Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the fixing element (20) has at least one clearance (25, 26) and the driving lever (10) has at least one projecting part ( 15, 16) corresponding to the clearance (25, 26), projecting in the axial direction (XX), - a clearance (s) remaining between the clearance (25, 26) and the projection (15, 16), or- the fastening element (20) has at least one projecting portion projecting in the axial direction (XX) and the driving lever (10) has at least one clearance corresponding to the projecting portion, a set (s) subsisting between the projecting portion and the clearance. 10 °) vehicle tailgate drive comprising a device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, for connecting the output shaft (5) of a drive to a hinge of a vehicle tailgate with: a lever of drive (10) provided with a housing (12) for receiving the output shaft (5) and a slide-shaped orifice (11), an adapter piece (3) provided with a trunnion ( 30), intended to be connected to the hinge, and the pin (30) passing through the slide-shaped orifice (11), a fastening element (2; 20) for holding the adapter piece (3) to the lever driving device (10), connecting device in which * the trunnion (30) has a bearing zone (31) and an attachment zone (32) for attachment to a fastening element (2; 20), and is connected to the fastening element (2; 20) in the fastening zone (32) to prevent the adapter piece (3) from being detached from the driving lever (10), and * the bearing zone (31) come t in the slide-shaped hole (II).