GB2041070A

GB2041070A - Hinged, spring-biased flap

Info

Publication number: GB2041070A
Application number: GB7942051A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co Ltd; Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co Ltd; Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1978-12-07
Filing date: 1979-12-05
Publication date: 1980-09-03
Also published as: GB2041070B; DE2852855C2; DE2852855A1

Abstract

A closure flap assembly e.g. for masking fuel filler pipes of a motor vehicle, comprising a flap 2 mounted for pivotal movement about an axis 3 in an aperture and maintained in a closed or in an open position by a retaining spring 4 braced against the body at one end and against the flap at the other end, characterised in that the closure flap is pivotable about an axis constituted by two studs 7, 8 welded in alignment to two opposite walls of the body aperture. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Closure flap assembly The invention relates to closure flap assemblies for body apertures of motor vehicles.

Closure flaps for body apertures are arranged in motor vehicles more particularly to mask filling pipes for fuel and lubricants etc., which are required to be accessible from outside the body of the motor vehicle. The principal field of application for such closure flaps is the filling pipe of the fuel tank, but similar flaps can also be provided for the filling pipes of cooling or washing medium tanks or devices accessible for inspection purposes.

Closure flaps, more particularly in the form of so-calied tank flaps, are known in many constructions. As one example of many, attention is drawn to German Utility Model No. 74 16 604.

These, and also many other known constructions, exhibit the disadvantage that a support bracket for two aligned pivot pins or a pivot axle must be fixed within the body aperture by spot welding, screwing or riveting. The alignment of these support brackets within the body aperture in such a way that the closure flap mounted on the pivot pins or the pivot axle lies correctly flush with the external contour of the surrounding body surfaces was difficult and necessitated time-consuming adjustment work.

It is the aim of the invention to arrange a closure flap of the type initially defined in such a way that a correct alignment of the closure flap with the remaining body surfaces is achieved without additional adjustment work.

According to the present invention there is provided a closure flap assembly for a body aperture of a motor vehicle comprising a flap mounted for pivotal movement about an axis in the aperture and maintained in a closed or in an open position by a retaining spring braced against the body at one end and against the flap at the other end, characterised in that the closure flap is pivotable about an axis constituted by two studs welded in alignment to two opposite walls of the body aperture.

Due to the fact that the axis of the closure flap is constituted by two aligned welding bolts welded to mutually opposite walls of the body aperture, on which the closure flap is retained insertably or engageably with pivoting mobility, the wide base of the welding bolts constituting the pivot pins and the precise arrangement of said welding bolts with a welding machine for such welding bolts braced against the surrounding body surface permit the position of the pivot axle to be achieved with such close tolerances that the closure flap engageable with the welding bolts lies correctly flush with the adjacent body surfaces immediately after it is assembled.

Due to the construction of the closure flap from plastics material, known per se, the tolerances occurring on the closure flap are kept correspondingly close. In this case the retaining spring for the closure flap can be braced onto or clipped into corresponding abutments on the body and on the closure flap.

As a further developement of the invention, in addition to the two aligned welding bolts constituting the pivot axle of the closure flap, welding bolts located approximately at right angles thereto and mutually opposite may be fitted in the body aperture, of which one may constitute an abutment for the retaining spring and the other a seat for a stop buffer.

The invention will be explained more fully with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: Figure 1 shows in elevation a closure flap according to the invention viewed from the interior of the body aperture; Figure 2 shows a section made along the line ll-ll in Fig. 1, and Figure 3 shows a section made along the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1.

In the figures, a closure flap 2 is arranged pivotably about a vertical pivot axis 3 within a body aperture 1. The closure flap 2 is maintained in a closed position shown by solid lines or in an open position shown by dash lines by a retaining spring 4 which is braced against the body aperture 1 at one end and against the closure flap 2 at the other end.

The closed position is determined by a stop buffer 5 in the body aperture 1 and the open position by a stop rib 6 on the closure flap 2, which co-operates with the retaining spring 4.

The pivot axis 3 of the closure flap 2 is constituted by two studs in the form of welding bolts 7 and 8 which are welded in alignment on to two opposite walls of the body aperture 1. The welding of the welding bolts 7 and 8 to the walls of the body aperture 1 can be performed with a specially adapted welding machine which is similar to the welding machines which are used for welding such welding bolts to the body surface for fixing mouldings etc.

By the appropriately designed welding .ra- chine, which can be braced against the surfaces surrounding the body aperture, a position of the pivot axle 3 can be obtained with close tolerances.

The closure flap 2 is preferably made of plastics material so that corresponding bearing blocks 9 and 10 for the welding bolts 7 and 8 can be moulded on in a simple manner. The elasticity of the plastics material permits the bearing blocks 9 and 10 to be produced with slitted bearing holes permitting a clip fastening. If necessary, resilient security clamps 11 against accidental dismantling can be placed on the bearing blocks 9 and 1 0.

Bearing blocks 1 2 and 1 3 are also moulded onto the closure flap 2 and receive a fixing bolt 14 for the one end of the retaining spring 4.

An abutment 1 5 made of plastics material is fixed by clipping in or screwing to- a wall of the body aperture 1 and exhibits bearing blocks 16 and 1 7 which accomodate a fixing bolt 1 8 for the other end of the retaining spring 4. Obviously, the seats in the various bearing blocks can again be executed as slitted bearing bores.

The retaining spring 4 may be clipped directly into the closure flap 2 made of plastics material, the abutments 1 5 also consisting of plastics material. Alternatively, the retaining spring 4 may be produced as a plastics spring integrally with these two components and connected thereto by film hinges.

The closure flap explained for a body aperture can not only be assembled in precise alignment for a small assembly outlay, but also procures the further advantage that by the use of plastics material for the closure flap and the abutment, the difficulties which occur with earlier constructions made of metal due to rusting up of the pivot axles are avoided with certainty.

Claims

1. A closure flap assembly for a body aperture of a motor vehicle comprising a flap mounted for pivotal movement about an axis in the aperture and maintained in a closed or in an open position by a retaining spring braced against the body at one end and against the flap at the other end, characterised in that the closure flap is pivotable about an axis constituted by two studs welded in alignment to two opposite walls of the body aperture.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the closure flap is composed of a plastics material and is clipped onto the studs by corresponding bearing blocks secured to the flap.

3. An assembly according to Claim 2 further comprising resilient security clamps for retaining the bearing blocks on the studs.

4. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the retaining spring is secured to the body by means of a block of resilient plastics material.

5. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the ends of the retaining springs are accommodated in corresponding housings in the closure flap and the body of plastics material secured to the body.

6. An assembly according to Claim 5, wherein the retaining spring is composed of plastics material and is constructed integrally with the closure flap and with the said body, the spring being connected thereto by film hinges.

7. An assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising two further opposed studs, of which one accommodates an abutment for the retaining spring and the other constitutes a seat for a stop buffer for the closure flap.

8. A closure flap assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the drawings.