GB2220980A

GB2220980A - Hinge assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2220980A
Application number: GB8817135A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Edwin Pepall
Original assignee: I A D DESIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: I A D DESIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 1988-07-19
Filing date: 1988-07-19
Publication date: 1990-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-19
Also published as: GB2220980B; GB8817135D0

Abstract

A hinge by which e.g. a motor vehicle door (2) is mounted in a door frame (1) so that it can be opened by being swung upwardly in gull-wing fashion as an alternative to the conventional outwards movement, comprises a member (3) having first and second pivot connections (4, 5) with the door frame and the door and when pivoted to the partly opened position shown being received in a bearing (6) on the door which forms a third pivot connection with its axis inclined to those of the first and second connections, the arrangement being such that the second pivot connection (5) can be disengaged and pivoting can then occur about the bearing (6). A locking member (7) may prevent pivoting from the closed position about pivot (4) so that the door hinges conventionally about pivot (5). <IMAGE>

Description

A DOOR AND DOOR FRAME ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a door and door frame assembly. Preferably the frame is a portion of a motor vehicle body.

It is sometimes desirable, for both practical and aesthetic reasons, to mount vehicle doors so that they may be opened by swinging them in a general upward direction, with respect to the vehicle body. Although such an arrangement is common for rearward facing doors, such as found at the back of thatchback" type vehicles, it is less common for the side doors of a vehicle to open upwardly in a "gullwing" fashion. One reason for the comparative unpopularity of the gullwing side door, is that it requires a greatly strengthened roof structure to be incorporated in the vehicle, so as to take the strain of roof mounted door hinges.

An object of the present invention is to provide a door and door from assembly, including a hinge mechanism joining the door to the frame in such a way that, when the frame is provided by the side of a vehicle body, the door may be opened by swinging it upwardly from the body, about a pivot located in the side of the vehicle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a door and door frame assembly, which in addition to the above, is arranged so that the door is openable by being pivoted in a substantially horizontal plane away from the vehicle body: that is in the conventional manner.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a door and door frame assembly including hinge means connecting the door to the frame, wherein the hinge means comprises a first pivot journalled to the door frame, a second pivot substantially parallel to the first pivot, a third pivot having its axis out of alignment with the first and second pivots and means for journalling the second or third pivot to the door; the arrangement being such that the door is movable from a first position within the door frame to a second position, where the door is adjacent to the door frame, through pivotal motion about the first and second pivots3 from which second position door is further pivotable about the third pivot to a position out of register with the door frame.

An advantage of the present invention when applied to a vehicle, is that a door in accordance with the invention may be opened by swinging it upwardly from the body, about a pivot located in the side of the vehicle, without the need for roof reinforcements and without the door swinging away from the side of the vehicle by a substantial amount.

In an embodiment the hinge means further comprises locking means arranged for preventing the hinge means from swinging about the first pivot, the door being otherwise freely pivotable about the second pivot from the first position to a fourth position out of register with the door frame. Preferably, the axes of the first and second pivots are coplanar and the axis of the third pivot intersects the plane of the first and second- pivots.

In a preferred embodiment the means for journalling the third pivot to the door are arranged to hold the third pivot at an angle of being 30 and 900 to the face of the door. Preferably the three pivots are provided by a single integral member and the first and second pivots are located substantially parallel to at least one side of the door frame.

In a most preferred embodiment the indoor frame is embodied by a motor vehicle body.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a hinge member for use in a door and door frame assembly in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

It must be understood that the term "door" is used in this specification in order to describe a removable panel or cover for filling the void defined by a frame. Por example the term "door" should be construed widely enough to cover windows and container lids.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following drawings.

Figure 1 shows a section through a vehicle side showing part of a frame and door assembly in accordance with the present invention, the door being in a first1 closed position; and Figure 2 shows the same door and frame as shown in Figure 1, but in a second position.

A frame provided by a vehicle side, is shown at 1 and a door is shown at 2. In Figure 1 the door 2 is shown in its first position, in register with the frame 1.

In Figure 2 the door 2 is in its second position, adjacent to the frame 1, ready to be swung into its third position, out of register with the frame 1. A single pivot pin 3 extends from a bearing 4, fixed to the door frame 1 to the door 2. When the door 2 is in the Figure 1 position the pivot pin 3 is jounalled in a bearing 5 which is fixed to the door 2, whereas when the door 2 is in the Figure 2 position the pivot pin 3 is journalled in a bearing 6 which is also fixed to the door 2. The two bearings 4 and 5 have substantially parallel axes, whereas the axis of bearing 6 is at right angles to those of bearings 4 and 5. Releasable locking means 7 are provided for holding the pivot pin 3 in the Figure 1 position.

Bearings 5 and 6 include further releasable locking means which, when the door 2 is in the Figure 2 I position cause the pivot pin 3 to be locked into either of bearings 5 and 6.

In use the door 2 may be opened, from its Figure 1 position by, firstly moving the door 2 to the position shown in Figure 2 by turning the pivot 3 in the bearings 4 and 5 only. Prior to this operation, the releasably locking means 7 must be released. Once the door 2 is in the position shown in Figure 2, the bearing 6 should be engaged with the pivot 3, which in turn is disengaged from the bearing 5. The door 2 may then be turned about the pivot 3 out of the plane of Figures 1 and 2 and out of register with the frame 1. The door 2 may be closed by reversal of the above procedure.

Alternatively, if the locking means 7 are left in engagement, the door 2 may be swung about the pivot pin 3, where it engages bearing 5, so that the door 2 may swing out of register with the frame 1 in the direction of arrow C. Closing the door involves a reversal of the above procedure.

Claims

1. A door and door frame assembly including a hinge connecting the door to the frame, wherein the hinge comprises a first pivot iournalled to the door frame, a second pivot substantially parallel to the first pivot, a third pivot having its axis out of alignment with the first and second pivots, and means for journalling either the second or third pivot to the door in certain positions of the door relative to the door frame, the arrangement being such that the door is movable by pivotal action about the first and second pivots between a first position within the door frame where it closes or fills a void formed by the door frame and where the third pivot cannot be journalled to it, and a second position where the door is adjacent to the door frame but is displaced from within the void and where either of the second and third pivots can be journalled to the door, from which second position the door is further pivotable about the third pivot, when the second pivot is not journalled to it, to a third position out of registry with the void.

2. A door and door frame assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the hinge further comprises locking means arranged for preventing swinging about the first pivot, the door being otherwise freely pivotable about the second pivot from the first position to a fourth position out of registry with the door frame.

3. A door and door frame assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hinge includes further locking means operable to lock either the second or the third pivot journalled to the door.

4. A door and door frame assembly according to Claim 1, Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the axis of the third pivot intersects the plane that contains the axis of the first and second pivots.

5. A door and door frame assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the means for journalling the third pivot to the door are arranged to hold the third pivot at an angle of between 300 and 900 to the face of the door.

6. A door and door frame assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the three pivots are provided by a single integral member.

7. A door and door frame assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the first and second pivots are located substantially parallel to at least one side of the door frame.

8. A door and door frame assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the door frame is part of a motor vehicle body.

9. A hinge for a door and door frame assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8.

10. A motor vehicle door and door frame assembly substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A hinge substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.