GB2333124A - A vehicle door hinge - Google Patents

Abstract

A hinge for use in a vehicle door is provided comprising a first hinge element 1 and a second hinge element 2 configured with respective barrels 4, 8 aligned with a locking pin 3 located therethrough. The locking pin includes an arm 12 which is forced into engagement with a hinge recess 5 of the first hinge element by action of a stop arm 9 located in the second hinge element. This engagement of the recess arm into the recess occurs on first relative rotation of the first hinge element with regard to the second hinge element. The recess arm is subsequently retained within the recess by locking means such as a detent arrangement or adhesive or a simple interference fit due to deformation as a result of the force applied by the stop arm.

Description

A HINGE In accordance with the present invention there is provided a hinge and more particularly, but not exclusively, a hinge for use within side doors of a motor vehicle.

Previously there have been a wide range of hinge assemblies used in a large number of applications. These hinges have been relatively complicated particularly when it is important to maintain consistency of performance such as with regard to side doors of a motor vehicle. In such circumstances it is necessary to maintain good control of the hinge strength with regard to the locking pin which holds the hinge barrels together. If the torque of this locking pin is too high the door will be inconveniently stiff whilst if the torque is too low the door will be liable to excessive wear and wobble, ie. the hinge barrels are not held in close association and so a variable gap between them may occur.

As indicated above in order to ensure good control between these extremes of stiffness within the hinge assembly, typically a locking pin is assembled to a predetermined torque identified as the most suitable for retaining the hinge barrels. Unfortunately, use of such torque arrangements creates assembly problems in manufacture of the motor vehicle and can add to hinge complexity/component count.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge which is relatively simple to assemble during manufacture whilst only having a limited component count.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a hinge comprising a first hinge element including a first barrel and a hinge lock recess, a second hinge element including a second barrel and a stopper, and a locking pin with a retention head from which extends a recess arm, said first and said second barrels along with said locking pin all being rotatable about a common axis extending therethrough, said first hinge element and said second hinge element being configured with said first barrel and said second barrel substantially aligned and with said locking pin being located to extend therethrough with its retention head abutting the top of the second barrel whereby upon first relative rotation of said first hinge element and said second hinge element that said stop arm pushes said recess arm in order to force it into engagement with said hinge lock recess where it is resiliently retained by locking means for subsequent relative rotation of said first and said second hinge elements thereafter.

Preferably, the locking means is either a detent type arrangement with a floating bearing or a pip detent in one and an indentation in the other respective hinge lock recess and recess arm. Alternatively, the locking means could be adhesive or a magnetic arrangement.

Typically, the locking pin includes actuation means to allow release of said locking means. Such actuation means being a cross head or allen key head in the locking pin which can be operated by an appropriate tool in order to pull said recess arm from said hinge lock recess by overcoming the locking means.

Normally in order to facilitate smooth rotation a bush element will be located between the aligned first barrel and said second barrel, the bush element will be fixed to one barrel and allowed to rotate relative to the other.

Preferably a locking pin includes lugs located therein to act in combination with said retention head to secure the first barrel and said second barrel together in the desired juxtaposed position. These lugs normally extend through a latch slot at the base of the first barrel such that upon rotation of said locking pin by action of the stop arm on the recess arm, said lugs twist out of alignment with said latch slot and so act about the shoulder area of said latch slot to prevent said locking pin being lifted out of the juxtaposed union of said first and said second hinge elements.

The recess arm and the hinge recess may be respectively ramped or similarly shaped in order to provide progressive engagement therebetween. Such ramping may be on one side only of the hinge recess or both sides in order to facilitate progressive alignment of the locking pin within the hinge.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge component; Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section of a first ramped engagement between a hinge recess and a recess arm; and Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of a slopped combination of a hinge recess and a recess arm.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be clearly seen how a hinge in accordance with the present invention is assembled. The principal components of the hinge are a first, base hinge element 1, a second top hinge element 2 and a locking pin 3. The first hinge element 1 includes a first barrel 4 and a hinge recess 5 held in a hinge plate 6 substantially perpendicular to a first leaf plate 7. It will be appreciated that the leaf plate 7 includes mountings for any hinged component and with regard to motor vehicles will generally be its body shell door jam. The second top hinge element 2 includes a second barrel 8 and stop arm 9 held in a plate 10 substantially perpendicular to a second leaf plate 11. Of course it will be appreciated that the second leaf plate 11 again generally includes mountings for a hinged component and with regard to a motor vehicle would typically be secured to the door. The locking pin by its nature is utilised to lock the hinge assembly together. Thus, the locking pin 3 in accordance with the present invention includes a recess arm 12 extending from a retention head 13 which extends through a pin shaft 40 to a lug arrangement 15.

Upon assembly it will be appreciated that the first barrel 4 and the second barrel 8 are substantially aligned. Once aligned the locking pin 3 is passed through the respective barrels 4, 8 such that the shaft 4 provides a spindle upon which the barrel 4, 8 can rotate. The retention head 13 is juxtaposed against the top of the second barrel 8 in order to retain the locking pins position. Normally the whole weight of the hinged component coupled to the hinge element 2 is presented through the barrel 8 to the barrel 4 and subsequently the attached element to the leaf plate 7. Thus the shear load presented upon the shaft 14 will hold the hinge together at least temporarily particularly if there is insufficient rotary action upon the hinge which could precipitate "ride up" of the locking pin.

In order to secure the locking pin in accordance with the present invention, the stop arm 9 upon appropriate rotation of the hinge element 2 acts upon the recess arm 12 in order to push it into engagement with the hinge recess 5 of the first hinge element 1. The hinge arm 12 is retained within the hinge recess 5 by an appropriate locking mechanism. In the embodiment depicted in Figure 1 a detent type arrangement is provided such that a floating bearing or pip element 15 is arranged to pop into relief engagement with indentation 16, typically there will be two such detent arrangements, one on the top and one on the bottom of the recess arm 12. As alternatives to the use of a detent arrangement it will be appreciated that some adhesives or a magnetic attraction technique could be used.

Furthermore, it is even possible to use a locking pin extending through a drilled hole in the recess arm 12 to retain it within the recess 5. However, it is a significant feature of the present invention that by provision of an actuation mechanism that the retentive force achieved by the locking mechanism between the recess arm 12 and the hinge recess 5 may be overcome readily to allow for maintenance. Such actuation means may simply by a cross head or allen key aperture at the top of the retention head 13 in order that the recess arm 12 may be pulled out of engagement through release of the locking mechanism in the recess 5. In effect, the actuation means facilitates reversing the pushing action of the stop arm 9.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the push arm 9 only substantially acts upon the recess arm 12 once during initial rotation.

Subsequent rotations merely bring the stop arm 9 into substantially the same engagement with the recess arm 12 and so substantially achieves no further engagement of the recess arm 12 within the recess 5. The hinge is thus substantially locked after this first initial rotation for subsequent operation of the hinge.

Generally, engagement of the recess arm 12 in the recess 5 will prevent lift off of the locking pin 3 due to rotation. However, particularly during this first initial rotation limited lift off may occur as the arm 12 is not in engagement with the recess 5. In order to prevent this and to provide a more robust hinge typically lugs 15 are provided to penetrate through a latch slot (not shown) at the base of the first barrel 4 such that rotation of the locking pin through action of the stop arm 9 brings the lugs 15 into engagement with the shoulder area of the latch slot to prevent lift off.

In order to facilitate good hinge action through rotation, a bush element 17 is provided for location between the upper surface of the first barrel 4 and the lower surface of the second barrel 8. This bush element 17 provides smooth hinge rotation and a wear element. It will be appreciated that if the engaging surfaces between the barrel 4 and barrel 8 were to wear hinge operation would deteriorate.

Thus the bush element 17 ensures preferential wear on this element 17 rather than the barrel 4, 8 surfaces such that it can easily be replaced rather than the hinge elements 1, 2. The bush element 17 will normally be fixed in one barrel and allowed to rotate in the other.

As indicated above, it is important for efficient hinge operation that the strength of the locking pin retention is strictly controlled. First, the engagement of the recess arm 12 into the hinge recess 5 greatly determines the strength and compression created to secure the first hinge element 1 with the second hinge element 2. If the arm 12 and the recess 5 are substantially flat, ie. parallel engagement, it will be appreciated that relatively high tolerance must be achieved to ensure good engagement upon initial rotation with subsequent activation of the stop arm 9. If the arm 12 and recess 5 are not substantially aligned they will not engage and so although the hinge may be operational it will not be inadequately locked and so may be susceptible to locking pin 3 lift off.

Figures 2 and 3 are approaches to avoiding this problem. In Figure 2 a simple ramp arrangement is used. This ramp may be located either on the up side or the down side of the recess 25. This recess 25 is similarly located to the configuration depicted in Figure 1 in a plate 26 substantially perpendicular to a leaf plate (not shown) of a first hinge element. Generally in order to be effective a recess arm 22 coupled to a locking pin (not shown) must be similarly ramped to that of the recess 25. The recess arm 22 is forced into the recess 25 by a force A applied by a stop arm of a second hinge element (not shown). It will be appreciated that the action of the ramp between the recess arm 22 and the recess 25 is such as to bring that recess arm and all coupled relationships thereto into an appropriate alignment.

The force for such alignment is provided bycthe stop arm application of force A to the recess arm 22. Thus, if the initial contact between the recess arm 22 and the recess 25 is not in such alignment the ramp therebetween will slide using the force provided by the stop arm into such alignment. It will be appreciated that the side that the ramp is provided will depend upon predicted misalignment. For example, if the ramp is provided on the top side as depicted in Figure 2 and the misalignment is on the bottom side the effect of the ramp will not be appreciated as the recess arm 22 flat front end will engage the lower front shoulder of the recess 25. However, as an alternative and as depicted in Figure 2 it may be more appropriate to provide a double ramped or wedge arrangement as illustrated in Figure 3.. With a double ramp arrangement it will be appreciated that ramps are provided both on the up side and on the down side of a recess 31. Thus, if a recess arm 32 is presented either above or below the aligned location the action of the respective ramp or slope will be to bring that recess arm and its coupled components into alignment utilising the force F provided by a stop arm (not shown) acting upon the recess arm 32.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that by appropriate choice of ramp or wedge shape for the recess 25, 31 and recess arm 32, 22 along with possibly differences in the robustness of the materials used to create the recess 25, 31 and/or the recess arm 32, 22 that slide in service realignment to a desired hinge operation therefore may be achieved. This will be done by making the recess arm 22, 32 to be overly forced into the recess 25, 31. Thus the recess 25, 31 or the recess arm 22, 32 is slightly distorted from the generally expected alignment position. Such distortion is achieved using the stop arm slightly amended to have a slightly greater arc of travel or simply by application of an excess force or range of travel upon the recess arm 22, 32 to force it further into the hinge recess 25, 31.

Such automatic alignment may be necessary in order to accommodate wear between the services of barrels 4, 8 and the bush elements 17.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the potential use of deformation described with regard to Figures 2 and 3 also provides a possible alternative interference locking mechanism between the hinge recess and the recess arm.

Claims (12)

1. CLAIMS 1. A hinge comprising a first hinge element including a first barrel and a hinge recess, a second hinge element including a second barrel and a stop arm, and a locking pin with a retention head from which a recess arm extends, said first hinge element and said second hinge element being configured with said first barrel and said second barrel substantially aligned and with said locking pin being located to extend therethrough and with its retention head abutting the top of the second barrel, whereby upon first relative rotation of said first hinge element and said second hinge element that said stop arm pushes said recess arm in order to force it into engagement with said hinge recess where it is resiliently retained by locking means for subsequent relative rotation of said first and said second hinge element.
2. 2. A hinge as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the locking means is provided to secure the recess arm in the hinge recess.
3. 3. A hinge as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the locking means is detent arrangement or an adhesive or an interference fit or a magnetic attraction arrangement.
4. 4. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking pin includes actuation means to facilitate removal of the recess arm from the hinge recess.
5. 5. A hinge as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the actuation means may be a cross head or allen key head incorporated into the retention head of the locking pin.
6. 6. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a bush element is located between opposed surfaces of the first barrel and the second barrel.
7. 7. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking pin includes lugs located therein to act in combination with said retention head to secure the first barrel and the second barrel together in a juxtaposed position.
8. 8. A hinge as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said lugs extend through a latch slot at the base of the first barrel such that upon rotation of said locking pin by action of the stop arm on the recess arm, said lugs twist out of alignment with said latch slot and so act about shoulder areas of said slot to prevent said locking pin being lifted out of said juxtaposed union of said first and said second hinge element.
9. 9. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the recess arm and/or the hinge recess is ramped or sloped in order to provide for progressive engagement and so alignment therebetween.
10. 10. A hinge as described above with regard to Figure 1.
11. 11. A hinge as described above with regard to Figure 2.
12. 12. A hinge as described above with regard to Figure 3.