GB2468287A

GB2468287A - A hinge having a link arm with a portion having an increased cross section providing a seal against an aperture through which the hinge passes

Info

Publication number: GB2468287A
Application number: GB0903527A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dean Claridge; Paul Ray
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Priority date: 2009-03-03
Filing date: 2009-03-03
Publication date: 2010-09-08
Also published as: GB0903527D0

Abstract

A hinge assembly 10 for a vehicle door, the hinge assembly comprising a link arm mountable to the vehicle door at 16 and pivotable about a pivot point 30 relative to a vehicle body portion 40, the link arm extending through an aperture 20 in the vehicle body portion 40. The link arm comprises a first portion 14 having a cross-section that is smaller than the opening of the aperture; and a second portion 12 having a second cross section which is larger than the first cross section. The second cross section being arranged to substantially seal the aperture when the door is in the fully closed position or fully open position. An additional sealing cross section may be provided at 116. A flexible seal may be provided around the door aperture 20 which provides clearance around the first section of the link arm and only contacts the increased cross section toward the end of the hinge travel. The link arm may be located within an enclosed volume within the vehicle body when in the closed position thus providing a concealed hinge. The link arm may have an arcuate hinge portion 14. A door stay or check to hold the door open may be provided. The link arm may be provided with an actuator to provide a door opening and closing force. A locking device to secure the door in the closed position may also be configured with the link arm.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a hinge and in particular, to an arcuate door hinge for a vehicle.

Background of the invention

Typically, vehicle doors are mounted to the vehicle body via a pair of pivot-type hinges, one above the other. Hinges of this type are typically used in pairs because the torsional load on a single hinge would be so large that the hinge and the associated reinforcements in the door and vehicle body would be difficult to package.

Where a pair of vertically orientated hinges are used, the hinges must be positioned so as to have a mutual axis of rotation otherwise the door will be effectively jammed closed. When vehicle doors are mounted at their leading edge which is substantially vertical, via hinges on a substantially vertical roof pillar, aligning the axis of rotation of the two hinges is relatively straight forward.

In the case of some vehicles it is desirable to provide a vehicle door which opens about an axis of rotation adjacent to the trailing edge of the door. Such rearwardly hinging doors were a feature of early luxury limousines because they offer particularly easy ingress and egress for the user. However, such doors dictate than the roof pillar to which the door is mounted and the rear face of the door to which the hinges are mounted must be able to provide a substantially vertical area of sufficient size to secure the two hinges one above the other.

In order to address these restrictions, a door may be pivotably mounted to a vehicle via an arcuate hinge. Due to the increased cross sectional area of the arcuate hinge over a standard pivot-type hinge, the arcuate hinge offers far greater torsional stiffness than a single pivot-type hinge.

Arcuate type hinges comprise a link with a generally arcuate central portion positioned between two end portions which each support a pivot. One pivot is arranged to mount one end of the link to the vehicle and the other pivot is used to mount the other end of the link to the vehicle door.

The arcuate portion of the hinge link may be formed from a tall cross section of material to produce a hinge with sufficient torsional rigidity to support a vehicle door with only one hinge rather than the usual two. Due to their relatively large cross section, arcuate type hinges may form a visually attractive feature for a vehicle door.

Additionally, depending on the relative positions of the pivot points and length of the link, an arcuate type hinge can allow the door to clear the edges of the vehicle body before pivoting the door outwards. In this way, very tight closure gaps between the door and the vehicle body are possible.

The disadvantage of using arcuate hinges is that they require relatively more packaging space to accommodate the link compared to the more common pivoting type door hinge. When the door is closed, the arcuate hinge must be accommodated in a dedicated volume within the vehicle body or the vehicle door.

To allow the arcuate hinge to move during the opening and closing of the door, a portion of the hinge must be permitted to protrude from the volume through an aperture. This aperture must be larger than the moving portion of the hinge to accommodate the range of movement required during opening and closing of the door. This range of movement is known as the working envelope.

As the aperture must be larger than the moving portion of the hinge, a gap between the aperture and the hinge is formed when the door is opened. This gap exposes the otherwise closed volume to the elements when the door is open. In addition, there is a risk of dirt ingress or accidental trapping of loose clothing or other items between the moving portion of the hinge and the aperture.

Another potentially undesirable effect of the gap between the aperture and the hinge not being sealed when the door is open is that the user may see the volume inside the door or the vehicle body arranged to accommodate the arcuate portion of the hinge. This volume is provided with an aperture arranged to permit the arcuate portion of the hinge to extend through to link the door to the vehicle body. This aperture must be larger than the arcuate portion of the hinge to accommodate the range of movement of the arcuate portion during opening and closing of the door. This range of movement is known as the working envelope.

As the aperture must be larger than the arcuate portion of the hinge, when the door is opened, the user may see through the aperture and into the volume provided to accommodate the hinge. This may be unsightly unless the volume has been trimmed which adds cost and complexity to the door or vehicle body.

To accommodate this working envelope of the arcuate type hinge and to disguise the gap, the aperture requires a flexible sealing member or sprung-flap to seal around the hinge when the hinge is in the fully open or fully closed position. In addition to disguising the unsightly gap, the flexible seal prevents in the ingress of dirt or water into the vehicle body structure and hides the inside of the body or door panel and arcuate hinge mounting from the user. Such seals are prone to failure due to wear and can degrade if exposed to sunlight, road salt or water in service.

It is against this background that the present invention seeks to improve upon the known door hinge by providing a hinge with an integrated obscuration and sealing feature.

Summary of the invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hinge assembly for a vehicle door, the hinge assembly comprising a link arm mountable to the vehicle door and pivotable about a pivot point relative to a vehicle body portion, the link arm extending through an aperture in the vehicle body portion; wherein the link arm comprises a first portion having a cross-section that is smaller than the opening of the aperture; and a second portion having a second cross section which is larger than the first cross section, the second cross section being arranged to substantially seal the aperture when the door is in the fully closed position or fully open position.

The hinge aperture must be larger than the arcuate central portion of the hinge link to provide clearance between the body and the hinge as the hinge is moved between the door open and door closed positions. This oversized' aperture, however necessary, creates an unsightly gap between the hinge and the vehicle body or door when the door is open. Concealing or obscuring this gap from view is desirable.

The present invention provides the arcuate link with a first cross section which provides sufficient strength and rigidity to support the door and a second cross section arranged to seal the necessary gap between the hinge and the aperture.

The dimensions of the second section are matched to those of the aperture so as to substantially fill or even plug the gap between the hinge and the aperture when the door is fully open and/or when the door is closed.

This seal, or obscuration feature optimises use of material, whilst negating the need for a flexible seal member around the aperture itself. In this way, the functionality of the hinge is maintained without compromising the appearance of the hinge when the door is open.

According to an embodiment, the second portion extends only along a region of the link arm which is in-board of the aperture when the door is in the fully open or fully closed position.

As the second section is larger than that of the first section it requires more material per unit length. As the first section is sufficient to support the door, any increase in section along the link is structurally unnecessary. Limiting the length of the increased cross section of the link, to only the part of the hinge that occupies the aperture at the two limits of door travel, optimises material usage and therefore cost and weight.

According to an embodiment, the transition in cross-section between the second portion and the first portion matches the face of the aperture on which the door abuts when in the closed position.

According to an embodiment, the transition between the second portion and the first portion is tapered.

In this way the surfaces that abut each other when the door is closed against the vehicle body match the surface profile of the aperture with the external surfaces of the link forming the transition between the first and second sections. This provides the benefit that the transition between the first and second section on the link is arranged not to collect dirt or water that may otherwise be drawn into the vehicle body or door via the aperture when the door is closed.

According to an embodiment, the aperture is arranged to provide an entrance to a partially enclosed volume within the vehicle body configured to accommodate the link arm when the door is closed.

Packaging the door hinge in vehicle body provides the hinge with a storage space that is typically kept dry and free from dirt which would otherwise be detrimental to the function of the hinge. Additionally, packaging the arcuate portion of the link in the vehicle body when the door is closed allows the vehicle designer to keep the size and weight of the door to a minimum.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the door may alternatively be packaged within a partially enclosed volume within a vehicle door if there is sufficient space to do so. Packaging the door hinge in vehicle door rather than the vehicle body allows the vehicle designer to update an existing vehicle with arcuate hinges with limited visible modifications to the vehicle body itself.

Additionally, packaging the arcuate portion of the link in the vehicle door provides the possibility of a pre-assembled door assembly which includes a hinge which may be advantageous in the assembly process.

According to an embodiment, the transition between the first portion and the second portion of the link provides a land area with which to abut a sealing surface around the aperture periphery.

For vehicles that must operate in very harsh environments, it is advantageous to provide an additional sealing member around the periphery of the aperture. The sealing member of the present invention advantageously does not touch the majority of the arcuate portion of the link as it can not reach from the periphery of the aperture to the periphery of the first cross section. This limits wear and mechanical load on the sealing member. Any sealing member used in conjunction with the present invention to provide additional sealing between the periphery of the aperture and periphery of the second section only seals the aperture when the door is fully open or closed.

According to an embodiment, the link is further provided with a pivotable mounting located on a crank arm arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the link arm and adjacent to the pivot, wherein the pivotable mounting is arranged to engage with an actuator configured to apply a force to the link arm in order to selectively open or close the door.

The hinge of the present invention is particularly suited to vehicle applications where the door operation is powered due to the high torsional strength and the visually attractive nature of the hinge. Advantageously, the door may be operated by applying a force directly to the hinge via an actuator so as to limit unnecessary linkages and to conceal the operating mechanism which is packaged behind the aperture. In this way, when the door is opened, only the link is visible to the user.

According to an embodiment, the link arm is further provided with a mounting point arranged to co-operate with a stay or check-link configured to hold the door in at least a partially or fully open position.

Advantageously, the opening of the door may be controlled or limited by applying a force directly to the hinge via a stay or check-link mechanism. This limits unnecessary linkages between the door and the vehicle body and serves to conceal the stay or check-link mechanism which is packaged behind the aperture.

In this way, when the door is opened, only the link is visible to the user.

According to an embodiment, the link arm is further provided with a mounting point arranged to co-operate with a locking device configured to selectively secure the door in a closed position.

Advantageously, the latching and locking of the door may be achieved by applying a force directly to the hinge via a locking mechanism. This removes the need for any additional and potentially unsightly door latches or door strikers mounted around the abutment surfaces between the door and the vehicle body.

Combining the latching and locking mechanism for the door with the hinge of the present invention reduces parts complexity and serves to conceal latching and locking mechanism which is concealed behind the aperture. In this way, when the door is opened, only the link is visible to the user.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the hinge of the present invention may be suitable for use in applications unrelated to vehicles.

It will also be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the preferred and/or optional features relating to the present invention may be used either alone or in appropriate combination.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference is made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the door hinge assembly of the present invention in-situ, showing the hinge in the door-open' position; Figures 2 shows a side view of the component parts of the present invention removed from the vehicle, with the hinge in the door-closed' position; Figures 3 shows a perspective view of the component parts of the present invention removed from the vehicle, with the hinge in the door-open' position; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the door hinge assembly of the present invention in-situ, showing the hinge in the door-open' position; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the door hinge assembly of the present invention in-situ, showing the hinge when the door is being opened.

Referring to Figure 1, an arcuate type hinge assembly 10 is shown in the fully open position protruding through an aperture 20 provided in the door abutment surface 42 of a vehicle body 40.

The hinge assembly 10 is pivotably mounted to the vehicle body via a pivot point 30 which is mounted on a suitably reinforced portion of the vehicle body.

Extending from the pivot point 30 is the link arm. The link arm comprises four distinct portions: the pivot point 30; a crank arm 130, positioned adjacent to the pivot point 30; an arcuate portion 14, extending substantially perpendicular from the crank arm 130; and a door mounting portion 16 distal from the crank arm 130.

Also shown in Figure 1 is a second crank arm 155 extending from the first crank arm 130. This second crank arm 155 may be used to support an actuator for opening the door, a locking mechanism to lock the door or a check strap or stay feature arranged to selectively hold the door open, none of which are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 clearly shows a feature created by the transition between the crank arm and the arcuate portion 12, referred to as the obscuration or sealing feature 12. The sealing feature 12 is arranged to fill the aperture 20 and seal it when the door is in the fully open condition.

Figure 1 shows a highlighted dashed line representing the outline of a section through the hinge assembly 10. Also shown in Figure 1 are two fine dashed lines indicating the border or transition between two adjacent portions. The border between the sealing feature 12 and the arcuate portion 14 is indicated by line 112. The border between the arcuate portion 14 and the door mounting portion 16 is indicated by line 116.

Figures 2 and 3 show two views of the components of the hinge assembly 10 of the present invention where the components have been removed from the vehicle so that the mechanism may be more easily understood. Figure 2 shows the hinge assembly 10 orientated about the pivot point 30 as if the door (not shown) were closed. Figure 3 shows the hinge assembly 10 orientated about the pivot point 30 as if the door (not shown) were fully open.

Figures 2 and 3 clearly show an actuator 50 mounted between the vehicle body and the crank arm 155. The actuator 50 is pivotably mounted to the crank arm via an actuator mount 55.

In order to open the door the actuator 50 is extended which applies a force between the vehicle body 40 and the crank arm 155. This force causes the hinge assembly 10 to rotate about the pivot point 30, causing the door to open. As the door opens, the arcuate portion 14 of the hinge assembly 10 passes through an aperture 20 (shown in Figures 1, 4 & 5). This aperture is arranged to provide an entrance to a substantially enclosed volume within the vehicle body 40 arranged to house the hinge assembly 10 when the door is closed. The shape of the hinge and the orientation of the pivot point 30 combine to cause the arcuate portion 14, passing through the aperture between fully open and closed conditions, to prescribe a working envelope. This working envelope is larger than the cross section of the arcuate portion 14 at any one point. This means that the aperture must therefore be larger than the section of the arcuate portion 14 which would tend to cause a gap between the aperture 20 and the hinge assembly 10 when the door is fully open. To manage this gap and to provide a sealing feature to substantially seal the volume housing components not intentionally exposed when the door is opened, the hinge assembly 10 is provided with sealing feature 12.

In the example shown in the Figures, the sealing feature 12 is substantially on only one side of the link arm, between the crank ark 155 and the arcuate portion 14. However, it will be appreciated that, depending on the vehicle, the sealing feature may be required to extend across both sides of the link arm.

Figure 4 shows the hinge assembly 10 of Figure 1 from a different angle in order to provide a comparison with the view shown in Figure 5. Figure 4 shows the hinge assembly 10 when the door is in the fully open position whereas Figure 5 shows the hinge assembly 10 when the door is nearing the fully closed position.

In Figure 5, clearly shows the gap formed between the arcuate portion 14 of the link arm and the aperture 20 in the door abutment surface 42 of the vehicle body 40. Depending on the position of the door relative to the vehicle, the shape of this gap varies and is not a constant until the link arm is at either one of the two extremes of travel corresponding to when the door is fully open or closed. For this reason, the hinge assembly shown in the figures is provided with a single sealing feature 12 arranged to seal the gap only when the door is fully open. A corresponding sealing feature (not shown) around the border between the arcuate portion 14 and the door mounting portion 16, indicated by line 116 in Figure 1, effectively seals the gap when the door is closed.

Other advantage will be apparent to one skilled in the art and the present examples and embodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive.

The invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A hinge assembly for a vehicle door, the hinge assembly comprising a link arm mountable to the vehicle door and pivotable about a pivot point relative to a vehicle body portion, the link arm extending through an aperture in the vehicle body portion; wherein the link arm comprises a first portion having a cross-section that is smaller than the opening of the aperture; and a second portion having a second cross section which is larger than the first cross section, the second cross section being arranged to substantially seal the aperture when the door is in the fully closed position or fully open position.
2. A hinge assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second portion extends only along a region of the link arm which is in-board of the aperture when the door is in the fully open or fully closed position.
3. A hinge assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the transition in cross-section between the second portion and the first portion matches the face of the aperture on which the door abuts when in the closed position.
4. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transition between the second portion and the first portion is tapered.
5. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aperture is arranged to provide an entrance to a partially enclosed volume within the vehicle body configured to accommodate the link arm when the door is closed.
6. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transition between the first portion and the second portion of the link provides a land area with which to abut a sealing surface around the aperture periphery.
7. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the link is further provided with a pivotable mounting located on a crank arm arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the link arm and adjacent to the pivot, wherein the pivotable mounting is arranged to engage with an actuator configured to apply a force to the link arm in order to selectively open or close the door.9. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the link arm is further provided with a mounting point arranged to co-operate with a stay or check-link configured to hold the door in at least a partially or fully open position.10. A hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the link arm is further provided with a mounting point arranged to co-operate with a locking device configured to selectively secure the door in a closed position.11. A vehicle comprising a hinge assembly according to any of the preceding claims.