SE1451075A1

SE1451075A1 - A locking arrangement

Info

Publication number: SE1451075A1
Application number: SE1451075A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Samuel Zhouson
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2014-09-15
Filing date: 2014-09-15
Publication date: 2016-03-16
Also published as: SE539757C2; DE102015010314A1; DE102015010314B4

Description

15 20 25 30 respect to the position for adapting it to the new position of the steering wheel. A locking arrangement of the type defined in the introduction may then be used for obtaining locking of the in- strument panel in the respective position. One of said two mem- bers may then be directly or indirectly connected to the instru- ment panel or a carrier thereof and the other member may be di- rectly or indirectly connected to a body or a frame fixed with re- spect to the chassis of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART A locking arrangement of the type defined in the introduction is known through for instance US 6 213 671 B1, which discloses an adjustable articulated positioning device having locking arrange- ments preventing and enabling rotation about hinges in a locking state and an unlocked state, respectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a locking ar- rangement of the type defined in the introduction being improved in at least some aspect with respect to such locking arrange- ments already known.

This object is according to the invention obtained by providing such a locking arrangement with the features listed in the charac- terizing part of appended patent claim 1.

A locking arrangement according to the invention will reliably be maintained in the locking state by the action of said spring load, 10 15 20 25 30 since a pressurized medium has to be actively supplied for trans- ferring the locking arrangement into the unlocked state. Further- more, the movability of the piston and cylinder with respect to each other and the interaction thereof with said first means providing a spring load results in a simple construction and a re- liable operation of the locking arrangement according to the in- venüon.

According to an embodiment of the invention said cylinder and piston are connected to a first of said members so as to follow this member in movement thereof with respect to a second of said members in said unlocked state. Such a connection of the two members may then be obtained by having said cylinder or said piston fixed with respect to said first member as in another embodiment of the invention. These embodiments enable easy unlocking of the members with respect to each other and move- ment thereof to and interlocking thereof in a new mutual position.

According to another embodiment of the invention the locking ar- rangement comprises a piston rod secured to said piston and to said first member, said cylinder is movable with respect to said piston along said piston rod, and the cylinder is configured to move along the piston rod when supplying a pressurized medium to said volume. ln such a movement along the piston rod the cyl- inder may either be fixed with respect to said first member and the piston rod move or the piston rod may be secured to said first member and the cylinder move. ln the latter case said first means may be configured to apply said spring load on an inner surface of an end of said cylinder and press this end of the cylinder against a part of said first member. 10 15 20 25 30 According to another embodiment of the invention said second member is elongated, and said first member is movable along the second member in the longitudinal direction thereof and secura- ble in different positions therealong by application of said spring load on said first means urging a part of said first member against a part of said second member. This means an easy achievement of different mutual positions of said two members and interlocking thereof in these positions by means of the lock- ing arrangement.

According to another embodiment of the invention said second member comprises at least two superimposed elongated ele- ments having a slot extending in said longitudinal direction of the second member, a piston rod secured to said piston penetrates through the slots of said elements, and said first member is mov- able with respect to that second member while being guided through movement of said piston rod along said slots.

According to another embodiment of the invention being a further development of the embodiment last mentioned said second member comprises at least three said elements in the form of la- mellas forming a laminated member and configured to be com- pressed by said spring load so as to interlock them with said first member. By pressing a plurality of elements (the lamellas) to- wards each other a number of surfaces exerted to a normal force in said locking state will result, and each such normal force will in combination with the respective coefficient of friction result in a force acting to obtain said locking state, and the total force in- terlocking said members will then be the sum of such forces. This 10 15 20 25 means that a quite moderate spring load may result in a reliable interlocking of said members in said locking state and still enable easy transfer of the locking arrangement into said unlocked state by controlling said second means.

According to another embodiment of the invention the locking ar- rangement comprises washer-like discs separating adjacent la- mellas, penetrated by said piston rod and configured to follow the piston rod in movements thereof along said slot. This means that said spring load will in the locking state press a stack of said discs and lamellas against each other resulting in an high num- ber of surfaces onto which a normal force is applied resulting in a force preventing the respective disc to slide with respect to the respective lamella due to the coefficient of friction of said surfac- es bearing against each other.

According to another embodiment of the invention constituting a further development of the embodiment last mentioned said discs bear tightly circumferentially against the piston rod penetrating them. This fact ensures that the discs may not slide independent- ly with respect to the lamellas and an optimum said force main- taining the arrangement in the locked stack may by that be ob- tained by the addition of such a force for each interface between disc and lamella.

According to another embodiment of the invention said first means comprises at least one mechanical spring, such as a cup spring or a plate spring. The use of such mechanical springs for obtaining said spring load of said first means results in a reliable 10 15 20 25 30 function of the locking arrangement with a minimum risk of mal- function.

According to another embodiment of the invention said second means is configured to supply compressed air to said space for transferring the arrangement to said unlocked state.

According to another embodiment of the invention said first member is configured to be connected to a carrier of a device to be moved between different positions with respect to a fixed body, and such a device may for instance be an instrument panel of a motor vehicle.

According to another embodiment of the invention one end of said second member is configured to be pivotally connected to a fixed part, and this fixed part may be a part fixed with respect to the chassis of a motor vehicle.

A plurality of separate said locking arrangements with a first and a second member may then for instance be used for holding and locking an instrument panel of a motor vehicle in a determined position after adjusting the position of a steering wheel and by that of said instrument panel.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for adjusting the posi- tion of an instrument panel of a motor vehicle arranged to follow a steering member, such as a steering wheel, when adjusting the position of said steering member, and that apparatus comprises a locking arrangement according to the present invention for locking said instrument panel in a fixed position with respect to a 10 15 20 25 fixed part of the vehicle in the locking state of the arrangement.

As already mentioned, several such locking arrangements may then be used for locking said instrument panel in a fixed position with respect to said fixed part of the vehicle.

Other advantageous features as well as advantages of the pre- sent invention will appear from the description following below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specif- ic description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an ex- ample. ln the drawings: Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3 is a simplified view very schematically illustrating the use of a locking arrangement according to the present invention in a driving compartment of a mo- tor vehicle, is a perspective view of a locking arrangement ac- cording to an embodiment of the invention interlock- ing two interconnected members in a first mutual position thereof, is a view corresponding to Fig 2 with said members interlocked in another second mutual position, 10 15 20 25 30 Fig 4 is a perspective view of said locking arrangement with members in a position according to Fig 3 from another direction, and Fig 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the con- struction of a second member of said locking ar- rangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Fig 1 illustrates very schematically a driving compartment 1 of a motor vehicle 2, such as a truck or a bus, provided with a steer- ing wheel 3 which may be adjusted with respect to the chassis 4 of the vehicle by displacing a steering column 5 and locking this in different positions by means not shown. A carrier 6 for a body 7 provided with an instrument panel 8 is arranged to follow said steering wheel when the position thereof is adjusted. Said carrier 6 is for that sake connected to a locking arrangement 9 accord- ing to the present invention enabling displacement of the carrier 6 along an elongated second member 12 to be explained below with reference made to Fig 2-4 and pivoting of that member with respect to the chassis 4 for adjusting the position of said instru- ment panel 8 to the position of the steering wheel 3. How this is obtained and how said locking arrangement may be constructed will now be explained while making reference to Figs 2-5.

A locking arrangement according to the present invention and shown in Fig 2-4 is configured to interlock a first member 11 in the form of a bracket to be secured to said carrier 6 and a sec- 10 15 20 25 30 ond elongated member 12 pivotally connected to another bracket 13 to be secured to a part of said chassis 4 or an element fixed with respect thereto. Said first member 11 is provided with a weld nut 14 into which a piston rod 15 is screwed and secured by an- other nut 16. The piston rod 15 has at one end thereof a piston 17 sealingly received in a cylinder 18 while together with cylinder walls 19 defining a sealed space 20 therein. Said cylinder has a |id 21 participating in defining said sealed space. A part of the cylinder is broken away in the figures for showing the interior of the cylinder. lt is illustrated how the piston is provided with seals 22 bearing tightly on inner circumferential walls of the cylinder.

The cylinder is movable with respect to said piston while being displaced along the piston rod 15 while changing the volume of the space 20.

First means in the form of mechanical springs 23, such as plate springs, are arranged in said cylinder and apply a spring load try- ing to separate the piston 17 and a bottom 24 of the cylinder 19 while reducing the volume of the space 20. This means that the springs 23 will apply a spring load to the cylinder 19 pressing the cylinder against said second member 12 and by that said second member against the first member 11, since the piston 17 has a fixed position with respect to said first member, so that a locking state of the locking arrangement is obtained.

The second member 12 is formed by a plurality of elongated thin elements 25 in the form of lamellas, such as in the order of 5 metal sheets with a thickness of O.5-1.5 mm superimposed, and has a slot 26 extending in the longitudinal direction of the lamel- 10 15 20 25 30 10 las. Adjacent lamellas are at one end 27 separated by washer- like discs 28 (see Fig 5) which may be of a suitable metal and have a thickness similar to that of the lamellas. These discs will be penetrated by a pin pivotally connecting the second member to the bracket 13 and may by that not be moved with respect to the lamellas. Such discs 28 are also arranged where said first member 11 is connected to the second member 12 and a through-hole 29 of these discs 28 is penetrated by the piston rod 15, which also extend through the slots 26 of the lamellas 25.

This means that the washer-like discs and the lamellas together form a stack where the discs are located, whereas there will be a gap separating adjacent lamellas where no such discs are locat- ed. One such disc is also located on each outermost lamella of the stack as may be seen in Fig 3.

The arrangement of the stack of lamellas and discs where the piston and cylinder are located means that the springs 23 will press the cylinder against said stack and press each lamella and disc against each other and the stack against the first member 11. This results in a large number of surfaces to which a normal force is applied and co-operate with a coefficient of friction of such surfaces for obtaining a force acting against a displacement of the first member 11 along the second member 12. The total force acting against such a displacement will be the sum of all such forces obtained at each interface between disc and lamella.

The arrangement also comprises a second means 30 schemati- cally indicated in Fig 3 configured to transfer the arrangement into an unlocked state by being controllable to supply a pressur- ized medium to the space 20 defined by the piston 17 and the 10 15 20 11 cylinder 18. A supply of such compressed air will act against the action of the springs 23 so as to move the cylinder away from the stack of discs 28 and lamellas 25 transferring the locking ar- rangement into an unlocked state enabling a movement of the first member 11 with respect to the second member 12 guided by the piston rod 15 received in the slots 26, such as from the posi- tion shown in Fig 2 to that shown in Fig 3 and 4. The discs 28 surrounding the piston rod will then follow the piston rod in that movement, and when a new desired position of said first member 11 with respect to the second member 12 has been obtained the compressed air is let out of the space 20, so that the springs 23 will press the cylinder 18 against the stack of discs and lamellas formed at that location for reliably interlock the first member 11 and the second member 12 in the new position.

The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the em- bodiments described above, but many possibilities to modifica- tions thereof would be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as de- fined in the appended claims.

Claims

5 10 15 20 25 30 Claims 12

1. A locking arrangement configured to interlock two intercon- nected members (11, 12) in a locking state and release said members to be movable with respect to each other in an un- locked state for changing their mutual position, characterized in that said arrangement comprises a hollow cylinder (18), a piston (17) sealingly received in said cylinder while to- gether with cylinder walls defining a sealed space (20) therein, said piston (17) and cylinder (18) being movable with respect to each other while changing the volume of said space (20), first means (23) configured to apply a spring load to act to reduce said volume while pressing parts of said mem- bers (11, 12) against each other to interlock them in said locking state, and second means (30) configured to transfer the arrange- ment into said unlocked state by being controllable to supply a pressurized medium to said space (20) moving said piston (17) and cylinder (18) with respect to each other against the action of said spring load.

2. A locking arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said cylinder (18) and piston (17) are connected to a first (11) of said members so as to follow this member in movement thereof with respect to a second (12) of said members in said unlocked state. 10 15 20 25 30

3. 6. 13 A locking arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that said cylinder (18) or said piston (17) is fixed with re- spect to said first member (11). A locking arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, character- iíf in that it comprises a piston rod (15) secured to said piston (17) and to said first member (11), that said cylinder (18) is movable with respect to said piston (17) along said piston rod (15), and that the cylinder is configured to move along the piston rod when supplying a pressurized medium to said space (20). A locking arrangement according to any of claims 2-4, m acterized in that said second member is (12) elongated, and that said first member (11) is movable along the second member in the longitudinal direction thereof and securable in different positions therealong by application of said spring load of said first means (23) urging a part of said first mem- ber against a part of said second member. A locking arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said second member (12) comprises at least two su- perimposed elongated elements (25) having a slot (26) ex- tending in said longitudinal direction of the second member (12), that a piston rod (15) secured to said piston (17) pene- trates through the slots of said elements, and that said first member (11) is movable with respect to said second member (12) while being guided through movement of said piston rod (15) along said slots (26). 10 15 20 25 30 10. 11. 12. 14 A locking arrangement according claim 6, characterized in that said second member (12) comprises at least three said elements in the form of lamellas (25) forming a laminated member and configured to be compressed by said spring load so as to interlock them with said fist member. A locking arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises washer-like discs (28) separating adja- cent lamellas (25), penetrated by said piston rod (15) and configured to follow the piston rod in movements thereof along said slots (26). A locking arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that said discs (28) bear tightly circumferentially against the piston rod (15) penetrating them. A locking arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first means (23) compris- es at least one mechanical spring, such as a cup spring or a plate spring. A locking arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second means (30) is con- figured to supply compressed air to said space (20) for transferring the arrangement to said unlocked state. A locking arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first member (11) is con- figured to be connected to a carrier (6) of a device to be 10 15 20 25 13. 1

4. 1

5. 1

6. 15 moved between different positions with respect to a fixed body (4). A locking arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that said device is an instrument panel (8) of a motor ve- hicle (2). A locking arrangement according to any of the preceding claims dependent upon claim 2, characterized in that one end (27) of said second member (12) is configured to be piv- otally connected to a fixed part (4). A locking arrangement according to claim 14, characterized in that said fixed part is a part fixed with respect to the chas- sis (4) of a motor vehicle (2). An apparatus for adjusting the position of an instrument panel (8) of a motor vehicle (2) arranged to follow a steering member (3), such as a steering wheel, when adjusting the position of said steering member, characterized in that it comprises a locking arrangement (9) according to any of claims 1-15 for locking said instrument panel in a fixed posi- tion with respect to a fixed part (4) of the vehicle in the lock- ing state of the arrangement.