WO2009087899A1

WO2009087899A1 - Hinge device and hinge device for vehicle door

Info

Publication number: WO2009087899A1
Application number: PCT/JP2008/073489
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seiichi Sumiya; Ryoichi Fukumoto
Original assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2008-01-11
Filing date: 2008-12-24
Publication date: 2009-07-16
Also published as: JP2009167636A

Abstract

A hinge device mounted between an upper door and a lower door and adapted to pivotably interconnect the upper door and the lower door. The hinge device has a first hinge member, a second hinge member, a hinge shaft, and a torsion spring. The first hinge member is adapted to be mounted to the upper door. The second hinge member is adapted to be mounted to the lower door. The hinge shaft interconnects the first hinge member and the second hinge member so that the first and second hinge members are pivotable relative to each other. The torsion spring is mounted between the first hinge member and the second hinge member and applies relative urging force between the first hinge member and the second hinge member when the angle between the upper door and the lower door is within a predetermined range. The center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft.

Description

Hinge device and hinge device for vehicle door

The present invention relates to a hinge device and a vehicle door hinge device.

There is a vehicle including a door (hereinafter referred to as “back door”) that opens and closes an opening formed on the rear surface of the vehicle. Hinges are provided on both sides of the upper end of the back door. The back door is supported by a rear end portion of the roof using a hinge so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The opening is opened by flipping the back door itself upward and rearward. In such a configuration, a space is required in the rear when the back door is opened.

Patent Document 1 discloses a folding back door that is divided into an upper door and a lower door. The upper door and the lower door are connected via a hinge, and when the back door is opened, the back door can be folded so that the hinge protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle body, so that a space behind the door can be saved. Patent Document 2 discloses a mode in which the back door is opened while being folded by bringing the first lock device and the second lock device into a locked state or an unlocked state, and a single door without being folded. An open / close device for a back door that enables selection of a form to be opened is disclosed.

Conventionally, in order to support the back door in an open state, a method has been considered in which a torsion spring is provided on a hinge that connects both upper end sides of the back door to the vehicle body and an urging force in the opening direction is applied to the back door. ing. However, when such a measure is adopted, the urging force of the torsion spring varies depending on the angle formed by the vehicle body and the back door, so that the urging force from the torsion spring decreases as the back door approaches the fully open position. As a result, when the back door is in the fully open position, there is a possibility that a sufficient urging force cannot be applied to the back door. In addition, when a torsion spring is configured to apply a large urging force to the back door from the fully closed position in order to give a sufficient urging force to the back door in the fully open position, the back door should be closed. When doing so, the urging force of the torsion spring becomes resistance, making operation difficult.

Further, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it is troublesome to provide a support device such as a rail, a rolling wheel, or a damper stay in order to support the lower door. Therefore, it is conceivable to support the lower door using a hinge provided with a torsion spring. However, even in this case, as in the case where the back door is supported by the vehicle body, it is difficult to operate the lower door due to the characteristic that the urging force of the torsion spring varies depending on the angle.
JP 2006-56433 A JP 2002-283848 A

An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device and a vehicle door hinge device that have improved operability by reducing fluctuations in biasing force applied from a torsion spring.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is provided between the first member and the second member, and is adapted to rotatably connect the first member and the second member to each other. A hinge device is provided. The hinge device includes a first hinge member, a second hinge member, a hinge shaft, and a torsion spring. The first hinge member is adapted to be attached to the first member. The second hinge member is adapted to be attached to the second member. The hinge shaft rotatably connects the first hinge member and the second hinge member. The torsion spring is provided between the first hinge member and the second hinge member, and an angle formed by the first member and the second member is within a predetermined range. A relative biasing force is applied to the hinge member. The center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft.

According to the above configuration, since the center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft, the rotation between the center of the torsion spring and the biasing force acting point of the second hinge member as the second hinge member rotates. The distance changes. The magnitude of the urging force acting on the urging force acting point corresponds to the distance between the center of the torsion spring and the urging force acting point, and therefore the urging force according to the angle formed by the first member and the second member. Can be reduced. Accordingly, since the urging forces acting on the first hinge member and the second hinge member can be made substantially the same over the entire movement range of the first member and the second member, the first member and the second member are relatively The operability when moving can be improved.

In one aspect of the present invention, the distance between the center of the torsion spring and the biasing force application point of the second hinge member on which the biasing force of the torsion spring acts is formed by the first member and the second member. The center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft so that the upper limit is shorter than the lower limit.

According to the above configuration, when the angle formed by the first member and the second member reaches the upper limit of the predetermined range, the distance from the center of the torsion spring to the biasing force application point is shortened. Therefore, if the deflection amount of the torsion spring is the same, the urging force applied to the second hinge member is larger than when the center of the torsion spring and the center of the hinge shaft are the same. Accordingly, when the angle between the first member and the second member reaches the upper limit of the predetermined range so that the deflection amount of the torsion spring is minimized, the center of the torsion spring and the center of the hinge shaft are the same. Compared to the hinge device, fluctuations in the urging force acting on the first hinge member and the second hinge member can be reliably reduced.

In one aspect of the present invention, the transmission lever further includes a transmission lever provided to be rotatable about the same position as the center of the torsion spring, and the transmission lever locks the first end of the torsion spring. And the second hinge member has a contact portion with which the transmission lever is contacted by the biasing force of the torsion spring.

According to the above configuration, the portion that locks the first end portion of the torsion spring serves as the force point of the urging force of the torsion spring, and the portion where the transmission lever abuts is the urging force application point. Therefore, the urging force of the torsion spring can be transmitted to the urging force application point of the second hinge member in a state where the force point is separated from the urging force application point.

In one aspect of the present invention, the contact portion is constituted by a rotating member, and the transmission lever includes a guide surface that guides the movement of the rotating member.
According to the above configuration, since the rotating member moves along the guide surface when the second member is operated, the change in the distance from the center of the torsion spring to the urging force application point of the second hinge member depends on the shape of the guide surface. The state can be changed. Therefore, for example, if the guide surface is formed by combining a curved surface or an inclined surface, the change in the distance between the rotating member and the center of the torsion spring can be controlled, and according to the angle formed by the first member and the second member. It is easy to adjust the biasing force on the second hinge member.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a hinge device for a vehicle door that opens and closes an opening formed in a vehicle body is provided. The vehicle door includes an upper door having an upper end adapted to be pivotably connected to a vehicle body, and a lower door having an upper end adapted to be pivotably connected to a lower end of the upper door. . The hinge device is provided between the upper door and the lower door and is adapted to rotatably connect the upper door and the lower door to each other, and the lower end portion of the upper door and the upper end portion of the lower door are connected to the vehicle body. The upper door rotates relative to the vehicle body while rotating the lower door relative to the upper door so as to protrude outward, thereby opening the opening. The hinge device includes a first hinge member, a second hinge member, a hinge shaft, and a torsion spring. The first hinge member is adapted to be attached to the upper door. The second hinge member is adapted to be attached to the lower door. The hinge shaft rotatably connects the upper door and the lower door. The torsion spring is provided between the first hinge member and the second hinge member, and applies a biasing force to the lower door when the lower door is disposed between a closed position and an open position. The center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft.

According to the above configuration, fluctuations in the urging force acting on the first hinge member and the second hinge member according to the opening degree of the lower door can be reduced. Therefore, the biasing force acting on the first hinge member and the second hinge member can be made substantially the same while the lower door is disposed from the closed position to the open position. Therefore, for example, even when the torsion spring is configured so that the lower door is biased toward the fully open position, the lower door can be easily operated.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the distance between the center of the torsion spring and the biasing force application point of the second hinge member on which the biasing force of the torsion spring acts is the angle formed by the upper door and the lower door. The center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft so that the upper limit is shorter than the lower limit.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the first hinge member has a pair of first arm pieces, the second hinge member has a pair of second arm pieces, and the hinge shaft has the first arm pieces and The second arm piece is rotatably connected to each other, and further includes a support portion provided between the pair of first arm pieces and extending in parallel with the hinge shaft, and the torsion spring is disposed outside the support portion. Fitted.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the transmission lever further includes a transmission lever provided to be rotatable about the same position as the center of the support portion, and the transmission lever locks the first end of the torsion spring. The first hinge member has a second locking portion that locks the second end portion of the torsion spring, and the second hinge member has a force applied to the transmission lever by the urging force of the torsion spring. It has a contact part to be contacted.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the contact portion is constituted by a rotating member, and the transmission lever includes a guide surface for guiding the movement of the rotating member.

The schematic side view which shows the back door and hinge apparatus which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. The schematic perspective view which shows the hinge apparatus of FIG. (A) is a partially broken side view of the hinge device of FIG. 1 when the back door is fully closed, and (b) is a partially broken side view of the hinge device of FIG. 1 when the back door is fully opened. The graph which shows the comparison with the hinge apparatus of FIG. 1, and the conventional hinge apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, an opening is formed in the rear part of a vehicle body 11 of an automobile as a vehicle. The opening is opened and closed by a folding back door 12. A pair of left and right upper hinges 14 is provided at the rear portion of the roof 13 of the vehicle body 11. The back door 12 is divided into two parts, an upper door 15 as a first member and a lower door 16 as a second member. An upper end portion of the upper door 15 is rotatably supported by the roof 13 via an upper hinge 14. A center hinge 17 as a pair of hinge devices is provided between the lower end portion of the upper door 15 and the upper end portion of the lower door 16. The upper door 15 and the lower door 16 are connected to each other via a center hinge 17 so as to be rotatable. In this embodiment, the vertical length of the upper door 15 is longer than the vertical length of the lower door 16. Here, the “length in the vertical direction of the door” means the length in the vertical direction in the fully closed state of the back door 12. A known locking device (not shown) is provided between the lower end of the lower door 16 and the vehicle body 11, and a handle 16 a that can be operated to unlock the locking device is provided on the outer surface of the lower door 16. .

The vehicle body 11 has left and right side frames 11a. An extendable rod 18 is provided between each rear portion of the side frame 11 a and the lower door 16. The telescopic rod 18 has a vehicle body side end portion 19 as a fulcrum on the vehicle body side, and a lower door side end portion 20 (tip portion) as a fulcrum on the lower door side. The vehicle body side end portion 19 is rotatably attached to the side frame 11 a, and the lower door side end portion 20 is rotatably attached to the side portion 16 b of the lower door 16. The telescopic rod 18 includes, for example, a cylindrical housing, a spring housed in the housing, and a rod that is partially inserted into the housing and biased in the protruding direction by the spring. Since the rod is immersed in the housing when an external force larger than the urging force of the spring is applied to the rod, the telescopic rod 18 can be contracted.

Next, the center hinge 17 as a hinge device for connecting the upper door 15 and the lower door 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 (a) and 3 (b).
As shown in FIG. 3A, the center hinge 17 is disposed between the lower end portion of the upper door 15 and the upper end portion of the lower door 16. When the back door 12 is fully closed, the lower end of the upper door 15 is disposed outside the upper end of the lower door 16. An upper door side base (hereinafter referred to as an upper base) 21 as a first hinge member of the center hinge 17 is fixed to an inner panel portion of the upper door 15 by a bolt 22. On the other hand, a lower door side base (hereinafter referred to as a lower base) 23 as a second hinge member of the center hinge 17 is fixed to an inner panel portion of the lower door 16 by a bolt 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper base 21 includes a pair of left and right arm pieces 25 and a connecting portion 26 that connects the lower side center part of the pair of arm pieces 25. On the other hand, the lower base 23 includes a pair of left and right arm pieces 27 and a connecting portion 28 that connects the first ends of the pair of arm pieces 27. The arm piece 25 of the upper base 21 is disposed on the inner side of the arm piece 27 of the lower base 23 in the direction in which the connecting portion 26 extends, and the hinge shaft 29 is inserted through the

arm pieces

25, 27. 21 and the lower base 23 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable about a hinge shaft 29. The angle formed by the upper base 21 and the lower base 23 is the lower limit angle when the back door 12 is fully closed, and the angle formed by the upper base 21 and the lower base 23 is the upper limit angle when the back door 12 is fully opened. .

Further, a column member 31 is provided between the end portions 25a of the pair of arm pieces 25. A torsion spring 30 is fitted on the outside of the cylindrical member 31. The columnar member 31 is supported by a rod-like support member 32 that passes through the end portions 25 a of the pair of arm pieces 25. Note that the center of the support member 32 coincides with the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 (see FIG. 3A). A plurality of holes 31 a and holes (not shown) through which the hinge shaft 29 can be inserted are formed in the cylindrical member 31. The column member 31 and the support member 32 form a support portion. As shown in FIG. 3A, the torsion spring 30 has a first end 30a and a second end 30b. The first end 30 a is locked to a locking member 34 a as a first locking portion of the transmission lever 34. The second end portion 30 b is locked to a locking member 33 as a rod-shaped second locking portion that is fitted and inserted near the center of the pair of arm pieces 25. Note that the distance between the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 and the locking point of the first end 30a is equal to the distance between the center P1 and the locking point of the second end 30b. The

members

33 and 34a are disposed. When the back door 12 is in the closed state, the torsion spring 30 is set in a previously bent state so as to urge the lower door 16 in the opening direction via the lower base 23.

The transmission lever 34 is disposed between the cylindrical member 31 and one arm piece 25. The base end portion 34 b of the transmission lever 34 is pivotally connected to the support member 32 and is formed in a curved shape so as to avoid interference with the hinge shaft 29. The distal end portion 34 c of the transmission lever 34 abuts on a roller 35 as a rotating member provided inside the arm piece 25 of the lower base 23 by being biased by the torsion spring 30. The roller 35 functions as a contact portion. The contact point Q between the transmission lever 34 and the roller 35 is an action point where torque (biasing force) of the torsion spring 30 is transmitted, that is, a torque action point (biasing force action point). The transmission lever 34 is provided with a guide surface 36 on which the roller 35 can roll when the lower base 23 rotates, and the guide surface 36 is straight from the distal end side of the transmission lever 34 toward the support member 32 side. It extends to.

The distance T1 between the contact point Q of the roller 35 and the center P1 of the support member 32 is set to be longer than the coil radius of the torsion spring 30. When the back door 12 is in the closed state, the center P2 of the hinge shaft 29 is located between the contact point Q of the roller 35 with which the transmission lever 34 is in contact and the center P1 of the torsion spring 30. Further, when the back door 12 is in the fully closed state, the distance between the center P1 and the contact point Q is longer than the distance between the center P1 and the locking point of the first end 30a, and the back door 12 is fully opened. In the state, the distance between the center P1 and the contact point Q is shorter than the distance between the center P1 and the locking point of the first end 30a.

Next, the operation of the hinge device configured as described above will be described.
In the fully closed state, that is, the state where the back door 12 is disposed at the position indicated by A in FIG. 1 and the back door 12 is in the half-open state, that is, the state where the back door 12 is disposed at the position indicated by B in FIG. 18 is in an extended state unless an external force acts on the rod. Further, when the back door 12 shifts from the half-open state to the full-open state, that is, when the back door 12 moves from the position indicated by B in FIG. 1 to the position indicated by C in FIG.

When the back door 12 is in the fully closed state, as shown in FIG. 3A, the relative angle of the lower base 23 with respect to the upper base 21 is the lower limit angle. In this state, the amount of deflection of the torsion spring 30 is Although the maximum, the distance T1 from the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 to the contact point Q of the roller 35 is the longest. Therefore, the torque acting on the lower base 23 is smaller than the torque acting on the lower base when the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 and the center P2 of the hinge shaft 29 are the same.

To open the fully closed back door 12, first, the handle 16a is operated to release the door lock of the back door 12 by a lock device (not shown). Then, since torque in the opening direction is applied to the lower door 16 from the torsion spring 30 of the center hinge 17 via the lower base 23, the lower door 16 tends to rotate around the center hinge 17. However, at this time, since the distance between the fulcrum of the lower door 16 and the vehicle body 11 is kept constant by the telescopic rod 18, the lower door 16 cannot rotate around the center hinge 17. Therefore, instead, the upper door 15 rotates upward about the upper hinge 14. Then, when the upper door 15 comes into contact with a stopper member (not shown), the upward rotation of the upper door 15 is restricted, and the back door 12 is in a half-open state.

To open the back door 12 in the half-open state, the lower door 16 is rotated about the center hinge 17 by contracting the telescopic rod 18. At this time, the operation of the lower door 16 is assisted by the torque applied from the torsion spring 30 of the center hinge 17. The roller 35 gradually approaches the torsion spring 30 and moves from the position shown in FIG. 3A to the position shown in FIG. When the back door 12 shifts from the half-open state to the full-open state, the distance between the center P1 and the contact point Q is shortened.

As shown in FIG. 3B, in the fully open state of the back door 12, the amount of deflection of the torsion spring 30 is smaller than in the fully closed state, but from the center P1 of the support member 32 to the roller 35. The distance T2 to the contact point Q is reduced compared to the distance T1 in the fully closed state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the torque applied by the torsion spring 30 is applied from a hinge device (hereinafter referred to as “conventional hinge device”) in which the center of the torsion spring and the center of the hinge shaft are the same. It can be larger than the torque. In this embodiment, the lower door 16 can be reliably held in the open state when the back door 12 is in the fully open state, as compared with the conventional hinge device. When the back door 12 is fully opened and the center hinge 17 holds the lower door 16 in an opened state, the bias of the telescopic rod 18 assists the holding of the lower door 16 by the center hinge 17. Further, when the back door 12 is in the fully open state, the distance T2 between the contact point Q of the roller 35 and the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 is shorter than the distance T1 in the fully closed state. When the back door 12 is fully opened, the lower base 23 is actually positioned below the upper base 21. However, in FIG. 3B, the lower base 23 is on the left side of the drawing for convenience of illustration. The upper base 21 is illustrated as being disposed on the right side of the drawing.

When closing the back door 12, first, the lower door 16 is operated from the state shown by B in FIG. 1 to extend the telescopic rod 18 and rotate the lower door 16 around the center hinge 17. And, since the torque applied to the back door 12 from the torsion spring 30 is smaller than the torque applied when the conventional hinge device is used during the transition of the back door 12 from the half-open state to the fully-closed state, The operating force when operating the back door 12 to the fully closed state is reduced. Thereafter, when the back door 12 is fully closed, it is locked by a lock device (not shown).

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the following advantages can be obtained.
(1) In the center hinge 17, the center P 1 of the torsion spring 30 is offset from the center P 2 of the hinge shaft 29. Therefore, the torque fluctuation of the torsion spring 30 can be reduced as compared with the conventional hinge device. Therefore, the torque acting on the lower base 23 can be made substantially the same over the entire range of angles formed by the upper base 21 and the lower base 23. As a result, the operability when operating the lower door 16 can be improved.

(2) When the back door 12 is shifted from the half-open state to the fully-open state, and when the back door 12 is shifted from the half-open state to the fully-closed state, the operation force can be reduced as compared with the case of the conventional hinge device.

(3) The torsion spring 30 applies a torque that opens the lower door 16 via the lower base 23 when the back door 12 is fully open. Then, the torque of the torsion spring 30 can be increased as compared with the conventional hinge device. Therefore, the lower door 16 can be supported in an open state.

(4) The distance T1 between the center of the torsion spring 30 and the contact point Q of the roller 35 is shorter in the fully open state than in the fully closed state of the back door 12. Is offset from the center of the hinge shaft 29. Therefore, when the lower door 16 is opened, the lower door 16 can be reliably supported in the opened state as compared with the case where the conventional hinge device is used.

(5) The center hinge 17 is rotatably supported by the support member 32 and includes a transmission lever 34 to which the first end 30a of the torsion spring 30 is attached, and a roller 35 provided on the lower base 23. I have. Torque of the torsion spring 30 is transmitted to the roller 35 via the transmission lever 34. Therefore, the torque of the torsion spring 30 can be applied to the lower base 23 in a state where the power point at which the torque of the torsion spring 30 directly acts and the contact point Q as the biasing force application point of the lower base 23 are separated.

(6) The transmission lever 34 includes a guide surface 36 for guiding the roller 35 when the back door 12 is opened. By changing the shape of the guide surface 36, it is possible to change the change state of the distance between the support member 32 as the center of the torsion spring 30 and the contact point Q of the roller 35. Therefore, for example, if the shape of the guide surface is a combination of a curved surface and an inclined surface, the distance between the contact point Q of the roller 35 and the center of the torsion spring 30 can be controlled, and according to the opening degree of the lower door 16. The magnitude of the torque in the opening direction applied to the lower door 16 can be adjusted.

(7) The center hinge 17 is used to rotatably connect the upper door 15 and the lower door 16 constituting the back door 12 as a folding door. Therefore, the center hinge 17 can be suitably used when the lower door 16 is held in an open state.

In addition, you may change embodiment of this invention as follows.
The transmission lever 34 may be omitted. In this case, the first end 30 a of the torsion spring 30 may be directly attached to the lower base 23.

¡The configuration of the telescopic rod may be changed. For example, the telescopic rod may be constituted by a gas spring. In this case, in order to contract the telescopic rod, the rod must be immersed against the gas pressure of the compressed gas in the gas spring. Therefore, after the back door 12 is in the half-open state, the back door 12 cannot be shifted to the full-open state unless the lower door is operated.

As long as the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 is offset with respect to the center P2 of the hinge shaft 29, the positional relationship between the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 and the center P2 of the hinge shaft 29 is not particularly limited. For example, the torsion spring 30 is hinged so that the distance between the center P1 of the torsion spring 30 and the contact point Q of the lower base 23 is shorter when the back door 12 is fully closed than when the back door 12 is fully open. You may offset with respect to the axis | shaft 29. FIG. In this case, when the back door 12 is fully opened, the urging force with respect to the lower door 16 is smaller than that of the conventional hinge device. Therefore, for example, it is necessary to use a torsion spring having a sufficiently large spring constant, or to provide a gas damper that assists in maintaining the posture of the lower door in the opened state of the lower door, so that the lower door needs to be securely held in the opened state.

The opening / closing body to which the hinge device of the present invention can be applied is not limited to a folding back door. The hinge device of the present invention may be used for a back door having a single door structure. In this case, the first hinge member may be connected to the vehicle body as the first member, and the second hinge member may be connected to the back door as the opening / closing body. In addition, the hinge device of the present invention may be used for a side door or a luggage hatch, or may be used as a hood hinge. Moreover, you may use the hinge apparatus of this invention for doors of a residence.

A torsion spring may be interposed between the first hinge member and the second hinge member in a state where the door is biased in the closing direction. For example, when the hinge device of the present invention is used for a house door, if the door as the second member is connected to the wall of the house using the hinge device, the door automatically closes after the door is opened. It can be configured to return to position.

Claims

A hinge device provided between a first member and a second member and adapted to pivotably connect the first member and the second member;
A first hinge member adapted to be attached to the first member;
A second hinge member adapted to be attached to the second member;
A hinge shaft for rotatably connecting the first hinge member and the second hinge member;
Relative to the first hinge member and the second hinge member provided between the first hinge member and the second hinge member, and an angle formed by the first member and the second member is within a predetermined range. And a torsion spring that gives a strong urging force,
A hinge device in which a center of the torsion spring is offset from a center of the hinge shaft.
The distance between the center of the torsion spring and the urging force application point of the second hinge member on which the urging force of the torsion spring acts is greater than when the angle formed by the first member and the second member is the lower limit. The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft so that the upper limit is shorter.
A transmission lever provided rotatably about the same position as the center of the torsion spring, the transmission lever having a first locking portion for locking the first end of the torsion spring;
The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein the second hinge member has an abutting portion with which the transmission lever is abutted by an urging force of the torsion spring.
The contact portion is constituted by a rotating member,
The hinge device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission lever includes a guide surface that guides the movement of the rotating member.
A hinge device for a vehicle door that opens and closes an opening formed in a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle door includes an upper door having an upper end adapted to be rotatably connected to the vehicle body, and a lower end portion of the upper door. A lower door having an upper end adapted to be pivotably coupled, wherein the hinge device is provided between the upper door and the lower door, and the upper door and the lower door are pivotable with respect to each other. The lower door rotates with respect to the upper door so that the lower end portion of the upper door and the upper end portion of the lower door protrude outward from the vehicle body, and the upper door rotates with respect to the vehicle body. In the hinge device, thereby opening the opening,
A first hinge member adapted to be attached to the upper door;
A second hinge member adapted to be attached to the lower door;
A hinge shaft that rotatably connects the upper door and the lower door to each other;
A torsion spring that is provided between the first hinge member and the second hinge member and applies a biasing force to the lower door when the lower door is disposed between a closed position and an open position; A hinge device for a vehicle door, the center of the torsion spring comprising a torsion spring offset from the center of the hinge shaft.
When the distance between the center of the torsion spring and the biasing force application point of the second hinge member on which the biasing force of the torsion spring acts is an upper limit than when the angle formed by the upper door and the lower door is a lower limit The vehicle door hinge device according to claim 5, wherein the center of the torsion spring is offset from the center of the hinge shaft so that the length of the torsion spring is shorter.
The first hinge member has a pair of first arm pieces, the second hinge member has a pair of second arm pieces, and the hinge shaft rotates the first arm piece and the second arm piece relative to each other. Connect freely,
The vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a support portion provided between the pair of first arm pieces and extending in parallel with the hinge shaft, wherein the torsion spring is fitted to the outside of the support portion. Door hinge device.
A transmission lever provided rotatably about the same position as the center of the support portion, the transmission lever having a first locking portion for locking the first end of the torsion spring;
The first hinge member has a second locking portion for locking the second end of the torsion spring;
The vehicle door hinge device according to claim 7, wherein the second hinge member has a contact portion with which the transmission lever is contacted by an urging force of the torsion spring.
The contact portion is constituted by a rotating member,
The hinge device for a vehicle door according to claim 8, wherein the transmission lever includes a guide surface that guides the movement of the rotating member.