ARTICULATED HINGE WITH DOUBLE SELECTIVE LOCKING MECHANISM

Abstract

 A hinge comprises a main portion, an auxiliary portion and partial opening means active between the main portion and the auxiliary portion to determine intermediate or partial opening configurations; the partial opening means comprise an intermediate body, two pins and two selective locking interfaces adapted to determine a multiplicity of relative angular configurations between the main portion and the auxiliary portion, as well as a selective locking counter-interface and rolling friction interposition elements interposed between the two selective locking interfaces and the selective locking counter-interface to obtain a plurality of partial opening configurations of the hinge itself.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an articulated hinge with a double selective locking mechanism, which can be used for example (but not limitedly) for vehicle doors and/or hatchbacks.

[0002] As is known, the operation of vehicle doors and/or hatchbacks can require intermediate opening positions provided with a certain stability, for example if there is not enough space to fully open the door or if a hatchback is must remain firm and stable during loading/unloading operations: in order to obtain such intermediate opening positions, a type of single-pin hinge is for example known, made by the same Applicant, in which appropriate partial opening means incorporating rolling friction interposition elements ensure a multiplicity of partial opening configurations of the hinge itself.

[0003] The prior art just described, despite being rather widespread, has some drawbacks in terms of adaptability of such structural architecture to particular application areas where an extreme compactness of the hinged joint must be ensured, or where particular overall movements of the "movable part" are required (whether it is a door, a hatchback or a movable panel with respect to a "fixed part" of an object which in turn can be a vehicle, a piece of furniture and anything else) with variable and/or offset rotation axes in space.

[0004] Furthermore, the aforementioned single-pin hinge is not capable of opening doors at maximum angles around 260°- 270°, and remains limited to a maximum opening of only 180°: if the structure of such a single-pin hinge were modified to reach greater maximum opening angles, it would protrude from the vehicle and would thus be contrary to the current laws on "vehicle projections" (therefore it cannot be mounted on vehicles approved for use on public roads).

[0005] Indeed, as the housing or mounting spaces for hinges decrease, it becomes exponentially more difficult to implement a joint which is sufficiently resistant to loads, sufficiently accurate in kinematic terms and sufficiently "stable" in terms of being able to ensure correct "stability" to the intermediate opening positions: this is also reflected in an unsatisfactory production control of the doors and/or hatchbacks, which in turn implies safety and ergonomics problems.

[0006] In the light of what has been observed, the object of the present invention is to provide a hinge with integrated angular locking which is capable of solving the shortcomings just presented.

[0007] In particular, the present invention aims to design a hinge which offers high performance, great reliability, easy assembly, reduced dimensions and optimized production costs... associated with the possibility of obtaining a considerable overall compactness of the hinge itself (in addition to the possibility of being used on both vehicles, and in other technical fields such as furniture, mechanical joints, etc.).

[0008] These and other objects are obtained by an articulated hinge with double selective locking mechanism in accordance with the present invention, having the features illustrated in the annexed claims and hereinafter illustrated in an exemplary (but not limiting) embodiment thereof as well as in the attached drawings, in which:

• figure 1 shows an axonometric/perspective view of a hinge according to the invention; and
• figure 2 shows a sectional view along the line II-II of the hinge of figure 1; and
• figures 3 to 6 show views from above of the hinge of figure 1 in a series of partial opening configurations of the hinge itself.

[0009] With reference to the attached drawings, the hinge according to the invention is generally indicated with the number 1 and substantially comprises a main portion 2, connectable to a fixed part of an object (which can typically be a vehicle frame) as well as an auxiliary portion 3, connectable instead to a movable part of an object (which can typically be a vehicle door/hatchback); the hinge 1 according to the invention further comprises appropriate partial opening means 5, which are operatively active between the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3 to position said movable part of an object in a predetermined number of intermediate or partial opening configurations with respect to said fixed part.

[0010] Advantageously - and going into the details of the invention, the aforementioned partial opening means 5 comprise an intermediate body 4 which connects the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3, a first pin 4a and a second pin 4b (housed in said intermediate body 4 and connected to the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3, respectively) as well as a first selective locking interface 5a and a second selective locking interface 5b respectively active between the first pin 4a and the main portion 2 and between the second pin 4b and the auxiliary portion 3: in particular, each of the two selective locking interfaces 5a and 5b are adapted to determine a multiplicity of relative angular configurations between the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3 (as seen, for example, in the sequence of figures 3 to 6, where the main portion is configured at relative rotation angles with respect to the auxiliary portion respectively equal to about 0°, about 90°, about 180° and about 260-270°).

[0011] Conveniently, the first and second selective locking counter-interfaces 5a and 5b are cooperatively active with one or more rolling friction interposition elements 7, which in turn are connected to a selective locking counter-interface 6 and are simultaneously interposed between the first selective locking interface 5a and the selective locking counter-interface 6 (as well as between the second selective locking interface 5b and the selective locking counter-interface 6) to obtain a plurality of partial opening - or "intermediate opening" if preferred - configurations of the hinge 1 itself.

[0012] With reference to the attached drawings and going into greater detail at the structural level, it can be seen that the first selective locking counter-interface 5a and the second selective locking counter-interface 5b are respectively shaped according to a first expansion and a second expansion, which extend respectively from the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3: such first and second expansion and second expansion in turn have a plurality of housing seats 8, which are radially arranged around the first pin 4a and around the second pin 4b (and therefore, the angular distance between such housing seats 8 determines the different conditions or partial opening configurations of the two relative moving parts between which the hinge 1 is mounted).

[0013] In other words, the rolling friction interposition elements 7 are reversibly insertable in the housing seats 8 (which as seen belong to the first and the second expansion) to obtain a multiplicity of partial or intermediate opening configurations of the hinge 1 itself.

[0014] From a geometric point of view and in order to ensure the correct mobility and reversibility of the various partial or intermediate opening configurations, the rolling friction interposition elements 7 can be made according to three-dimensional rotation geometric figures, and such three-dimensional rotation geometric figures can in turn comprise simple cylinders and/or cones and/or conoids and/or cone trunks and/or saddle hyperboloids and/or ellipsoids (or more generally, they can be at least partially counter-shaped to the housing seats 8).

[0015] Conveniently, the interposition elements 7 and/or the housing seats 8 have extension axes radially arranged on a plane which is transverse, and typically orthogonal, to an extension axis of the first pin 4a or of the second pin 4b: thereby, the hinge 1 defines an articulated-parallelogram kinematic mechanism and movable rotation axes to be able to define with sufficient variety of amplitudes and/or angles of rotation the movements of the movable part with respect to the fixed part, meaning of course with "movable part" and "fixed part" two components of a complex object such as a door or hatchback which must be able to move with respect to a vehicle frame or body.

[0016] The selective locking counter-interface 6 further comprises a rocker arm 4c operable on the interposition elements 7 positioned around the first pin 4a and/or the second pin 4b: such a rocker arm 4c is reversibly configurable between a rotation condition of the hinge 1, in which the interposition elements 7 are not inserted in the housing seats 8 (and therefore in which the main portion 2 is free to move with respect to the auxiliary portion 3), and at least one stability condition in which the interposition elements 7 are instead inserted in the housing seats 8 (defining at such times an intermediate or partial opening configuration of the hinge 1).

[0017] The selective locking counter-interface 6 further comprises pressing means 4d, typically elastic, adapted to selectively determine at least one stability condition of the rocker 4c itself: for example, such pressing means 4d can comprise at least one axial spring, and (with reference to the figures) such an axial spring can extend in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the first pin 4a or of the second pin 4b.

[0018] In the kinematic diagram of the illustrated embodiment, the rocker arm 4c and/or the pressing means 4d are axially movable in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the first pin 4a or of the second pin 4b (even if, depending on the needs of the moment, other types of relative movement of such components are possible), and even more in detail it should be noted that the rocker arm 4c and/or the pressing means 4d are axially movable in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the first pin 4a or of the second pin (4b).

[0019] Still with reference to figures 1 and 2, it can also be noted that the intermediate body 4 defines a housing cavity crossed by the first pin 4a and the second pin 4b, and that the main portion 2 and the auxiliary portion 3 respectively comprise a third expansion 2b and a fourth expansion 3b extending in such a housing cavity: these expansions 2b and 3b are in turn (and respectively) connected to the first pin 4a and the second pin 4b, and conveniently there can be a link rod 9 interposed between the third expansion 2b and the fourth expansion 4b.

[0020] In order to ensure a correct movement of the hinge 1 and in order to ensure the necessary stability and structural consistency to the entire invention, the link rod 9 can be engaged to the first pin 4a and/or to the second pin 4b at at least one intermediate or partial opening configuration of the hinge 1.

[0021] The invention enables achievement of important advantages.

[0022] Firstly, it should be noted that the peculiar constructive architecture of the hinge described above and claimed below allows the implementation of numerous applications on doors and hatchbacks - or more generally, on movable panels - which make different intermediate opening positions available, all having a remarkable stability and all obtained in spatial configurations where the extreme compactness of the hinge would not make the kinematic devices of known type usable.

[0023] Likewise, it should be noted that the hinge according to the invention is extremely compact and can thus also be housed in very small spaces, and at the same time is capable of opening the movable part up to 260°-270° without exiting from legislative or vehicular type-approval constraints. Finally, it should be noted that the present invention allows to achieve low production costs and great application flexibility, also outside the installation of the hinge on vehicles.

Claims

1. Hinge, preferably for vehicles, comprising:

- a main portion (2) connectable to a fixed part of an object, said fixed part of an object being preferably a vehicle frame;

- an auxiliary portion (3) connectable to a movable part of an object, said fixed part of an object being preferably a vehicle door/hatchback; and

- partial opening means (5) operatively active between the main portion (2) and the auxiliary portion (3) to position said movable part of an object in a predetermined number of intermediate or partial opening configurations with respect to said fixed part, said partial opening means (5) comprising:

- an intermediate body (4) connecting said main portion (2) and said auxiliary portion (3);

- a first pin (4a) and a second pin (4b) housed in said intermediate body (4) and connected to the main portion (2) and to the auxiliary portion (3), respectively; and

- a first selective locking interface (5a) and a second selective locking interface (5b) respectively active between said first pin (4a) and said main portion (2) of the object and between said second pin (4b) and said auxiliary portion (3), each of said first selective locking interface (5a) and second selective locking interface (5b) being adapted to determine a multiplicity of relative angular configurations between the main portion (2) and the auxiliary portion (3);

- a selective locking counter-interface (6) interposed simultaneously between the first selective locking interface (5a) and the second selective locking interface (5b); and

- a predetermined number of rolling friction interposition elements (7) interposed between the first selective locking interface (5a) and the selective locking counter-interface (6) and/or interposed between the second selective locking interface (5b) and the selective locking counter-interface (6) to obtain a plurality of partial opening configurations of the hinge 1 itself corresponding to said predetermined number of intermediate or partial opening configurations with respect to said fixed part, the first selective locking interface (5a) and the second selective locking interface (5b) being cooperatively active with one or more of said rolling friction interposition elements (7),

Characterized in that the first selective locking counter-interface (5a) and the second selective locking counter-interface (5b) comprise respectively:

- a first expansion and a second expansion respectively extending from the main portion (2) and the auxiliary portion (3), said first expansion and second expansion having a multiplicity of housing seats (8) radially arranged around the first pin (4a) and around the second pin (4b); and

- a predetermined number of rolling friction interposition elements (7) reversibly insertable in said housing seats (8) of said first expansion and second expansion to obtain a multiplicity of partial opening configurations of the hinge 1 corresponding to said predetermined number of intermediate or partial opening configurations,

and wherein the selective locking counter-interface (6) further comprises a rocker arm (4c) operable on the interposition elements (7), said rocker arm (4c) being reversibly configurable between a rotation condition of the hinge (1), in which the interposition elements (7) are not inserted in the housing seats (8), and at least one stability condition, in which the interposition elements (7) are instead inserted in the housin

2. Hinge according to claim 1 2, wherein said rolling friction interposition elements (7) are made according to three-dimensional geometric rotation figures, said three-dimensional geometric rotation figures preferably comprising simple cylinders and/or cones and/or conoids and/or cone trunks and/or saddle hyperboloids and/or ellipsoids and even more preferably being at least partially counter-shaped to the housing seats (8).

3. Hinge according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the interposition elements (7) and/or the housing seats (8) have extension axes radially arranged on a plane which is transverse, and preferably orthogonal, to an extension axis of the first pin (4a) or the second pin (4b).

4. Hinge according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the selective locking counter-interface (6) further comprises pressing means (4d), preferably elastic, adapted to selectively determine at least one stability condition of the rocker arm (4c).

5. Hinge according to claim 4, wherein said pressing means (4d) comprise at least one axial spring, said axial spring preferably extending in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the first pin (4a) or the second pin (4b).

6. Hinge according to claims 4 or 5, wherein the rocker arm (4c) and/or the pressing means (4d) are axially movable in a direction parallel to the extension axis of the first pin (4a) or the second pin (4b).

7. Hinge according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein:

- the intermediate body (4) defines a housing cavity crossed by the first pin (4a) and by the second pin (4b); and

- the main portion (2) and the auxiliary portion (3) respectively comprise a third expansion (2b) and a fourth expansion (3b) extending in said housing cavity and respectively connected to the first pin (4a) and to the second pin (4b).

8. Hinge according to claim 7, wherein there is also a link rod (9) interposed between the third expansion (2b) and the fourth expansion (4b) and preferably engageable to the first pin (4a) and/or to the second pin (4b) at at least one intermediate or partial opening configuration of the hinge (1).

Drawing