Door hinge with a locking device based on a field force

Details Door hinge with a locking device based on a field force Door hinge with a locking device based on a field force

2000-03-10

2001-11-13

Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)

Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,

Checks and closers

Liquid

C016S051000, C016S082000, C188S267200, C049S137000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06314612

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a door hinge incorporating a fluid-operated locking device in which the viscosity of the operating fluid medium can be changed by the application of a field force.
THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,042 discloses a door hinge constructed as a piston-cylinder assembly that is arranged between the A pillar and the door of a motor vehicle. In the embodiments shown in
FIG. 4
a
through
4
c
of the '042 patent, the piston-cylinder assembly is filled with an operating medium whose viscosity can be changed as a function of an electric field. Between two working spaces of the piston-cylinder assembly there exists a flow connection with a small enough cross-section that the voltage, which can be supplied by a vehicle's electrical system by means of electrodes, exerts electric field forces which cause the operating medium within the flow connection to become so viscous that the door is hydraulically locked. The '042 patent is commonly owned with the present application. The disclosure thereof, in its entirety, is hereby incorporated for all purposes.
In vehicles below a certain class, the installation spaces are not big enough for a piston-cylinder assembly, since the cylinder of the piston-cylinder assembly of necessity must be accommodated either in the A pillar or in the vehicle door.
SUMMARY
The object of the present invention is to provide a door hinge with a locking device based on a field force that can be used even in small installation spaces.
This object is attained, in accordance with the invention, in that the door hinge is designed as a pivot bearing, wherein the cylinder takes the form of a bearing eye and the piston takes the form of a rotary piston with at least one blade.
The major advantage of this solution is that the installation space heretofore provided is adequate for the door hinge with a locking device based on a field force. There is no need to undertake any design changes at all to the door or to the mating points on the body side.
In one embodiment, the flow connection takes the form of a gap between the blade and the inner wall of the cylinder. The advantage of this design is that the area of the gap relative to the field force generating element is very large in size compared to the area of a hole in the blade. The bigger the effective area for the field force generating element, the greater the possible change in viscosity, up to locking of the flow connection.
So that the door cannot be opened in an uncontrolled manner, for example by a gust of wind, the cylinder is equipped with at least one rib as a stop for limiting the rotary piston's angle of rotation. A further advantage is that an internal stop is maintenance-free and does not represent any visual impediment.
So that the door strikes the stop in a damped fashion, there is a second flow connection between the two working spaces that represents a second throttling point for the door hinge.
In one embodiment, the stop in the cylinder is comprised of a ring segment that has a circumferential groove for the second flow connection.
The door's motion is certain never to be locked in a first opening angle range, because a person wants to open the door at least wide enough to be able to enter and exit the vehicle even in a very tight parking space. For this reason, the field force generating element is preferably arranged concentrically to the cylinder and takes the form of a ring segment and only covers one rotation angle range of the rotary piston.
It is especially easy to install the field force generating element when it is located outside the cylinder.
When the field force generating element is outside the cylinder, the second flow connection is preferably implemented on the inner diameter of the stop. This accomplishes the goal that the second flow connection is not influenced by the field force generating element and the operating medium within the second flow connection is only subject to hydraulic principles.
Especially when a permanent magnet is used as a field force generating element with a magnetorheological operating medium, an advantageous arrangement may be provided wherein the field force generating element is rotatable independently of the cylinder or the rotary piston. By this means, it is possible to open the door by overcoming only hydraulic resistances and to lock the door in position by rotating the rotary piston into the region of the first flow connection. In this way, much less force is required than would be the case if one were to push the door open far enough that the door hinge's flow connection would have to be moved through the effective region of the permanent magnet.
In an embodiment with an electrorheological operating medium, the cylinder is designed as the field force generating element and is encased in an insulating ring for protection.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3952365 (1976-04-01), Grisebach
patent: 5152189 (1992-10-01), Miura et al.
patent: 5468042 (1995-11-01), Heinrichs et al.
patent: 5632361 (1997-05-01), Wulff et al.
patent: 5664286 (1997-09-01), Sorimachi
patent: 5697122 (1997-12-01), Okabe et al.
patent: 5816372 (1998-10-01), Carlson et al.
patent: 6095295 (2000-08-01), Park et al.
patent: 6121526 (2000-09-01), Kobori et al.
patent: 33 13 220 A1 (1984-10-01), None
patent: 195 14 610 A1 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 197 54 167 A1 (1999-06-01), None

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