Automatic door or hood opening arrangement for a motor vehicle including a pneumatic spring and ejector combination

• US 6,293,050 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Jöhnk, Benno
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/480,550
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 296/56, 493/40, 493/41, 493/39, 493/30, 49/25, 492/76, 492/77, 492/78, 493/86, 493/87
• US Class Current: 49/276
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/14 with double-acting springs, e.g. for closing and opening or checking and closing no material
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/53 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/426 for the initial opening movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/448 Fluid motors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

An arrangement for automatic opening of a motor vehicle rear door which can be pivoted about a horizontal swivel axis contains a pneumatic spring-and-ejector combination in which a pneumatic spring is pivotally connected to the vehicle and the rear door so that it exerts a closing torque on the door when the door is in a closed and a predetermined partially open position, and exerts an opening torque when the door is opened beyond the predetermined position to swing the door fully open. An ejector is arranged to pivot the door from the closed position to a position past the partially open position, thereby reducing the energy requirement of the ejector and avoiding high frictional forces in the door lock.

Claims

1. A vehicle body arrangement comprising a vehicle body having a swivel-mounted door which can be pivoted between an open position and a closed position about a horizontal swivel axis, a command transmitter, and a pneumatic spring-and-ejector combination including a pneumatic spring which is pivotally-mounted at one end to the door and pivotally mounted at another end to the vehicle body at locations which are selected relative to the swivel axis of the door so that the pneumatic spring exerts a closing torque on the door when said door is in the closed position and in a predetermined partially open position and exerts an opening torque on the door when the door is opened beyond the predetermined partially open position to pivot the door into said open position, and an ejector comprising a piston and cylinder device having a projectable free end which is engageable with the door and operable to swing the door from said closed position to a position beyond the predetermined partially open position in response to a signal from the command transmitter.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the command transmitter is a mechanical pressure pulse transmitter on the vehicle body.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the command transmitter is a portable wireless transmitter.