Opening and closing mechanism for vehicle opening

• US 6,834,463 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanauchi, Kouji, Kuyama, Manabu, Fukumoto, Ryoichi, Takeda, Nobuhiko, Ikeda, Hiroji, Inaba, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US10/255,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 493/39, 493/40, 493/41, 493/44, 296/56, 296/146.B, 296/146.11
• US Class Current: 49/341
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening which transmits the actuation force securely and effectively. The opening and closing mechanism for cover of a vehicle opening includes a crank gear being rotatable about a crank axis center for opening and closing the opening and closing mechanism for the cover for a vehicle opening, a slider reciprocating along a guide member, and a cover operation member one end of which is pivoted on a crank pin of the crank gear, the other end of which includes a crank arm pivoted on a slider pin of the slider, and provided between the slider and the cover for a vehicle opening and being swingably relative to the slider for cooperating the slider and the cover of a vehicle opening.

Claims

1. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening comprising:

a crank gear rotatable about a crank axis center;

a slider reciprocating along a guide member;

a crank arm pivoted on the crank gear at one end and pivoted on the slider at the other end, the crank arm being pivoted on the crank gear about a pivot axis that is positionally fixed relative to the crank gear during all reciprocating movement of the slider; and

a cover operation member provided between the slider and the cover so as to be swingable relative to the slider.

2. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 1, wherein the cover operation member is pivoted on an operation member pivotal axis of the slider by a slider pin, and one end of the cover operation member and the slider pin are positioned on a common plane surface which is perpendicular to an axis center of the operation member pivotal axis.

3. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 2 further comprising:

a first rotation member being rotatable about a first rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to the axis center of the operation member pivotal axis; and

a first guide surface formed on the guide member for guiding the first rotation member.

4. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 3 wherein one end of the cover operation member is pivoted on the operation member pivotal axis via a partially spherical joint.

5. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 2 further comprising:

a second rotation member rotatable about a second rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to an axis center of the slider pin; and

a second guide surface formed on the guide member for guiding the second rotation member.

6. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 5 wherein one end of the cover operation member is pivoted on the operation member pivotal axis via a partially spherical joint.

7. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 2 wherein one end of the cover operation member is pivoted on the operation member pivotal axis via a partially spherical joint.

8. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 1, wherein the crank arm is pivoted on the crank gear at a crank pin and is pivoted on the slider at a slider pin, a length of a vertical line from the crank axis center relative to an arm center line connecting the crank pin and the slider pin, including an extension so the arm center line, at a position between an open position and a closed position of the cover corresponds to a length of an intermediate position vertical line which is longer than a length of an open position vertical line at the open position and a length of a closed position vertical line at the closed position when the crank gear reciprocates between the open position and the closed position.

9. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 8, wherein a reciprocation locus of the slider pin and an extended line thereof intersects a rotation locus of the crank pin and the crank pin is positioned on a side of the crank axis center relative to the reciprocation locus and the extended line thereof at the open position and the closed position of the cover, whereby larger force is generated at the open position and the closed position of the cover.

10. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation member pivotal axis for pivoting the cover operation member on the slider;

wherein

an axis center of the operation member pivotal axis and the crank axis center are positioned perpendicular to each other in a moving direction of the slider.

11. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 10, wherein the crank arm is pivoted on the slider at a slider pin, and further comprising:

a first rotation member provided on the slider for rotating about a first rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to the axis center of the operation member pivotal axis;

a second rotation member provided on the slider for rotating about a second rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to an axis center of the slider pin;

a rail member included in the guide member;

a first guide surface formed on the rail member for guiding the first rotation member; and

a second guide surface formed on the rail member for guiding the second rotation member.

12. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 11 further comprising an output shaft of a drive motor for driving the crank gear, the output shaft positioned on a side opposite to an interior space of the vehicle relative to the crank gear.

13. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 12 wherein the guide member includes the rail member and a guide body attached to the rail member and the guide body is integrally formed on a mechanism body attached to the crank gear.

14. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 11, wherein the rail member includes two long members having U-shape in cross-section.

15. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 11, wherein the rail member includes four long members having rectangular shape in cross-section.

16. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 10 further comprising an output shaft of a drive motor for driving the crank gear, the output shaft positioned on a side opposite to an interior space of the vehicle relative to the crank gear.

17. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening comprising:

a crank gear rotatable about a crank axis center;

a slider reciprocating along a guide member;

a crank arm pivoted on a crank pin of the crank gear on one end and pivoted on a slider pin of the slider on the other end;

a cover operation member provided between the slider and the cover for a vehicle opening so as to be swingable relative to the slider at an operation member pivotal axis;

a first rotation member rotatable about a first rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to the axis center of the operation member pivotal axis;

a first guide surface formed on the guide member for guiding the first rotation member;

a second rotation member rotatable about a second rotational axis center which is parallel to or coaxial to an axis center of the slider pin;

a second guide surface formed on the guide member for guiding the second rotation member; and

an output shaft of a drive motor for driving the crank gear, the output shaft positioned on a side opposite to an interior space of the vehicle relative to the crank gear.

18. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 17, wherein the cover operation member is pivoted on the operation member pivotal axis of the slider and one end of the cover operation member and the slider pin are positioned on a common plane surface which is perpendicular to an axis center of the operation member pivotal axis.

19. An opening and closing mechanism, for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 17, wherein one end of the cover operation member is pivoted on the operation member pivotal axis via a partially spherical joint.

20. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 17, wherein a length of a vertical line from the crank axis center relative to an arm center line connecting the crank pin and the slider pin or an extended line thereof at a position between an open position and a closed position of the cover corresponds to a length of an intermediate position vertical line which is longer than a length of an open position vertical line at the open position and a length of a closed position vertical line at the closed position when the crank gear reciprocates between the open position and the closed position.

21. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 17, wherein a reciprocation locus of the slider pin and an extended line thereof intersects a rotation locus of the crank pin and the crank pin is positioned on a side of the crank axis center relative to the reciprocation locus and the extended line thereof at the open position and the closed position of the cover, whereby larger force is generated at the open position and the closed position of the cover.

22. An opening and closing mechanism for a cover of a vehicle opening according to claim 17, wherein the guide member includes the rail member and a guide body attached to the rail member and the guide body is integrally formed on a mechanism body attached to the crank gear.