阅读说明：本技术 用于在车门打开时保护车门边缘的车门边缘保护装置 (Door edge protection device for protecting the edge of a door when the door is open ) 是由 杨克开 蒋梦龙 于 2019-10-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种车门边缘保护装置包括：套筒；第一磁体,其在套筒中可移动；弹性元件,其作用于第一磁体；保护块,其包括彼此相连的第一部分和第二部分,第一部分中设有第二磁体,第二部分中设有第三磁体,保护块由套筒可转动地支撑而可在原位和作用位置之间转动,其中,在原位,第一部分与套筒相邻,第二磁体与第一磁体相对且二者极性相反,在作用位置,第二部分与车门边缘处的车门车门部位相邻并且通过第三磁体的磁引力而吸附于该车门部位；第一缆索,其连接于车门的车门限位器与第一磁体之间；以及第二缆索,其连接于车门限位器与保护块之间。在车门关闭状态下,车门限位器将保护块保持在原位,在车门打开时,保护块转动到作用位置。(A door edge protector comprising: a sleeve; a first magnet movable in the sleeve; an elastic member acting on the first magnet; a protective block including a first portion and a second portion connected to each other, the first portion having a second magnet provided therein and the second portion having a third magnet provided therein, the protective block being rotatably supported by the sleeve to be rotatable between a home position in which the first portion is adjacent to the sleeve and the second magnet is opposite to the first magnet with opposite polarities and an active position in which the second portion is adjacent to a door portion at a door edge and attracted to the door portion by a magnetic attraction force of the third magnet; a first cable connected between a door check of a vehicle door and the first magnet; and a second cable connected between the door check and the protection block. When the door is closed, the door stopper keeps the protective block in the original position, and when the door is opened, the protective block rotates to the action position.)

1. A door edge protection device for protecting a door edge when the door is open, comprising:

a sleeve supported by the vehicle door and having a first end and a second end opposite to each other;

a first magnet movable in the sleeve;

an elastic element acting on the first magnet in a direction towards the second end of the sleeve;

a protective block including a first portion and a second portion connected to each other, the first portion having a second magnet disposed therein, the second portion having a third magnet disposed therein, the protective block being rotatably supported by the sleeve to be rotatable between a home position in which the first portion is adjacent to the second end of the sleeve and the second magnet is opposite to the first magnet and opposite in polarity, and an active position in which the second portion is pushed against the door portion and attracted to the door portion by a magnetic attraction of the third magnet;

a first cable connected between a door check of a vehicle door and the first magnet; and

a second cable connected between the door check and the protection block;

when the vehicle door is closed, the vehicle door limiter pulls the protection block to the original position through the second cable, and moves the first magnet through the first cable to enable the first magnet to be located in the sleeve at a position close to the first end of the sleeve; when the vehicle door is opened, the vehicle door limiter loosens the first cable and the second cable, so that the first magnet moves towards the second end of the sleeve under the action of the elastic element, and the first magnet and the second magnet generate magnetic repulsion force to enable the protective block to rotate to the action position.

2. A door edge protector as claimed in claim 1, in which the protective block is made of a soft material at least at a portion of its second part adapted to be pushed against a portion of the door.

3. The door edge protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second cables are each equipped with a guide pulley that determines its path and a tension pulley that keeps it tensioned.

4. The door edge protection device of claim 3, wherein at least one guide pulley is shared for the first and second cables.

5. The door edge protector of claim 1, wherein a segment of the first cable connected to the first magnet is located substantially on a central axis of the first magnet.

6. The door edge protection device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second cable is connected to the protection block via a drive mechanism of the protection block.

7. The door edge protector of claim 6, wherein the drive mechanism of the protective block is one or more of a swing arm, a belt, a chain, a gear, a rack, a linkage mechanism.

8. A door edge protector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism for the protection block is mounted on a protection block pivot shaft arranged to allow the protection block to be rotated relative to the sleeve.

9. A vehicle door edge protector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drive mechanism for the protection block is mounted on a drive mechanism pivot shaft, the drive mechanism pivot shaft being arranged so that the protection block is rotatable relative to the sleeve, the drive mechanism pivot shaft being coaxial with and unidirectional rotatable relative to the protection block pivot shaft.

10. The door edge protection device of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the sleeve is fixedly mounted to the door; or

The sleeve is movably mounted on the vehicle door, and the sleeve follows the vehicle door limiter.

11. The door edge protection device of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the protection block is located entirely within the door in the closed state of the door.

Technical Field

The present application relates to a door edge protection device for protecting a door edge when the door is opened.

Background

When the door is opened, if the space on the side of the vehicle is narrow, the edge of the door may touch other objects, such as adjacent vehicles, walls, etc., resulting in damage to the edge of the door, and of course, other objects may be damaged by the edge of the door.

It is therefore desirable to provide an effective measure of protection against damage to the door edge when the door is opened.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application is directed to a door edge protection device that can be activated to protect the door edge when the door is open.

According to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a door edge protection device for protecting a door edge when a door is opened, comprising:

a sleeve supported by the vehicle door and having a first end and a second end opposite to each other;

a first magnet movable in the sleeve;

an elastic element acting on the first magnet in a direction towards the second end of the sleeve;

a protective block including a first portion and a second portion connected to each other, the first portion having a second magnet disposed therein, the second portion having a third magnet disposed therein, the protective block being rotatably supported by the sleeve to be rotatable between a home position in which the first portion is adjacent to the second end of the sleeve and the second magnet is opposite to the first magnet and opposite in polarity, and an active position in which the second portion is pushed against the door portion and attracted to the door portion by a magnetic attraction of the third magnet;

a first cable connected between a door check of a vehicle door and the first magnet; and

a second cable connected between the door check and the protection block;

when the vehicle door is closed, the vehicle door limiter pulls the protection block to the original position through the second cable, and moves the first magnet through the first cable to enable the first magnet to be located in the sleeve at a position close to the first end of the sleeve; when the vehicle door is opened, the vehicle door limiter loosens the first cable and the second cable, so that the first magnet moves towards the second end of the sleeve under the action of the elastic element, and the first magnet and the second magnet generate magnetic repulsion force to enable the protective block to rotate to the action position.

According to one possible embodiment, the protective block is made of soft material at least in the region of its second portion adapted to be pushed against the door region.

According to one possible embodiment, the first and second cables are each equipped with a guide pulley determining their path and a tensioning pulley keeping them tensioned.

According to one possible embodiment, at least one guide pulley is shared for the first and second cables.

According to one possible embodiment, the segment of the first cable connected to the first magnet is located substantially on the central axis of the first magnet.

According to one possible embodiment, the second cable is connected to the protective block via a drive mechanism of the protective block.

According to one possible embodiment, the drive mechanism of the protection block is one or more of a swing arm, a belt, a chain, a gear, a rack, a linkage.

According to one possible embodiment, the drive mechanism of the protection block is mounted to a protection block rotation shaft which is configured such that the protection block is rotatable relative to the sleeve.

According to a possible embodiment, the drive mechanism of the protection block is mounted on a drive mechanism shaft, which is arranged such that the protection block is rotatable relative to the sleeve, which drive mechanism shaft is coaxial with and unidirectional rotatable relative to the protection block shaft.

According to one possible embodiment, the sleeve is fixedly mounted to the vehicle door.

According to one possible embodiment, the sleeve is movably mounted to the door and follows the door check.

According to one possible embodiment, the protective block is located completely within the vehicle door in the closed state of the vehicle door.

According to the application, after the door is opened for a certain angle, the protective block is rotated to a position surrounding the edge of the door, so that the edge of the door is protected during the process of continuously opening the door, and no part of the protective block protrudes out of the outline of the outer door plate when the door is closed, so that the aerodynamics of the vehicle during running can not be obviously influenced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a state when a door is opened;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a door edge protector in a non-activated state according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a condition when a protective block of the door edge protection device is about to be activated;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the protective block rotated to a position to protect the door edge after activation;

fig. 5 and 6 are schematic views of a door edge protector according to another embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

Some embodiments of the door edge protector of the present application are described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a vehicle door 1 in an open state, in which the edge 2 of the door remote from the door pivot is located laterally outside the vehicle and is thus susceptible to hitting other objects. The present application provides a door edge protection device for actively protecting a door edge 2 when a door 1 is opened.

One possible embodiment of the door edge protection according to the application is shown in fig. 2 to 4, wherein fig. 2 shows a non-activated state of the door edge protection when the door 1 is closed, fig. 3 shows an initial activated state of the door edge protection, and fig. 4 shows a fully activated state of the door edge protection.

The vehicle door 1 comprises an inner door panel 3 and an outer door panel 4, the inner door panel 3 further defining a first side wall 5 proximate the door pivot axis and a second side wall 6 distal from the door pivot axis. The second side wall 6 meets the outer door panel 4 to form the door edge 2. The door edge 2 protrudes a distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction with respect to the second side wall 6.

The door edge protection device comprises a door stop rod 10 penetrating through the first side wall 5, wherein a first end of the door stop rod 10 is positioned on the outer side of the door 1 and is connected with the corresponding part of the vehicle body through a pivot 11. The second end of the door check rod 10 is located at the inner side of the door 1, and the second end is provided with a pulley 12. When the door 1 is opened and closed, the door stopper rod 10 is pulled and pushed by the corresponding portion of the vehicle body, so that the door stopper rod 10 slides with respect to the first side wall 5.

The door edge protector further includes a sleeve 20 including a hollow cylindrical portion 21 and a flange 22 projecting radially outward from a rear end of the cylindrical portion 21. The flange 22 is fixed to the second side wall 6, and the tube portion 21 passes through an opening in the second side wall 6 such that a front end (first end) of the tube portion 21 is located inside the vehicle door 1. The first magnet 23 is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 21 so as to be slidable in the cylindrical portion 21 in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 21. A spring 24 disposed in the cylindrical portion 21 serves to bias the first magnet 23 rearward in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 21. Further, the rear end (second end) of the cylindrical portion 21 is provided with a stopper 25 that restricts the first magnet 23 from moving out of the cylindrical portion 21 rearward.

The sleeve 20 is made of a hard material, such as a hard metal (preferably non-ferromagnetic) or plastic.

The door edge protector further includes a protector block 30 including a base 31 and first and second portions 32 and 33 projecting from both sides of the base 31 in the same direction, the second portion 33 projecting from the base 31 by a dimension larger than that of the first portion 32. A second magnet 34 is embedded in the first portion 32 and a third magnet 36 is embedded in an end region 35 of the second portion 33. The protection block 30 (at least the second portion 33, in particular the end portion 35 of the second portion 33) is made of a soft material, in particular an elastic material, such as rubber.

The first part 32 is carried at its end by the inner shaft 41 of the bearing 40. The bearing 40 also includes an outer race 43 and an intermediate sleeve shaft 42 located between the inner shaft 41 and the outer race 43. The outer ring 43 is fixed to the flange 22 of the sleeve 20. The inner shaft 41 is rotatable relative to the outer race 43, thereby enabling the protective block 30 to rotate relative to the sleeve 20 and the door 1 between the home and active positions. The protective block 30 is in place as shown in fig. 2 and 3, wherein the first portion 32 abuts the flange 22 of the sleeve 20. The protection block 30 is in the active position shown in fig. 4, in which the second portion 33 abuts against the outer door panel 4 close to the edge 2.

In the position in which the first portion 32 abuts the flange 22 of the sleeve 20, the first magnet 23 and the second magnet 34 are axially opposite one another and have opposite poles.

The intermediate sleeve shaft 42 is provided with a swing arm 44, and the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 is driven to rotate relative to the outer ring 43 by the swing arm 44.

According to one possible embodiment, the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 and the inner shaft 41 are configured to rotate in one direction, i.e. the inner shaft 41 can carry the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 to rotate the protection block 30 in the direction from the active position to the home position, but the inner shaft 41 cannot carry the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 to rotate the protection block 30 in the direction from the home position to the active position. According to another alternative embodiment, the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 and the inner shaft 41 are fixed together against rotation relative to each other.

The first cable 50 is connected between the door check lever 10 and the first magnet 23 so that the door check lever 10 can pull the first magnet 23 via the first cable 50. Specifically, a first end of the first cable 50 is connected to the door check lever 10, for example, to a second end of the door check lever 10. Alternatively, the first end of the first cable 50 is connected to the pulley 12 (in which case the pulley 12 needs to be fixed against rotation relative to the second end of the door check lever 10). The first cable 50 passes around a segment of the sheave of the pulley 12. The second end of the first cable 50 is connected to the first magnet 23. At least one guide pulley 52 is disposed in the path of the first cable 50 for enabling the first magnet 23 to be moved axially from back to front within the cylindrical portion 21 against the bias of the spring 24 via the first cable 50 when the door check rod 10 is moved inward toward the door 1, and for enabling the first magnet 23 to be moved axially from front to back within the cylindrical portion 21 of the sleeve 20 under the bias of the spring 24 when the door check rod 10 is moved outward toward the door 1. Further, another guide pulley (not shown) may be added such that a section of the first cable 50 connected to the first magnet 23 is located substantially on the central axis of the barrel portion 21 (or the central axis of the first magnet 23). Further, a tension pulley 53 is arranged in the path of the first cable 50. The tensioning pulley 53 may be spring biased for causing the first cable 50 to be tensioned at all times in any condition.

The second cable 51 is connected between the door check lever 10 and the swing arm 44 so that the door check lever 10 can pull the swing arm 44 via the second cable 51. Specifically, a first end of the second cable 51 is connected to the door check lever 10 like the first cable 50, for example, to a second end of the door check lever 10, and particularly, to the pulley 12 which is connectable to the second end of the door check lever 10. The second cable 51 also passes around a segment of the outer periphery of the pulley 12. A second end of the second cable 51 is connected to the swing arm 44. The second cable 51 may also be routed around one or more of the guide pulleys for the first cable 50, such as the illustrated guide pulley 52. Alternatively, a separate guide pulley may be provided for the second cable 51 without the first cable sharing any guide pulley. Further, a tension pulley 53 is arranged in the path of the second cable 51. The tensioning pulley 53 may be spring biased for causing the second cable 51 to be tensioned at all times in any condition.

In the closed state of the door 1, the door edge protector is in the inactivated state, as shown in fig. 2, when the door check lever 10 is located at the farthest position to slide toward the inside of the door 1, the door check lever 10 pulls the first magnet 23 via the first cable 50 to compress the spring 24, and the first magnet 23 is located at a position near the front end of the cylindrical portion 21. On the other hand, the door check lever 10 pulls the swing arm 44 via the second cable 51 to hold the protection block 30 in the home position, in which the first portion 32 abuts against the flange 22 and the first magnet 23 and the second magnet 34 are away from each other, with a sufficient distance therebetween such that the magnetic repulsive force therebetween is weak to overcome the holding force of the second cable 51 on the protection block 30 via the swing arm 44. In this way, the protective block 30 is held firmly in place.

Immediately after the door 1 is opened, the door stopper rod 10 slides toward the outside of the door 1, the distance between the pulley 12 and the guide pulley 52 decreases, and thus the first cable 50 is paid out in the direction toward the first magnet 23, and the spring 24 urges the first magnet 23 to move from front to back in the axial direction in the cylindrical portion 21. On the other hand, the second cable 51 is also paid out in the direction toward the swing arm 44, but the paid-out portion of the second cable 51 is received by the tension pulley 53. At this time, the second cable 51 still pulls the swing arm 44 with a certain pulling force to hold the protective block 30 in place.

After the door 1 is opened to a certain angle, the spring 24 pushes the first magnet 23 to the vicinity of the rear end of the cylinder portion 21, and further movement of the first magnet 23 is stopped by the stopper 25 in the sleeve 20, as shown in fig. 3. Here, the first magnet 23 and the second magnet 34 approach each other, thereby creating a magnetic repulsion force therebetween that overcomes the weak pulling force in the second cable 51, causing the protective block 30 to begin rotating away from the sleeve 20 to the position shown in fig. 4, where the third magnet 36 approaches the outer door panel 4 creating a magnetic attraction that forces the second portion 33 against the outer door panel 4, while the edge 2 of the door 1 is located within the cavity defined by the protective block 30, thereby protecting the edge 2 of the door 1 from being damaged by an external object.

As the door 1 is further opened, the door check lever 10 is further slid toward the outside of the door 1, the first and second cables 50 and 51 are further paid out, and the paid-out portions are taken in by the respective tension pulleys 53 to avoid the first and second cables 50 and 51 from being slackened.

When the opened door 1 is closed, the door check lever 10 slides toward the inside of the door 1, so that the door check lever 10 gradually tensions the first cable 50 and the second cable 51. After sufficient tension is generated in the first cable 50, the first cable 50 will pull the first magnet 23 from the rear to the front. And after a sufficient tension is generated in the second cable 51, the second cable 51 pulls the protective block 30 to rotate toward the home position by the swing arm 44 against the magnetic attraction of the third magnet 36. Finally, the door edge protector is returned to the original position shown in FIG. 2.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the structure of the door edge protector based on the principles of the present application.

For example, fig. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of a door edge protector. In the present embodiment, the sleeve 20 is arranged obliquely with respect to the second side wall 6, so that the angle of rotation of the protection block 30 between the home position and the active position is increased with respect to the embodiment shown in fig. 2-4. In this case, the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 of the bearing 40 is configured with a pulley. On the other hand, a pulley 54 and a pulley 55 are provided in the vehicle door 1, and the pulley 54 and the pulley 55 are integrally formed or fixed together and are coaxial. The second cable 51 is connected at its second end to the pulley 54 and passes around a section of the sheave of the pulley 54. An endless belt 56 is trained about the pulley 55 and the pulley on the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 to enable rotational movement to be transmitted therebetween. Optionally, the pitch diameter of the pulley 55 is greater than the pitch diameter of the intermediate sleeve shaft 42.

In addition, the protective block 30 includes a first portion 32 and a second portion 33 that are angled (e.g., less than 90 degrees) and directly connected to each other, without the base 31 shown in fig. 2-4.

Other aspects of this embodiment are similar to those of fig. 2-4 and will not be described again.

In fig. 5, the door edge protector of the present embodiment is in a non-activated state, and the protective block 30 is held in place corresponding to the closed state of the door 1. When the door 1 is opened, the first cable 50 is paid out in the direction of the first magnet 23, and the spring 24 urges the first magnet 23 to move from front to rear in the axial direction in the cylindrical portion 21. After the door 1 is opened to a certain angle, the spring 24 pushes the first magnet 23 to reach the vicinity of the rear end of the barrel 21, and a magnetic repulsion force is generated between the first magnet 23 and the second magnet 34, which causes the protection block 30 to start rotating away from the sleeve 20 to the position shown in fig. 6 (corresponding to the fully activated state of the door edge protection device), where the third magnet 36 approaches the outer door panel 4 to generate a magnetic attraction force that forces the second portion 33 to abut against the outer door panel 4, and the edge 2 of the door 1 is located in the cavity defined by the protection block 30, thereby protecting the edge 2 of the door 1 from being damaged by an external object.

Comparing the embodiments shown in fig. 5 and 6 with the embodiments shown in fig. 2 to 4, it can be understood that the position of the protective block 30 in the home position relative to the vehicle door 1 can be adjusted by setting the specific structure of the various components of the door edge protector, particularly the mounting position and angle of the sleeve 20 and the position of the bearing 40. Preferably, in the non-activated state, no part of the door edge protection is beyond the longitudinal direction of the edge 2 of the door 1, seen in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This can be achieved by a specific design, for example, by designing the bearing 40 to be located inside the vehicle door 1. Most preferably, in the inactive state, the entire door edge protection is located inside the door 1, i.e. no part, in particular the protection block 30, protrudes from the door panel of the door 1.

Further, the sleeve 20 may not be supported by the second sidewall 6 of the vehicle door 1, but rather by a dedicated support structure in the vehicle door 1. The support structure of the sleeve 20 may be movable, also driven by the door check rod 10 via a corresponding drive mechanism, so that when the door 1 is closed, the sleeve 20 (with the protection block 30) is longitudinally closer to the door pivot, whereas when the door 1 is open, the sleeve 20 (with the protection block 30) is first moved longitudinally in a direction away from the door pivot (at the same time or later, the first magnet 23 may be pushed by the spring 24 to move backwards in the sleeve 20), and then the protection block 30 is triggered to rotate towards the active position.

Further, it will be appreciated that, as an alternative to or in combination with the previously described swing arm 44 and endless belt 56, the second cable 51 may also be combined with other drive mechanisms, such as chains, gears, racks, linkages, etc., to drive the guard block 30 from the active position toward the home position.

Further, the protection block 30 may be attached to the intermediate sleeve shaft 42, and the drive mechanism of the protection block 30 may be attached to the inner shaft 41. Alternatively, the intermediate sleeve shaft 42 may be eliminated and the drive mechanism for the protective block 30 mounted to the protective block 30 or the inner shaft 41.

Furthermore, the second portion 33 of the protective block 30 can be designed to be curved in order to ensure that the edge 2 of the vehicle door 1 is not touched during the rotation of the protective block 30. Alternatively, the entire protective block 30 may have a curved shape.

Furthermore, the spring 24 may be replaced with other suitable elastic elements.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the door edge protector can be modified depending on the particular door configuration.

According to the present application, the protective block of the door edge protection device is rotated to a position surrounding the door edge when the door is opened, thereby protecting the door edge while protecting other objects adjacent to the door as well as the door is continued to be opened.

Although the present application has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Various modifications may be made to these details without departing from the underlying principles of the application.