CHARNIERE TRIDIMENSIONNELLE DE PORTE

3D DOOR HINGE

Abrégé anglais

A 3D door hinge for a vehicle is described. The hinge includes a first link
having a first end
and a second end, the first snd being connected to a first location of door
frame of said
vehicle, the second end being connected to a first location of a door of said
vehicle; a second
link with a first and a second ends, the first end being connected to a second
location of said
door frame of said vehicle, the second end being connected to a second
location of said door
of said vehicle.

Revendications

I claim:
I. A 3D door hinge for a vehicle, the vehicle having a door and a door frame,
the hinge
comprising:
a first link having a first end and a second end, the first end being
connected tv a first location
of said door frame of said vehicle, the second end being connected to a first
location of said
door of said vehicle;
a second link with a first and a second ends, the first end being connected to
a second location
of said door frame of said vehicle, the second end being connected to a second
location of
said door of said vehicle.
2. A 3D door hinge as described in claim 1 wherein the first end of said first
link is connected
by a first pivotal means to a first location of said door frame of said
vehicle, the second end
being connected by a second pivotal means to a first location of said door of
said vehicle.
a second link with a first and a second ends, the first end being connected by
one selected
from a third pivotal means and a first universal joint to a second location of
said door frame of
said vehicle, the second end being connected by one selected from a forth
pivotal means and
a second universal joint to a second location of said door of said vehicle.
3. A 3D door hinge as described in claim 2 wherein the axis of said third
pivotal means is
non-collinear with the axis of said first pivotal means, the spherical center
of said first
universal joint being non-collinear with the axis of said first pivotal means;
the axis of said
forth pivotal means being non-collinear with the axis of said second pivotal
means, the
spherical center of said second universal joint being non-collinear with the
axis of said second
pivotal means.
4. A 3D door hinge for a vehicle, the vehicle having an instrument panel; a
door which has an

inside wall and bottom edge; and an door frame including a A-pillar and a
sill; the hinge
comprising:
a first link having a first end and a second end, the first end being
connected by a first pivotal
means to a first location of said A-pillar of said door frame of said vehicle
and having
approximately same height from the sill as that of the instrument panel from
the sill, the
second end being connected by a second pivotal means to a first location of
said inside wall of
said door of said vehicle;
a second link with a first and a second ends, the first end being connected by
one selected
from a third pivotal means and a first universal joint to a second locatiotz
of said A-pillar of
said door frame of said vehicle, this second location being close to the sill,
the axis of said
third pivotal means being non-collinear with the axis of said first pivotal
means, the spherical
center of said first universal joint being non-collinear with the axis of said
first pivotal means,
the second end being connected by one selected from a forth pivotal means and
a second
universal joint to a second location of said door, which is on the bottom edge
of said door of
said vehicle, the axis of said forth pivotal means being non-collinear with
the axis of said
second pivotal means, the spherical center of said second universal joint
being non-collinear
with the axis of said second pivotal means.
5. A door hinge system as described in claim 4 wherein the axis of said first
end of said first
link is significantly non-perpendicular with said sill.
6. A door hinge system as described in claim 5 wherein the axis of said first
end of said first
link is tilted rearward at its top.
7. A 3D door hinge as described in claim 6 wherein the second end of said
first link locates at
link locates more rearward of the second end of said first link when said door
is closed.
8. A 3D door hinge as described in claim 6 wherein the axis of said first end
of said first link
is tilted inward at its top.
9. A 3D door hinge as described in claim 7 wherein said first link grad said
second link have a
same length, and they are theoretically parallel to each other at any time
when the door is
being opened.
10. A 3D door hinge for a vehicle, the vehicle having an instrument panel; a
door which has
an inside wall and bottom edge; and an door frame including a rear-pillar and
a sill; the hinge
comprising:
a first link' having a first end' and a second end', the first end' being
Connected by a first
pivotal means' to a first location' of said rear-pillar of said door frame of
said vehicle and
having approximately same height from the sill as that of the instrument
parcel from the sill,

The second end' being connected by a second pivotal means' to a first
location' of said inside
wall of said door of sand vehicle;
a second link' with a first end' and a second end', the first end' being
connected by one
selected from a third pivotal means' and a first universal joint' to a second
location' of said
rear-pillar of said door frame of said vehicle and the second location' being
close to the sill,
the axis of said third pivotal means' being non-collinear with the axis of
said first pivotal
means', the spherical center of said first universal joint' being non-
collinear with the axis of
said first pivotal means', the second end' being connected by one selected
from a forth pivotal
means' and a seeond universal joint' to a second location' of said door, which
is on the
bottom edge of said door of said vehicle, the axis of said forth pivotal
means' being non-
collinear with the axis of said second pivotal means', the spherical center of
said second
universal joint being non-collinear with the axis of said second pivotal
means'.

Description

CA 02423826 2003-03-05
Dexcriptidr~
F~L~ OF THE INVE1VTION
The field of the prrescnt invention is that of vehicle door lunges.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to and claims convention priority on USPTO
Provisional Patent
Application No. 60I44S093 filed on February 5, 2003, for common elements
between the
present application and it.
BACKGROO1~ T1~E rNVENTJ;ON
It is well known that there may be some inconveniency to open an autotnobile
door with
conventional hinge mechanism, which renders the door to rotate a pin close to
the door's front
internal edge, or its main movement being above rotation. When the door is
opened in a
Barking lot with another vehicle on the same side as the door to the discussed
vehicle, said
door someeimes can't be fully opened, otherwise said door may interfere with
another vehicle.
Therefore most customers prefer a sliding rear door of a van to a rear door
with conventional
rotational mechanism when they buy a van.
But to a sedan or a ttvck, there is usually not enough space for a track
guiding a rear door with
sliding niechanisrn.
3

CA 02423826 2003-03-05
To a front door, there has never been a sliding mechanism with any kfnd ~pf
vehicles
commercially.
1 a r a .
And of CoLIfSe, 8 SIIC1311f dliG~:llallL~iiE? ~?9. itc_Hec iy;i~ii~.iL:~emit~
Utl'~'''xex"-N.',r.rr°J~tar11.1 __._.. __
conventional rotat:at'.~l ~.~eha.,IS~ of d~r: --
BRIEF l~~sSCRipTION OF THE lb)EtAWINGS-
FfG. 1, Fltt. Z at'e side mews or an venicie~s door frame with an hall opened
front door and an __ ._ _ .
fully opened front char respectively, and a preferred embodiment of the
present invention: a
first link and a sect~nd link rnnnPrtinw cai~i elnnr Frame aTi -fir::.: ~-~L--
FIG. 3, FIG. 4 amd FTG. 5 are top views of present invention, witlh a
front,3sor l::~r a pose d; -. : :..-_-:::.
. . _.. _ _ . _ _hlo~ and ~Ytty-Y~r~ ~~p~;~fes~,,........ _... _ . _ _
r
'~~'. ~ llni~ ~' ("..s. ~ afC'FfClli V9CW ~f1~a11g fd7rC-S~.arFu!'
uia'isGUirii ui uiia vuiuviuj uy.oavm.mi ._ -.. . _. ._ _..._ ..._ .
lnventl0n, with a frW iL'uv~va uii'y' .~rpt~i~'.'a~'a~3F~
~lfl~'~pv3lW''~e'IS,'..~' OCt~''d'$.i''y'~ -..... ...... _.
FIG. 8 and FIG ~ are iso~xric-views.xhowl~lg-the farst Iink,.second link,-
thirdZixtk l. For. _____.
link.
_ - FTO. 10,15 a aerial view of the prefient ?3!'!~~T?Linn vir~urin~tr fr_nm
~yrin~l r11_r._-.Ll~ie'g,~' ~lY =siz~i..- ..__._ .... __..... _.
link, the axis of the first link has been condensed as a point at this view.
17ESCRTPTTON ~lF 'THE ~F~~P,.,RF'D EME(~D~ENT
Referring to FIG. I, an door frame 2 of a vehicle {Not shown), can be engaged
with a door 1~.
k~G. 1 and FIG. 2 show the unengaged, or opened situation of said door la.
FIG. 4 shows the
engaged, or closed situation of said door. When said door are opened, opening
I4 of said door
frame 2 provides access to occupants entering or exiting the vehicle.
The first link 18 connects an its first end pivotally with a first location 25
of said door frame 2
through a hinge block 22 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 9), and a pin 26, location 25
ustEally being on
lower section of A-pillar 4 and close upper s~tion of A-pillar and axis of the
pin 26 is usually
not perpendicular to the floor panel of vehicle (not shown); the second end of
first Link I 8 is
pivotally connected with f~rRr lo!°.$tian.of.s~i,d.r.~t~_.rhrnugH
a.l~irge.bloc>'~ ?4,.and.a pin.2g ..... ....
(FIG. 8), this location being close to the middle of the length direction of
the dc?br, the axis of
the pin is usually not perpendicular to the floor panel either and it is
usually parallel to the
axis of the gin 26.
The second link 20 connects on its first end pivotally with the second
location 34 of said door
frame 2 through a pin 30 and a hinge block 36 [FIG. 3), second location 34
usually being an
the A-pillar-sG~Wassvo-t'~ ltDtt~'t fi~'A~il3'~;'tfWxis of c its fails 3v
bciiiY~' ii3iiniiy ('iriii
not nec,~.ssarv).pfiraltef.fo_tt~ axi~,cc~.the p~ 2fi, heat these two a_~es
L~e~!g.not~ni.______ _ _. . .
hawing oi~,aii;onr~t normnI dir~ao-.Fie:rsr-~.,r.~-"y~.y,r~K~ C"~, ;~"z.s,~~.
G,.=~_~~..,~,~yiaiia~ s:v au ._. . . . _._ ... . _ _
4

CA 02423826 2003-03-05
wt .. -.~ _7. o..~ 4L{ ....w1. ~ '~'1 .a .. 1lf-..... L.1A ..i~ A/1
~11 VQt~dl 1y ~'KlTtlt~Q~ w'~ rlt $P.('.lY/1~ InL'.31~'!L-a<. ~.es. ta.ew~
;;.a..4m. s;.. ~r:e:,yrx. s. g; < ~<. . ~.t, ii...,.. o. . . n. . . .
(FTCa. 7, FIG. 10), this second location t~ei,ng in the rear of and lower than
the.first-location of
said door when it is closed.
If the door hinge system is viewed along the direction of axis of the pin 2b
(FIG. 1n, ~t:e a.Yis .
line Ss condensed or concentrated as a point), the axis of the pin 3U is also
concrt~ ~.°-a.. .__ ..
paint (if it is parallel to the axis of pin Z6), but it should not occupies a
same point of that of
the axis of the gin 26, it should have a non Zero distance of Ll.
Reference to FIG. xU, the prese~tt invention is functionally the same of a
planner four-bar-
linkage if all axes of fear pins 2b, 28, 34 anti 32 are parallel in the space,
with the A-pillar and
a centerpoint 26 and another center point 3U det?ning the stationary or
graurxd link: the door
and center points 28 and 32 defining the apposite link; the first link lli and
the second link ~U
are bath connecting the opposite link (the dear) to the stationary link (the
door frame). These
four links constitute a four bar-linkage with one degree of freedorra (DOF)
for the door.
When said door 10 is fully opened, the ,gap between the rear edge; of said
door 1i) and a B-
pillar 6 should be big enough for an occupant of the vehicle to enter or exit
the vehicle, and
usually the rear edge of the door ID is closer to the A..pillar than that of
the front edge of the
door to the A-pillar. This is one of the main difference of the betvveen
present invention and
prior arts.
To span the door, att occupant just needs to push from a place inside the
vehicle outwardly or
pull from a place outside the vehicle also outwardly.
Td close the door, an occupant just need$ to push from a place outside the
vehicle inwardly or
pull from a place inside the vehicle also inwardly.
When the door is being opened or closed, said first link 18 rotates around the
auci s of pin 2b
and said second link 20 rotates around the axis of pin 30, while the second
end of first link 18
and second end of second link 20 move the door 1Q to a desired location.
FIC. 3 through S show top views of engagement scenarios of said door 10 with
said door
frame 2, with a order of half opened, closed and fully opened respectively.
.. uc~uVi i aiW G iu$ ii~lV4iiGr-U(~Grli~~g iii, wI1J4111J
1V1:"~i~'ya~,~il5~t,i: 7aYene'~'tx~:~ai~i1~41ir'~iTny"--~ -.._._.__. _.. ..__
..____.._.._
shown), the present invention can be util9zed~ptaite-syririiietncatly to as
taescnt~eo araove about ' -
the vertical center plane of B-pillar 6, with replacement of A-pillar 4 and
door 10 by rear-
pillar 8 and the rear door and the rear door will move somewhat rearward i f
ii is being opened.
Since the dear 10 and the rear door are opened in opposite directions (forward
2utd rearward),
there is no interference when they are operated simultaneously.
The vehicle can tie a passenger car, a van, a truck, a bus or any other
vehicle.
The advantages t~f present invention are:

CA 02423826 2003-03-05
1. The maximum space occupied by the vehicle when the vehicle's doors need to
be
opened is significant reduced, saving space on one side deft or right) 1J3
to'Jx of the
length of the related door9
2. Looking at the present invention itself, the position of rnaxirnr.~rn
occupied space by
the vehicle including its opeiyed doors (in cross-car direction) is different
from the
position when its doors are fully opened. Therefore, when the door has already
been
fully opened, he usually doesn't need to wont' about the interference of the
doors with
other vehicles parked close to it.
3. To prior art: the tloox is somewhat projecting out from the vehicle's door
frame, which
make an oCOUpant feel inconveniency, for instance, (to those sedan with rear
doors
connected to B-pillars) when he wants to switch from the front row to the rear
row; to
present invention: no this kind of inconvenience.
4. Far those sedans and trucks with 2 rows of seat and without B-pillar:
3a. prior art: the front door is usually opened forward and the rear door is
usually
opened rearward, and when bath front door and rear duax are fully opened, they
are
usually pretty close to positions of perpendicular to the door frame and they
bath
together make a "channel" canf ring occupants when they enter or exit the
vehicle;
~13.~p1-d~Clll111VGIl~it7fl: ~: CBIG 11VI1WlUli1' fs iisuau'y
t7~IGIteII.~IVILWiIItd~iddU1 iiiiv i'viu siW iT ia~
usually opened ~arward, but usually bath the front door and the reax doer are
usually
parallel to door frame, making no "channel" as mentioned at 3a., and occupants
can
move much more easier along fro-after direction when both doors are opened.
5. For the present invention with tilted direction of the pin 26, the door 10
is not moving
horizontally when it is being opened, but rnovittg up simultaneously,
therefore, the gag
hetween the bottom edge of said door 10 and a top edge of said sill gives more
space
for entering or exiting the vehicle of occupant's legs.
The link 24 do not have to be caa~nected by pivotal means, bath ends of it can
either or both
be connected by a universal joints The axis of the gin 28 doesn't have to be
parallel to that of
the pin 26. We can consider the present invention in this way, if we look at
the present
invention along the axial direction of the pin 26 and we assume that the door
frame 2 is
grounded and the door is connected to the Boar frame just by the first link
18, pin 26 and pin
28, the first link X8 has one D17F (rotation around the axis of the pin z~),
the door 10 has two
D4F (one is the same of the first link I $, another is the rotation of the
door itself around the
axis of the pin 2~y, therefore the function of the second link 2U is to
constrain vne I1C7F of the
char, with this intend, the spherical center of the joint 30' should not he
coincident with the
axis of the gin 26 or its extension and should have a non zero normal distance
from each
ether; spherical center of the joint ~2' should not be coincident with the
axis of the pin ~$ or
its extension and should have a non zero normal distance from eacf~ ntt,er.
6

CA 02423826 2003-03-05
A Optional torsion spring can be added around a pig of the present
application, for instance,
added around the pin 32, with one end of the spring attached to the door and
another end
attached to the link 20. When the door is being closed the spring is bei~~g
stv:Ereu wit~~ ~»orG
energy, when the door is being opened, the stored energy with the spring is
released to help to
._. .. V~~i «e~ ;T.:~;: ~;z,.~T;,,o;,~ ~.y~~: ..r - _.. .._.. ..... . ... __ -
__ _ ___ ____ __ __ .._
An optional power system can be added for opening or closing the door
automatically througta
a cantrolier. The power system can utilize a motor and a optional
tra~nsrnission, The motor can
work together with the present invention in such a way that, its shaft being
collinear with a
F .. :...,tn~.a-.. ~~..._~.,:~. '1n a.i.... s.,t.-.~ ....F ~6.... 9.- or...
:., r_....~ , 'a4, al... ..8..~._. a aL... 4...&'a ._.1.:._L.
is ~~xed mth the rotor of the rnotrsr n i~xeci watti the 1mK :~U. when tt~e
r~oto~r ys aciuated, ~t - ___ __ __ _
will drive tie link~U to rotate 3ro'~'t1~ ~'~..~ri23~L t'2a''~
.~._$;.'~t2~E_'?~[~~~,(11~;,~S,yii,"'~we,"'a~~.'~t,~": i"-'a.~.~: ice.:--
:..... . _ . _
door, and the present invention will bring the door to be opened or closed.
7

Dessin représentatif