JPH0867148A - Wing opening/closing assist device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simplify the structure of the device, and thereby reduce parts in number by disposing a connection member and a compression coil spring at the tip end side and the other end side of a rod to be extended in the horizontal direction respectively, and concurrently forming a link mechanism with paired upper and lower links combined with an intermediate hinge. CONSTITUTION: The wing open/close assist device 20 is to assist the open/-close operations of a wing which is provided for a wing vehicle such as a truck and the like to be opened/closed in the vertical direction. In this case, the wing open/close assist device is made up of a rod 30 to be extended in the horizontal direction, a connection member 31 provided for the tip end side of the rod, a link mechanism 32, and of a compression coil spring 33 provided for the other end side of the rod 30. The link mechanism 32 is so constituted that paired upper and lower links 40 and 41 are rotatably connected with each other by an intermediate hinge 42. Meanwhile, an operation rope 70 is connected to the wing 12. By this constitution, the entire structure of the device is made simple, parts can be reduced in number, concurrently the device is made light in weight and small in size, and the device can be set up within the dead space of a vehicle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wing opening / closing assisting device for facilitating the opening / closing operation of a wing in a vehicle such as a truck having a wing body (wing vehicle).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle having a wing body has an advantage that it does not require a hood work and can be easily operated by a cargo handling machine such as a forklift, but it requires a mechanism for opening and closing the wing. For example, in the case of an aluminum wing having a relatively large weight (aluminum wing), a device for opening and closing the wing by a hydraulic cylinder is provided.

On the other hand, in the hood wing which is relatively light in weight, a wing opening / closing assisting device using a torsion coil spring or a tension spring has been conventionally used. In the conventional wing opening / closing assisting device, a repulsive load generated by bending a torsion spring or a tension spring is used as auxiliary power for opening the wing.

[0004]

However, the wing opening / closing device using a hydraulic cylinder has a heavy weight of about 70 kg per unit, and requires a hydraulic pressure generating circuit and the like, which makes the structure complicated and large-sized. At the same time, the cost becomes high.

On the other hand, a conventional wing opening / closing assisting device using a torsion spring, a tension spring or the like requires, for example, nine torsion coil springs and two tension springs on one side,
The required auxiliary power could not be obtained unless a total of 22 parts were combined per unit. Therefore, the number of parts is large, and the total weight reaches about 50 kg. Further, the conventional auxiliary device using such a spring cannot be applied to a wing vehicle having a relatively large weight such as an aluminum wing because the auxiliary power generated is small.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wing opening / closing auxiliary device which has a simple structure, a small number of parts, is lightweight and can be constructed compactly, and can be installed in a dead space inside a vehicle.

[0007]

The wing opening / closing assisting device of the present invention developed to achieve the above object provides an assisting force for opening the wing when opening / closing the wing of a vehicle having a wing body. A device, which is a device capable of bending and extending in the vertical direction by rotatably connecting a pair of upper and lower links to each other by a horizontal hinge.
And a link mechanism in which the end of the lower link is pivotally attached to a member on the vehicle body side and the end of the upper link is pivotally attached to the wing side, and a lower link of the link mechanism A rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the hinge and the other end of which extends in the width direction of the vehicle via a connecting member located between the upper link, a spring receiving portion provided on a member of the vehicle body, and And a biasing means that is provided in a compressed state between the spring receiving portion provided on the rod and that generates a repulsive load in a direction in which the link mechanism is extended.

The biasing means is preferably a compression coil spring, but other than the compression coil spring, for example, a gas spring (gas damper), a rubber-like elastic body or the like may be used. Any material that produces a repulsive load on the side may be used. The load-deflection characteristic of the urging means is not limited to a linear one, and a spring having a non-linear load-deflection characteristic such as a taper coil spring or an unequal pitch coil spring may be used.

[0009]

When the wings are closed, the urging means is in a state of being subjected to maximum deflection. And the repulsive load generated by this urging means causes the link mechanism to
It is urged toward the extension side (direction in which the angle formed by the lower link and the upper link increases). When the wings are fully closed, the wings are kept in a fully closed state by a suitable holding means such as a lock mechanism.

When the wing lock mechanism is released to open the wing, a force in the wing opening direction acts due to the repulsive load of the biasing means. That is, in this case, since the lower link pivots and rises about the vehicle body side hinge (lower hinge), the end of the rod pivots and rises around this lower hinge, and the upper and lower links are connected. The hinge (intermediate hinge) is lifted up. For this reason, the upper link rises as the intermediate hinge rises, but the upper end of the upper link is pivotally attached to the wing side via the hinge, so that the center of rotation of the wing (wing hinge) is the center. The rotary movement causes the wings to move in the opening direction.

In this way, auxiliary power for opening the wings is exerted. This auxiliary power can push up the wing with a large force by the toggle power increasing action when the "U" shaped link mechanism moves to the extension side. This link mechanism has a small boosting effect at the beginning of opening of the wings because the angle formed by the upper and lower links is small, but at that time the deflection of the biasing means is maximum and a large repulsive load is generated, so it is necessary. Auxiliary power is obtained.

Since the deflection of the biasing means becomes smaller as the opening angle of the wings increases, the repulsive load of the biasing means tends to decrease, but the link mechanism gradually expands as the opening angle of the wings increases. Is displaced to
Since the boosting action tends to increase, the auxiliary power required to push up the wings is maintained.

The maximum opening angle of the wing is generally 90 °, but even when the wing is fully opened, the urging means is in a slightly compressed state so as to leave a repulsive load. Can be kept fully open. When closing the wing, the operator may manually move the wing in the closing direction using a rope or the like connected to the wing.

The downward weight moment due to the weight of the wing is small at the beginning of opening the wing and is 40 ° to 45 °.
The weight moment becomes maximum when it is opened approximately. With the combination of the link mechanism, the rod and the biasing means, it is possible to generate a preferable auxiliary power that overcomes the weight moment over the entire wing opening angle.

If the moment of the auxiliary power is made larger than the weight moment of the wing, the wing will automatically open. Further, by reducing the repulsive load by the biasing means and weakening the auxiliary power at the beginning of opening, it is possible to prevent the danger due to the wing jumping up.

[0016] In such a wing opening / closing assisting device, the main parts are only the upper and lower links, one rod and one urging means, and the rod and the urging means generally extend in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the vehicle. Since it has a small vertical dimension, it can be accommodated in an elongated dead space between the vehicle body and the wing inside the wing vehicle. Therefore, the appearance is not spoiled, and the wing opening / closing assist device is prevented from being exposed to rainwater.

Further, by arbitrarily setting the length of the link, the position of the hinge, the spring constant or the spring characteristic of the biasing means, any auxiliary power characteristic can be obtained. If an auxiliary spring is provided as in claim 2, it is possible to make up for the lack of auxiliary power at the beginning of opening the wings.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The wing vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a wing 12 that opens and closes in the vertical direction on at least one side surface portion of a wing body 11. The wing 12 includes a ceiling portion 13 and a side plate portion 14. , The ceiling portion 13 and the side plate portion 14 are integrated,
The wing hinge 15 (shown in FIG. 1 and the like) in the horizontal direction can be pivoted up from the closed position to an angle of approximately 90 °. FIG. 3 shows the wing 12 rotated to the fully open position.

A wing opening / closing assisting device 20 is provided to assist opening / closing of the wings 12. This wing opening / closing assisting device 20 has a structure described later.
Auxiliary power for pushing up the wings 12 is generated. As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the auxiliary device 20 is housed in an elongated dead space 22 between the member 21 on the vehicle body side and the wing 12 along the vehicle width direction.
In the case of this embodiment, as shown by hatching in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wing opening / closing assisting device 20 is housed in each of the dead spaces 22 existing in the front part and the rear part of the wing body 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wing opening / closing assisting device 20 includes a rod 30 extending in a generally horizontal direction,
A connecting member 31 provided on the tip side of the rod 30,
A link mechanism 32 assembled in a "dogleg" shape and a compression coil spring 33 as an example of a biasing means provided on the other end side of the rod 30 are provided. The rod 30 is provided with a male screw portion 35. 1 shows the wing 12 in the fully closed state, and FIG. 2 shows the wing 12 in the fully open position.

The link mechanism 32 includes a lower link 40,
An upper link 41 and an intermediate hinge 42 that connects the links 40, 41 to each other so as to be vertically rotatable with respect to each other. The connecting member 31 is rotatably connected to the intermediate hinge 42. The connecting member 31 is between the lower link 40 and the upper link 41 and is connected to the rod 30. The lower end of the lower link 40 is supported by a lower hinge 46 provided on the lower bracket 45 so as to be vertically rotatable. The lower bracket 45 is a member 47 on the vehicle body side.
It is provided in.

The upper end of the upper link 41 is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by an upper hinge 51 provided on the upper bracket 50. The upper bracket 50 is fixed to the mounting surface 52 on the wing 12 side. This link mechanism 32 is "" when the wing 12 is in the fully closed state.
It has a bent shape, and as the wing 12 opens, it gradually extends in a direction in which the included angle between the links 40 and 41 expands. As shown in FIG. 2, even if the wing 12 is in the fully opened state, the links 40 and 41 do not become completely straight, but have a somewhat "" shape.

The compression coil spring 33 includes a member 47 on the vehicle body side.
It is provided in a compressed state between the spring receiving portion 60 provided on the rod 30 and the spring receiving portion 61 provided on the rod 30. The spring receiving portion 61 provided on the rod 30 can be fixed at a desired position in the axial direction of the rod 30 by changing the screwing amount of the nut 62 screwed into the male screw portion 35 of the rod 30. In other words, the spring 3 can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the spring receiving portions 60 and 61.
The initial load of 3 can be changed.

An operation rope 70 is connected to the wing 12. The connecting end of the rope 70 is located, for example, at a position 1000 mm away from the wing hinge 15, so that the operator can pull the rope 70 from the ground side to close the wing 12 when the wing 12 is open. Has become. A well-known lock mechanism (not shown) for holding the wing 12 in the fully closed position is provided on the wing body 11.

Next, the wing opening / closing assisting device 2 having the above structure
The operation of 0 will be described. The auxiliary device 20 is schematically shown in FIG. Here, the spring 33 is given the maximum deflection with the wings 12 closed, and the reaction force P thereof is applied to the intermediate hinge 42. Then, due to the force increasing effect of the component force, P ₁ and P ₂ are generated so that the resultant force of the longitudinal forces P ₁ and P ₂ of the links 40 and 41 becomes P.

[0026]

[Equation 1]

Since P ₁ and P ₂ act as forces for moving the lower hinge 46 and the upper hinge 51 away from each other, if the links 40 and 41 are made equal in length for simplification of calculation, P
'And, under the hinge 46 component force in the direction P ₂ of P _2' on hinge 51 component force in the direction P ₁ of ₁

[0028]

[Equation 2]

It becomes Since the lower hinge 46 is fixed,
The resultant force of P ₁ ′ and P ₂ ′ relatively acts on the upper hinge 51, and this serves as auxiliary power P ₃ that acts against the moment M due to the weight of the wings 12. Therefore, P ₃ is

[0030]

(Equation 3) Becomes

Direction of action of P ₃ and wing hinge 1
If the opening angle of the wings 12 is Θ and the other variables are defined as shown in FIG. 6, the distance L to 5 is: L = L1.cos (Θ−ψ + θ) (6) moment Mh is represented by _{Mh = P 3 × L ... (} 7).

The difference between the moment Mh of this auxiliary power and the moment M due to the own weight of the wing 12 is the wing 1
It means that 2 is the power to move. Where Mh>
If the spring 33 is set to be M, the auxiliary power overcomes the own weight of the wing 12, so that the wing 12 will automatically open when the lock mechanism of the wing 12 is released.

In this case, the difference between the moment Mh of the auxiliary power and the moment M due to the weight of the wings 12 may be the moment Ms due to the rope operating force of the operator. 1000 mm from the wing hinge 15
Assuming that the operator's operating force F always acts in the direction perpendicular to the wings 12 via the rope 70 attached at a remote place, the moment Ms is: Ms = F × 1000 = | M−Mh | (8 ). That is, when the wing 12 is closed, the wing 12 can be closed by pulling the rope 70 from the ground side with a force of (operation force + α).

The relationship between the weight moment of the wing 12 due to its own weight and the wing opening angle is a curve as shown by the solid line in FIG. Therefore, the auxiliary power for facilitating the opening / closing operation of the wings 12 may be relatively small at the opening start and the opening end of the wings 12, but needs to be increased during the opening of the wings 12. According to the auxiliary device 20 of this embodiment, the characteristic curve of the auxiliary power can be made as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7 by the above-described mechanism of generating the auxiliary power.

FIG. 8 shows the moment of the operating force when the operator pulls the rope 70. As can be seen from this figure, the rope 70
When the pulling force of is converted into a moment, it is lost by the component force. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the difference between the auxiliary power and the weight moment in FIG. 7. However, it is desirable that the auxiliary power near the full opening of the wing be smaller than that during the opening of the wing due to the loss of the operating force due to the component force. According to the apparatus 20 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the difference between the auxiliary power and the weight moment can be changed according to the wing opening angle.

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary power is suppressed at the initial stage of opening the wings 12 to avoid the danger of sudden opening of the wings. By reducing the setting of the repulsive load of the spring 33, the assisting force when the wing 12 starts to open is weakened, so that the danger of the wing 12 jumping up can be avoided.

The above-mentioned auxiliary power characteristic is the linear characteristic or non-linear characteristic of the spring 33 or the spring constant itself,
And the length of the links 40, 41 and the hinges 42, 46, 5
By changing the position of 1 or the like, it is possible to arbitrarily set it as necessary.

As in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the compression coil spring 80 as an auxiliary spring is provided between the member 47 on the vehicle body side and the wing 12 in a compressed state, so that the wing 12 The lack of auxiliary power at the beginning of opening may be compensated. Other configurations, operations and effects are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Further, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG.
A rubber-like elastic body (rubber) 85 as an auxiliary spring may be provided in a compressed state between the member 47 on the vehicle body side and the wing 12 to compensate for the insufficient auxiliary power at the beginning of opening the wing 12. Other configurations, operations and effects are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Further, as in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG.
The gas damper 90 as an auxiliary spring may be provided in a compressed state between the member 47 on the vehicle body side and the wing 12 to compensate for the lack of auxiliary power at the beginning of opening the wing 12. The gas damper 90 includes a cylinder portion 91 that stores compressed gas, and a plunger 92 that is biased upward according to the gas pressure. Other configurations, operations and effects are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0041]

According to the present invention, the wing opening / closing assisting device including the link mechanism, the rod and the biasing means can be compactly assembled, and the total weight can be reduced to half or less than that of the conventional device. Since the opening / closing assisting device of the present invention can be configured to have an extremely small vertical size, it is laid down sideways by using a dead space near the ceiling at the front or rear of the vehicle body inside the wing vehicle. be able to. Therefore, the space of the luggage compartment is not invaded and the appearance is not impaired. And because it can be installed inside the wing, the wing opening and closing auxiliary device is not exposed to rainwater and is less likely to deteriorate.

Further, since the above-mentioned link mechanism can exert a boosting action according to the wing opening angle, it is possible to generate a large amount of auxiliary power even though it has a compact structure, and it is comparatively similar to an aluminum wing. Even a wing vehicle having a large weight can be dealt with only by increasing the spring constant of the biasing means. The opening / closing assisting device of the present invention has a pure mechanical structure that does not rely on hydraulic pressure, electricity, etc., has a simple structure, high operational reliability, and can be provided at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a wing opening / closing assisting device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a wing fully opened state of the wing opening / closing assist device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle including the wing opening / closing assist device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view conceptually showing a vehicle including the wing opening / closing assisting device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view conceptually showing a vehicle including the wing opening / closing assisting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view schematically showing the wing opening / closing assisting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship between a wing opening angle and auxiliary power.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a relationship between a wing operation force moment and a wing angle.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between a wing opening angle and a moment of operating force.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a wing opening / closing assisting device showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a wing opening / closing assisting device showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a wing opening / closing assisting device showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Wing vehicle 11 ... Wing body 12 ... Wing 15 ... Wing hinge 20 ... Wing opening / closing auxiliary device 21 ... Vehicle side member 30 ... Rod 32 ... Link mechanism 33 ... Compression coil spring (biasing means) 40 ... Bottom link 41 ... Upper link 42 ... Intermediate hinge 46 ... Lower hinge 51 ... Upper hinge 60 ... Spring receiving part 61 ... Spring receiving part 70 ... Rope 80 ... Coil spring (auxiliary spring) 85 ... Rubber-like elastic body (auxiliary spring) 90 ... Gas damper (auxiliary) Spring)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A device for applying an assisting force in the direction of opening the wing when opening and closing the wing of a vehicle having a wing body, wherein a pair of upper and lower links are rotatably connected to each other by horizontal hinges. A link mechanism in which the lower link end is pivotally attached to the vehicle body side member and the upper link end is pivotally attached to the wing side. A rod whose one end is rotatably connected to the hinge via a connecting member located between the lower link and the upper link of the link mechanism and the other end of which extends in the width direction of the vehicle; A biasing means that is provided between the spring bearing portion provided on the member and the spring bearing portion provided on the rod in a compressed state to generate a repulsive load in the direction in which the link mechanism is extended. A wing opening / closing assist device characterized in that 2. In the link mechanism, the lower link and the upper link are in a state of being maximally bent with respect to each other in the initial stage of opening of the wings, and the biasing means has a flexure in the initial stage of opening of the wings. 2. The wing opening / closing auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein the wing opening / closing auxiliary device is set so as to be maximized, and the lower link and the upper link are displaced in a direction in which they gradually extend as the wing opening angle increases. 3. The wing opening / closing assist device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary spring provided between the member on the vehicle body side and the wing for urging the wing in a direction of opening the wing at an initial stage of opening the wing.