CN113530396B - Electric tail gate stay bar assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric tailgate support rod assembly includes: a sleeve assembly having an extended state and a shortened state; a ball socket assembly, which is arranged at both ends of the sleeve, including an upper ball socket connected to a vehicle body, and a lower ball socket connected to a vehicle door; a driving device, which is used to drive the sleeve assembly to switch between the extended state and the shortened state; a fixed cover shell is provided near the upper ball socket, a fixed adjustment toothed disc is provided on the fixed cover shell, and a movable adjustment toothed disc is provided on the upper ball socket; the movable adjustment toothed disc is disengaged or engaged with the fixed adjustment toothed disc. The present invention can achieve angle adjustment of the upper ball socket relative to the sleeve assembly (lower ball socket) through the cooperation of the movable adjustment toothed disc and the fixed adjustment toothed disc in the above structure, thereby achieving a combination of upper and lower ball sockets at any angle, and then being able to adapt to various shapes of vehicle bodies and tailgates, achieving universality, and greatly saving many production costs such as R&D costs and mold costs.

Description

Electric tailgate support rod assembly

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of vehicle parts, in particular to an electric tailgate support rod assembly.

Background Art

An electric push rod is an electric drive device that converts the rotational motion of a motor into the linear reciprocating motion of a push rod. It can be used as an executive machine in a variety of simple or complex process flows to achieve remote control, centralized control or automatic control.

With the development of automobile electronics and intelligence, people's usage needs have been greatly facilitated, and the automobile electric tailgate system came into being. When the user opens the tailgate electrically through the car key button, the main driving switch, the tailgate outer switch and other switches, the user can set the opening angle of the tailgate according to his own usage habits to meet the user's needs for loading goods. In this way, the tailgate needs to set a hovering angle within the designed angle range according to the user's habits to control the opening state of the tailgate.

The application of electric push rods in automobiles forms an electric tailgate support rod.

The electric tailgate system of a car mainly consists of an ECU, an electric strut, and an electric suction lock. When the user wants to open the tailgate, he presses the switch button, and the ECU will collect relevant signals and issue instructions to unlock it, and then control the electric strut to extend and open the tailgate. When the user wants to close the tailgate, he presses the switch button, and the ECU will also collect relevant signals and issue instructions to control the electric strut to shorten. After the door closing action is completed, it will be locked. It can be seen that the mechanism that provides the opening and closing action for the tailgate and allows the tailgate to hover at any angle is the electric strut. Whether the tailgate can hover at any angle depends on the damping force of the electric strut.

The existing electric struts are all one-pole-one-car, that is, according to the different body and tailgate shapes of each model, a matching electric strut assembly is specially customized. Therefore, in actual applications, they cannot be universalized with each other, and in the production design link, the required R&D costs, mold costs and many other production costs are high. On the other hand, in the existing electric struts, the motor and the telescopic sleeve are driven by a set of reducers (generally composed of multiple reduction gears), so the structure is relatively complex and the failure rate is also higher. In addition, due to the large weight of the tailgate, it is difficult for the existing electric struts to achieve the stable hovering function of the tailgate in the air.

Summary of the invention

In order to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides an electric tailgate support rod assembly.

The technical solution of the present invention to solve the technical problem is: an electric tailgate support rod assembly, comprising:

a sleeve assembly having an extended state and a shortened state;

A ball socket assembly is provided at both ends of the sleeve, and includes an upper ball socket connected to the vehicle body and a lower ball socket connected to the vehicle door;

A driving device, used for driving the sleeve assembly to switch between an extended state and a shortened state;

A fixed cover is provided near the upper ball socket, a fixed adjustment toothed disc is provided on the fixed cover, and a movable adjustment toothed disc is provided on the upper ball socket; when the movable adjustment toothed disc is disengaged from the fixed adjustment toothed disc, the upper ball socket can rotate relative to the fixed cover to adjust the relative positions of the two; when the movable adjustment toothed disc is engaged with the fixed adjustment toothed disc, the upper ball socket is fixed relative to the fixed cover.

Preferably, the driving device is arranged beside the sleeve assembly, and comprises a motor, a worm gear transmission-connected to the motor, and a reduction worm gear meshing with the worm gear, and the reduction worm gear is transmission-connected to the sleeve assembly.

Preferably, the driving device further comprises a first bearing sleeved on the worm and a stopper acting on the first bearing.

Preferably, the sleeve assembly includes a rotating screw, a screw sleeve driven by the rotating screw and capable of moving relative to the rotating screw, and a tension spring, one end of the rotating screw is transmission-connected to the driving device, and the lower ball socket is connected to the screw sleeve.

Preferably, one end portion of the rotating screw is connected to the reduction worm gear through a gear pin so that the reduction worm gear is kept in a suspended state.

Preferably, the gear pin has an inner toothed groove and an outer toothed end face, the inner toothed groove cooperates with the rotating screw, and the outer toothed end face cooperates with the reduction worm gear.

Preferably, it also includes an upper tension spring bracket and a lower tension spring bracket, each of which is provided with a threaded tension spring groove adapted to the tension spring, the upper tension spring bracket is connected to the rotating screw rod through a second bearing and is stationary relative to the fixed cover shell, and the lower tension spring bracket is sleeved on the screw rod sleeve and can move relative to the fixed cover shell.

Preferably, it further comprises a shift fork, one end of which is sleeved with a damper and connected to the upper ball socket via a third bearing, and the other end of the shift fork is connected to the reduction worm gear.

Preferably, a plurality of transmission grooves are evenly distributed on the reduction worm wheel, and a plurality of transmission blocks are provided on a side of the shift fork close to the reduction worm wheel, and the transmission blocks are inserted in the transmission grooves.

Preferably, a decorative cover is also included, which is connected to the fixed cover and covers the movable adjustment gear disc and the fixed adjustment gear disc.

The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

1. Through the cooperation of the movable adjustment gear plate and the fixed adjustment gear plate in the above structure, the angle of the upper ball socket relative to the sleeve assembly (lower ball socket) can be adjusted, thereby realizing the combination of the upper and lower ball sockets at any angle, and then being able to adapt to various shapes of car bodies and tailgates, achieving versatility, and greatly saving many production costs such as R&D costs and mold costs.

2. The lateral installation of the drive device is realized, which is different from the traditional coaxial setting, shortens the space required for installation, and can be used in the trunk of a car with limited axial space; the torque of the reduction motor is transmitted through the worm gear, and the structure is simpler and more compact.

3. The worm gear transmission structure has a reverse self-locking force, which enables the tailgate to remain in a hovering position continuously and stably.

4. The reduction worm gear is suspended, so that the axial outer end surface of the reduction worm gear does not contact other components (fixed cover and upper ball socket), which ensures more stable and reliable operation of the reduction worm gear.

5. Through the setting and use of the shift fork, the external damper can directly buffer the reduction worm gear, and then play a buffering and protective role on the operation of the sleeve assembly, worm and other accessories; on the other hand, it can also make the entire assembly run more smoothly and quietly, improve the overall reliability, and greatly extend the service life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention from another angle.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 3 .

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial exploded view of the upper ball and socket structure of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of the lower ball and socket structure of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a gear pin.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shift fork and the reduction worm gear.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure when the movable adjusting toothed disc is meshed with the fixed adjusting toothed disc.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure when the movable adjusting toothed disc is disengaged from the fixed adjusting toothed disc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 11, an electric tailgate support rod assembly has a basic structure that is roughly composed of: a sleeve assembly 1, which has an extended state and a shortened state; a ball socket assembly, which is arranged at both ends of the sleeve, including an upper ball socket 2 connected to the vehicle body and a lower ball socket 3 connected to the door; a driving device 4, which is used to drive the sleeve assembly 1 to switch between the extended state and the shortened state. Among them, the driving device 4 is controlled by the vehicle ECU to realize the start or shut down function. Compared with the prior art, the present invention is characterized in that: a fixed cover 5 is provided near the upper ball socket 2, a fixed adjustment toothed disc 6 is provided on the fixed cover 5, and a movable adjustment toothed disc 7 is provided on the upper ball socket 2; when the movable adjustment toothed disc 7 is disengaged from the fixed adjustment toothed disc 6, the upper ball socket 2 can rotate relative to the fixed cover 5 to adjust the relative position of the two; when the movable adjustment toothed disc 7 is engaged with the fixed adjustment toothed disc 6, the upper ball socket 2 is fixed relative to the fixed cover 5. By cooperating with the movable adjusting gear plate 7 and the fixed adjusting gear plate 6 in the above structure, the angle of the upper ball socket 2 relative to the sleeve assembly 1 (lower ball socket 3) can be adjusted, thereby realizing the combination of the upper and lower ball sockets 3 at any angle, and then being able to adapt to various shapes of vehicle bodies and tailgates, achieving versatility and greatly saving many production costs such as R&D costs and mold costs.

Preferably, the drive device 4 is arranged beside the sleeve assembly 1, and the drive device 4 includes a motor 10, a worm 11 drivingly connected to the motor 10, and a reduction worm wheel 12 meshing with the worm 11, wherein the reduction worm wheel 12 is drivingly connected to the sleeve assembly. The above preferred structure is adopted, firstly, the lateral installation of the drive device 4 is realized, thereby reducing the overall length of the electric tailgate support rod assembly, reducing the requirements for installation space and the difficulty of installation; secondly, the transmission combination of the worm 11 and the reduction worm wheel 12 can play the dual functions of transmission reversing and transmission deceleration to meet the use requirements of lateral installation.

In this embodiment, the driving device 4 further includes a first bearing 13 sleeved on the worm 11 and a stopper 14 acting on the first bearing 13. The first bearing 13 is provided to support the worm 11, reduce the friction coefficient of the worm 11 during its movement, and ensure its rotation accuracy. On the other hand, the stopper 14 is preferably a stop washer, which is fixed to the motor housing 9 during installation, so its position is relatively stable, which can prevent the first bearing 13 from moving toward the end where the motor 10 is located, so as to ensure that the first bearing 13 is always in an effective position.

The specific structure of another core component, the sleeve assembly 1, includes a rotating screw 15, a screw sleeve 16 driven by the rotating screw 15 and capable of moving relative to the rotating screw 15, and a tension spring 17. One end of the rotating screw 15 is transmission-connected to the driving device 4, and the lower ball socket 3 is connected to the screw sleeve 16. The sleeve assembly 1 is similar to the prior art, and its working principle is not described one by one here.

The special thing is that in this embodiment, one end of the rotating screw 15 is connected to the reduction worm gear 12 through the gear pin 18 and keeps the reduction worm gear 12 in a suspended state. The gear pin 18 plays a transmission role and can also play a supporting role to make the reduction worm gear 12 suspended in the air, so that the axial outer end surface of the reduction worm gear 12 does not contact other parts (fixed cover 5 and upper ball socket 2), which ensures that the reduction worm gear 12 runs more stably and reliably.

Preferably, the gear pin 18 has an inner tooth groove 19 and an outer tooth end face 20, the inner tooth groove 19 cooperates with the rotating screw 15, and the outer tooth end face 20 cooperates with the reduction worm wheel 12. The tooth matching mode is adopted to realize that the related parts will not slip during transmission, and can effectively reduce the mutual friction damage, thereby ensuring the reliability of transmission.

In order to realize the installation and use of the tension spring 17, the present embodiment further includes an upper tension spring bracket 21 and a lower tension spring bracket 22, both of which are provided with a threaded tension spring groove 23 adapted to the tension spring 17, the upper tension spring bracket 21 is connected to the rotating screw 15 through a second bearing 24 and is stationary relative to the fixed cover 5, and the lower tension spring bracket 22 is sleeved on the screw sleeve 16 and can move relative to the fixed cover 5. The threaded tension spring groove 23 is provided to adapt to the shape of the tension spring 17 to prevent it from being in a non-telescopic direction during its telescopic movement.

Since the electric tailgate support rod assembly needs to continuously perform telescopic movement during use, it causes a considerable impact force on each component. If it is not buffered, these components will have poor coordination after a period of use, and they are more susceptible to damage, which will lead to poor overall use. In order to solve the above defects, it also includes a fork 25, one end of which is sleeved with a damper 26 and connected to the upper ball socket 2 through a third bearing 29, and the other end of the fork 25 is connected to the reduction worm gear 12. Preferably, the reduction worm gear 12 is evenly distributed with a plurality of transmission grooves 27, and the side of the fork 25 close to the reduction worm gear 12 is provided with a plurality of transmission blocks 28, and the transmission blocks 28 are inserted in the transmission grooves 27. Through the setting and use of the special shape of the fork 25, the external damper 26 can directly play a buffering role on the reduction worm gear 12, and then play a buffering and protective role on the operation of the sleeve assembly 1, the worm 11 and other accessories. On the other hand, it can also make the entire assembly run more smoothly and quietly, improve the overall reliability, and greatly extend the service life.

The present invention further includes a decorative cover 8, which is connected to the fixed cover 5 and covers the movable adjustment toothed disc 7 and the fixed adjustment toothed disc 6. The setting of the decorative cover 8 can play a decorative role, secondly, it can play a role in installing and fixing related components, and thirdly, it can cover the movable adjustment toothed disc 7 and the fixed adjustment toothed disc 6 to play a protective role.

The working principle of the present invention is to install the upper ball socket 2 on the vehicle body, and install the lower ball socket 3 on the tailgate, and start the motor 10 through the vehicle ECU. The motor 10 drives the reduction worm gear 12 to rotate through the worm 11, and the reduction worm gear 12 drives the transmission to the rotating screw rod 15, so that the screw rod sleeve 16 mounted on the rotating screw rod 15 can achieve telescopic movement, thereby realizing the opening, closing, hovering and other functions of the tailgate.

In the present invention, the upper ball socket 2 may be installed on the tailgate, and the lower ball socket 3 may be installed on the vehicle body, which is not particularly limited herein.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modification, change and equivalent structural change made to the above embodiment according to the technical essence of the invention still falls within the protection scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims (6)

1. An electric tailgate support rod assembly, comprising: a sleeve assembly having an extended state and a shortened state; A ball socket assembly is provided at both ends of the sleeve, and includes an upper ball socket connected to the vehicle body and a lower ball socket connected to the vehicle door; A driving device, used for driving the sleeve assembly to switch between an extended state and a shortened state; The invention is characterized in that: a fixed cover is provided near the upper ball socket, a fixed adjustment toothed disc is provided on the fixed cover, and a movable adjustment toothed disc is provided on the upper ball socket; when the movable adjustment toothed disc is disengaged from the fixed adjustment toothed disc, the upper ball socket can rotate relative to the fixed cover to adjust the relative position of the two; when the movable adjustment toothed disc is engaged with the fixed adjustment toothed disc, the upper ball socket is fixed relative to the fixed cover; The driving device is arranged beside the sleeve assembly, and comprises a motor, a worm gear drivingly connected to the motor, and a reduction worm gear meshing with the worm gear, and the reduction worm gear is drivingly connected to the sleeve assembly; The sleeve assembly includes a rotating screw, a screw sleeve driven by the rotating screw and capable of moving relative to the rotating screw, and a tension spring, one end of the rotating screw is transmission-connected to the driving device, and the lower ball socket is connected to the screw sleeve; One end of the rotating screw is connected to the reduction worm gear through a gear pin so that the reduction worm gear is kept in a suspended state; The gear pin has an inner toothed groove and an outer toothed end face, the inner toothed groove cooperates with the rotating screw rod, and the outer toothed end face cooperates with the reduction worm wheel. 2. The electric tailgate support rod assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the driving device also includes a first bearing sleeved on the worm and a stopper acting on the first bearing. 3. The electric tailgate support rod assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that it also includes an upper tension spring bracket and a lower tension spring bracket, and the upper tension spring bracket and the lower tension spring bracket are both provided with a threaded tension spring groove adapted to the tension spring, the upper tension spring bracket is connected to the rotating screw rod through a second bearing and is stationary relative to the fixed cover shell, and the lower tension spring bracket is sleeved on the screw rod sleeve and can move relative to the fixed cover shell. 4. The electric tailgate support rod assembly according to claim 1 is characterized in that it also includes a fork, one end of which is sleeved with a damper and connected to the upper ball socket through a third bearing, and the other end of the fork is connected to the reduction worm gear. 5. The electric tailgate support rod assembly according to claim 4 is characterized in that: a plurality of transmission grooves are evenly distributed on the reduction worm wheel, a plurality of transmission blocks are provided on the side of the shift fork close to the reduction worm wheel, and the transmission blocks are inserted in the transmission grooves. 6. The electric tailgate support rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it also includes a decorative cover, wherein the decorative cover is connected to the fixed cover and covers the movable adjustment gear disc and the fixed adjustment gear disc.