Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6702357?dq=6106459
Timestamp: 2015-04-02 01:26:51
Document Index: 714639301

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 17', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80', 'art 80']

Patent US6702357 - Petrol-tank flap arrangement for a motor vehicle - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA petrol-tank flap arrangement for a motor vehicle has a pivotably mounted petrol-tank flap which is retained in its closed position by a locking device. The petrol-tank flap is assigned a driving device which enables the petrol-tank flap to automatically swing open into its refuelling position after...http://www.google.com/patents/US6702357?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6702357 - Petrol-tank flap arrangement for a motor vehicleAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6702357 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/207,389Publication dateMar 9, 2004Filing dateJul 30, 2002Priority dateJul 30, 2001Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE10137035A1, DE50214929D1, EP1281558A2, EP1281558A3, EP1281558B1, US20030062741Publication number10207389, 207389, US 6702357 B2, US 6702357B2, US-B2-6702357, US6702357 B2, US6702357B2InventorsRoland Joerg, Bernd Korn, Johann SeefriedOriginal AssigneeDaimlerchrysler AgExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (12), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (7), Classifications (8), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetPetrol-tank flap arrangement for a motor vehicle
8. Petrol-tank flap arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the locking device is designed as a push�push lock, the tappet element being inserted into a fastening housing of the push�push lock during the locking operation.
11. Petrol-tank flap arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the push�push lock is deactivated under the influence of sudden acceleration forces.
17. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said assembly includes a push�push lock operable by pushing on the cover flap.
18. An assembly according to claim 17, comprising a mass balancing part operable to avoid an opening in the push�push lock under influence of sudden acceleration forces.
A petrol-tank flap arrangement of this type having a pivotably mounted petrol-tank flap can be inferred as already being known from European Patent Document EP 0 846 585 A2 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,638). The petrol-tank flap is retained in its closed position by means of a locking device. In this case, the locking device of the petrol-tank flap comprises a �push�push lock �.
A push�push lock of the locking device has proven to be particularly worthwhile in the case of the direct actuation of the petrol-tank flap in order to open it according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention. In this case, the petrol-tank flap can also be locked via the central locking system of a motor vehicle by means of a tappet element which is secured axially by an additional, mechanical securing means.
FIG. 1b is a plan view of the module of FIG. 1a; FIG. 1c is a section view of the module of FIG. 1a, taken along section line Ic�Ic.
FIG. 6a is a sectional view through the locking device along the lines VIa�VIa in FIG. 5b; FIG. 6b is a sectional view through the locking device along the lines VIb�VIb in FIG. 5b; FIG. 6c is a sectional view through the locking device along the lines VIc�VIc in FIG. 5b; FIG. 6c is a sectional view through the locking device along the lines VId�VId in FIG. 5b; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional view through the locking device along the line VII�VII in FIG. 5a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1a to 1 c illustrate an installation module 10 which can be preassembled with the petrol-tank flap arrangement, in a perspective view, in plan view and in a sectional view along the line Ic�Ic in FIG. 1a. The installation module 10 comprises essentially a housing 11, a petrol-tank flap 12, a locking device 14 for securing the petrol-tank flap 12 in its closed position, and a driving device 16 for automatically transferring the petrol-tank flap 12 from the closed position into a refuelling position. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1c, the installation module 10 can be inserted into an opening of the body parts 17 of the motor vehicle in a manner such that it is flush with the surface and can be connected, for example, to a pipe 18 leading to the petrol tank. The petrol-tank flap 12 is mounted via an arm 20 on the housing 11 for pivotal movement about a pivoting axis ST running in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The petrol-tank flap 12 is deposited on a securing means on that side of the retaining arm which is inside the vehicle. In this case, the petrol-tank flap 12 can be supported with respect to the housing 11 via buffer elements.
FIGS. 6a to 6 d illustrate sectional views through the fastening housing 38 of the locking device 14 along the lines VIa�VIa, VIb�VIb, VIc�VIc and VId�VId in FIG. 5b. FIG. 6a shows the fastening housing 38 with the tappet element 34 inserted therein via the opening 40 and secured. FIG. 6b shows the same section without the tappet element 34 inserted and secured. When the tappet element 34 is inserted, a control slide 44 is displaced by means of the tappet element 34 out of the position shown in FIG. 6b into the position shown in FIG. 6a counter to the spring force of the spring 33.
In order to implement the push�push lock, a Z-shaped spring 56 is provided, which spring can be seen in overall view in FIG. 7 and is mounted with a bent-off spring leg 58 pivotably on the slide 44. The further spring leg 60 on the other side of the spring 56 is guided within a further slotted guide 62 which can be seen in FIGS. 6b and 6 d. If the slide 44 is in the position in which the tappet element 34 is not inserted�according to FIG. 6b, then the spring leg 60 is situated in the position indicated in FIG. 6d by the reference number 64. When the tappet element 34 is inserted, the spring leg 60 migrates along the slotted-guide flank 66 as far as a point 68 in which the tappet element 34 has caused the slide 44 to reach its completely inserted position. If, after being closed, the petrol-tank flap 12 is then released, the spring leg 60 migrates into the position 70 in which the petrol-tank lid 12 is secured in a locked manner. When the petrol-tank lid 12 is opened, the petrol-tank lid 12 and also the slide 44 are pressed slightly in the direction of the center of the vehicle on account of the push�push lock; for the spring leg 60 this means that it is pressed against the slotted-guide flank 72 and is moved in the direction of the position 74. From this position 74, the spring leg 60�and hence also the slide 44�can move freely in the direction of the starting position 64, and the tappet element 34 is released again to enable it to pivot open. The spring 33, which is prestressed in this position, is used for moving the slide 44 back.
In the position shown in FIG. 6a, the fastening pin (not shown) can be introduced into the opening 36 in the tappet element 34 and is, for its part, guided into the housing 38 via the opening 76 (FIG. 7) in the flange 42. The fastening pin is actuated here via the central locking system. The retaining arms 46 can be made from a plastic which is flexible such that should the push�push lock fail, the tappet head 54, which is gripped from behind by the arm ends 52, can be released from their grip by spreading apart the two arm ends 52 using an increased pulling-out force on the petrol-tank flap 12, and the petrol-tank flap 12 can be opened. In the case of an emergency unlocking of this type, the retaining arms 46 are not destroyed. If the mechanical fastening pin is in engagement with the through hole 36, the said pin has to be opened before the emergency unlocking, for example by means of an emergency actuation from the rear storage compartment of the motor vehicle.
In order to avoid an opening of the push�push lock under the influence of sudden acceleration forces, a mass-balancing part 80 (FIG. 6c) is provided. Such sudden acceleration forces on the petrol-tank flap 12 can arise, for example, during the journey or by means of washing brushes in a car wash. The mass-balancing part 80 is plugged onto the central leg section 82 of the Z-shaped spring 56 by means of a passage opening and is retained by a further spring 84. For this purpose, a spring leg 86 of the spring 84 passes through a further passage opening in the mass-balancing part 80. By means of the spring 84, the mass-balancing part 80 is held relative to the Z-spring 56 in such a position that the mass-balancing part 80 comes to lie level with an opening 90 in a wall 92 arranged at the side of it. In this rest position, the Z-spring 56 can be pivoted about its leg 58 by the mass-balancing part 80 entering into the opening 90. If the mass-balancing part 80 is deflected due to sudden acceleration forces, it is moved along the leg section 82 of the Z-shaped spring 56, this movement causing the mass-balancing part 80 to take up a different position relative to the opening 90. Since the mass-balancing part 80 can consequently not enter into the opening 90, the Z-shaped spring 56 can also not be pivoted about its leg 58. An inadvertent pivoting of the spring 56 due to the sudden acceleration forces�together with an unintentional release of the tappet head 54 as a result�is therefore made impossible.
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