Articulation device for a flap unit of a motor vehicle, having - a shaft which is connectable to a shaft receptacle of the motor vehicle for conjoint rotation; - a support unit fixedly arranged on the shaft; - a pivoting unit which is pivotably arranged on the shaft and is pivotable about the shaft between a first end position and a second end position; - a brake unit which comprises a first brake structure fixed on the pivoting unit and a second brake structure arranged on the shaft for conjoint rotation, wherein the brake structures (19, 20) directly face each other along the shaft, - a helical spring unit - which is arranged directly on the support unit and on the pivoting unit along a torsional loading direction and is clamped in the first end position of the pivoting unit, wherein the pivoting unit is loaded along an outer circumferential direction of the shaft in the torsional loading direction by means of the helical spring unit; and - which is arranged and clamped along a translational loading direction between the support unit and the brake unit, wherein the brake structures (19, 20) are loaded towards each other along the shaft counter to the translational loading direction by means of the helical spring unit, characterized in that a translatory spring force of the helical spring unit is selected or configured in such a way that the brake structures (19, 20) are pressed so firmly against each other by means of the helical spring unit that a brake torque in effect because of the loading of the brake structures (19, 20) against each other and a mass-induced torque of the pivoting unit about the shaft cancel each other out. - a shaft which is connectable to a shaft receptacle of the motor vehicle for conjoint rotation; - a support unit fixedly arranged on the shaft; - a pivoting unit which is pivotably arranged on the shaft and is pivotable about the shaft between a first end position and a second end position; - a brake unit which comprises a first brake structure fixed on the pivoting unit and a second brake structure arranged on the shaft for conjoint rotation, wherein the brake structures (19, 20) directly face each other along the shaft, - a helical spring unit - which is arranged directly on the support unit and on the pivoting unit along a torsional loading direction and is clamped in the first end position of the pivoting unit, wherein the pivoting unit is loaded along an outer circumferential direction of the shaft in the torsional loading direction by means of the helical spring unit; and - which is arranged and clamped along a translational loading direction between the support unit and the brake unit, wherein the brake structures (19, 20) are loaded towards each other along the shaft counter to the translational loading direction by means of the helical spring unit, characterized in that - which is arranged directly on the support unit and on the pivoting unit along a torsional loading direction and is clamped in the first end position of the pivoting unit, wherein the pivoting unit is loaded along an outer circumferential direction of the shaft in the torsional loading direction by means of the helical spring unit; and - which is arranged and clamped along a translational loading direction between the support unit and the brake unit, wherein the brake structures (19, 20) are loaded towards each other along the shaft counter to the translational loading direction by means of the helical spring unit, characterized in that