Patent Description:
Today's cars may have a power opening tailgate. This means the tailgate can be remotely-controlled and opened by working cylinders without any manual power.

A drawback of the power opening tailgates is the high load on the wall of the car body structure supporting the working cylinder. In addition to the weight of the tailgate, an unfavourable angle of the working cylinder when the opening motion is initiated is the reason why the load on the wall is relatively high. For compensating for the load, a reinforcement plate for decreasing the stress can be attached by bolts at the position where a ball stud for the cylinder is attached to the wall.

Such a reinforcement plate however takes some space and may have a negative impact on the appearance of the surfaces exposed when the tailgate is in an open position.

Document <CIT> discloses a device for a power opening tailgate of a vehicle. The device comprises a bush, a strengthening element, an inner reinforcing plate and an outer reinforcing plate.

An objective of the invention is to provide a device for a power opening tailgate of a vehicle, by which device a vehicle wall supporting a working cylinder can be reinforced at the same time as the appearance of the exposed surface of the vehicle wall supporting the working cylinder can remain substantially unaffected.

The objective is achieved by a vehicle according to claim <NUM>.

The invention is based on the insight that by such a vehicle, the load from the working cylinder of a power opening tailgate can be transferred from the attachment means to the reinforcement component and received in a way reducing the stress on the vehicle wall at a position where the attachment means is mounted to the vehicle wall. Further, any reinforcement plate arranged on the working cylinder side of the vehicle wall can be dispensed with.

The load from the working cylinder can be transferred by the spacer to the bracket and thereafter be favourably distributed to the vehicle body structure.

The assembling of the reinforcement component is facilitated and can be performed before the working cylinder is mounted. The bracket and the spacer can be joined by welding, and the bracket can be spot-welded to the vehicle body structure at several non-critical positions.

According to a further embodiment, the attachment means and the reinforcement component are connectable to each other by means of a threaded joint. Hereby, a safe connection between the attachment means and the reinforcement component and a non-complicated assembling thereof can be achieved.

<FIG> is a side view of a vehicle <NUM>, such as a passenger car, having a power opening tailgate <NUM>. (Sometimes also called power operated tailgate. ) The tailgate <NUM> can be opened by remotely-controlled working cylinders <NUM>. The tailgate <NUM> is shown in an open position in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a rear view of the vehicle <NUM> where the tailgate <NUM> is in the open position. As appears from <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> can have two such working cylinders <NUM>, one working cylinder on the left-hand side and one working cylinder on the right-hand side of the vehicle. The working cylinders <NUM> are covered by the tailgate <NUM> when the tailgate is closed.

<FIG> shows an enlarged part of <FIG>. An upper part on the left-hand side of the vehicle <NUM> where a working cylinder <NUM> is arranged is illustrated. The working cylinder <NUM> is in a position corresponding to the tailgate being closed. The tailgate has been omitted for illustration purposes only. The vehicle <NUM> comprises a vehicle body structure <NUM> defining a trunk <NUM>. In a closed position, the tailgate <NUM> constitutes a delimiting surface for the trunk <NUM>, and in an open position there is an opening in the body structure <NUM> for access to the trunk <NUM>. In other words; the working cylinders <NUM> are arranged for moving the tailgate <NUM> relative to the body structure <NUM> to an opened position for enabling access to the trunk <NUM>. The working cylinders <NUM> can also be used for closing the tailgate <NUM>.

Each working cylinder <NUM> is preferably arranged in an area <NUM> outside the trunk opening <NUM>. The working cylinder <NUM> is preferably arranged in an area in immediate proximity to the trunk opening <NUM>. When the tailgate <NUM> is closed, the tailgate <NUM> covers the trunk opening <NUM> as well as the area <NUM> where the working cylinder <NUM> is arranged. In the example embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the body structure <NUM> has a wall <NUM> extending outside the trunk opening <NUM>. One end <NUM> of the working cylinder <NUM> is attached to the wall <NUM>. The other end <NUM> (see also <FIG>) of the working cylinder <NUM> is attached to the tailgate <NUM>. In the area <NUM> outside the trunk opening <NUM>, but inside the wall <NUM> a drain channel for water can be arranged. Herein, this side of the wall <NUM> is called the drain channel side or working cylinder side of the wall <NUM>. The wall <NUM> may form the drain channel.

<FIG> also shows a device <NUM> for reinforcement of the wall <NUM> where the working cylinder <NUM> of the power opening tailgate <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> is attached. This device <NUM> will be further described with reference to <FIG>.

The description herein is made for the working cylinder on the left-hand side of the vehicle but does apply for a working cylinder on the right-hand side of the vehicle too, although the structure is mirror inverted.

<FIG> shows in a cut view the device <NUM> for a power opening tailgate <NUM> of a vehicle <NUM>. Further, the attachment position for the working cylinder <NUM> at the wall <NUM> is shown. Both the working cylinder <NUM> and the tailgate <NUM> are here omitted for illustration purposes only. The device <NUM> comprises an attachment means <NUM> mounted to a vehicle wall <NUM> at a first side <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>. The attachment means supports a working cylinder <NUM> arranged for opening the tailgate <NUM>.

In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the vehicle wall <NUM> is the wall mentioned hereinabove which wall extends outside the trunk opening <NUM> and defines the outer boundary for the drain channel. Thus, the wall <NUM> forms the drain channel. The wall <NUM> has a portion that protrudes from the vehicle body structure part <NUM> arranged between the wall <NUM> and the trunk opening <NUM>. The wall portion <NUM> and the vehicle body structure part <NUM> can be angled relative to each other by an angle of substantially <NUM>°, for instance.

The wall portion <NUM> and the body structure part <NUM> can be made from one and the same plate <NUM>. The plate can also form a second upper wall portion <NUM> angled relative to the wall portion <NUM> protruding from the body structure part <NUM>. The second upper wall portion <NUM> can have an extension direction substantially in parallel with the extension direction of the body structure part <NUM>. By the second upper wall portion <NUM> arranged between the wall portion <NUM> and the end <NUM> of the plate <NUM>, access for welding the plate to another plate <NUM> and/or a bracket <NUM> of the device <NUM> (described hereinafter) will be facilitated.

The attachment means <NUM> suitably comprises a pivot member <NUM> allowing pivot motion of the working cylinder <NUM>. The working cylinder <NUM> is arranged to pivot relative to the vehicle wall <NUM> during opening and closing of the tailgate <NUM>. For example, such a pivot member can be a ball stud <NUM>.

The device <NUM> further comprises a component <NUM> for reinforcement of the vehicle wall <NUM>. The reinforcement component <NUM> is mounted to the vehicle wall <NUM> at a second side <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>, which second side <NUM> is opposite to the first side <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>. The attachment means <NUM> and the reinforcement component <NUM> are mechanically connectable to each other via a through hole <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>, which is further illustrated in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows in a partly cut view the device <NUM>, particularly the connection between the attachment means <NUM> and the reinforcement component <NUM>. The reinforcement component <NUM> preferably comprises a bracket <NUM> and a spacer <NUM> for positioning the bracket <NUM> at a distance from the vehicle wall <NUM>. The bracket <NUM> can be made from a thin metal plate or sheet by pressing. The spacer <NUM> has suitably a first end <NUM> for abutting the vehicle wall <NUM> and a second end <NUM> having a flange <NUM> for abutting the bracket <NUM>.

In the example embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, where the first end <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> abuts the wall <NUM>, and the flange <NUM> at the second end <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> abuts the bracket <NUM>, the flange <NUM> is arranged to abut the bracket <NUM> on a surface <NUM> of the bracket facing away from the wall <NUM>. As further illustrated in <FIG>, the first end <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> can be arranged to abut the wall <NUM> on a surface <NUM> of the wall facing away from the first side <NUM> of the wall.

The wall <NUM> can be made from one single metal plate <NUM> or sheet at a position where the attachment means <NUM> is arranged, for reducing the need of welding required and/or other assembling steps, for instance. The first end <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> is suitably arranged to abut said plate <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

The spacer <NUM> can be pipe-shaped with a hole <NUM> for alignment with the through hole <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>, and an inside surface <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> can be threaded for connection to the attachment means <NUM>. The spacer can be made by machining. The hole <NUM> of the spacer <NUM> can be through hole for facilitating assembling.

The spacer <NUM> is preferably arranged for transferring load from the attachment means <NUM> to the bracket <NUM>. The stress caused by the working cylinder <NUM> in the wall <NUM> at a position where the attachment means <NUM> is arranged can thereby be reduced.

A portion <NUM> of the attachment means <NUM> and the spacer <NUM> can be connectable to each other. Although in the example embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the attachment means portion <NUM> is designed to extend through the through hole <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM> for connection to the spacer <NUM>, in another embodiment of the device, a portion of the spacer could extend through the through hole of the vehicle wall for connection to the attachment means. Here, the attachment means portion <NUM> is a threaded pin received by the threaded internal surface <NUM> of the spacer <NUM>. Thus, the attachment means <NUM> and the reinforcement component <NUM> are suitably mechanically connectable to each other by means of a threaded joint.

Further, the bracket <NUM> and the spacer <NUM> are suitably attached to each other by a weld <NUM>. By welding along the periphery of the flange <NUM> of the spacer <NUM>, the load transferred from the working cylinder <NUM> can be distributed in the bracket <NUM> in a favorable way. The bracket <NUM> in turn can be attached to and supported by the vehicle body structure <NUM>. For example, the bracket <NUM> can be supported by a portion of the vehicle wall <NUM> to which the working cylinder <NUM> is attached. The bracket <NUM> can be spot-welded to a wall portion where any impact on the appearance of the design is less critical or negligible.

The spacer <NUM> is preferably pre-assembled to the bracket <NUM> by welding, wherein the spacer <NUM> and the bracket <NUM> form one unit to be attached to the body structure <NUM>.

<FIG> and <FIG> show the bracket <NUM> and the spacer <NUM> in an exploded view and when the spacer is mounted to the bracket, respectively. The spacer <NUM> is mounted to the bracket <NUM> by inserting the spacer into a hole <NUM> of the bracket <NUM> such that the flange <NUM> abuts against the bracket surface <NUM> (also illustrated in <FIG>) and by welding as described hereinabove.

Further, the bracket <NUM> is provided with areas <NUM> for contacting the body structure <NUM> at positions where the bracket <NUM> can be spot-welded. In the illustrated example embodiment in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the bracket <NUM> has a first portion <NUM> to be mounted to the vehicle wall <NUM> at the second side <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>, and a second portion <NUM> having the areas <NUM> for welding the bracket <NUM> to the body structure <NUM>. The first bracket portion <NUM> and the second bracket portion <NUM> are angled relative to each other.

<FIG> shows the reinforcement component <NUM> attached to the vehicle wall <NUM> on the second side <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>. The first bracket portion <NUM> and the spacer <NUM> are joined by a weld <NUM> extending around the flange <NUM> of the spacer. See also <FIG> where the spacer <NUM> and the bracket <NUM> are attached to each other by the weld <NUM>.

The spacer <NUM> is in turn mechanically connected to the threaded pin <NUM> of the attachment means <NUM> which pin extends through the through hole <NUM> of the vehicle wall <NUM>. The second bracket portion <NUM> is spot-welded to the body structure <NUM>. This means that when looking in a direction towards the working cylinder <NUM> as in <FIG>, the welds connecting the bracket <NUM> and the body structure <NUM> are positioned behind the working cylinder <NUM>. The bracket <NUM> comprising the first bracket portion <NUM> and the second bracket portion <NUM> is also illustrated in <FIG> by dashed lines indicating the same bracket position as in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
A vehicle (<NUM>) comprising a body structure (<NUM>) defining a trunk (<NUM>), a tailgate (<NUM>) constituting a delimiting surface for the trunk in a closed position, and a working cylinder (<NUM>) for moving the tailgate (<NUM>) relative to the body structure (<NUM>) to an opened position for enabling access to the trunk (<NUM>), the body structure (<NUM>) having a wall (<NUM>), an attachment means (<NUM>) mounted to the wall at a first side (<NUM>) of the wall and a component (<NUM>) for reinforcement of the wall, the working cylinder (<NUM>) being arranged on the first side (<NUM>) of the wall (<NUM>) and a first end (<NUM>) of the working cylinder (<NUM>) being connected to the attachment means (<NUM>) and a second end (<NUM>) of the working cylinder (<NUM>) being connected to the tailgate (<NUM>), wherein the reinforcement component (<NUM>) is mounted to the wall at a second side (<NUM>) of the wall (<NUM>), which second side is opposite to the first side of the vehicle wall, and the attachment means (<NUM>) and the reinforcement component (<NUM>) are mechanically connected to each other via a through hole (<NUM>) of the wall (<NUM>), wherein the reinforcement component (<NUM>) comprises a bracket (<NUM>) and a spacer (<NUM>) for positioning the bracket at a distance from the wall (<NUM>), characterized in that the spacer (<NUM>) has a first end (<NUM>) which abuts the wall (<NUM>) on a surface of the wall facing away from the first side (<NUM>) of the wall and a second end (<NUM>) having a flange (<NUM>) which abuts the bracket (<NUM>), the spacer (<NUM>) being arranged for transferring load from the attachment means (<NUM>) to the bracket (<NUM>), thereby reducing the stress caused by the working cylinder (<NUM>) in the wall (<NUM>) at a position where the attachment means (<NUM>) is arranged, wherein at the position where the attachment means (<NUM>) is arranged, the wall (<NUM>) is made of a single plate (<NUM>) and the first end (<NUM>) of the spacer (<NUM>) is arranged to abut said plate (<NUM>).