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 (P1) and a second end position (P2); - 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 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 (P1) 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 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 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 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 (P1) and a second end position (P2); - 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 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 (P1) 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 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 (P1) 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 are loaded towards each other along the shaft counter to the translational loading direction by means of the helical spring unit , characterized in that <EOS>