JPS6219613B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a gas spring device, comprising: (a) a cylinder having a shaft and two ends;
a cavity is formed within the cylinder; (b) a piston rod is introduced into the cylinder through an opening provided at one of the ends;
A first inner end of the piston rod is inside the cavity, a second outer end of the piston rod is outside the cavity, and the piston rod is inserted into the cavity relative to the cylinder. is movable in the axial direction between a first end position where the amount of axial protrusion of the piston rod is minimum and a second end position where the amount of axial protrusion of the piston rod into the cavity is maximum; a biasing medium within said cavity loads the piston rod toward one of said end positions; (d) a first retaining member is attached to the piston rod outside said cavity and a second retaining member is attached to the piston rod outside said cavity; attached to the end of the cylinder opposite the open end of the cylinder,
The first and second holding members are configured to connect the spring device to the first and second objects, respectively.

Spring devices of this type are known in the form of pneumatic spring devices in which the biasing medium consists of a pressurized fluid in the cavity.

Known spring devices of this type are useful, for example, for structures in which an object is movable along a trajectory of motion. In this case, the movement of the object is resisted by external forces in a first section of the trajectory and is hardly acted upon by external forces in a second section of the trajectory. In such a construction, a spring device can assist the movement of the movable object to overcome or partially overcome the resistance in the first section of the track. However, this spring device allows external forces to provide little or no resistance to the movement of the object;
This also results in the problem that the second section of the trajectory, where no assistance from the spring device is required, also acts on the object.

In the second section of the movement trajectory, the action of the spring device is extremely disadvantageous. This is because, when changing the direction of movement, it is necessary to overcome the spring action by means of the actuating member used to move the hand or object in the second segment of said movement.

It is therefore an object of the invention to load the object with a spring action within a first section of the trajectory of movement of said object and to eliminate the force due to the spring device within a second section of the trajectory of said object. The objective was to provide a spring device that could.

Another object of the invention is to avoid providing special design features to the outer structure of the spring device in order to eliminate its action in the second section of the trajectory of movement. Ta.

The object is, according to the invention, to provide a spring device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which at least one of the holding members is provided with a free space for a limited free movement between this member and the object connected thereto. A movement mechanism is provided, and this is achieved in that the free movement path, which is limited by two stops, is formed by a telescopically guided member.

The invention can be achieved, for example, by varying the center of gravity in the vertical direction in the first segment of the movement, so that the movement is resisted by the center of gravity, and in the second segment of the movement, by keeping the center of gravity at a constant height. Can be used for movable roofs where gravity does not resist movement. The invention is particularly useful in automotive structures for supporting the movement of sliding roofs, sunshine roofs and replaceable roofs.

The advantage of the spring device according to the invention is that it can be easily attached to the structure in question and does not require additional guide devices for the spring device.

The invention also relates to a structure equipped with a spring device.

Further features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

In FIG. 1, the cylinder is designated 1. The inner surface of this cylinder is indicated at 30.
A bottom wall 13 is provided at one end of the cylinder 1, and an opening 31 is provided at the other end. The piston rod or plunger 2 is introduced through the opening 31 and the guide seal unit 8, 9 consisting of an annular guide member 9 and an annular seal member 8. This piston rod has a piston unit 32 at its inner end. Piston assembly 32 consists of piston 3 and piston ring 4. The piston ring 4 is in sliding contact with the inner cylindrical surface 30 and is movable relative to the piston assembly 32 between the piston 3 and the piston ring support member 5. The piston 3 is provided with an axial bore 33 , the axial direction 33 of which constitutes the throttle 7 . The support member 5 is provided with an opening 34 . A cavity 35 is formed within the cylinder. This cavity 35 is separated into two compartments 10 and 36 by a piston assembly 32. The cavity 36 is filled with overpressure gas.
This overpressure acts on the piston rod 2 and pushes the piston rod 2 toward the outside of the cavity 3.
A force equal to the product of the pressure in 5 and the cross section of the piston rod 2 is applied. The piston rod 2 is moved into the cavity 35 by the bias force provided by the pressurized gas.
When moved towards the outside, the gas flows from the compartment 36 into the compartment 10 via the hole 33 and is thereby throttled by the throttle device 7. The forward movement of the piston rod is therefore damped. When the piston rod 2 moves inwardly against the biasing action of the pressurized gas, the piston ring 4 moves towards the piston ring support member. Thereby, the channel cross-section becomes large, i.e. the fluid flows into the compartment 10.
From there, it passes through the gap 37 and opening 34 between the piston 3 and the internal cylindrical surface 30. This means that the incoming movement of the piston rod is damped less than the outgoing movement, or not at all.

The first retaining member 14 is attached to the outer end of the piston rod 2, and the second retaining member 11 is
It is fixed to the bottom 13 of the cylinder 1. Both retaining members 14 and 11 have a cylindrical retaining ring 15 for pivotally attaching the spring device to mounting objects 38 and 39, respectively.
and 12.

The retaining member 14 includes a mounting sleeve 16 . This mounting sleeve 16 is attached to the piston rod 2.
is slidably attached to the outer end 39 of.
An annular groove 41 is provided on the outer surface 40 of the piston rod 2 . A circular clip 2 is inserted into the annular groove 41.
0 is fitted. This circular clip 20 is
First section 42 of inner surface 17 of mounting sleeve 16
can be slid along. The second inner surface 17
Section 44 has a smaller inner diameter than first section 42 . A generally axially extending shoulder surface 18 is provided between the first section 42 and the second section 44 . This shoulder surface 18 is such that the mounting sleeve 16
It acts as a stop for the circular clip 20 when it moves upwardly relative to the piston rod 2 as shown. The upper end surface 45 of the piston rod 2 is in contact with the retaining member 14 when the mounting sleeve 16 reaches its lowest position as shown in FIG.
It hits me.

The mounting sleeve 16 can be easily mounted on the outer end section 39 of the piston rod 2 by means of a tapered surface 46 provided at the lower end of the mounting sleeve 16 adjacent the second section of the inner surface 42. During the initial installation operation of the mounting sleeve 16, said tapered surface compresses the circular clip 20 radially inwardly, so that the circular clip extends axially beyond the second section of the circular side 17. It can penetrate until it widens radially outwardly behind the shoulder surface 18.

The piston ring support member 5 has an inner cylindrical wall 30
It functions as a stopper member that limits the running movement of the piston rod 2 by interaction with the radially inwardly directed protrusion 55 of the piston rod 2 .

In FIG. 3, a motor vehicle structure having a sunshine roof 47 is shown. The sunshine roof is shown in its maximum open position in FIG. 3 and can be moved towards a closed position which coincides with the opening in the roof 49. Guide members are not shown. However, sunshine
It is obvious that when the roof 47 moves from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, the center of gravity C of the roof rises. This means that considerable force is required to move the sunshine roof, for example by hand, from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. To facilitate moving the sunshine roof from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG.
A gas spring arrangement as shown in FIG. 1 is provided. The cylinder 1 of this gas spring arrangement is pivotally connected to the motor vehicle structure 50 by means of its holding member 11, while the holding member 14 is connected to a telescopic rod 5.
1 and the rod is pivotally connected at one end to the vehicle structure 50 at 52 and at the other end to the sunshine roof 47 at 53.

It is clear that in the position shown in FIG. 3 the piston rod 2 has completely entered the cylinder 1. If the sunshine roof 47 is moved from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG.
In this case, the piston ring support member 5 has an inner protrusion 55
It moves towards the outside of cylinder 1 until it collides with . FIG. 4 shows the state in which the collision position has been reached. In FIG. 4, the end 45 of the piston rod 2
is still engaged with retaining member 14 as shown in detail in FIG. If the sunshine roof 47 is to be moved further from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. There is no longer any need to support the Sunshine Roof movement. It is rather disadvantageous for the gas spring to act any further on the sunshine roof. This is because, in order to return the sunshine roof from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 4, a manual action against the action of the gas spring is required. .

According to this structural feature of the invention, the gas spring device no longer acts on the sunshine roof 47 during the movement from FIG. 4 to FIG. This is because the piston rod 2 can no longer be moved outwards from the cylinder 1 due to the stop action of the piston ring support 5 and the projection 55. This means that during the movement from FIG. 4 to FIG. This means that along the outer section 39 the circular clip 20 slides until it hits the shoulder surface 18. This impact action only occurs when the sliding roof is completely closed as shown in FIG. When sunshine roof 47 is returned from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. is overcome until it hits the holding member 14;
Only at this stage does the gas spring device come into play again to support the downward movement of the sunshine roof from the position shown in FIG. 5 towards the position shown in FIG.

Between the positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 4,
Suppression of the spring action of the gas spring arrangement in the path of motion of the sunshade roof is particularly desirable, since the sunshine roof in all positions between FIGS. This is because reliable positioning is desired.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the holding member 11 has an additional
Two mounting sleeves 57 are provided which are slidably mounted on the outer surface 58 of the cylinder 1. The elongated slot 57 of the mounting sleeve 57 is arranged in the cylinder 1 to limit free movement of the mounting sleeve 57 relative to the cylinder 1.
It is slidable along a stopper pin 60 attached to. The spiral compression spring 61 is attached to the holding member 11
and the bottom wall 13 of the cylinder. The holding member 11 is therefore pushed toward one end position of the pneumatic mechanism, where the stopper pin 60 abuts against the upper end of the slot 59. The spring action of the spring 61 is smaller along its entire stroke than the loading action of the pressurized gas on the piston rod 2 along its entire travel.

In Fig. 2, the air movement mechanism is provided in both the cylinder 1 and the piston rod, but the air movement mechanism is installed in the second cylinder.
Cylinder 1 and retaining member 1 as shown in the figure
1, it should be understood that the pneumatic mechanism between the holding member 14 and the piston rod 2 may be omitted.

The invention is not only suitable for spring devices in a general concept. This is suitable for spring devices in the broadest general sense, including also shock absorbers and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a sectional view of the second embodiment, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the spring device attached to the sunshine roof of an automobile body, with the sunshine roof in the first position, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the sunshine roof in the second position, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the sunshine roof in the third position. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Cylinder, 2... Piston rod, 4... Throttle device, 5... Stopper member, 7... Throttle device, 8... Guide member, 9... Seal member, 10... Separate chamber, 11... Holding member, 12... Pivot part, 14 ... Retaining member, 15... Pivoting part, 16... Holding member (mounting sleeve), 17... Inner surface, 18... Pneumatic mechanism (shoulder surface), 20... Pneumatic mechanism (protruding part; circular clip),
30... Inner cylindrical surface, 31... Opening, 32... Piston unit, 33... Passage, 35... Cavity, 36
... Branch, 37... Throttle device, 38... First attachment object, 38'... Second attachment object, 39... Outer end (attachment part), 40... Outer surface, 41... Annular groove, 42... First shaft Direction division, 44...Second axial direction division, 46...Tapered surface, 47...Object, 55...Stopper member, 57...Air movement mechanism, 59...Air movement mechanism, 6
0...Pneumatic mechanism, 61...Spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A gas spring device, comprising: (a) a cylinder 1 having a shaft and two ends; a cavity 35 is formed within the cylinder; and (b) a piston rod 2. is introduced into the cylinder through an opening 31 provided at one of the ends, the first inner end of the piston rod 2 being inside the cavity 35, and the second inner end of the piston rod 2 being inside the cavity 35. The outer end 39 of the piston rod 2 is located outside the cavity 35, and the piston rod 2 is in a first end position relative to the cylinder 1 in which the amount of axial protrusion of the piston rod 2 into the cavity 35 is minimal; (c) The bias medium in the cavity 35 moves the piston rod 2 to the end position. (d) The first holding members 14 and 16 are attached to the piston rod 2 outside the cavity 35, and the second holding member 11 is attached to the open end of the cylinder 1 outside the cavity 35. attached to the end of said cylinder 1 opposite to section 31, said first and second retaining members 14, 16;
and a type configured to connect the spring device to the second object 38, 38', in which at least one of the holding members 14, 16 is provided with the piston rod 2 and the object held therein. A free movement mechanism 18, 20 is provided for limited free movement with the object 38, and includes two stoppers 18, 20, 45; 59,
Members 16, 39,; 1, 57 whose free movement path limited by 60 are telescopically guided inward and outward;
Gas spring device with an additional adjustment range, characterized in that it is formed by. 2. The gas according to claim 1, wherein the end position in the direction in which the piston rod 2 is loaded with the bias medium is defined by stoppers 5, 55 provided on the piston rod 2 and the cylinder 1. Spring device. 3 Pivot portion 15:12 for pivotally attaching the holding members 14, 16; 11 to the attachment objects 38, 38'
A gas spring device according to claim 1, having: 4 The biasing medium consists of a pressurized fluid in the cavity 35, and the piston rod 2 is inserted into the cavity 3 through the guide seal units 8, 9 provided at the open end.
5. A gas spring device according to claim 1, which is incorporated in the invention. 5. The gas spring device according to claim 4, wherein the overpressure fluid comprises an overpressurized gas body. 6. The gas spring device according to claim 1, wherein the piston rod 2 has a piston assembly 32 within a cavity 35. 7. Gas spring arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the piston assembly 32 is guided by the inner inner cylindrical surface 30 of the cylinder. 8. The piston assembly 32 defines first and second compartments 36, 10 within the cavity 35, and the first and second compartments 36, 10 extend through the piston assembly 32 to form the first and second compartments 36, 10. 6. The gas spring device according to claim 5, wherein the gas spring device is connected by a passage 33 that communicates the branch chambers 36, 10 of the gas spring device. 9. A gas spring according to claim 8, wherein the passage 33 comprises a throttle device 7 for restricting the fluid flow through the passage when the piston rod 2 moves axially relative to the cylinder 1. Device. 10. Gas spring device according to claim 9, in which the throttle device 7, 37, 4 responds to the direction of movement of the piston rod 2. 11 Throttle devices 7, 3 are arranged so that the braking action when the piston rod 2 moves under the action of the bias medium is greater than the braking action when the piston rod moves against the bias action.
11. Gas spring arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the piston rods 7, 4 are responsive to the direction of movement of the piston rod 2. 12 The pneumatic mechanism includes the piston rod 2 and the holding member 1
4, 16 mounted members 39, 20; 16
2. A gas spring device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting members 39, 20; 16 are free-moving. 13 Attachment members 39, 2 for holding members 14, 16
0; 16 has an inner surface 17 surrounding the outer surface 40 of the piston rod 2, and the piston rod 2 is attached to the outer surface.
13. Gas spring arrangement according to claim 12, comprising a mounting sleeve (16) slidably mounted between two end positions. 14 The piston rod 2 has an outwardly directed projection 20 on its outer surface 40, which projection 20 is in a first axial section 42 of the inner surface 17 of the mounting sleeve 16, said mounting sleeve 16 The second axial section 44 of the inner surface 17 of the first section 42
A generally axially extending shoulder surface 18 having a reduced cross-section with respect to the inner cross-section of 2. A gas spring according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder surface serves as a stop for the outwardly directed projection 20 and defines one of the end positions of the mounting sleeve 16 relative to the piston rod 2. Device. 15 The outward protrusion 20 is the piston rod 2
Claim 1 consisting of a circular clip 20 inserted into an annular groove 41 in an outer surface 40 of the
Gas spring device according to item 4. 16 The annular groove 41 is deep enough to resiliently hold the circular clip 20, so that it can be inserted into the mounting sleeve 16 beyond the circular clip 20 during the initial installation of the mounting sleeve 16 onto the piston rod 2. 16. Gas spring arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the second axial section 44 of the side surface 17 is passable. 17 A tapered surface 46 is provided at one end of the mounting sleeve 16 adjacent to the second axial section 44 of the inner surface 17, said tapered surface 46 being provided at one end of the mounting sleeve 16 adjacent to the second axial section 44 of the inner surface 17; 17. A gas spring arrangement as claimed in claim 16, in which the spring provides a restraining force on the circular clip. 18. The air movement mechanism 57, 59, 60 has a spring 61 that biases the object to be attached and the cylinder 1 toward one end of the restricted air movement. Gas spring device. 19. Gas spring device according to claim 18, in which the spring 61 exerts a smaller force than the biasing medium. 20. The gas spring device according to claim 1, wherein the air movement mechanisms 57, 59, and 60 enable air movement in the axial direction. 21. The gas spring device according to claim 1, wherein the pneumatic mechanisms 57, 59, 60 cooperate with the holding members 14, 16 provided on the piston rod 2. 22 When connected to a structure consisting of an object 47 that is movable on a motion trajectory, the movement of the object 47 is resisted by an external force in a first segment of the trajectory and in a second segment of the trajectory. In this case, the above-mentioned external force hardly acts on the object 47, and the spring device is applied to the object 47 in such a manner that within the first section of the trajectory, the movement of the movable object 47 is assisted against the external force. 2. A gas spring according to claim 1, which is connected to the pneumatic mechanism 18, 20 and allows the movement of the object 47 without the action of a force by the spring device in the second section of the track. Device. 23. The gas spring device according to claim 22, wherein the object 47 is a movable roof.