Assembly for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10208525-B2
Application number	US-201615016780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

An assembly for a vehicle having a supporting housing includes a drive unit, a moveably supported camera unit for recording a surrounding area of the vehicle, an actuation element, a mechanical return element, and a support element, which is coupled to the mechanical return element, wherein the mechanical return element exerts a return force that retains the actuation element in the standby position, or forces the actuation element into the standby position when the camera unit is in the standby position. The return element is supported on the support element. An assembly is thus created in structurally simple manner, which is distinguished by a small installation space, and which can be operated in an energy efficient manner. The support element can be moved in relation to the supporting housing. Also, the drive unit is coupled to the support element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for a vehicle, in particular for a rear hatch of a vehicle, having a supporting housing, which is to be disposed in an opening of an outer shell of the vehicle, including a drive unit, which is attached to the supporting housing, a moveably supported camera unit, which is accommodated on the supporting housing and coupled to the drive unit, in order to be moved between at least a standby position and an active position, in which a surrounding area of the vehicle can be recorded, an actuation element supported on the supporting housing, which is designed such that it can be moved between a standby position that covers the camera unit and an open position, and which is designed for unlocking and/or opening the rear hatch, a mechanical return element, which is coupled to the actuation element, and a support element, which is coupled to the mechanical return element, wherein the mechanical return element exerts a return force that retains the actuation element in the standby position, or that forces the actuation element into the standby position when the camera unit is in the standby position, and is supported on the support element, wherein the support element can be moved in relation to the supporting housing and wherein the drive unit is coupled to the support element,
wherein the support element can be pivoted about an axle supported on the supporting housing and is designed such that it can be moved between an initial position, in which the camera unit is disposed in the standby position, and an operating position, in which the camera unit is disposed in the active position,
wherein the support element includes a first lever arm, on which a bearing surface for the mechanical return element is formed,
wherein, when the camera unit is moved from the standby position into the active position, the relative position of the bearing surface of the first lever arm in relation to the actuation element does not change,
wherein, when the camera unit is moved from the standby position into the active position, the support element moves from the initial position into the operating position and pulls the actuation element into its open position.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation element can be moved against the return force applied by the return element into the open position when the camera unit is in the standby position, which actuation element is designed for unlocking and/or opening the rear hatch.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical return element comprises an elastic spring element.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the spring element is relaxed or subjected to a pre-tensioning that retains the actuation element in its standby position when the support element is in the initial position and the actuation element is in the standby position.

5. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the support element is retained in the initial position when the camera unit is in the standby position, such that the spring element is elastically compressed when the actuation element is in the open position as a result of a relative displacement of the actuation element in relation to the support element.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the support element is pivotably supported on the supporting housing, wherein the support element is retained in the initial position by a retaining force that is greater than the return force of the elastic spring element.

7. The assembly according to claim 3 , wherein a movement pin is formed on the first lever arm, wherein the movement pin interacts with a movement path formed on the actuation element.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the elastic spring element forces the movement pin into the movement path.

9. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the actuation element can be pivoted about a pivot axle supported on the supporting housing, between the standby position and the open position, wherein, when moved into the operating position, the movement pin bears against an end point or end surface of the movement path of the support element, such that the movement pin of the support element pulls the actuation element in to its open position when the support element is moved from the initial position into the operating position.

10. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the pivot axle is simultaneously also the axle that supports the support element.

11. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein, when the camera unit is moved from the standby position into the active position, the position of the bearing surface of the first lever arm in relation to the actuation element does not change, such that the spring element is relaxed, or subjected to pre-tension that retains the relative position of the bearing surface to the actuation element, both during the movement of the camera unit from the standby position into the active position, as well as when the support element is in the operating position and the actuation element is in the open position.

12. The assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the first lever arm of the support element, or a second lever arm of the support element is moveably coupled to the drive unit.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the support element is moveably coupled to the drive unit via the camera unit.

14. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the second lever arm is designed as a flap element, which covers the camera unit when the support element is in the initial position, and which is disposed such that it is pivoted about the axle when the support element is in the operating position, such that the camera unit can be moved into the active position, in order to record a surrounding area of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Schuetz Heiko
• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Schuetz Heiko

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• B60R11/04 Primary

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• E05F15/73 Primary

  responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects · CPC title

• H04N5/77

  between a recording apparatus and a television camera · CPC title