Rotational speed reduction device for truck tailgate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321491-B2
Application number	US-201214232410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2012
Priority date	Jul 28, 2011
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A rotational speed reduction device 1 for a truck tailgate includes a housing 5 , a rotor 8 disposed inside the housing 5 , a viscous fluid 14 a accommodated in an inner space 13 a , passages 15 a and 16 a provided in the rotor 8 , a one-way valve 19 disposed in the passage 15 a , and a one-way valve 20 a disposed in the passage 16 a.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate comprising:
a housing having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface and an inward protrusion formed integrally on the inner peripheral surface in such a manner as to protrude radially inwardly from the inner peripheral surface;
a rotor which has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface opposing the inner peripheral surface of said housing and has an outward protrusion formed integrally on the outer peripheral surface in such a manner as to protrude radially outwardly from the outer peripheral surface, and which is rotatably disposed inside said housing;
a viscous fluid accommodated in an inner space which is defined by the inner peripheral surface of said housing, the outer peripheral surface of said rotor, and side surfaces of the inward protrusion opposing each other in a rotational direction, and which is partitioned into two, a first and a second, chambers, by the outward protrusion of said rotor;
a first and a second passage provided in said rotor so as to allow the two, the first and the second, chambers to communicate with each other;
a first one-way valve disposed in said first passage such that, in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in one direction corresponding to the rotation in an opening direction of a truck tailgate, the flow of said viscous fluid from one of the two chambers to another one thereof through said first passage is allowed by an increase by more than a fixed level of the internal pressure of said viscous fluid in the one of the two chambers owing to the rotation in the one direction, whereas, in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in another direction corresponding to the rotation in a closing direction of the truck tailgate, the flow of said viscous fluid from the other chamber to the one chamber through said first passage is inhibited; and
a second one-way valve disposed in said second passage such that, in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the one direction, the flow of said viscous fluid from the one chamber to the other chamber through said second passage is inhibited, whereas, in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the other direction, the flow of said viscous fluid from the other chamber to the one chamber through said second passage is allowed,
wherein said first one-way valve has a valve seat formed in said rotor, a spherical body which is seated on the valve seat and is movably disposed in said rotor, and a resilient member which is, at one end thereof, brought into contact with the spherical body so as to resiliently press the spherical body against the valve seat,
said second passage has at least one notch formed in a protruding end of the outward protrusion, and
said second one-way valve has a valve element provided at the protruding end of the outward protrusion movably in the rotational direction in such a manner as to straddle the protruding end of the outward protrusion,
the valve element including a completely closing piece portion disposed on one surface of the outward protrusion which receives the internal pressure of said viscous fluid in the one chamber, so as to inhibit the flow of said viscous fluid from the one chamber to the other chamber through said second passage by closing the notch in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the one direction, an incompletely closing piece portion disposed on another surface of the outward protrusion which receives the internal pressure of said viscous fluid in the other chamber, so as to allow the flow of said viscous fluid from the other chamber to the one chamber through said second passage by partially closing the notch in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the other direction, and a connecting portion which is disposed at the protruding end of the outward protrusion and which is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of said housing and the protruding end of the outward protrusion slidably in the rotational direction, so as to connect together the completely closing piece portion and the incompletely closing piece portion,
wherein said rotor includes a rotor body which has the outer peripheral surface of the rotor with the outward protrusion formed integrally thereon and a first hollow cylindrical body which is fitted inside the rotor body, said first passage being formed in the rotor body and the first hollow cylindrical body, the spherical body being disposed in a hollow portion of the first hollow cylindrical portion, and the valve seat being formed in the first hollow cylindrical body, and
said first passage includes a third passage which is formed in the rotor body by being defined by an outer surface of the first hollow cylindrical body and which is open at one end thereof to the one chamber; a through hole defined by the valve seat in such a manner as to communicate at one end thereof with the third passage and communicate at another end thereof with the hollow portion; a first slit formed in the first hollow cylindrical body and communicating at one end thereof with the hollow portion; and a second slit formed in the rotor body and communicating at one end thereof with the first slit and open at another end thereof to the other chamber.

2. The rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate according to claim 1 , wherein said housing includes a second hollow cylindrical body having the cylindrical inner peripheral surface which defines the inner space and has the inward protrusion formed integrally thereon, a cover portion provided integrally on one axial end portion of the second hollow cylindrical body, and a cover member which is attached at another axial end portion of the second hollow cylindrical body and has a through hole in its center.

3. The rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate according to claim 1 , wherein the inward protrusion has a protrusion body formed integrally on the inner peripheral surface of the housing and a seal member by which a protruding end portion of the protrusion body is covered and which is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of said rotor slidably in the rotational direction.

4. The rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate according to claim 1 , wherein the spherical body is disposed in said first passage such that, at the time of receiving the internal pressure of said viscous fluid from the other chamber in the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the other direction, the spherical body is seated on the valve seat to close said first passage, whereas, at the time of receiving the internal pressure of said viscous fluid, which has increased by more than a fixed level, from the one chamber due to the rotation of said rotor with respect to said housing in the one direction, the spherical body is moved away from the valve seat to open said first passage.

5. The rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate according to claim 1 , wherein, at the time of receiving the internal pressure of said viscous fluid from the one chamber, the completely closing piece portion is adapted to close the notch by coming into contact with the one surface of the outward protrusion, whereas, at the time when the incompletely closing piece portion receives the internal pressure of said viscous fluid from the other chamber, the completely closing piece portion is adapted to move away from the surface of the outward protrusion in consequence of the movement of the connecting portion entailed by the movement of the incompletely closing piece portion toward the other surface of the outward protrusion.

6. The rotational speed reduction device for a truck tailgate according to claim 1 , wherein said

Assignees

• Horita Naohiro
• Kaneko Ryohei
• Oiles Industry Co Ltd

Inventors

• Horita Naohiro
• Kaneko Ryohei

Classifications

• B62D33/03 Primary

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05F5/022

  specially adapted for vehicles, e.g. for hoods or trunks · CPC title

• F16F9/145 Primary

  involving only rotary movement of the effective parts (wing closers or openers with fluid brakes of the rotary type E05F3/14) · CPC title

• B62D33/027

  movable · CPC title