Motor vehicle flap arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656544-B2
Application number	US-201514642011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A flap arrangement is provided for a motor vehicle with a moveably mounted flap that is in particular a preloaded tank flap, a holder for fixing the flap, an actuator for actuating the holder, and a switch for selectively operating the actuator. The actuator is equipped in order to actuate the holder for fixing and for releasing the flap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flap arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising:
a flap positionable with respect to a body member, the flap having a first threaded member formed thereon;
a spindle supported on the body member for rotation about an axis of rotation, the spindle having a second threaded member formed thereon and configured to engage the first threaded member for fixing the flap with respect to the body member;
an actuator operably coupled to the spindle for rotating and counter-rotating the spindle; and
a switch coupled to the actuator for operating the actuator;
wherein the actuator is operable to rotate the spindle for threading the first and second threaded members to fix the flap in a fixed position and to counter-rotate the spindle for unthreading the first and second threaded members to release the flap from the fixed position;
wherein the spindle is shiftably mounted on the body for translation along the axis of rotation, and the actuator includes a motor, a drive gear coupled to the motor and a driven gear coupled to the drive gear, the driven gear rotationally fixed on the spindle.

2. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed position of the flap is adjustable with the spindle in a guided manner.

3. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spindle is shiftably positionable within the driven gear along the axis of rotation.

4. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the driven gear is coupled to the spindle in a rotationally fixed and axially shiftable manner by at least one of a Woodruff key, a fitted key, a sliding key, a splined interface, a serrated profile or a polygon profile.

5. The flap arrangement according claim 1 , wherein a toothing of the driven gear comprises a helical toothing.

6. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation of the drive gear is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the driven gear.

7. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a tooth width of the driven gear is smaller than a shifting travel of the spindle for fixing and for releasing the flap.

8. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises an electric motor.

9. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the switch is operable in response to a manual movement of the flap relative to the spindle.

10. The flap arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the actuator based on at least one of an actuation, an actuation duration, an actuation sequence, a state of the flap, a central locking signal, a power supply and a force.

11. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body having a body member and a flap arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the flap is mounted the body member.

12. A flap arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising:
a flap positionable with respect to a body member, the flap having a first threaded member formed thereon;
a spindle supported on the body member for rotation about an axis of rotation and translation along the axis of rotation, the spindle having a second threaded member formed thereon and configured to engage the first threaded member for fixing the flap with respect to the body member;
an actuator operably coupled to the spindle for rotating and counter-rotating the spindle, the actuator including a motor, a drive gear coupled to the motor and a driven gear coupled to the drive gear, wherein the spindle is rotationally fixed to and slidably positionable in the driven gear; and
a switch coupled to the actuator for operating the actuator in response to a manual movement of the flap relative to the spindle;
wherein the actuator is operable to rotate the spindle for threading the first and second threaded members to fix the flap in a fixed position and to counter-rotate the spindle for unthreading the first and second threaded members to release the flap from the fixed position.

13. The flap arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the driven gear is coupled to the spindle by at least one of a Woodruff key, a fitted key, a sliding key, a splined interface, a serrated profile or a polygon profile.

14. The flap arrangement according claim 12 , wherein a toothing of the driven gear comprises a helical toothing.

15. The flap arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein an axis of rotation of the drive gear is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the driven gear.

16. The flap arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein a tooth width of the driven gear is smaller than a shifting travel of the spindle for fixing and for releasing the flap.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Frommann Markus
• Betzen Heiko

Classifications

• B60K15/04

  Tank inlets (B60K15/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K2015/0425

  actuated by a motor · CPC title

• B60K15/0406

  Filler caps for fuel tanks · CPC title

• B60K2015/0576

  with actuator fixed to the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60K15/05 Primary

  Inlet covers · CPC title