NL2032004B1

NL2032004B1 - Hinge for connecting a hatch to a cargo space of a road bound transport vehicle

Info

Publication number: NL2032004B1
Application number: NL2032004A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Antonius Johannes Maes Adrianus
Original assignee: A Van Tilburg Beheer B V
Priority date: 2022-05-27
Filing date: 2022-05-27
Publication date: 2023-06-22

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hinge conﬁgured to connect a hatch to a cargo space of a road bound transport vehicle, the hinge comprising a ﬁrst connector conﬁgured to be connected to the cargo space, a second connector conﬁgured to be connected to the hatch, a spacer arranged between the ﬁrst connector and the second connector, a ﬁrst pivot axis pivotally connecting the spacer to the ﬁrst connector, and a second pivot axis pivotally connecting the spacer to the second connector; - wherein the spacer deﬁnes an offset between the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis that is configured to deﬁne a horizontal distance between the cargo space and the hatch in an opened state of the hatch.

Description

HINGE FOR CONNECTING A HATCH TO A CARGO SPACE OF A ROAD BOUND

TRANSPORT VEHICLE

The present invention relates to a hinge for connecting a hatch at a side wall or a back wall of a cargo space of a road vehicle, such as a lorry or truck, a trailer that is connectable to a lorry/truck. or any other type of comparable road bound transport vehicle.

Known hinges for connecting a hatch at a side wall or a back wall of a cargo space comprise certain disadvantages that the herein disclosed invention is intended to resolve.

Firstly, hatches connected to lorries by means of prior-art hinges are known to occupy a significant amount of space when said hatches are in an opened state to facilitate loading or unloading of the cargo space. This is because when in this opened state, the hatch extends slanted in a horizontal direction relative to the (cargo space of the) road bound transport vehicle to which said hatch 1s connected by means of the prior-art hinge. This, in turn, makes it difficult to retrieve items or products from the cargo space during loading or unloading.

Secondly, hatches connected by means of prior-art hinges should be opened with great caution to avoid an operator’s hand or other body part being caught between hatch and the exterior of the cargo space. Because cargo space hatches are typically made of solid metal and thus comprise a significant weight. the injuries caused by such accidents can be significant.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a hinge for connecting a hatch at or to a cargo space of a road bound transport vehicle with which the disadvantages of known hinges are reduced or abated.

This objective is achieved with a hinge according to the present invention, said hinge being configured to connect a hatch to a cargo space of a road bound transport vehicle, comprising a first connector configured to be connected to the cargo space, a second connector configured to be connected to the hatch, a spacer arranged between the first connector and the second connector, a first pivot axis pivotally connecting the spacer to the first connector, and a second pivot axis pivotally connecting the spacer to the second connector, wherein the spacer defines an offset between the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis that is configured to define a horizontal distance between the cargo space and the hatch in an opened state of the hatch.

By means of the hereabove hinge, a hatch connected to a cargo space extends substantially vertical relative to the road bound transport vehicle or cargo space to which said hatch is connected, in an opened state of said hatch. As such, a footprint of the road bound transport vehicle or cargo space is significantly reduced in this opened state of the hatch and unloading of the cargo space is made significantly less cumbersome.

Moreover, by means of the hereabove hinge an intermediate space is maintained along substantially the entire horizontal length of the hatch between said hatch and the cargo space. This allows a road bound transport vehicle manufacturer to optimally use the total width of the vehicle, for example for positioning fuel tanks, while it is effectively prevented that the hatch contacts said fuel tanks when the hatch is opened. Additionally, the intermediate space prevents that body parts may accidentally get caught or trapped.

In a preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the hinge further comprises a first stop configured to limit a rotational movement of the spacer relative to the first connector.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the first stop is arranged on the spacer.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the first stop is configured to abut against a face of the first connector.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the first stop is configured to block pivoting of the spacer relative to the first connector when the spacer is oriented substantially horizontal relative to the cargo space.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the hinge further comprises a second stop configured to limit a rotational movement of the second connector relative to the spacer.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the second stop is arranged on the spacer.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the second stop is configured to abut against a face of the second connector.

In a further preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention, the second stop is configured to block pivoting of the second connector relative to the spacer when the hatch 1s oriented substantially upright relative to the cargo space.

In the hereabove embodiments, a fully opened or closed state of the hatch that is connected to the cargo space by means of the aforementioned hinge can be maintained by blocking further mutual rotational movement of the spacer and the first and second connectors.

The objective of the present invention is moreover achieved with a road bound transport vehicle having a cargo space with at least one hatch, wherein the hatch is connected to the cargo space by means of a hinge according to any one of the hereabove embodiments.

The present invention will now be elucidated with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a rear view of a road bound transport vehicle having a cargo space with hatches connected to the cargo space by means of hinges according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the hinges of Fig. 1 in, respectively. closed and opened states;

Fig. 4A to Fig. 4E depict successive states of the hinge of the foregoing figures during opening of said hatch; and

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the hinge of the foregoing figures.

The following reference signs are used throughout: d horizontal distance 1 cargo space 2 side wall 3 hatch 4 baseplate 5 hinge 7 first connector 9 second connector 11 spacer 13 first pivot axis second pivot axis 17 first stop 15 18 face of first connector 21 second stop 23 further face of second connector

Referring now to Fig. 1, a road bound transport vehicle comprises a cargo space 1 with one or more hatches 3. The one or more hatches 3 are arranged along the back and/or sides of the cargo space 1 and may be folded downward to provide access to an interior of the cargo space 1. In Fig. 1, the hatches 3 are disposed directly onto side walls 2 of a baseplate 4 of the cargo space 1, so that these hatches 3 form substantially the entire side walls or back walls of the cargo space 1.

Alternatively, the hatches 3 may be disposed on upward standing side walls (not shown) of the cargo space 1.

Fig. 2 depicts one of the hatches 3 of Fig. 1 in an upward, closed state of the hatch. As can be discerned from this figure, the hinge 5 comprises a first connector 7 configured to be connected to the cargo space 1. The connection between the first connector 7 and the cargo space 1 may, for example, be constituted by a weld or bolt-and-nut connection.

The hinge 5 moreover comprises a second connector 9 configured to be connected to the hatch 3. Like the connection between the first connector 7 and the cargo space 1, this connection between the second connector 9 and the cargo space 1 may be constituted by a weld or nut-and- bolt connection.

The first connector 7 and the second connector 9 are connected to one another by means of a spacer 11, which is arranged between the first connector 7 and the second connector 9. The connection between the first connector 7 and the spacer 11 is constituted by a first pivot axis 13 that pivotally connects the spacer 11 to the first connector 7. As such, the first connector 7 and the spacer 11 may rotate relative to one another around the first pivot axis 13.

The hinge 5 furthermore comprises a second pivot axis 15 pivotally connecting the spacer 11 to the second connector 9. Like the first connector 7 and the spacer 11 that may rotate relative to one another around the first pivot axis 13, the second connector 9 and the spacer 11 may rotate relative to one another around the second pivot axis 15.

The first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis 15 are arranged at substantially opposite ends of the spacer 11, with the first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis having an intermediate distance therebetween. This offset between the first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis 15 defines a horizontal distance d between the cargo space 1 and the hatch 3 in an opened state of the hatch 3. This opened state of the hatch 3 is depicted in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 3, the hatch 3 is in an opened state as is the most right hatch 3 in Fig. 1. As can be discerned from this figure, the offset of the spacer 11 defined by the intermediate distance between the first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis 15 results in the hatch 3 extending parallel to the (side wall 2 of) the base plate 4 at a horizontal distance d.

Known prior-art hinges result in the hatch 3 sloping outward in an opened state of the hatch 3. This results in it being relatively difficult to load or unload goods into/from the cargo space 1, because some space must be maintained around the cargo space 1 to provide space for the outwardly sloping hatch 3; and goods must be lifted over this outwardly sloping hatch 3 while the cargo space 1 is loaded or unloaded. In contrast, the hinge 5 according to the present invention extends substantially vertical and parallel to the cargo space 1, with relatively little space around the cargo space 1 being required to facilitate loading and unloading.

Moreover, relative to prior-art hinges 5 for connecting a hatch 3 at a side wall or a back wall 2 of a cargo space 1, the hinge 5 according to the present also results in an increased level of safety during opening of the hatch 3. This is because with known prior-art hinges, little to no space is maintained between the cargo space 1 and a top section of the hatch 3 — near the hinge 5 — in an opened state of the hatch 3. Here, a hand or a finger of a user can be easily caught between the hatch 3 and (a side wall 2 or back wall 2 of the baseplate 4 of) the cargo space 1. In contrast to these prior-art hinges 5, the horizontal distance d between the hatch 3 and the cargo space 1, which is defined by the offset between the first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis 15, is sufficient to ensure that e.g. a hand or finger of a user cannot be caught therebetween.

The offset between the first pivot axis 13 and the second pivot axis 15 may, for example, be approximately 5-10 cm.

Fig. 4A to 4E depicts five subsequent states of the hinge 5 having the hatch 3 connected thereto during an opening of the hatch 3.

In Fig. 4A, the hatch 3 is in a closed state and extends substantially parallel to the cargo space 1 to which it is connected via hinge 5 and extends substantially perpendicular to the base plate 4 of the cargo space 1.

During a subsequent opening of the hatch 3 as depicted in Fig. 4B, the hatch 3 rotates 5 outwardly relative to the cargo space 1 along the first pivot axis 13 and/or the second pivot axis 15.

Fig. 4C and Fig. 4D respectively depict subsequent states of the hatch 3 during an opening of this hatch 3 until the hatch finally reaches the fully opened state depicted in Fig. 4D.

With reference now to moreover Fig. 5, the hinge 5 comprises means to limit rotational movement of the first connector 7 and the second connector 9 relative to the spacer 11. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 5, the spacer 11 comprises two first stops 17 that are configured to abut a face 18 of the first connector 7, to thereby limit the rotation of the spacer 11 relative to the first connector 7. A state of the hinge 5 wherein this first stop 17 of the spacer 11 abuts against the face 18 of the first connector 7 — with the rotational movement of the spacer 11 therefore being limited relative to the first connector 7 — is depicted in Fig. 4C. In this state of the hinge 5, further pivoting of the spacer 11 relative to the first connector 7 is blocked while the spacer 11 is oriented substantially horizontal relative to the cargo space 1, the side wall 2 of the baseplate 4 and the first connector 7.

As can moreover be discerned from Fig. 5, the hinge 5 moreover comprises a second stop 21 configured to limit a rotational movement of the second connector 9 relative to the spacer 11. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, this second stop 21 is likewise arranged on the spacer 11 and configured to abut against a further face 23 of the second connector 9.

This second stop 21 is configured to abut against a face 23 of the second connecter 9 to thereby block further pivoting of the second connector 9 relative to the spacer 11 in the state depicted in Fig. 4A. In this state, the hatch 3 is oriented substantially upright relative to the cargo space 1, the side wall 2 of the baseplate 4 and extends substantially perpendicular to the base plate 4 of the cargo space 1. As such, further pivoting of the second connector 9 is prevented and the state of the hinge 3 is maintained.

The second stop 21, in particular a notch of the second stop 21, may come to rest against or on the first connector 7 in the closed state of the hatch 3, as particularly clear from Figures 2, 4A ands.

All Figures show embodiments in which the spacer 11 has rotational symmetry over 180° about a mathematical axis of rotation lying between the first and second pivot axes 13, 15.

Further, all Figures show embodiments in which the spacer 11 is configured such that, in the closed state of the hatch 3, the second pivot axis 15 lies between the first pivot axis 13 and the cargo space 1, as seen along the horizontal distance between the cargo space and the hatch defined in an opened state of the hatch.

While the present invention has been elucidated hereabove with reference to the hinge 5, the invention also encompasses a road bound transport vehicle having a cargo space with at least one hatch, wherein the hatch is connected to the cargo space by means of a hinge as described hereabove.

It is noted here that the scope of protection for the developments described in the present disclosure are by no means limited to any particular feature of the embodiments described above and illustrated in the appended drawing. The scope of protection is exclusively determined based on the limitations of the appended independent claims, but may, in some jurisdictions, even encompass obvious alternatives for features in the independent claims. For example, while the hereabove described first and second stops 17, 21 are disclosed as being disposed on the spacer 11, itis conceivable that these first and second stops 17, 21 are alternatively disposed on, respectively, the first and second connectors 7, 9 and are configured to abut faces arranged on the spacer 11.

Other variations for specifically described elements, components and functionalities, that may also be embodied within the scope of the appended claims of the present disclosure, have been atleast hinted at in the above embodiment description or the skilled person may be considered to be able to contemplate these variations within the range of this skilled person’s general knowledge.

This exemplary reference to alternative embodiments substantiates that any limitation to any specific feature that is not defined as a limitation in the independent claims is unwarranted.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

1. Hinge (5) adapted to connect a flap (3) to a loading space (1) of a road transport vehicle, comprising: - a first connector (7), which is adapted to be connected to the loading space (1x - a second connector (9), which is adapted to be connected to the valve (3), - a spacer (11), which is arranged between the first connector (7) and the second connector (9): - a first hinge axis ( 13), which pivotally connects the spacer (11) to the first connector (7); and - a second pivot shaft (15), which pivotally connects the spacer (11) to the second connector (9); - wherein the spacer (11 ) defines an intermediate distance between the first hinge axis (13) and the second hinge axis (15), which defines a horizontal distance (d) between the loading space (1) and the flap (3) in an open state of the flap.

The hinge (5) according to claim 1, further comprising a first stop (17) adapted to limit rotational movement of the spacer (11) relative to the first connector (7).

The hinge (5) according to claim 2, wherein the first stop (17) is mounted on the spacer (11),

The hinge (5) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first stop (17) is adapted to abut a face (18) of the first connector (7).

The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first stop (17) is arranged to block the pivoting of the spacer (11) relative to the first connector (7) in the open position of the valve (3).

The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second stop (21) adapted to limit a rotational movement of the second connector (9) relative to the spacer (11).

The hinge (5) according to claim 6, wherein the second stop (21) is mounted on the spacer (11).

The hinge (5) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second stop (21) is adapted to abut a face (23) of the second connector (9).

9. The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims 6 - 8, wherein the second stop (21), preferably a cam of the second stop (21), is arranged to rest against or on the first connector (7). in the closed position of the valve (3).

The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims 6 - 9, wherein the second stop (21) is arranged to block the pivoting of the second connector (9) relative to the spacer (11) in the closed position. condition of the valve (3).

The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spacer (11) exhibits rotational symmetry over 180° with an axis of rotation located between the first hinge axis (13) and the second hinge axis (15).

The hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge (5) is arranged such that the second hinge axis (15) extends along the horizontal distance (4) seen between the first hinge axis (13) and the loading space. (1) is in a closed state of the valve (3).

13. Road bound transport vehicle with a cargo area (1) with at least one flap (3). wherein the flap (3) is connected by means of a hinge (5) according to any one of the preceding claims.