AND CLOSING OF DOORS, PREFERABLY APPLIED TO CARS, TRAINS,

AIRPLANES OR YACHTS.

* * *

The present invention regards a mechanical device supporting the opening and closing of doors, preferably applied to cars, trains, airplanes or yachts.

More in particular, this device permits to embed a motion by using a chain of gears and shafts, and this motion is kinetically related to the mechanism of the articulated parallelogram, commonly known as pantograph hinge. This device can be applied in example to doors of yachts and boats, to doors of cars and coaches, to doors of trains and airplanes.

As known, hinges are commonly used in the field of mechanics in order to move doors, and in order to achieve two solid objects where one rotates in respect to the other, with reference to a fixed axis that is usually the geometrical axis of the hinge.

For specific applications, in example in case of doors applied to trains, airplanes or coaches, the thickness of the structures often requires the opening in two steps: a first step of release and motion forward of the door in respect to its housing, and a second step of rotation and lateral shift in respect to some fixed hinges.

Nowadays, some specific supporting and rigid elements, having a curved profile, are installed on fixed hinges in order to achieve this combined motion.

The rigid elements are usually composed of metallic rods that are jointed at one extremity to respective hinges, and at the other extremity to the middle part of the door that should be moved. The system permits to achieve a rotation arm characterised by a wider length, in respect to the standard hinges, and a opening process that first moves the door forward perpendicularly to its housing, and then makes it to shift laterally.

Usually this type of devices take a significant amount of space and have a visible aesthetical impact, because when the door is closed the above rods having a curved profile are visible inside and they lean to the inner space.

Furthermore, these devices often require some additional components in order to provide a proper motion of the door all along its path, and in order to support the weight of the same door, including some additional rails further increasing the complexity and the cost of the entire structure.

In addition, the above said metallic rods define a rotation arm having a fixed length in respect to the hinge jointed to the vehicle, with a consequent motion path following an arc, that causes a significant leaning outside of the door in respect to the vehicle during the respective opening and closing process.

Furthermore, in all the applications where it is required that the door stays in a direction that is parallel to the vehicle, at each step of the motion process, it is necessary to install additional hinges and/or rails that further increase the complexity and the cost of the entire structure.

Therefore, the present invention overcomes all the above drawbacks, its main objective being to propose a mechanical device supporting the opening and closing of doors, preferably applied to cars, trains, airplanes or yachts, and achieving a motion process combined by two steps: a first step of release and motion forward of the door in respect to its housing, and a second step of rotation and lateral shift in respect to the hinges fixed to a vehicle or to a specific structure. The device achieves this goal by using a chain of gears and shafts, and embeds a motion that is kinetically related to the mechanism of the articulated parallelogram.

Another objective of the invention is to embed said device into a structure and, in the position when the door is closed, to achieve that the same device would be not visible from the outside, without leaning inside the inner space of the vehicle.

Another further objective is that the device should be completely and perfectly sufficient to support the weight of said door, and at the same time to direct and guide its motion, without requiring some additional hinges and/or rails to be installed.

A further objective is that the device achieves that the door stays in a direction parallel to the vehicle, at each step of the motion process, without requiring some additional hinges and/or rails to be installed.

Another further objective is that the device achieves a rotation arm characterised by a variable length during the motion process, in respect to the hinge jointed to the vehicle, with a consequent decrease of the part of door leaning outside of the vehicle during the respective opening and closing process.

Therefore, it is specific subject of the present invention a mechanical device supporting the opening and closing of doors, preferably applied to cars, trains, airplanes or yachts, characterised in that comprising:

- a first element, preferably jointed to an outer fixed structure, that further includes a first vertical shaft that is fixed and jointed to said first element and having at the lower side a first conical gear that is either fixed and jointed to said first element; - a second element, connected and free to rotate in respect to the first one, using said first vertical shaft as a hinge, said second element having a first horizontal shaft free to rotate on itself and being transversal in respect to said first vertical shaft; said first horizontal shaft including, at the extremity close to the first element, a second conical gear that is coupled mechanically to the first one, so that a counter-clockwise rotation of the second element in respect to the first one causes, through the gears, a related clockwise rotation of said first horizontal shaft on itself; said first horizontal shaft including, at the extremity far from the first element, a third conical gear that is coupled mechanically: at the higher side to a fourth conical gear, and at the lower side to a fifth conical gear, both placed one in front of the other on a second vertical shaft, that is a hinge between the second element and a third element: with the fourth gear being free to rotate in respect to the vertical shaft while the fifth gear being jointed to the same second vertical shaft;

- a third element, connected and free to rotate in respect to the second one, using said second vertical shaft as a hinge, said third element having a second horizontal shaft free to rotate on itself and being transversal in respect to said second vertical shaft; said second horizontal shaft including, at the extremity close to the second element, a sixth conical gear that is coupled mechanically at the higher side to the fourth one, so that a clockwise rotation of said first horizontal shaft on itself causes, through the gears a related counter-clockwise rotation of said second horizontal shaft on itself, and causes at the same time a counterclockwise rotation of said third element in respect to the second one; said second horizontal shaft including, at the extremity far from the second element, a seventh conical gear that is coupled mechanically to a eighth conical gear placed on a third vertical shaft, that is a hinge between the third element and a fourth element;

- a fourth element, connected and free to rotate in respect to the third one, using said third vertical shaft as a hinge, so that a counter-clockwise rotation of said second horizontal shaft on itself causes, through the gears, a related clockwise rotation of said fourth element in respect to the third one.

With reference to the known devices, the present invention is characterized by a series of further advantages, like in example: the fact of enabling a fast, precise and reliable motion of the mechanical components; the fact of presenting an improved aestetical view of the inner side of the vehicles; the fact of not requiring additional components, achieving therefore a cheaper cost of materials lead to a reliable product in the long period. The present invention will now be described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mechanical device, according to the present invention, in a closed position;

Figure 2 is a lateral view of the same device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the same device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the same device of Figure 1 , in a halfway position, with the second element rotated of an angle of 45 degrees in respect to the first element;

Figure 5 is a top view of the same device of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a lateral view of the same device of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the same device of Figure 1 , in a open position, with the second element rotated of an angle of 90 degrees in respect to the first element;

Figure 8 is a top view of the same device of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a lateral view of the same device of Figure 7;

Figures 10-18 are respective perspective views of the mechanical device in a sequence going from the closed position of Figure 1 to the open position of Figure 7.

It is here underlined that only few of the many conceivable embodiments of the present invention are described, which are just some specific non-limiting examples, having the possibility to describe many other embodiments based on the disclosed technical solutions of the present invention.

Figures 1-3 show a mechanical device 100, according to the present invention, supporting the opening and closing of doors, preferably applied to cars, trains, airplanes or yachts.

The device 100 permits to embed a motion by using a chain of gears and shafts, and this motion is kinetically related to the mechanism of the articulated parallelogram, commonly known as pantograph hinge.

The device 100 is composed essentially by four elements 101 , 102, 103, 104, where the first element 101 is preferably jointed to an external fixed structure, and the other elements 102, 103, 104 are articulated each other by using respective hinges 105, 106, 107. Usually, said door is attached to the most distant element 104 so that the motion of device 100 represents a guiding mean and a support to the motion of the same door from a closed position to a open position, and vice versa. For example, the device 100 can be applied to doors of yachts and boats, to doors of cars and coaches, to doors of trains and airplanes.

The first element 101 includes a first vertical shaft 105 that is fixed and jointed to it, and having at the lower side a first conical gear 109 that is either fixed and jointed to it.

The second element 102 is connected and free to rotate in respect to the first one 101 using said first vertical shaft 105 as a hinge. The second element 102 has a first horizontal shaft 1 10 inside, free to rotate on itself and transversal in respect to said first vertical shaft 105. The first horizontal shaft 1 10 includes, at the extremity close to the first element 101 , a second conical gear 108 that is coupled mechanically to the first one 109.

In such a way, a counter-clockwise rotation of the second element 102 in respect to the first one 101 causes, through the gears 108, 109, a related clockwise rotation of said first horizontal shaft 1 10 on itself. The first horizontal shaft 110 further includes, at the extremity far from the first element 101 , a third conical gear 1 13 that is coupled mechanically: at the higher side to a fourth conical gear 1 14, and at the lower side to a fifth conical gear 1 12.

These are both placed one in front of the other on a second vertical shaft 106, that is a hinge between the second element 102 and the third element 103. The fourth gear 1 14 is free to rotate in respect to the vertical shaft 106 while the fifth gear 1 12 is jointed to the same second vertical shaft 106.

The third element 103 is connected and free to rotate in respect to the second one 102, using said second vertical shaft 106 as a hinge. The third element 103 has a second horizontal shaft 1 15 inside, free to rotate on itself and being transversal in respect to said second vertical shaft 106. The second horizontal shaft 1 15 includes, at the extremity close to the second element 102, a sixth conical gear 1 1 1 that is coupled mechanically at the higher side to the fourth one 114.

In such a way, a clockwise rotation of said first horizontal shaft 1 10 on itself causes, through the gears 11 1 , 1 13, 1 14, a related counter-clockwise rotation of said second horizontal shaft 115 on itself, and causes at the same time a counter-clockwise rotation of said third element 103 in respect to the second one 102.

The second horizontal shaft 1 15 includes, at the extremity far from the second element 102, a seventh conical gear 1 16 that is coupled mechanically to a eighth conical gear 1 17 placed on a third vertical shaft 107, that is a hinge between the third element 102 and a fourth element 104. The fourth element 104 is connected and free to rotate in respect to the third one 103, using said third vertical shaft 107 as a hinge. In such a way, a counter-clockwise rotation of said second horizontal shaft 115 on itself causes, through the gears 116, 1 17, a related clockwise rotation of said fourth element 104 in respect to the third one 103.

Figures 1-3 show the mechanical device 100 in a first position, called closed position, wherein: the first element 101 , second element 102 and third element 103 are aligned along the same longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the fourth element 04 is aligned, in the opposite direction, along the same longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Figures 4-6 show the mechanical device 100 in a second position, called halfway position, wherein: the first element 101 is fixed and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; the second element 102 is placed according to an angle of 45 degrees in respect to the first element 101 , using said first vertical shaft 105 as a hinge; the third element 103 is placed according to an angle of 90 degrees in respect to the first element 101 , using said second vertical shaft 106 as a hinge; and the fourth element 104 is aligned, in the opposite direction, along the same longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Figures 7-9 show the mechanical device 100 in a third position, called open position, wherein: the first element 101 is fixed and aligned along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle; the second element 102 is placed according to an angle of 90 degrees in respect to the first element 101 , using said first vertical shaft 105 as a hinge; the third element 103 is placed according to an angle of 180 degrees in respect to the first element 101 , using said second vertical shaft 106 as a hinge; and the fourth element 104 is aligned, in the opposite direction, along the same longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

Figures 10-18 show the respective steps of a sequence where the mechanical device 100 goes from the closed position of Figure 1 to the open position of Figure 7.

Further according to the invention, the structure of said door can be jointed to said fourth element 104. In such a way, during the motion from the closed position to the open position, and vice versa, said door stays in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of the vehicle, at each step of the motion process.

In all the above examples, the motion of said mechanical device 100 can be achieved under the action of a manual force given by a person, otherwise it can be achieved automatically under the action of a mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical engine. Therefore, the above examples show that the present invention achieves all the proposed objectives. In particular, it permits to obtain a mechanical device supporting the opening and closing of doors, preferably applied to cars, trains, airplanes or yachts, and achieves a motion process combined by two steps: a first step of release and motion forward of the door in respect to its housing, and a second step of rotation and lateral shift in respect to the hinges fixed to a vehicle or to a specific structure. The device achieves this goal by using a chain of gears and shafts, and embeds a motion that is kinetically related to the mechanism of the articulated parallelogram.

Further according to the invention, said device can be embedded into a structure and, in the position when the door is closed, the same device would be not visible from the outside, without leaning inside the inner space of the vehicle.

Furthermore, the device is completely and perfectly sufficient in order to support the weight of said door, and at the same time to direct and guide its motion, without requiring some additional hinges and/or rails to be installed.

Then, the device achieves that the door stays in a direction parallel to the vehicle, at each step of the motion process, without requiring some additional hinges and/or rails to be installed.

Finally, according to the invention, the device achieves a rotation arm characterised by a variable length during the motion process, in respect to the hinge jointed to the vehicle, with a consequent decrease of the part of door leaning outside of the vehicle during the respective opening and closing process.

The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is clear that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope, as defined in the enclosed claims.