EP1645834A1 - Secure hatch - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a secure door comprising a door 2 openable relative to the frame 1 by rotation about an axis 3, said axis 3 passing through at least one bearing integral with the frame 1 and at least one hinge 8, 9, 10 secured to the door 2.

The hatch comprises a damping cushion interposed between each bearing 4, 5 and each hinge 8, 9, 10. It comprises a damping rod 17 interposed between the frame 1 and the door 2 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the door 2, said link 17 comprising a first end 18 secured to the frame 1 and a second end 19 secured to the door 2.

Such a hatch is capable of damping shocks in all directions.

Description

The technical sector of the present invention is that of doors and hinges and more particularly that of devices for damping a shock exerted on the door.

It is known to practice an opening in the chassis of an equipment to allow an operator to pass the head or the bust for the purpose of observation of the external environment. When this opening is not used, it may be obstructed by a door. When in use, the door is open and forms a prominence outside the frame. The operator passing the head and / or the bust also protrudes outside the chassis. It is common that a mobile equipment, mounted on said equipment, comes during its movement, occupy the space in which is already the open door or the operator in the observation position. By way of illustration, mention may be made, for example, of a turret or a weapon system which during their rotation risks striking the door or the operator. In order to avoid a collision between said mobile equipment and the door or the operator, it is known to integrate safety devices in the control system of said equipment, prohibiting its movement in the space occupied by the door when it is opened.

In the event of an absence or a failure of said securities, the hardware may come knocking the door during its movement. The resistance of the door then ensures the safety of the operator. There is no device to date to withstand such shocks without risking the breakage of the door.

The present invention addresses these various problems by providing a door capable of withstanding a shock on the door, whatever its direction, ensuring sufficient energy absorption to ensure the holding of the door and thus the protection of the operator .

The subject of the invention is a secured hatch comprising a door that can be opened relative to the frame by rotation about an axis, said axis passing through at least one bearing secured to the frame and at least one hinge integral with the door, characterized in that it includes a cushion damper interposed between each bearing and each hinge.

The hatch may advantageously comprise at least one intermediate bearing interposed between two hinges and secured to the frame.

The cushioning cushion is elastically or plastically deformable and consists for example of elastomer or metal foam.

According to one embodiment, the hatch comprises at least one damping link inserted between the frame and the door in a direction substantially perpendicular to the door, said link comprising a first end secured to the frame and a second end secured to the door.

The damping link may advantageously comprise at each of its ends an elastic articulation.

The damping link may comprise two sliding parts relative to one another and compressing one another with a damping buffer when they are close to one another.

Advantageously, the two sliding parts of the damping link are fixed together with a pin calibrated to break at a determined effort.

The invention also relates to the application of a secured hatch to the protection of an operator in an armored vehicle against shocks that may be caused by the movements in site or in the field of a turret or a weapon.

An advantage of the hatch according to the invention is to provide protection for the operator in the event of failure of the control system of the mobile equipment.

Another advantage of the hatch is to allow to withstand a force coming from different directions.

Another advantage of the hatch is to dissipate the energy of the shock to limit the risk of rupture and / or injury.

Another advantage of the hatch lies, when using intermediate bearings, in the division of the impact energy on a larger number of damping cushions.

• la figure 1 présente une vue latérale de la trappe,
• la figure 2 présente une vue de dessus de la trappe,
• la figure 3 présente une vue en coupe selon l'axe de rotation de l'articulation,
• la figure 4 présente une vue en perspective de la biellette, et
• la figure 5 présente une vue en coupe de la biellette selon son axe.

Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description given below as an indication in relation to drawings in which:

• FIG. 1 presents a side view of the hatch,
• FIG. 2 shows a view from above of the hatch,
• FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along the axis of rotation of the articulation,
• FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of the link, and
• Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the rod along its axis.

In Figure 1, is partially shown the frame 1 of an equipment provided with a hatch according to the invention. The frame has an opening 1a to allow an operator to pass the head or bust for observation. As an illustration, the chassis 1 is the bodywork of a vehicle, for example a military vehicle, and said opening is a manhole allowing the driver or the head of the vehicle to leave the head to drive with direct vision or to perceive his environment live. This is generally preferable to seeing through viewfinders or episcopes.

The opening 1a is closed by a door 2 here shown in three distinct positions 2a, 2b, 2c and allows by its movement to close or release said opening 1a. In position 2a, the door is closed and protects the opening 1a. In the position 2b, the door is semi-open and partially releases the opening 1a. In position 2c, the door is fully open and releases the opening 1a more completely. In the two positions 2b and 2c, the operator can take out the head and / or the bust through the opening 1a. The movement of the door 2 relative to the frame 1 is made possible by the presence of a joint. This articulation comprises an axis 3, at least one bearing 4, 5 and at least one hinge 8, 9 or 10.

As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2, the axis 3 is held in position by bearings 4, 5, 6, 7 integral with the frame 1. The door 2 is fixed on the axis 3 by means of the hinges 8 , 9, 10 while allowing its rotation about said axis 3. Of course, one can provide a single hinge. FIG. 2 also illustrates the arrangement of damping cushions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 of the movement of the door. For a better damping efficiency, a damping cushion is inserted along the axis 3 between each bearing 4, 5, 6 or 7 integral with the frame and a hinge 8, 9 or 10 integral with the door 2. The damping cushions are intended mainly to withstand a shock exerted in the plane of the door 2. Such a shock is caused by a moving object from striking the door 2 in a direction D1 or D2. In the example of the armored vehicle, such a shock may be caused by the rotation of a turret bearing to meet the door 2 remained in the open position. Thus in the case of a shock in the direction D1, the door 2 will tend to move to the right in the plane of the figure. This will be cushioned by the compression of the cushion 12 between the hinge 8 and the bearing 6, the cushion 14 between the hinge 9 and the bearing 7, the cushion 16 between the hinge 10 and the bearing 5. The cushions 11, 13 and 15 are not solicited in this case. Conversely, in case of shock in the direction D2, it is the cushions 11, 13 and 15 which are compressed between, respectively, the hinge 8 and the bearing 4, the hinge 9 and the bearing 6, the hinge 10 and the bearing 7. It is advantageous to have, alternately along the axis 3, a hinge, secured to the door 2 and a bearing integral with the frame 1. It is also advantageous to distribute the load between all the damping cushions to multiply these last. For this purpose, it is also advantageous to multiply the hinges and, alternately, the bearings. If the extreme bearings 4 and 5 provide, in addition, the function of maintaining and or guiding the axis 3, the intermediate bearings 6, 7 only provide a translational stop function along the axis 3, damping cushions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 relative to the frame.

FIG. 3 partially illustrates the articulation represented in cross-section along the axis 3. In this view, the axis 3 passes through an end bearing 4 and a hinge 8. So that the rotational movement allowing the opening of the door 2 is possible, the hinge 8 has a game allowing it to rotate about the axis 3. This game can be provided at the level of the bearing 4. For the damping function is ensured, it is necessary that the hinge 8 can translate along the axis 3. The axis 3 is advantageously stopped in translation relative to the bearing 4, for example by a shoulder 3a. An intermediate bearing, such as the bearing 6, does not provide any function in the rotation of the door 2, but only a stop function in translation of the adjacent damping cushions 12, 13 and advantageously has a clearance of _6. much more important relative to the axis 3. Figure 3 shows still an alternative embodiment using damping cushions 11, 12, 13 having a particular shape dome. In the embodiment shown in this figure, there is interposed, on the hinge side, a ring 27 at the peripheral edge of these damping cushions and, on the bearing side, a spacer 26 at the inner edge of said damping cushions. This particular arrangement makes it possible to take advantage of the interesting damping properties of the material constituting these cushions when this material is stressed in shear and no longer in compression as is the case of the embodiment according to FIG.

The part of the device responsible for damping a shock coming from a direction situated in the plane of the door 2, of a direction D1 or D2, as described in FIG. 2, has been described. The device can be completed, in order to dampen an impact coming from a direction transverse to the plane of the door, such as, for example, the direction D0 shown in FIG. 1. This case corresponds, for example, to a fallout of the tube of the weapon (gun) on the door 2 disposed in the open position 2b or 2c. For such a shock direction D0, the device previously described at the joint, is completed by one (or more) rod 17. Figure 1 indicates the positioning of the rod 17 relative to the frame 1 and the door 2. The link has a substantially flat shape and comprises fastening means at each of its ends 18, 19 to the frame and to the door. The first end 18 is integral with the frame 1 and the second end 19 is secured to the door 2. The rod 17 is advantageously placed at the lateral ends of the door 2 to clear the maximum passage for the operator. In the lateral plane, shown in FIG. 1, the fastening points of the connecting rod are chosen so as to place said link in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the door 2, in order to oppose its closing movement or the where appropriate, opening.

On the same principle, it is possible to multiply the rods 17, in order to distribute the shock and increase the damping capacity, this leading to improve the resistance of the trap to a shock.

The end 19 of the rod 17 is advantageously fixed to the door 2. In order to allow several opening positions of the door 2, while maintaining a constant length to the rod 17, a means (not shown) ensures the positioning of the end 19 of the rod 17 relative to the frame 1.

Figures 4 and 5 show in detail, a particular embodiment of a rod 17. In the particular embodiment described, the rod 17 is positioned on one side of the hatch with a degree of freedom by a rotation along an axis parallel to the axis of rotation 3 of the door 2. To this end, each end 18, 19 has a bore 28, 29 complementary to an axis 30 secured to the frame 1. A similar axis 31 is provided at the end 19, secured to the door 2. The connection between the bore 28 or 29 and its attachment axis 30 or 31 is such that rotation is possible. The bore 28 or 29 is advantageously connected to the end 18 or 19 by a elastic articulation 20 or 21. This elastic joint is made for example by means of an elastomer bonded between the outer diameter of the bore 28 or 29 and the inner diameter of the end 18 or 19. The main function of this elastic articulation and allow the rod 17, by deformation of the elastomer, to support any movement of the door 2 during an impact in the plane of the door (Direction D1 or D2). The main function of the rod 17 is to dampen an impact in a direction transverse to the plane of the door 2, for example D0. Such a shock tends to bring the two ends 18 and 19 closer to one another. The rod 17 must dampen the shock and dissipate the maximum energy of this shock. Two independent means are used in a complementary manner to dampen the impact: a damping pad 24 and a calibrated pin 25 (FIG. 5). The link 17 consists of two parts 22 and 23 of complementary shapes in order to slide telescopically relative to each other. A first means for damping the shock along the axis of the link 17 is constituted by a damping pad 24 interposed between the two parts 22 and 23 so as to be compressed between these two parts 22 and 23 as they come together. A second means of damping the impact on the rod 17 is constituted by a pin 25 calibrated to break beyond a given breaking force. This pin passes through the two parts 22 and 23 and secures them. The movement of a portion 22 relative to the other portion 23 along the axis of the rod 17 is possible only after rupture, by shear, the pin 25. This rupture allows energy dissipation. Those skilled in the art will calculate a pin 25 so that it breaks beyond a certain effort. These two means can be used alone or in combination.

It can be seen from the above that a shock on the hatch in any direction is divided into two components: a first component in the plane of the door 2 which is damped by the device comprising the damping cushions 11, 12, 13, 14 , 15, 16 present at the level of the articulation between the door 2 and the frame 1, a second component substantially perpendicular to the plane of the door 2 which is damped by the rod 17 along its axis.

All the elements involved in damping, damping cushions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, elastic joints 20, 21, buffer 24, cotter pin 25 are deformable. These deformations can be elastic and / or plastic. In order to dissipate energy, plastic deformation is preferable. Another advantage of components with plastic deformation is to provide, by measuring the amplitude of the remanent deformation, a measure of the amplitude of the shock suffered. The materials used can be of different types. For example, elastomers, but also metal materials used for their elastic properties, in the form of springs or spring washers. These metals can be massive or shaped rods or spiral cables or any other equivalent form. Another possibility, offering great plasticity characteristics is the use of foam metals. This foam can be obtained by compaction of filings, wire, chips or wire mesh. It is also possible to envisage the use of structured sheet metals, for example of the honeycomb type.

It is important to note that in the preferential use of protection of an operator passing the head in a hatch located near a mobile / rotating equipment, the device is a backup in case of failure of the control system said material. Its use remains exceptional and maintenance after use is acceptable. This therefore allows the use of consumables: pin 24 and shock absorbers plastic deformation, which are intended to be replaced after use.

Claims (9)

Secure hatch comprising a door (2) openable relative to the frame (1) by rotation about an axis (3), said axis (3) passing through at least one bearing (4, 5, 6, 7) integral with the frame (1 ) and at least one hinge (8, 9, 10) integral with the door (2), characterized in that it comprises a damping cushion (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) interposed between each bearing (4 , 5) and each hinge (8, 9, 10). Secure hatch according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one intermediate bearing (6, 7) interposed between two hinges (8, 9, 10) and secured to the frame (1). Secure hatch according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the damping pad (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) is elastically or plastically deformable. Secure hatch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the damping pad (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) consists of elastomer or metal foam. Secure hatch according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one damping link (17) interposed between the frame (1) and the door (2) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the door (2), said link ( 17) comprising a first end (18) integral with the frame (1) and a second end (19) integral with the door (2). Secure hatch according to claim 5, characterized in that the damping link (17) comprises at each of its ends (18, 19) an elastic hinge (20, 21). Secure hatch according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the damper rod (17) comprises two parts (22, 23) sliding relative to each other and compressing between them a buffer (24) when they get closer to each other. Secure hatch according to one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the two sliding parts (22, 23) the damping link (17) are fixed together by means of a pin (25) calibrated to break at a determined effort. Application of a secure hatch according to any one of the preceding claims to the protection of an armored vehicle operator against shocks that may be caused by the movements in site or in the field of a turret or a weapon.

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