US 12,030,375 B2
Covering device for a vehicle and actuator
Zsolt Wilke, Bad Mergentheim (DE); Andreas Rudolf, Würzburg (DE); Christian Beck, Röttingen (DE); and Matthias Hegwein, Ippesheim (DE)
Assigned to ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS, INC., Glenview, IL (US)
Appl. No. 17/299,640
Filed by ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., Glenview, IL (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 6, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/064811
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 3, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/123266, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 131 807.3 (DE), filed on Dec. 11, 2018; and application No. 10 2019 114 706.9 (DE), filed on May 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0024299 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. B60K 15/05 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 15/05 (2013.01) [B60K 2015/053 (2013.01); B60K 2015/0538 (2013.01); B60K 2015/0546 (2013.01); B60K 2015/0561 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A covering device for a vehicle, wherein the covering device comprises:
a cover which is formed to cover an opening and/or a recess in the vehicle;
a drive element which is formed to enable a movement of the cover,
wherein the drive element brings about a force which acts on the cover and which enables the movement of the cover, wherein the covering device furthermore has a force-limitation apparatus which limits the force brought about by the drive element to a limit force so that the covering device is protected in the event of an overload acting on the covering device and/or a user is protected when using the covering device;
wherein the force-limitation apparatus comprises an elastic element having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected for movement with a first movable element and the second end is connected for movement with a second movable element;
wherein the force-limitation apparatus has the following:
a control lever which is connected to the drive element; and
the first movable element is the control lever and the second movable element is the cover,
wherein the drive element pretensions the elastic element, and wherein the elastic element brings about an opening process or closing process of the cover during relief of tension.