US 12,065,867 B2
Actuator for opening and closing a door or a tailgate of a car
Olivier Cardon, De Pinte (BE); Vincent Vermeersch, Ghent (BE); Johan Van De Velde, Lochristi (BE); Pieter Ghekiere, Helkijn (BE); and Wim Van Haver, Aalter (BE)
Assigned to NV BEKAERT SA, Zwevegem (BE)
Appl. No. 17/417,942
Filed by NV Bekaert SA, Zwevegem (BE)
PCT Filed Jan. 29, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/052133
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 24, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/173648, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19159435 (EP), filed on Feb. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0025691 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. E05F 15/616 (2015.01); C22C 38/02 (2006.01); C22C 38/04 (2006.01); C22C 38/06 (2006.01); C22C 38/24 (2006.01); F16F 1/02 (2006.01); F16F 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC E05F 15/616 (2015.01) [C22C 38/02 (2013.01); C22C 38/04 (2013.01); C22C 38/06 (2013.01); C22C 38/24 (2013.01); F16F 1/06 (2013.01); E05Y 2800/674 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/531 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/532 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/546 (2013.01); F16F 1/021 (2013.01); F16F 2224/0208 (2013.01); F16F 2238/026 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An actuator for opening and closing a door or a tailgate of a car, comprising
a helical compression spring, for opening the door or the tailgate of the car when compressive forces of the helical compression spring are released; and
a motor, for compressing the helical compression spring in order to close the door or the tailgate of the car,
wherein the helical compression spring comprises a helically coiled coated steel wire,
wherein the helically coiled coated steel wire comprises a steel core, a metallic coating layer, and an intermetallic coating layer provided between the steel core and the metallic coating layer,
wherein the intermetallic coating layer comprises an FexAly phase, and
wherein the intermetallic coating layer provides between 30 and 65% of a combined thickness of the intermetallic coating layer and the metallic coating layer,
wherein the steel core comprises a steel alloy,
wherein the steel alloy comprises
between 0.8 and 0.95 wt % carbon,
between 0.2 and 0.9 wt % manganese,
between 0.1 and 1.4 wt % silicon,
optionally one or more than one of micro-alloying elements selected from the group consisting of chromium, vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and boron;
optionally aluminum,
unavoidable impurities,
and iron,
wherein the steel core has a drawn lamellar pearlite microstructure, and
wherein the metallic coating layer comprises aluminum and at least 84% by mass of zinc.