CLOSURE SYSTEM FOR A DOOR OPENING

Abstract

A closure system for a door opening includes a striker having a support plate and a striker wire, and a lock having a bolt actuated by a detent pawl and adapted to retain the striker wire in the door opening. The lock and the striker each have at least one attachment feature that is complementary and separate from the bolt and the striker wire. The striker is thus secured to the lock during the installation of the closure system on the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear by reading the detailed description which follows the embodiments of the invention, given solely by way of example and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, already described, shows a closure system according to the prior art;

FIG. 2, already described, shows an exploded view of the elements of the closure system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a closure system to be fixed in a lower part of a vehicle door opening;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic front view of the closure system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of a closure system according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic top view of a striker of the closure system of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of the lock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The closure system according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. The invention proposes a closure system for a door opening including a striker 10 and a lock 20. The elements which are identical to those described above bear the same reference numerals. Thus, the striker 10 has a striker support plate 15 and a striker wire 11. In FIG. 5, the striker wire 11 is retained by a bolt 24 in an opening of a housing of the lock 20. The lock 20 is said to be in the closed position.

According to the invention, the striker 10 and the lock 20 each have at least one attachment feature, the attachment features 50 and 51 being complementary to one another. The complementary attachment features 50 and 51 are separate from the bolt 24 and the striker wire 11, and at least one of the attachment features 50 and 51 is adapted to retain the other attachment feature 50 and 51. In the illustrated examples, a pin 50 and a recess 51 adapted to retain the pin 50 have been used as the attachment features. FIG. 5 illustrates the pin 50 projecting from the striker 10 and a recess 51 made in a housing of the lock 20. Naturally, other specific attachment features are conceivable.

A closure system has thus been obtained in which the striker 10 may remain secured to the lock 20 in spite of actuating a detent pawl by an opening control device which tends to release the bolt 24. In particular, when the closure system is intended to be placed in an upper portion of a vehicle door opening, the striker 10 remains fixed to the lock 20 during the entire installation time. A possible actuation of the detent pawl during the positioning of an actuating cable between a lever 21 of the lock 20 and a handle of the door opening will not cause the striker 10 to fall as described above because the striker 10 remains secured to the lock 20 by the pin 50 retained in the recess 51.

The closure system according to the invention may thus be delivered to the vehicle manufacturer with the striker 10 and the lock 20 assembled in order to limit the number of parts delivered and to simplify the operations for installation on the vehicle. In particular, the striker 10 and the lock 20 of the closure system according to the invention remain attached, as long as the striker 10 has not been fixed to the bodywork of the vehicle. Thus, during the entire time of transportation, storage and pre-fixing of the lock 20 on the door opening, the striker 10 remains coupled to the lock 20 by at least the cooperation of the complementary attachment features, namely by the pin 50 retained in the recess 51 in the illustrated example.

According to one embodiment, the pin 50 may be made of plastic. It may have a quadrant-shaped or star-shaped stud or have any other appropriate shape to guarantee both easy insertion and good retention in the recess 51. The material constituting the pin 50, in addition to its shape and size, are selected to make it possible both to retain the pin 50 in the recess 51 in spite of the weight of the striker 10 and to withdraw the pin 50 from the recess 51 with a limited force. For example, the pin 50 is inserted in the recess 51 with a maximum force of 9 daN, and the pin 50 does not become detached from the recess 51 as long as the force applied to the pin 50 is less than or equal to 3 daN. These values have been determined by the applicant from vibration tests carried out on closure systems. The removal of the pin 50 from the recess 51 is thus carried out with a withdrawal force of greater than 3 daN, which makes it possible to avoid the falling of the striker 10 under the force of its own weight and guarantees that the lock striker assembly does not become detached during transportation, or under the effect of specific impacts.

It is desired to position the pin 50 and the recess 51 such that when the pin 50 is retained in the recess 51, the striker wire 11 is located in the opening of the lock 20 as in the fully closed position of the lock 20, even if the detent pawl has been actuated to release the striker wire 11 by inadvertent handling by the operator of the assembly. The striker 10 is thus retained in a relative position with regard to the lock 20, which corresponds to that which it will need to have once the fixing of the closure system is complete.

According to one embodiment, the opening of the lock housing that is adapted to receive the striker wire 11 has a delta-shaped portion. The shape is conventional on lock housings for vehicle door openings, as the delta shape constitutes a guide or gulley for the striker wire 11 when the door is slammed shut. When the lock housing is provided with an opening having this shape to receive the striker wire 11, the attachment feature (the pin 50, the recess 51 or the like) of the lock 20 may be located on the delta-shaped portion.

According to the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the recess 51 is located in the delta-shaped portion of the lock housing, and the pin 50 is located on a step of the striker support plate 15. Thus, when the pin 50 and the recess 51 cooperate, i.e., when the pin 50 is retained in the recess 51, the striker support plate 15 forms a non-zero angle of inclination β with a plane 100 perpendicular to the plane of the retaining plate 25 of the lock 20 and containing the striker wire 11.

If the lock 20 is considered independently of the striker 10 with which it has to cooperate, the lock 20 of the invention includes, amongst others, a retaining plate 25 (shown in FIG. 4), a bolt 24 actuated by a detent pawl, a housing with a delta-shaped opening for receiving a striker wire 11 and at least one attachment feature formed in the delta-shaped portion. As shown in FIG. 7, the delta-shaped portion of the opening of the housing lock has an angle γ with a center opening plane perpendicular to the plane of the retaining plate 25. The angle γ causes the inclination of the striker support plate 15 by an angle β as defined above when the complementary attachment features cooperate. The angle γ of the at least one delta-shaped portion is such that D·sin(γ)≧Δs, wherein D is a length of the at least one delta-shaped portion and Δs is a length of the at least one oblong fixing hole 22 less a width of the at least one oblong fixing hole 22.

Similarly, if the striker 10 is considered independently of the lock 20 with which it has to cooperate, the striker 10 according to the invention includes a striker support plate 15, a striker wire 11 and at least one attachment feature formed on the striker support plate 15 in a plane containing the striker wire 11.

Thus, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 5, when the closure system is intended to be placed in the lower portion of a vehicle door opening, the striker support plate 15 forms an angle β with the floor 100 of the vehicle when the lock 20 is pre-fixed in the Z direction on the door opening due to the pin 50 being retained in the recess 51. In order that the inclination is sufficient to avoid an impact of the striker 10 on the floor 100 of the vehicle when the door is closed for fixing the striker 10 in the Y direction, respective positions of the complementary attachment features 50 and 51 will be selected, such that the angle of inclination of the plate meets the following restriction:

L·sin(β)≧Δs,

where L is a length of the striker support plate 15 perpendicular to the retaining plate 25 of the lock 20, and Δs is a length of the oblong hole 22 less a width of the oblong hole 22 of the retaining plate 25 of the lock 20.

Thus, even if the lock 20, which is pre-fixed in the Z direction on the door opening by screws 23 in the oblong holes 22 (see FIG. 4), retracts under the effect of its own weight, the inclination of the striker support plate 15 will make it possible to approach the floor 100 of the vehicle without collision when slamming the door shut to fix the striker 10.

Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the striker 10 may have a damping device 14 which surrounds a portion of the striker wire 11 to form a stop in the Z direction to dampen the relative displacements of the striker 10 relative to the lock 20 when the vehicle is traveling. The damping device 14 may, moreover, extend over a portion of the striker support plate 15. The pin 50 or the recess 51 of the striker 10 may be formed in the damping device 14 to avoid an increased manufacturing cost.

The damping device 14 may be formed from a simple plastic part, overmolded or fixed by bonding or clipping onto the striker 10 to form a stop in the Z direction. The pin 50 or the recess 51 may thus be formed in the stop part.

The closure system of the door opening according to the invention may be fixed to a vehicle in the following manner.

An assembly including a lock 20 and a striker 10 attached by at least the cooperation of complementary attachment features (a pin 50 retained in a recess 51) is received at the manufacturers.

The lock 20 is pre-fixed, retaining play in the Z direction (vertically) on the door opening of the vehicle, with the door opening open. The striker 10 remains attached to the lock 20. If the lock 20 is pre-fixed in the upper portion of the door opening, the striker 10 does not risk falling, even if the detent pawl is actuated during the installation of a cable between the actuating lever and the handle of the door because the complementary attachment features are separate from the bolt and the striker wire 11.

The door opening is then closed again on the bodywork of the vehicle with the lock pre-fixed as indicated above. If the lock 20 is prefixed in the lower position of the door opening and if the attachment features of the lock 20 are located in the delta-shaped opening of the housing, the striker 10 does not collide with the floor 100 because the striker support plate 15 is inclined relative to the floor 100 of the vehicle (FIG. 5).

The striker 10 may then be fixed to the vehicle. When the striker support plate 15 is inclined relative to the horizontal once the lock 20 is pre-fixed, simple screwing-in of the striker support plate 15 may make it possible to cause the disengagement of the complementary attachment features, namely the removal of the pin 50 from the recess 51 in the example illustrated. There is, therefore, no additional operation for the operator to carry out to detach the striker 10 from the lock 20 once the fixing is complete. Once the striker 10 is fixed to the bodywork, the operator may complete the fixing of the lock 20 on the door opening by providing it with its definitive position.

The closure system according to the invention thus allows the fixing of the system on a vehicle to be simplified. Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described by way of example. In particular, the respective positions of the pin 50 and the recess 51 may be exchanged, modified and/or duplicated. For example, a pin or a recess may be located on a face of the lock housing, and a recess or pin may be arranged on a tongue of the striker support plate 15 to cooperate with the pin or the recess of the housing. The pin 50 may be made of plastic and may be separate from a possible damping device 14 surrounding the striker wire 11. It may also be made of metal and penetrate a flexible recess, for example made of rubber.

Moreover, although the invention has been described by making reference to doors of utility vehicles, it is understood that the closure system according to the invention is perfectly applicable to doors of passenger vehicles. Moreover, the retention between the striker 10 and the lock 20 may be carried out by any features other than a pin and a recess as long as the coupling of the striker 10 to the lock 20 remains easy, and the striker 10 is detached from the lock 20 without particular force when the striker support plate 15 is screwed in. The attachment feature other than the pin and the recess illustrated may be, for example, magnetic zones or a clip which is broken when the striker plate is screwed in.

The foregoing description is only exemplary of the principles of the invention. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than using the example embodiments which have been specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Claims

1. A closure system for a vehicle door opening, the closure system comprising: a striker including a support plate and a striker wire; anda lock including a bolt actuated by a detent pawl and adapted to retain the striker wire, wherein the lock has a first attachment feature separate from the bolt and the striker has a second attachment feature separate from the striker wire, and the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature are complementary.

2. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment feature is a pin and the second attachment feature is a recess adapted to retain the pin.

3. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature cooperate if the striker is not fixed to a vehicle.

4. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 3, wherein the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature cooperate regardless of a position of the detent pawl of the lock.

5. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 1, wherein the lock includes a lock housing provided with an opening adapted to receive the striker wire, the opening of the lock housing including a delta-shaped portion, the first attachment feature of the lock being located on the delta-shaped portion of the lock housing.

6. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 5, wherein the striker includes a stop in abutment in the opening of the lock housing when the striker wire is retained by the bolt, the stop extending over a portion of the support plate.

7. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 6, wherein the second attachment feature of the striker is formed in the stop.

8. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 1, wherein the lock includes a retaining plate, and the support plate has a non-zero angle of inclination with a plane perpendicular to a plane of the retaining plate that contains the striker wire when the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature cooperate.

9. The closure system for a vehicle door opening according to claim 8, wherein the retaining plate of the lock has at least one oblong fixing hole, and the non-zero angle of inclination of the support plate is such that L·sin(β)≧Δs, wherein L is a length of the support plate perpendicular to the retaining plate of the lock, Δs is a length of the at least one oblong fixing hole less a width of the at least one oblong fixing hole and β is an angle between the support plate and a floor.

10. A striker for closing a door opening, the striker comprising: a support plate;a striker wire;at least one attachment feature formed on the support plate and located in a plane containing the striker wire.

11. The striker according to claim 10, including a damping device surrounding a portion of the striker wire and extending over a portion of the support plate.

12. The striker according to claim 11, wherein the at least one attachment feature is formed in the damping device.

13. A lock for closing a door opening, the lock comprising: a retaining plate;a housing having an opening with at least one delta-shaped portion; andat least one attachment feature formed in the at least one delta-shaped portion.

14. The lock according to claim 13, wherein the retaining plate has at least one oblong fixing hole, the at least one delta-shaped portion of the opening of the housing is at an angle (γ) with a plane perpendicular to a plane of the retaining plate, and the angle of the at least one delta-shaped portion is such that D·sin(γ)≧Δs, wherein D is a length of the at least one delta-shaped portion and Δs is a length of the at least one oblong fixing hole less a width of the at least one oblong fixing hole.

15. A method for installing a closure system for a door opening on a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a closure system including a lock with a bolt, and a striker with a striker wire, the lock and the striker being attached by at least the cooperation of a first attachment feature of the lock and a second attachment feature of the striker which are separate from the bolt and the striker wire, respectively;vertical pre-fixing of the lock on a door opening of a vehicle in an open position;closing the door opening with a pre-fixed lock; andfixing the striker to the vehicle to cause detachment of the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the striker includes a support plate, and the lock includes the bolt actuated by a detent pawl and adapted to retain the striker wire, wherein the first attachment feature and the second attachment feature are complementary.