The present invention relates to automobile doors, and more particularly, to mechanical door opening assist devices for use on automobile doors, hoods and trunks.
With many automobile owners not satisfied with the style, quality, and availability of the features provided by the automakers, owners have turned to aftermarket component manufacturers and even automobile kit manufacturers for satisfaction. The owners of hot rod, street rod, and classic automobiles are always looking for ways to customize and differentiate their cars from others, and styling, shape and form are high on the list of attributes that these owners wish to improve. The automobile customizing industry continuously strives to provide new and exciting features for the such consumers.
A growing trend for customizers is to present their automobiles with a sleek, sculpted body. Body trim components and other embellishments are giving way to smooth body panels, hoods and grills. One component of the automobile that intrudes on the sleek look of the side body panels is the door handle.
The aftermarket component manufacturers are providing the automobile owner with an ever-increasing selection of components to add to, replace, or modify the standard automobile features. A popular aftermarket component is what is known as a shaved door handle system. The shaved door handle system allows for the complete removal of exterior door handles providing a continuous smooth appearance across the side body panels. Without an exterior door handle, the shaved door handle system provides a remotely controlled, electrically powered door lock and latch actuator. Once the door is unlocked and unlatched, there is still a need to open the door as there is no handle to pull the door open. An internal door opening assist device is needed to push open the door to allow entry.
Door opening assist devices come in a variety of forms. Electrically operated solenoids and linear actuators have been used with some success. These systems, though, require electrical power to operate and rather complex timing logic to control activation with respect to the unlock and unlatch mechanisms.
The present invention is a spring-biased piston that is mounted in the door frame. When the door is closed, the piston is pushed against a spring by a door surface which compresses the spring. The door latch holds the door in a closed position against the potential energy of the spring-loaded piston. Upon the unlatching of the door, the spring-biased piston extends, spinning in its housing until it reaches an adjustable stop, pushing against the door surface and opening the door. This solution provides a door opening device that requires no power to operate, and requires no timing logic to activate. The spring is not exposed, eliminating as safety hazard as well as increasing the reliability hazard by eliminating dirt and debris infiltration.
Current spring-biased piston devices do not have provisions to adjust the tension and throw of the piston. It is desirable for the user to be able to adjust the throw of the door to account for the weight and balance of the door as well as personal preference. Additionally, many of the current devices require a substantial amount of door cavity space to de dedicated to it's installation. Not all vehicles have such excess space. Accordingly, there is a need for a door opener assist device that is simple in operation, requires no electrical power, is easily installed by the consumer, and has easily adjustable door opening characteristics. Henceforth, a mechanical door opening device having a shorter operating profile and an adjustable stroke would fulfill a long felt need in the automobile customizing industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a door opening assist device that is able to be installed with a minimum of spacial intrusion to the door cavity, and allows for an adjustable amount of opening thrust.
It has many of the advantages mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new door opening assist device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
In accordance with the invention, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved door opening assist device capable of allowing the end user the capability of easily adjusting the thrust.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved door opening assist device capable of allowing the end user ease of installation as well as numerous aesthetic installation options.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved door opening assist device that is economical to fabricate and essentially mechanically infallible.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide for an improved door opening assist device that is minimally intrusive with respect to the internal door cavity.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.
The above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. It also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention. There are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art, now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
Looking at
The outer mounting nut 22 has a recessed retention ring 30 adjacent a raised profile capture ring 32 formed at a proximate end thereof. The internal threads 34 do not extend the entire thickness of the outer mounting nut 22 such that the distal end of the outer mounting nut 22 may have a smaller internal diameter than that of the proximate end. This reduced diameter may serve to abut the protuberance 12 and restrict the passage of the piston 10 completely from the housing 4.
The mounting plate 38 is a generally planar metal plate that has a central orifice 36 formed therein and two mounting apertures 40. The mounting apertures 40 are adapted to accept conventional mounting fasteners. Examples of acceptable fasteners 46 include, but are not limited to, rivets, sheet metal screws, self-tapping screws, bolts and nuts.
The capture ring 32 has a sloping surface and an external diameter that is greater than the internal diameter of the central orifice 36 of the mounting plate 38. The retention ring 30 has an external diameter slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the mounting plate central orifice 36. The mounting plate 38 is adapted to be forcefully advanced over the capture ring 32 to seat into the retention ring 30. This action locks the mounting plate 38 in a position normal to the longitudinal axis of the housing 4.
Looking At
Upon closing the door, the door abuts the resilient tip 14 of piston 10. The continued force of the inward closing door exerts pressure onto the extended piston 10 which causes the spring 8 to compress, (
Upon unlatching the door, the piston 10, guided by the movement of the protuberance 12 within the spiral groove 6, spins while traversing out of the housing bore 18 as the spring uncompresses. The piston 10 extends under spring bias in such a direction and with sufficient force to push the door to an open position a predetermined distance. This distance is determined by the abutment of the protuberance 12 with the outer mounting nut 22 or a housing detent 42 if any detents have the tab 44 removed. The detent 42 chosen to have it's tab 44 removed will capture the passing protuberance 12 and thus determine the stroke of the piston 10. The piston 10 will impart enough kinetic energy that the inertia of the door will carry the door open to a predetermined distance after contact between the piston 10 and the door is broken. The adjustment feature is used to tailor the opening characteristics of the door opening assist device 2.
The helical spring 8 is formed from stiff wire appropriate for the particular purpose. The length and diameter of the spring wire is selected for the weight and opening resistance of the door. By specific selection of the spring, the distance a door is sprung open may be adjusted. Replacement/change of the spring 8 is easily accomplished by the removal of the outer mounting nut 22, the slight depression of the piston 8 so as to ensure the protuberance 12 is not in a detent 42, and the simultaneous rotation and extraction of piston 10 from within bore 18. The spring 8 can then be removed from within the housing 4. Installation of a new spring 8 follows the reverse procedure.
An optional mounting method for the device is provided by the mounting plate 38. When the mounting plate 38 is forcefully advanced over the capture ring 32 so as to seat into the retention ring 30, it may be mechanically affixed to the door with fasteners 46 as well as the inner mounting nut 20 and outer mounting nut 22. Examples of acceptable fasteners 46 include, but are not limited to, rivets, sheet metal screws, self-tapping screws, bolts and nuts. This additional mounting element will stabilize and increase the rigidity of the device 2 in the door pillar. When the mounting plate 38 is utilized, the device 2 may be installed with the inner mounting nut 20 or without it, as depicted in
In the alternate embodiment door opening assist device 50 of
The tip 14 is made of a resilient material, such as but not limited to, plastic and rubber. The tip 14 provides protection for the area of the door that is contacted by the piston 10. The attachment of the tip 14 is made with well known methods including, but not limited to, adhesive end fasteners. As is well known in the art, a blind recess may be provided in the first end of the piston 10 for a matingly conformed tip. The resilient tip 14 is useful for, but not limited to, reducing the need for a strike plate, to protected the finish of the contact area and to reduce any contact noise between the contact area and the piston 10.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Although the above described invention is focused on use with a car door, it is equally applicable and can easily be adapted for a plethora of other openable structures such as, but not limited to, doors, hoods, trunks.
The above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. It also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention. There are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art, now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed.