Patent Application
20240392615
This application relates generally to door strikers, door striker assemblies for automobiles, and methods for making the same.
Door strikers are provided on automobiles, or vehicles, to releasably secure a door to the vehicle. Generally, a mounting plate, or base plate, is affixed to a doorjamb with a striker pin extending therefrom. A latch, affixed to the door, is releasably secured to the striker pin.
Turning to
Disclosed is a high strength door striker and a method for making the same. The door striker comprises a striker pin and a base plate. The manner in which the striker pin is secured to the base plate increases the strength properties of the door striker as will be illustrated in comparative examples in the detailed description. More specifically, the presently disclosed door striker withstands more than twice the loads of a prior art door striker, made of the same material and of the same size and prevents failure of the striker pin with loads applied at oblique angles.
Examples of the presently disclosed high strength door striker strengthens the striker assembly by eliminating the collar construction of the prior art door striker. Specifically, the present disclosure sets out to reduce grain deformation by eliminating the collar of the prior art door striker. In one example, the collar is replaced with a raised section having at least one taper, with a reduced grain deformation. In some examples, the taper is mated with an aperture in the base plate such that the taper deforms the aperture of the base plate and becomes seated, or mated, within the aperture of the base plate. This is accomplished by providing a striker pin having a greater hardness than the base plate, as measured by the Rockwell hardness test. The striker pin becomes seated by forcefully pressing, or driving, the taper of the raised section into the aperture of the base plate from a top side of the base plate. Once the striker pin is seated, or mated, within the base plate, a button may be formed at an end of the striker pin, such as a terminal end, extending through the aperture of the base plate. The button is secured to the bottom side of the base plate. Upon securing the striker pin to the bottom side of the base plate, the base plate is positioned and locked between the raised section and the end of the striker pin.
In one example of a door striker of the present disclosure, the door striker comprises a striker pin having a first end, a second end, and a central section between the first end and the second end. The door striker further comprises a base plate having one or more apertures extending through a thickness of the base plate. The first end and the second end each extend through a respective aperture of the one or more apertures in the base plate. The striker pin comprises a first raised section between the first end and the central section and a second raised section between the second end and the central section. Each raised section comprises a bottom taper and a top taper and the bottom taper is inserted into the respective aperture from a top side of the base plate. The striker pin further comprises a button formed on each respective end of the striker pin to mate with the bottom side of the base plate and to secure the base plate between each striker pin button and the respective raised section.
In one example of a method for forming a door striker, the method comprises:
The method for forming a door striker may further comprise:
These and other examples are described in more detail below.
Various non-limiting examples are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
An example a door striker 1000 of the present disclosure is shown in
As illustrated by
Turning to
Still referring to
In one example, as illustrated by the striker pin 100 of
The present disclosure sets out to reduce the grain deformation of the striker pin material, thereby, decreasing stress locations susceptible to failure. By example,
As indicated above, the strength of the door striker of the present disclosure is increased by reducing the dimensional change of the material at the raised sections. In specific examples, the cross-section of a striker pin may be increased by no more than 20 percent at each raised section. By example, the diameter of striker pin, such as a round wire of a wire form, would be increased by no more than 20 percent. In another specific example, the cross-section of a striker pin may be increased 15 percent to 20 percent at each raised section. It must also be appreciated that in some examples, the cross-section of the striker pin may be increased by at least 15 percent at each raised section. It is appreciated herein that the striker pin may be a wire with a round cross-section, thereby, comprising a diameter. Alternatively, it is also appreciated the cross-section of the striker pin may be of any geometric shape or a combination of geometric shapes. The cross-section, as described herein, is descriptive of these alternative shapes just as a cross-section for a round wire is descriptive of the diameter of the round wire.
The raised section may, additionally or alternatively, be described relative to the grain deformation of the striker pin. In specific examples, the grain deformation of the striker pin, at the raised section, may comprise gradients of 45 degrees or less. It is appreciated that grain deformations may not be linear and, therefore, a gradient is relied on to define the grain deformation having multiple vectors. However, in the instance the grain deformation is linear, some examples may be described as having a grain deformation of the striker pin, at the raised section, comprising vectors of 45 degrees or less. In yet another example, the grain deformation of the striker pin, at the raised section, may consist of gradients of 45 degrees or less and/or may consist of vectors of 45 degrees or less. Another specific example may have grain deformation of the striker pin, at the raised section of a striker pin, comprising gradients of 30 degrees or less and/or may comprise vectors of 30 degrees or less. In another example, the striker pin may consist of gradients of 30 degrees or less and/or may consist of vectors of 30 degrees or less. Still yet, in another example, a striker pin may have grain deformation, at the raised section, comprising gradients of 15 degrees or less and/or comprising vectors of 15 degrees or less. In still another example, the striker pin may consist of gradients of 15 degrees or less and/or may consist of vectors of 30 degrees or less.
As also described above, the strength of the door striker of the present disclosure is increased by providing a moderate transition, such as a taper, at the location of the dimensional change. This is in comparison to a sharp radius of the prior art collar. In an example, the bottom side taper of a raised section may increase at an angle of 15 degrees or less. In another example, the bottom side taper of the raised section may increase at an angle of 14 degrees or less. In still yet another example, the bottom side taper of the raised section may increase at an angle of 14 degrees to 15 degrees. The angle of increase for the bottom side taper is identified as α in
As further described above, the strength of the door striker of the present disclosure is increased by providing a more controlled mechanism for forming the dimensional change of the material by forming the raised sections prior to installation in and independent of the base plate. In the prior art, the collar is headed and pressed into the base plate wherein the collar conforms to the shape of the base plate. As a result, the sharp corners or radii, representative of the edge of a bore in a base plate, are formed on the collar. In contrast, the present disclosure sets out to form the raised section independent of the base plate. This provides for a more controlled environment. The raised section may be formed by heading in a captive die such that only a mild distortion of the grain occurs in the striker pin. Once formed, the raised section is then seated into, or mated with, the base plate where deformation of the base plate occurs. This is in contrast to a base plate causing deformation of the striker pin to form a collar or providing a collar having stress risers as illustrated by the prior art example. This may be accomplished by providing a base plate with a hardness less than the hardness of the raised section and/or striker pin, as measured by the Rockwell hardness test. Further, by deforming the base plate, the bottom taper of the raised section becomes seated into, or mated with, the base plate, thereby, providing a continuous, consistent, and/or even engagement between striker pin and the base plate. By seating, or mating, the raised section into the base plate the strength of the connection between the base plate and the striker pin is further increased. In specific examples, the length of the bottom taper is equal to or more than 75 percent of the material thickness of the base plate. In yet another example, the length of the bottom taper may be recessed into the material thickness of the base plate at least 75 percent of the material thickness of the base plate. In still another example, the raised section may be recessed into the material thickness of the base plate at least 75 percent of the material thickness of the base plate. The length of the bottom taper is illustrated as L142 of
To further reduce grain deformation, the top taper may also provide a moderate transition at the raised section of the striker pin, such as those previously described with respect to the bottom taper. In other examples, the top and bottom tapers may have a proportional relationship. By example, the length of the bottom taper may be less than the length of the respective top taper. In another example, the bottom taper may have a length less than a length of the top taper. The length of the top taper is illustrated as L144 of
A method for making a striker plate of the present disclosure is also provided herein. In one example, the method for making the striker plate comprises inserting a striker pin into one or more apertures in the base plate. An end of the striker pin is inserted through an aperture in the base plate from a top side of the base plate in a direction of and through the bottom side of the base plate, relative the material thickness of the base plate. A raised section of the striker pin may comprise a bottom taper such that the bottom taper mates with the base plate within the respective aperture, from the top side of the base plate.
The method for making the strike plate may further comprise forming a button on the end, such as a terminal end, of the striker pin. The button is formed to the bottom side of the base plate wherein the base plate is secured between the raised section and the button. The button may be formed by heading, staking, orbital forming (e.g. orbital upset forming), cold working, hot working (e.g. captive hot forming), or the like. Orbital forming may be preferred as it provides less end force and assists in maintaining the bottom taper in position within the base plate when forming the button.
In some examples, the method for making the striker plate may further comprise heading the striker pin in a captive die to form the raised section. In a specific example, heading the striker pin in the captive die to form the raised section occurs prior to inserting the striker pin into the one or more apertures of the base plate. Once the raised section is formed, the method for forming the striker pin further comprises pressing the raised section into the respective aperture from the top side of the base plate. Additionally or alternatively, the base plate may be pressed into the raised section. When pressing, the bottom side taper deforms the respective aperture and is recessed into the respective aperture. The button may be formed after pressing the raised section into the respective aperture. Alternatively, the button may be formed in combination with pressing the raised section into the respective aperture. Further, the formation of the button and pressing the raised section into the respective aperture may alternate progressively.
Comparatively,
Prior art door strikers having collars were comparatively tested with door strikers of the present disclosure. The door strikers were of the same material, size, and shape. The tests illustrated the door striker of the present disclosure exhibited greater strength in each test. Specifically, the door striker having collars were found to have failed under oblique angle loads of up to less than half the loads in comparison the oblique angle loads applied to the door striker assembly of the present disclosure.
Table 1, below, illustrates test results for a door striker assembly of the present disclosure, tested to failure under a 45 degree angle pull test. In each of these tests, the striker pin was a SAE 4037 wire alloy and the base plate is SAE J1392 070 XLK steel. It is appreciated the door striker of the present disclosure may be made of any metal or material.
Table 2, below, illustrates test results for a door striker assembly of the prior art, tested to failure under a 45 degree angle pull test. For these tests, the striker pin of the prior art configuration was also a SAE 4037 wire alloy and the base plate is SAE J1392 070 XLK steel.
As illustrated by a comparison of Table 1 and Table 2, the assemblies of the present disclosure door striker consistently provided a significant improvement over the assemblies of the prior art door striker tested to failure at a 45 degree pull test.
Table 3, below, illustrates test results for a door striker assembly of the present disclosure, tested to failure under a 70 degree angle pull test. In each of these tests, the striker pin was a SAE 4037 wire alloy and the base plate is SAE J1392 070 XLK steel. It is appreciated the door striker of the present disclosure may be made of any metal or material.
Table 4, below, illustrates test results for a door striker assembly of the prior art, tested to failure under a 70 degree angle pull test. For these tests, the striker pin of the prior art configuration was also a SAE 4037 wire alloy and the base plate is SAE J1392 070 XLK steel.
As illustrated by a comparison of Table 3 and Table 4, the strength of the assemblies of the present disclosure door striker provided an improvement of more than double the load of the assemblies of the prior art door striker tested to failure at a 70 degree angle pull test. The above comparative test results, produced in Tables 1-4, illustrate the ability of the present disclosure to maintain high loads without breaking at the stress risers created by the prior art configuration.
Additional test results for a door striker assembly of the present disclosure are provided below. These additional tests, tested to failure at a 45 degree angle pull test, a 70 degree angle pull test, a longitudinal pull test, and a transverse pull test, are illustrated in Tables 5-8, below. In each of these tests, the striker pin was a SAE 4037 wire alloy and the base plate is SAE J1392 070 XLK steel. It is appreciated the door striker of the present disclosure may be made of any metal or material.
Illustrative examples have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methods may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
This patent application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/822,132, filed Mar. 22, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62822132 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16819800 | Mar 2020 | US |
| Child | 18796735 | US |
