Patent Application
20230202373
(NOT APPLICABLE)
The invention relates to a lift assist for a door or a ramp door of a vehicular structure and, more particularly, to a powered ramp door assembly that is fully contained within the door jamb and can be easily and quickly connected to the vehicle power after installation.
It is known to provide a ramp door for a vehicular structure, for example, a recreational vehicle (RV) or trailer, where the ramp door is pivotable among a closed position, a deck position, and a ramp position. In the deck position, the door can be supported by cables and/or alternative supports to provide an extended outdoor use area adjacent a recreational vehicle or trailer. In a ramp position, the door may be lowered to the ground to permit loading and unloading of equipment from the RV or trailer.
An exemplary ramp door operating mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,800,311, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. In the described operating mechanism, a spring-mounted cable is driven by a motorized sprocket to open and close the door. The spring is configured to support a portion of the weight of the door while opening the door and to assist in closing the door.
In the powered ramp door assembly of the described embodiments, the controls are consolidated and self-contained at the side of the jamb, in contrast with existing assemblies that utilize controls installed as a touchpad. The door jamb can be pre-wired with wire harnesses for powering the door prior to installation, and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will be provided with a short “pig-tail” of wires to connect the jamb to vehicle power in a plug-n-play manner.
The wiring harness system may be completely integrated within the jamb. The jamb may also include a streamlined and fully-integrated control panel at the lower end of one side of the jamb including all operational features for the system.
The door actuation mechanism includes a motorized cylinder that is linearly displaceable to extend and retract a cable to thereby open or close the ramp door, respectively.
In an exemplary embodiment, a door operating mechanism serves to displace a door between a closed position and a deck position relative to a structure including a frame with a side door jamb and a head door jamb. The door operating mechanism includes a motor and an actuator connected to the motor and disposed within the side door jamb. A cable is connected at one end to the actuator and at an opposite end to the door via a pulley assembly. A wire harness system electrically connects the motor to a plug or plug-n-play connector. A control panel mounted adjacent the door is coupled with the motor via the wire harness system.
The mechanism may further include a compression spring interposed between the cylinder rod and the cable. The mechanism may further include a fixed tether connected between at least one of the side door jamb and the head door jamb and the door. The mechanism may further include one of an electric cinch latch and a manual compression latch for securing the door in a closed position. The mechanism may further include a gas shock secured to the side door jamb and positioned to engage the door in a closed position, where the gas shock is biased to displace the door toward an open position. The mechanism may further include a limit switch positioned in or adjacent one of the side door jamb and the head door jamb that disconnects power to the motor when the door is displaced to a closed position.
The control panel may include a key switch to activate the door operating mechanism and a rocker switch to extend and retract the cylinder rod. The key switch and the rocker switch may be connected to the motor via the wire harness system. The control panel may further include a warning indicator light and a mute button for silencing a warning buzzer. The control panel may include an SAE plug for battery backup connection.
The actuator may be a cylinder including an extendable and retractable cylinder rod. The wire harness system may be positioned within the door jamb. The control panel may be mounted on the side door jamb.
In another exemplary embodiment, a door operating mechanism includes first and second motors positioned within the frame, and first and second actuators respectively connected to each of the first and second motors and disposed within the side door jambs. First and second cables are each respectively connected at one end to the actuators and at an opposite end to the door via respective pulley assemblies. A wire harness system electrically connects the first and second motors to a plug or plug-n-play connector. A control panel is mounted adjacent the door and is coupled with the first and second motors via the wire harness system.
These and other aspects and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The door is pivotably connected to or associated with the structure 14 so that the door 12 may be pivoted between a first or closed position in which the door covers or occupies the opening 18, a second or deck position in which the door is supported substantially parallel to the floor 20, and a third or ramp position further pivoted to the ground. When in the ramp position, the door 12 may provide contiguous access between the floor 20 and the ground upon which the structure 14 may be situated.
The structure 14 includes a frame 22 defined by a pair of side door jambs 24 and a head door jamb 25. See
With reference to
The wire harness system 38 may be integrated within the frame 22 and enables the system to be quickly and easily connected to vehicle power after installation. The frame 22 is pre-wired with the wire harness system for powering the door prior to installation, and the OEM is provided with a short “pig-tail” of wires to connect the system to vehicle power via a plug connector or plug-n-play connector. An exemplary electrical schematic with multiple wire harnesses in the wire harness system is shown in
A streamlined and fully-integrated control panel 40 is mounted adjacent the door 12. In some embodiments, the control panel 40 is mounted at the lower end of one side of the side door jamb 24 and includes all operational features for the system. In some embodiments, with reference to
To power on, the user inserts a key into the key switch 42 and turns it 90 degrees. The door 12 is extended and retracted via the rocker switch 44, which is preferably a waterproof rocker switch. The mute button 48 can be used to silence a warning buzzer that goes off during deployment of the door for noise sensitive areas or time of day. The SAE plug 50 provides a battery backup connection in the event of loss of power in the vehicle.
With continued reference to
In some embodiments, the door 12 may be locked in the closed position by an electric cinch latch. By using this latch, the user guides a door closed with one hand, and the latch grabs the door and closes it the rest of the way. Alternatively, a manual compression latch may be used. The total number of latches used generally determines their position within the header. The cinch latch may be placed at the center of the header of the jamb, but is not limited to placement at this location. A manual latch may be located in at least one side of the jamb at a position that is accessible by the user. Any suitable latching mechanism may be used with the door. An exemplary electric cinch latch 53 is shown in
A gas shock 54 acts as a door opening assist so that the door does not stick prior to actuation. Once the door is unlocked, the gas shock 54 expands to open the door about 15°.
A limit switch 56 may be installed in the frame 22 to act as an anti-tampering device. Once the door 12 is displaced to the closed position, the limit switch 56 cuts power to the system so that the door is not operable if the key is accidentally left in the control panel 40.
The door may be provided with decals on both sides to indicate where the pinch points are when the door opens/closes.
The powered ramp door assembly of the described embodiments is fully contained within the door frame and can be easily and quickly connected to vehicle power after installation. The controls are consolidated and self-contained within the side door jamb. The jamb is pre-wired with wire harnesses for powering the door prior to installation, and the OEM can readily connect power to the system via a plug-n-play connector.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/293,676, filed Dec. 24, 2021, the entire content of which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63293676 | Dec 2021 | US |
