Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6564425
-
Patent Number
6,564,425
-
Date Filed
Thursday, April 12, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 20, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 016 82
- 016 86 C
- 016 86 R
- 016 86 A
- 016 86 B
- 292 DIG 19
- 292 277
- 292 262
- 292 265
- 296 14612
- 296 14611
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
Vehicle door check device comprising:a longitudinal tie (14) provided on its outer surface with at least one retention seat (16),a holder (12) with a passage (28) through which the tie (14) can slide,a plurality of retention bodies (40) supported by the holder and engaging in the said one or more retention seats so as to define at least one stable retention position, andelastic means (34) acting between the said retention bodies (40) and the said holder (12) so as to push the retention bodies (40) against the tie (14).The tie (14) has a circular cross section and the retention bodies (40) act along radial directions with respect to the axis of the tie (14).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle door check device of the type comprising:
a longitudinal tie provided on its outer surface with at least one retention seat,
a holder with a passage in which the tie can slide,
a plurality of retention bodies supported by the holder and engaging in the said one or more retention seats so as to define at least one stable retention position, and
elastic means acting between the said retention bodies and the said holder so as to push the retention bodies against the tie.
Retention devices of the type indicated above are known from documents EP-A-0525268, FR-A-1414880, U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,409, DE3515883 and FR1143995.
In the above known solutions, the tie consists of a rectangular-section bar with two major faces on which the retention bodies act as they are pushed elastically against the tie.
One of the problems with the known solutions is that the tie can compensate to only a very limited extent for errors of planarity between the hinge plane of the door and the post. Experience shows that these errors of planarity can be large.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a door check device of the type specified above that is simple and reliable and can compensate for even large errors of planarity between the door and the post.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved with a door check device having the characteristics that form the subject of the main claim.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given purely by way of nonrestrictive example, in which:
FIG. 1
is a partly sectioned perspective view of a door check device according to the present invention,
FIG. 2
is a perspective view from a different angle of the holder indicated by arrow II in
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view of the holder of
FIG. 2
, and
FIG. 4
is a partly sectioned schematic illustrating the door check device according to the invention mounted on a vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the figures, the number
10
indicates a vehicle door check device comprising a holder
12
designed to be mounted on a door P of a vehicle, and a longitudinal tie
14
designed to be hinged to a post M of the vehicle about an axis parallel to the hinge axis of the door P. The tie
14
is circular in cross section and has one or more locating seats. In the example illustrated in the figures the tie
14
has two locating seats
16
each in the form of an annular groove formed on the outer surface of the tie. The tie
14
has a hinge hole
18
at one end, and a protuberance
20
at the other to which a stop piece
22
is fixed (FIG.
4
). The tie
14
is made of metal and may be provided with a layer of plastic material co-moulded onto its outer surface.
The holder
12
is made of stamped metal and exhibits a chamber
24
of circular shape with a bottom wall
26
in which a passage
28
is formed through which the tie
14
can slide. The holder
12
also has a flange
30
with a pair of holes
32
for fixing the holder
12
to the door P with screws (not shown).
The chamber
24
of the holder
12
houses a plurality of elastic pieces
34
, of which there are three in the example illustrated in the figures. The elastic pieces
34
are preferably blocks of elastomeric material in the form of sectors of an annulus of square cross section. Each of the elastic pieces
34
is preferably provided, on its face turned towards the centre of the chamber
24
, with a half-cylindrical seat
36
and with two holes
38
.
The door check device according to the invention also includes a plurality of retention bodies
40
of which there are three in the example illustrated in the figures. Each retention body
40
is of arcuate shape with an outward side resting against the inward face of its particular elastic piece
34
. On the outward face of each retention body
40
are a pair of dowel projections
42
that insert into the holes
38
of its particular elastic piece
34
. In addition, each retention body
40
possesses a half-cylindrical projection
44
that fits into the half-cylindrical seat
36
of the corresponding elastic piece
34
. On the inward face, each retention body
40
has a projection
46
of spherical or cylindrical form designed to engage in the outer surface of the tie
14
. The retention bodies
40
may be made of sintered metallic material or rigid plastic material. When the tie
14
is not inserted in the holder
12
the elastic pieces
34
are in a condition of rest. In this condition a circle tangential to the innermost points of the projections
46
of the retention bodies
40
has a diameter less than the smallest diameter of the tie
14
. This means that when the tie
14
is inserted into the holder
12
, the retention bodies
40
are pushed radially out and radially compress the elastic pieces
34
. The retention bodies
40
are therefore pushed elastically radially against the outer surface of the tie
14
by the elastic pieces
34
. The mutually interlocking surfaces
44
and
36
of the retention bodies
40
and of the elastic pieces
34
, respectively enable the retention bodies
40
to be orientated parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tie
14
. The area of contact between each retention body
40
and the outer surface of the tie
14
is essentially point-like. The tie
14
will therefore be free to assume different angles of inclination with respect to the holder
12
without particular constraints or impediments. A closing plate
48
(
FIGS. 1 and 4
) is fixed to the holder
12
to close the open side of the chamber
24
and prevent the escape of the retention bodies
40
and of the elastic pieces
34
. The closing plate
48
contains a hole
50
(
FIG. 4
) through which the tie
14
can slide. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the closing plate
48
is preferably fixed to the holder
12
by four tabs
52
which are bent over against the holder
12
.
Referring to
FIG. 4
, during the opening and closing of the door P the tie
14
slides in the direction of its own longitudinal axis relative to the holder
12
. When one of the locating seats
16
of the tie
14
coincides with the retention bodies
40
inside the holder
12
, the projections
46
of the retention bodies
40
drop into the retention seat
16
and produce a retention force on the tie
14
. To release the tie
14
from the retention pieces
40
a force greater than a predetermined value must be applied to the door P.
The cylindrical geometry of the tie
14
and of the holder
12
allows the device according to the present invention to compensate automatically for misalignments between the hinge axis of the tie
14
at the post M and the plane to which the holder
12
is fixed. The retention bodies
40
adapt automatically to any variation in the axis of the tie
14
without any appreciable deterioration in its operation.
Claims
- 1. Vehicle door check device comprising:a longitudinal tie with a circular cross section, provided on its outer surface with at least one retention seat, a holder having a chamber with a cylindrical surface and a passage through which the tie can slide; a plurality of retention bodies supported by the holder and engaging in said at least one retention seat so as to define at least one stable retention position, and elastic means acting so as to push the retention bodies against the tie along radial directions with respect to the axis of the tie; wherein said elastic means comprises a plurality of blocks of elastic material, each of which is in the shape of a sector of an annulus, with a convex outward side resting against said cylindrical surface of said chamber and a concave inward side; wherein each of said retention bodies is arcuate with a convex outward side resting against said concave material and an arcuate inward surface having a projection capable of establishing an essentially point-like area of contact with the outer surface of the tie; and wherein said retention bodies and said blocks including mutually-interlocking locating surfaces that enable orientation of the retention bodies along a direction essentially parallel to the axis of the tie.
- 2. A vehicle door check device comprising:a longitudinal tie having an outer surface which defines at least one retention seat; a holder which defines a passage, said longitudinal tie being slidably disposed within said passage, said holder further having an inner sidewall which defines a chamber; a compressible, elastic structure disposed within said chamber and abutting against said inner sidewall, said elastic structure including a plurality of blocks of elastomeric material, each of said plurality of blocks of elastomeric material being configured in the shape of a sector of an annulus; and a retention body, positioned intermediate said elastic structure and said longitudinal tie, said retention body being in abutment with said elastic structure and being further positioned to engage said at least one retention seat to define at least one stable retention position; wherein said longitudinal tie is positioned to produce a radial compression of said elastic structure between said inner sidewall and said retention body, wherein said radially compressed, elastic structure produces a reactive force transmitted through said retention body against said longitudinal tie along radial directions with respect to the axis of said longitudinal tie; and wherein said retention body is formed of a plurality of retention body elements, said plurality of retention body elements and said plurality of blocks of elastomeric material including mutually interlocking locating surfaces that enable orientation of said plurality of retention body elements along a direction essentially parallel to the axis of said longitudinal tie.
- 3. The vehicle door check device of claim 2 wherein said inner sidewall is oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal tie.
- 4. The vehicle door check device of claim 2 wherein said radial compression is effected along axes which are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal tie.
- 5. The vehicle door check device of claim 2, wherein each one of said plurality of retention body elements is arcuate.
- 6. The vehicle door check device of claim 5 wherein each said retention body elements defines an inward surface forming a projection for establishing a point area of contact with the outer surface of said tie.
- 7. A vehicle door check device comprising:a longitudinal tie having an outer surface which defines at least one retention seat; a holder which defines a passage, said longitudinal tie being slidably disposed within said passage, said holder further having an inner sidewall which defines a chamber; a compressible, elastic structure disposed within said chamber and abutting against said inner sidewall, said compressible, elastic structure comprising a plurality of blocks of elastomeric material; and a retention body, positioned intermediate said elastic structure and said longitudinal tie, said retention body being in abutment with said elastic body and being further positioned to engage said at least one retention seat to define at least one stable retention position; wherein said tie is positioned to produce a radial compression of said elastic structure between said inner sidewall and said retention body and wherein said radially compressed, elastic structure produces a reactive force transmitted through said retention body against said tie along radial directions with respect to the axis of wherein said retention body is formed of a plurality of retention body elements, said plurality of retention body elements and said plurality of blocks of elastomeric material including mutually interlocking locating surfaces that enable orientation of said plurality of retention body elements along a direction essentially parallel to the axis of said tie.
- 8. The vehicle door check device of claim 7, wherein said tie has a circular cross section.
- 9. The vehicle door check device of claim 7 wherein each one of said plurality of retention body elements is arcuate.
- 10. The vehicle door check device of claim 7 wherein said inner sidewall is oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal tie.
- 11. The vehicle door check device of claim 7 wherein said radial compression is effected along axes which are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said longitudinal tie.
- 12. The vehicle door check device of claim 7, wherein each of said block of elastic material is in the shape of a sector of an annulus.
- 13. The vehicle door check device of claim 12 wherein each said block of elastic material includes a convex outward side resting against said inner surface of said chamber.
- 14. The vehicle door check device of claim 13 wherein said chamber is cylindrical in configuration.
- 15. The vehicle door check device of claim 13 wherein each block of elastic material includes a concave inward side.
- 16. The vehicle door check device of claim 15, wherein said retention body is arcuate in configuration, said retention body having a convex outward side resting against said concave inward surface of a respective block of elastic material and an arcuate inward surface having a projection capable of establishing an essentially point-like area of contact with the outer surface of said tie.
- 17. The vehicle door check device of claim 7 wherein each said block of elastomeric material is configured in the shape of a sector of an annulus.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
00830289 |
Apr 2000 |
EP |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)
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DE |
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Apr 1976 |
DE |
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Jun 1991 |
DE |
4325550 |
Oct 1994 |
DE |
2.226.858 |
Nov 1974 |
FR |
2378161 |
Aug 1978 |
FR |
1055874 |
Jan 1967 |
GB |
1290737 |
Sep 1972 |
GB |
2 266 338 |
Oct 1993 |
GB |
210005 |
Aug 1996 |
JP |
244457 |
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JP |
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JP |
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JP |
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JP |