This invention relates to vehicle doors, and more particularly, to a door hinge and methods for operation.
It is well known in motor vehicles to have two front door openings for a two-door vehicle, and two front door openings and two rear door openings for a four-door vehicle, which are respectively closed by separate front and rear doors. Conventional car doors are typically hinged at the front-facing edge of the door and allow the door to swing outward opening rearward from the body of the car.
Suicide doors are automobile doors that are hinged on the rear-facing edge of the door, that is, the edge closer to the back of the vehicle. The name refers to the perceived greater danger of such a door falling open at speed. Such doors were commonly seen on cars manufactured in the first half of the 20th century. Post-World War II examples are almost universally the rear doors of four-door cars. The last true, independently opening suicide doors were fitted to the 1971 Ford Thunderbird, after which their use ceased due to safety concerns. More recently, rear suicide doors that cannot be opened until the conventional front doors are open have been used on a number of vehicles
Suicide doors are popular with after market, custom car, and hot rod enthusiasts. It would, therefore, be highly desirable to have components and assemblies that provide automobile manufacturers, aftermarket and hot rod enthusiasts the ability to incorporate suicide door operation in currently designed automobiles without major modification to the automobile body or door structures.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring to the door 30 and the front door opening 12, a door latch 28 is mounted on the door front edge 36 and may be a particular door latch suitable for the particular purpose. A striker 26 is mounted on the front pillar 16 facing the front opening 12 and may be a particular striker suitable for the particular purpose. The door latch 28 receives the striker 26 when the door 30 is in the closed position to latch and secure the door 30 in the closed position. In the closed position, the striker 26 is captured within the door latch 28 to maintain the door 30 in the closed position. It is appreciated that the striker 26 and door latch 28 may be switched in position. It is also appreciated that any suitable closure mechanism may be used for securing the door 30 in the closed position.
The door 30 is moved from the closed position to the open position by actuating the door latch 28 to release the striker 26. The door front edge 36 is pushed outwardly via a handle (not shown). The door 30 is adapted to swing outwardly until it reaches the desired open position shown in
Various types of hinges may be used to couple the door 30 to the rear pillar 20, but in particular, a hidden hinge as described in accordance with the present invention is particularly suited for the purpose. The hinge of the present invention is partly contained inside the thickness of the door 30 and partly inside the thickness of the rear pillar 20 and comprises in particular two fastening elements adapted to couple the hinge respectively to the door 30 and to the rear pillar 20; linkages, each of which is connected to the two fastening elements with their first extremity hinged on a fixed pivot pin of one of the fastening elements and with the other extremity engaged in a sliding guide borne by the other fastening element; and a pivot pin, interposed at the extremities of the linkages, which connects the linkages in mutually pivoting fashion being able to move, remaining parallel to itself, in the opening and closing motion of the door 30. The hinge further comprises a maximum opening controlling means for controlling the extent of rotation of the hinge.
In practice, the hinge allows for the door 30 to be opened at an angle of 180 degrees, the maximum extent of rotation controlled by the maximum opening controlling means. Depending on the installation, the hinge 50 is controlled to open less than 180 degrees. In one embodiment, the maximum opening controlling means is a non-adjustable feature of the hinge 50. In other embodiments, the maximum opening controlling means is user adjustable providing one of a range of opening angles suitable for a particular purpose.
Each of the bodies 53, 55 is internally provided with a fixed pivot pin 62 and with a sliding guide 64. The pivot pin 62 is oriented parallel to a first direction X shown in
Each linkage 56, 58 is coupled to both fastening elements 52, 54. More in particular, a first extremity 57 of each linkage 56, 58 is hinged on the fixed pivot pin 62 of one of the fastening elements 52, 54, and the second extremity 59, which is provided with a shoe 66, is engaged in the sliding guide 64 of the other fastening element 52, 54.
The two linkages 56, 58 are mutually connected in pivoting fashion by a joint 68 situated between the related extremities 57, 59.
The linkages 56, 58 generally have elongated, globally curvilinear shapes, substantially similar in design and dimensions, devised to allow, when installed on a vehicle as shown in
More specifically, defining as a first linkage portion 63 that part of the linkages 56, 58 that is situated between the first extremity 57 and the joint 68 and as a second linkage portion 65 that part that is situated between the joint 68 and the second extremity 59, wherein the two linkages 56, 58 have mutually the same lengths, both in correspondence with their first linkage portions 63, and in correspondence with their second linkage portions 65.
The hinge 50 is advantageously constructed in such a way as to be also adjustable in range of rotation according to the spatial direction .alpha. and upon the activation of related adjustment means 70.
Referring to
In the above embodiments, the adjustment means 70 comprises a set screw 72. It is understood and appreciated that other elements providing similar function can be used to control the range of motion of the hinge 50, that is, adjustable in range of rotation according to the spatial direction .alpha.. Any element suitable for engagement of the shoe 66 that is slidingly engaged with the sliding guide 64 is appreciated so as to limit the maximum extent of translation of the shoe 66 within the sliding guide 64 controlling the angle .alpha. in which the hinge 50 opens and/or closes. Suitable elements include, but not limited to, pins, posts, and detent means, whether user adjustable or not.
It is appreciated that the adjustment means 70 provided above may be provided by a number of other embodiments suitable for the particular purpose, such as, but not limited to an insert secured into a bore by a locking means. In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the adjustment means 70 comprises a peg and receiving bore. The peg and receiving bore comprise complimentary locking features, such as, but not limited to, ridge/seat rings, adapted to cooperate to provide a removable coupling between the peg and bore. A plurality of pegs of different lengths may be provided in a kit allowing the installer to select the peg of suitable length to provide a predetermined pivot adjustment.
In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the adjustment means 70 comprises a peg having detents adapted to engage longitudinal channels formed in the bore to permit selective rotation and extension of the peg with respect to the bore.
Referring again to
Thus, it is seen that the invention provides a suicide-type door operation by which the door front edge swings away from the vehicle body.
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.
This is a nonprovisional application claiming priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/805,565, filed on Jun. 22, 2006, entitled Automobile Door Hinge, which is in its entirety incorporated herewith by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60805565 | Jun 2006 | US |