The present invention relates to a door release for a vehicle.
In one aspect, a door of a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a vehicle body. The door includes a door body coupled to the vehicle body. The door body is movable relative to the vehicle body between an open position and a closed position. The door further includes a latch movable relative to the door body between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch is configured to secure the door body in the closed position when the latch in the latched position. An actuator is supported by the door body and operable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position, and a push button is actuator supported by the door body and operable to move the latch from the unlatched position to the latched position. The actuator is operable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position without operating the push button actuator, and the push button actuator is operable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position without operating the actuator
In another aspect, a door of a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a vehicle body. The door includes a door body coupled to the vehicle body. The door body is movable relative to the vehicle body between an open position and a closed position. The door also includes a latch movable relative to the door body between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch is configured to secure the door body in the closed position when the latch is in the latched position. A first actuator is supported by the door body and operable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position. A second actuator is supported by the door body and operable to move the latch from the unlatched position to the latched position. The first actuator is operable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position without operating the second actuator, and the second actuator is linearly movable to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position without operating the first actuator.
In another aspect, an actuator assembly for use with a door of a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a vehicle body, and the door includes a door body coupled to the vehicle body. The door body is movable relative to the vehicle body between an open position and a closed position. A latch is movable relative to the door body between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch is configured to secure the door body in the closed position when the latch is in the latched position. The actuator assembly includes an actuator supported by the door body and movable along a first axis, a cam selectively engageable by the actuator and rotatable about a second axis that is different than the first axis, and a linkage operably coupled between the cam and the latch and oriented along a third axis that is different from the first axis and second axis. The actuator is operable to rotate the cam thereby causing a force coincident with the third axis to be exerted on the linkage to move the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position.
Other aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The term “approximately” as defined in this application means plus or minus three inches. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
Each of the first and second rear entry doors 38 are coupled to the vehicle body 14 and movable relative to the vehicle body 34 between an open position and a closed position. The first and second doors rear entry doors 38 are substantially similar and operate in a similar manner. Therefore, although only the first rear entry door 38 is discussed in detail, the second rear entry door 38 includes similar structure and operates in a similar manner. As shown in
With respect to
The latch 80 includes a first recess 100 and a second recess 104. The first recess 100 selectively receives and secures a component (e.g., rod, recess, projection, etc., not shown) positioned on the vehicle body 14 of the vehicle 10 and a second recess 104. The first spring 92a biases the latch in the unlatched position. The intermediate latch 84 includes a first projection 108, a second projection 112, and a third projection 116. The second spring 92b biases the first projection 108 of the intermediate latch 84 into engagement with the second recess 104 the latch 80. The cam 88 includes a projection 120, a first leg 124, and a second leg 132. The first leg 124 is operably coupled to the actuator 66 by a first linkage 128. The second leg 132 is operably coupled to the respective push button actuator 70 by a second linkage 136. The third spring 92c biases the projection 120 of the cam 88 out of engagement with the second projection 112 of the intermediate latch 84. When the latch 80 is in the latched position, the projection 120 engages the second projection 112 of the intermediate latch 84 and the first projection 108 engages the second recess 104 of the latch 80 such that the latch 80 is prevented from moving to from the latched to the unlatched position via the bias of the first spring 92a.
With respect to
Release of the actuator 66 causes the first linkages 128 to exert a force on the respective cam 88 in the direction opposite of arrow 150. This causes the cam 88 to move (e.g., rotate, pivot) with the bias of the third spring 92c in a second direction opposite the first direction. That is, in the illustrated embodiments, the cam 88 of the upper latch assembly rotates counterclockwise in the views shown in
The push button actuator 70 is shown in greater detail in
As shown in
The housing 200 includes a body that has a first portion 230, a second portion 234, and an axis A. The first portion 230 includes a recess 238 and an opening 242 extending through a wall 246 of the recess 238. The second portion 234 extends from the first portion 230 and is aligned with the opening 238 in the recess 238. A first aperture 250 extends through a wall 254 of the second portion 234 and a second aperture 258 extends through the wall 254 of the second portion 234. The spring 212 is at least partially positioned within the second portion 234 and supported by the wall 254 of the second portion 234. The first aperture 250, the second aperture 258, and the spring 212 are oriented in parallel with the axis A. A first leg 262 having a first aperture 266 extends from the first portion 230, and a second leg 270 having a second aperture 270 extends from the first portion 230. The first and second legs 266, 270 are offset relative to the second portion 234. The first and second legs 262, 270 are parallel with one another and spaced apart from one another by a gap 278. The first and second legs 262, 270 are oriented parallel to the axis A. The first and second apertures 266, 274 of the respective first and second legs 262, 270 are aligned with (e.g., coincident with) one another.
The cam 204 is positioned within the gap 276 between the first leg 262 and the second leg 270 of the housing 200. The cam 204 includes a first portion 290 and a second portion 294 that is integrally formed with (or otherwise coupled to) the first portion 290. The first portion 290 defines an axis B and the second portion 294 defines an axis C that is positioned at an angle relative to the axis B. In the illustrated embodiment, the axis C is positioned at a non-parallel and non-perpendicular angle relative to the axis B. A first aperture 300 and a second aperture 304 extend through of the first portion 290. The first and second apertures 300, 304 are positioned at opposite ends of the first portion 290. The first aperture 300 is aligned with (e.g., coincident with) the first and second apertures 300, 304 of the respective first and second legs 262, 270. The first aperture 300 receives a pin 308 that movably (e.g., pivotably or rotationally) couples the cam 204 to the first and second legs 262, 270 of the housing 200. The pin 308 defines an axis D that is perpendicular to the axis A in the illustrated embodiment. The second aperture 304 secures the second linkage 136 to the first portion 290 of the cam 204.
The push button 208 is at least partially positioned within the housing 200. The push button 208 includes a body that has an actuatable portion 320 and a first leg 324 and a second leg 328 that extend from the actuatable portion 320. The first leg 324 and the second leg 328 are parallel with one another and spaced apart from one another by a gap 332. The actuatable portion 320 is positioned in the recess 238 of the first portion 230 of the housing 200, and the first and second legs 324, 328 are at least partially positioned in the second portion 234. The actuatable portion 230 defines an actuatable surface that is accessible to a user. The first and second legs 324, 328 extend through the respective first and second apertures 250, 258 of the second portion 234 of housing 200 parallel to the axis A, while the wall 254 of the second portion 234 and the spring 212 are positioned within gap 332 between the first leg 324 and the second leg 328 of the push button 208. A coupler or clip 336 couples the distal ends of first and second legs 324, 328 of the push button 208 and prevents removal of the push button 208 from the housing 200. The clip 236 is selectively configured to engage the second portion 294 of the cam 204, as will be discussed in greater detail below.
The push button 208 is movable relative to the housing 200 between a first, unactuated position and a second, actuated position. The spring 212 biases the push button 208 into the unactuated position.
Operation of each of the push button actuators 70 is as follows. Actuation of the push button 208 moves the latch 80 of the respective latch assembly from the latched position to the unlatched position. As shown in
Release of the push button 208 moves the latch 80 of the respective latch assembly from the unlatched position to latched position. Release of the push button 208 (e.g., removable of the force on the push button 208) causes the spring 212 to move the push button 208 from the actuated position to the unactuated position. The cam 204 then rotates about the axis D of the pin 308 such that the second linkage 136 exerts a force on the cam 204 in the direction opposite of arrow 360 (e.g., toward the respective latch assembly) causes latch 80 to move from the unlatched to the latched position via the sequential movement of the cam 88, intermediate latch 84, and latch 80, as discussed above with respect to the operation of the actuator 66.
The patient compartment 30 of the vehicle 10 may have other door configurations. For example, the patient compartment 30 of the vehicle of
As shown in
Actuation (e.g., rotatable or pivotable movement) of the actuator 66 causes the first linkages 128 to simultaneously exert a force on the cam 404, 430 of the respective upper and lower latch assemblies in the direction of arrow 150. The force in the direction of arrow 150 on the cam 404, 430 causes the respective latch 80 to move from the latched to the unlatched position via the sequential movement of the cam 404, 434, intermediate latch 84, and latch 80, as discussed above with respect to the operation of the embodiment of
Actuation of the push button 208 moves the latch 80 of the respective latch assemblies from the latched position to the unlatched position in a similar manner as discussed above with respect to
Release of the push button 208 moves the latch 80 of the respective latch assembly from the unlatched position to latched position. Release of the push button 208 (e.g., removable of the force on the push button 208) causes the second linkages 136 to exert a force on the respective cams 408, 434 in the direction opposite of arrow 360 (e.g., toward the respective latch assembly) and the projections 416, 434 thereof to disengage the projections 112, 116 of the intermediate latches 84 to move opposite the first direction. Therefore, movement of the second linkages 136 in the direction of arrow 360 causes latch 80 to move from the latched to the unlatched position via the sequential movement of the cams 408, 434, intermediate latch 84, and latch 80, as discussed above.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/141,517, filed on Jan. 26, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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