Door Stop With Indeterminate Retaining Positions

• US 20080169659A1
• Filed: 07/17/2006
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andre Prieur
• Original Assignee: Andre Prieur
• Inventors: Prieur, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 7,832,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/275
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/203 concealed, e.g. for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/166 electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/301 Friction catch

Abstract

The present invention relates to a door check mechanism providing infinite stable retaining positions, with applications more specifically in the area of motor vehicles, comprising on the one hand an articulated guiding arm (1), mounted to the vehicle body or to the door, and on the other hand a mechanism (9), mounted to the other part, either the door or the vehicle body, in such a way that guiding arm (1) penetrates through mechanism (9) with a relative displacement between these two parts, the wedging function resulting from a blocking of guiding arm (1) by mechanism (9). (FIG. 1)

• • Mechanism (9) comprises a carriage device (2), including a braking-roller (21) held in contact with both guiding arm (1) and braking element (23), in order to ensure the wedging function. When a load, greater than a predefined threshold is exerted on the door, axle (22) of roller (21) starts to slide along the lateral guiding slots (25) and (26) which retain the said axle (22), until roller (21) is released from braking element (23), allowing a free rotation of roller (21) and the release of the mechanism. The re-locking is automatically obtained by the spring device (24), as soon as the opening or closing load disappears.

Claims

1. / Door check mechanism providing an infinite number of stable retaining positions between fully opened and closed, this said mechanism comprising on the one hand a guiding arm (1) linked to a steady part, as for example a vehicle body, or linked to a moving part, as for example a passenger door, and on the other hand a mechanism (9), linked to the opposite part, respectively the passenger door or the vehicle body, in such a way that the guiding arm (1) penetrates through the mechanism (9) with a relative displacement between those two parts, the wedge function being provided by a relative blocking of guiding arm (1) through mechanism (9), the system being characterized by:

on the one hand, the guiding arm (1) provides a rolling and relative blocking path (11) between the said guiding arm and mechanism (9), whereas the surface of rolling path (11) will provide appropriate roughness to ensure the adherence of roller (21), the said roller being intended to ensure a wedging function, the surface of rolling path may therefore enclose any type of notches that will match the shape of rolling surface (211) of roller (21), the said roller being made of a more or less soft material, in order to provide a good adherence with guiding arm (1);

on the other hand, mechanism (9) includes a carriage device (2), which comprises a braking roller (21), mounted on an axle (22) which can slide along lateral guiding slots (25) and (26), which are provided on the sides of carriage device (2), whereas a braking element (23) made of a brake shoe linked to carriage device (2), will block roller (21) by a contact between one of its faces and the rolling surface of roller (21) and whereas a spring device (24), acting directly or indirectly on axle (22), is intended to hold and bring back roller (21) to the locked position, while the load exerted on the guiding arm (1) by roller (21) is counterbalanced by a roller (3), mounted to the opposite of roller (21), which leads to hold the guiding arm (1) during its relative displacement through mechanism (9), the said mechanism ensuring the three functions hereafter;

a) blocking of the rotation of roller (21) against guiding arm (1), in any un-predefined position,

b) release of the rotation of roller (21) whenever an opening or closing force greater than a predefined release threshold is exerted on the door, this release taking place within a limited clearance between mechanism (9) and guiding arm (1),

c) automatic re-locking, in any un-predefined position of the door, when the opening or closing force disappears;

the lateral guiding slots (25) and (26), comprising bosses and notches, intended to resist to the displacement of axle (22), and intended to provide stable positions, during respectively locked phase and opening or closing maneuvers, the said bosses and notches being designed in such a way that when a load appears between guiding arm (1) and carriage device (2), during door opening or closing maneuvers, axle (22) tends to slide along lateral guiding slots (25) and (26), in a direction opposite to the direction of the load, and after a limited clearance, the axle passes the bosses and reaches the notches, which releases roller (21) from the braking element (23), allowing its free rotation and therefore a relative displacement between carriage device (2) and guiding arm (1);

whereas spring device (24), exerts a compression load on axle (22), tending to bring it back spontaneously to the central locked position, as soon as the opening or closing maneuver is interrupted, the clearance of the door during this re-locking phase being limited by the size of lateral guiding slots (25) and (26).

2. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the bracket (32) of roller (3) is part of carriage device (2), to form a single part.

3. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that parts with magnetic properties are placed near the lateral guiding slots (25) and (26), or are placed on axle (22), in order to improve the stability of axle (22) when positioned in the notches during the opening or closing of the door.

4. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cross section of the peripheral surface of roller (21) may have various shapes, like U, V or double railroad type, in order to improve the guiding of the said roller (21) along the rolling path (11) of guiding arm (1), the said guiding arm being therefore shaped accordingly.

5. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that guiding arm (1) comprises two branches (13) and (14) or only one branch (13), in such a way that roller (21) encounters a portion of the rolling path (11) where they are not in contact, in order to prevent any retaining function within this said portion, whereas branches (13) and (14) may therefore be guided by sliding blocks (91) and (92).

6. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that guiding arm (1) is realized with a rigid plate linked to the vehicle body—

or to the door, with which roller (21) will be in contact, and whereas the said roller will move along an approximate circular path globally centered on the axis of the door hinges, during the door maneuvers, in opening or closing.

7. / Door check mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that guiding arm (1) is realized with a cylindrical part linked to the vehicle body—

or to the door, with which roller (21) will be in contact, and whereas the said roller will move along an approximate circular path globally centered on the axis of the door hinges, during the door maneuvers, in opening or closing.