LOCKABLE VEHICLE CLOSURE BUMPERS

• US 20110127781A1
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Fox, Andrew G., Thorpe, Scott W., Meernik, Paul R., Meidinger, Warren J., Shoemaker, James H., Novajovsky, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,955,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0009 with thermo-electric actuators, e.g. heated bimetals
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/02 Movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means; Adaptation of locks, latches, or parts thereof, for movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means by means in the striker E05B63/248
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/06 Controlling mechanically-operated bolts by electro-magnetically-operated detents
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/247 Simultaneously actuated fasteners at separated positions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1048 Lever

Abstract

A closure assembly and method of operation for a vehicle closure includes a latch for selectively securing the closure to the vehicle, and a lockable bumper assembly that includes an electronic locking mechanism that can selectively secure the bumper in a pocket of the base to add an additional mechanism for securing the closure to the vehicle. The locking mechanism may be controlled to secure the bumper to the base after a controller detects that the latch is latched and the bumper is seated in the pocket of the base.

Claims

1. A method for releasably securing a closure on a vehicle to a vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) moving the closure from an open position to a closed position against the vehicle body;

(b) actuating a latch to retain the closure against the vehicle body upon the closure reaching the closed position;

(c) inserting a bumper, which is mounted on one of the closure and the vehicle body, into a pocket of a base, which is mounted on the other of the closure and the vehicle body, as the closure approaches the closed position;

(d) detecting if the latch is actuated to retain the closure against the vehicle body;

(e) detecting if the bumper is fully inserted into the pocket; and

(f) actuating an electronic locking mechanism to secure the bumper to the base after detecting that the latch is actuated to retain the closure against the vehicle body and after detecting that the bumper is fully inserted into the pocket.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (f) is further defined by actuating the electronic locking mechanism to secure the bumper to the base after detecting that the latch is actuated to retain the closure against the vehicle body, after detecting that the bumper is fully inserted into the pocket, and after the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (f) is further defined by actuating the electronic locking mechanism by inducing an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism to move a retaining flange on one of the base and the bumper into engagement with a retaining surface on the other of the base and the bumper to prevent the bumper from pulling out of the pocket.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (f) is further defined by the retaining flange being engaged with the retaining surface when no electric current is provided to the moving mechanism and being disengaged from the retaining surface when an electric current is provided to the moving mechanism.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

(g) receiving a signal to open the closure when closed;

(h) controlling the electronic locking mechanism to release the bumper from the base; and

(i) releasing the latch to release the closure from the vehicle body.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (h) further comprises moving a retaining flange on the base out of engagement with a retaining surface on the bumper to allow the bumper to pull out of the pocket in the base.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) is further defined by causing the bumper to move a plunger into engagement with a bumper engagement switch as the bumper becomes seated in the pocket.

8. A method for releasably securing a closure on a vehicle to a vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a signal to open the closure when closed;

(b) controlling an electronic locking mechanism to release a bumper, which is mounted on one of the closure and the vehicle body, from a pocket of a base, which is mounted on the other of the closure and the vehicle body, wherein the bumper, when in engagement with the base, restrains movement of the closure relative to the vehicle body in three axial directions;

(c) releasing a latch, which secures the closure in a closed position, to release the closure from the vehicle body, the latch being released after the electronic locking mechanism releases the bumper; and

(d) moving the closure from the closed position to an open position.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

(e) moving the closure from the open position to the closed position against the vehicle body;

(f) actuating the latch to retain the closure against the vehicle body upon the closure reaching the closed position;

(g) inserting the bumper into the pocket of the base as the closure approaches the closed position;

(h) detecting if the latch is actuated to retain the closure against the vehicle body;

(i) detecting if the bumper is fully inserted into the pocket; and

(j) actuating the electronic locking mechanism to secure the bumper to the base after detecting that the latch is actuated to retain the closure against the vehicle body and after detecting that the bumper is fully inserted into the pocket.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein step (b) is further defined by controlling the electronic locking mechanism by inducing an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism to move a retaining flange on one of the base and the bumper out of engagement with a retaining surface on the other of the base and the bumper to allow the bumper to pull out of the pocket.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step (b) is further defined by the retaining flange being engaged with the retaining surface when no electric current is provided to the moving mechanism and being disengaged from the retaining surface when an electric current is provided to the moving mechanism.

12. A closure assembly that is releasably securable to a vehicle body of a vehicle having a controller, the closure assembly comprising:

a latch secured to the closure and configured to releasably engage the vehicle body, the latch operatively engaging the controller to indicate a state of the latch being latched or unlatched;

a lockable bumper assembly including a bumper mounted to one of the closure and the vehicle body and a base mounted to the other of the closure and the vehicle body;

the base including a pocket complimentary in shape to the bumper for receiving a portion of the bumper therein, a bumper closed sensor assembly configured to detect when the bumper is seated in the pocket and communicate this status to the controller, and at least one electronic locking mechanism including a movable retaining flange, the actuation of the electronic locking mechanism controllable by the controller; and

the bumper including a retaining surface that is configured to be engageable with the movable retaining flange to selectively secure the bumper in the pocket.

13. The closure assembly of claim 12 including a second lockable bumper assembly including a second bumper mounted to one of the closure and the vehicle body spaced from the lockable bumper assembly, and a second base mounted to the other of the closure and the vehicle body;

the second base including a second pocket complimentary in shape to the second bumper for receiving a portion of the second bumper therein, a second bumper closed sensor assembly configured to detect when the second bumper is seated in the second pocket and communicate this status to the controller, and at least one second electronic locking mechanism including a second movable retaining flange, the actuation of the second electronic locking mechanism controllable by the controller; and

the second bumper including a second retaining surface that is configured to be engageable with the second movable retaining flange to selectively secure the second bumper in the second pocket.

14. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the bumper closed sensor assembly includes a plunger biased toward the pocket by a plunger spring and a bumper engagement switch that is configured to be engaged by the plunger when the bumper is seated in the pocket.

15. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the retaining surface is a slot extending laterally through a portion of the bumper, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a movable retaining flange that is telescopically slidable by an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism into and out of the slot when the bumper is seated in the pocket.

16. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the retaining surface is a sloped back edge of the bumper, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a movable wedge-shaped retaining flange that is telescopically slidable by an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism into and out of contact with the sloped back edge when the bumper is seated in the pocket.

17. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the bumper has an I-shaped cross section and the retaining surface is a cross member on the I-shaped cross section, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a pivotable wedge-shaped retaining flange that is pivotable by an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism into and out of contact with the bumper.

18. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the bumper has a generally I-shaped cross section with curvilinear cross sectional thickness of the web of the I-shape and the retaining surface is the curvilinear shaped web, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a retaining flange having a mushroom-shaped cross section that is telescopically slidable by an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism into and out of contact with the retaining surface.

19. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the bumper has a generally I-shaped cross section with a truncated triangle-shaped cross sectional thickness of the web of the I-shape that forms the retaining surface, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a complimentary shaped retaining flange having a truncated triangle-shaped cross section that is telescopically slidable by an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism into and out of contact with the retaining surface.

20. The closure assembly of claim 12 wherein the bumper has a generally I-shaped cross section with curvilinear cross sectional thickness of the web of the I-shape and the retaining surface is the curvilinear shaped web, and the electronic locking mechanism includes a retaining flange having a mushroom-shaped cross section that is telescopically biased into the pocket by a support spring and an electronically actuatable, moving mechanism that is configured to selectively prevent the retaining flange from sliding out of the pocket.