Friction type hold open mechanism

• US 4,628,568 A
• Filed: 08/01/1985
• Issued: 12/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael C., Swanney, Peter L., Raubinger, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordon, M.
• Application Number:
  US06/761,422
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 16/319, 16/327, 16/337, 16/341, 16/352, 16/362-364, 16/385, 16/DIG. 13, 118/624, 427/25, 427/27, 427/32
• US Class Current: 16/337
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/087 with substantially axial friction, e.g. friction disks
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1085 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle door hold open mechanism of the friction type may be assembled to the vehicle prior to the vehicle being subjected to an electrostatic priming process without coating the critical metal surfaces with primer. An arm member secured to the door includes non-conductive frictional material molded in a two sided arc. A pair of metal blocks engagable with the frictional material to create a frictional force are insulated from the vehicle body by elastomer blocks. When the door is opened, the frictional material slides between the metal blocks, compressing them to create a frictional hold open force. Neither the metal blocks, nor the frictional material, will receive a coating of primer during the priming process, as they will be insulated from the electrostatic charge received by the vehicle door and body.

Claims

1. A friction type door hold open mechanism for a vehicle or the like having an electrically conductive body structure for retaining an electrically conductive door or the like hingedly mounted to said body structure in a hold open position, said mechanism being capable of being assembled to said body structure and door prior to said body structure and door being coated by a process in which said body structure and door are subjected to an electrostatic charge, comprising;

an arm member adapted to be secured to one of said body structure and door and movable relative to the other of said body structure and door as said door is moved to said hold open position, said arm member further including a frictional material that is electrically non-conductive,

an electrically non-conductive resilient member adapted to be secured to the other of said body structure and door, and,

a metal block secured to said resilient member and engagable with said frictional material on said arm member so as to compress said resilient member when said arm member moves relative to the other of said body structure and door, said compressed resilient member thereby acting both to electrically insulate said metal block from the other of said body structure and door and to engage said metal block under force with said frictional material to create a frictional force between said arm member and metal block,

whereby, said arm member, resilient member and metal block cooperate to provide a frictional hold open force to retain said door in a hold open position, while said non-conductive frictional material and resilient member also cooperate to insulate said hold open mechanism from electrostatic charge to allow it to be assembled to said body structure and door prior to being coated.

2. A friction type door hold open mechanism for a vehicle or the like having an electrically conductive body structure for retaining an electrically conductive door or the like hingedly mounted to said body structure in an infinite number of hold open positions, said mechanism being capable of being assembled to said body structure and door prior to said body structure and door being coated by a process in which said body structure and door are subjected to an electrostatic charge, comprising;

an arm member adapted to be secured to one of said body structure and door and movable relative to the other of said body structure and door as said door is moved to said hold open positions, said arm member further including a frictional material that is electrically non-conductive,

an electrically non-conductive resilient member adapted to be secured to the other of said body structure and door, and,

a metal block secured to said resilient member and engagable with said frictional material on said arm member so as to compress said resilient member when said arm member moves relative to the other of said body structure and door, said compressed resilient member thereby acting both to electrically insulate said metal block from the other of said body structure and door and to engage said metal block under force with said frictional material to create a frictional force between said arm member and metal block at every relative position thereof,

whereby, said arm member, resilient member and metal block cooperate to provide a frictional hold open force to retain said door in an infinite number of hold open positions, while said non-conductive frictional material and resilient member also cooperate to insulate said hold open mechanism from electrostatic charge to allow it to be assembled to said body structure and door prior to being coated.

3. A friction type door hold open mechanism for a vehicle or the like having an electrically conductive body structure for retaining an electrically conductive door or the like hingedly mounted to said body structure in an infinite number of hold open positions, said mechanism being capable of being assembled to said body structure and door prior to said body structure and door being coated by a process in which said body structure and door are subjected to an electrostatic charge, comprising;

a pair of electrically non-conductive resilient members adapted to be secured to one of said body structure and door in opposed relation,

a pair of metal blocks, one secured to each of said resilient members in opposed relation so as to be electrically insulated from one of said body structure and door, and,

an arm member adapted to be secured to the other of said body structure and door including an electrically non-conductive frictional material molded thereto with an optimal configuration and length so as to slide between said metal blocks and compress said resilient elements to create a desired frictional force between said arm member and metal blocks at every relative position thereof as said door is moved to said hold open positions,

whereby, said arm member, resilient members, and metal blocks cooperate to provide a frictional hold open force to retain said door in an infinite number of hold open positions, while said non-conductive frictional material and resilient members also cooperate to insulate said hold open mechanism from electrostatic charge to allow it to be assembled to said body structure and door prior to being coated.