Multi-stage door opening device

• US 5,474,344 A
• Filed: 03/30/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bloxwich Korea Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bloxwich Korea Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindsey, Rodney M.
• Application Number:
  US08/219,825
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 292/336.3, 292/338, 292/262, 292/278, 292/265, 292/266, 292/275, 292/277, 292/DIG. 19, 292/DIG. 15, 292/193, 16/86 A, 16/86 C, 16/86 B, 16/49, 16/DIG. 17, 16/86 R
• US Class Current: 292/262
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/203 concealed, e.g. for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/28 Extension link
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/285 Notched bar

Abstract

A multi-stage door opening device. This device reliably retains the door as it was opened at a desired opening angle and generates no operational noise in opening and closing motions of the door and lengthens the using life. An arm is hinged to a car body and comprises a steel core totally coated with a high strength engineering plastic material. This arm is partially thinned in order to provide a plurality of locking portions. A hinge pin hole of the arm has a synthetic resin bushing placed beside the steel core. A stopper is engaged with a notched fixing portion of the arm for limiting a full door opening position. A locking unit is slidably penetrated by the arm and locked to one of the locking portions of the arm. A locking body of the locking unit receives a pair of roller units slidably contacting with the arm. Each roller unit comprises a roller carrier, a locking roller seated on the roller carrier and an elastic material placed on the back of the roller carrier for biasing the roller carrier and the roller toward the arm. The stopper comprises a shock absorber, having a plurality of shock absorbing projections, and a fixture having compression projections on its opposed sides.

Claims

1. A multi-stage door opening device comprising:

an arm hinged to a door support frame at one end thereof and including a metal core coated with an engineering plastic material over a major portion of its surface area, said arm having a notched fixing portion in said metal core at the other end thereof and partially thinned in order to provide a plurality of locking portions in said plastic material, the one end of said arm having a hinge pin hole provided with a synthetic resin bushing integrally formed with said engineering plastic material by an injection molding, said bushing being placed beside said metal core;

a stopper engaged with said notched fixing portion of the arm for limiting a full opening position of a door;

a bracket mounted on said door support frame and hinged to said pin hole of the arm, thus to hinge said arm to said door support frame; and

a locking unit penetrated by said arm and locked to one of said locking portions of the arm, said locking unit being mounted on said door and comprising a locking body and a cover covering the locking body, both said locking body and said cover being made of an engineering plastic material, said locking body receiving at least one fixing nut and at least one roller unit having a locking roller slidably contacting said arm for moving said locking unit into different locking portions along said arm with said roller unit having elastic means for urging the roller unit against the arm such that the locking roller maintains tight contact with the arm independent of arm thickness.

2. The multi-stage door opening device according to claim 1, wherein said roller unit comprises:

a roller carrier having a roller seat and a lower groove;

with said locking roller seated on said roller seat and rolling on said arm; and

with said elastic means comprising an elastic material mounted upon the lower groove of said roller carrier for biasing said roller carrier as well as said locking roller toward said arm.

3. The multi-stage door opening device according to claim 1, wherein said stopper comprises:

a shock absorber having a plurality of shock absorbing projections on its surface; and

a fixture having compression projections on its opposed sides for reliably engaging said stopper with said notched fixing portion of the arm.