Pivot mechanism for motor car doors

• US 6,030,025 A
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Filepost Limited, PENTTI DESIGN
• Original Assignee: Filepost Limited, PENTTI DESIGN
• Inventors: Kanerva, Pentti
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wells, Chad D
• Application Number:
  US09/091,224
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 296/146.11, 296/146.12, 296/185, 296/202, 49/248, 49/246, 49/385
• US Class Current: 296/146.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/32 with two pairs of pivoted arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/34 with wings opening parallel to themselves
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/40 supported on arms movable in vertical planes
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/147 for vehicle doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

Pivot mechanism with pivotable arms for motor car doors, and of the kind, where the door can expose the entire door opening for stepping-in and stepping-out and the movement of the door outwards from the side of the car body is minimized thus that distance between door (2) and car (1) is as little as possible, whereby the mechanism has two supporting arms (3,3'"'"'), which are each pivotally supported about hinges (6, 6'"'"') provided in the car door and each at their other end are pivotable about hinges (4, 4'"'"') provided in the car body, and where all hinges (4,4'"'"',6,6'"'"') have their axes mutually in parallel and perpendicularly to the longitudinal mean plane of the car and under the same acute angle (α) to the horizontal, wherein the hinges (4, 4'"'"') mounted in the car body are provided on the forward door post (5) and on the same normal plane to the longitudinal mean plane of the car and which supporting arms (3, 3'"'"') are interconnected by means of a stabilizing lever (7), which is articulately mounted on the supporting arms (3, 3'"'"') with its pivot points situated along an imagined line parallel to the theoretical connecting lines between the hinges (4, 4'"'"'and 6, 6'"'"') on the different arms, and which therefore provides a forced guiding between the two supporting arms (3, 3'"'"').

Claims

1. A pivoting door mechanism in a motor car having a body with a door frame which includes a forward door post, a door, first and second support arms, each support arm having a proximal end and a distal end, first and second body hinges mounted on the door frame at respective positions which are vertically spaced-apart a given distance, the first and second body hinges being mounted on the respective proximal ends of the first and second support arms for relative pivotal movement about respective first and second inboard pivot axes, first and second door hinges mounted on the door at respective positions which are vertically spaced-apart a distance which is substantially equal to the given distance, the first and second door hinges being mounted on the respective distal ends of the first and second support arms for relative pivotal movement about respective first and second outboard pivot axes, and the inboard and outboard pivot axes are parallel and each axis extends normal to a longitudinal mean plane of the car, each axis also extending in a direction which forms substantially the same acute angle α

with a horizontal plane, the door mechanism being characterized in that the body hinges are mounted on the forward door post, the inboard and outboard pivot axes are positioned to lie in a common plane which is normal to the longitudinal axis, the mechanism further comprises a stability lever having first and second ends which are mounted for articulated relative movement on the respective first and second support arms at respective first and second points of articulation, the first and second points of articulation being located along a first axis which is parallel to a second axis that extends between the door hinges whereby the support arms guide the door for stable movement between open and closed positions relative to the door frame as the support arms undergo said relative pivotal movement with respect to the inboard and outboard pivot axes.

2. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 1 in which the first and second support arms have respective lengths between their proximal and distal ends which are the same.

3. A pivoting door mechanism as in claims 1 in which the first and second support arms are each formed with a bend, each bight being located at a point which is closer to the proximal end than the distal end of the respective support arm.

4. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 1 in which the first body hinge is located on the forward door post above the second body hinge and the door is guided by the support arms across a middle point of height which is between said open and closed positions, the first support arm having a first portion which is connected to the first door hinge with the first portion being substantially horizontal when the door is at said middle point, and the second support arm has a second portion connected to the second door hinge, said second portion being substantially parallel to the first support arm, said door frame having a lower edge, and said second portion of the second support arm being located just above the lower edge.

5. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 1 in which the angle α

for the hinges against the horizontal plane is about 30 degrees.

6. A pivoting door mechanism as in claims 2 in which the first and second support arms are each formed with a bend, each bight being located at a point which is closer to the proximal end than the distal end of the respective support arm.

7. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 2 in which the first body hinge is located on the forward door post above the second body hinge and the door is guided by the support arms across a middle point of height which is between said open and closed positions, the first support arm having a first portion which is connected to the first door hinge with the first portion being substantially horizontal when the door is at said middle point, and the second support arm has a second portion connected to the second door hinge, said second portion being substantially parallel to the first support arm, said door frame having a lower edge, and said second portion of the second support arm being located just above the lower edge.

8. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 3 in which the first body hinge is located on the forward door post above the second body hinge and the door is guided by the support arms across a middle point of height which is between said open and closed positions, the first support arm having a first portion which is connected to the first door hinge with the first portion being substantially horizontal when the door is at said middle point, and the second support arm has a second portion connected to the second door hinge, said second portion being substantially parallel to the first support arm, said door frame having a lower edge, and said second portion of the second support arm being located just above the lower edge.

9. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 2 in which the first and second support arms have respective lengths between their proximal and distal ends which are the same.

10. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 3 in which the first and second support arms have respective lengths between their proximal and distal ends which are the same.

11. A pivoting door mechanism as in claim 4 in which the first and second support arms have respective lengths between their proximal and distal ends which are the same.