Slotted lever device for keeping an automotive door in an open position

• US 6,176,040 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Sugihara, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/271,911
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 493/94, 495/02, 16/86.R, 16/86.A, 16/86.C, 292/DIG.15, 292/338, 292/262
• US Class Current: 49/394
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/206 with elastomeric springs to hold wing open
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/15 Door, checks, floor

Abstract

An automotive door stopper device has a decreased vertical dimension to facilitate the arrangement of the device within a door opening of a vehicle body, and prevents the entrance of foreign matter and the accumulation of dirt and dust in the device. The automotive door stopper device includes a lever having a base end portion rotatably attached to a side of a door, an engagement pin fixed to the vehicle body for guiding the lever, and a braking mechanism for restraining movement of the lever. A planar surface of the lever faces the vertical direction. A case is provided which houses the braking mechanism and covers a portion of the lever. The case is secured to the vehicle body by the engagement pin. The automotive door stopper device allows the door to be stopped in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions.

Claims

1. An automotive door-open stopper device comprising:

a movable plate lever having a central slot and a side end face having first and second recesses;

an engagement pin engaging said slot to guide said lever; and

a braking mechanism for restraining movement of said lever, the braking mechanism including a shoe having a convex surface abutting the side end face of the lever;

wherein said braking mechanism is contained in a case which covers a portion of the slot of said lever and is attached to said lever by said engagement pin, said case including a storage chamber for storing the shoe and a cushion member, the cushion member positioned between an inner surface of the storage chamber and the shoe, wherein the cushion member elastically presses the shoe against the side end face of the lever to engage the convex surface of the shoe with one of the first and second recesses.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the movable plate lever includes a base portion adapted to be rotatably attached to a side of a vehicle door.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle door is adapted to be stopped between an open and a closed position when the second recess engages the braking mechanism.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle door is adapted to be stopped in an open position when the first recess engages the braking mechanism.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the moveable plate lever includes a base portion adapted to be rotatably attached to a side of a vehicle door, and wherein said engagement pin is adapted to attach said case containing said braking mechanism and said lever to a vehicle body.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the lever, the case, and the engagement pin are adapted to be disposed below said vehicle door.