Manual release mechanism for a power operated sliding door

• US 6,539,670 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Osborn, Thomas Ralph, Rogers, Lloyd Walker Jr., Haag, Ronald Helmut, Wilde, Ronald James
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/898,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 491/39, 491/40, 493/60, 493/52, 491/99, 492/00, 492/01, 491/41, 296/155, 16/86.A, 16/86.R, 403/291, 403/292, 403/321, 160/188, 160/201, 746/25
• US Class Current: 49/141
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/1047 specially adapted for vehicles E05D15/1044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2015/1057 the carriage swinging or rotating in those track sections
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/603 using rotary electromotors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/643 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/244 by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A manual release mechanism of a power actuated sliding door used typically for van applications, includes a bullet assembly interconnected between the ends of a pull member, or cable, of a powered pulley system. The bullet assembly engages and disengages within a passage of a hinge roller assembly which rides within a track of the vehicle. When disengaged, the door is free to slide without causing movement of the bullet assembly or powered pulley system. When engaged, the hinge roller assembly supports a pin which projects into the passage when in a rest position. If the bullet assembly is in the passage, the pin also projects into a groove of the bullet assembly, thereby, locking the bullet assembly within the passage and causing the hinge rolling assembly, which is pivotally connected to the door to move via operation of the powered pulley system. Disengagement of the pin or retraction of the passage way via a manual release handle causes the hinge roller assembly to disengage from the bullet assembly and therefore from the powered pulley system allowing for manual operation of the door independent of the pulley system.

Claims

1. A manual release mechanism for a power operated door having a hinge assembly attached to the door which is pulled along a track in one direction by an elongated flexible member to open the door and pulled in an opposite direction along the track by the elongated flexible member to close the door, the mechanism comprising:

the hinge assembly having a passage extending through the assembly in a generally horizontal direction;

a spring loaded pin mounted on the hinge assembly so as to protrude into the passage in a rest position;

an operator attached to the spring loaded pin to retract the spring loaded pin to a disengaged position where the spring loaded pin does not protrude into the passage; and

a bullet assembly attached to the elongated flexible member, the bullet assembly having a space, a forward portion being generally bullet shaped and a rearward portion being generally bullet shaped, the forward and rearward bullet portions being oriented back-to-back, the forward bullet portion having a forward nose, the rearward bullet portion having a rearward nose, the forward and rearward noses pointing away from each other in opposite directions, the space disposed axially between the forward and rearward noses, the pin projecting into the space when the spring loaded pin is in the rest position and the bullet assembly is disposed in the passage of the hinge assembly, and

a pin engagement device supported by the hinge assembly, the pin engagement device having the pin, the spring, a pivot arm, a stationary surface and a moving surface, the pivot arm having a pivot end engaged pivotally to the hinge assembly and a distal end engaged rigidly to the pin, the pin disposed generally transversely to the arm, the moving surface disposed on the pivot arm near the distal end and facing away from the pin, the stationary surface facing the moving surface and defined by the hinge assembly, the spring disposed compressibly between the stationary and moving surfaces so that the spring is compressed when the pin is in the disengaged position.

2. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the operator has a pivoting lever and a cable, the cable constructed and arranged between the operator and the distal end of the pivot arm.

3. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bullet assembly has a universal joint connecting the forward bullet portion to the rearward bullet portion, and wherein the universal joint has a maximum outer diameter that is no greater than a maximum outer diameter of each of the forward and rearward bullet portions.

4. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the elongated flexible member comprises cables.

5. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 4 wherein the space is a continuous groove having a bottom defined by a circumferential outer surface of the universal joint.

6. The manual release mechanism as defined in claim 5 wherein the universal joint is a Cardan universal joint.

7. The manual release mechanism as defined in claim 6 wherein each of the forward and rearward bullet portions has a pair of diametrically opposed ears that form part of the Cardan universal joint.

8. A manual release mechanism for a power operated door having a hinge assembly attached to the door which is pulled along a track in one direction by an elongated flexible member to open the door and pulled in an opposite direction along the track by the elongated flexible member to close the door, the mechanism comprising:

the hinge assembly having a passage extending through the assembly in a generally horizontal direction;

a spring loaded pin mounted on the hinge assembly so as to protrude into the passage in a rest position;

an operator attached to the spring loaded pin to retract the spring loaded pin to a disengaged position where the spring loaded pin does not protrude into the passage; and

a bullet assembly attached to the elongated flexible member, the bullet assembly having a space, a forward portion being generally bullet shaped and a rearward portion being generally bullet shaped, the forward and rearward bullet portions being oriented back-to-back, the forward bullet portion having a forward nose, the rearward bullet portion having a rearward nose, the forward and rearward noses pointing away from each other in opposite directions, the space disposed axially between the forward and rearward noses, the pin projecting into the space when the spring is in the rest position and the bullet assembly is disposed in the passage of the hinge assembly, and

the forward nose having a forward slot bisecting the forward nose longitudinally;

the rearward nose having a rearward slot bisecting the rearward nose longitudinally, the forward and rearward slots generally lying along a plane;

the elongated flexible member having a pull end disposed within the forward slot, the pull end having a traverse member traversing the forward slot and engaged pivotally to the forward nose; and

the elongated flexible member having a second pull end disposed within the rearward slot, the second pull end having a traverse member traversing the rearward slot and engaged pivotally to the rearward nose.

9. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

the bullet assembly having a longitudinal first part and a longitudinal second part, the first part having a planar face and the second part having an opposing planar face engaged to the planar face;

a fastener constructed and arranged to engage the first and second parts together, the fastener extended perpendicularly through the planar and opposing planar faces; and

the first and second parts each having concentrically aligned forward and rearward bores which communicate traversely to the respective forward and rearward slots, the forward and rearward traverse members disposed pivotally within the forward bores and rearward bores, respectively.

10. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein the elongated flexible member comprises elongated bands each having sides disposed perpendicular to the planar face and opposing planar face.

11. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein the elongated flexible member comprises.

12. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 11 wherein the space is a continuous circumferential groove.

13. A manual release mechanism for a power operated door having a hinge assembly attached to the door which is pulled in one direction along a track by an elongated flexible rearward member to open the door and pulled in an opposite direction along the track by an elongated flexible forward member to close the door, the mechanism comprising:

the hinge assembly having a passage extending through the hinge assembly in a generally horizontal direction;

a spring loaded pin mounted on the hinge assembly so as to protrude into the passage in a rest position, the pin being biased into the rest position by the spring;

an operator attached to the spring loaded pin to retract the spring loaded pin to a disengaged position where the spring loaded pin does not protrude into the passage;

a traverse member disposed at an end of the elongated flexible forward member;

a traverse member disposed at an end of the elongated flexible rearward member; and

a bullet assembly interconnecting the ends of the forward and rearward flexible members, the bullet assembly having;

a space, a forward portion being generally bullet shaped and a rearward portion being generally bullet shaped, the forward and rearward bullet portions being engaged unitarily back-to-back, the forward bullet portion having a forward nose, the rearward bullet portion having a rearward nose, the forward and rearward noses pointing away from each other in opposite directions, the space disposed axially between the forward and rearward noses, the pin projecting into the space when the spring loaded pin is in the rest position and the bullet assembly is centered in the passage of the hinge assembly, the forward nose bisected longitudinally by a forward slot, the rearward nose bisected longitudinally by a rearward slot, the forward and rearward slots generally lying along a plane,

a longitudinal first part having a planar face disposed axially between and planar to the forward and rearward slots and,

a longitudinal second part having an opposing planar face engaged to the planar face of the first part,

a fastener constructed and arranged to engage the first and second parts together, the fastener extended perpendicularly through the planar and opposing planar faces, and

forward and rearward bores which communicate traversely to the forward and rearward slots respectively, the forward and rearward traverse members disposed pivotally within the forward and rearward bores, respectively.

14. The manual release mechanism as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a pin engagement device supported by the hinge assembly, the pin engagement device having the pin, the spring, a pivot arm, a stationary surface and a moving surface, the pivot arm having a pivot end engaged pivotally to the hinge assembly and a distal end engaged rigidly to the pin, the pin disposed generally transversely to the arm, the moving surface disposed on the pivot arm near the distal end and facing away from the pin, the stationary surface facing the moving surface and defined by the hinge assembly, the spring disposed compressibly between the stationary and moving surfaces so that the spring is compressed when the pin is in the disengaged position.