Power striker with manual override

• US 7,367,598 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Buscher, Hans J, Hamminga, Jeffrey S, Rogers, Lloyd Walker Jr., Arabia, Frank Joseph Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle; Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, ALYSON MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/347,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20060175845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 292/341.16, 292/341.15, 292/340, 292/280, 292/201, 492/80
• US Class Current: 292/341.16
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 53/008 by planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/22 by movement of the striker
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/308 Swinging catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/699 Motor controlled

Abstract

A power striker assembly effects final positioning of a vehicle closure member and includes a fixed frame and a striker member carried on a striker plate for selective engagement of a latch carried on the closure member, to displace the closure member from a presented position to a cinched position. Guide means interconnects the frame and striker plate to effect simultaneous translational and rotational displacement of the striker plate between end limits of travel to produce linear displacement of the striker member. An actuator selectively displaces the striker plate between its end limits of travel in response to a control signal. Finally, an interlock fixes the striker plate in the cinched position in the absence of the control signal.

Claims

1. A power striker assembly for effecting final positioning of a closure member on an associated vehicle, said power striker assembly comprising:

a striker member positionable to selectively engage said closure member and subsequently displace said closure member from an extended or open position to a retracted or closed position;

a striker plate carrying said striker member and adapted for attachment to said vehicle adjacent said closure member, said striker plate displaceable between first and second end limits of travel;

actuator means operative to drivingly engage said striker plate for displacement from said first end limit of travel to said second end limit of travel in response to a control signal; and

latch means operative to interlock said striker plate in said second end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal; and

means operative to continuously bias said striker plate towards said first end limit of travel independently of said control signal.

2. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said latch means comprises a lever disposed adjacent said striker plate and displaceable between an engaged position effecting said interlock and a release position.

3. The power striker assembly of claim 2, wherein said striker plate and lever define cooperating abutment surfaces effecting said interlock.

4. The power striker assembly of claim 3, wherein said abutment surfaces are substantially parallel when engaged.

5. The power striker assembly of claim 2, further comprising means operative to continuously bias said lever towards said engaged position independently of said control signal.

6. The power striker assembly of claim 5, wherein said means operative to continuously bias said lever comprises a spring.

7. The power striker assembly of claim 2, wherein said actuator means is operative to displace said lever from said engaged position to said release position in response to said control signal.

8. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said means operative to continuously bias said striker plate comprises a spring.

9. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said first limit of travel of said striker plate corresponds with the closure member open or extended position, and the second limit of travel of the striker plate corresponds with the closure member retracted or closed position.

10. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator means comprises a transmission drivingly interconnecting an electric motor with said striker plate.

11. The power striker assembly of claim 10, further comprising control means operative to electrically energize said actuator means for uni-directional operation of said motor.

12. The power striker assembly of claim 1, further comprising means operative to sense the position of said striker plate and to provide a feedback signal to said actuator means as a function thereof.

13. A power striker assembly for effecting final positioning of a closure member on an associated vehicle, said power striker assembly comprising:

a housing including a fixed frame adapted for attachment to said vehicle adjacent said closure member;

a striker member positionable to selectively engage said closure member and to subsequently displace said closure member from an extended or open position to a retracted or closed position;

a substantially flat striker plate carrying said striker member;

guide means interconnecting said frame and striker plate operative to effect displacement of said striker plate within an imaginary two-dimensional plane between first and second end limits of travel;

a substantially flat lever mounted to said frame within said imaginary two-dimensional plane adjacent said striker plate for rotation between an engaged position and a release position;

an electric drive motor;

transmission means interconnecting said motor and striker plate to selectively drive said striker plate from said first end limit of travel to said second end limit of travel in response to a control signal and interconnecting said motor to said lever to selectively drive said lever from said engaged position to said release position in response to said control signal;

means to continuously bias said striker plate towards said first end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal; and

means to continuously bias said lever towards said engaged position,

wherein an edge of said lever operates to engage an edge of said striker plate to interlock the striker plate in said second end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal, and to releasably restrain said striker plate in said first end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal.

14. A power striker assembly for effecting final positioning of a closure member on an associated vehicle, said power striker assembly comprising:

a striker member positionable to selectively engage said closure member and subsequently displace said closure member from an extended or open position to a retracted or closed position;

a striker plate carrying said striker member and adapted for attachment to said vehicle adjacent said closure member, said striker plate displaceable between first and second end limits of travel;

actuator means operative to drivingly engage said striker plate for displacement from said first end limit of travel to said second end limit of travel in response to a control signal;

means operative to continuously bias said striker plate towards said first end limit of travel independently of said control signal; and

a latch lever mounted adjacent said striker plate for rotation between an engaged position and a release position,

wherein said latch lever operates to engage said striker plate to interlock said striker plate in said second end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal, and to releasably restrain said striker plate in said first limit of travel in the absence of said control signal.

15. The power striker of claim 14, wherein said actuator means is operative to drivingly engage said latch lever for displacement from said engaged position to said release position in response to said control signal.

16. A power striker assembly for effecting final positioning of a closure member on an associated vehicle, said power striker assembly comprising:

a striker member positionable to selectively engage said closure member and subsequently displace said closure member from an extended or open position to a retracted or closed position;

a striker plate carrying said striker member and adapted for attachment to said vehicle adjacent said closure member, said striker plate displaceable between first and second end limits of travel;

actuator means operative to drivingly engage said striker plate for displacement from said first end limit of travel to said second end limit of travel in response to a control signal;

latch means operative to interlock said striker plate in said second end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal; and

detent means operative to restrain said striker plate in said first end limit of travel in the absence of said control signal.

17. The power striker assembly of claim 16, wherein said detent means comprises protuberances on said latch means disposed adjacent said striker plate and displaceable between an engaged position effecting said detent and a release position.

18. The power striker assembly of claim 17, wherein said striker plate and lever define cooperating abutment surfaces.

19. The power striker assembly of claim 18, wherein said abutment surfaces operate to displace said lever from said engaged position to said release position in response to impact loading imposed upon said striker member by said closure member.

20. The power striker assembly of claim 18, wherein said abutment surfaces are angularly offset when engaged.

21. The power striker assembly of claim 17, wherein said actuator means is operative to displace said lever from said engaged position to said release position in response to said control signal.

22. The power striker assembly of claim 16, wherein said latch means comprises a lever disposed adjacent said striker plate and displaceable between an engaged position effecting said interlock and a release position.

23. The power striker assembly of claim 22, wherein said striker plate and lever define cooperating abutment surfaces effecting said interlock.

24. The power striker assembly of claim 23, wherein said abutment surfaces are substantially parallel when engaged.

25. The power striker assembly of claim 22, further comprising means operative to continuously bias said lever towards said engaged position independently of said control signal.

26. The power striker assembly of claim 25, wherein said means operative to continuously bias said lever comprises a spring.

27. The power striker assembly of claim 22, wherein said actuator means is operative to displace said lever from said engaged position to said release position in response to said control signal.

28. The power striker assembly of claim 16, wherein said first limit of travel of said striker plate corresponds with the closure member open or extended position, and the second limit of travel of the striker plate corresponds with the closure member retracted or closed position.

29. The power striker assembly of claim 16, wherein said actuator means comprises a transmission drivingly interconnecting an electric motor with said striker plate.

30. The power striker assembly of claim 29, further comprising control means operative to electrically energize said actuator means for uni-directional operation of said motor.

31. The power striker assembly of claim 16, further comprising means operative to sense the position of said striker plate and to provide a feedback signal to said actuator means as a function thereof.