Power linear displacement striker

• US 7,445,258 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• 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: Rice, John R., Hamminga, Jeffrey S, Arabia, Frank Joseph Jr., Johnson, Joseph Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US11/347,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20060175846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/341.16, 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 292/699 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 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 striker plate carrying said striker member;

guide means interconnecting said frame and striker plate operative to effect simultaneous translational and rotational displacement of said striker plate between first and second end limits of travel resulting in substantially linear displacement of said striker member between said extended and retracted positions, wherein said striker plate reciprocates about an axis of elongation defined by said striker member;

actuator means operable to selectively displace said striker plate between said end limits of travel; and

means to selectively alternatively latch said striker plate in each of said end limits of travel.

2. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises,

first and second bushings carried with said frame, and

first and second guide surfaces defined by said striker plate, said first bushing and first guide surface disposed in continuous sliding engagement and said second bushing and second guide surface disposed in continuous sliding engagement throughout transition of said striker plate between said end limits of travel.

3. The power striker assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second bushings are directly affixed to said frame.

4. The power striker assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second guide surfaces are defined by first and second elongated slots formed in said striker plate.

5. The power striker assembly of claim 4, wherein said first and second elongated slots define characteristic axes of elongation which are substantially angularly offset from one another.

6. The power striker assembly of claim 4, wherein at least one of said elongated slots define a curvilinear guide surface.

7. The power striker assembly of claim 4, wherein said first and second elongated slots are spaced from one another.

8. The power striker assembly of claim 2, wherein said striker member is affixed to said striker plate intermediate said first and second guide surfaces.

9. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said striker plate is substantially flat and is displaceable within a two-dimensional plane defined by said frame.

10. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said striker member is affixed to and extends normally from said striker plate.

11. The power striker assembly of claim 1, wherein said striker member comprises one leg of a generally “

u”

shaped striker element.

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

13. The power striker assembly of claim 12, further comprising control means operative to electrically energize said actuator means for uni-rotational operation of said motor.

14. 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.

15. A power striker assembly for effecting final positioning of a closure member on an associated vehicle, said power striker 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, elongated striker plate carrying said striker member;

guide means interconnecting said frame and striker plate operative to effect simultaneous translational and rotational displacement of said striker plate between first and second end limits of travel resulting in substantially linear displacement of said striker member between said extended and retracted positions, said striker plate being displaceable within a two-dimensional plane defined by said frame, said guide means including first and second bushings carried with said frame within said housing and first and second guide surfaces defined by said striker plate, said first bushing and first guide surface disposed in continuous sliding engagement and said second bushing and second guide surface disposed for continuous sliding engagement throughout transition of said striker plate between said end limits of travel;

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;

means to continuously bias said striker plate towards said first limit of travel; and

latch means operative to selectively secure said striker plate at each of said end limits of travel.

16. The power striker of claim 15, wherein said first and second bushings define attachment points for affixation of said striker assembly to an associated vehicle.

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

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 striker plate carrying said striker member;

guide means interconnecting said frame and striker plate operative to effect simultaneous translational and rotational displacement of said striker plate between first and second end limits of travel resulting in substantially linear displacement of said striker member between said extended and retracted positions, wherein said striker plate reciprocates about an axis of elongation defined by said striker member;

actuator means operable to selectively displace said striker plate between said end limits of travel; and

means to continually bias said striker plate towards one of said end limits of travel,

wherein said means to continually bias said striker plate comprises a spring, and

wherein said spring is continuously compressively loaded between said striker plate and said fixed frame.