Vehicle 180 degree rear door articulating mechanism

• US 7,950,109 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Falenski, Jason, Blust, Craig, Elliott, Adrian N. A., Johnson, Justin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; William L.
• Application Number:
  US11/948,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 163/66, 162/97, 163/21, 163/34, 16/50, 16/82, 16D/IG.17, 16D/IG.21, 163/71, 163/74, 163/43, 163/44, 296/146.11, 296/146.12
• US Class Current: 16/366
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/127 for vehicle doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle rear door unsequenced articulating mechanism including one or more articulating hinge assemblies having one or more hinge arms pivotally mounted to a vehicle C-pillar at one end thereof via a C-pillar hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle rear door at another end thereof via a door hinge mount. The hinge arm may include a generally U-shaped profile between the ends thereof for permitting unsequenced articulation of the rear door up to 180° from a rear door closed position. The door hinge mount may include a door check engageable with a stop on the hinge arm, for limiting pivotal movement of the vehicle rear door to a first intermediate open position from the rear door closed position, upon pivotal movement of the door check relative to the hinge arm.

Claims

1. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism comprising:

at least one articulating hinge assembly including;

at least one hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle C-pillar at one end thereof via a C-pillar hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle rear door at another end thereof via a door hinge mount, said hinge arm including a generally U-shaped profile between said ends thereof for permitting articulation of the rear door up to 180°

from a rear door closed position, said door hinge mount including a door check that engages with a stop on said hinge arm, for limiting pivotal movement of the vehicle rear door to a first intermediate open position from the rear door closed position, upon pivotal movement of said door check relative to said hinge arm, wherein one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount include at least one first recess that engages with a first detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount for maintaining the rear door in the first intermediate open position.

2. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein one of said hinge arm and said C-pillar hinge mount include at least one second recess engageable with a second detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said C-pillar hinge mount for maintaining the rear door in a rear door fully open position.

3. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 2, wherein one of said hinge arm and said C-pillar hinge mount include at least one third recess engageable with a third detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said C-pillar hinge mount for maintaining the rear door in the rear door closed position.

4. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 3, wherein in the rear door fully open position, said second recess and detent being engageable to prevent pivotal movement of said hinge arm, and said first recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the rear door to a second intermediate open position, generally parallel to the first intermediate open position.

5. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said door hinge mount including a fourth recess engageable with said stop to maintain the rear door in the second intermediate open position.

6. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 3, wherein in the rear door fully open position, said first and second recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the rear door to a second intermediate open position.

7. A vehicle rear door articulating mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a tie-bar connected to an upper and lower hinge arm of the at least one hinge arm for thereby providing rigidity for simultaneous operation of upper and lower hinge assemblies of the at least one hinge assembly.

8. A vehicle door articulating mechanism comprising:

at least one articulating hinge assembly including;

at least one hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle body structure at one end thereof via a body structure hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle door at another end thereof via a door hinge mount, said hinge arm including a generally curved profile between said ends thereof for permitting articulation of the door up to a predetermined angle from a door closed position, said door hinge mount including a door check that engages with a stop on said hinge arm, for limiting pivotal movement of the vehicle door to a first intermediate open position from the door closed position, upon pivotal movement of said door check relative to said hinge arm, wherein one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount include at least one first recess that engages with a first detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount for maintaining the door in the first intermediate open position.

9. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 8, wherein one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount include at least one second recess engageable with a second detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount for maintaining the door in a door fully open position.

10. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 9, wherein one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount include at least one third recess engageable with a third detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount for maintaining the door in the door closed position.

11. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 10, wherein in the door fully open position, said second recess and detent being engageable to prevent pivotal movement of said hinge arm, and said first recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the door to a second intermediate open position, generally parallel to the first intermediate open position.

12. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said door hinge mount including a fourth recess engageable with said stop to maintain the door in the second intermediate open position.

13. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 10, wherein in the door fully open position, said first and second recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the door to a second intermediate open position.

14. A vehicle door articulating mechanism according to claim 8, further comprising a tie-bar connected to an upper and lower hinge arm of the at least one hinge arm for thereby providing rigidity for simultaneous operation of upper and lower hinge assemblies of the at least one hinge assembly.

15. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism comprising:

at least one articulating hinge assembly including;

at least one hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle body structure at one end thereof via a body structure hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle compartment closure at another end thereof via a compartment closure hinge mount, said hinge arm including a generally curved profile between said ends thereof for permitting articulation of the compartment closure up to a predetermined angle from a compartment closure closed position, said compartment closure hinge mount including a compartment closure check that engages with a stop on said hinge arm, for limiting pivotal movement of the vehicle compartment closure to a first intermediate open position from the compartment closure closed position, upon pivotal movement of said compartment closure check relative to said hinge arm, wherein one of said hinge arm and said compartment closure hinge mount include at least one first recess that engages with a first detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said compartment closure hinge mount for maintaining the compartment closure in the first intermediate open position.

16. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 15, wherein one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount include at least one second recess engageable with a second detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount for maintaining the compartment closure in a compartment closure fully open position.

17. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 16, wherein one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount include at least one third recess engageable with a third detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said body structure hinge mount for maintaining the compartment closure in the compartment closure closed position.

18. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 17, wherein in the compartment closure fully open position, said second recess and detent being engageable to prevent pivotal movement of said hinge arm, and said first recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the compartment closure to a second intermediate open position, generally parallel to the first intermediate open position.

19. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said compartment closure hinge mount including a fourth recess engageable with said stop to maintain the compartment closure in the second intermediate open position.

20. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 17, wherein in the compartment closure fully open position, said first and second recess and detent being disengageable to allow pivotal movement of the compartment closure to a second intermediate open position.

21. A vehicle compartment closure articulating mechanism according to claim 15, further comprising a tie-bar connected to an upper and lower hinge arm of the at least one hinge arm for thereby providing rigidity for simultaneous operation of upper and lower hinge assemblies of the at least one hinge assembly.

22. A vehicle door articulating hinge assembly comprising a hinge arm pivotally mounted to a vehicle via a body hinge mount and pivotally mounted to a vehicle door via a door hinge mount said hinge arm comprising a generally curved profile between ends thereof permitting articulation of the door , said door hinge mount comprising a door check that engages with a stop on said hinge arm for limiting pivotal movement of the door to an open intermediate position, wherein one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount include at least one first recess that engages with a first detent on the other one of said hinge arm and said door hinge mount for maintaining the rear door in the open intermediate position.