Construction for check arm keeper for check arm assembly for vehicle door

A method for assembling a check arm keeper for engagement with a check arm to hold a vehicle door in a selected position, comprising:

• a) providing a keeper housing having a generally hollow-cylindrical cartridge-mounting portion that defines an axis;
• b) providing a plunger cartridge including a plunger cartridge housing that is mountable to the cartridge-mounting portion, a plunger that is slidable in the plunger cartridge housing, and a plunger-biasing member that is positioned in the plunger cartridge housing to urge the plunger out from the plunger cartridge housing;
• c) inserting the plunger cartridge axially into the cartridge-mounting portion, wherein during said insertion a projection on one of an exterior surface of the plunger cartridge housing and an inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion is driven axially in an axially extending portion of a groove in the other of the exterior surface of the plunger cartridge housing and the inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion, and applying an axially directed force on the plunger cartridge housing that is substantially centered on the plunger-biasing member so as to cause compression of the plunger-biasing member axially;
• and
• d) rotating the plunger cartridge housing to drive the projection circumferentially in a circumferentially extending portion of the groove, so as to hold the plunger cartridge housing in a selected axial position relative to the keeper housing, and continuing to apply the axially directed force on the plunger cartridge housing that is substantially centered on the plunger-biasing member so as to maintain compression of the plunger-biasing member.

A check arm keeper for engagement with a check arm to hold a vehicle door in a selected position, comprising:

• a keeper housing having a generally hollow-cylindrical cartridge-mounting portion that defines an axis;
• a plunger cartridge including a plunger cartridge housing that is mountable to the cartridge-mounting portion, a plunger that is slidable in the plunger cartridge housing, and a plunger-biasing member that is positioned in the plunger cartridge housing to urge the plunger out from the plunger cartridge housing;
• and
• a locking structure that includes a locking projection on one of an exterior surface of the plunger cartridge housing and an inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion, and a locking groove in the other of the plunger cartridge housing and the inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion, wherein the locking groove has a first, axially extending portion and a second, circumferentially extending portion,
• wherein the plunger cartridge housing has an axial end face with a tool engagement feature for receiving an axial force from a tool, that is generally centered on the plunger-biasing member, and wherein the plunger cartridge is insertable into the cartridge-mounting portion axially to drive the projection along the first portion of the groove, and is rotatable in the cartridge housing to drive the projection along the second portion of the groove while keeping the tool fixed in position in the tool engagement feature so as to maintain the axial force generally centered on the plunger-biasing member.

A method for assembling a check arm keeper for engagement with a check arm to hold a vehicle door in a selected position, comprising:

• a) providing a keeper housing having a generally hollow-cylindrical cartridge-mounting portion that defines an axis;
• b) providing a plunger cartridge including a plunger cartridge housing that is mountable to the cartridge-mounting portion, a plunger that is slidable in the plunger cartridge housing, and a plunger-biasing member that is positioned in the plunger cartridge housing to urge the plunger out from the plunger cartridge housing;
• c) using a tool to insert the plunger cartridge axially into the cartridge-mounting portion, wherein during said insertion a projection on one of an exterior surface of the plunger cartridge housing and an inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion is driven axially in an axially extending portion of a groove in the other of the exterior surface of the plunger cartridge housing and the inner surface of the cartridge-mounting portion, and applying an axially directed force on the plunger cartridge housing on the plunger-biasing member so as to cause compression of the plunger-biasing member axially;
• and
• d) using the tool to rotate the plunger cartridge housing to drive the projection circumferentially in a circumferentially extending portion of the groove, so as to hold the plunger cartridge housing in a selected axial position relative to the keeper housing, and continuing to apply the axially directed force on the plunger cartridge housing while keeping the tool fixed in position relative to the plunger-biasing member and relative to the plunger cartridge housing.