Automatically closing vehicle door
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJohn W. Jaranson, Raj Nair, Randal Henry Visintainer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door assembly for a vehicle includes a door and a check strap pivotally coupled to the door. An engagement member is releasably engageable with the check strap. A spring is positioned to bias the check strap toward the engagement member. When the engagement member is engaged with the check strap, the check strap maintains the door in an open position. When the engagement member is disengaged with the check strap, the door is swung to the closed position under the bias of the spring.
Claims20
A vehicle door assembly comprising:
- a door;
- a check strap pivotally coupled to the door and including a ramp;
- a ratchet including a toothed rack fixed to the check strap and a pawl releasably engageable with the toothed rack;
- and
- a spring-loaded pusher abutting the ramp;
- wherein the pawl includes a post and a spring biasing the post into engagement with the toothed rack.
(canceled)
A vehicle door assembly comprising:
- a door;
- a check strap including a first end pivotally coupled to the door and including a ramp tapering in a direction away from the first end;
- an engagement member releasably engageable with the check strap, the engagement member being moveable between an engaged position engaged with the check strap and a disengaged position disengaged with the check strap;
- a pusher abutting the ramp;
- and
- a spring biasing the pusher toward the ramp, the spring being positioned to bias the check strap toward the engagement member in the engaged position.
(canceled)
A vehicle door assembly comprising:
- a door;
- a check strap pivotally coupled to the door;
- an engagement member releasably engageable with the check strap, the engagement member being moveable between an engaged position engaged with the check strap and a disengaged position disengaged with the check strap;
- a spring positioned to bias the check strap toward the engagement member in the engaged position:,
- a toothed rack fixed to the check strap, wherein the engagement member is a pawl releasably engaging the toothed rack;
- and
- another spring biasing the pawl toward the toothed rack.
(canceled)
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.