Assembly for holding open a door or the like

A vehicle (12) having a frame (14), an opening (16), and a cover (18) of a construction sufficient for closing the opening (16), comprising:

• a first arm (20) having an opening (44) and being connected to one of the frame (14) and cover (16);
• a second arm (22) having an opening (46) and being connected to the other of the frame (14) and cover (16), said opening (46) being alignable with the opening (44) of the first arm (20) in response to pivotally moving one of said arms (20,22);
• a holding element (26) pivotally connecting said first and second arms (20,22);
• an adjusting element (24) threadably connected to said holding element (26) and being controllably movable between a first position (28) at which said adjusting element (24) is immediately adjacent and contactable with the first arm (20) and a second position (30) at which said adjusting element (24) is spaced from the first arm (20);
• a member (48) having first and second end portions (50,52) and being connected to the adjusting element (24) and movable between a first position (54) at which said first end portion (50) is positioned in the openings (44,46) of the first and second arms (20,22) and a second position (56) at which said first end portion (50) is spaced from said second arm opening (46) in response to moving the adjusting element (24);
• and
• biasing means (26) for automatically urging said member (48) from its second position (52) into its first position (50) in response to aligning the openings (44,46) of the first and second arms (21,22).

In an arm assembly (10) having first and second arms (20,22), first means (26) for pivotally connecting said first and second arms (20,22) and an adjusting element (24) connected to said first means (26), said first arm (20) being positioned between the second arm (22) and the adjusting element (24), said adjusting element (24) being controllably movable between a first position (36) at which said adjusting element (24) is immediately adjacent and contactable with the first arm (20) and a second position (38) at which said adjusting element (24) is spaced from the first arm (20), the improvement comprising:

• said first arm (20) having an opening (44);
• said second arm (22) having an opening (46) alignable with the opening (44) of the first arm (20) in response to pivotally moving one of said arms (20,22);
• a member (48) having first and second end portions (50,52) and being connected to the adjusting element (24) and movable between a first position (54) at which said first end portion (50) is positioned in the openings (44,46) of the first and second arms (20,22) and a second position (56) at which said first end portion (50) is spaced from said second arm opening (46) in response to moving the adjusting element (24);
• said adjusting element (24) having an opening (64);
• and
• second means (58) for biasing said member (48) in a direction (60) toward the second arm (22), said second means (58) including a spring (66) and first and second retaining members (68,70), said spring (66) having a preselected spring constant and being positioned in said opening (64) of the adjusting element (24), said first retaining member (68) having an opening (72) alignable with the opening (44) of the first arm (20) and being rotatably connected to said adjusting element (24) and positioned in the opening (64) of said adjusting element (24), said second retaining member (70) being positioned between the spring (66) and the first retaining member (68) and connected to the second end portion (52) of the member (48).