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US 5,743,575 AGranted
Fluid-damped automotive door latch actuator
AssigneeADAC Plastics, Inc.
InventorRobert W. McFarland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid-damped automotive door latch actuator comprising a fluid cylinder mounted adjacent the inside surface of an escutcheon plate between the door handle crank arms. A shaft connected to and extending between the crank arms is rotated to actuate the door latch. Damping action is caused in one embodiment by rotation of a shaft-mounted vane relative to a cylinder housing fixed to the escutcheon plate. In a second embodiment, the damper is designed to provide a fluid shearing action.
Claims6
A fluid-damped automotive door latch actuator comprising:
- first and second spaced body supports;
- a shaft rotatably mounted between said supports;
- a manually operated handle;
- at least one crank member connected to said handle and mounted for rotation with said shaft;
- bias means for resiliently urging the handle toward a rest position;
- a first damper element mounted between said supports and in fixed relationship thereto;
- a second damper element mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith relative to said first damper element;
- and
- means for trapping a quantity of fluid between said first and second damper elements to damp movements of said handle relative to said body supports.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.