Vehicle door with anti-flutter catch assembly, and method of preventing vehicle door flutter

In combination with a vehicle door of predetermined shape including a side edge comprising a straight lower portion and a sloped upper portion, a vehicle having a correspondingly shaped door opening receiving the door with a close fit, and a hinge between said lower portion and the vehicle mounting the door for swinging between open and closed positions, the improvement comprising a catch assembly disposed between the sloped upper portion of said door and the vehicle along to said sloped upper portion of said side edge, and having a first catch member secured to said door and a second catch member secured to said vehicle in position to be engaged by said first catch member as an incident to closing of the door, said members of said catch assembly being operable when engaged to hold the door releasably in the closed position and releasable in response to a predetermined opening force to release the door for movement to the open position.

The method of preventing fluttering of a door of a vehicle in response to external forces during normal vehicle operation, the door having a substantially straight lower edge portion hinged to the vehicle in an opening shaped to receive the door with a close fit, and having a sloped upper edge portion above said straight lower portion, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining the approximate level of the external forces to be encountered by the door during normal vehicle operation;
• providing a catch assembly having first and second catch members that are engageable automatically as an incident to moving into contact with each other, and disengageable in response to a predetermined opening force that is greater than said approximate level of eternal forces;
• positioning said catch assembly between said door edge and the vehicle on the upper portion of said door, and securing one of said members to the door and the other to the vehicle in positions to become engaged as an incident to closing of the door and to be disengaged in response to an opening force greater than said leverl of external forces.