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US 6,681,444 B2Granted
Apparatus for controlling a door
AssigneeAutomotive Technologies International, Inc.
InventorsDavid S. Breed, Stuart D. Davis, Sergiy Maltsev
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAutomotive Technologies International, Inc.
InventorsDavid S. Breed, Stuart D. Davis, Sergiy Maltsev
Estimating the term…
Door check mechanism including a rack adapted to be coupled to and extend outward from the frame, a gear adapted to be arranged on the door, the gear having teeth and being arranged in engagement with the rack and a detent mechanism arranged in engagement with the rack and the gear for enabling the door to be positioned in a plurality of fixed positions and for preventing movement of the door to a different fixed position when a force exerted upon the door is below a threshold. The detent mechanism may include a cam having a pawl in engagement with the rack and a detent and a spring for biasing the detent against the gear to press the gear against the rack. The gear is rotatable along the rack which each position in which the pawl engages one of the teeth being a possible position of the door.
An infinite door check mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
A door mechanism for enabling a door to be moved from a closed position in a door frame to any one of a plurality of different open positions and held in the different open positions, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Sliding through a guide: concealed, e.g. for vehicles
Power-actuated devices for limiting the opening of vehicle doors: with means for detecting obstacles outside the doors
Bolts or fastening devices for wings, specially for doors or windows
Term ended 8 May 2018 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to opening closing and holding devices, systems and methods for doors and more particularly to holding devices for the doors of vehicles and most particularly for automobile and truck doors and the like. Door holding devices of the kind provided by this invention are often referred to as infinite-position holding devices or infinite position door checks because they act to hold the door in any open position to which it is moved and left standing, but still permit the door to be readily moved to any other desired position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The invention will be described with reference to the following non-limiting drawings:
FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a vehicle door mounting, employed to describe and illustrate use of a door check mechanism in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle door check mechanism constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention where the door check is separate from the door hinge;
Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views; FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a portion of the side of a vehicle, which could be an automobile or virtually any other kind of vehicle, including a part of a door opening. A portion of the right front side body of the vehicle is shown at the right-hand side and a portion of the door is shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 1 respectively. The edge of the door opening, along the left-hand vertical side of body member 101, is identified by reference numeral 102. Closely adjacent to the edge of the door opening 102, there is a vertical frame member 104, a part of the vehicle frame that may be the A-pillar. The terms vertical frame member and A-pillar are used interchangeably herein although the vertical frame pillar may be other than the A-pillar such as the B-pillar if the door is a rear door of a four door vehicle.
The door portion shown in FIG. 1 includes an upper hinge 106 that includes appropriate mounting means for mounting it on the vertical frame member or A-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations 107, e.g., three mounting locations at which screws or welds are provided. Similarly, there is a second, lower hinge 109 that is fastened to the A-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations such as the mounting locations 111, again by appropriate mounting means such as screws or welds. Additionally, a clevis 120, having a vertical axis 114, is shown mounted on the A-pillar 104 at a plurality of mounting locations 113. The clevis 120 is a part of a door check mechanism 118 comprising one embodiment of the present invention and is described more fully below. The clevis 120 affords a pivotal connection for an elongated strip member 116 that projects outwardly from A-pillar 104 and the clevis 120 toward a door 117. Strip member 116 extends through a housing of the door check mechanism 118 that is mounted on door 117. The clevis 120 may be omitted in its entirety and the strip member 116 either rigidly mounted to the A-pillar 104 in some cases, pivotally mounted directly to the A-pillar 104 or flexibly mounted to the A-pillar 104.
Door 117 includes a vertical support member 119 that is preferably an integral part of the door. Door check mechanism 118 is mounted on the support member 119 by fastening means indicated generally as 121. Upper hinge 106 is mounted on door 117, preferably as indicated at mounting locations 122, by fastening means and more particularly on support member 119. Similarly, the lower hinge 109 is mounted on the support member 119 at mounting locations 123 by fastening means. The hinges 106,109 have a common pivotal axis 125 for enabling pivotal movement of the door. The fastening means may be screws, nails, welds, rivets, adhesive, etc.