Pneumatic door assist system with hydraulic lock

Abstract

A lock (57) for a door assist system (12) for use on a vehicle door (10) and connected to a vehicle to lock the door into an open position. The door assist system includes a door handle (40) having a first operable position, a second operable position and a released position, a pneumatic actuator (28) having an actuator rod (32), where the actuator rod is extendable when the door handle is in the first operable position and the actuator rod is retractable when the door handle is in the second operable position. The door assist system also includes a slide block (34) displaceable by the actuator rod of the pneumatic actuator. The slide block (34) also includes a door link (54) connecting the slide block (34) to the vehicle frame. As the slide block is displaced away from the pneumatic actuator (28), the door link opens the door (10) with respect to the vehicle. The lock also includes a hydraulic locking actuator (58) with a hydraulic rod (66) extendable and retractable with the slide block (34). When the door handle (40) is in the released position, the hydraulic rod (66) is prevented from extension and retraction and locks the slide block (34) at the current location, preventing opening or closing of the door (10).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.