Latching mechanism

A door latching system for a vehicle including a door and a body including a door interface portion, the system comprising:

• a striker adapted to be operatively connected to one of the door and the door interface portion;
• a latching mechanism adapted to be operatively connected to the other of the door and the door interface portion, the latching mechanism defining an approach path and including a housing, a latching element, and a displaceable element, wherein:
• the latching element is configured to be selectively engageable with the striker, such that the engagement of the latching element and the striker provides a latching force to operatively latch the door to the door interface portion when the striker is positioned in the approach path;
• the housing defines a recess in communication with the approach path;
• and
• wherein the displaceable element is operatively attached to the latching mechanism in a first position to prevent the striker from entering the recess under nominal loading conditions, and the displaceable element is configured to be operatively displaced from the first position by one of deformation of the displaceable element and at least partial detachment of the displaceable element from the latching mechanism in response to an actuating force such that the striker is engageable in the recess to provide a supplementary latching force to operatively latch the door to the door interface portion.

A method of providing a supplementary latching force to latch a first member to a second member, the method comprising:

• presenting a striker attached to one of the first member and the second member to an approach path defined by a latching mechanism attached to the other of the first member and the second member;
• wherein the latching mechanism includes a housing defining a recess in communication with the approach path, a latching element selectively engageable with the striker in the approach path to provide a primary latching force, and a displaceable element positioned in the latching mechanism in a first position relative to the recess;
• wherein the displaceable element in the first position is configured to prevent the striker from entering the recess under a nominal loading condition;
• engaging the latching element and the striker to provide a latching force to latch the first member to the second member;
• transmitting an actuating force exceeding the nominal loading condition to the displaceable element, wherein the displaceable element is configured to be one of displaced from the first position by the actuating force and deformed in response to the actuating force, such that the striker is engageable with the recess;
• and
• engaging the striker with a perimeter of the recess to provide a supplementary latching force to latch the first member to the second member.