GB2204638A

GB2204638A - Door check assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2204638A
Application number: GB08808711A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Banks
Original assignee: IHW Engeneering Ltd; AJC Johnson Controls Ltd
Current assignee: AJC Johnson Controls Ltd
Priority date: 1987-04-14
Filing date: 1988-04-13
Publication date: 1988-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-13
Also published as: GB8808711D0; GB2204638B; GB8708979D0

Abstract

A door check assembly includes a check arm 11 which is longitudinally movable through a housing 12 containing at least one roller 19 which is biased into contact with one side of the check arm, (by elastomeric block 30) said one side of the check arm having at least one steep sided recess 51 for receiving the roller and defining a check position between the check arm and the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

DOOR CHECK ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a door check assembly, in particular-a door check assembly for use in a vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention ther- i provided a door check assembly including a check arm which is longitudinally movable through a housing, the housing containing at least one roller which isbiased into contact with one side of the check arm, said one side of the check arm having at least one steep sided recess for receiving the roller and defining a check position between the check arm and the housing.

Preferably a second roller opposed to the said one roller is provided. Preferably the sides of the check arm engaged by the second roller is provided with a projection adjacent each recess such that the reaction between said second roller and the projection serves to resist longitudinal motion of the check arm, as said one roller enters the adjacent recess.

Preferably said one and second rollers are movably received in said housing and a single biasing means is provided for urging the assembly of said one and second rollers and check arm against a stop. The biasing means may be mechanical, such as a metallic spring, or may be a block of an elastomeric material.

Preferably the check arm is of a flat strip form and the rollers engage the side edges of the strip.

Preferably the rollers have flanges for resisting twisting of the strip.

Various aspects of the present invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a door check assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view looking in the direction of arrow III in Figure 2 and omitting the check arm; and Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

The door check assembly 10 includes a check arm 11 which extends through a housing 12. The housing 12 contains a pair of opposed roller carriers 14, 16 each of which rotatably carries a roller 18, 19 respectively.

The check arm 11 is of strip-like form having side faces 20, 22 and is located between rollers 18, 19 such that each roller 18, 19 engages a respective side edge or face 20, 22 of the check arm 11.

The carriers 14, 16 are free to move within the housing and a block 30 formed from a resiliently deformable material such as a natural or synthetic elastomer is located between the carrier 16 and a side wall 32 of the housing and acts to resiliently urge both carriers 14, 16 and the check arm 11 towards the opposed side wall 33 of the housing. Accordingly due to the reaction of carrier 14 abutting wall 33 both rollers 18, 19 are relatively biased toward one another to grip the check arm 11 therebetween.

The size of the block 30 and the inherent resiliency of the material from which the block is formed is chosen so as to provide the desired amount of biasing force applied to the carriers 14, 16. If desired the block 30 may be replaced by a mechanical biasing means such as a metallic spring.

kt desired locations along the check arm 11 check formations 50 are provided. In the illustrated embodiment two check formations 50 are provided but it will be appreciated that any number may be provided as desired.

Each check formation 50 comprises a concave surface 51 for co-operating with roller 19 and a convex surface 52 for co-operating with roller 18.

When the check arm 11 is moved longitudinally through the housing 12, say in a downwards direction as viewed in Figure 2, roller 19 under the bias of the block 30 will eventually enter the recess defined by the concave surface 51. The concave surface 51 is designed to be steep sided, preferably as illustrated it has a contour similar to that of roller 19, so as to define a shouldered recess. Accordingly once roller 19 is seated in the recess a relatively high loading needs to be applied to the check bar to move it longitudinally. It will be appreciated that the amount of load required to move the arm may be altered by altering the steepness of the sides of the recess.

The convex surface 52 is positioned such that when roller 19 is about to enter the recess defined by surface 51 roller 18 is about to or has just begun to ride up the convex surface 52 and thereby acts to resist longitudinal movement of the check arm. This provides a smooth motion into the check formation. However if desired the convex surfaces 52 may be omitted. In addition in order to move the check arm 11 downwardly further, a relatively large resistance is imposed since both rollers 18 and 19 are urged apart by virtue of roller 18 riding up the convex surface 52 and roller 19 riding out of concave surface 51 thereby causing a high rate of displacement between the rollers 18, 19 on longitudinal displacement of the check arm.

If the check arm 11 is moved upwardly from the position whereat roller 19 is located within the concave surface 51 a relatively reduced resistance to motion is encountered since only roller 19 is urged outwardly thereby reducing the rate of displacement between the roller 18, 19 on longitudinal movement of the check arm 11. This is a desirable feature since in use, with the housing attached to say the vehicle body and the check arm 11 being movable with the vehicle door, resistance to further opening of the door from a checked position can be arranged to be less than closing of the door from the checked position.

The housing 12 is conveniently formed from a metal pressing 60 and a cover plate 62; the pressing 60 defining a chamber 61 for receiving the carriers 14, 16 and block 30. The carriers 14, 16 and block 30 are thus held captive within the chamber 61.

The carriers 14, 16 are preferably formed from a plastics material such as a polyamide and the rollers 18, 19 are preferably formed from steel. The rollers 18, 19 are preferably provided with terminal flanges 18a, 19a respectively which receive the check arm 11 therebetween and accordingly resist twisting of the check arm 11 duriny its movement through the housing 12. The pressing 60 preferably includes lugs 65 having bolt holes 66 therein to enable the housing to be bolted to the vehicle.

The check arm 11 is preferably a metal pressing.

Preferably the arm 11 is provided with a terminal end lla defining a stop shoulder llb which is co-operable with the housing 12 to define a positive stop. A resilient pad 70 is preferably provided on the housing so as to cushion impact of shoulder llb against the housing 12.

In the embodiment 100 shown in Figure 4, parts similar to those shown in the previous embodiment are represented by the same reference numerals.

The check arm 11 of embodiment 100 includes two check formations 50; a first check formation 150 and a second check formation 250. The concave surface 151 and convex surface 152 of formation 150 are predominantly of a circular profile having a common radial centre.

Accordingly for a predominant length of formation 150 the convex and concave surfaces 151, 152 are parallel and provide the check arm with a constant width in that region.

Accordingly, the spring loading applied to the rollers 18, 19 during the transition into the check formation 50 remains substantially constant. This has the effect of maintaining a high checking force whilst reducing the noise of the roller 19 entering the recess 51.

The check formation 250 is similarly provided with convex and concave surfaces 251, 252 respectively which are circular and have a common radial centre. The convex surface 2 & is however of a reduced length and provides, a transition surface to a thickened portion 254 of the check arm 11. The thickened portion 254 serves, to increase the separation of rollers, 18, 19 and thereby increase the loading imparted by the resilient block 30.

This provides additional resistance to withdrawal of the check arm before engagement of stop shoulder llb.

Claims

1. A door check assembly including a check arm which is longitudinally movable through a housing, the housing containing at least one roller which is biased into contact with one side of the check arm, said one side of the check arm having at least one steep sided recess for receiving the roller and defining a check position between the check arm and the housing.

2. A door check assembly according to Claim 1 including a second roller opposed to said one roller, said second roller being in contact with the side of the check arm opposite to said one side.

3. A door check assembly according to Claim 2 wherein said one and second rollers are movably received in said housing and a single biasing means is provided for urging the assembly of said one and second rollers and check arm against a stop.

4. A door check assembly according to Claim 3 wherein the biasing means is a block of elastomeric material.

5. A door check assembly according to Claim 3 wherein the biasing means is a metallic spring.

6. A door check assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the side of the check arm engaged by the second roller is provided with a projection adjacent each recess.

7. A door check assembly according to Claim 6 wherein the projection and adjacent recess are substantially of the same profile and arranged to be parallel to one another.

8. A door check assembly according to Claim 6 wherein the projection and adjacent recess is off-set such that the reaction between the second roller and the projection serves to resist longitudinal motion of the check arm as said one roller enters the adjacent recess.

9. A door check assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the check arm is a flat strip and said rollers engage with the side edges of the strip.

10. A door check assembly according to Claim 9 wherein the rollers have flanges for resisting twisting of the strip.

11. A door check assembly substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.