GB2328712A

GB2328712A - Door mechanisms

Info

Publication number: GB2328712A
Application number: GB9716549A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Spurr; Timothy Bland
Original assignee: ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems France SA; Rockwell Light Vehicle Systems France; Meritor Light Vehicle Systems UK Ltd
Current assignee: Inteva Products France SAS; ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems UK Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-06
Filing date: 1997-08-06
Publication date: 1999-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-06
Also published as: GB2328712B; GB9716549D0

Abstract

Vehicle sliding door mechanism includes an operating handle 32 on the door 12 to draw it open or closed along rails 14, 16, 18 and a brake 24 selectively urged into engagement with on of the rails 18. In the preferred form brake 24 is electrically actuated from a control unit 28 which also operates latching and locking mechanism 30 of the door and includes a battery or other electrical storage means. The handle operates a switch so that the brake is only released when the handle is pulled. The battery is kept charged by an electrical connection between the door and the vehicle body main circuit when the door is closed. Alternatively the brake may be mechanically linked to the handle.

Description

DOOR MECHANISMS This invention relates to mechanisms for sliding doors of passenger and other light vehicle bodies. Sliding doors are often used instead of hinged doors for side access by drivers and passengers on some forms of light vehicle bodies, typically vans for carriage of goods and the larger types of passenger light vehicles such as minibuses, camper wagons and the multi-seat family carriers corning into increasing use.

Sliding doors have advantages in that door openings can be wider for ease of access, the door can be opened fully in restricted spaces andlor without impeding traffic or footways, and such doors can be made particularly secure against accidental opening while the vehicle is in motion even if leaned against from the inside. However, there is also a safety disadvantage; if the door is not latched shut it can slide unexpectedly or in a uncontrolled manner open or shut e.g. due to inertia when accelerating or braking if the vehicle is in motion, or when the vehicle is parked on a slope and this could cause quite serious injury particular if the door slams shut while someone is entering or leaving or when they have a limb or even possibly their head in the door opening.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in vehicle body sliding door mechanisms for added safety and convenient operation.

According to the invention there is provided control mechanism for a sliding door of a vehicle body, said mechanism including latching means for releasably retaining the door at least at its closed position, at least one operating handle to be mounted on the exterior or interior of the door, and braking means including a brake element movable between an engaged position at which it operatively coacts with a fixed track or other formation of or on the body to block or resist sliding movement of the door at least from positions remote from its closed position and a released position at which the door is free for movement, the brake element being resiliently urged to its engaged position and the operating handle being selectively operable to shift the brake element to the released position.

Conveniently a pair of relatively movable brake elements will be provided to be expanded or contracted into gripping engagement in or on a channel or rail of said track.

The or each operating handle may be disposed for use in drawing the door to or from the closed position, the force applied to the handle also shifting it to cause automatic release of the braking means.

Preferably the braking means is automatically released when the door is at or immediately adjacent to the closed position so that the braking effect does not obstruct the latching and unlatching action.

The or each operating handle may be mechanically linked to the braking means for operation thereof.

Alternatively the braking means may be electrically or otherwise power operated e.g. in conjunction with power latching and unlatching and/or locking and unlocking of the door. In this case the operating handle will include switching means for selectively applying power to an actuator of the braking means.

Where the braking means is power operated it is preferred that the mechanism includes energy storage means so that operation of the brake mechanism (and other power operated mechanisms of the door) is selfcontained. Such arrangement may be as described and claimed in our co pending application GB97 ...... of even date herewith.

As referred to in that application the mechanism will preferably be electrically operated and the energy storage means will preferably be an accumulator or capacitive device of known kind kept automatically charged by connection to the vehicle power supply. Conveniently the door will be provided with an electrical connection mating with one on the vehicle body when the door is at the closed position to effect said charging, the storage means ensuring continued operation of the door mechanism while the door is open so that such connection is broken.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous for sliding doors as it has otherwise been impractical to incorporate power actuation of equipment of the door due to the impossibility of providing reliable electrical connection for power feed and for control and monitoring of actuation devices between such doors and the body.

An example of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing being a diagrammatic elevation of a sliding door assembly.

A light vehicle body 10 (shown only in part) has a sliding driver's or passenger door 12 of generally conventional construction running on horizontal track means consisting of top and bottom rails 14,16 and a centre rail 18, the latter extending across a face of the adjacent body 10 which is traversed by door 12 on opening. Articulated top and bottom runners 20,22 contribute to guiding the door for a degree of facewise movement shifting it into sealing engagement with the body opening as it closes fully in known manner.

It will be seen that provision of any reliable continuous electrical connection between door 12 and body 10 during its full range of movement would be impossible or impractical to achieve which has hitherto precluded provision of power actuated mechanism, such as including the door lock in a central locking system.

In this example door 12 incorporates power actuated latching and locking mechanism and also power actuated braking means securing the door against involuntary sliding movement when open or part-open.

The braking means includes one or more brake elements 24, conveniently a pair of elements forming a caliper or internally expanding arrangement for gripping engagement in or on centre rail 18 at any position throughout travel of door 12 except for the closed position and a small part of the travel immediately adjacent thereto, this being so that braking does not interfere with the final closure and latching, or unlatching of the door.

The brake element or elements 24 are resiliently urged into said engagement by spring means (not shown) but are selectively released by an electric actuator (not shown) which is connected by wiring 26 to a control unit 28 within the door. Said unit is also electrically connected to the latching and locking mechanism 30 of the door.

The door has displaceable inside and outside handles 32,34 which are used to draw the door open and closed from either side. These handles incorporate electrical switching connected to unit 28 so that when force is applied to either of them in the opening or closing direction power is applied to the actuator of the braking means to free brake element or elements 24 from their gripping engagement with rail 18, thus freeing the door for movement.

As soon as either handle 32 or 34 is released the power is switched off and the brake means engages automatically once more. Thus uncontrolled sliding movement of door 12 in either direction when open or partly open is prevented.

Unit 28 includes electrical energy storage means (not shown) in the form of an accumulator or capacitive device of known kind, thus the power operated mechanism of the door will operate as a self-contained unit independently of the door position.

To keep the energy storage means charged the door includes an electrical connection (not shown) which couples to an electrical connection on body 10 when the door is fully closed, connecting it to the power supply of the vehicle. This connection is broken only when the door is opened and the energy storage means provides sufficient reserve of power to ensure operation while the door is open or even if the power supply of the vehicle should fail, e.g. due to a flat battery.

In another embodiment, not illustrated, the braking means is mechanically operated by direct physical linkage to the door handles, force supplied to the latter displacing them to hold the brake element or elements in their released position to free the door for movement, but the resilient means returning it or them to gripping condition as soon as the handles are released.

This form of the invention is applicable to sliding doors operating wholly mechanically.

For some applications one door handle might be mechanically linked to the braking means while the other controls power operation thereof. This might be advantageous where the design of door dictates positioning of one of the handles where it cannot readily be mechanically linked to the braking means.

Claims

1. Control mechanism for a sliding door of a vehicle body, said mechanism including latching means for releasably retaining the door at least at its closed position, at least one operating handle to be mounted on the exterior or interior of the door, and braking means including a brake element movable between an engaged position at which it operatively coacts with a fixed track or other

formation of or on the body ff resist sliding movement ot the door at least from positions remote from its closed position and a released position at which the door is free for movement, the operating handle being selectively operable to shift the brake element to the released position.

2. Mechanism as in claim 1 having a pair of relatively movable brake elements which are expanded or contracted into gripping engagement in or on a channel or rail of said track.

3. Mechanism as in claim 1 or 2 wherein the or each operating handle is disposed for use in drawing the door to or from the closed position, the force applied to the handle also shifting it to cause automatic release of the braking means.

4. Mechanism as in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the braking means is automatically released when the door is at or immediately adjacent to the closed position so that the braking effect does not obstruct latching and unlatching action.

5. Mechanism as in claim 3 or 4 wherein the or each operating handle is mechanically linked to the braking means for operation thereof.

6. Mechanism as in claim 3 or 4 wherein the braking means is electrically or otherwise power operated, the operating handle including switching means for selectively applying power to an actuator of the braking means.

7. Mechanism as in claim 6 wherein the brake means is resiliently urged to the engaged position, said application of power operating to release the brake means.

8. Mechanism as in claim 6 or 7 including energy storage means so that operation of the braking means is self-contained.

9. Mechanism as in claim 8 which is electrically operated, the energy storage means being an accumulator or capacitive device of known kind kept automatically charged by connection to the vehicle power supply.

10. Mechanism as in claim 9 provided with an electrical connection operatively mating with one on the vehicle body when the door is at the closed position to effect said charging, the storage means ensuring continued operation of the mechanism while the door is open.

11. Control mechanism for a sliding door of a vehicle body substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

12. A vehicle body sliding door including mechanism as in any preceding claim.

13. A vehicle body including a sliding door as in claim 12.