GB2461787A

GB2461787A - A vehicle lock striker formed by bending a single plate

Info

Publication number: GB2461787A
Application number: GB0911222A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michio Ohashi
Original assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-07-10
Filing date: 2009-06-29
Publication date: 2010-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-29
Also published as: CN101624887B; GB2461787B; GB0911222D0; JP4625890B2; JP2010019005A; CN101624887A

Abstract

A vehicle lock striker comprises left and right attaching plate portions 3 and left and right engaging portions 4; the one piece striker is formed by bending a single metallic plate such that the striker engaging portion 4 is formed with a double thickness. The strength of the striker is increased by minimizing any weakness caused by the change in contour between the attaching plate portions 3 and the engaging portions 4. To minimize any stresses and strains caused by bending the sheet metal between portions 3 and 4 the radius of the bend 8 is either increased to be at least two times the thickness of the plate or an inclined surface 5 between two smaller bends is used wherein the height and transverse width of the inclined surface is at least two times the thickness of the plate.

Description

VEHICLE LOCK STRIKER

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a vehicle lock striker which can be brought into meshing engagement with a door, trunk lid, or rear door of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art

There have been proposed a related art vehicle lock striker, in which left and right attaching plate portions and left and right engaging plate portions are formed integrally by bending a single continuous metallic plate (for example, refer to JP-EJM-B-55--6920) . Herein, the left and right attaching plate portions are fixed to an attaching surface of a body with bolts, and the left and right engaging plate portions rise substantially at right angles to the corresponding attaching plate portions.

Fig. 9 shows one example of the related art vehicle lock striker. Hereinafter, a "vehicle lock striker"may also be simply referred to as a "striker".

In the related art striker 100 as described above, a locking device (not shown) is brought into meshing engagement with meshing pillar portions 102a, 102b which are provided on left and right engaging plate portions lOla, lOib. Thus, for example, when a load F is applied 4' to the related art striker 100 from a right direction (a transverse direction) due to a vehicle being involved in a side collision, as is indicated by solid lines in Fig. 10, the left and right engaging plate portions lOla, lOlb are inclined to the left from left and right bent portions 103a, 103b and deformed. Then, the deformation progresses further, a crack A is eventually generated in the right-hand bent portion 103b which lies on an outside of the inclination and is then broken. As a result of the breakage of the bent portion, strength of the related art vehicle lock striker may be weakened.

It is considered that the breakage is generated due to concentration of tensile stress on the corner of the bent portion 103b which is caused by the right-hand engaging plate portion lOlb being inclined to the left to be deformed.

The invention has been made in view of the problem inherent in the related art and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lock striker which has superior strength.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lock striker comprising: left and right attaching plate portions; left and right engaging plate portions, which are substantially at right angles to the left and right attaching plate portions, respectively, ofwhichbacksides, confrontingeachother, are brought into abutment with each other, and which engages with a locking device; and left and right inclined surface portions, which connects the left and right engaging plate portions and the left and right attaching plate portions, and which configures stress dispersing portions that are inclined so that a space defined between back sides thereof is gradually increased as the left and right inclined surface portions extend from lower ends of the left and right engaging plate portions to approach the corresponding left and right attaching plate portions, wherein the left and right attaching plate portions, the left and right engaging plate portions, and the left and right inclined surface portions are formed integrally by bending a single metallic plate, and wherein height and transverse width of the left and right inclined surface portions are made to be at least two times or more the thickness of the metallic plate.

According thereto, when a transverse load is inputted into the striker by a side collision or the like, since the inclined surface portions are also deformed at the same time as the inclination of the engaging plate portions is changed, the stress is dispersed, as a result of which an increase in strength of the striker can be realized.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle lock striker comprising: left and right attaching plate portions; left and right engaging plate portions, which are substantially at right angles to the left and right attaching plate portions, respectively, of whichback sides, confronting each other, are brought into abutment with each other, and which engages with a locking device; and left and right curved surface portions, which connects the left and right engaging plate portions and the left and right attaching plate portions, and which configures stress dispersing portions that are curved inwardly so that a space defined between back sides thereof is gradually increased as the left and right curved surface portions extend from lower ends of the left and right engaging plate portions to approach the corresponding left and right attaching plate portions, wherein the left and right attaching plate portions, the left and right engaging plate portions, and the left and right included surface portions are formed integrally by bending a single metallic plate, and wherein the radius of the left and right curved surface portions is made to be at least two times or more the thickness of the metallic plate.

According thereto, when a transverse load is inputted into the striker by a side collision or the like, since the curved surface portions are also deformed at the same time as the inclination of the engaging plate portions is changed, the stress is dispersed, as a result of which an increase in strength of the striker can be realized.

According to the aspects of the invention, when a transverse load is inputted into the striker, since the stress dispersing portions are also deformed at the same time as the inclination of the engaging plate portions is changed, the stress is dispersed, thereby making it possible to realize an increase in strength of the striker.

Fig. lisa perspective view of a striker according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the striker; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the striker; Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the striker; Fig. 5A is a side view of the striker, and Fig. 5B is another side view of a striker according to a modified

example;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a front sectional view when the striker is deformed; Fig. 8 is a front sectional view of a striker according to another embodiment of the invention; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a related art striker; and Fig. 10 is a front sectional view of the related art striker when it is deformed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.

Astrikerlaccording to the invention is configured to hold a rear door (not shown) by meshing with a. lock device (not shown) that is provided on the rear door.

The rear door is pivoted at a rear portion of a roof of a vehicle in such a manner as to be opened and closed in a vertical direction by hinge shafts that are oriented in a transverse direction of the vehicle. The striker 1 includes: left and right attaching plate portions 3, 3 which are to be fixed to an attaching surface 2 of a vehicle body; left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 which are substantially at right angles to the left and right attaching plate portions 3, 3, respectively; and left and right inclined surface portions 5, 5 which configure stress dispersing portions which connect the attaching plate portions 3, 3 to the engaging plate portions 4, 4, respectively. The striker 1 is formed by bending a single continuous metal plate in such a manner that back sides of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 are brought into abutment with each other.

The left and right mounting plate portions 3, 3 include bolt insertion holes 31, 31 that are opened in substantially central portions of the left and right attaching plate portions 3, 3 so that bolts 6, 6 are inserted thereinto so as to fix the left and right attaching plate portions 3, 3 to the attaching surface 2.

The left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 are connected to each other at upper ends thereof viaa folded portion 41 which is formed at the upper ends of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 and where the metal plate is folded back downwards. Apertures 42, 42 are formed substantially in the center, as viewed from the side, of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 in such a manner as to penetrate them in the transverse direction. Incidentally, although a shape of the apertures 42, 42 are not limited, the apertures 42, 42 may have an elongate hole shape elongated in a vertical direction in order to cope with a dimension margin of the door or an inclination of the door or in order to ensure an area for meshing with the lock device (see Figs. 5A and 5B) . tYleshing pillar portions 43, 43 are formed on front sides of the apertures 42, 42 so that the lock device is brought into meshing engagement therewith.

Incidentally, the meshing pillar portions 43, 43 are collapsed in a thickness direction of the metal plate so as to be formed into an arc-like shape, which promotes the rotation of a latch. Central portions at lower portions of the back sides of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 are securely fixed to each other so that the back sides of the engaging plate portions 4, 4 are not separated from each other by springback that would otherwise be generated when the metal plate is pressed to be folded back in the way described above.

For example, as shown in Fig. 2, a weld 7 welds the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 at an internal space of the bent portion Ri (i.e., the central portions at lower portions of the back sides of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4) by blaze welding.

According thereto, even when a force is applied to the striker 1 from a lateral direction, increment of an angle of the internal space of the bent portion Ri can be suppressed, while the left and right inclined surface

S

portions 5, 5 configuring the stress dispersing portions can be deformed. Therefore, concentration of stress, which is generated by the force in the lateral direction, can be dispersed. Incidentally, the weld 7 only has to have such a sufficient strength as to make the back sides of the engaging plate portions 4, 4 contact closely each other and the strength of a weld 7 is designed so that the weld 7 is fractured in the event that an excessive force is applied to the striker 1 from a lateral direction.

The left and right inclined surface portions 5, 5 are inclined in such amanner that a space definedbetween confronting back sides thereof whenviewed fromthe front gradually expands as the inclined surface portions extend downwards so that smooth slopes are formed on surfaces thereof. By this configuration, internal angles 01 and 02 of bent portions Ri and R2 (refer to Figs. 2, 7) of the left and right inclined surface portions 5, 5 relative to the left and right attaching plate portions 3, 3 and engaging plate portions 4, 4 become an obtuse angle.

External angles 03 of the left and right inclined surface portions 5, 5 can be set within a range of from greater than 00 to less than 90°. Incidentally, the external angles03 arepreferably i0°to 60°andaremorepreferably 20° to 50°. For example, the external angles 03 is set around 30°. Further, the internal angles 01 and 02 of bent portions Ri and R2 can be set within a range of from greater than 900 to less than 180°. Incidentally, the internal angles 01 and 02 are preferably 1200 to 170° and are more preferably 130° to 160°. For example, the internal angle 01 is set around 120°, and the internal angle 02 is set around 150°. Incidentally, the internal angles 01 and 02 may be set independently. For example, from an aspect of dispersing the stress, it may be preferable to set the internal angle 02 to be larger than the internal angle 01. In addition, a height H of a slope formed on the surface of the inclined surface portion (a dimension from the surface of the attaching plate portion 3 to the bent portion Ri) (refer to Fig. 6) and a length L of a base (a dimension from the surface of the engaging plate portion 4 to the bent portion R2) are preferably made to be equal to or larger than two times the thickness t of the metal plate. In other words, a length of the inclined surface portion 5 is preferably made to be equal to or larger than 2V2 times the thickness t of the metal plate. The reason for this is that in the event that the length of the slope of the inclined surface portion 5 is short, even in the event that the engaging plate portion is inclined and deformed in a way which will be described later, the deformation amount of the inclined surface portion 5 is small, and hence, stress isnotdispersedsufficiently. Consequently, forstress to be dispersed sufficiently, the length L needs to be a length which allows the inclined surface portion 5 to be deformed at the same time as the engaging plate portion 4 is inclined to be deformed.

Next, the deformation of the striker in the embodiment will be described based on the results of an experiment.

In such a state that the lock device meshes with the striker 1 fixed to the attaching surface 2 of the vehicle body, when a load F is inputted into the striker 1 from the right due to a side collision or the like, as shown in Fig. 7, the right-hand engaging plate portion 4 which confronts the direction in which the load F is applied is inclined leftwards to be deformed in such a manner that the internal angles of the bent portions Ri, R2 are increased, and an inner end of the right-hand attaching plate portion 3 is deformed in such a manner as to be pulled upwards from the attaching surface 2.

In addition, the left-hand inclined surface portion 5 is deformed in such a manner as to be curved to be slightly convex downwards as viewed from the front as the engaging plate portion 4 is inclined and deformed. By this action, stress generated when the lateral load F is applied is dispersed. Therefore, in particular, the bent portion Ri can be prevented from being fractured early.

In addition, when the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 are inclined leftwards further to be deformed, there is caused a shift in position between the back sides of the left-hand engaging plate portion 4 which lies inside and the right-hand engaging plate portion 4 which lies outside relative to the inclined direction. As this occurs, in case the back sides of the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 are securely fixed to each other so strong as that the shift in position therebetween is not generated, there is caused a fear that tensile stress is concentrated particularly on the right-hand bent portion Ri, and the right-hand bent portion Ri is fractured as a result of such stress concentration. In the embodiment, however, when such a force that generates a shift in position between the left and right engaging plate portions 4, 4 is applied thereto, the weld 7 is fractured so as to enable the shift in position between the left and right engaging plate portions, the concentration of stress particularly on the right-hand bent portion Ri is reduced. Therefore, the right-hand bent portion Ri can be prevented from being fractured early.

While the embodiment of the invention has been described, the following various modifications or alterations canbemade to the embodiment of the invention within the scope of the invention.

(i) The shape of the striker 1 is not limited as shown in Fig. 5A. Forexample, asamodifiedexample, astr�ker 1 may have a symmetric shape in a side view as shown in Fig. 5B. According to such a modified example, since recognition ofa direction of the striker lmay not become necessary, it may be possible to ease installation of the striker.

(ii) As shown in Fig. 8, stress dispersing portions are made into curved surface portions 8 which are bent inwardly in such a manner that a space defined between back sides of the curved surface portions 8 gradually expandsasthecurvedsurfaceportions 8 extend fromlower ends of engaging plate portions 4 to approach attaching plate portions 3, and the radius r of the curved surface portions 8 is made to be at least two times or more the thickness t of the metal plate.

(iii) The lock device is a lock device of a trunk lid or a side door.

(iv) The striker is fixed to a rear door, a trunk lid or a side door.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A vehicle lock striker comprising: left and right attaching plate portions; left and right engaging plate portions, which are substantially at right angles to the left and right attaching plate portions, respectively, of which back sides, confronting each other, are brought into abutment with each other, and which engages with a locking device; and left and right inclined surface portions, which connects the left and right engaging plate portions and the left and right attaching plate portions, and which configures stress dispersing portions that are inclined so that a space defined between back sides thereof is gradually increased as the left and right inclined surface portions extend from lower ends of the left and right engaging plate portions to approach the corresponding left and right attaching plate portions, wherein the left and right attaching plate portions, the left and right engaging plate portions, and the left and right inclined surface portions are formed integrally by bending a single metallic plate, and wherein height and transverse width of the left and right inclined surface portions are made to be at least two times or more the thickness of the metallic plate.
2. A vehicle lock striker comprising: left and right attaching plate portions; left and right engaging plate portions, which are substantially at right angles to the left and right attaching plate portions, respectively, of which back sides, confronting each other, are brought into abutment with each other, and which engages with a locking device; and left and right curved surface portions, which connects the left and right engaging plate portions and the left and right attaching plate portions, and which configures stress dispersing portions that are curved inwardly so that a space defined between back sides thereof is gradually increased as the left and right curved surface portions extend from lower ends of the left and right engaging plate portions to approach the corresponding left and right attaching plate portions, wherein the left and right attaching plate portions, the left and right engaging plate portions, and the left andright includedsurfaceportionsareformedintegrally by bending a single metallic plate, and wherein the radius of the left and right curved surface portions is made to be at least two times or more the thickness of the metallic plate.