US2769197A - Door check structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1956 P. H. TRAvls ET AL DooR CHECK STRUCTURE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 6, 1950 INVENTORS PAUL HJRAVIS DAVID R.sTAM

ATTORNEYS Nov. 6, 1956 P. H. TRAVIS ET AL DOOR CHECK STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1950 ATTORNEYS DOOR CHECK STRUCTURE Paul H. Travis, Leonard, and David R. Stamy, Huntington Woods, Mich.; said Stamy assignor to said Travis Application November 6, 1951), Serial No. 194,212

7 Claims. (Cl. 16-85) The present invention relates to door check structure, and more particularly to a door check structure designed for controlling opening and closing movement of a vehicle door, and particularly to limit swinging movement of the door to retain the door in full open position against light forces tending to close the door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined door controlling and check structure characterized by its simplicity, the economy with which it may be produced and installed, the efliciency with which it controls the operation of the door, and the exibility of design which permits the introduction f changes in the door operation as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a door check and controlling structure including a swinging arm for controlling relative movement between a door part and a frame part, the arm being mounted for swinging movement to one of said parts and cooperating with an abutment carried by the other of said parts, the other of the parts including a roller on which the arm exerts a camming action, and a spring connected to the free end of said arm.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of a door and door frame illustrating the relationship of parts with the door in closed position.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l showing the relationship of parts with the door in full open position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3--3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a'modiie'd design of swinging arm.

Referring now to the drawings there is illustrated a hollow vehicle door which is mounted by suitable means (not shown) for swinging movement about a xed axis 12, this being the axis of the usual hinges provided for the door. The door frame includes a pillar, a portion of which is shown at 14, and this constitutes a stationary support for a part of the door controlling structure. Rigidly secured to the pillar 14 are a pair of brackets 16 forming a trunnion support for a swinging arm 18, the arm 18 being mounted for swinging movement by a pin 20 extending through suitable openings formed in the ears 22 of the bracket 16.

The door 10 is closedat its hinged edge by a sheet metal part 24 in which an opening 26 is provided through which the ears 22 extend when the door is in the closed position illustrated in Figure l. Secured to the inner surface of the metal part 24 is a supporting bracket 30 including an inwardly extending ange 32, a at portion 34 welded or otherwise secured to the metal part 24, inwardly extending anges 36 and 38 interconnected by a slotted at portion 40, and a second ilat portion 42 welded or other- 2,769,197 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 wise secured to the metal part 24. The bracket is located inwardly of the edge of the door and carries an elongated metal channel member 50 designed to guide the swinging arm 18 and to serve as an abutment for limiting opening movement of the door. The member 50 is of generally inverted U-shaped cross-section and is provided with a pair of outwardly extending flanges 52 by means of which it is attached to the ilat portion 40 of the bracket 30, such for example as by rivets 53. The central portion of the member 50 comprises a plate 54 having a central guiding slot 56 therein through which the arm 18 extends. Connecting the-plate 54 and the flanges 52 are spaced parallel flanges 58 which are apertured as best seen in Figure 3, to carry a pin 60 on which is mounted a roller 62. The roller 62 is thus located directly adjacent the slot 56, as best seen in Figure 3, in position to be engaged by one side of the swinging arm 18. At its outer end the arrn 18 is provided with an enlarged head portion 64 and carries a rubber bumper 66, a washer 68 being interposed between the head 64 and the bumper 66.

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At the outer end of the member 50 the plate 54 thereof is bent up to dene a spring eye 70. The head 64 of the arm is provided with an opening 72. A tension spring 74 is connected at one end to the spring eye 70 and at the other end to the opening 72, Thus the spring 74 exerts a counterclockwise torque on the arm 18.

The various forces exerted by the structure described are believed to be apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2, but will be brieiiy reviewed. The line of action of the spring 74 in open, closed, or any intermediate position, always lies to the left of the hinge axis 12 of the door so that the tension of the spring exerts a force on the spring eye 70 always tending to move the door toward closed position. This force is variable due to variation in tension of the spring and due to changes in the line of action of the spring 74. The surface of the arm 18 which is engaged by the roller 62 operates as a camming surface and exerts a force on the roller 62 which at all times tends to move the door toward open position, since all lines drawn perpendicular to any point on the camming surface through the axis of the roller 62 lie above the hinge axis, as seen in Figures l and 2, in all positions of the door. This force is variable throughout swinging movement of the door due to the cam conto-ur of the surface of the arm, the variation in mechanical advantage due to relative movement of the roller toward and away from the pivot axis of the arm, and due to variations in the tension of the spring. By variations in the cam contour of the spring arm it is possible to obtain any desired door action. In practice, the arm is designed such that the overall resultant forces on the door urge the door shut when it is barely open. However, when the door reaches a partially open position, as between half and two-thirds open, the overall resultant forces of the structure described are in a door opening direction.

One of the important features of the present invention is the contour of the arm 18 adjacent the free end thereof. Adjacent its vfree end the arm is provided with an offset portion which forms a relatively abrupt camming surface I82 which in turn cooperates with the roller to exert a powerful door opening movement when the door approaches full open position. The arrangement is such that the resultant forces developed by camming surface 82 on roller 62 will swing the door strongly to full open position and will retain it in full open position against light closing forces. Normally, doors are mounted such that they tend to swing by gravity toward closed position. They are also subject to closing forces developed by inclination of the vehicle and external forces such for example as the wind. The cam surface 82 is of sucient depth and of suthcient inclination that the opeens? door will be retained in full open position against these aforesaid relatively light closing forces. However, the surface SZ is so inclined that the door may be manually closed without substantial effort.

The rubber bumper o6 absorbs the shock if the door is slammed to full open position and permits the cam surface S2 to engage the roller 62. so as to retain the door in open position, even though it has been slammed open.

Referring now to Figure 5 these is illustrated a variation in design. In this case the arm 100 is mounted for swinging movement about a fixed support axis to). ca.- ried by the body hinge pillar. Located within the door is a guide and abutment channel member 104 provided with a slot N6 through which the arm l0@ extends. The member 104I includes spaced side walls w8 between which is pivoted a roller llt). At its outer end the arm lite is provided with a head 112 having an opening iid therein for the attachment of one end of a tension spring 116. The other end of the tension spring 116 is secured to a spring eye 118 formed on a mounting bracket i219. The door is illustrated as mounted for opening and closing swinging movement about a hinge axis 122. In this construction it will be observed that with the door in closed position the lin-e of action of the spring E16 passes substantially through the hinge axis 122 of the door so that no door opening or closing effect is transmitted through the spring eye H8. At the same time the cam portion 124 of the arm lo@ is generally concentric with the hinge axis ZZ so that there is no camming action exerted by the arm on the door through the medium of the roller strongly toward full open position and to retain it in such position.

With the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 it will be appreciated that since cam portion 124 is concentric with hinge axis 22 the arm 100 is substantially stationary during initial opening movement of the door until the roller passes from the cam portion 124- to the cam portion 126, after which the arm swings counterclockwise as seen in Figure 5 until the cam portion 130 comes into action. in the embodiment illustrated in Figures l-4 inclusive thc cam contour of the arm is such that the arm swings continuously during opening and closing movement of the door, thus introducing a continuous variation in spring tension, line of action of the spring, and the direction of the force applied to the door by cam action on the roller 62.

The two different designs of arms have been specifically illustrated primarily to indicate the iiexibility of design. The arm 13 or 00 is preferably formed of sheet metal so that it may be stamped or otherwise formed with any desired contour. Thus, by a simple change in the cam structure of the arm, the overall action of the door may be changed as desired. In both of the embodiments illustrated however, the design of the swinging arm is such that the overall action of all forces acting on the door is to urge the door toward closed position as it approaches closed position. This action tends to insure proper latching of the door when the door is mechanically swung toward closed position.

The drawings and the foregoing specication constitute a description of the improved door check structure in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. in a motor vehicle body having a door pillar and a door pivotally mounted thereon, said door having inner and outer panels and a jamb face, a bracket secured to said door pillar and projecting toward the jamb face of said door, a check arm pivotally connected to said bracket and extending through an opening in the jamb face of said door into the interio of said door between said inner and outer door panels, said check arm comprising a flat elongated stamping having a irst generally straight portion extending from said pivotal connection a distance greater than half the distance to the terminal end portion of said check arm and a second generally straight portion extending from adjacent the termination of said iirst portion to the terminal end of said check arm, said second portion being generally parallel to said first portion but being oiset laterally with respect thereto toward said inner door panel, the rst and second portions of said check` arm being interconnected by an intermediate portion extending diagonally to said second portion and having a cam edge facing away from the jamb face of the door, said cam edge forming an obtuse angle with the longitudinal axis of the irst portion of said check arm and having a length greater than the width of said first portion, the terminal end of the second portion of said check arm having a part projecting therefrom toward said outer door panel, a rubber bumper sleeved on the second portion of said check arm and bearing against the outwardly projecting part of the terminal end of said second portion to assist in retaining the bumper thereon, a U- shaped supporting bracket mounted within said door and secured to the jamb face thereof, said supporting bracket having a base extending generally parallel to said jamb face and having a slot through which a check arm extends, a generally vertical roller pivotally mounted within said supporting bracket adjacent the base of said bracket and at the side of the slot therein nearest said outer door panel, a lug formed integrally with the base of said supporting bracket adjacent said outer door panel and projecting away from said door jamb face, said lug and the outwardly projecting part formed on the terminal end of the second portion of said check arm being provided with openings therein, and a coil spring having its opposite ends connected to the openings in said lug and the terminal end of said check arm to continually urge said check arm toward outer door panel and into engagement with said roller.

2. Door check structure for controlling opening and closing of an outwardly opening hollow door having an inner side and an outer side and hinged at one edge to a frame having corresponding inner and outer sides on a hinge axis adjacent the outer sides of said door and frame, a rigid check arm having an enlaged head at one end, pivot means adapted to mount the other end of said arm on the frame on a pivot axis adjacent the inner side thereof, a roller adapted to be mounted within the door inwardly from its hinged edge beyond a line joining said axes when the door is closed and spaced toward the inner side of the door from said hinge axis and located generally between said axes, a spring support adapted to be mounted within the door at a point adjacent its outer side and spaced substantially from said hinge axis, and a tension spring connecting said spring support and the headed end of said arm urging said arm toward the hinge axis and maintaining said arm in contact with a side of said roller in all positions of the door, the side of said check arm engaging said roller and adjacent said pivot axis being concavely curved so that in all positions of the door approaching closed position, a line radial of said roller and perpendicular to the point on said arm engaged thereby lies at the doorward side of said hinge axis.

3. Door check structure for controlling opening and closing movement of a hollow door having spaced inner and outer side walls and a slotted edge wall connecting said inner and outer walls, the door being hinged to a frame for swinging about an axis located outwardly beyond the edge wall and adjacent to the outer wall of the door; said door check structure comprising a pivot mounting adapted to be secured to the frame in a position to provide a pivot axis adjacent the inner side of the edge wall of the door, a rigid check arm pivoted at one end to said pivot mounting and adapted to extend through the slo-t in the edge wall of the door, the other end of said arm having an enlarged head thereon, guide means cooperable with said check arm comprising a channel adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the edge wall of the door, said channel having side walls and a web spaced inwardly from the edge of the door and parallel to the slot in the door, said web provided with a slot extending longitudinally thereof through which said check arm extends, a roller mounted on a fixed axis extending between the side walls of said channel and spanning the slot in the web of said channel, the head on said arm being engageable with said channel to limit opening movement of the door, and a tension spring having one end connected to the headed end of said arm and its other end connected to said guide means at a point closely adjacent to the outer side of the door.

4. Door check structure for controlling swinging movement of a hollow door part to and from closed position in an opening in a hollow frame part, the door and frame parts having edge walls which are substantially parallel and closely spaced when the door is closed, one of the edge walls having a slot therethrough: said door check structure comprising a pivot support adapted to be secured to the other edge wall in position to extend through the slot in the slotted edge wall when the door part is closed, a rigid check arm pivoted at one end to said pivot support and having an enlarged head at its other end, unitary guide means cooperable with said check arm adapted to be secured as a unit to the inner surface of the slotted edge wall, said means comprising a channel having a slotted web adapted to be spaced inwardly from the slotted edge wall with its slot substantially parallel to the slot in the edge Wall and having spaced side walls, a roller extending across said channel and pivotally mounted to a fixed axis extending to the side walls thereof, the enlarged head on said arm being engageable with said channel to limit opening movement of the door, a spring mounting onsaid unitary guide means, and a tension spring connecting said spring mounting and the headed end of said arm and located on said unitary guide means in position to urge said arm toward the hinge axis ofthe door and against said roller.

5. :Door scheel( Istructure for controlling opening and closing of :an outwardly Iopening hollow door having lan inner side and an outer side landjhinged lat one edge to a frame having corresponding inner .and outer sides on `a hinge Iaxis adjacent the outer sides of said door .and frame, ya yrigid Icheck arm having an enlarged head `at one end, pivot means adapted to mount the other end of said arm `on the fframe on a pivot axis :adjacentthe inner side thereof, :a roller adapted to be mounted Within the door inwardly from its hinged edge beyond `a iine joining said axes when the door is closed and spaced toward the inner side of the door from said hinge axis and located generally 'between said axes, a .spring support adapted to be mounted within the door fat la point adjacent its outer side and spaced substantially from said hinge axis, and a tension spring connecting said spring support vand the headed `end of said arm urging said arm toward the hinge lax-is and maintaining .a side of said arm in Icontact with said roller in Iall positions of the door, the side of said arm in contact with `said rol-ler heing shaped such that with the door closed, said side diverges gradually outwardly from a concave portion generally con-centric with said hinge axis and passing through the point of engagement between said side and said roller.

6. Door check structu-re for controlling opening and closing of an outwardly opening hollow door having an -inner side and an outer side and hinged at one edge to a frame having corresponding inner :and outer sides on a Ihinge `axis adjacent the outer sides of said door and frame, a rigid check arm havin-g an enlarged head at one end, pivot means adapted to mount the other end -o'f said arm on the fname on a pivot axis adjacent the inner side thereof, a roller :adapted to be mounted within the door inwardly from its hinged edge beyond a yline joining said axes when the door is closed .and spaced toward the inner side of the door from said hinge axis and located generally fbetween said axes, a spring support adapted lto he mounted within .the door at Ia point adjacent its outer side and spaced substantially from said hinge axis, and a tension spring connecting said spring support and the headed end of said arm urging said arm toward the hinge axis and maintaining a .side of said arm in contact with said Aroller in all positions `of the door, said spring suppont being located substantially on a line joining the headed end of said arm and said hinge axis when the door .is closed.

7. Door Vcheck structure for controlling opening and closing of an outwardly opening hollow door having an innerV side-and an outer side and hinged at one edge to -a frame having corresponding inner and outer sides on a hinge axis adjacent the outer sides of said door and trame, a rigid check arm having an enlarged head at one end, pivot means adapted to mount the other end of said arm on the frame on a pivot axis adjacent the inner side thereof, a rol-ler adapted to be mounted within the door inwardly from its hinged edge beyond a line joining said .axes when the door is close-d and spaced toward the inner side of the door .from :said hinge axis :and =looated generally between said axes, -a vspring support :adapted to be mounted within the door at .a point adjacent its outer side .and spaced substantially from said hinge axis, .and a tension .spring lconnecting' said spring support and the headed end of said arm urging said arm toward the hinge axis and `maintaining a side of said arm -in contact with said roller in all positions of the door, said roller-engaging side of .said :check arm lcomprising :an incl-ined door closing cam lsurface :adjacent its pivroted end, an oppositely inclined door opening cam `surface adjacent its 'headed end, and .a shoulder inter-mediate sa-id second .cam surface and its headed `end facing away from the pivoted end of said arm.

References Cited in the le ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 222,767 Wright Dec. 16, 1'879 1,357,655 Sandell Nov. 2, 1920 1,443,462 Eastman n Jan. 30, y1923 1,776,346 Buingt-on Sept. 23, 19130 2,290,33'1 Jacobs July 2l, 1942 2.513,75'1 Semar July 4, 1950 2,639,458 Travis May `2'6, \195'3

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