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(11) | EP 0 109 136 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Door checks |
| (57) In order to provide controlled resilient biasing of a movable check roller (12) that
roller is mounted at an intermediate position on a first leg (15) of a spring bar
(14), and the free end (19) of that leg is restrained to a wall (4) of a generally
S-shaped bracket (1) by a pivotal engagement between a recess (20) in the bar and
the wall (4). A second roller (13) is conveniently mounted on a second leg (16) of
the bar. In one arrangement the second leg (16) is rigidly held against lateral movement,
but in another arrangement the second leg is capable of restrained movement in a similar
manner to that of the first leg. |
[0001] This invention relates to door checks particularly, but no exclusively, door checks intended for use on the doors of motor vehicles.
[0002] Vehicle manufacturers and Government bodies are devising increasingly stiff tests which door checks must survive in order to be considered suitable for use. For example, one current test procedure consists of subjecting an unlubricated mechanism to 100,000 operations with the mechanism periodically dusted with desert soil.
[0003] Whilst there has been a multitude of previous proposals for door checks most of them would not stand up to such arduous tests, or at least the modifications required to meet the tests would be prohibitively expensive.
[0004] The major problem facing a door check designer is therefore to produce a check which will perform satisfactorily in use yet be inexpensive to manufacture.
[0005] One relatively inexpensive door check arrangement was proposed in our U.K. Patent Specification No. 1247755 in which a contoured check arm extends between a pair of rollers mounted in a bracket, and one of the rollers is resiliently biassed towards the other'roller by being mounted on one arm of a torsion bar. U.K. Specification No. 1.597 747 shows a not dissimilar arrangement. In U.K. Specification No. 1 449 671 instead of a torsion bar a coiled bar is employed, with the movable roller mounted on one free end of the bar.
[0006] We have realised that in those previous arrangements the problem can arise that the axis of the movable roller tilts in use relative to the axis of the fixed roller, and during prolonged use an edge of the check arm may dig into the roller, particularly if a plain roller is employed. Also tilting of the roller tends to twist the check arm which can result in excessive wear in other regions.
[0008] According to the invention a door check comprises a contoured check arm adapted to be pivotally secured to a door or door pillar, and a bracket adapted to be secured to a door pillar or door respectively, first and second rollers mounted on or in the bracket with the check arm extending between the rollers, a spring bar carried by the bracket and comprising a leg of which the free end is restrained to the bracket, and the opposite end of the leg is continuous with one end of a bent portion of the bar, the other end of the bent portion of bar being restrained directly or indirectly to the bracket, and the first roller is mounted on a portion of the leg spaced from said free end, the arrangement being such that said portion of the leg remains substantially parallel to the axis of the second roller during deflection of the leg in use.
[0009] Since the free end of the leg is restrained to the bracket, the tilting of said portion of the leg can be resisted.
[0010] It will be appreciated that a sufficiently long leg must be employed to provide a sufficient length of the leg between the first roller and the restrained free end to accommodate the lateral movement of the roller.
[0011] Although the free end of the leg may be restrained by being clamped to the bracket it is preferred that the free end is pivotally supported on the bracket.
[0012] The free end of the leg is preferably provided with a recess in one side which engages with the bracket to provide a fulcrum for the pivoting, and to locate the free end.
[0013] The bent portion of the bar may be arranged to act as a torsion bar, or it may be arranged to be subjected to bending stresses only, or a combination of torsion and bending stresses may be employed.
[0014] Thus, we are in effect proposing substantially to extend one arm of previously proposed arrangements and to restrain the free end of that arm against lateral movement relative to the bracket, and this principle is applicable to both bending bar and torsion bar arrangements.
[0016] In one such arrangement said other end is held against lateral movement relative to the bracket so that only the first roller is displaced relative to the bracket on movement of the check arm.
[0017] In another arrangement, however, both rollers are movable relative to the bracket, and said other end of the bent portion is continuous with a second leg of the bar on which the second roller is mounted, and the free end of that leg is restrained to the bracket.
[0018] The bracket is conveniently formed from sheet material that is bent into an angular S-shape, the rollers are held captive between two of the horizontal limbs of the S, and the free end of the or each leg is pivoted on the third horizontal limb of the S.
[0019] Various door checks for vehicles in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1. is a plan view of a first check shown mounted in a vehicle, with the door in the closed position;
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the check of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow A;
Figure 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a partial cross-section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the spring bar in its relaxed condition;
Figure 6 is a view of the relaxed spring bar looking in the direction of the arrow C in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a plan view of a second check;
Figures 8 and 9 are views of the check of Figure 7 on the arrows D and E respectively;
Figure 10 is a view corresponding to Figure 9 but of a modification of the second check; and
Figure 11 is two views of a modified spring bar.
[0020] With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the first check illustrated comprises a bracket 1 formed from a rectangular strip of sheet material by bending about five transverse lines so as to be substantially of angular S-shape, as shown in Figure 2, comprising three parallel, horizontally extending walls 2, 3, and 4, and vertical walls 5 and 6 for connection by screws engaging holes 7 to a door or door pillar. The walls 2 and 3 of the bracket are connected by a further vertical wall 8 which is apertured at 11 to receive a contoured horizontal check arm 9 provided with a pivot hole 10 for attachment to a door pillar or door respectively.
[0021] In Figure 1 the bracket 1 is shown mounted in a vehicle door, with the pivot 10 secured to a further bracket 10' mounted on a door post. The hinge axis of the door is indicated at X.
[0022] First and second plain cylindrical rollers 12 and 13 respectively are mounted on a spring bar 14 and vertically between the bracket walls 2, 3. The spring bar comprises parallel vertical legs 15 and 16, and a bent portion 17 which inter-connects the legs 15, 16. Leg 15 is substantially longer than leg 16 and extends through a hole 18 provided in lower wall 4 with which it has a pivotal abutment to restrain it against lateral movement.
[0023] In order to locate the free end 19 of leg 15 against vertical movement relative to wall 4, the end 19 is provided with a recess 20 on the side remote from leg 16 which receives the edge of the material of wall 4, and the recess 20 thereby acts as a fulcrum for pivotal movement of the lower part of leg 15. Notch 20 is produced by local flattening of the bar. Leg 15 extends through respective aligned open-ended slots 21, Figure 1, in the walls 2, 3, the slots extending in the direction away from leg 16 to enable the first roller 12 to move laterally of the bracket 1.
[0024] The shorter leg 16 extends through aligned holes 22 in the walls 2, 3, and the leg 16 and second roller 13 are thereby held against lateral movement relative to the bracket 1.
[0025] The bent portion 17 of the bar 14 comprises a horizontally extending substantially U-shaped part 23 extending substantially perpendicularly to the walls 5, 6, that is generally in the direction of movement of the check arm 9, and a pair of right-angle bend parts 24, Figure 2, which connects the limbs of the U respectively to the upper ends of the legs 15, 16. The limbs of the U-shaped part 24 converge slightly towards their free ends.
[0026] Check arm 9 is contoured in the usual way to provide two hold-open positions of the door in use. Movement of the check arm between the rollers 12, 13 causes first roller 12 to be deflected away from roller 13 against the spring force exerted by bar 14. Displacement of the roller 12 away from roller 13 is accommodated by a relative movement apart of bar parts 24 to open the U-shaped part 23, and by pivoting of leg 15 about free end 19.
[0027] It will be appreciated that in this arrangement the bar 14 is subjected to both torsional and bending stresses. Displacment of the roller 12 produces both bending and twisting of the limbs of the U-shaped part 23. In the unstressed condition of the bar 14, shown in Figures 5 and 6, prior to assembly to bracket 1, the legs 15, 16 each extend at an angle of 77° to the plane of U-shaped part 23, diverging from each other, so that substantial torsional stresses are present in the assembled bar, these being resisted by the engagement between bar end 19 and lower wall 4.
[0028] The pivotal deflection of the leg 15 is shown in Figure 4 and it will be seen that control of the position of the free end 19 of leg 15 results in control over the inclination of the axis of the first roller 12 relative to the vertical. Although there will usually be a slight change in the inclination of the roller 12 this will usually be much less than with previous arrangements.
[0029] It is preferred that the contoured side of the check arm engages with the anchored roller 13, but the reverse would be possible. This reduces the wear produced in the engagement between bar 14 and the slots 21.
[0030] Figures 7 to 9 show a second check, and corresponding reference numbers have been applied to parts corresponding to the check of Figure 1.
[0031] The check differs from that of Figure 1 only in the shape of the bent portion 17 of the bar 14, the right-angle parts 24 being omitted, so that the U-shaped part 23 extends vertically. This is useful in circumstances where space is limited.
[0032] It will be appreciated that the operation of the check of Figures 7 to 9 is identical to that of Figure 1, except that the limbs of part 23 are not subjected to torsional stresses.
[0033] Figure 10 shows a more significant departure from the arrangement of Figure 1 in that the legs 15, 16 are made of equal length, and the free ends 19, 19' of the legs both have pivotal abutments with the bracket lower wall 4. The rollers 12, 13 are both capable of lateral movement relative to bracket, slots similar to slots 21 of Figure 1 being provided also for the leg 16 to accommodate the lateral movement of roller 13. Thus the arrangement of the bar 14 and rollers 12, 13 is entirely symmetrical in this arrangement.
[0035] Figure 11 shows a modified bar arrangement which may be used in a check similar to that of Figure 10. In this case the bent portion 17 is in the form of a coil.
[0036] It will be appreciated that the construction of the check arm is not relevant to the invention and that many forms of check arm may instead by employed. For example, a laminated check arm may be employed where the rollers engage with the wider sides of the arm rather than with the narrow edges.
1. A door check comprising a contoured check arm (9) adapted to be pivotally secured
to a door or door pillar, and a bracket (1) adapted to be secured to a door pillar
or door respectively, first and second rollers (12,13) mounted on or in the bracket
with the check arm extending between the rollers, a spring bar (14) carried by the
bracket and acting to bias the rollers relatively towards each other characterised
in that the spring bar (14) comprises a leg (15) of which the free end (19) is restrained
to the bracket (1), and the opposite end of the leg is continuous with one end (24)
of a bent portion (17) of the bar, the other end (24) of the bent portion of bar being
restrained directly or indirectly to the bracket, and the first roller (12) is mounted
on a portion of the leg spaced from said free end (19), the arrangement being such
that said portion of the leg remains substantially parallel to the axis of the second
roller (13) during deflection of the leg (15) in use.
2. A door check as claimed in claim 1 in which the free end (19) of the leg (15) is
pivotally supported on the bracket.
3. A door check as claimed in claim 2 in which the free end (19) of the leg is provided
with a recess (20) in one side which engages with the bracket to provide a fulcrum
for the pivoting, and to locate the free end (19).
4. 'A door check as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the second roller
(13) is mounted on said other end (16) of the bent portion (17) of the bar.
5. A door check as claimed in claim 4 in which said other end is held against lateral
movement relative to the bracket (1).
6. A door check as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which both rollers (12, 13)
are displaceable relative to the bracket, and said other end of the bent portion is
continuous with a second leg (16) of the bar on which the second roller (13) is mounted,
and the free end of that leg (16) is restrained to the bracket.
7. A door check as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the bracket is
formed from sheet material that is bent into an angular S-shape, the rollers (12,
13) are held captive between two of the horizontal limbs (2, 3) of the S, and the
free end of that leg (16) is pivoted on the third horizontal limb (4) of the S.