FR2721649A1 - Automobile two position door stop - Google Patents

Abstract

The door stop comprises first (1) and second (3) supports connected by a pivoting mechanism. One support (1) is fixed to the vehicle bodywork (2) and the other to the door (4). The pivoting mechanism comprises a retaining arm (6), which is pivoted on the first support, and has a roller (17) mounted on it. A retaining cam surface (24) is mounted on the second support. The roller is held supported against the cam surface by a spring (12) during the relative travel of the cam surface and the roller. The cam surface has a notch (26) in which the roller engages in order to hold the door in its normal open position. A second notch (27) in the cam surface allows the roller to engage and hold the door in its special open position.

Description

TWO-POSITION DOOR STOP FOR VEHICLE
AUTOMOTIVE
The present invention relates to a door stop for a pivoting door of a vehicle, allowing a closed position of the door, at least a special open position and a normal open position which is between the closed position and the special open position and in which the door is automatically retained by the door stop, the door stop comprising a first support, a second support and an articulated mechanism connecting the two supports, one of the supports being fixed to the body of the vehicle and the another at the door.

The invention applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the stopping of a rear door with lateral pivoting of a motor vehicle such as vans or delivery cars, where the normal open position is approximately 900 of the closed position, but where it is sometimes necessary to open the door more widely, for example to 180, to facilitate loading or unloading operations. For this purpose, there is known a door stop of the kind indicated above, provided with a mechanism with two articulated arms, making it possible to automatically block the door at 900 and being able to be triggered manually in this position to allow the door to be opened up to at 180. When the door is closed, the 90 locking system automatically re-engages.

This known door stop works satisfactorily, but has excessive bulk, especially in the closed position.

The present invention vlse tealiser a simple device capable of performing the same functions, but having a relatively small footprint. An additional aim consists in being able to carry out one stop, the door so that it operates without any manual intervention by the users of the vehicle.

For this purpose, the invention relates to a door stop of the kind indicated in the preamble, characterized in that the articulated mechanism comprises a retaining arm which is articulated to the first support and cooperates with the second support by cam retaining means and roller, said retaining means comprising at least one cam surface and at least one roller which is held in abutment against said cam surface by the force of a spring during a relative movement between this surface and the roller, and in that said cam surface comprises at least one notch in which said roller engages to retain the door in the normal open position.

Preferably, the first support is fixed to the vehicle body, the second support being fixed to the door.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the roller is mounted on the arm and the cam surface is on the second support. The cam surface preferably comprises, in addition to the notch corresponding to the normal open position, a second notch, in which the roller engages to retain the door in the special open position.

The second support may have a transverse profile substantially in Li, forming two parallel wings between which the arm passes, at least one of these wings being provided with a groove, one edge of which constitutes said cam surface, the roller being guided by this groove. Thus, in the closed position, the second support at least partially overlaps the arm and the first support.

In an advantageous embodiment from the point of view of rigidity, each wing of the second support is provided with said groove, the arm being provided with two coaxial rollers or with a common roller to cooperate simultaneously with the two grooves.

In a second embodiment, said roller is mounted on the second support and said cam surface is on the arm.

In this case, a preferred construction consists in that said roller is a first roller mounted in a fixed position on the second support, in that a second roller is mounted movably on the second support so as to have a variable distance vis-à-vis the first roller, in that the arm is arranged to be engaged between the two rollers and has, opposite the rollers, two opposite edges forming cam surfaces, and in that said spring tends push the second roller in the direction of the first to pass the arm between them.

Preferably, the movable roller is mounted on an oscillating lever, itself pivotally mounted on the second support and urged by said spring. The oscillating lever can be provided with a manual control member arranged to pivot the oscillating lever so as to separate the rollers to release said notch.

However, the notch can also be shaped so as to allow its automatic release under the effect of a sufficient force exerted on the door by a user.

In a simple embodiment and allowing a small footprint of the arm, the arm is arranged to be released from the two rollers when the door is opened beyond the normal open position, the arm has at its end a V-shaped nose to spread the rollers when it is pushed between them, and the arm is provided with stop means which, when the arm is released from the rollers, maintain it in a fixed position where the nose can engage between the rollers.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of two exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which - FIG. 1 represents a plan view of a first embodiment of the stop of door according to the invention, the door being closed, - Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, where the door is open to 90 ", - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and 2, where the door is open at 1800, - Figure 4 is a view along arrow IV of Figure 3, - Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line VV of Figure 3, - Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of a second embodiment of a door stop according to the invention, - Figure 8 is a partially cut plan view of the door stop of Figures 6 and 7, the door being closed, - Figure 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, where the door is opened at 90, - FIG. 10 is an anal view ogue in Figures 8 and 9, showing an opening maneuver beyond 900, and - Figure 11 is a view similar to Figures 8 and 9, where the door is opened at 1800.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the door stop comprises a first support 1 made of folded sheet metal, fixed to an upright of the body 2 of the vehicle, and a second support 3 made of folded sheet metal, fixed to a door swing rear 4 which pivots on hinges with a vertical axis 5 or slightly inclined with respect to the vertical. The two supports 1 and 3 are permanently connected by a pivoting arm 6, a first end of which is raised on the support 1 by an articulation with an axis 7 parallel to the axis 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the support 1 comprises two parallel wings 8 each having a folded tab 9 provided with a hole 10 for a screw fixing the support to the body 2. The wings 8 also carry a stud 11 defining the axis 7 of the articulation and passing through the arm 6. A double torsion return spring 12, wound around the stud 11, has two ends 13 engaged in the holes 10 of the legs 9 and a central part 14 which tends to bring the arm 6 towards the body when the door is at least partially open . This part 14 of the spring bears against the wings 8 when the door is closed (Figure 1).

The second end 16 of the arm 6 is provided with a rotary roller 17 constituted, as shown in FIG. 5, by a cylindrical piece passing through a hole in the arm 6, where it is retained by two circlips 18, for example. The two ends of the roller 17 protrude above and below the arm 6 and are each engaged in a grooves 20 of the second support 3. The latter has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the back 21 of which is fixed to the door 4 and whose two parallel wings 22 each have one of the grooves 20 which are identical. A flange 23 along each wing 22 makes it possible to better guide the arm 6 in height.

As the arm 6 is biased by the return spring 12 as soon as the door 4 is ajar, the roller 17 is applied against one side of each groove 20, which constitutes a cam surface 24 whose inclination, relative to a straight line 25 passing through the axis 7 and the center of the roller 17, determines at each point the direction of the pressing force between the roller and the support 3. The cam surface 24 has an approximately rectilinear general shape, interrupted by two notches 26 and 27 in which the roller 17 can engage to retain the door 4 in two different open positions. In the first position, defined by the first notch 26 and illustrated by FIG. 2, the door 4 is open approximately 900 relative to its closed position in FIG. 1. The second position, defined by the second notch 27 and illustrated by Figure 3, corresponds to an opening at around 1800, offering greater accessibility behind the vehicle. Of course, the cam surface 24 can be designed to define other opening angles and even, if necessary, additional positions for opening the door.

In each open position, the retaining force exerted by the arm 6 on the door depends on the inclination of the sides of the notch 26 or 27 relative to the straight line 25, in combination with the force produced by the spring of reminder 12. Depending on the inclination chosen, the door stop will be blocked completely and it will have to be unlocked by manually pushing arm 6 to be able to pivot door 4, or else sufficient force applied to the door will cause roller 17 to roll. until it comes out of the corresponding notch. At the first notch 26, the two solutions can be chosen separately for the directions of opening and closing of the door. The door stop can in particular be designed so as not to require any manual action by the user, apart from the operation of the door itself.

It will be noted that the arm 6 is bent so as not to touch the edge of the door 4 in the position of FIG. 3. However, in the closed position (FIG. 1), it is entirely retracted inside the supports 1 and 3, themselves partially nested one on the other, so that the size of the door stop is minimal.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 11, the door stop comprises a first support 31 made of folded sheet metal, fixed to an upright of the body 32 of the vehicle, and a second support 33 made of folded sheet metal, fixed to a door swing rear 34 which pivots on hinges with a vertical axis 35 or slightly inclined with respect to the vertical. The two supports 31 and 33 are permanently connected by a pivoting arm 36, a first end of which is raised on the support 31 by an articulation with an axis 37 parallel to the axis 35. As shown in FIG. 6, the support 31 has two parallel wings 38 each having a folded tab 39 provided with a hole 40 for a screw fixing the support to the body 32. The wings 38 also carry a stud 41 defining the axis 37 of the joint and passing through the arm 36. A return spring 42 (FIG. 11), wound around the stud 41, tends to push the arm 36 in the direction of opening the door to a position defined by two respective stops 43 and 44 of the support 31 and the arm 36, as shown in Figure 11.

Inside the second support 33 fixed to the door 34, the arm 36 is pressed between a fixed rotary roller 46 and a mobile rotary roller 47 which roll on the opposite sides of the arm 36. These are profiled longitudinally to form cam surfaces 48 and 49 which determine, in combination with the position of the arm and the forces applied to the arm and the rollers by the springs, the door retaining force. At the free end of the arm 36, the cam surface 48 has a notch 50 where the roller 46 engages to define the retaining position of FIG. 9. The two cam surfaces 48 and 49 are connected by a profiled nose 51 of the arm, having a V shape to spread the rollers 46 and 47 when it engages them.

The second support 33 comprises a fixed element 52 carrying the fixed roller 46 by an axis 53, an oscillating lever 54 carrying the movable roller 47 and mounted in the element 52 pivotally around a stud 55, and a lever opening 56 provided with a control handle 57 and also pivotally mounted around the stud 55. A return spring 58 acts on the lever 54 to push the roller 47 in the direction of the other roller 46, to a position stop (Figure 11) where an arm 59 of the lever 54 abuts against the opening lever 56. A return spring (not shown) tends to return the opening lever 56 inside the door whatever the position of the oscillating lever 54. For the fixing of the support 33 to the door 34, the fixed element comprises two opposite lugs 60 fitted with usual fixing members such as expansive socket screws 61.

In the closed position illustrated in FIG. 8, the arm 36, which is roughly rectilinear, extends inside the door 34 and the support 33, so that the size of the door stop is very reduced. Only the control handle 57 appears in the interior volume 62 of the vehicle or in a recess in the door.

The arrangement of the door stop in the vehicle is the same as that of a conventional pull-down door stop.

When the door 34 is opened, the shape of the cam surfaces 48 and 49 determines a retaining force which can vary, in particular if intermediate notches (not shown) are provided on these surfaces, up to the position of opening at 900 illustrated by FIG. 9. In the present example, the shape of the notch 50 prevents the door from being able to open further without the effect of any force, but allows the door to be closed if it is pushed hard enough to overcome the clamping force of the arm 36 between the rollers 46 and 47.

By manually pulling the opening lever 56 by the handle 57 according to arrow A in FIG. 10 to open the door beyond 90, the oscillating lever 54 is pivoted so as to spread the rollers 47 and 46 to release the notch 50 and allow the arm 36 to come out of the second support 33. Once the notch 50 is released, the lever 56 can be released which returns to its rest position, since it is not secured to the oscillating lever 54. The door can then pivot freely, for example to the open position at 1800 in Figure 11, where the door can be stopped by a secondary stop provided on the hinges or on the bodywork. However, in cases where the thickness of the door allows a larger size of the door stop, one can provide that the arm 36 extends beyond the nose 51 by a bent portion which remains engaged between the rollers 46 and 47 and has a notch to maintain a open position over 900, for example the at 1800.

In the case of FIG. 11, the arm 36 is stopped by the stops 43 and 44 in a position such that, when the door is brought back to its position in FIG. 10, the nose 51 engages automatically between the rollers 46 and 47 so that the arm returns to its place. In this case, the movable roller 47 drives the lever 54 without driving the lever 56 in order to prevent the latter from obstructing or injuring the user.

The door stop therefore works without manual intervention on closing, and it could also do so on opening with an appropriate shape of the notch 50.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to any modification and / or variant obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Claims (12)

Claims 1. Door stop for a pivoting door of a vehicle, allowing a closed position of the door, a special open position and a normal open position which is between the closed position and the special open position and in which the door is retained automatically, the door stop comprising a first support (1, 31), a second support (3, 33) and an articulated mechanism connecting the two supports, one of the supports (1, 31) being fixed to the body ( 2, 32) of the vehicle and the other (3.33) to the door (4, 34), characterized in that the articulated mechanism comprises a retaining arm (6, 36) which is articulated to the first support (1, 31) and cooperates with the second support (3, 33) by cam and roller retaining means, said retaining means comprising at least one cam surface (24, 48) and at least one roller (17, 46) which is held in abutment against said cam surface by the force of a spring (12, 58) during a relative movement between this s urface and the roller, and in that said cam surface (24, 48) comprises at least one notch (26, 50) in which said roller (17, 46) engages to retain the door in the normal open position. 2. Door stop according to claim 1, characterized in that the first support (1, 31) is fixed to the body (2) of the vehicle, the second support (3, 33) being fixed to the door (4). 3. Door stop according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the roller (17) is mounted on the arm (6) and in that the cam surface (24) is located on the second support (3). 4. Door stop according to claim 3, characterized in that the cam surface (24) comprises, in addition to the notch (26) corresponding to the normal open position, a second notch (27), in which the roller (17 ) engages to hold the door in the special open position. 5. Door stop according to claim 3, characterized in that the second support (3) has a transverse profile substantially by forming two parallel wings (22) between which the arm (6) passes, at least one of these wings being provided with a groove (20), one edge of which constitutes said cam surface (24), the roller (17) being guided by this groove. 6. Door stop according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the closed position, the second support (3) at least partially overlaps the arm (6) and the first support (1). 7. Door stop according to claim 5, characterized in that each wing (22) of the second support is provided with said groove (20), the arm being provided with two coaxial rollers or with a common roller (17) to cooperate simultaneously with the two grooves. 8. Door stop according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said roller (46) is mounted on the second support (33) and in that said cam surface (48) is located on the arm (36). 9. Door stop according to claim 8, characterized in that said roller (46) is a first roller mounted in a fixed position on the second support, in that a second roller (47) is movably mounted on the second support so as to have a variable distance from the first roller (46), in that the arm (36) is arranged to be engaged between the two rollers (46, 47) and has, vis-à-vis rollers, two opposite edges forming cam surfaces (48, 49), and in that said spring (58) tends to push the second roller towards the first to pass the arm (36) between them. 10. Door stop according to claim 9, characterized in that the movable roller (47) is mounted on an oscillating lever (54), itself mounted pivotally on the second support and biased by said spring (58). 11. Door stop according to claim 10, characterized in that the oscillating lever (54) is provided with a manual control member (56, 57) arranged to pivot the oscillating lever (54) so as to separate the rollers (46, 47) to release said notch (50). 12. Door stop according to claim 9, characterized in that the arm (36) is arranged to be released from the two rollers (46, 47) when the door is opened beyond the normal open position, in that the arm has at its end a nose (51) in the form of V to separate the rollers (46, 47) when it is pushed between them, and in that the arm (36) is provided with stop means (42-44) which, when the arm is released from the rollers, hold it in a fixed position where the nose (51) can engage between the rollers.