GB2410990A

GB2410990A - An adjustable bump stop

Info

Publication number: GB2410990A
Application number: GB0402846A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Roy Saville; Steve Barry Clements
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2004-02-10
Filing date: 2004-02-10
Publication date: 2005-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 2024-02-10
Also published as: GB0402846D0; DE102005006043A1; DE102005006043B4; GB2410990B

Abstract

A bump stop assembly 14 for use between a door and a surrounding frame co-operates with an abutment. The bump stop assembly comprises a body 15 having an inclined surface 23 and a slider 16 which is capable of movement along the inclined surface. The slider has a strike face 30 for contact with the abutment and a resilient catch in the form of serrations which co-operate with serrations provided on the body. In use, closing the door brings the abutment into contact the slider causing it to ratchet along the serrations, moving along the inclined surface until it is in the correct position with the abutment in touch with the end face of the slider. The door is then opened and a lock 17 is provided for securing the bump stop in the correct position. The assembly is particularly useful for a vehicle tail gate.

Description

24 1 0990 An Adiustable Bumpstop This invention relates to self adjusting

bumpstops for closures and is particularly useful for use with motor vehicle doors, gates, trunks etc. It is particularly applicable to pivoted vehicle lift gates, also known as tail gates.

Bumpstops are found in motor vehicles typically for fixing or determining the closed position of a door, bonnet or tailgate. A typical conventional bumpstop for a tail gate comprises a first moulded plastics or rubber stop which is fixed to a vehicle tail gate, and a second moulded plastics or rubber wedge which is fixed to the tail gate frame, the two stops cooperating to hold the tail gate in relation to the frame when the tail gate is in a closed condition. A plurality of such bumpstops are typically spaced around the frame.

These prevent misalignment between the gate and frame, and provide support when the gate is closed. A disadvantage of fixed bumpstops is that they do not allow for manufacturing tolerances of the body aperture and closure.

Provision is therefore generally made for one of the stop surfaces to have an adjustable position because of manufacturing variations, which mean that the closed position of the tail gate varies slightly from one vehicle to another. The bumpstops are not accessible in the closed position, and an operator can move the adjustable stop surface only when the tailgate is in the open position. He must then carry out a closing manoeuvre to check the correct positioning of the stop surface, and if the latter is not correct, he must repeatedly re-open the gate, move the adjustable stop, carry out a new check and so on until he has found the appropriate position. The operation of adjusting the system of catches is thus long and delicate, and is ill-suited to the requirements of mass production.

US 5584 528 describes a bump stop assembly which can be adjusted by means of an external handle when the tail gate is closed. US 5992 927 discloses a bump stop assembly in which the gate mounted stop has a spring loaded wedge member thereon which engages a surface on the frame stop. The resilient wedge member operates each time the door is closed. Spring loaded devices are expensive, require lubrication and are not overly robust.

The present invention aims to make the adjustment operation quick and simple.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bumpstop assembly for use between a closure and a surrounding frame, and which in use is secured to one of the closure and frame for co-operating with an abutment secured to the other of the closure and frame, the bumpstop assembly comprising a body having an inclined surface thereon, a slider capable of movement along the inclined surface and having a strike face for contact with the abutment, the slider having a resiliently biased catch which co-operates with detents on the body to permit movement of the slider under load exerted by the abutment against the contact face, and a lock for securing the slider in position on the inclined surface.

The inclined surface is provided by the bottom surface of a groove or slot formed in the body, the slider being moveable along the slot, and the catch on the slider engaging with detents formed on both opposing sides of the slot.

Preferably the slot is an inverted "T" shaped cross-section open slot and the slider has a matching "T" shaped cross-section, the leg of the "T" being formed from a pair of spaced apart limbs, each of which limbs has a catch thereon engagable with respective detents on the opposing sides of the slot.

Preferably the detents on the body comprise a series of serrations, preferably formed on the sides of the narrower portion of the inverted "T" shaped slot, and the catch also comprises like serrations, preferably formed on the limbs.

The lock prevents movement of the catch against the inherent resilient bias, and preferably comprises a plate-like cap which covers the contact face on the slider with a projection thereon which, in use, is insertable into the space between the two limbs of the slider. The projection may comprise a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel legs. The cap is provided with a contact surface for the abutment.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided, on a vehicle, a bumpstop system for a closure, typically a tail gate, bonnet or door, the bumpstop system comprising an abutment which, in use, is secured to the surrounding frame for co operating with a bumpstop assembly, which bumpstop assembly, in use, is secured to the closure accommodated within the frame, the bumpstop assembly being in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of adjusting a bumpstop system for a closure pivoted for movement relative to a surrounding frame, the system comprising an abutment secured to the closure, and a bumpstop assembly secured to the frame for co-operating with the abutment, the bumpstop assembly comprising a body having an inclined surface thereon, a slider capable of movement along the inclined surface and having a strike face for contact with the abutment, the slider having a resiliently biased catch which co- operates with detents on the body to permit movement of the slider under load exerted by the abutment against the contact face, and a lock for securing the slider in position on the inclined surface, wherein the method comprises the steps of mounting the abutment to the closure with the closure in an open condition, pre-assembling the body and slider, and mounting the pre assembled body and slider to the frame in alignment with the abutment, moving the closure to a closed condition such that the abutment contacts the slider causing the slider to move along the inclined surface under a bias load exerted by the abutment, re-opening the closure, and applying the lock to secure the slider in position.

The lock is provided with a contact surface for the abutment thereafter.

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. l is a cross section through a portion of a lift gate and frame showing a bumbstop system according to the present invention in situ, Fig.2 is an exploded diagram showing the parts of a bumpstop assembly also according to the present invention, and Fig.3 is an isometric view showing the body and slider in an assembled condition and with the locking means shown prior to insertion in the slider.

With reference to Figs. l to 3, there is shown a bumpstop system 10 which, in this particular application, is utilised to prevent lateral movement of a vehicle liftgate l l which is pivoted at its top to the vehicle body and which is sometimes referred to as a tailgate. The liftgate l l, when in a closed condition, is located within a vehicle body aperture defined by a frame l 2. A typical vehicle lift gate 11 may be provided with a plurality of bumpstop systems which are spaced around the liftgate and aperture frame, typically at least one bumpstop system being provided on each side of the liftgate frame towards its distal end from the pivot(s).

l O Each bumpstop system comprises an abutment 13 secured to the liftgate 11 and a bumpstop assembly 14 secured the frame 12 in alignment with the abutment. The bumpstop assembly comprises three parts; a body 15, a slider 16 and a locking means 17.

The abutment 13 is moulded from a polymeric material, preferably an elastomeric material. The three parts 15, 16, 17 are moulded from a suitable plastics material, typically those materials known as engineering plastics, examples of which are polyamides such as nylon 6, nylon 66, acetal resins, thermoplastic polyesters etc. The body 15 is wedge shaped having a pair of lugs 21 thereon whereby the body is secured to the aperture frame l 2. An inverted "T" shaped cross-sectional open slot 22 is formed in the body 21 and has a wider base portion which provides an inclined surface 23, and narrower upper portion with opposed sides 24, each having serrations 25 thereon.

T he serrations 25 are substantially normal to the inclined surface 23.

The slider 16 also has an inverted "T" shaped cross-section having a flat planar base 26 with an upright central leg 27 which is elongated axially, that is along the longitudinal axis of the slot 22. The cross-section of the slider 16 matches that of the slot 22, so that the base 26 is accommodated in the wider base portion of slot 22 and the leg 27 is accommodated within the narrower upper portion of the slot 22, the leg 27 having an end face 30 which protrudes just above the surface of the wedge shaped body. The upright leg 27 is formed from two spaced apart limbs 28 with a gap 29 therebetween. The two limbs 28 each have serrations 31 on their outer sides which match the serrations 25 on the body. The slider 16 can move up and down the slot 22 under an applied load, and the gap 29 between the limbs 28 permits the limbs 28 to flex inwardly to enable the serrations 31 on the slider to disengage from and pass over the serrations 25 on the body 15. The gap 29 has a wider central portion 32 located at its approximate mid-length.

The two limbs 28 act as a resilient catch means engaging with detents in the form of serrations 25 on the body. The slider 16 is moved under an applied load to a desired position in the slot 22. Once the slider is located in the desired position along the slot 22 and the load removed, it may be secured in this position by the lock 17.

The lockl7 has a substantially planar cap 33 with an upper flat surface 38 and a central projection 34 extending downwardly from its lower surface. The projection 34 in use is accommodated within the wider portion 32 of the gap 29. The projection 34 may comprise two legs 35 having a small gap 36 therebetween allowing for flexure and is shaped with a detent 37 thereon, so that the projection 34 forms a snap fit within the wider portion 32 of the gap. Once the projection 34 is in situ within the slider 16, the limbs 28 are prevented from moving to permit disengagement of the serrations 31 from serrations 25.

In use, for each bumpstop system 10, the body 15 and slider 16 are preassembled and mounted to the aperture frame 12. The abutment l 3 is mounted to the liftgate 11. The lifigate l l is closed and the abutment 13 contacts the end face 28 of the slider l 6 applying a load thereto which pushes the slider 16 along the inclined surface 23. The limbs 28 flex under the load permitting the slider 16 to ratchet along the serrations 25 until the applied load ceases. When this condition is reached, the slider is in its correct position with the rubber abutment 13 in touch with the end face 30 of the slider 16, which is now held in this position by the engagement between the serrations 25 & 31.

The liftgate 11 is now re-opened, and the locking means 17 assembled to the slider l 6 by insertion of the projection 34 on the cap 33 into the wider portion 32 of the gap 29 in the slider 16. This prevents any further movement of the slider. The cap 33 of the locking device l 7 now provides an interference with the liftgate abutment 13 for the design close condition for the liftgate 11 within its frame 12, such that the rubber abutment 13 must be compressed before the liftgate can be properly closed. This compression applies a loading to the liltgate to prevent lateral movement within the frame. The thickness of the cap 33, and hence the compressive loading on the liftgate 11, will be predetermined during the design of the liftgate.

Claims

Claims 1. A bumpstop assembly for use between a closure and a surrounding

frame, which bumpstop in use is secured to one of the closure and frame for co- operating with an abutment secured to the other of the closure and frame, the bumpstop assembly comprising a body having an inclined surface thereon, a slider capable of movement along the inclined surface and having a face for contact with the abutment, the slider having a resiliently biased catch which co-operates with detents on the body to permit movement of the slider under load exerted by the abutment against the contact face, and a lock for securing the slider in position on the inclined surface.
2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inclined surface is provided by the bottom surface of an open slot formed in the body, the slider being moveable along the open slot.
3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the catch on the slider engages with detents formed on both opposing sides of the slot.
4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the slot is an inverted "T" shaped cross-section open slot, and the slider has a matching "T" shaped cross-section.
An assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the leg of the "T" is formed from a pair of spaced apart limbs, each of which limbs has a catch thereon engagable with respective detents on the opposing sides of the slot.
6. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the detents on the body comprise a series of serrations.
7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6 when dependent upon Claim 5, wherein the catch comprises serrations formed on the limbs of the slider, and the serrations on the body are formed on opposed sides of the upper narrower portion of the inverted "T" shaped slot.
8. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lock prevents movement of the catch against the inherent resilient bias.
9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5 and any one of Claim 6 to 8 when depending from Claim 5, wherein the lock comprises a plate-like cap which covers the contact face on the slider and has a projection thereon which is insertable into the space between the two limbs of the slider.
10. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the projection may comprise a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel legs.
11. An assembly as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, wherein the cap has a contact surface thereon for contact with the abutment.
12. On a vehicle, a bumpstop system for a closure within an aperture in a surrounding frame, the system comprising an abutment which, in use, is secured to the surrounding frame for co-operating with a bumpstop assembly according to any one of Claims I to 11 secured to the closure.
13. A method of adjusting a bumpstop system for a closure pivoted for movement relative to a surrounding frame, the system comprising an abutment secured to the closure, and a bumpstop assembly secured to the frame for co-operating with the abutment, the bumpstop assembly comprising a body having an inclined surface thereon, a slider capable of movement along the inclined surface and having a contact face for contact with the abutment, the slider having a resiliently biased catch which co- operates with detents on the body to permit movement of the slider under load exerted by the abutment against the contact face, and a lock for securing the slider in position on the inclined surface, wherein the method comprises the steps of mounting the abutment to the closure with the closure in an open condition, pre-assembling the body and slider, and mounting the pre-assembled body and slider to the frame in alignment with the abutment, moving the closure to a closed condition such that the abutment contacts the slider causing the slider to move along the inclined surface under a bias load exerted by the abutment, re-opening the closure, and applying the lock to secure the slider in position.
14. A method as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the lock creates an interference with the closure in the closed condition and exerts a load on the closure to prevent lateral movement of the closure within its surrounding frame.