US2268976A

US2268976A - Door check

Info

Publication number: US2268976A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick J Westrope
Original assignee: Reconstruction Finance Corp
Current assignee: Reconstruction Finance Corp
Priority date: 1940-04-26
Filing date: 1940-04-26
Publication date: 1942-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1959-01-06

Description

noon ormcx Filed April 2e, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 IIL lrllllllllIl/IIIL vllllll/IL nventor .igea/arm Mes/990e (Ittomegs Patented Jan. 6, 1942 curr-1inl STATESM PATENT oFF-lcs Frederick J. Westrope, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of the United States Application April 26, 1940, Serial No. 1,857

9 Claims. JCI. 16-86) door check adapted to apply a diierent retard-V f" ing force to the door in one direction of its movement than in the other direction thereof.`

Another object of this invention is to provide a door check having means associated therewith t for limiting the movement of a vehicle door and for cushioning this movement when'the door reaches its open position.

Another object is to provide a door check having means for limiting and cushioning the open movement of a door, together with'means for releasably holding the door in its open position.

Another object is to provide a door check having cam means engageable with an arm connected to a door so that the arm tilts thecam means from one position to another in order to limit,` cushion and check the opening movement of the door, as wellV as to releasably hold the door in its open position.

Another object is to provide a door check having cam means mounted upon resilient material, such as rubber, and engageable with a projection upon an arm carrying a cushion, so that the projection tilts the cam in order to check the opening movement of the door, the cushion brings the door to a, halt, and the projection coi-'- operates with the cam in the reverse direction to releasably hold the door in its open position, yet to permit the door to be closed if a closing force exceeds a predetermined amount.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a door structure and supporting structure interconnected by a door check according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. with the parts in the closed position of the door;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but with the door in its open position;

Fig, 4 is a vertical longitudinal section along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; Y

Fig. 5 is a cross section along the line 5 5 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4, but showing the cam moved to the right by the armprojection preparatory to closing the door.

In structures, such as vehicles, employing doors, various devices have been provided for checking the opening movement of the door.- If

this opening motion isnot checked but is abruptly 55l stopped, the stresses set up between the door, hinges and the door jamb are liable to cause breakage orv bending of the parts with consequent damage. In eXtreme cases, the door itself is occasionally torn from the hinges or the hinges torn from the door jamb when too great an opening force is employed and this force is not properly checked. Such accidents are liable to occur particularly in the case of automobile doors, these beingvery heavy and exerting great leverages during the opening movement.

In brief, the door check ofthe Apresent invention consists of a device for checking a door structure hinged-to a supporting structure and for holding the door structure in an open posi-l tion. For this purpose the device is provided with an arm pivoted to one of the structures and having a projection and a cushion thereon. The projection is adapted to engagea tiltable cam mounted upon the other structure and supported upon a resilient member, such as a rubber block. When the door is opened, the projection engages the `cam and pushes it downward as the projection slips over the cam. After this has occurred the cushion on the arm engages the housing of the cam'and cushions the halting motion ofthe door structure. After the projection on the arm has slipped over the cam, the'latter acts as a yielding abutment to hold the door open.

When a force greater than a predetermined force'isexerted upon the door in a closing direction, however, the projection engages and tilts the cam while pushing it downward upon its resilient block. If the force is great enough, it tilts the cam a sufficient distance to permit the projection to ride completely over the cam and permit the arm thenceforth to allow the door structure to close upon its supporting structure. Referring to the drawings in detail, Figs. 1 'and 2 show a supporting structure I0, such as an automobile body, upon which is pivotally supported the door structure II, as by the hinges I2'upon the hinge pins I3, one hinge only being shown. f

The supporting structure I in its wall I4 is provided with an aperture I5 through which an angle bracket I6 projects outward. The angle bracket I6 consists of L-shaped members I'I secured as at I8 to the bodyy wall I4. The L-shaped members I 'I project outwardly and between their outer arms support a pivot pin I9 upon which is pivotally mounted the arm or strap 2i) serving as a connecting link betweenthe body structure Iand the door structure II. l

'Ihe arm 20 is elongated and at its rend isp-rovided with a pin 2l retaining a plate 22 upon the arm 20. The plate 22 in turn serves as a support for the cushion 23, the latter being oi rubber-like material.

Between the pivot pin i9 and the cushion 23, and spaced apart therefrom is a projection 24 preferably formed by upsetting a. portion of the arm 29 by forming a corresponding depression 25. The projection 24 is preferably in the form of a wedge with an abrupt rising portion 25 and gradual incline 2l.

Mounted upon the wall 28 and secured thereto as at 29 is a housing 30 having a front plate 3l with an aperture 32. Adjacent the aperture 32 the

edges

33 and 34 of the plate 3l are bent around so as to provide a smooth sliding arrangement for the arm 2D, which passes through the aperture 32. The housing 3l] is provided with a corresponding aperture 35 opposite the aperture 32 and having similar bent edges 35 and 3l.

The

bent portions

33 and 36 serve to retain a leaf spring 38 in a position engaging the `top surface of the arm 20. Likewise engaging the arm 20, but on its lower surface, is a tiltable cam, generally designated 40.

The tiltable cam 40 is elongated to extend entirely across the housing 39, and is provided with opposite flat surfaces 4l and 42 interconnected by a ridge 43 having a gradually sloping surface 44 on one side and an abruptly sloping surface 45 on the other side. On the lower side of the cam 40 is a portion 45EL having a rounded extremity 46 of approximately cylindrical configuration. The portion 46 engages a correspondingly configured portion 41 in a seat member 48 mounted upon a resilient block 49 of rubber or other resilient material. The lower side of the resilient block 49 rests against the lower wall of the housing 3D.

In the operation of the door check of this invention, let it be assumed that the door structure Il is in a closed position relatively to the body or supporting structure l (Figs. 1 and 2). If, now, the door structure Il is opened, so that it swings into the position of Fig. 3, the projection 24 upon the arm 20 rides over the surface 44 of the cam 4l) and forces it downward against the resilient block 49. This action retards the opening momentum of the door, and the latter comes to a halt when the cushion 23 engages the adjacent wall of the housing 30. Meanwhile, the abrupt portion 26 has passed over the ridge 43 of the cam 40 and has snapped into place behind the surface 45, as shown in Fig. 4.

If a 'small force is applied to the doo-r in a closing direction, such as the force of the wind, the projection 24 tilts the cam 49 into the vertical position of Fig. 6 from the oblique position of Fig. 4. During this action the flattened cam surface 42 comes into engagement with the in terior wall of the housing 30 whereas the flattened surface 4l moves out of engagement therewith. The compression of the resilient block 49, however, halts the tendency for the door to close, unless an excessive pressure is applied to the door to force it into the position shown in Fig. 6.

If such an excessive closing force is applied to the door, the projection 24 rides over the cam ridge 43 from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the cam 40, thus released, is urged by the resilient block 49 back into the tilted position of Fig. 2. While the projection 24 is riding over the cam ridge 43, the cam 49 is pushed downward, thereby still further compressing the resilient block 49 and causing 75 the cam surface 42 to slide vertically along the inner abutment portion 50 of the housing 3U.

Thus the provision of the tilting cam element in the door check of the present invention provides an eifective retardation of the opening of the door and at the same time holds the door releasably in its open position. Moreover, from the irregular shape of the cam due to the difference between the abrupt surface 45 and the gradually rising surface 44 of the cam 40, a different retardation force will be applied to the arm 20 in opposite directions of movement. In particular, the device brings about a moderate retarding effect during the opening movement of the door, yet requires a much more powerful force in order to close the door. A strong wind or a slight accidental contact with the open door is, therefore, insufficient to swing the door to a closed position, and thus accidents are eectively prevented. When it is desired to close the door, the slight excessive force instantly brings this about and the door quickly swings into its closed position. The cushion 23 upon the arm 29 serves to eiectively cushion the door as it approaches its open position, and brings the door to a halt in a yielding manner.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that various modications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated member associated with the other of said structures and extending through said retaining means, an abutment `on said elongated member positioned to halt the opening movement of the door structure, tiltably movable cam means pivotally mounted in said retaining means for motion to and fro along a path approximately in the direction -of motion of said elongated member, yielding means for urging said cam means into engagement with said elongated member, and means on said elongated member spaced apart from said abutment for tilting said cam meansto and fro in response to the motion of said elongated member whereby to releasably hold the door structure in an open position.

2. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated member associated with the other of said structures and extending through said retaining means, an abutment on said elongated member positioned to halt the opening movement of the door structure, tiltably movable cam means pivotally mounted in said retaining means for motion to and fro along a path approximately in the direction of motion of said elongated member, yielding means for urging said cam means into engagement with said elongated member, and a projection on said elongated member spaced apart from said abutment for tilting said cam means to and fro in response to the motion of said elongated member whereby to releasably hold the door structure in an open position.

3. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an

element between said cam means and said yielding means.

4. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated With one of said structures, an elongated member associated with the other of said structures and extending through said rej taining means, an abutment. on said elongated member positioned to halt the opening movement of the door structure, cam means associated with said retaining means, yielding means for urging said cam means into engagement with said elongated member, means on said elongated member spaced apart from said abutment for actuating said cam means lto releasably hold the door structure in an open position, and a bearing element between said cam means and said yielding means, said yielding means comprising a resilient body of rubber-like material disposed between said cam means and said retaining means.

5. In a door check for checking the opening f movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in anopen position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated member having an abutment and a projection spaced apart therefrom extending through said retaining means, a tiltable cam having a high portion With an abrupt approach on one side and a gradual approach on the other side positioned for engagement by said projection, and yielding means associated with said retaining means for urging said lcam into engagement with said projection.

6. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures,

taining means for urging said cam into engagement with said projection, said projection having gradually inclined and abruptly inclined portions engageable respectively with the gradual approach and abrupt approach of said cam.

7. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated member having an abutment and a projection spaced apart therefrom extending through said retaining means, a tiltable cam having a high portion with an abrupt approach on one side and a gradual approach on the other side positioned for engagement by said projection, and yielding means associated with said retaining means for urging said cam into engagement with said projection, said retaining means having a bearing portion thereon and said cam having a bearing portion slidably engageable with said retaining means bearing portion during the motion of said cam in response to the motion of said elongated member in one direction.

8. In a door check for checking the opening movement ofa door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated lmember having an abutment and a projection spaced apart therefrom extending through said retaining means, a tiltable cam having a high portion with an abrupt approach on one side and a gradual approach on the other tion,v yielding means associatedl With said rey taining means for urging said cam into engagean elongated member having an abutment and on one side and a gradual approach on the otherv side positioned for engagement by said projection, and yielding means associated with said rement With said projection, and resilient means engageable with said elongated member on the opposite side thereof from said cam.

9. In a door check for checking the opening movement of a door structure and for releasably holding the door structure in an open position relatively to a supporting structure, retaining means associated with one of said structures, an elongated member having an abutment and a projection spaced apart therefrom extending through said retaining means, a tiltable cam having a high portion with an abrupt approach on one side and a gradual approach on the other side positioned for engagement by said projection, and yielding means associated with said retaining means for urging said cam into engagement with said projection, vsaid retaining means having a plurality of bearing portions thereon and said cam having a plurality of bearing portions engageable with the bearing portions of said retaining means in the opposite tilted positions of said cam.

FREDERICK J. WES'I'ROPE.