US3240524A - Latch assembly - Google Patents

Description

B. D. PRIESTMAN LATCH ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 16, 1963 INVENTOR. fw/ej/ 9. @zaai/fm2 BY @ldd/4m A 7` 7 0 R/VE Y March l, w66

United States @Patent tice 3,2%,521 Patented Mar. l5, 1966 3,240,524 LATCH ASSEMBLY lliewley D. Priestman, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed (let. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 316,558 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-341.14)

This invention relates to vehicle body latch assemblies and more particularly to shielding means for vehicle body striker means.

One feature of this inven-tion is that it provides shielding means for the striker member of a vehicle body latch assembly wherein the striker member projects into the door opening of the body so as to be possibly engaged by a passenger when entering or leaving the body. Another feature of this invention is to provide such shielding means which are movable to a position permitting engagement of the latch means with the striker member as the door is being closed. A further feature of this invention is to provide such shielding means for covering the striker member when the door is in an open position and which are movable to a position out of shielding relationship to the striker member upon engagement therewith by the door as the door is closed.

These and other features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specication and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying shielding means according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged partially broken away View of a portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 2 showing the shielding means when the door is open; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View showing the shielding means in covering relationship to the striker member when the door is open.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body generally designated 1t) includes a front door 12 and a rear door 14 which are movable between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown, to provide ingress to and egress from the interior of the body. Door 14 is hinged adjacent the forward edge thereof to a body pillar, not shown, for movement between open and closed positions. A latch assembly 16 includes latch means adjacent the rear or jamb face of door 14 cooperable with striker means 18 mounted on a body pillar 20 to hold the door 14 in closed position.

The details of the latch means 16 and striker means 18 form no part of this invention, and reference may be had to copending application Serial No. 273,411, Gergoe et al., led April 16, 1963, and now Patent No. 3,149,866, assigned to the assignee of this invention, for such details. For the purposes of understanding this invention, the latch means 16 includes a detented fork type bolt 22 which straddles the projecting annular portion 24 of the striker member 26 in the closed position of the door to hold the door in this position. The projecting portion 24 of the striker member enters within the interior of the door 14- in the closed position of the door and includes a head or flange 2% which engages a spring biased shoe 31) of the latch means 16.

When the door is in open position, the portion 24 of the striker means projects generally longitudinally of the body within the door opening 32 of the body so that it is possible for a passenger or occupant of the body to engage this projecting portion as he enters or leaves the body and thereby possibly injure himself. In order to prevent such injury, this invention provides a shielding means 34 which covers or shields the projecting portion 24 of the striker means when the door is in an open position to thereby prevent any possible inpury to the passenger.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the shielding means includes a pair of like bowed resilient members 36 and 38. A flanged end portion 40 of each member is suitably secured to the jamb face of the body pillar 20 to mount the members 36 and 38 thereon on substantially diametrically opposite sides of the project-ing portion 24 of the striker means and biased outwardly or away from the pillar Ztl. It will be noted that the free end portions of each of the members includes a slot 42, the width of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the projecting portion 24 of the striker means so as to freely receive this projecting portion therewithin. The free end portion of the member 36 overlaps the free end portion of the member 38 as shown, and when the door is in an open position the engagement of the free end portion of the member 36 with the head 28 of the portion 24 locates the members against their bias in covering or shielding relationship to the projecting portion 24, as shown in FIGURE 4, so that a passenger entering or leaving the body cannot engage this projecting portion and thereby injure himself.

As the door is closed, the jamb face 44 of door 14 engages the member 36 as the door moves toward closed position to cam the member 36 towards the jamb face of the pillar 20. As the member 36 moves toward the pillar 20, the member 38 will move with the member 36 so that both members move out of covering or shielding relationship to the projecting portion 24 of the striker means and thereby permit this projecting portion to enter within the interior of the door 14 and into the latching engagement with the bolt 22 and thereby hold the door in closed position.

Upon opening movement of the door, the members 36 and 38 will move to their position as shown in FIGURE 4 as soon as the projecting portion 24 of the striker means has moved within the interior of the door 14.

Thus, this invention provides an improved shielding means for vehicle body striker means.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body mounting a closure for movement between open and closed positions and a headed striker stud projecting laterally of the body and having a shank portion engageable with latch means on the closure to hold the closure in closed position, the improvement comprising, a slotted resilient member secured adjacent one end thereof to said body and being engageable adjacent the slotted end thereof with the head portion of said striker stud to embrace the shank portion of said striker stud when said closure is in open position, and means on said closure engageable with said resilient member upon closing movement of said closure to cam said resilient member past said shank portion toward said body and out of engagement with the head portion of said striker stud to permit engagement of said latch means with the shank portion of said striker member.

2. In a vehicle body mounting a closure for movement between open and closed positions and a headed striker stud projecting from the body and having a portion adjacent the free end thereof engageable with latch means on the closure to hold the closure in closed position, the improvement comprising, resilient means secured adjacent one end thereof to said body and having its other end slotted and being engageable with the head of said striker stud to embrace the intermediate portion of said striker stud when said closure is in open position, and means on said closure engageable with said resilient means upon closing movement of said closure to cam said resilient

Claims (1)

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY MOUNTING A CLOSURE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS AND A HEADED STRIKER STUD PROJECTING LATERALLY OF THE BODY AND HAVING A SHANK PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH LATCH MEANS ON THE CLOSURE TO HOLD THE CLOSURE IN CLOSED POSITION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A SLOTTED RESILIENT MEMBER SECURED ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID BODY AND BEING ENGAGEABLE ADJACENT THE SLOTTED END THEREOF WITH THE HEAD PORTION OF SAID STRIKER STUD TO EMBRACE THE SHANK PORTION OF SAID STRIKER STUD WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS IN OPEN POSITION, AND MEANS ON SAID CLOSURE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RESILIENT MEMBER UPON CLOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE TO CAM SAID RESILIENT MEMBER PAST SAID SHANK PORTION TOWARD SAID BODY AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HEAD PORTION OF SAID STRIKER STUD TO PERMIT ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LATCH MEANS WITH THE SHANK PORTION OF SAID STRIKER MEMBER.

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