Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Actuated from opposite approaches
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-17
2001-01-09
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Actuated from opposite approaches
C049S341000, C192S045000, C296S056000, C296S146800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170196
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 8-277037, incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for controlling the movement of a pop-up type door of a vehicle capable of being swung upward at a desired angle, and more particularly to an apparatus for keeping the upwardly swinging door of the vehicle at a desired angle by regulating the feeding amount of a connection wire connecting the door to the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Normally, the upper end of a pop-up type rear door of a van or similar vehicle is connected to the upper side of the rear opening of the body by one or more hinges. A gas-sealed damper is installed at the upper side of the rear opening of the body to allow a user to apply less force when lifting the rear door. Thus, after the upward movement of the rear door is started, the rear door is pressed upward by the extension force of the damper. When space is limited, a large rear door cannot be popped up at a maximum angle or otherwise fully extended. Further, when the rear door is popped up at the maximum angle, the lower edge of the rear door is so high that it may be out of reach of a short person, or it may be necessary for a short person to stretch far to grasp the lower edge of the rear door when closing it. In addition, great force is required to swing the rear door downward against the extension force of the damper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for keeping an upwardly swinging door of a vehicle at a desired angle to allow goods or the like to be rapidly loaded in an opening at the rear part of the vehicle body or rapidly unloaded therefrom in a limited space.
It is another object of the present invention to enable a user to apply less force to the door to close it.
In order to achieve the above objects, a first aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for keeping an upwardly swinging door of a vehicle at a desired angle, and the apparatus includes a door to be urged in a door-opening direction, a connection wire, one end of which is connected to a portion of the door, a pulley mounted on the vehicle body for receiving the connection wire wound thereon, a spring member urging the pulley in a connection wire-winding direction, a rotation restriction device for allowing the pulley to rotate freely when the rotation restriction device is not in operation and restricting rotation of the pulley in a connection wire-feeding direction when the rotation restriction device is in operation, and an operation selection device for controlling the operation of the rotation restriction device or the non-operation thereof.
In this construction, when the rotation restriction device is set to the non-operation state by the operation selection device, the pulley is capable of freely rotating, thus feeding the connection wire forward therefrom. Consequently, the door can be swung upward or in a door-opening direction. When the door is at a desired angle, the rotation restriction device is set to the operation state by the operation selection device. As a result, the forward feeding of the connection wire from the pulley is restricted and the upward swinging of the door is stopped at the desired angle. When the door is pressed downward by a user's hands, the urging force of the spring member allows the pulley to rotate at high speed in the connection wire-winding direction and allows it to receive the connection wire wound thereon. Therefore, the connection wire is prevented from becoming loose.
As described above, the door can be stopped and maintained at a desired angle while it is swinging open and prevented from opening completely. This construction allows goods or the like to be loaded into the vehicle body from the opening at the rear part thereof or unloaded therefrom in a limited space and allows the user to apply less force to the door to open it. According to this aspect of the invention, the door can be maintained at any desired angle without providing a mechanical stopper.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the rotation restriction device of the apparatus includes an outer ring rotatably mounted on the vehicle body, an input shaft inserted into the center of the outer ring, rotatable relative to the outer ring and connected to the pulley so that the input shaft rotates together with the pulley, a connector interposed between the input shaft and the outer ring and operatively connecting the input shaft and the outer ring with each other when the input shaft rotates in a connection wire-feeding direction relative to the outer ring, and an outer ring operation device engaging the outer ring when the outer ring operation device is in operation, thus restricting the rotation of the outer ring and disengaging from the outer ring when the outer ring operation device is not in operation.
In this construction, when the rotation of the outer ring is not restricted by the outer ring operation device, the input shaft and the pulley operatively connected therewith are capable of rotating freely. Consequently, the connection wire is fed from the pulley and thus the door can be swung upward. The rotation of the pulley in the connection wire-feeding direction, namely, the forward feeding direction, is restricted by restricting the rotation of the outer ring by means of the outer ring operation device when the door has been opened at a desired angle. Therefore, the door is stopped at the desired angle and remaining stationary. When the door is closed with the user's hands, the pulley is rotated by the urging force of the spring member in the connection wire-feeding direction at high speed while the connection wire is wound around it, thus preventing it from becoming loose.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the operation state of the rotation restriction device can be easily selected by restricting the rotation of the outer ring and releasing the restriction of the rotation thereof.
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Cohen Curtis A.
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Stodola Daniel P.
Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
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