Door check

Details Door check Door check

1999-06-07

2001-01-30

Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)

Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,

Closure checks

Spring

C016S08600R, C016S374000, C292S268000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06178594

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
Door checks are used to control the opening and closing of doors. A door check is generally an apparatus which holds a door in its open position and resists the closing of the door due to gravity, wind, impact, or other force. A person opening a door equipped with a door check does not therefore have to hold the door at the same time he or she accesses the space or compartment inside the door.
Door checks are particularly suitable for use in cars, trucks, and other vehicles. A door check on a vehicle passenger door, for example, allows the driver to devote his or her full attention to entering or exiting a vehicle. Without a door check, the driver may have to hold open the door with one hand while entering or exiting. A door broadly encompasses any apparatus for closing an opening. Thus, doors include vehicle hoods and trunk lids. A door check on a vehicle hood allows a mechanic to use both hands while working on the vehicle's engine. A door check on a vehicle trunk or hatchback lid allows the driver to use both arms when loading or unloading the trunk or rear compartment of the vehicle.
Door check devices have been developed in the past. Examples are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,046, U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,010. U.S. Pat. No. 2,137,197, U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,777, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,997.
Although these door check designs are known, as these designs are understood, if the door is forced beyond its normal open position, the door check apparatus, and possibly the door hinges, may be damaged by the excess mechanical force associated with attempting to force the door beyond its normal open position. This can happen, for example, if the door is fully opened and then subject to impact, which urges the door to open further.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved door check.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The door check of the present invention absorbs considerable energy without damaging either the door check itself or the door hinges. Thus, the door check resists excessive door opening forces.
One embodiment of a door check includes an energy absorber operably coupled to an elongated door check body having first and second end portions. The elongated body has opposing side walls which define a channel. The energy absorber is operably coupled near the second end of the elongated body, while a pivot opening is formed at the first end of the elongated body. The energy absorber functions to absorb energy and counteract excessive mechanical torque applied to a door hinge.
In one specific embodiment of a door check apparatus, the apparatus is detachably mounted in the space adjacent to a vehicle door and door frame. In this embodiment, the pivot opening is adapted to pivotally receive a pivot pin and the pivot pin may be surrounded by a spacer. The door carries the pivot pin which is inserted through the pivot opening. In addition, a slide pin, coupled to the vehicle structure adjacent to the door frame, is inserted through the channel of the elongated body. As the door is opened, the elongated body moves relative to the slide pin, with the slide pin slidably engaging the channel. During this motion, the second end portion of the body, in effect, moves toward the slide pin. Urging the door beyond its normal full open position results in the slide pin engaging the energy absorber.
In this specific embodiment, the energy absorber absorbs some of the mechanical energy created by the movement of the door and opposes the movement of the slide pin. In one particular example, the energy absorber comprises a leaf spring having first and second leaf spring elements detachably coupled to the side walls of the elongated body outside the channel.
The side walls of the elongated body may also be adapted to create a stop position or plural stop positions. A stop position may be formed by having the side walls diverge and reconverge between the first end and second end portions of the elongated body. Each stop position is adapted to receive and yieldably hold the slide pin, thus causing the door to be yieldably held open at that particular position.
The present invention is directed toward novel and unobvious aspects of a door check, both alone and in combination with one another, as set forth in the claims below.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1757075 (1930-05-01), Earhart
patent: 2034905 (1936-03-01), Jacobs
patent: 2039960 (1936-05-01), Jacobs
patent: 2043976 (1936-06-01), Schonitzer
patent: 2125010 (1938-07-01), Wright
patent: 2137197 (1938-11-01), Schonitzer
patent: 2140958 (1938-12-01), Jacobs
patent: 2232498 (1941-02-01), Travis
patent: 2237046 (1941-04-01), Breitenwischer
patent: 2767422 (1956-10-01), Ulrich
patent: 2882548 (1959-04-01), Roethel
patent: 2980945 (1961-04-01), Hollar, Jr.
patent: 3012269 (1961-12-01), Bartel
patent: 3165777 (1965-01-01), Peras
patent: 3392997 (1968-07-01), Seckerson et al.
patent: 4532675 (1985-08-01), Salazar
patent: 5444894 (1995-08-01), Heiler
patent: 1387137 (1975-03-01), None
Photocopy of two forms of prior art door checks.

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