Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door check device for installation between a motor vehicle body and a motor vehicle door.

Background of the Invention A known door check device is produced by Ed. Scharwachter GmbH & Co. KG. in Europe and North America and is disclosed, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 4,997,221 and in U. S. Patent No. 5,026,103, the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by this reference. Referring to Figures 1-2 of the present application, such door checks conventionally utilize an"S"shaped torsion spring structure, generally indicated at 11, to bias a cylindrical roller 15 rotatably mounted to one of the end portions of the spring into engagement with a link member 21. The other end portion of the torsion spring structure is usually fixed. As the link member 21 moves relative to the roller 15 during door opening and closing movements, the roller rides up and over one of the protrusions 57. The torsion spring structure torsionally deflects at the center section 13 thereof to accommodate this movement. This torsional deflection is stored as energy and causes the spring structure to bias the roller 21 into the detent 17 defined between the protrusions 57 after the roller rides over the top of one of the protrusions 57. An analysis of the torsion spring structure 11 shows that substantially all the deflection energy built up in the spring structure 11 is generated within the center section 13 thereof.

As a result of the overall efforts in the vehicle industry to reduce vehicle costs and weights, vehicle part manufacturers are continually trying to reduce the costs and weights of their parts. With respect to the present subject matter, there is a need in the art for a door check device that performs comparably to the type described above but at a lower weight and cost.

Summary of the Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to meet the above-described need.

To achieve this object, the present invention provides a door check device for installation between a motor vehicle body and a motor vehicle door that swings in opposing opening and closing directions relative to the vehicle body. The device comprises a first mounting structure and a second mounting structure. The first mounting structure is constructed and arranged to be mounted on one of the vehicle door and the vehicle body and the second mounting structure is constructed and arranged to be mounted on the other of the vehicle door and the vehicle body such that the first and second mounting structures move relative to one another as the door is swung in the opposing opening and closing directions thereof relative to the vehicle body. The device also comprises first and second spaced apart cooperating structures and a link member having a detent formed on an intermediate position thereof. The link member is received between the cooperating structures with the cooperating structures engaging opposing sides of the link member. The link member is carried by the first mounting structure and cooperating structures are carried by the second mounting structure such that the link member and the cooperating structures move relative to one another as the door is swung in the opposing opening and closing directions thereof relative to the vehicle body.

An elongated bendable spring structure is formed from an elastically deformable material and carried by the second mounting structure. The spring structure is bendable in a simple bending manner wherein stresses in a longitudinal direction of the spring structure are created within the elastically deformable material without creating torsional stresses within the elastic material. The first cooperating structure is mounted to the elongated bendable spring structure such that the spring structure biases the cooperating structure into engagement with the elongated link member and such that movement of the first cooperating structure in a direction away from the link member bends the spring structure in a simple bending manner. The first and second cooperating structures are constructed and arranged such that when the vehicle door is swung to a checked position with respect to the vehicle body, the first cooperating structure is received within the detent in a cooperating relationship to maintain the vehicle door at the checked position until a force is applied to the door sufficient to cause the link member to move relative to the cooperating structures so as to urge the first cooperating structure against the biasing of the spring structure in such a manner that the spring structure bends in the aforesaid simple bending manner to permit the first cooperating structure to move out of the detent.

By carrying out some comparison calculations, it can be determined that if the spring were used in bending, rather than torsion, it would be capable of producing approximately 25% more force when compared to a comparable torsion spring before it yielded. As a result, the inventors realized that it would be possible to produce a door check assembly capable of meeting the same requirements as conventional door check assemblies but with a much smaller and lighter spring structure.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this disclosure and which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of this invention BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments of this invention. In such drawings: FIGURE 1 is a view of a torsion spring structure used in prior art door check devices; FIGURE 2 is a profile view showing a door check link member and a roller isolated from the remaining components of a typical door check device; FIGURE 3 is a view of an elongated bendable spring structure used in a door check device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; FIGURE 4 is a profile side view of the door check device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; FIGURE 5 is a top view of the door check device of FIGURE 4; FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A-A in FIGURE 5; FIGURE 7 is a view in isolation of a tab bent from the door check housing to retain the spring structure; FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line B-B in FIGURE 7; FIGURE 9 is a view in isolation of an alternative retention structure for the spring structure utilizing a stake;

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view, as would be taken along line A-A in FIGURE 5, of an alternative door check device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view, as would be taken along line A-A in FIGURE 5, of yet another alternative door check device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Figures 3-6 show a door check device, generally indicated at 10, for installation between a motor vehicle body and a motor vehicle door that swings in opposing opening and closing directions relative to the vehicle body. The construction of the motor vehicle and the door thereof are not considered to be part of the present invention and thus will not be detailed herein. Instead, the present invention is concerned with the door check device 10.

The device 10 comprises a first mounting structure, generally indicated at 12, constructed and arranged to be mounted to the vehicle door and a second mounting structure, generally indicated at 16, constructed and arranged to be mounted on the vehicle body such that the first and second mounting structures 12,16 move relative to one another as the door is swung in the opposing opening and closing directions thereof relative to the vehicle body.

The mounting structures 12,16 are referred to as"first"and"second"mounting structures to reflect the fact that the door check device 10 may be installed by either mounting the first mounting structure 12 to the vehicle door and the second mounting structure 16 to the vehicle body or mounting the first mounting structure 12 to the vehicle body and the second mounting structure 16 to the vehicle door. In the illustrated embodiment, the first mounting structure 12 is constructed and arranged to be mounted within the interior of the vehicle door and the second mounting structure 16 is constructed and arranged to be mounted to the vehicle body.

An elongated link member, generally indicated at 14, extends through the first mounting structure 12 and is pivotally connected to the second mounting structure 16. The elongated link member 14 has opposed first and second detents, shown generally at 18 and 19 respectively, formed on opposing sides of an intermediate portion thereof. First and second spaced apart cooperating structures, shown at 20 and 22 respectively, are carried by the first mounting structure 12. The link member 14 is received between the cooperating structures 20,22

with the cooperating structures 20,22 engaging the opposing sides of the link member 14. Thus, the link member 14 is carried by the second mounting structure 16 and the cooperating structures 20,22 are carried by the first mounting structure 12 such that the link member 14 and the cooperating structures 20,22 move relative to one another as the vehicle door is swung in the opposing opening and closing directions thereof relative to the vehicle body.

The device 10 further comprises a generally U-shaped member, generally indicated at 24, formed from an elastically deformable metallic material, such as steel. The U- shaped member 24 is carried by the first mounting structure 12. The U-shaped member 24 has opposing first and second elongated legs, 26 and 28, respectively, with the first leg 26 defining a first elongated bendable spring structure 30 and the second leg 28 defining a second elongated bendable spring structure 32.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first cooperating structure 20 is a first cylindrical roller 34 rotatably mounted to the first spring structure 30 and the second cooperating structure 22 is a second cylindrical roller 36 rotatably mounted to the second spring structure 32.

Each of the rollers 34,36 has a bore formed axially therethrough and the spring structures 30,32 are inserted through these bores to mount the rollers 34,36.

Although in the illustrated embodiment the rollers 34,36 are generally cylindrical, it should be understood that the present invention is not specifically limited to such rollers. For example, the cooperating structures 20,22 may be spherical or ovoid rollers or any other structure suitable for cooperating with the link member 14.

The first mounting structure 12 is stamped from a piece of sheet metal and then folded or otherwise deformed in a conventional manner to provide the mounting structure 12 with a pair of generally parallel opposing end walls 71,73 and a pair of generally parallel opposing inner walls 75,77 spaced inwardly from and generally parallel to the end walls 71,73.

Each adjacent pair of adjacent inner walls 75,77 and end walls 71,73 is interconnected by a metal wall 38. The inner walls 75,77 are interconnected by a central metal wall 39.

The first mounting structure 12 has aligned and spaced apart generally circular holes 49,51,53, and 55 that are bored through the metal walls 38 as shown in Figure 6. The first mounting structure 12 is mounted within the interior of the vehicle door by use of bolts inserted through these bored holes 49,51,52, and 55. Alternatively, these holes may be omitted and the mounting structure 12 may be mounted by welding.

The second mounting structure 16 contains a throughbore 29 used to pivotally connect therewith the first mounting structure 12. The second mounting structure also contains aligned throughbores 31,33. The second mounting structure 16 and the circular end portion 25 of the link member 14 are pivotally connected by aligning bores 27,29 and inserting a pivot pin 35 therethrough. The second mounting structure 16 is mounted to the vehicle body by use of bolts inserted through these bored holes 31,33. Alternatively, these holes may be omitted and the mounting structure 16 may be mounted by welding.

End wall 71 has a spaced apart pair of generally circular holes 62,64 each with radial dimensions similar to that of the spring structures 30,32. End wall 73 also has a spaced apart pair of generally circular holes 66,68 each with radial dimensions similar to that of the spring structures 30,32. The inner walls 75,77 each have a spaced apart pair of elongated slots 70,72,74,76 each having a width in the horizontal direction of Figure 4 similar to the radial dimensions of the spring structures 30,32 and a length in the vertical direction of Figure 4 somewhat greater than the radial dimensions of the spring structures 30,32. The folding of the sheet metal piece defining the mounting structure 12 causes these holes and slots to be aligned from one another, as can be appreciated from Figure 6.

The U-shaped member 24 is mounted to the mounting structure 12 by inserting the spring structures 30,32 through the aligned holes 62,64,66,68 and slots 70,72,74,76 such that spring structure 30 extends through hole 62, slots 72,76 and hole 66 and spring structure 32 extends through hole 64, slots 70,74 and hole 68. The rollers 34,36 are positioned between inner walls 75,77 with the bores thereof aligned with the appropriate slots so that the spring structures 30,32 are inserted through the bores during mounting.

The bight 23 of the U-shaped member 24 can be spot-welded or adhered to the end wall 71 to secure the same in place. Because the lengths of the slots 70,72,74, and 76 are somewhat greater than the radial dimensions of the spring structures 30,32, the spring structures 30,32 will be allowed to flex in a simple bending manner thus permitting movement of the rollers 34,36 in directions towards or away from the link member 14. Because of the close dimensions between the width of these slots and the radial dimensions of the spring structures 30,32, the slots restrict this simple bending to a plane that extends generally along the length of these slots and prevents substantial play between the spring structures 30,32 and the mounting structure 12 in widthwise directions of the slots. The close dimensions between the circular holes

62,64,66, and 68 and the spring structures 30,32 restrict substantial movement of the bight portion 23 and prevent the same from moving during bending deflection of the spring structures 30,32.

As mentioned above, the first and second spring structures 30,32 are bendable in a simple bending manner. When the spring structures 30,32 are bent in this simple bending manner, stresses are created in the longitudinal direction of the spring structures within the elastically deformable material of the structures 30,32 without creating significant torsional stresses within the elastic material. These longitudinal stresses occur within the shaded portions shown in Figure 3 and normally include both compression and tension/elongation stresses within the material. The first and second cooperating structures 20,22 are mounted to the first and second spring structures 30,32 such that the first and second spring structures 30,32 bias the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 into engagement with the link member 14 and also such that movement of the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 in a direction away from the link member 14 bends the respective first and second spring structures 30,32 in the aforesaid simple bending manner.

Specifically, as the link member 14 is moved in the longitudinal direction thereof due to vehicle door opening and closing movements, the rollers 34,36 roll along the opposing sides of the link member 14 in a normal generally parallel relation. The link member 14, however, has a pair of detents 18,19 formed by two pairs of spaced apart rounded protrusions 41,43,45, and 47. Continued movement of the link member 14 relative to the mounting structure 12 causes the rollers 34,36 to contact protrusions 41,45 and then roll up or ride over these protrusions 41,45. As the rollers 34,36 roll up the protrusions 41,45, the riding movement of the rollers 34,36 in a direction away from the link member 14 bends the spring structures 30, 32 apart from one another in the aforesaid simple bending manner. As the rollers 34,36 pass over the apexes of the protrusions 41,45 the spring structures 30,32 resiliently return to their normal generally parallel condition biasing the rollers 34,36 into engagement with the link member 14 in a cooperating relation with the detents 18,19. This is the checked position.

It should be noted that during this bending movement the rollers 34,36, in particular the axes thereof, stay generally parallel to one another. This results from the fact that the ends of the spring structures 30,32 are received in the circular holes 62,64,66,68 that restrict all movement and the intermediate portions of the spring structures 30,32 are received in

the elongated slots 70,72,74,76 that permit the restricted bending movement of the spring structures 30,32. Accordingly, the rollers 34,36 do not become centered or angled with respect to one another during movement toward or away from one another, thus assuring full rolling contact with the link member 14.

The first and second cooperating structures 20,22 are constructed and arranged such that when the vehicle door is swung to the above described checked position with respect to the vehicle body with the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 received within the first and second detents 18,19, the rollers 34,36 and the detents 18,19 cooperate to maintain the vehicle door at this checked position until a force is applied to the door sufficient to cause the link member 14 to move relative to the cooperating structures 20,22 so as to urge the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 against the biasing of the first and second spring structures 30,32 in such a manner that the first and second spring structures 30,32 bend in the above described simple bending manner to permit the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 to move out of their respective detents 18,19.

Specifically, the device 10 functions to maintain the checked position until the force applied to the vehicle door is sufficient to move the link member 14 relative to the rollers 34,36 so as to cause the rollers to ride up one of the opposed sets of protrusions and over the apexes thereof. The spring structures 30,32 then resiliently return to their normal condition to keep the rollers 34,36 in engagement with the link member 14.

The link member 14 comprises a stopping portion, generally indicated at 42, provided at one end portion thereat opposite the second mounting structure 16. The stopping portion 42 is constructed and arranged to prevent the link member 14 from being withdrawn from between the first and second cooperating structures 20,22 in a direction away from the end portion. At the other end portion of the link member 14, opposite the stopping portion 42, is a circular end portion 25 containing a throughbore 27.

Figures 7-8 show an alternative arrangement for securing the U-shaped member 24 in place. In the embodiment of Figures 7-8, a tab 44 is bent from the wall 71 and curled over the bight portion 23 in conforming relation to retain the spring structure 24. In another alternative, referring to Figure 9, the end (s) of the first and second elongated leg (s), 26 and 28, respectively can be staked with the use of one or more stake (s), indicated at 46, to retain the U- shaped member 24 against withdrawal from the first mounting structure 12.

A further alternative door check spring assembly provided in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Figure 10. In this embodiment, generally indicated at 48, a single spring structure 50 is provided so that one of the cylindrical rollers 52 is fixed to the housing and the other cylindrical roller 54 is rotatably mounted to the spring structure 50. Thus, in this embodiment the cooperating structures comprise a fixed roller 52 and a rotatable roller 54 mounted for movement on a spring structure.

Yet another alternative door check spring assembly provided in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Figure 11. In this embodiment, generally indicated at 56, a pair of parallel spring structures 58,60 are mounted to the first mounting structure 12. Each spring structure 58,60 is provided with cylindrical rollers in a manner that is similar to that shown for the single spring structure of Figure 10. This embodiment is thus similar to the embodiment of Figures 4-7 but omits the bight of the"U".

It can thus be appreciated that the objectives of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The foregoing specific embodiments have been provided to illustrate the structural and functional principles of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alterations, and substitutions within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.