Vehicle strike pin mounted latch preloading device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a "Vehicle Punch Pin Mount Latch Preload Device". A latch preload device for mounting on a punch pin of a vehicle has a collar configured to engage the punch pin. A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring are supported by the collar. The first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are configured to engage a contact surface on a base plate of a latch assembly in a locked position such that the base plate compresses the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring to apply a load force. A first opposing gripper arm and a second opposing gripper arm extend from a terminal end of the first opposing cantilever leaf spring and the second opposing cantilever leaf spring and are configured to engage and grip the punch pin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to vehicle latch assemblies, and more specifically, to a force-loaded strike pin and latch assembly that reduces or prevents impact noise from bodies such as opening and closing components on motor vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Motor vehicles are typically equipped with latches, such as door opening and closing latches. For example, passenger vehicles typically have multiple passenger doors, each of which moves between an open door position and a closed door position, and typically include a striker and latch assembly for locking the door in the closed door position. To ensure a tight fit and reduce movement and jamming, the latch assembly may include a rubber stop. It is desirable to provide a preloading device that provides a preload force to reduce door impact noise with enhanced performance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a latch preloading device for mounting on a striker in a vehicle has a collar configured to engage the striker. A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring are supported by the collar. The first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on a base plate of a latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force. A first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extend from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and are configured to engage and clamp the striker.

[0004] Embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0005] The first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are connected via a C-shaped portion;

[0006] The striking pin has a U-shaped striking pin bar, and the U-shaped striking pin bar has a first bar and a second bar;

[0007] The first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage the first rod of the U-shaped striker;

[0008] The collar has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners;

[0009] The latch preloading device can be installed on the U-shaped striker and removed from the U-shaped striker;

[0010] The latch preloading device is configured to be mounted on the striker on the vehicle and configured to engage the latch assembly on the vehicle opening and closing mechanism;

[0011] The latch preloading device comprises metal; and

[0012] The metal includes spring steel.

[0013] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle striker for locking with a latch assembly on a vehicle comprises: a base plate configured to connect to one of a fixed body and a movable body on the vehicle; a U-shaped striker extending from the base plate; and a latch preloading device. The latch preloading device has a collar configured to engage the U-shaped striker. A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring are supported by the collar. The first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on the base plate of the latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force. A first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extend from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and are configured to engage and clamp the U-shaped striker on one side.

[0014] Embodiments of the second aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0015] The first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are connected via a C-shaped portion;

[0016] The first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage a rod portion of the U-shaped striker bar;

[0017] The collar has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners;

[0018] The latch preloading device can be installed on the U-shaped striker and removed from the U-shaped striker;

[0019] The latch preloading device is configured to be mounted on a striker located on the vehicle and configured to engage a latch assembly on the vehicle's opening and closing mechanism;

[0020] The latch preloading device comprises metal; and

[0021] The metal includes spring steel.

[0022] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle includes: an opening / closing door; a door opening; a latch assembly located on the opening / closing door; a U-shaped stop pin located on the door opening; and a latch preloading device for mounting on the stop pin on the vehicle. The latch preloading device has a collar configured to engage the stop pin. A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring are supported by the collar. The first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on a base plate of the latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force. A first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extend from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and are configured to engage and clamp the stop pin.

[0023] Embodiments of the third aspect of this disclosure may include any one or a combination of the following features:

[0024] The striking pin has a U-shaped striking pin bar, and the U-shaped striking pin bar has a first bar and a second bar; and

[0025] The first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage the first rod of the U-shaped striker.

[0026] These and other features, advantages and objectives of this disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reference to the following specification, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0027] In the attached diagram:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a side perspective view of a motor vehicle according to one embodiment, the motor vehicle being configured to have passenger doors, each passenger door being equipped with a latch assembly and a striker;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side perspective view of a motor vehicle with the passenger doors in the open position;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a side perspective view of the latch assembly and striker, shown in the unlocked position;

[0031] Figure 3A Is it in such a state? Figure 3 Side view of the latch assembly and striker in the unlocked position shown;

[0032] Figure 4 It is a side perspective view of the latch assembly and the striker, shown in the locked position, with the latch preload device loaded;

[0033] Figure 4A Is it in such a state? Figure 4 Side view of the latch assembly and striker in the locking position shown;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the upper right side of the striker pin on which the preloading device is assembled;

[0035] Figure 6 Is it like this? Figure 5 The upper left perspective view of the striker with preloading device shown; and

[0036] Figure 7 This is an exploded top perspective view of the preload device disassembled from the impact pin. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of this disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. In the drawings, structural elements are depicted not to scale, and some parts are enlarged relative to others for emphasis and understanding purposes.

[0038] Detailed embodiments of this disclosure are disclosed herein as needed; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of this disclosure and may be implemented in various and alternative forms. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily detailed designs; some schematic diagrams may be enlarged or minimized to show a functional overview. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather serve only as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ this disclosure in different ways.

[0039] For descriptive purposes, the terms “up,” “down,” “right,” “left,” “back,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and their derivatives should be used in conjunction with such terms. Figure 1 The concept of orientation is not explicitly stated. However, it should be understood that the concept may present various alternative orientations unless explicitly stated otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated in the claims, the specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0040] The embodiments illustrated herein primarily pertain to combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a latch preloading device for mounting on a vehicle striker. Therefore, apparatus components and method steps have been indicated by conventional symbols in the accompanying drawings where appropriate, showing only those specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of this disclosure, so as not to obscure the disclosure in ways obvious to those skilled in the art who will benefit from the description herein. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same elements in the specification and drawings.

[0041] As used herein, the term "and / or" when used with two or more listed items means that any one of the listed items may be used alone, or any combination of two or more of the listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition may contain: A only; B only; C only; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0042] In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom are used individually to distinguish one entity or action from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus. Without further constraints, an element preceded by “comprising…” does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article of manufacture, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0043] As used herein, the term "about" means that a quantity, dimension, formulation, parameter, and other quantity and characteristic is not precise, nor is it required to be precise, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, and other factors known to those skilled in the art. When the term "about" is used to describe an endpoint of a value or range, this disclosure should be understood to include the specific value or the mentioned endpoint. Whether or not the endpoint of a numerical value or range in this specification is referred to as "about," the endpoint is intended to include two embodiments: one modified by "about" and one not modified by "about." It should also be understood that each endpoint of a range is significant both in relation to and independent of another endpoint.

[0044] As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “basically,” and variations thereof are intended to indicate that the described feature is equal to or approximately equal to the value or description. For example, a “substantially planar” surface is intended to indicate a planar or approximately planar surface. Additionally, “substantially” is intended to indicate that two values ​​are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, “substantially” may indicate that the values ​​are within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other, or within about 2% of each other.

[0045] Unless explicitly indicated otherwise, as used herein, the terms “the,” “an,” or “a” mean “at least one” and should not be limited to “only one.” Thus, for example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, references to “component” include embodiments having two or more such components.

[0046] refer to Figures 1 to 7 The diagram generally illustrates a motor vehicle 10, which has a latch preloading device 30 configured for mounting on a striker 40 on the motor vehicle 10. The latch preloading device 30 includes: a collar 36 configured to engage the striker 40; and a first opposing cantilever leaf spring 34A and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring 34B supported on the collar 36, wherein the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B are configured to engage contact surfaces on a base plate 42 of a latch assembly 26 in a locked position, such that the base plate 42 compresses the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B to apply a load force. A first clamping arm 32A and the second clamping arm 32B extend from the ends of the first opposing cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second opposing cantilever leaf spring 34B and are configured to engage and clamp the striker 40.

[0047] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 One example of the motor vehicle 10 shown is a wheeled motor vehicle having a body 12 that defines a passenger compartment interior 14, typically configured as a passenger cabin. The passenger compartment interior 14 typically includes a configuration of vehicle seating assemblies for seating vehicle occupants, as well as various vehicle controls and accessories. The body 12 includes an opening / closing body, shown as an opening / closing door 16, which includes a passenger access door allowing access to the passenger compartment interior 14. The opening / closing doors pivot about one end between a closed position and an open position, and each opening / closing door has a door handle 20 operably coupled to a latch assembly 26. The motor vehicle 10 may be a wheeled motor vehicle equipped with, for example, multiple tires and wheel assemblies 64.

[0048] Latch assembly 26 Figures 3 to 7The details are shown below. The latch assembly 26 includes a latch body 50, which is connected to the door 16 at one end of the door 16 via fasteners, rivets, welding, or other connectors. The latch assembly 26 is located on the end of the door opposite the hinged connection. The latch body 50 typically has a latching component mounted thereon and supports the latch assembly 26 in an aligned position to engage a striker 40 extending from the door frame 22, such as on or near the door side pillar. In one configuration, the striker 40 is shown as a U-shaped striker having a pair of outwardly extending rod portions that extend outward from the base plate 42 and are joined together by an outer rod portion. It should be understood that the striker 40 can take other shapes, such as a pair of parallel rods or a C-shape, and can be configured in other sizes.

[0049] The strike pin 40 is shown having a latch preload device 30 assembled to it. The latch preload device 30 is configured to provide a preload force against the latch assembly 26 when the latch assembly 26 uses force to engage the strike pin 40 and the latch preload device 30 into a locked position. The latch preload device 30 can be forcefully mounted onto the strike pin 40 and can slide along a tapered surface and snap into place, and is fixedly held by the tapered surface, and may also include a recess or pawl or otherwise connect to the strike pin 40.

[0050] The latch preloading device 30 has an elongated collar 36 formed near the base plate 42 of the striker 40 and surrounding a pair of parallel outwardly extending striker bar portions of the striker 40. The collar 36 can be inserted above and over the striker 40 and is forced toward the base plate 42 to slide along a tapered surface until the latch preloading device 30 snaps into place along the tapered surface or within a recess near the base plate 42. For this purpose, the latch preloading device 30 can be an original installation or can be installed as an aftermarket or replaceable component.

[0051] The latch preloading device 30 includes a first cantilever leaf spring 34A and a second cantilever leaf spring 34B interconnected with the C-shaped portion. The ends of the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B have a pair of opposing clamping arms 32A and 32B. For example, the latch preloading device 30 may be made of a metal (such as spring steel). It should be understood that, according to other examples, the latch preloading device 30 may be made of other spring-like materials (such as polymer materials). The clamping arms 32A and 32B form the ends of the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B and are configured to engage the striker 40 under tension, such that the cantilever leaf springs 34A and 34B are normally force-loaded. When the latch preloading device 30 is mounted on the striker 40, the latch assembly 26 can contact the striker 40. In doing so, contact walls 54A and 54B, which serve as contact surfaces on the upper and lower edges of the hole 52 in the latch body 50, extend over the striker 40 and engage with the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B. For this purpose, the forced contact of contact walls 54A and 54B with the first cantilever leaf spring 34A and the second cantilever leaf spring 34B provides a force preload that stabilizes the positioning of the latch body 50 on the striker 40, thereby preventing impact noise or other movement of the components of the striker 40 and the latch assembly 26 relative to each other.

[0052] The latch assembly 26 includes a clamping portion 56 on a lower portion and a pawl 58 on an upper portion, wherein the clamping portion 56 and the pawl 58 are mounted on the latch body 50 and configured to engage the strike pin 40 and hold it in a locked position. The clamping portion 56 includes a first latch spring 60 for biasing the clamping portion 56 toward an unlocked position. Similarly, the pawl 58 includes a second latch spring 62 that biases the pawl 58 into a locked pawl 58 position that engages with teeth on the lock. When the door 16 is moved from an open position to a closed position to latch closed, the strike pin 40 passes through a hole 52 in the latch body 50, and the clamping portion 56 allows the strike pin 40 to pass over the clamping portion 56 and the pawl 58 and engage within and be held therein to maintain the strike pin 40 in the locked position within the latch assembly 26. When a user pulls the door handle 20 on the outside of the door 16, the pawl 58 is actuated to move to the open position to release the engagement of the clamp 56 with the strike pin 40 and allow the door 16 to move from the closed position to the open position. It should be understood that the latch assembly 26 may be configured with alternative latch components that are arranged differently from those shown in other embodiments of the clamp 56 and pawl 58.

[0053] The latch assembly 26 can be assembled to one of a movable portion and a fixed portion of the vehicle 10 for engaging a strike pin 40 located on the other of the movable portion and the fixed portion of the vehicle 10. In the example shown and described herein, the latch assembly 26 is provided on a movable portion of a door 16 shown configured as the vehicle 10, and the strike pin 40 is shown provided on a fixed portion, which may include a door opening 22 of the vehicle 10. It should be understood that, according to other embodiments, the latch assembly 26 may otherwise be provided on the fixed portion of the vehicle 10 to engage the strike pin 40 provided on the movable portion of the vehicle 10.

[0054] While this document shows and describes a latch assembly 26 for locking the door 16 of the motor vehicle 10 to a fixed support structure on or near the body 12 of the motor vehicle 10, it should be understood that the latch assembly 26 may be otherwise configured to lock other movable parts to fixed parts on the motor vehicle 10. For example, the latch assembly 26 may be used for other opening and closing mechanisms, such as locking a liftgate on a sport utility vehicle (SUV) to a closed position at the rear of the motor vehicle 10, or locking a liftgate on the motor vehicle 10 to a closed position, or locking the hood or trunk of the motor vehicle 10 to a closed position. It should also be understood that the latch assembly 26 for the motor vehicle 10 may be used to lock a seat assembly, such as locking the seat back to a seat base and allowing the seat back to fold into a stowed position, and also to lock the seat base to an under-support structure on the passenger compartment floor to allow the seat to fold into a stowed position, such as a forward upright position.

[0055] Therefore, a latch assembly 26 for a motor vehicle 10 is provided, which advantageously includes a latch preloading device 30 for applying load forces to the latch body 50 on the latch assembly 26 to reduce or prevent movement of movable parts (such as door 16 and latch assembly 26) relative to fixed vehicle structures (such as body 50 and bumper 40), which could otherwise lead to undesirable movement of components and associated impact noise. This advantageously reduces the need for rubber stop blocks and provides a tighter tolerance operating range.

[0056] It should be understood that changes and modifications may be made to the foregoing structures without departing from the concept of this disclosure, and it should also be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless otherwise expressly stated in their language.

[0057] According to the present invention, a latch preloading device for mounting on a striker pin on a vehicle is provided, comprising: a collar configured to engage the striker pin; a first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring supported by the collar, wherein the first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on a base plate of a latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force; and a first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extending from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and configured to engage and clamp the striker pin.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are connected via a C-shaped portion.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the striking pin has a U-shaped striking pin bar, which has a first bar and a second bar.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage the first rod of the U-shaped striker.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the collar has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device can be installed on the U-shaped striker and removed from the U-shaped striker.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device is configured to be mounted on the striker on the vehicle and configured to engage the latch assembly on the vehicle opening and closing mechanism.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device comprises metal.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the metal includes spring steel.

[0066] According to the present invention, a vehicle striker for locking with a latch assembly on a vehicle is provided, comprising: a base plate configured to be connected to one of a fixed body and a movable body on the vehicle; a U-shaped striker extending from the base plate; and a latch preloading device comprising: a collar configured to engage the U-shaped striker bar; a first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring supported by the collar, wherein the first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on the base plate of the latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force; and a first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extending from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and configured to engage and clamp the U-shaped striker bar on one side.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are connected via a C-shaped portion.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage a rod portion of the U-shaped striker.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the collar has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device can be installed on the U-shaped striker and removed from the U-shaped striker.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device is configured to be mounted on a striker located on a vehicle and configured to engage a latch assembly on a vehicle opening or closing component.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the latch preloading device comprises metal.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the metal includes spring steel.

[0074] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, comprising: an opening / closing door; a door opening; a latch assembly located on the opening / closing door; a U-shaped stop pin located on the door opening; and a latch preloading device for mounting on the stop pin on the vehicle, the latch preloading device comprising: a collar configured to engage the stop pin; a first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring supported by the collar, wherein the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring... A contact surface on a base plate configured to engage the latch assembly in a locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force; and a first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm extending from the ends of the first and second opposing cantilever leaf springs and configured to engage and clamp the striker, wherein the first and second cantilever leaf springs are connected via a C-shaped portion.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the striking pin has a U-shaped striking pin bar, which has a first bar and a second bar.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage the first rod of the U-shaped striker.

Claims

1. A latch preloading device for mounting on a striker in a vehicle, the latch preloading device comprising: A collar, configured to engage the striker; A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring, which are supported by the collar, wherein the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are configured to engage contact surfaces on the base plate of the latch assembly in the locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring to apply a load force. as well as A first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm, the first opposing clamping arm and the second opposing clamping arm extending from the ends of the first opposing cantilever leaf spring and the second opposing cantilever leaf spring, and configured to engage and clamp the striker pin.

2. The latch preloading device of claim 1, wherein the first cantilever leaf spring and the second cantilever leaf spring are connected via a C-shaped portion.

3. The latch preloading device of claim 1, wherein the striking pin has a U-shaped striking pin bar, the U-shaped striking pin bar having a first bar and a second bar.

4. The latch preloading device of claim 3, wherein the first clamp and the second clamp have terminals spaced apart from each other and configured to engage the first rod of the U-shaped striker.

5. The latch preloading device of claim 4, wherein the collar has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners.

6. The latch preloading device of claim 5, wherein the latch preloading device is capable of being mounted on and removed from the U-shaped stop pin.

7. The latch preloading device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the latch preloading device is configured to be mounted on the striker on the vehicle and configured to engage the latch assembly on the vehicle opening and closing mechanism.

8. The latch preloading device of claim 1, wherein the latch preloading device comprises metal.

9. The latch preloading device of claim 8, wherein the metal comprises spring steel.

10. A vehicle striker for locking with a latch assembly on a vehicle, the vehicle striker comprising: A substrate, the substrate being configured to be connected to one of a fixed body on the vehicle and a movable body on the vehicle; U-shaped stop pin, the U-shaped stop pin extending from the substrate; as well as A latch preloading device, comprising: A collar, configured to engage a U-shaped striker; A first opposing cantilever leaf spring and a second opposing cantilever leaf spring, supported by the collar, wherein the first and second cantilever leaf springs are configured to engage contact surfaces on the base plate of the latch assembly in the locked position, such that the base plate compresses the first and second cantilever leaf springs to apply a load force; and A first opposing clamping arm and a second opposing clamping arm, the first opposing clamping arm and the second opposing clamping arm extending from the ends of the first opposing cantilever leaf spring and the second opposing cantilever leaf spring, and configured to engage and clamp the U-shaped striker bar on one side.

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