Vehicle striker and associated manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention refers to a vehicle striker (1, 1') comprising: - a plate (3, 3') configured to be arranged on a vehicle body and, - a buckle (5, 5') configured to interact with a latch to close a door of the vehicle, wherein the plate (3, 3') and the buckle (5, 5') are made from a single monobloc piece (10).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle door latches to ensure the closing of vehicle doors and in particular to the striker used with the latches.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A striker is an equipment arranged on the vehicle body next to a door. The striker is configured to interact with the latch of the door to ensure the closing of the door.

[0003] A striker usually comprises a plate which is fixed to the vehicle body, for example by screws, and a wire fixed to the plate and defining a loop configured to be receive in a recess of a latch to be restrained by a claw in a closed position of the door.

[0004] However, the manufacturing of such strikers may be onerous due to the fact that both parts need to be built according to a first process, such as a stamping process, the wire is then assembled to the plate by another process such as a riveting process which requires another manufacturing machine and therefore several manipulations to obtain a striker.

[0005] It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a striker that can be manufactured in an easy way with a simplified process.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention refers to a vehicle striker comprising: a plate configured to be arranged on a vehicle body and, a buckle configured to interact with a latch to close a door of the vehicle, wherein the plate and the buckle are made from a single monobloc piece.

[0007] The manufacturing of the striker from a monobloc piece allows simplifying the manufacturing and reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the single monobloc piece is metallic, in particular made of steel.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, the striker is obtained by pressing and bending the single monobloc piece.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the plate comprises holes for fixing the striker to the vehicle body.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the buckle is a bended elongated part of the monobloc piece.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, the buckle is made of a material withdrawal in a central portion of the monobloc piece.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the plate is made by a first bended leg and a second bended leg made in the monobloc piece.

[0014] The present invention also refers to a manufacturing process of a striker as described previously wherein the process comprises the following steps: pressing a plate of a monobloc material with a stamping machine to obtain a predetermined shape, bending the predetermined shape to provide a striker.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the predetermined shape comprises a plate with a hole and an elongated portion extending from the plate which is bent to form a buckle, the end of the elongated portion being introduced in an additional hole of the plate.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, the predetermined shape comprises a frame with a central opening a first leg and a second leg extending from the frame wherein the first leg is bent of 90° on one side and the second leg is bent of 90° on the other side, the first and second legs providing the plate of the striker and the frame providing the buckle.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG.1 is a perspective view of a striker according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG.2 is a perspective view of a striker according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG.3 is a flow chart of a manufacturing process of the striker of Fig.1; FIG.4 is a perspective view of the striker of Fig.1 during different manufacturing steps; FIG.5 is a flow chart of a manufacturing process of the striker of Fig.2; FIG.6 is a perspective view of the striker of Fig.2 during different manufacturing steps; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following achievements are examples. Although, the specification refers to one or several embodiments, it does not imply that each reference refers to the same embodiment or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0019] The present invention refers to a striker 1 made of a single monobloc piece, for example a monobloc metallic piece such as a steel piece. However other material may also be used.

[0020] Fig.1 represents a first embodiment of such striker 1. The striker 1 comprises a plate 3 configured to be arranged on a vehicle body. The plate 3 may comprise holes 7 to be fixed to the vehicle body by screws, for example two holes 7 as in the example of Fig.1. A different number of holes may be used. The hole(s) 7 may be chamfered to ease the insertion and the centering of the screws. The plate 3 may have a thickness comprised between 1mm and 8mm, for example 3mm.

[0021] The striker 1 also comprises a buckle 5 configured to interact with a latch to close a door of the vehicle. In this first embodiment, the buckle 5 is made from an elongated part of the monobloc piece which is bent. The elongated part may be bent to form corners, for example three corners. Each corner provides a bending of approximately 90°. The end of the elongated part may be configured to be introduced in an additional hole 9 of the plate 3. The additional hole 9 may have a shape complementary with the cross-section of the elongated part. The additional hole 9 may also be chamfered to ease the introduction of the end of the elongated part. The elongated part may have a rectangular or squared section. Other sections such as a circular section may also be used. The additional hole 9 may be chamfered only on one side corresponding to the side of the buckle 5 as the elongated part is introduced into the additional hole thanks to a bending.

[0022] Fig.2 represents another embodiment of a striker 1' comprising a buckle 5' obtained by material removal, for example by pressing or cutting, in a central part of the monobloc piece in order to provide a frame having the desired shape for the buckle 5'.

[0023] The striker 1' also comprises a plate 3' made by a first leg 3a extending in a first direction from the buckle 5' and a second leg 3b extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The first leg 3a and the second leg 3b may extend at a 90° angle from the plane of the buckle 5'. The first leg 3a comprises a first hole 7 and the second leg 3b comprises a second hole 7. The holes 7 are configured for receiving respectively a screw for fixing the striker 1' to the vehicle body. The holes 7 may be chamfered to ease the introduction and the centering of the screws within the holes 7. A different number of holes 7 may be used.

[0024] The strikers 1, 1' described previously may be manufactured using a single machine such as a stamping machine enabling to cutout the monobloc piece to obtain the desired shape and to bend parts of the obtained cutout piece to obtain the striker 1, 1'.

[0025] The present invention also refers to the manufacturing processes that are used to obtain the strikers 1 and 1' according to the first and the second embodiment.

[0026] Fig.3 represents a flowchart of the different steps of a manufacturing process of a striker 1 according to the first embodiment and Fig.4 represents the formation of the striker during the different steps of the process.

[0027] The first step 101 refers to the drilling of pre-holes 7' or holes 7 and possibly of the additional hole 9 in the raw monobloc piece 10 such as a plate of steel. The drilling may be partial, for example the chamfered part may be obtained in a following step so that the pre-holes 7' may not correspond to the holes 7 at this stage.

[0028] The second step 102 refers to the pressing of the monobloc piece 10.

[0029] The material is removed in two portions 12 and 12' arranged on both side of a central part forming the elongated part 14. Some sections of the elongated part 14 associated with the corner of the buckle 5 may be thinner than the rest of the elongated part 14. The chamfered part of the holes 7 and additional hole 9 may also be formed during this second step 102. The pressing also provides the cutout of the contour of the striker 1.

[0030] Such cutouts may be obtained by pressing the monobloc plate 10 using a stamping machine. Some of the drilling or cutouts may be made with a laser.

[0031] The third step 103 refers to the bending of the elongated part to form the buckle 5 and the introduction of the end of the elongated part 14 within the additional hole 9. However, the use of an additional hole 9 may be optional.

[0032] Such manufacturing enables mass production of the striker 1 with a limited number of steps and machines and therefore at a low cost.

[0033] Fig.5 represents a flowchart of the different steps of a manufacturing process of a striker 1' according to the second embodiment and Fig.6 represents the striker during the different steps of the process.

[0034] The first step 201 refers to the drilling of holes 7 in the raw monobloc piece 10 such as a plate of steel.

[0035] The second step 202 refers to the pressing of the monobloc piece 10 to obtain the desired rough outline.

[0036] The material is removed in a central portion 16 corresponding to the central portion of the buckle 5'. This central portion 16 may be a square portion. The material is also removed in a central elongated portion to form a furrow 18 separating the first leg 3a and the second leg 3b. The pressing also provides the cutout of the contour of the striker 1'.

[0037] Such cutouts may be obtained by pressing the monobloc plate 10 using a stamping machine. Some of the drilling or cutouts may be made with a laser.

[0038] The third step 203 refers to the bending of the first leg 3a of a 90° angle with respect to the plane of the plate in a first direction and the bending of the second leg 3b of a 90° angle with respect to the plane of the plate in a second direction opposite to the first direction to form the plate 3.

[0039] As for the first embodiment, such process enables mass production of the striker 1' with a limited number of steps and machines and therefore at a low cost.

Claims

1. Vehicle striker (1, 1') comprising: - a plate (3, 3') configured to be arranged on a vehicle body and, - a buckle (5, 5') configured to interact with a latch to close a door of the vehicle, wherein the plate (3, 3') and the buckle (5, 5') are made from a single monobloc piece (10).

2. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with claim 1 wherein the single monobloc piece (10) is metallic, in particular made of steel.

3. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the striker (1, 1') is obtained by pressing and bending the single monobloc piece (10).

4. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the plate (3, 3') comprises holes (7) for fixing the striker (1, 1') to the vehicle body.

5. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the buckle (5) is a bended elongated part of the monobloc piece.(10).

6. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with one of the previous claims wherein the buckle (5') is made of a material withdrawal in a central portion (16) of the monobloc piece (10).

7. Vehicle striker (1, 1') in accordance with the previous claim wherein the plate (3') is made by a first bended leg (3a) and a second bended leg (3b) made in the monobloc piece (10).

8. Manufacturing process of a striker (1, 1') according to one of the previous claims wherein the process comprises the following steps: - pressing (102, 202) a plate of a monobloc material (10) with a stamping machine to obtain a predetermined shape, - bending (103, 203) the predetermined shape to provide a striker (1, 1').

9. Manufacturing process in accordance with the previous claim wherein the predetermined shape comprises a plate (5) with a hole and an elongated portion (14) extending from the plate (3) which is bent to form a buckle (5), the end of the elongated portion (14) being introduced in an additional hole (9) of the plate (3).

10. Manufacturing process in accordance with claim 8 wherein the predetermined shape comprises a frame (5') with a central opening (16) a first leg (3a) and a second leg (3b) extending from the frame (5') wherein the first leg (3a) is bent of 90° on one side and the second leg (3b) is bent of 90° on the other side, the first (3a) and second (3b) legs providing the plate (3') of the striker (1') and the frame providing the buckle (5').

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