Electronic striker for releasing a compartment door and method of using the same

Abstract

An electronic striker for releasing a door or access panel includes a housing defining an opening for receiving a pawl on the door or access panel and a passageway extending from the opening. A plunger is coupled to the housing and mounted for movement within the passageway. A motor is configured to move the plunger between a retracted position in which the plunger is retracted within the passageway and a deployed position in which the plunger is extended within the passageway relative to the retracted position. The plunger is configured to move the pawl from the passageway when the plunger is moved from the retracted position to the deployed position, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passageway.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 864,537, filed on Jun. 21, 2019, entitled “Electronically Actuated and Locking Glove Box System”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0002] Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of locking or connector systems configured to provide a mechanical connection between adjacent components, and more particularly to a locking system for securing in a closed position and releasing from a closed position an automotive glove box or compartment door.

Background Art

[0003] Automotive door closure systems, such as glove boxes, generally include a door housing attached to a vehicle dashboard, a door movably attached to the door housing, and a lockable latch that cooperates with one or more strikers to hold the door in a closed position and cover the door housing. From a convenience perspective, there has been a continuing need to improve existing door closure systems or provide alternatives.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an electronic striker for releasing a door or access panel includes a housing defining an opening for receiving a claw on the door or access panel and a passage extending from the opening. A plunger is connected to the housing and is mounted to move within the passage. A motor is configured to move the plunger between a retracted position where the plunger retracts into the passage and an extended position where the plunger extends within the passage relative to the retracted position. The plunger is configured to move the claw out of the passage when the plunger is moved from the retracted position to the extended position, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passage.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of using an electronic striker to release a door or access panel includes: (i) activating a motor of the electronic striker to move a plunger of the electronic striker from a retracted position where the plunger retracts within a passage of the electronic striker to an extended position where the plunger extends within the passage; and (ii) simultaneously moving a pawl of the door or access panel during an actuation step from a position where the pawl is positioned within the passage to a position where the pawl is positioned either outside or substantially outside the passage, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passage.

[0006] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electronic striker for releasing a door or access panel includes a housing defining an opening, a plunger coupled to the housing and mounted to move with respect to the opening, and a motor configured to move the plunger between a retracted position and an extended position where the plunger is extended relative to the retracted position. The plunger is configured to move a pawl when moving the plunger from the retracted position to the extended position, thereby releasing the door or access panel.

[0007] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of using an electronic striker in a manual override mode to release a door or access panel includes: (i) manually moving a plunger from a retracted position where the plunger retracts into a passage to an extended position where the plunger extends into the passage; and (ii) during the manual movement step, simultaneously moving a pawl of the door or access panel from a position where the pawl is positioned within the passage to a position where the pawl is positioned either outside or substantially outside the passage, thereby releasing the door or access panel from a housing for the door or access panel.

[0008] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a one-way worm gear includes a body and teeth extending outwardly from the body, each tooth having an inclined surface for meshing with a worm and a plane opposing the inclined surface.

[0009] The above and other aspects and features of the present invention will become even more apparent to those skilled in the art by describing its exemplary embodiments in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications can be made within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and in the details within the scope of the invention without departing from the invention.

[0012] Throughout the disclosure, various terms are used to describe the physical shape or arrangement of features. The number of these terms is used to describe features that conform to a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape characterized by a radius and a central axis perpendicular to the radius. Unless a different meaning is specified, the terms are given the following meanings. The terms "longitudinal", "longitudinal", "axial", and "axial" refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation parallel to the central axis. The terms "radial" and "radial" refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation perpendicular to the central axis. The terms "inward" and "inward" refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation extending radially toward the central axis. The terms "outward" and "outward" refer to a direction, dimension, or orientation extending radially away from the central axis.

[0013] In the specification, relative terms such as "horizontal", "vertical direction", "upper surface", "lower", "upper surface", and "lower", and derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontal", "downward", "downward", "upper surface facing", etc.) should be interpreted as referring to the orientation as described below or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and are not normally intended to require a particular direction.

[0014] Terms regarding attachments, couplings, etc., such as "mounted", "connected", "interconnected", etc., refer to a relationship in which structures are fixed or attached to each other directly or indirectly through intervening structures and through both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a glove box system including a door housing 10, a door 12 movably mounted to the door housing 10, and an electronic striker 20 for (i) maintaining the door 12 in a closed and locked state and (ii) releasing the door 12 from the closed and locked state. The door 12 is shown in the closed state in FIG. 1.

[0016] The door housing 10 includes a storage space 14, which is accessible to a user when the door 12 is in an open state and inaccessible to the user when the door 12 is in a closed state (as shown in the figure). The door 12 can also be referred to as an access panel in this specification. The door housing 10 may be, for example, a glove box for an automobile or a center console for an automobile. The door housing 10 is not limited to use in an automobile.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the right side of the door housing 10 includes a cutout area for accommodating an electronic striker 20 (also referred to as the "striker 20" in this specification). The striker 20 includes a flange 21 (FIG. 2A) for receiving a fastener for attaching the striker 20 to the door housing 10.

[0018] As described above, the striker 20 is configured to be attached to the door housing 10, and either a glove box door 12 or a center console door of the automobile is movably attached to the door housing 10. Alternatively, the striker 20 can also be configured to be attached to the glove box door or the center console door. Exemplary glove box doors and door housings are shown in U.S. Patent No. 10,081,970 of Ford and U.S. Patent No. 7,004,517 of Southco, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The striker 20 is configured to hold the door 12 in a latched position and selectively open the door with respect to the door housing 10. The striker 20 is configured to be used with various types of doors and is not limited to use with an automobile glove box.

[0019] Next, referring to the features of the electronic striker 20, FIGS. 2A - 3D show the striker 20 in one form or another. The striker 20 is an assembly that includes a housing 29 that includes a base 30, and a lid 31 that covers the base 30 and is attached thereto by fasteners. An internal space is defined between the housing 30 and the lid 31. The series of components described herein are disposed within the internal space so as to cause movement of the plunger 26 of the electronic striker 20.

[0020] The housing 29 of the striker includes an opening 19 and a passage 22 that extends from the opening 19. The opening 19 is defined on the outer surface of the base 30. The plunger 26 that forms part of the electronic striker 20 is movably disposed along with the passage 22.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the passage 22 and the plunger 26 together interact with a movable pawl 24a that extends outwardly from the door 12. The pawl 24a can translate laterally from side to side as depicted by the arrow in FIG. 1. The other pawl 24b moves in synchronization with the pawl 24a, and since the pawls 24 are interconnected by a gear device 25, they move in a translational direction opposite thereto. The pawls 24a and 24b form part of a multi - point latch system. Further details of the pawls 24 and their multi - point latch system, including the internal details of the gear device 25, are disclosed in Minnich's U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 599,162, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. It should be understood that the gear device 25 is not limited to the gear device disclosed in Minnich's U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 599,162.

[0022] The passage 22 configured to receive the pawls 24 can be formed within the housing 29 of the striker as shown. Alternatively, the passage 22 for receiving the pawls 24 may be formed in a separate component (not shown) that is connected to the housing 29 of the striker either directly or indirectly.

[0023] Briefly speaking, during operation, the plunger 26 is controlled to move between a retracted position and a deployed position. The plunger 26 of the striker 20 is shown in the deployed position in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and 3C, while the plunger 26 is shown in the retracted position in FIGS. 2C, 2D, 3B and 3D.

[0024] In the retracted position of the plunger 26 shown in FIG. 1, the passage 22 can capture and accommodate the pawl 24a of the door 12, thereby holding the door 12 in the closed position (as shown). To enable the passage 22 to capture the pawl 24a of the door 12, the door 12 must be moved to the closed position (e.g., manually), although not shown, a motor can automatically move the door 12 to the closed position. Once the door 12 is moved to the closed position while the plunger 26 is maintained in the retracted position, the door 12 is held in that position, i.e., the door 12 is locked. When it is desired to unlock the door 12, the electronic striker 20 is operated to move the plunger 26 to the deployed state. Moving the plunger 26 in the outward direction to the deployed position forces the pawl 24a to move out of the passage 22, thereby disconnecting the pawl 24a and its door 22 from the electronic striker 20. Immediately thereafter, the door 22 may move to the open position under its own weight. The plunger 26 is then returned to the retracted position, at which position the electronic striker 20 is ready to receive the pawl 24a of the door 12.

[0025] In this embodiment, the electronic striker 20 is an active element that moves in response to a user's instruction, while the pawl 24a is a passive element that moves in response to the movement of the electronic striker 20.

[0026] Various active features of the electronic striker 20 will be described below.

[0027] Next, referring to FIG. 3C, an electric motor 32 of the striker 20 is attached to the base 30. The motor 32 has a rotatable output shaft 34 and a worm 36 connected to the output shaft 34. The worm 36 is non-rotatably connected to the output shaft 34 such that the worm 36 rotates with the output shaft 34. The teeth of the worm 36 mesh with a lower tooth set 39 of a worm gear 38. An upper tooth set 40 of the worm gear 38 meshes with the teeth of a moving gear 42. Further, the teeth of the moving gear 42 mesh with teeth 46 of a cam lift gear 44. A series of shafts support the respective gears 38, 42, 44, and those shafts are fixedly attached to the base 30.

[0028] In operation, it should be understood that rotation of the output shaft 34 causes rotation of the worm 36, which causes rotation of the worm gear 38, which causes rotation of the moving gear 42, which causes rotation of the cam lift gear 44. The gears 36, 38, 42, and 44 can herein be referred to as a gear device.

[0029] Next, referring to FIGS. 5A - 5E, the teeth 39 of the worm gear 38 consider a simple design for ease of molding. Thus, a helical ejector mechanism is not required to form the teeth 39. As background, in a conventional worm gear, each tooth has inclined surfaces on both sides thereof to engage the worm in two different rotational directions. One set of inclined surfaces engages the worm in one rotational direction of the worm, and the other set of inclined surfaces engages the worm in the opposite rotational direction of the worm. In the worm gear 38, each tooth 39 has only one inclined surface 41. The inclined surface 41 may be either curved or helical. The surface 43 opposite the inclined surface is substantially planar. Since the gear 38 rotates in a single direction, a simple geometry of the tooth 39 is made possible, and thus only the inclined surface 41 is required to engage the teeth of the worm 36. The surface 43 does not necessarily engage the teeth of the worm 36. Also, the teeth 39 do not overlap in the circumferential direction of the worm gear 38.

[0030] Next, referring to FIGS. 4A - 4G and 3B, the cam lift gear 44 includes the teeth 46 on its lower outer periphery, a cam surface 48 on its upper surface, and a protrusion 50 that extends radially outward along only a part of the outer periphery of the gear 44.

[0031] The cam surface 48 is a single continuous surface that rises and falls in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the gear 44. The cam surface 48 includes a ramp surface 48a, which is subsequently joined to a steeply inclined surface portion 48b when viewed circumferentially and along the axis of rotation. When viewed circumferentially, the ramp surface 48a slopes in an upward direction towards the upper end of the gear 44, while the steeply inclined surface portion 48b slopes in a downward direction (i.e., towards the teeth 46) towards the lower end of the gear 44. The absolute value of the gradient of the surface portion 48b is greater than that of the portion 48a. The ramp surface 48a constitutes approximately 75% (or more) of the circumference of the gear 44, while the steeply inclined surface portion 48b constitutes approximately 25% (or less) of the circumference of the gear 44. In other words, the steeply inclined surface portion 48b constitutes approximately 90 degrees of the circumference of the cam surface 48, and the portion 48a constitutes approximately 270 degrees. As will be described later, the cam surface 48 of the gear 44 interacts with a pin 54 extending from the spring - biased plunger 26 to translate the plunger 26 in an outward direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the gear 44.

[0032] The protrusion 50 of the gear 44 is an indexing surface having an inclined path with a curved inlet surface 50a, a flat running surface, and a curved outlet surface when viewed circumferentially. As will be described later, the protrusion 50 interacts with the wiper 57 (FIG. 3A) of the electronic switch 56 to control the rotation of the motor 32, thereby controlling the movement of the plunger 26.

[0033] The protrusion 50 can here be referred to as indexing means. As an alternative to the protrusion, one skilled in the art will recognize that the indexing means can be, for example, a surface, a recess, a marking, a magnet, a circuit, magnetic properties, optical properties, a post, a slot, or a pin on the gear 44, or other features that can be used to track the movement of the gear 44. Also, the indexing means can be provided on different gears of the gear device.

[0034] Next, referring to FIGS. 3B and 3C, the plunger 26 of the electronic striker 20 is an elongated rectangular housing having an upper surface 26a, an opposing lower surface 26b, and four elongated side walls extending between the upper surface 26a and the lower surface 26b. The lower surface 26b includes a flange 26c extending around the perimeter. A square peg 60 extends perpendicularly from one of the elongated side walls of the plunger 26. The peg 60 is dimensioned and configured to move within a slot 64 formed in the base 30. The slot 64 prevents rotation of the plunger 26. A stop 66 is disposed within the slot 64 to prevent the plunger 26 from moving further than the retracted position and disengaging from the base 30. Similarly, a stop surface is formed on the base 30 to prevent the plunger 26 from moving further than the deployed position and detaching from the base 30. The plunger 26 is configured to translate (i) in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the gear 44 and (ii) optionally, for space-saving purposes, in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the output shaft 34 of the motor 32.

[0035] A pin 54 extends perpendicularly from another side surface of the elongated side wall of the plunger 26. The pin 54 is positioned to extend over the cam surface 48 of the gear 44. Rotation of the cam surface 48 causes translation of the pin 54 and thus its plunger 26, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. Therefore, the cam surface 48 can be referred to herein as a cam, and the pin 54 can also be referred to herein as a cam follower.

[0036] A compression spring 62 is disposed within the slot 64 along with the peg 60. The spring 62 is attached to or supported by a protrusion 63 on the lower surface of the peg 60. Specifically, one end of the spring 62 is supported on the protrusion 63, and the opposing end of the spring 62 is supported on a similar peg or other surface defined on the base 30, thereby capturing the spring 62 within the slot 64. The spring 62 is biased to move the peg 60 (and thus the plunger 26) toward the retracted state shown in FIG. 1. The spring 62 is also biased to move the pin 54 relative to the cam surface 48 of the gear 44.

[0037] The electronic switch 56 is configured to detect the rotation of the gear 44 and communicate one or more rotational positions of the gear 44 to the processor and / or controller of the striker 20. The switch 56, processor and / or controller can be disposed on the circuit board 70 as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3E. The circuit board 70 can further include a storage device, a power source, and / or a receiver / transmitter. The switch 56 can generally be referred to as a sensor, and the switch 56 can be replaced, for example, with a rotary encoder, a Hall effect sensor, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), a potentiometer, an optical proximity sensor, a transducer, an eddy current sensor, or a photodiode.

[0038] Next, referring to an exemplary method of moving the striker 20, FIGS. 11A-11E show the continuous movement of the plunger 26 toward the retracted position (FIG. 11A), the deployed position (FIG. 11D), and back to the retracted position (FIG. 11E). The door 12 initially starts in a closed and locked state (not shown), where the claws 24 are positioned within their respective passages 22 and the plunger 26 is in the retracted state (as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, 3C, and 11A). Note that in the closed state of the opening and closing door 12, it may not be possible to open the opening and closing door 12.

[0039] To open door 12, the user, for example, contacts, activates, or depresses a remotely located button, switch, or icon 80. The remotely located button, switch, or icon 80 schematically shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the circuit board 70 by either a wireless or a wired connection. The button, switch, or icon 80 can be disposed, as non-limiting examples, on a remote control device, a dashboard, or a touch screen of a vehicle. Activating the remotely located button, switch, or icon 80 causes the controller of the striker 20 to activate the motor 32. The motor 32 then rotates the output shaft 34, which causes the rotation of the gears 36, 38, 42, and 44. Specifically, the motor 32 rotates the gear 44 by only one revolution, as detected and permitted by the switch 56.

[0040] Next, referring to FIGS. 3A and 11A, prior to the rotation of the gear 44 in the direction of the arrow depicted in FIG. 3A, first, the gear 44 is positioned such that the pin 54 is positioned at the low lift position 48d on the cam surface 48 corresponding to the retracted position of the plunger 26. Also, the wiper 57 of the switch 56 is located either on the curved inlet surface 50a of the protrusion 50 of the gear 44 or in its vicinity. As the gear 44 rotates, the pin 54 rides up on the ramp 48a of the cam surface 48 of the gear 44 against the bias of the spring 62. As a result, the plunger 26 moves outward toward the deployed state, and as a result, the claw 24a is moved out of the passage 22. In other words, the plunger 26 pushes the claw 24a out of the passage 22, as opposed to other known solutions where a member pulls the claw out of the passage. The other claw 24b also moves out of its passage 22 due to the gear device 25 between the claws 24a and 24b. As shown in FIG. 11D, the pin 54 finally reaches the highest lift position 48c on the cam surface 48, at which point the plunger 26 is positioned in the fully deployed position. The plunger 26 then pushes the claw 24a out of the passage 22 almost or completely. At this time, the door 12 assumes the open position under its own weight.

[0041] Without stopping, motor 32 continues to rotate gear 44 in the same direction. Next, as shown in FIG. 11E, pin 54 then slides down the steeply inclined surface portion 48b of cam surface 48 under the bias of spring 62 and finally reaches the lowermost lift position 48c on cam surface 48. At this point, plunger 26 is in the retracted position shown in FIG. 1. In the retracted position of plunger 26, passage 22 is ready to receive the pawl 24a of door 12 again. Gear 44 continues to rotate until wiper 57 of switch 56 is positioned on either the curved inlet surface 50a of protrusion 50 of gear 44. When wiper 57 encounters inlet surface 50a, switch 56 sends a signal indicating that gear 44 has rotated one full turn to the controller of striker 20. As a result, the controller stops motor 32. At this point, plunger 26 remains in the retracted position so that passage 22 is ready to receive the pawl 24a of door 12 again. From start to finish, gear 44 rotates one full turn.

[0042] In the event of a power outage, plunger 26 can remain in the retracted position, and as a result, the glove box can be kept locked. To unlock the glove box during a power outage or other situation that requires manual operation priority of striker 20, the user can push the tip 26b (see FIG. 2B) of plunger 26 against the bias of spring 62 to release the pawl 24a from its passage 22. The vehicle can include a removable inspection access panel on the dashboard, for example, to allow the user access to the tip 26b of plunger 26. Note that in the retracted state of plunger 26, the tip 26b of plunger 26 extends from the opening of the lid 31 (see FIG. 2B) of housing 29 and is exposed, so that plunger 26 is accessible to the user.

[0043] The above description of operating striker 20 is not limited to any step or sequence of steps and it should be understood that variations may occur which are different from those illustrated and described without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0044] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, but it will be understood that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, numerous variations, modifications, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, there are the following aspects as embodiments of the present invention. [Aspect 1] An electronic striker for releasing a door or an access panel, comprising a housing defining an opening, a plunger connected to the housing and mounted to move relative to the opening, and a motor configured to move the plunger between a retracted position and a deployed position in which the plunger is extended relative to the retracted position. The plunger is configured to move a claw when moving the plunger from the retracted position to the deployed position, thereby releasing the door or the access panel. The electronic striker. [Aspect 2] The plunger of the electronic striker according to Aspect 1 is positioned farther from the opening at the retracted position than at the deployed position. [Aspect 3] The opening of the electronic striker according to Aspect 1 is defined on an outer surface of the housing. [Aspect 4] The electronic striker according to Aspect 1 further includes a gear device configured to convert rotation of an output shaft of the motor into linear translational movement of the plunger between the retracted position and the deployed position. [Aspect 5] The gear device includes a cam lift gear having a cam surface, the plunger includes a cam follower engaging with the cam surface, and rotation of the cam surface causes translational movement of the cam follower. The electronic striker according to Aspect 4. [Aspect 6] The cam follower of the electronic striker according to Aspect 5 is a pin fixed to the plunger. [Aspect 7] The electronic striker according to aspect 5, wherein the cam surface is a continuous surface that rises and falls in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cam lift gear. [Aspect 8] The electronic striker according to aspect 5, further comprising a spring for biasing the cam follower against the cam surface. [Aspect 9] The electronic striker according to aspect 4, further comprising indexing means defined in one of the gears of the gear device. [Aspect 10] The electronic striker according to aspect 9, further comprising a sensor for interacting with the indexing means to detect the rotational position of one of the gears of the gear device. [Aspect 11] The electronic striker according to aspect 10, further comprising a controller connected to both the sensor and the motor and configured to deactivate the motor as a function of the rotational position of one of the gears of the gear device as detected by the sensor. [Aspect 12] The electronic striker according to aspect 11, further including a button, switch, or icon located remotely from the electronic striker, which communicates with a processor to activate the motor upon receiving an instruction from a user. [Aspect 13] The electronic striker according to aspect 1, wherein the plunger includes a first tip configured to contact the claw and a second tip on the opposite side of the first tip, and the housing includes another opening through which the second tip extends when the plunger is positioned in the retracted position. [Aspect 14] A glove box system comprising the electronic striker according to aspect 1, attached to an automotive glove box housing. [Aspect 15] The glove box system according to aspect 14, further comprising the door, the claw, a second claw, and a gear device connecting the claws, wherein the claws are configured to move simultaneously. [Aspect 16] A method of releasing a door or access panel from a housing of the door or access panel using an electronic striker, the method comprising: Actuating a motor of the electronic striker to move a plunger from a retracted position where the plunger is retracted into a passage to a deployed position where the plunger is extended out of the passage. During the start-up step, move the claw of the door or access panel from a position positioned within the passage to a position where the claw is positioned either outside or substantially outside the passage, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the housing of the door or access panel. Method. [Aspect 17] In the method according to aspect 16, when the motor is started, the output shaft of the motor rotates a gear, and the rotation of the gear causes linear movement of the plunger between the retracted position and the deployed position. [Aspect 18] The gear is a cam lift gear having a cam surface, the plunger includes a cam follower that engages with the cam surface, and rotation of the cam surface of the gear causes translational movement of the cam follower. The method according to aspect 17. [Aspect 19] The method according to aspect 18, further comprising the step of biasing the cam follower against the cam surface. [Aspect 20] The method according to aspect 17, wherein the gear includes indexing means, and the method further includes detecting the indexing means during rotation of the gear. [Aspect 21] The method according to aspect 20, further comprising deactivating the motor in response to detecting the indexing means. [Aspect 22] The method according to aspect 16, further comprising the step of starting the motor based on a signal received from a button, switch or icon located remotely from the electronic striker. [Aspect 23] An electronic striker for releasing a door or access panel, the electronic striker comprising: A housing defining an opening for receiving a claw on the door or access panel and a passage extending from the opening; A plunger coupled to the housing and mounted to move within the passage; A motor configured to move the plunger between a retracted position where the plunger retracts within the passage and a deployed position where the plunger extends within the passage relative to the retracted position; The plunger is configured to move the claw from the passage when moving the plunger from the retracted position to the deployed position, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passage. Electronic striker. [Aspect 24] A method of using an electronic striker in a manual priority mode to release a door or access panel from a housing for the door or access panel, the method comprising: manually moving the plunger from a retracted position where the plunger retracts into the passage to an extended position where the plunger is drawn out of the passage; during the step of manually moving, simultaneously moving the claw of the door or access panel from a position where the claw is positioned within the passage to a position where the claw is positioned either outside or substantially outside the passage, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the housing for the door or access panel. A method comprising the steps of. [Aspect 25] The step of manually moving includes the step of pushing in a first tip of the plunger that is opposite to a second tip of the plunger that contacts the claw, In the retracted position of the plunger, the first tip of the plunger extends from the housing of the electronic striker to a position outside the electronic striker, according to the method of aspect 24. [Aspect 26] A one-way worm gear comprising a body and teeth extending outwardly from the body, each tooth having an inclined surface for meshing with a worm and a plane facing the inclined surface. [Aspect 27] The one-way worm gear according to aspect 26, characterized in that the teeth do not overlap in the circumferential direction around the body. [Aspect 28] An assembly comprising the one-way worm gear according to aspect 26 and a worm configured to mesh with the one-way worm gear.

Claims

1. An electronic striker for releasing a door or an access panel, comprising a housing defining an opening, a plunger connected to the housing and mounted to move relative to the opening, and a motor configured to move the plunger between a retracted position and an extended position where the plunger is extended relative to the retracted position. The electronic striker further includes a gear device configured to convert the rotation of the output shaft of the motor into a linear translational movement of the plunger between the retracted position and the extended position. The gear device includes a cam lift gear having a cam surface, the plunger includes a cam follower engaging with the cam surface, and the rotation of the cam surface causes a translational movement of the cam follower. The cam surface is a continuous surface that rises and falls in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cam lift gear. The plunger is configured to move a claw of the door or the access panel when moving the plunger from the retracted position to the extended position, thereby releasing the door or the access panel.

2. The electronic striker according to claim 1, wherein the plunger is positioned further away from the opening at the retracted position than at the extended position.

3. The electronic striker according to claim 1, wherein the opening is defined on an outer surface of the housing.

4. The electronic striker according to claim 1, wherein the cam follower is a pin fixed to the plunger.

5. The electronic striker according to claim 1, further comprising a spring for biasing the cam follower against the cam surface.

6. An electronic striker according to claim 1, further having indexing means defined in one of the gears of the gear device.

7. The electronic striker according to claim 6, further comprising a sensor for interacting with the indexing means to detect the rotational position of one of the gears of the gear device.

8. The electronic striker according to claim 7, further comprising a controller connected to both the sensor and the motor and configured to deactivate the motor as a function of the rotational position of one of the gears of the gear device as detected by the sensor.

9. Furthermore, it includes a button, switch or icon located away from the electronic striker, and communicates with a processor to activate the motor upon receiving an instruction from a user. The electronic striker according to claim 8.

10. The plunger includes a first tip configured to contact the claw and a second tip on the side opposite to the first tip, and the housing includes another opening through which the second tip extends when the plunger is positioned at the retracted position. The electronic striker according to claim 1.

11. A glove box system comprising the electronic striker according to claim 1, attached to an automotive glove box housing.

12. The glove box system according to claim 11, further comprising the door, the claw, a second claw, and a gear device connecting the claw and the second claw, wherein the claw and the second claw are configured to move simultaneously.

13. A method of releasing a door or access panel from a housing of an electronic striker, the method comprising: An operating step of operating a motor of the electronic striker, moving the plunger from a retracted position where the plunger is retracted into a passage to a deployed position where the plunger is pulled out of the passage; During the operating step, moving a claw of the door or access panel from a position positioned within the passage to a position where the claw is positioned either outside or substantially outside the passage, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the housing of the door or access panel. When the motor is activated, the output shaft of the motor rotates a gear, and the rotation of the gear causes linear movement of the plunger between the retracted position and the deployed position. The gear is a cam lift gear having a cam surface, the plunger includes a cam follower engaging with the cam surface, and the rotation of the cam surface of the gear causes translational movement of the cam follower. Method.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of biasing the cam follower against the cam surface.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the gear includes indexing means, and the method further includes detecting the indexing means when the gear rotates.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising deactivating the motor in response to detecting the indexing means.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising activating the motor based on a signal received from a button, switch or icon located remotely from the electronic striker.

18. An electronic striker according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines a passage extending from the opening for receiving a claw on the door or access panel, the plunger is mounted to move within the passage, when the plunger is in the retracted position, the plunger is retracted within the passage, and when the plunger is in the deployed position, the plunger is extended within the passage relative to the retracted position, the plunger is configured to move the claw from the passage when moving the plunger from the retracted position to the deployed position, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passage. Electronic striker.

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