Patent ID: 9617774
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: E05C,E05F,Y10T

Claim:
1. A check arm for a vehicle door, comprising: a body having a length and defining a longitudinal axis, and having a first body end and a second body end; a pivot connector positioned at the first body end and is configured for pivotally connecting the check arm to one of a vehicle body and a vehicle door; and an end stop positioned at the second body end, and is positioned to limit the amount of withdrawal of the check arm from a check arm keeper on the other of the vehicle body and the vehicle door, wherein the body is non-metallic and includes a plurality of elongate structural fibers and a binder that connects the structural fibers together, wherein each structural fiber extends longitudinally along substantially the length of the body, wherein each structural fiber extends from a first structural fiber end positioned proximate the second body end, along the length of the body to the pivot connector, around a distal end of the pivot connector, and along the length of the body to a second structural fiber end that is positioned proximate the second body end, wherein the pivot connector is a pivot aperture that is positioned to receive a pin on said one of the vehicle body and the vehicle door, wherein the pivot aperture has a pivot aperture axis, and wherein the plurality of elongate structural fibers are in the form of a strip having a length, a width and a thickness, wherein the length is bigger than the width and the width is bigger than the thickness, wherein, along a first portion of the length of the body outside of the first body end the width and length of the strip define a surface that is perpendicular to the pivot aperture axis, and wherein, proximate the first body end, the strip is twisted at an angle of approximately 90 degrees such that the width and length of the strip define a surface that is substantially parallel to the pivot aperture axis.