Patent ID: 6901630
Filing Date: 2005-06-07
Classification: E05C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. 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, said door check device comprising: a first link member engaging member; a second link member engaging member; a housing having a connecting portion; an elongated link member having a first opposing end that provides a connecting portion, a second opposing end, and an intermediate portion that extends between said first and second opposing ends thereof and provides first and second opposing face surfaces, said intermediate portion having upper and lower detents that extend generally in a transverse direction of said link member on said first and second opposing face surfaces thereof, respectively; said elongated link member being positioned between said first and second engaging members with said first and second engaging members extending generally in the transverse direction of said link member such that said first and second engaging members face the first and second face surfaces, respectively, of said intermediate portion; biasing structure constructed and arranged to bias said first and second engaging members relatively towards one another to thereby urge said first and second engaging members into engagement with the first and second opposing face surfaces of said intermediate link member portion, respectively; the connecting portion of said elongated link member and the connecting portion of said housing being constructed and arranged to enable installation of said door check device by operatively connecting one of said connecting portions to the vehicle door and operatively connecting the other of said connecting portions to the vehicle body so that opening and closing movements of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body moves said link member relative to said housing with said first engaging member travelling along the first face surface of said link member's intermediate portion and said second engaging member travelling along the second face surface of said link member's intermediate portion; said first and second engaging members and said detent regions being configured with respect to one another such that, when said device is installed as aforesaid and the vehicle door is swung to a location with respect to the vehicle body wherein said first and second engaging members are received within said upper and lower detents, respectively, said first and second engaging members cooperate with said upper and lower detents to maintain the vehicle door at that position until a force sufficient to cause said link member to move relative to said housing so as to urge said first and second engaging members relatively apart from one another and out of cooperation with said upper and lower detents against the biasing of said biasing structure is applied to the vehicle door; said first engaging member and said second engaging member each being rotatable generally parallel to a yaw plane that extends in both the transverse direction and the longitudinal extent of said link member such that, when said link member is caused to undergo a yaw movement relative to said housing generally along said yaw plane, said first and second engaging members are allowed to rotate relative to the housing along with said link member such that the first and second engaging members remain in transverse relation to said link member.