Anti-rattle wedge assembly

Abstract: A wedge assembly to be secured to a vehicle door to prevent door rattling during vehicle operation. A slide element (14) is captured by a base plate (10) and stops (24) are provided to prevent inadvertent disassembly.

Description: The present invention relates to wedge assemblies which are used to reduce vehicle user squeak and rattle complaints due to door and door latching system vibrations. Vehicle doors are conventionally pivotally mounted to a vehicle frame and latched closed. During operation, the doors may rattle and the generated stress tends to cause sheet metal fatigue at the hinge and latch locations. Cracking and stress marks may result with the likelihood of corrosion increasing. Wedge assemblies are intended to prevent door vibrations and to thereby protect the hinge and latch mechanism from deterioration. Wedge assemblies are subject to manipulation by the installer and are occasionally damaged prior to installation. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a wedge assembly which is designed to prevent damage prior to installation. US-A-3 008 174 discloses a wedge assembly comprising a base plate to be secured to the frame of a door, a slide element to be displaced from a free state location to an advanced location and spring means interconnecting said base plate and said slide element. According to the present invention we provide a wedge assembly comprising a base plate to be secured to the frame of a door, a slide element to be displaced from a free state location to an advanced location and spring means interconnecting said base plate and said slide element characterised in that said base plate includes a pair of spaced parallel and inclined cam surfaces, a pair of spaced parallel slots situated outwardly of said cam surfaces, defined in a base portion of said base plate, and a pair of capturing flanges overlying said spaced parallel slots, and said slide element includes a pair of spaced parallel cam follower surfaces for engaging with the said cam surfaces, and said wedge assembly further comprises a pair of flanges, to be captured below said capturing flanges and stop means projecting downwardly from said slide element flanges for location within said slots, said slots being selectively sized so that the displacement of said slide element towards said advanced location will be stopped by engagement of said stop means and the adjacent end of said slots. In order that the present invention be better understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is the top view of a wedge assembly made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention Figure 2 is a view of the wedge assembly taken along lines 2-2 of figure 1; and Figure 3 is a view of the wedge assembly taken along lines 3-3 of figure 1. The wedge assembly has a base plate 10 which has a pair of holes 12 permitting connection by bolts or the like to the door of a vehicle. The base plate 10 supports a movable slide element 14 which is slideable along a pair of spaced parallel and inclined cam surfaces 16 defined on the base plate. The slide element is pulled toward its start position, at the left end of the cam surfaces in figure 2 by a spring element 18 and can be forced down the cam surfaces against the action of the spring by the vehicle surface which it strikes when the door is closed. The slide element 14 is generally U-shaped (upside down) with the bottom surfaces 20 comprising the cam followers. Elongated slots 22 are defined in the base plate 10 in which stop elements 24 are located. These stop elements extend downwardly from flanges 26 that extend horizontally outwardly from the U-shaped body and are displaceable within the slots 22. The flanges 26 are trapped by overlying inwardly extending base plate flanges 28. Movement of the wedge element to the left (to the start position) is stopped by engagement of the rear vertical surfaces 30 of the wedge element with inwardly extending base plate projectories 32 and forward movement is limited by the engagement of each stop 24 with the portion 34 of the base plate at the forward end of its slot 22. To permit assembly, the overlying flanges 28 terminate short of the forward end of the slots and are beveled 36 inwardly along the lower front edge. As shown in figure 3, the slide element can be pivoted into its trapped operating location (the front portion of the overlying flanges 28 will be slightly deflected). As can be seen from figure 2, the ends of the spring are captured by J-shaped catches 40 which open in the direction opposite to the removal direction for the ends of the spring. These J-shaped hooks or catches minimize the likelihood that the spring can come off a result of snapping the wedge element.

Claims: A wedge assembly comprising a base plate (10) to be secured to the frame of a door, a slide element (14) to be displaced from a free state location to an advanced location and spring means (18) interconnecting said base plate and said slide element characterised in that said base plate (10) includes a pair of spaced parallel and inclined cam surfaces (16), a pair of spaced parallel slots (22) situated outwardly of said cam surfaces (16), defined in a base portion of said base plate (10), and a pair of capturing flanges (26) overlying said spaced parallel slots (22), and said slide element includes a pair of spaced parallel cam follower surfaces (20) for engaging with the said cam surfaces, and said wedge assembly further comprises a pair of flanges (28), to be captured below said capturing flanges and stop means (24) projecting downwardly from said slide element flanges for location within said slots (22), said slots (22) being selectively sized so that the displacement of said slide element (14) towards said advanced location will be stopped by engagement of said stop means (24) and the adjacent end of said slots (22). A wedge assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the ends of said base plate flanges (28) proximate the engaged ends of the slots (22) terminated rearward therefrom to permit assembly of the wedge assembly. A wedge assembly according to Claim 2 wherein the lower front edges of said base plate flange ends (28) are bevelled to facilitate assembly.

Inventors: ELWARD THEODORE E, FLOWERS THOMAS A, SCHUBRING GARY L, ELWARD, THEODORE E., FLOWERS, THOMAS A., SCHUBRING, GARY L.
Applicants: EMHART INC, EMHART INC.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: E05F7
IPC codes: E05F7, B60J5