Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a support housing comprising a housing part for an active component of a door stay, the housing part having at a first end an opening for receiving the active component. The problem of developing a support housing which can be produced on an industrial scale easily and flexibly in line with changing requirements is solved by the invention in that the housing part comprises a cut-off extruded profile. The invention also relates to a door stay comprising a stay bar with a first side, a first active component, which co-operates with the first side of the stay bar, and a support housing with a first housing part, the first end of which is open, and with an opening for the first active component, the first housing part comprising a cut-off extruded profile.

Full Description:
The invention relates to a support housing for a door stay, and to a door stay. 
     BACKGROUND 
     DE 103 02 549 A1 describes a door stay which comprises a door retaining bar with a first side, a first active component which is designed as a first sliding body and interacts with the first side of the door retaining bar, and a support housing, the support housing having a housing part which is open at a first end, and the first sliding body being accommodated in a receptacle for guidance in a longitudinal direction. 
     In this case, the housing part of the support housing is designed as a plastic part produced by injection molding. A disadvantage in this connection is that the production of the housing part is complicated, since a suitable mold has to be provided for the housing part, and is time-consuming in particular with regard to mass production. A further disadvantage is that—if changes are required to the design of the housing part—the production of easily modified housing parts can be integrated only with difficulty into a mass production process. 
     A particular problem is that, on account of tolerances which occur during installation, the support housing, which is fastened by one side to a sheet of the vehicle body, can enclose an angle with an action line, which is essentially provided by a rectilinear connection of the two bearing eyes of the door retaining bar, and therefore a torque may occur and force may be introduced onto the sheet of the vehicle body. A change to the design of the housing part to the effect that the side of the support housing which faces the sheet is, for its part, offset in relation to the remaining part of the support housing can only be carried out retrospectively in a highly complicated manner when support housings are manufactured as injection-molded plastic parts, and therefore, because the configuration of the support housing is not optimally adjusted, the introduction force into the sheet of the vehicle body is generally accepted as a disadvantage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to design a support housing and a door stay of the type described at the beginning in such a manner that they can be produced in a mass production process in a simple manner and with flexibility if the requirements change 
     If the housing part of the support housing of the door stay comprises an extruded profile which is cut to size, the housing part can be produced in large numbers in a particularly simple and rapid manner, since extrusion constitutes a through-flow process in which a malleable melt passes through a shaping die. In this case, a hollow profile can be produced in such a manner that the shaping die has an inner mandrel. The shaping die can also result in a defined external profile of the housing part. In addition to the cutting of the extruded profile to size, further process steps for the formation of the supporting part can be omitted, and therefore large piece numbers of housing parts can be produced in particular within a short time. 
     Should it prove necessary to have to adapt the design of the housing part, it suffices to convert the die in a suitable manner such that it is possible to react rapidly to changed requirements. In particular, it is possible in a simple manner to adapt the support housings during the course of the mass production process in a manner such that the bearing surface thereof which bears against the sheet of the vehicle body is oriented as perpendicularly as possible to the force action line and such that an introduction of force into the sheet due to a torque is minimized. 
     The receptacle for the active component together with the housing part preferably forms a side wall which encircles the active component on all sides, securely holds the active component and securely guides the active component, if the latter is designed as a longitudinally displaceable sliding body, at least in some sections in the longitudinal direction, with it being possible for such a hollow profile to be produced easily by means of extrusion with a die comprising a mandrel. 
     The housing part of the support housing preferably has an external profile which can be produced in a simple manner by shaping of the die, with it being possible for the external profile of the housing part to fulfill further functions without the extruded profile which has been cut to size having to be refinished in order to produce the external profile. 
     Particularly preferably, the external profile has a first profile section for a first fastening means; the first profile section can especially comprise a first and a second undercut which on both sides receive between them a head of a fastening screw provided as the first fastening means, with the support housing being able to be fixed on the sheet of the vehicle body by means of the fastening screw. 
     As an alternative or, preferably, in addition to the first profile section, the external profile has a second profile section for a second fastening means, the second fastening means being a rivet with a stem, and the rivet being provided in order to fasten a first and a second housing part to each other, and the second profile section being designed in such a manner that it holds the rivet stem in a form-fitting manner in some sections. 
     As an alternative or, preferably, in addition to one of the first profile section and the second profile section, the external profile has a third profile section in which an end stop part is accommodated. In the third profile section, the end stop part, which is designed, for example, as a material blank of a soft plastic, is accommodated between a first limb section and a second limb section, with it being possible for the end stop part to easily be fixed on the housing part of the support housing by embossing at least one of the two limb sections. 
     A second, open end of the housing part is preferably closed by a closure piece which is fixed on the body in a simple manner by means of a fixing embossment such that the housing part is essentially closed overall at the first end by the guided active component arranged in the open receptacle and at the second end by the closure piece. 
     The housing part is preferably produced from aluminum, an aluminum alloy or another light metal, such as, for example, magnesium or a magnesium alloy, the stated materials being able to be easily and inexpensively deformed, in particular by extrusion, and only having a low weight. 
     The support housing preferably comprises two identical housing parts which may be preferably arranged symmetrically to each other, which, may be easily possible if the two housing parts are cut to size from the same extruded profile. 
     The abovementioned advantages and advantageous designs of a support housing are also applicable, in particular, for a door stay which comprises a support housing designed in such a manner. 
     In addition to a first support housing which receives a first active component, and in addition to a door retaining bar, the door stay preferably further comprises a second support housing which receives a second active component, the first active component and the second active component interacting with the door retaining bar, and the two housings, the first support housing and the second support housing, each comprising an extruded profile which is cut to size. 
     The assembly of the door stay by the installation of the two support housings is simplified if the two support housings can be fixed on each other, for example by each of the two support housings having a second profile section passed through by a common fastening means. 
     In this connection, it is preferably provided that the common fastening means is a rivet with a first rivet stem and with a second rivet stem, the first rivet stem passing through a section of the second profile section of the first support housing, and the second rivet stem passing through a section of the second profile section of the second support housing. 
     The rivet preferably comprises a third rivet stem which is arranged between the first rivet stem and the second rivet stem and which keeps the two support housings at a distance from each other. The third rivet stem can be dimensioned, in particular, in such a manner that the door retaining bar bears laterally against it and is guided by it, which, during the installation of the door stay, proves favorable for an initial and easily reproducible orientation of the door retaining bar relative to the two support housings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described and explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  shows a plan view along a longitudinal axis of an extruded profile for an exemplary embodiment of a support housing according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a door stay according to the invention with the support housing from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a plan view of the door stay from  FIG. 2  and the support housing from  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  in an installed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a plan view of an extruded profile  1  which extends essentially perpendicular to the plane of the paper and has an internal profile  2  and an external profile  3 . The extruded profile  1  is mirror-symmetrical to an imaginary plane (straight line  4  in  FIG. 1 ) perpendicular to the plane of the paper. The internal profile  2  is provided as a receptacle  48  for, for example an active component, for which purpose the internal profile  2  has an essentially circular side wall  49  which encircles the active component on all sides. The extruded profile has an essentially circular external contour  23  over which a first profile section  5 , a second profile section  14  and a third profile section  18  protrude to the outside such that the wall thickness is also not reduced at the point at which one of the three profile sections  5 ,  14  or  18  is provided. 
     The external profile  3  of the extruded profile  1  comprises the first profile section  5  with a receiving opening  6 , a receiving space  7 , which is formed by a first undercut  13   a  and a second undercut  13   b  and is closed by essentially semicircular ends  7   a ,  7   b , and two bearing sections  8   a ,  8   b , each of which has a bearing surface  9   a ,  9   b  which is as large and flat as possible. A first end  10   a  of the first bearing section  8   a  points away from a first end  10   b  of the second bearing section  8   b , and a second end  11   a  of the first bearing section  8   a  points toward a second end  11   b  of the second bearing section  8   b  such that the second ends  11   a ,  11   b  bound the receiving opening  6 . The first ends  10   a ,  10   b  have an essentially semicircular cross section while the second ends  11   a ,  11   b  have a rectilinear section  12   a ,  12   b , and therefore overall the receiving space  7  with the receiving opening has a T-shaped cross-sectional profile. 
     In particular, the first fastening section  5  can receive a first fastening means, for example a screw with a T-shaped (in a suitable sectional plane) head, and a stem. The T-shaped head of the screw may be received by the first undercut  13   a  and the second undercut  13   b  in the receiving space  7  and the lateral boundary of the cross section of the head of the screw coming to lie in an essentially form-fitting manner between the semicircular ends  7   a ,  7   b  in order to avoid a movement of the screw essentially perpendicular to the straight line  4 . The stem of the screw passes through the receiving opening  6  and bears in some sections in a planar manner against the rectilinear sections  12   a ,  12   b . Fixing of the screw along the direction of the straight line  4  enables the extruded profile to be fixed to a support, for example a sheet of a motor vehicle, with the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  being pressed in a planar manner against the sheet and providing an extensive mutual contact surface 
     The external profile  3  of the extruded profile  1  furthermore comprises the second profile section  14  which is designed in two parts and mirror-symmetrically with respect to the plane with the straight line  4  in  FIG. 1 . In this case, the fastening section  14   a ,  14   b  comprises a respective first arm  15   a ,  15   b  and second arm  16   a ,  16   b , the two arms  15   a  and  16   a  and  15   b  and  16   b  each enclosing an essentially annular space  17   a ,  17   b  over an angle of approx. 300° in such a manner that the space  17   a  or  17   b  engages in an essentially form-fitting manner around a cylindrical stem of, for example, a rivet, surrounds it in some sections and holds it in a manner such that it is secured against displacement within the plane of the paper of  FIG. 1 . 
     The external profile  3  furthermore comprises the third profile section  18  which comprises a first limb section  22   a  with a boundary surface  19   a  protruding essentially perpendicularly from the external contour, with a lug  20   a  adjoining the boundary surface  19   a . In a mirror-inverted manner with respect to the straight line  4  in  FIG. 1 , the third profile section  18  comprises a second limb section  22   b  with a boundary surface  19   b  and a lug  20   b . The limb sections  22   a  and  22   b  directly adjoin the second arm  16   a  and  16   b  of the second profile section  14  such that the second profile section  14  and the third profile section  18  are arranged directly adjacent. 
     The third profile section  18  accommodates, for example, a piece of material such as an end stop part for a door stay, of an approximately rectangular blank, one long edge of which bears against a section  20  of the external contour and the two short edges of which come to lie between the boundary surfaces  19   a ,  19   b . The piece of material is then held by the lugs  20   a ,  20   b  and, by slight calking of the lugs  20   a ,  20   b , can be firmly pressed against the section  20  of the external contour and therefore fixed on the extruded profile  1 . 
     Extrusion enables shaped pieces with a cross section as illustrated in  FIG. 1  to be produced in any desired length if a die is provided for the extrusion which has a design complementary to the cross-sectional profile from  FIG. 1  as an opening for the emerging strand. The rounded edges, in particular of the first ends  10   a ,  10   b , the second ends  11   a ,  11   b  and the ends  7   a ,  7   b , the lugs  20   a ,  20   b  and the first arms  15   a ,  15   b  and the second arms  16   a ,  16   b  simplify the production of shaped pieces with a cross-sectional profile as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     Cutting sections of the shaped piece to size produces extruded profiles  1  which are cut to size and have a first, open end  24  and a second, open end  25 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a door stay which comprises a door retaining bar  26  and a support housing  27 . 
     The support housing  27  comprises a first housing part  27   a  and a second housing part  27   b , the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  having an extruded profile  1  which is cut to size and has the cross section illustrated in  FIG. 1  and being composed of aluminum or of an alloy based on aluminum. The two housing parts  27   a  and  27   b  are of identical design and formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to each other—with reference to a plane essentially defined by the door retaining bar  26 . Therefore, only one of the housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  is sometimes referred to below, depending on whether the first housing part  27   a , which is shown in a sectional view, or the housing part  27   b , which is reproduced in an exploded illustration, constitutes a feature which can be seen more clearly. 
     The support housing  27  comprises a screw  28  which is provided as the first fastening means and has an essentially rectangular screw head  28   a  and an essentially cylindrical screw stem  28   b , the screw  28  having an essentially T shaped cross-sectional profile in a suitable sectional plane. In the installed position (first housing part  27   a  in  FIG. 2 ), edges of the screw head  28   a  bear in an essentially form-fitting manner in the two undercuts  13   a ,  13   b  of the first profile section  5 . 
     The support housing  27  comprises two similar rivets  29   a  and  29   b  which are designed as the second fastening means and the respective first rivet stem  30  of which is accommodated between the first arm  15   a  and the second arm  16   a  of the second profile section  14  of the first housing part  27   a ;  FIG. 2  shows the first rivet stem  30  of the rivets  29   a  only for the first housing part  27   a . The rivets  29   a ,  29   b  furthermore comprise a second rivet stem  31  which is shown in  FIG. 2  only for the rivet  29   b  which passes through the second housing part  27   b  in the region of the second profile section  14  ( FIG. 1 ). Each of the rivets  29   a ,  29   b  furthermore comprises a third rivet stem  32  which is illustrated in  FIG. 2  only for the rivet  29   b  for the second housing part  27   b , the third rivet stem  32  being arranged between the first rivet stem  30  and the second rivet stem  31 . The third rivet stem  32  is wider than the first rivet stem  30  and the second rivet stem  31  and forms two edges, and therefore, in the installed position of the support housing  27  that is illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the first housing part  27   a  and the second housing part  27   b  bear against the two edges in the region of the cut surfaces, which are produced by cutting the extruded profile to size, in the region of the arms  15   a ,  15   b  and  16   a ,  16   b.    
     The support housing furthermore comprises, for each of the housing parts  27   a ,  27   b , a respective piece of material  33   a ,  33   b  made of a flexible material, for example of a soft plastic, which is fixed, for example clamped, in the respective said profile section  18  ( FIG. 1 ) between the respective first and second limb sections  22   a ,  22   b  and, by calking of the lugs  20   a ,  20   b , is fastened to the housing part  27   a ,  27   b . As shown for example in  FIG. 2 , pieces of material  33   a ,  33   b  may be easily be fixed on housing part  27   a  by an embossing  110  at least one of limb sections  22   a ,  22   b.    
     The door retaining bar  26  of the door stay comprises a first side  34  with which a first active component  35  interacts, a second side (which cannot be seen in  FIG. 2 ) with which a second active component  36  interacts, and a first side surface  37  against which the third rivet stem  32  of the second rivet  29   b  bears, and also a second side surface (which cannot be seen in  FIG. 2 ) against which the third rivet stem (not illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) of the first rivet  29   a  bears such that, in particular, the door retaining bar  26  bears on both sides against sections of the rivets  29   a ,  29   b  and is guided by them. The door retaining bar  26  furthermore has, at a first end  26   a , a first bearing bore  38  at which the door retaining bar is fastened rotatably to a bearing block  39  by means of a fixing means  40 , and, at a second end  26   b , a second bearing bore  41  to which the door retaining bar  26  can be attached rotatably by a further fixing means (not illustrated). At the second end  26   b  of the door retaining bar  26 , the latter is set down essentially perpendicular to the plane defined by it, thus providing a hammer head  42  which serves as the end stop. The pieces of material  33   a  and  33   b , which are provided as end stop parts, in the respective third profile section  18  of the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  interact with the hammer head  42 , with the formation of the pieces of material  33   a  and  33   b  from a soft plastic ensuring a damped soft end stop. 
     The first active component  35  is accommodated in the first housing part  27   a  and protrudes over the first end  24  of the first housing part  27   a  in such a manner that the first active component  35  is in contact with the first side  34  of the door retaining bar. The second active component  36  is accommodated in the second housing part  27   b  and likewise protrudes over the first end  24  of the second housing part  27   b  to an extent such that, for example, a frictional interaction with the second side of the door retaining bar  26  may be possible. 
     A closure piece  43   a ,  43   b  is arranged at the respective second end  25  of the housing parts  27   a ,  27   b , the closure piece closing the second end  25  and—as can be seen in the case of the first housing part  27   a —being fixed on the first housing part  27   a  by a fixing embossment, i.e. by slight inward bending of the edge bearing against the second end  25 . 
     The two active components  35 ,  36  are of similar construction and are arranged in a mirror-inverted manner with respect to each other—with reference to a plane defined by the door retaining bar  26 —and comprise a sliding piece  44  of essentially hollow-cylindrical shape, the closed, rounded end  44   a  of which interacts in a frictional manner with the door retaining bar  26  and in which a spring  46   a ,  46   b  is accommodated, which spring is supported on the respective closure piece  43   a ,  43   b  and acts upon the sliding piece in the direction of the door retaining bar  26 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the door stay and the support housing  27  from  FIG. 2  in an installed position, the support housing  27  being fastened to a sheet  45  of a motor vehicle body by means of the screw  28 , and the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  being joined together by means of the rivets  29   a ,  29   b  to form the support housing  27 . In this case, the support housing  27  bears against the sheet  45  along the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  of the first profile section  5  of the external profile  5  of the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b.    
     When the active components  35 ,  36  interact with the door retaining bar  26 , forces occur which are transmitted to the sheet  45  by the support housing  27  via the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b . The bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  enclose an angle of approx. 6.5° with a force action line  46  which connects the first bearing bore  38  and the second bearing bore  39  of the door retaining bar  26  to each other, and therefore the forces which occur are not transmitted uniformly to the sheet  45  and a torque occurs which may distort the sheet. 
     In the case of the support housing  27  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a perpendicular  47  to the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  encloses an angle of approx. 0° with the straight line  4  ( FIG. 1 ) which indicates the orientation of the remaining parts of the housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  and of the support housing  27  (partial image  3   a  belonging to  FIG. 3 ). 
     The occurrence of the torque can be suppressed by the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  being arranged essentially perpendicular to the direction of the force action line  46 , for which purpose the bearing surfaces  9   a ,  9   b  are to be rotated in relation to the rest of the support housing  27 , and therefore, for example for an improved support housing  27 ′, the bearing surfaces  9 ′ a ,  9 ′ b  are designed such that they are rotated through approx. 5° in relation to the remaining parts and the angle enclosed between the force action line  46  and the perpendicular  47 ′ to the bearing surfaces  9 ′ a ,  9 ′ b  is significantly reduced (partial image  3   b  belonging to  FIG. 3 ). It has to be understood that, if required, greater angles (10° or more, partial image  3   c  belonging to  FIG. 3 ) can be provided between the perpendicular  47 ″ and the force action line  46  in order to permit an orientation of the bearing surfaces  9 ″ a ,  9 ″ b  essentially perpendicular to the force action line  46 . 
     The modifications illustrated in  FIG. 3 , partial images  3   b  and  3   c , can be set rapidly even for a mass production process if the die for the extruded profile  1  ( FIG. 1 ) is correspondingly adapted such that there can be a flexible reaction even to changed requirements. 
     The invention now functions as follows: 
     Starting from the predetermined cross section of a housing part, as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and in the partial images  3   a  to  3   c  belonging to  FIG. 3 , a die is provided, the outlet opening of which, for letting out an extruded profile, is covered by the cross section of the housing part. The extrusion then produces a shaped part of essentially any desired length, with the internal profile  2  and the encircling side wall  49  and the external profile  3 . At least one of the extruded profiles  1  is cut to size from the shaped part, and therefore the extruded profile which is cut to size has an open first end  25 , which is provided together with the side wall  49  as a receptacle  48  for the active component  35 ,  36 , and a second open end  26 . 
     The open second end  25  is closed by means of the closure piece  43   a  or  43   b , for example by the edge bearing against the second end  25  being calked. The piece of material  33   a ,  33   b  which is provided as the end stop part is subsequently introduced into the third profile section  18  and fixed there by calking of the lugs  20   a ,  20   b.    
     The active component  36 ,  37  is subsequently introduced into the open first end  24  of the housing part  27   a ,  27   b  and accommodated there. 
     The two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  are joined to form the support housing  27 , for which purpose two rivets  29  pass together through the spaces  17   a ,  17   b  of the two profile sections  14  of the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b . In the process, the mutually facing first ends  24  of the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  rest with the respective arms  15   a ,  15   b ,  16   a  and  16   b  in the region of the first ends  24  on the third rivet stem  32  of the two rivets  29 , and therefore the third rivet stem  32  keeps the two housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  at a distance from each other, the distance between housing parts  27   a ,  27   b  defining an opening  100 . 
     The screws  28  for fastening the support housing  27  to the sheet  45  are subsequently fitted in such a manner that the screw heads  28   a  are introduced into the first undercuts  13   a  and second undercuts  13   b  of the first profile sections  5  of the two housing parts and then the screws  28  are fixed to the sheet  45 . 
     Finally, the door retaining bar  26  is introduced, the side surface  37  of which bears against the respective third rivet stem  32  of the two rivets  29  and is guided during initial installation and impeded in the installed position in a manner such that it does not come out. The door stay is finally attached in a functional position by incorporating the first bearing bore  38  and the second bearing bore  41 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment described above, the piece of material  33   a ,  33   b  provided as the end stop part is fixed to the extruded profile  1  by calking of the limb sections  22   a ,  22   b  of the third profile section  18 . It has to be understood that a different type of fixing can also be provided, for example the end stop part can also be fastened to the section  21  of the external contour by adhesive bonding. As an alternative or in addition, it can be provided to bend the piece of material provided as the end stop part in such a manner and to introduce it in a bent and therefore braced manner into the third profile section  18  that it is accommodated between boundary surfaces  19   a ,  19   b  and is prevented from dropping out by the lugs  20   a ,  20   b.    
     The present invention has been described above with reference to an exemplary embodiment in which the active components  35 ,  36  are accommodated in the housing part  27   a  and  27   b  in a manner guided such that they slide essentially perpendicular to the associated side of the door retaining bar  26 . Other active components can also be accommodated in the housing part, for example active components which comprise one or more rollers which then roll on the side of the door retaining bar and in which the interaction of the active component with the door retaining bar is essentially based on rolling friction. A mounting for the roller is then arranged in the housing part. 
     In the exemplary embodiment described above, the first profile section  5  was designed with the two undercuts  13   a ,  13   b  in such a manner that the screw head  28   a  of the screw  28  with an essentially T-shaped cross section was accommodated in the undercuts  13   a ,  13   b . A different profile shaping can also be provided, for example, a screw can have an essentially hemispherical or at least approximately spherical screw head which can then be accommodated in a first profile section with a cross-sectional design essentially complementary thereto.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4