Patent ID: 7735195

Claim:
A hinge system that is adapted to releasably retain a vehicle door in a desired angular orientation on a vehicle body, comprising: a pillar hinge bracket adapted to be secured to the vehicle body and defining at least one mounting hole; a door hinge bracket adapted to be secured to the vehicle door and defining at least one mounting hole, said door hinge bracket being movable between a first angular orientation relative to said pillar hinge bracket and a second angular orientation relative to said pillar hinge bracket; a hinge pin extending through the pillar hinge bracket and the door hinge bracket; and, a checking device removably secured to the pillar hinge bracket and the door hinge bracket, said checking device including three continuous joined portions comprising: a first linear post portion, the first linear post portion extending into a U-shaped spring portion that biases the door hinge bracket and the door to only the first angular orientation or the second angular orientation, the U-shaped spring portion extending into a second linear post portion, the second linear post portion being longer than the first linear post portion and terminating the checking device, wherein said first post portion extends from the spring portion in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the spring portion and being received in the mounting hole defined by the pillar hinge bracket, said second post extends from the spring portion in a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the U-shaped spring portion and into the mounting hole defined by the door hinge bracket so as to secure the checking device between the pillar hinge bracket and the door hinge bracket, and wherein the first and second post portions extend in the same direction from the plane defined by the U-shaped spring portion.