Patent Document

[0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application 60/744,207, filed on Apr. 4, 2006, currently pending, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Vehicle door checkers are used to hold vehicle doors in one of a number of desired positions, such as three quarters of the way opened and fully opened. Most vehicle door checkers include an arm that is attached at a first end to the frame or body, via a pivotable mount. When the door is fully opened, the second, opposite, end of the arm is inside of a housing that is attached to the vehicle door, while a middle portion of the arm between the first and second ends is located between the housing and the pivotable mount. As the door is closed, the housing slides over the arm, starting from the second end of the arm through the middle portion, toward the first end of the arm.  
         [0003]     The arm includes a series of notches along the length of the middle portion that correspond to desired holding positions of the door. As the housing moves over the arm, a slider held within the housing rides along the surface of the arm. The slider is biased against the arm, typically by a helical spring, so that when a notch or peak is encountered, contact is maintained between the slider and arm. An additional amount of force applied to the door is required to move the arm past the slider when either a peak or notch of the arm is encountered. Thus, in such a position, the door is held in place until the extra amount of force is applied.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,570 to Lezuch et al. discloses a door checker that further includes a rubber or foam-like cylinder that is used as a dampening member inside the helical type springs of the housing.  
         [0005]     In the art, housings are typically mounted on the inside of the vehicle door. In this position, the housing is subject to the intrusion of water. Because vehicles are used outdoors and often stored outdoors, water that enters the housing in liquid form is susceptible to freezing. Expansion during freezing can cause failure of the housing and prevent the components inside the housing from moving. The foam cylinder of the Lezuch et al. patent does not prevent water from accumulating in the housing. What is desired is an effective water dam to prevent accumulation of water in the housing of a typical vehicle door checker.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages in the prior art. The door checker of the present invention includes a water checking dam that prevents the accumulation of water in a checker housing.  
         [0007]     In accordance with the present invention, a vehicle door checker is provided that includes a housing attachable to a vehicle door, an arm having a first portion attachable to the vehicle, and a second portion that moves through the housing when the door is moved. The door checker also includes one or more sliders held within the housing that are in sliding contact with the second portion of the arm inside of the housing. One or more biasing members are also held within the housing, each biasing member biasing a slider against the second portion of the arm passing through the housing. A water management dam fills a portion of the housing such that water is prevented from accumulating within the housing. The water management dam is preferably formed from a closed cell foam.  
         [0008]     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be fully described by the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle door checker having a water management dam of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the vehicle door checker;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an additional cross-sectional view of a portion of the vehicle door checker;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle door checker with the housing in a different position from  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a vehicle door checker having a water management dam of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring to the drawings, specifically  FIG. 1 , a preferred door checker including a water management dam according to the present invention is illustrated. The door checker  10  includes a housing  12 , an arm  14 , a pivotable mount  16 , two sliders  18  and  20 , two biasing members  22  and  24  associated with the sliders  18  and  20 , and water management dams  26  and  28  located on opposite sides of the housing  12 .  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing  12  is generally cylindrical and is mounted to a vehicle door  30  using bolts  32 . Preferably, the housing  12  is formed from a case portion  34  and a cover  36 . The case portion  34  includes a base  38  and raised walls  40 . The cover  36  is generally flat. The housing  12  is generally hollow and defines two apertures  42  near a midsection of the housing, one aperture  42  being defined by the cover  36  and the second aperture being defined by the base  38  of the case portion  34 . Absent use of the water management dams  26  and  28  of the present invention, water has a tendency to enter the housing  12  either between the junction of the case portion  34  and cover  36 , where bolts  32  pass through the cover  36 , or through one or both of the apertures  42  and fill the housing  12 .  
         [0016]     The arm  14  is elongated, having a first end  44  and a second end  46  and a middle section  48  therebetween. A stopper  50 , stopper plate  52  and stopper pin  54  are secured to the arm  14  adjacent the second end  46 . The stopper  50  is positioned closest to the middle section  48  of the arm  14 , the stopper plate  52  is adjacent to the stopper  50  and the stopper pin  54  is adjacent to the stopper plate  52 . The middle section  48  includes a series of notches  56  and raised portions  58  of a type well known in the art. Preferably, each notch  56  is flanked by two raised portions  58 .  
         [0017]     The pivotable mount  16  includes a bracket  60  and a checker pin  62 . The bracket  60  preferably includes a back  64 , a first leg  66  and a second leg  68  that extend from the back  64  and are parallel to one another. Both the first leg  66  and the second leg  68  define an aperture  67  and the apertures are aligned such that the checking pin  62  may be inserted through the apertures in both the first leg  66  and the second leg  68  in a direction parallel to the back  64  of the bracket  60 . The arm  14  defines an aperture  70  near its first end  44  and the checking pin  62  also passes through this aperture  70  which results in the arm  14  being pivotably attached to the bracket  60 .  
         [0018]     A first slider  18  is held within the housing  12  in a position adjacent to a middle portion  48  of the arm  14  that passes through the housing  12 . The first slider  18  is puck shaped, but includes a nipple  72  on one face and a post  74  on an opposite face. The nipple  72  is biased by biasing member  22  into constant contact with the middle portion  48  of the arm  14  that passes through the housing  12 . The post  74  provides a locating means for the proper positioning of a biasing member  22  with respect to the slider  18 . The first slider  18  slides lengthwise within the housing  12 .  
         [0019]     A second slider  20  is configured within the housing  12  in a similar manner as the first slider  18  and has the same shape as the first slider  18 , but on an opposite side of the arm  14  from the first slider  18 . The second slider  20  includes a nipple  73  and a post  75  configured in the same manner as the nipple  72  and post  74  on the first slider  18 .  
         [0020]     The first biasing member  22  is held within the housing  12  adjacent to the slider  18 . The first biasing member  22  is preferably a helical spring. A first end  80  of the first biasing member  22  abuts the raised wall  40  of the case portion  34  of the housing  12  and a second end  82  of the first biasing member  22  abuts the first slider  18 . The helical spring defines a cylindrical space inside of the spring coils and into which the post  74  fits. As the first slider  18  moves away from the second slider  20  within the housing  12 , because of a peak  58  on the arm  14 , the biasing member  22  is compressed. Then, as the first slider  18  moves toward the second slider  20  of the housing  12 , after passing the peak  58  in the arm  14 , the biasing member  22  is expanded.  
         [0021]     A second biasing member  24  is configured within the housing  12  in a similar manner as the first biasing member  22  and having the same shape as the first biasing member  22 , but on an opposite side of the arm  14  from the first biasing member  22 . The second biasing member  24  includes a first end  81  that abuts the raised wall  40  of the case portion  34  of the housing  12  and a second end  83  that abuts the second slider  20 .  
         [0022]     The first water management dam  26  is a filler that is placed into the housing  12  surrounding the biasing member  22 . The first water management dam  26  is applied in a liquid form, then expands and sets to form a compressible solid. Preferably, the first water management dam  26  is formed from a closed cell foam. When viewing the housing  12  in cross section lengthwise (see  FIG. 1 ) and widthwise (see  FIG. 3 ), the water management dam  26  fills the cylindrical space  90  inside of the spring coils of the biasing member  22 , the space  92  between the spring coils of the first biasing member  22  and the gap  94  between the biasing member  22  and the housing  12 . The first water management dam  26  abuts the raised wall  40  of the case portion  34  of the housing  12 .  
         [0023]     A second water management dam  28  is configured within the housing  12  in a similar manner as the first water management dam  26 , but on an opposite side of the arm  14  from the first water management dam  26 .  
         [0024]     The housing  12  defines first and second sides as previously described. The first side defines a chamber  100  between the first slider  18  and the raised wall  40  of the case portion  34 . The second side defines a chamber  102  between the second slider  20  and the raised wall  40  of the case portion. The size of each chamber  100  and  102  shrinks or expands depending upon the movement of the sliders  18  and  20 . In the prior art, the chambers  100  and  102  are able to fill with water and freeze. Freezing can cause the housing  12  to break. Freezing can also prevent the biasing members  22  and  24  from being able to compress or expand and as a result prevents movement of the sliders  18  and  20 . The first water management dam  26  fills a portion of the first chamber  100 . Preferably, the space  90  inside of the first chamber  100  that is also inside of the first biasing member  22  is completely filled by the first water management dam  26 . Preferably, the space  92  between the individual spring coils of the first biasing member  22  is filled by the first water management dam  26  between more than half of the coils. Preferably, a gap  94  between the first biasing member  22  and the housing  12  is approximately half filled by the first water management dam.  
         [0025]     The second water management dam  28  fills the second chamber  102  of the housing in the same configuration as the first water management dam  26  fills the first chamber  100 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , as the arm  14  moves, the housing  12  contacts the stopper  50  when the door is past a fully open position. As the door is then moved to a closed position, the housing  12  moves over the arm  14 . The sliders  18  and  20  slide on the arm  18  over the peaks  58  and into the notches  56  (compare  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 ). To reach the top of each peak  58 , additional closing force is applied to the door. Likewise, to move the sliders  18  and  20  out of the notches  26 , additional closing force is applied to the door. At a closed position, movement of the door is stopped by means that are not part of the door checker  10 , such as a door latch. When the door is opened, the housing  12  moves over the arm  14  in an opposite direction.  
         [0027]     The water management dams prevent the accumulation of water inside the housing  12  by occupying the space where water could otherwise occupy. Additionally, the water management dams  26  and  28  prevent the entry of water into the housing in positions where the water management dams  26  and  28  abut a gap in the housing  12 , such as where the case portion  34  meets the cover  36 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , because the water management dams  26  and  28  are preferably foam, when the sliders  18  and  20  move to compress and expand the biasing members  22  and  24 , the water management dams  26  and  28  are also able to compress and expand without opening up a gap for the accumulation of water.  
         [0028]     The water management dams  26  and  28  may fill any amount of the chambers  100  and  102  in the housing. Additionally, the water management dams  26  and  28  may fill, in different or equal amounts, the space  90  inside of the biasing members  26  and  28 , the space  92  between the coils of the biasing members  22  and  24 , and the space between the biasing member and the walls of the housing  12 .  
         [0029]     In a first alternative embodiment of the invention, the door checker includes only a single water management dam  28  located on a lower side of the housing  12 .  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in a second alternative embodiment of the invention, the sliders  118  and  120  have a different shape as compared to the first embodiment. The sliders  118  and  120  do not include a post on a side opposite the side that contacts the arm  114 . Rather, the sliders  118  and  120  include a peripheral wall  119  and  121  that extends from an end of the slider  118  and  120  adjacent to the arm  114  into the space  194  between the biasing member and the housing  112 . The peripheral wall  119  and  121  does not extend so far as to interfere with movement of the slider  118  and  120  as the slider  118  and  120  moves along the surface of the arm  114 . The raised wall  140  of the housing  112  includes a locator  141  that protrudes into the housing  112  and aids in positioning the biasing member  122  and  124 . The water management dam  128  fills the space  190  inside of the biasing member  124 , the space  192  between the coils of the biasing member  124 , and a part of the space  194  between the biasing member  124  and the housing  112 . The slider  118  and  120  also fills a portion of the space  194  between the biasing member  122  and  124  and the housing  112 .  
         [0031]     A water management dam of the present invention is easy to install within a housing into which the biasing member has already been assembled. Because the water management dam is applied, in one embodiment of the invention, as an expand-into-place foam, fine tolerances do not need to be maintained between the biasing member and housing. Because the water management dams are formed from compressible foam, the movement of the sliders and biasing members is not constrained.  
         [0032]     Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred and alternate embodiments, the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Minor variations and insubstantial differences in the various combinations of materials and methods of application may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art while remaining within the scope of the invention as claimed and equivalents.

Technology Category: 4