Patent Document

This application claims the benefit of Provisional application Ser. No. 60/135,682, filed May 24, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a plate such as a door strike for an automotive vehicle that is welded to a surface of an object during manufacture and to which plate hardware is mounted, and, more particularly, to such a plate that can provide subsequent repositioning of the hardware without disturbing the welded arrangement integrity. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In the manufacture and assembly of an automotive vehicle body, the door and related parts (e.g., strike plate) are first assembled to the vehicle body for painting nd rust-proofing (“E-coating”). After this, the door is disassembled from the body and provided with accessories (e.g., windows, door locks and other hardware, textile or leather interior covering). Reattachment of the accessoried door to the body can result in damage to door paint or to the accessories if the reattachment requires positional adjustment. 
     It is therefore a desideratum to provide a means for readjusting a plate previously welded to an object with a minimum effect on adjacent equipment or hardware carried thereby. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary aim and object of the invention is to provide a door strike or striker plate for an automotive vehicle door which can be subsequently adjusted from an initial fixed positioning arrangement. 
     In accordance with the practice of the present invention there is provided a door strike including first and second plates integrally interconnected by a peripheral edge flange. A slot generally separates the two plate parts except for readily deformable flange portions adjacent opposite peripheral edges of the strike. A guide opening and at least one threaded sleeve are formed in the first plate part for receiving hardware mounted thereto. 
     Initially during manufacture, the second plate part is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to a desired surface (e.g., door closing surface). Typically, the door has a rust-proof coating applied and the door painted, after which the door is removed and accessories (e.g., windows, locks) are mounted to the door at a different work site. When the door is once again mounted to the vehicle body door opening, it may be necessary to effect slight adjustment of the striker plate mounting arrangement, and this can be done with the described striker plate by applying adjustment corrective force to the second plate part which bends the deformable portions the required amount for correct positioning of the strike plate. 
     A second version of the invention includes plate parts of a steel that is not heat-hardened and, in addition, has sinuous-shaped deformable portions providing enhancement of angular adjustment extent. In a third version, connecting arms between the plate parts forming a 3-dimensional configuration provide further ease of realignment in certain situations. A fourth version also is constructed of steel that is not heat treated and includes a slotted edge flange deformable for adjustment as needed. In a fifth version, the two plate parts are not heat treated and further heat-hardened plate is suitably connected to one of the two plate parts providing increased thread strength for a retaining bolt and overall rigidity. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the accompanying drawing: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of FIG. 
     FIG. 3 is a partially sectional, left side elevational view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view; 
     FIG. 5 is a frontal view of a second embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is a frontal view of a third embodiment; 
     FIG. 7 is a partially sectional, right side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a frontal view of a fourth embodiment; 
     FIG. 9 is a top plan view of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a frontal view of a partly assembled fifth version of the invention; 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 are frontal views of a final assembly of the FIG. 10 version and a bottom elevational view of FIG. 10, respectively; and 
     FIG. 13 is an elevational view showing the present invention in use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawing, and particularly FIGS. 1-4, a first version adjustable mounting plate  20  of this invention is seen to include first and second plate parts  22  and  24  unitarily coupled together by an outer edge flange  26 . The two plate parts and flange are formed from a single sheet of metal, which for this version is preferably steel. A continuous slot  28  separates the plate parts from one another. As will be more particularly described, the slot and detailed formation of the flange provide relatively narrow cross-section bendable portions  30  and  32  on opposite sides of plate  20  located adjacent the two outer ends of the slot  28 . In essence, these bendable portions enable bending of the plate parts with respect to each other about the dashed bend line  34 , either along this line or normally thereto by exerting a force  36  (arrows FIG.  1 ), for example. 
     The term “bendable” as used herein refers to a part being deformed to new geometric shape through the application of force, and when the force is removed the part retains the new shape. 
     Typically, the first plate part  22  will be provided with one or more threaded sleeves  38  and  40  or a guide opening  42  via which accessories or apparatus can be mounted. The second plate part  24  on the other hand is secured to a convenient wall member by welding, for example, providing a relatively fixed positional arrangement for the plate  20  to the door. In the case of an automotive door strike, the second plate part is welded to a door surface  44  that closes on the vehicle door opening (FIG.  13 ). 
     As can be seen best in the elevational views FIGS. 2-4, the flange  26  has a first gap  46  somewhat centered on the first plate part  22  and a second gap  48  centered on the second plate part  24 , directly opposite the first gap. These gaps separate the flange into first and second flange parts  50  and  52 . A first peripheral slot  54  in the flange part  50  extends between the points  56  and  58 , respectively, slightly spaced from the two gaps. Similarly, a second peripheral slot  60  in flange part  52  extends from points  62  and  64  adjacent the two gaps. 
     For the ensuing description of invention use, reference is made to FIG.  13 . As shown there, schematically depicted hardware  66  is mounted to the door surface  44  backed up by the strike plate  20  with bolts  68  and  70  extending through door surface openings and received within the threaded sleeves  39  and  40 . The second plate part  24  is initially welded to the door. In the event hardware is removed for other door related procedures to be conducted, it may be necessary to readjust the mounting arrangement of the plate  20  after remounting of the hardware, and this can be accomplished by applying force to the hardware or mounting plate in desired direction so that the threaded sleeves or the guide opening will be properly located. 
     For a second version of this invention, reference is now made to FIG. 5 where the mounting plate is enumerated generally as  72 . As in the first described version, the plate  72  includes a first plate part  74  and second plate part  76  separated by a slot  78  and integrally related by a pair of bendable portions  80  (only one of which is shown). The plate and bendable portions are constructed of a flat metal sheet lying generally in a common plane and do not include a flange as in the first version. Each bendable portion  80  is constructed in a generally elongated sinuous metal strip, the shape of which enhances adjustment bending when required. It is preferred that this version be constructed from a single metal sheet that is not heat treated. 
     The ensuing description of a third version of the invention is given with specific reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. As in the second version, this plate  82  has two generally flat plate parts lying substantially in a single plane (except for threaded sleeves) and separated by an intervening slot. However, a bendable portion  84  (only one of two is shown) that interconnects the plate parts to one another is elongated and formed with several curved parts that do not lie within the common plane of the plate parts (FIG. 7) Also, although one end  86  of the bendable portion  84  interconnects with a plate part adjacent the slot, the other end  88  interconnects with the other plate part at a point remote from the slot. The angular direction and amount of bending adjustment available is considerably enhanced by the described bendable portion construction. 
     It is contemplated that the third version can be further enhanced by forming the plate part surface  81  to be welded into a ripple-shape which enhances weldment integrity. 
     A fourth form of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 is similar to the first version in having a pair of plate parts separated by a slot and fully circumscribed by an edge flange  90  except for opposite side gaps  92  and  94 . The flange differs, however, from that of the first version in that a peripheral slot  96  of uniform dimensions extends continuously along each half portion of the flange (e.g., FIG. 9) including each of bendable regions  98 . This provides readjustment bending characteristics similar to the FIG. 1 version but requiring more force to achieve the same amount of bending. 
     FIGS. 10,  11  and  12  pertain to a fifth version which includes a base plate  100  (FIG. 10) that can be constructed substantially identical to the second version mounting plate  72  shown in FIG.  5  and for that reason the same enumeration will be used. Plate  72  is preferably constructed of steel that has not been heat treated. An overlay strengthening plate part  102  preferably constructed of heat-hardened steel for added strength is secured onto the second plate part  74  by staked rivets  104 , for example, and includes suitable openings for aligning with the threaded sleeves and guides opening of plate part  76 . This version may be found especially advantageous for use on trucks, buses or other large vehicles whose doors are of a more rugged construction. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred versions, it is to be understood that those skilled in the appertaining arts may suggest modifications that come within the spirit of the described invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

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