Self-closing lock striker

April 25, 1961

2,981,561

J. D. LESLIE

SELF-CLOSING LOCK STRIKER

Filed Nov. 2, 1959

Sheets-Sheet. 1

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A TTO/?Ai£2

2,981,561

J. D. LESLIE

SELF-CLOSING LOCK STRIKER

April 25, 1961

Filed Nov. 2, 1959

Sheets-Sheet 2

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ATTORNSY

United States Patent Office J.

2,981,561

SELF-CLOSING LOCK STRIKER

James D. Leslie, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware

Filed Nov. 2,1959, Ser. No. 850,417

Claims. (Cl. 292—341.13)

The present invention relates to a door latching mechanism and more particularly one in which a unique striker arrangement is provided whereby the striker provides the final door closing force.

With the continually increased weight of vehicle doors, it is desirable if occupants can be relieved, of some of the work necessary to close and latch these doors. Accordingly, in the present invention a unique spring loaded striker device is provided whereby the str.ker may be moved transversely, relative to the vehicle centerline, to supply the final amount of door closing force. More specifically the present invention includes a wind-up lever adapted to be engaged by the door during its final closing movement in such a way that the lever charges a spring which through a suitable linkage mechanism is connected to a transversely slidable striker. After the door bolt member has engaged the striker the wind-up lever is adapted to release said spring whereby the striker and spring are adapted to complete the final door closing movement.

The details as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a perusal of the detailed description which follows.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the door striker mechanism embodying the subject invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1, taken along line

Figure 3 is a view along line 3—3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the striker mechanism with tooth and cover plates removed; and

Figure 5 is a rear view of the striker assembly.

A striker plate assembly 10 is adapted to be mounted in the conventional manner upon a door pillar or body supporting section 12. In order to simplify the disclosure, the door mounted rotary bolt mechanism has not been shown. However, such rotary bolt is adapted to coact with corresponding teeth 14 formed on a slidable striker plate 16. The door lock rotary bolt cover 18 is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 since it coacts with a portion of the subject door closing mechanism as will be seen subsequently. While the rotary bolt latch mechanism has not been shown, it is of conventional design and may be of the type shown in Patent 2,877,043.

A striker frame is shown at 20 and as best seen in Figure 2 and slidably supports striker plate 16 in a recessed portion 22 thereof. Frame 20 also includes an elongated slot 24 adapted to receive a stud 26 fixed to striker plate 16 and which stud also supports the plate to the frame for sliding movement. The inner face of striker plate 16 includes a generally vertically extending groove or notch 28 which is adapted to receive a stud 30 fixed to a lever 32. Lever 32 is, inturn, fixed to a shaft 34 rotatably mounted on striker frame 20. Thus, assuming it were otherwise free to move, rotation of lever 32 would cause striker plate 16 to move transversely of frame 20 due to the cam and follower relationship between groove 28 and stud 30.

The lower edge of striker plate 16 includes an inclined notch 36 which is adapted to be engaged by a similarly shaped end 38 of a bell crank type lever 40. Lever 40 is pivotally mounted at 42 to striker frame 20 and is ® biased in a counterclockwise direction through a tension spring 44. One end of spring 44 is fixed to arm 46 of lever 40 and the other end anchored to frame 20. Thus with striker plate 16 in its left position, as shown in Figure 1, lever end 38 is moved into locking engagement with 10 striker plate notch 36 preventing transverse or rightward movement of the plate.

A wind-up lever 48 includes a U-shaped portion 50 through which the lever is pivotally mounted on shaft 34. Frame 20 includes an arcuate slot 51 through which 15 lever portion 50 extends to straddle the lower portion of the frame. Wind-up lever 48 also includes an upwardly extending portion 52 which, when the door is. open, projects upwardly and outwardly beyond striker frame 20 as seeen in Figure 1. As best seen in Figure 4, ²⁰ the lower end of U-shaped portion 50 of wind-up lever 48 is adapted to engage a tab 54 extending outwardly from striker plate locking lever 40 when the wind-up lever is rotated in a clockwise direction. Assuming this clockwise rotation proceeds far enough, wind-up lever 48 will ²® disengage lever 40 from striker plate 16 permitting the latter to be moved transversely of the striker frame.

A tors on spring member 56 is anchored at one end to wind-up lever 48 and secured at its other end to shaft 34. The torsion force of spring 56 is such that it tends to ³³ move shaft 34 and hence lever 32 in a clockwise direction relative to wind-up lever 48. Thus, assuming it were free to move, striker plate 16 would be moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, as wind-up lever 48 would be rotated in a clockwise direction.

³⁵ The operation of the striker device is as follows: with the vehicle door open the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1. Thereafter, as the door approaches its. closed position, door lock rotary bolt cover 18 engages wind-up lever 48 and rotates the same in a clockwise 40 direction, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, thereby charging torsion spring 56. During this movement the rotary bolt member has engaged with teeth 14 of sliding striker plate 16 so as to be operatively connected thereto. As the door approaches its nearly closed position, wind⁴³ up lever 48 is rotated to such an extent that the lower end thereof engages tab 54 of locking lever 40 rotating the same in a clockwise direction and thereby releasing plate 16 for movement. The stored energy in torsion spring 56 now causes shaft 34 to rotate in a clockwise ³³ direction, as viewed in Figure 1, imparting a similar rotation to lever 32 which in turn through stud 30 camming in plate groove 28 causes the plate to move transversely to the right and thereby completing the closing movement of the door.

³³ A spring 57 is coiled about shaft supporting boss 59 formed on striker frame 20. One end of spring 57 is anchored to frame 20 while the other end extends into engagement with U-shape portion 50 of wind-up lever 48. Thus as wind-up lever 48 is rotated in a clockwise 00 direction, as viewed in Figure 1, spring 57 is also charged or tightened.

When striker plate 16 is released by lever 48 unlatching lever 40, torsion spring 56 is unwound or essentially uncharged in completing the door closing movement,. ³³ supra. Spring 57, however, remains charged and when the vehicle door is reopened returns plate 16 and lever 48 to the positions shown in Figure 1.

It is apparent that various detailed modifications of the present invention are possible within the intended 70 scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. .