U.S. patent application number 16/806464 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-25 for overslam bumper for vehicle door latch.
The applicant listed for this patent is MAGNA CLOSURES INC.. Invention is credited to James Joseph Ferri, Ioan Dorin Ilea, John Robert Scott Mitchell.
Application Number | 20200199915 16/806464 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48983491 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-25 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200199915 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mitchell; John Robert Scott ;
et al. |
June 25, 2020 |
OVERSLAM BUMPER FOR VEHICLE DOOR LATCH
Abstract
A closure panel latch assembly can include an overslam bumper
mechanism comprising a biasing element as a spring formed from a
metallic material positioned relative to a slot of the latch
assembly. The biasing element resists entry of a striker into the
slot beyond a selected position in order to inhibit contact of the
striker with a bottom end of the slot. Also provided is a closure
panel latch assembly configured with the biasing element as a
resilient element positioned relative to the slot of the latch
assembly; The biasing element is coupled to the striker engagement
member, such that the striker engagement member is positioned to
engage the striker and resist travel of the striker towards the
bottom end, wherein the biasing element controls the resistance to
movement of the striker engagement member by the striker.
Inventors: |
Mitchell; John Robert Scott;
(Newmarket, CA) ; Ilea; Ioan Dorin; (Vaughan,
CA) ; Ferri; James Joseph; (Maple, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MAGNA CLOSURES INC. |
Newmarket |
|
CA |
|
|
Family ID: |
48983491 |
Appl. No.: |
16/806464 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14458469 |
Aug 13, 2014 |
10577838 |
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16806464 |
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PCT/CA2013/000134 |
Feb 15, 2013 |
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14458469 |
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61600314 |
Feb 17, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2205/20 20130101;
Y10T 292/1043 20150401; E05B 85/20 20130101; B60N 2/366 20130101;
E05B 77/38 20130101; E05B 83/18 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E05B 77/38 20060101
E05B077/38; B60N 2/36 20060101 B60N002/36; E05B 83/18 20060101
E05B083/18; E05B 85/20 20060101 E05B085/20 |
Claims
1. A closure panel latch assembly including an overslam bumper
mechanism, comprising: a biasing element as a spring formed from a
metallic material positioned relative to a slot of the latch
assembly such that the biasing element resists entry of a striker
into the slot beyond a selected position in order to inhibit
contact of the striker with a bottom end of the slot.
2. The closure panel latch assembly as claimed in claim 1 further
comprising a striker engagement member coupled to the biasing
element, the striker engagement member positioned to engage the
striker and resist travel of the striker towards the bottom end,
wherein the biasing element controls the resistance to movement of
the striker engagement member by the striker.
3. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 2, wherein the biasing
element is positioned adjacent to the bottom end of the slot.
4. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 2 further comprising
latch components of a ratchet and a pawl, such that the striker
engagement member is biased towards the striker in a first
direction and the ratchet is biased by the pawl towards the striker
in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
5. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 4, wherein the striker
engagement member and the ratchet are mounted on the same
pivot.
6. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 4, wherein one end of
the biasing element is coupled to a mounting plate of the latch
assembly and another end of the biasing element is coupled to the
striker engagement member.
7. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 4, wherein one end of
the biasing element is coupled to the pawl of the latch assembly
and another end of the biasing element is coupled to the striker
engagement member, such that the biasing element provides both bias
for the striker engagement member towards the striker and bias for
the pawl towards the ratchet thereby forcing the ratchet against
the striker.
8. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 7, wherein the one end
is supported and slidably received in a tab of the pawl and the
other end is supported and slidably received in a tab of the
striker engagement member.
9. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 2 further comprising a
mounting plate with a detent for cooperating with a shoulder stop
of the striker engagement member, wherein engagement of the detent
with the shoulder stop inhibits travel of the striker engagement
member away from the bottom end of the slot.
10. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch
assembly and striker are associated with a closure panel of a
vehicle.
11. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 10, wherein the
closure panel is a hood.
12. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 10, wherein the
closure panel is a door.
13. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 10, wherein the
closure panel is a seatback.
14. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 1 further comprising
a hook portion of the striker engagement member configured for
cradling the striker when received by a ratchet of the latch
assembly.
15. A closure panel latch assembly comprising: a biasing element as
a resilient element positioned relative to a slot of the latch
assembly; a striker engagement member coupled to the biasing
element, the striker engagement member positioned to engage the
striker and resist travel of the striker towards the bottom end,
wherein the biasing element controls the resistance to movement of
the striker engagement member by the striker.
16. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 15 further comprising
a ratchet biased in an opposing direction to that of the striker
engagement member, such that both the ratchet and the striker
engagement member are biased towards the striker in the opposing
directions when the latch assembly is in a closed position.
17. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 15, wherein the
biasing element is a spring formed of metallic material.
18. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 15, wherein the
biasing element is formed as a resistive element provided by
polymeric material.
19. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 15, wherein the
biasing element provides an overslam mechanism for resisting entry
of the striker into the slot beyond a selected position in order to
inhibit contact of the striker with a bottom end of the slot.
20. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 15 further comprising
latch components of a ratchet and a pawl, such that the striker
engagement member is biased towards the striker in a first
direction and the ratchet is biased by the pawl towards the striker
in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
21. The closure panel latch assembly of claim 20, wherein one end
of the biasing element is coupled to the pawl and another end of
the biasing element is coupled to the striker engagement member,
such that the biasing element provides both bias for the striker
engagement member towards the striker and bias for the pawl towards
the ratchet thereby forcing the ratchet against the striker.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Pat.
application Ser. No. 14/458,469 filed Aug. 13, 2014, which is a
Continuation Application of PCT International Application No.
PCT/CA2013/000134 filed Feb. 15, 2013, which claims the benefit of
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/600,314 filed Feb. 17, 2012,
the contents of which are incorporated herein in their
entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to vehicle latch systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] These noises can result from the passenger seat vibrations
preventing the ratchet and the pawl from remaining firmly in
contact with one another in the closing position. In particular,
the passenger seat vibration can cause oscillations of the ratchet
around the closed position. In these oscillations, the ratchet,
when set in the closing position, repeatedly moves away from the
pawl along a so-called "over-travel" stroke and then periodically
hits the pawl, thus producing a rattling contact noise. In order to
reduce this noise, it has been proposed to provide the ratchet and
the pawl with bumpers which reduce the over-travel of the ratchet.
However, the damping properties of these bumpers are heavily
affected by variation of temperature and are not constant during
the lifecycle of the closure assembly because the elastomeric
material of the bumpers has a certain degree of hysteresis.
SUMMARY
[0004] It is an object to the present invention to provide a latch
configured to obviate or mitigate at least one of the
above-mentioned problems.
[0005] A first aspect provided is a closure panel latch assembly
including an overslam bumper mechanism, comprising: a biasing
element as a spring formed from a metallic material positioned
relative to a slot of the latch assembly such that the biasing
element resists entry of a striker into the slot beyond a selected
position in order to inhibit contact of the striker with a bottom
end of the slot.
[0006] A second aspect provided is a closure panel latch assembly
comprising: a biasing element as a resilient element positioned
relative to a slot of the latch assembly; a striker engagement
member coupled to the biasing element, the striker engagement
member positioned to engage the striker and resist travel of the
striker towards the bottom end, wherein the biasing element
controls the resistance to movement of the striker engagement
member by the striker.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The foregoing and other aspects will be more readily
appreciated having reference to the drawings, wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with an example
latch system for a closure panel;
[0009] FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the closure panel of
FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front view of an example latch assembly;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a back view of the latch assembly of claim 3;
[0012] FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of the latch assembly of
FIG. 3;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a further alternative embodiment of the latch
assembly a FIG. 3; and
[0014] FIG. 7 is another alternative embodiment of the latch
assembly of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a vehicle 4 with a vehicle
body 5 having one or more closure panels 6. The closure panel 6 can
be connected to the vehicle body 5 via one or more hinges 8 and
retained by a latch assembly 14 in a closed position once closed.
It is also recognized that the hinge 8 can be configured as a
biased hinge that can be configured to bias the closure panel 6
towards an open position and/or towards the closed position.
Further, the hinge 8 can be configured as a lift assist system
including one or more struts, not shown, for example used in tail
lift gate systems. The closure panel 6 can have a mating latch
component 16 (e.g. striker) mounted thereon for coupling with a
respective latch assembly 14 mounted on the vehicle body 5.
Alternatively, the latch assembly 14 can be mounted on the closure
panel 6 and the mating latch component 16 mounted on the body 5
(not shown).
[0016] The hinges 8 provide for movement of the closure panel 6
between a closed panel position (shown in dashed outline) and an
open panel position (shown in solid outline). In the embodiment
shown, the closure panel 6 pivots between the open panel position
and the closed panel position about a pivot axis 9 (e.g. of the
hinge 8), which can be configured as horizontal or otherwise
parallel to a support surface 11 of the vehicle 4. In other
embodiments, the pivot axis 9 may have some other orientation such
as vertical or otherwise extending at an angle outwards from the
support surface 11 of the vehicle 4. In still other embodiments,
the closure panel 6 may move in a manner other than pivoting, for
example, the closure panel 6 may translate along a predefined track
or may undergo a combination of translation and rotation between
the open and closed panel positions, such that the hinge 8 includes
both pivot and translational components (not shown). As can be
appreciated, the closure panel 6 can be embodied, for example, as a
hood, passenger door or lift gate (otherwise referred to as a
hatch) of the vehicle 4.
[0017] For vehicles 4, the closure panel 6 can be referred to as a
partition or door, typically hinged, but sometimes attached by
other mechanisms such as tracks, in front of an opening 13 which is
used for entering and exiting the vehicle 4 interior by people
and/or cargo. It is also recognized that the closure panel 6 can be
used as an access panel for vehicle 4 systems such as engine
compartments and also for traditional trunk compartments of
automotive type vehicles 4. The closure panel 6 can be opened to
provide access to the opening 13, or closed to secure or otherwise
restrict access to the opening 13. It is also recognized that there
can be one or more intermediate open positions (e.g. unlatched
position) of the closure panel 6 between a fully open panel
position (e.g. unlatched position) and fully closed panel position
(e.g. latched position), as provided at least in part by the
hinge(s) 8 and assembly 14. For example, the hinges 8 can be used
to provide an opening force (or torque) and/or a closing force (or
torque) for the closure panel 6.
[0018] In terms of vehicles 4, the closure panel 6 may be a hood, a
lift gate, or it may be some other kind of closure panel 6, such as
an upward-swinging vehicle door (i.e. what is sometimes referred to
as a gull-wing door) or a conventional type of door that is hinged
at a front-facing or back-facing edge of the door, and so allows
the door to swing (or slide) away from (or towards) the opening 13
in the body 5 of the vehicle 4. Also contemplated are sliding door
embodiments of the closure panel 6 and canopy door embodiments of
the closure panel 6, such that sliding doors can be a type of door
that open by sliding horizontally or vertically, whereby the door
is either mounted on, or suspended from a track that provides for a
larger opening 13 for equipment to be loaded and unloaded through
the opening 13 without obstructing access. Canopy doors are a type
of door that sits on top of the vehicle 4 and lifts up in some way,
to provide access for vehicle passengers via the opening 13 (e.g.
car canopy, aircraft canopy, etc.). Canopy doors can be connected
(e.g. hinged at a defined pivot axis and/or connected for travel
along a track) to the body 5 of the vehicle at the front, side or
back of the door, as the application permits. It is recognized that
the body 5 can be represented as a body panel of the vehicle 4, a
frame of the vehicle 4, and/or a combination frame and body panel
assembly, as desired.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, as is known, motor vehicles 4 may
comprise a passenger area 3 and a cargo area 7 which are separated
from each other by one or more passenger seats, typically rear
passenger seats 1. Those rear passenger seats 1 substantially
comprise a fixed seat base 2 and a seatback 6 which is pivotally
hinged relative to the seat 2. Referring again to FIG. 2, shown is
another example of the closure panel 6 embodied as the seatback 6.
The motor vehicle 4 comprises a passenger area 3 and a cargo area
7. In detail, each seat 1 comprises a seat part 2 and the seatback
6, which is articulated to seat part 2, for example by means of a
hinge (not shown). Each seat 1 may be selectively set in: a raised
position in which seatback 6 is upright (e.g. closed access to the
cargo area 7), so as to inhibit a direct and easy access from
passenger area 3 to cargo area 7; and - a lowered position (e.g.
open access to the cargo area 7) in which seatback 6 is folded over
seat part 2, so as to provide an easy and direct access from
passenger area 3 to cargo area 7.
[0020] Each seatback 6 further comprises a latch assembly 14 which
is selectively operated to fix seatback 6 in the upright position.
The latch assembly 14 is adapted to releasably engage the striker
16, which is mounted on the vehicle body 5. Therefore, as one
embodiment, the closure panel 6 is the seatback 6, such that
foldable rear passenger seats 1 can be selectively moved between: a
raised position in which the seatback 6 is upright, so as to
separate the passenger area 3 from the cargo area 7; and a lowered
position in which the seatback 6 is folded over the seat part 2, so
as to provide access from the passenger area 3 to the cargo area 7.
In order to lock the foldable rear passenger seat 1 in the raised
position, the motor vehicle 4 comprises: the striker 16 fixed to a
frame of the vehicle body 5; and the latch assembly 14 cooperating
with the striker 16 and carried by the seatback 6 of the seat 1. It
is also recognized that seatback 6 can contain the striker 16 and
the frame of the vehicle body 5 can contain the latch assembly 14,
as desired.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, more in detail, the latch
assembly 14 can include: a ratchet 24 which defines an open
cylindrical seat referred to as a slot 12 that cooperates with slot
or fish mouth 112 of a mounting plate 42; and a pawl 40. The latch
assembly 14 can include a mounting plate 42 that can be contoured
to facilitate attachment of the latch assembly 14 to the frame
(e.g. vehicle body 5) of the motor vehicle 4 (see FIG. 1). The
mounting plate 42 can be contoured to define a generally planar
mounting surface and a plurality of apertures for attaching various
components of the latch assembly 14 thereto. Preferably, mounting
plate 42 can be a stamped metal component.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mating latch component 16
(e.g. striker) can secured to the closure panel 6 or the vehicle
body 5 (e.g. hood or seat) and extend outwardly therefrom. The
mating latch component 16 can be a generally U-shaped bar that is
engaged by the ratchet 24 (see FIGS. 3,4) to latch the closure
panel 6 in the closed position when the mating latch component 16
travels into the slot 112. The latch assembly 14 can be secured to
the vehicle body 5 (or the closure panel 6) by the mounting plate
42 and positioned so that the mating latch component 16 will engage
the ratchet 24 upon the closure panel 6 reaching the closed
position. Positioned on the mounting plate 42 is the fish mouth or
slot 112 for receiving the mating latch component 16 therein, in
other words the slot 112 of the latch assembly 14 is configured for
receiving a keeper of the mating latch component 16. The slot 112
has an open top end 112A and a closed bottom end 112B (see FIG. 4).
Preferably, the mating latch component 16 is inhibited during
travel in the slot 112 from contacting the bottom end 112B.
[0023] The latch assembly 14 includes a number of latch elements 44
(e.g. a ratchet 24 and a pawl 40) that are configured to couple
with the mating latch component 16 in order to cooperatively retain
the mating latch component 16 within the slot 112 when the closure
panel 6 is in the closed position (e.g. locked). The latch elements
44 can be pivotally secured to the mounting plate 42, for example
at pivots 48,50. The ratchet 24 includes an arm 26 and arm 28
spaced apart to define the generally u-shaped slot 12 there
between. The ratchet 24 also includes a shoulder stop 32 configured
for engaging with a corresponding shoulder stop 34 of the pawl 40.
Note that in FIGS. 3 and 4, the latch assembly 14 is shown in the
closed position (e.g. facilitating the retention of the mating
latch component 16 in the slots 12,112). Also shown as part of the
components 44 is a striker engagement member 46 configured for
rotation about pivot 50, as further described below.
[0024] The ratchet 24 is biased to the open (e.g. unlatched)
position, in order to facilitate release of the mating latch
component 16 from the slot 12 upon movement of the closure panel 6
from the closed position, by a ratchet biasing element (e.g.
torsion spring - not shown) that is mounted on the pivot 50 and
connected to the mounting plate 42. The torsion spring is an
example of the ratchet biasing element, which biases the ratchet 24
towards the open position thereby aligning the arms 26,28 with
either side of the slot 112. Accordingly, the ratchet 24 moves
between an unlatched position for releasing the mating latch
component 16 and a latched position (shown). As such, the act of
mating latch component 16 traveling from the mouth 112A of the slot
112 towards the bottom 112B (as the closure panel 6 travels towards
the closed position) acts against the bias of the ratchet biasing
element and forces rotation of the ratchet 24 about the pivot 50 as
the ratchet 24 rotates to the closed position shown.
[0025] In the closed position, the pawl 40 has the shoulder 34 (or
detent) that interacts or otherwise engages with the shoulder stop
32 of the ratchet 24, in order to releasably retain the ratchet 24
in the latched position. The pawl 40 can be biased to the
locking/latched position (where the ratchet 24 is shown in a
primary closed position) by a pawl biasing element (e.g. torsion
spring--not shown) that can be mounted on pivot 48. Alternatively,
the pawl 40 can be biased by a biasing element 54 (e.g. a leaf
spring or coil spring) that can be mounted between the pawl 40 on a
pawl tab 40A and striker engagement member 46 by tab 46A. It is
also recognized that the biasing element 54 can be other than a
spring, for example a resilient element that provides resistance in
compression or tension and formed of polymeric material (e.g.
rubber or the like). Element end 54A of the biasing element 54 can
be supported and slidably received in pawl tab 40A and element end
54B can be supported and slidably received in tab 46A. Accordingly,
the pawl 40 is biased to engage with the ratchet 24 via the biasing
element 54, such that the shoulder stop 34 is biased by the biasing
element 54 to rotate about pivot 48 towards pivot 50.
[0026] The pawl 40 also features a release tab 52 that can be used
to act against the bias of the pawl biasing element (e.g. biasing
element 54) and to thereby force rotation of the pawl 40 about
pivot 48 and move shoulder stop 34 out of engagement with shoulder
stop 32 and away from pivot 50. The release tab 52 can be connected
to a release cable (not shown) that is connected to a handle (not
shown) located in the vehicle 4 compartment for initiating by a
driver for opening of the latch assembly 14. Alternatively, in the
case of the seatback 6 embodiment, the release tab 52 can be
actuated manually by a hand of the vehicle operator. The end result
of operation of the release tab 52 is that the pawl 40 is
disengaged with the ratchet 24, under action against the biasing
member 54, thus allowing the ratchet biasing element to assist in
pivoting the ratchet 24 from the closed (or latched position--see
FIGS. 3,4) to the open or unlatched position.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 3, the striker engagement member 46 can be
positioned on the pivot 50 and include a hook portion 60 for
cradling or otherwise supporting the mating latch component 16 in
the slot 12 of the ratchet 24 when the ratchet 24 is in the closed
position. As such, the biasing element 54 biases the striker
engagement member 46 towards the mating latch component 16 when the
mating latch component 16 is retained in the slot 12 by the ratchet
24. In the embodiment shown, the biasing element 54 can provide
bias both for the pawl 40 (i.e. acting as the pawl biasing element)
and bias for the striker engagement member 46 40 (i.e. acting as a
striker engagement biasing element). Alternatively, the pawl 40 can
have a separate pawl basing element (not shown) and biasing element
54 is used only to bias the striker engagement member 46, such that
the element end 54A of the biasing element 54 can be supported and
slidably received by a tab (not shown) of the mounting plate 42 and
element end 54B can remain supported and slidably received in tab
46A of the striker engagement member 46. As such, biasing of the
striker engagement member 46 by the biasing element can be
configured so as to inhibit travel of the mating latch component 16
in the slot 112 from contacting the bottom end 112B.
[0028] Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 4, a detent 78 of the
mounting plate 42 cooperates with a shoulder stop 80 of the striker
engagement member 46, so as to limit travel of the striker
engagement member 46 away from the bottom end 112B. in this manner,
the cooperation of the detent 78 and the shoulder stop 80 provides
for proper positioning of the striker engagement member 46 relative
to the bottom end 112B, so as for the striker engagement member 46
to be ready to receive the mating latch component 16 when same
travels towards the bottom end 112B. As such, the cooperation of
the detent 78 and the shoulder stop 80 limits rotation of the
striker engagement member 46 about pivot 50.
[0029] Advantageously, in order to inhibit oscillating contact
between the ratchet 24 and the pawl 40, the striker engagement
member 46 can be biased by the biasing element 54 in a first
direction 62 about pivot 50 into contact with the mating latch
component 16 when the mating latch component 16 is in the slot 12
of the ratchet 24. Simultaneously, the ratchet 24 is biased in a
second direction 64 about pivot 50 into contact with the mating
latch component 16 when the mating latch component 16 is in the
slot 12 of the ratchet 24, such that the first direction 62 is
opposite to the second direction 64. For example, the pawl 40
biases the ratchet 24 in the second direction 64 due to interaction
of the shoulder stops 32,34, due to the force of the pawl biasing
element. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the biasing
element 54 provides the bias for the pawl 40 about pivot 48 as well
as the bias of the striker engagement member 46 about the pivot 50.
However it is recognized that the pawl 40 could be biased by a pawl
biasing element (not shown) that is separate from the biasing
element 54, such that the biasing element 54 is a first biasing
member for biasing the striker engagement member 46 about the pivot
50 and the pawl biasing element is a second biasing element for
biasing the pawl 40 about pivot 48. Further, the engagement of the
striker engagement member 46 with the mating latch component 16 can
help to reduce vibration induced noise when mating latch component
16 is encouraged to oscillate in the slot 12 of the ratchet 24 when
the latch assembly 14 and/or mating latch component 16 experiences
vibration transferred from the body 5 of the vehicle 4.
[0030] Reference is made to FIG. 5, which shows a solid material
(e.g. rubber) overslam bumper 66 mounted in the slot 112 of a latch
assembly 14. When the striker 16 is received in the slot 112, the
striker 16 will be cushioned by the bumper 66 and therefore
inhibited from travelling towards and making undesirable contact
with the bottom 12B of the slot 112. However, rubber bumpers such
as bumper 66 can suffer from significant changes in their
elasticity with changes in temperature, and as such the degree of
cushioning the potential contact with the bottom 112B of the slot
112 can vary with environmental conditions and/or age of the
overslam bumper 66.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 6, an alternative embodiment of the
biasing element 54 is provided as a spring for inhibiting contact
of the striker 16 with the bottom 112B of the slot 112. The biasing
element 54 as a spring can be made from any suitable material, such
as a suitable steel. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the biasing
element 54 is a torsion spring, however, other types of spring may
be used, such as a leaf spring or a compression spring. The biasing
element 54 can further include a striker engagement member 46,
which is connected to the biasing element 54 and which engages the
striker 16 to resist bottoming out of the striker 16 in the slot
112 during closing of the closure panel 6 (see FIG. 1). The latch
components 44 (see FIG. 4) of the latch assembly 14 can cooperate
with the striker 16 to retain the striker 16 in the slot 112 once
received therein. As discussed above, the arm 26 of the ratchet 24
is biased towards engagement with the striker 16 in one direction
62 while the striker 16 is biased by the biasing element 54 towards
the arm 26 of the ratchet 24 in the other direction 64, thereby
advantageously inhibiting noise from induced vibration experienced
by the latch assembly 14 and/or striker 16. As such, the biasing
element 54 can provide for overslam protection and/or for vibration
reduction. Alternatively, the biasing element 54 can directly
contact the striker 16 without the use of the striker engagement
member 46 (not shown).
[0032] The striker engagement member 46 can be an arm that is
integral with the biasing element 54 as shown in FIG. 6.
Alternatively it can be a separate member as shown in FIGS. 3 and
4. In embodiments wherein the striker engagement member 46 is a
metallic member or some other material that may be prone to
generating noise when struck by the striker 16, overmolding of a
polymeric material may be provided on the striker engagement member
46 to help reduce such noise. Alternatively some other means of
noise reduction on the striker engagement member 46 can be
provided, such that the body itself of the striker engagement
member 46 is composed of a suitable polymeric material. By using a
spring such as a torsion spring (and more particularly a metallic
torsion spring) for the biasing element 54, the performance of the
biasing element 54 as an overslam bumper can be relatively more
consistent over a large range of temperatures, as compared to some
polymeric bumpers. In some embodiments, the striker engagement
member 46 may be omitted and the biasing element 54 may directly
engage the striker 16.
[0033] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the biasing element
54 is provided and a striker engagement member 46 is provided, in
the form of a lever that pivots about pivot 68. The striker
engagement member 46 has a first end 70 that engages the striker 16
(and may be overmolded to reduce noise) and has a second end 72
that engages the biasing element 54, via a spring arm 74. The
embodiment shown in FIG. 7 shows that the biasing element 54 can be
positioned remotely from the slot 112 for packaging reasons.
Furthermore, the lever arm 72 may be configured to provide a
selected resistance to movement during engagement with the striker
16, based on such factors as the force characteristics of the
biasing element 54 and the geometric relationships involved. Thus
the striker engagement member 46 can be tuned for the performance
of the overslam bumper, depending upon the geometrical and material
properties of the ends 70,72, pivot 68 there-between, and/or the
arm 74. In use, as can be seen, the biasing element 54 is
positioned to resist movement of the striker 16 beyond a selected
position in the slot 112 spaced apart from the bottom 112B.
Ultimately the position of the striker 16 in the slot 112 when the
closure panel 6 is closed can be a position which causes some
flexure of the biasing element 54.
[0034] While the above description constitutes a plurality of
embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that
the present invention is susceptible to further modification and
change without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying
claims.
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