FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates generally to a door checker for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to check link apparatus for a vehicle to reduce the door opening and closing operational noise. 5
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] While opening the door of the vehicle, traditionally the link apparatus which was used did not have any checks to restrict a full open position of the door. To overcome this, door checkersfor various automobiles have been used to regulate the opening position of the 10 door of an automobile.
[003] Ref. to Fig. 1, existing check link apparatus (5) comprising of a link mold (10) with a retainer (15) is disclosed. Said link apparatus (5) is connected to the body of a vehicle from one end (20) and connected 15 to the door of the vehicle from the other end (25) with the help of a steel housing (Not Shown).
[004] When the door of the vehicle is opened or closed, said retainer (15) travels along said link mold (10) encased in said steel housing 20 (30).
[005] Over the period of time, lot of dust and other particles get accumulated over said link mold (10) and make noises when said retainer (15) encased in said steel housing (30) travels along said link 25
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mold (10). Fig. 2 shows the sectional view of said retainer (15) along said link mold (10). It is quite clear that the surface contact between said retainer (15) and said link mold(10) is maximum throughout.
[006] Fig. 3 discloses the side view of said link mold (10) with 5 different sections, where said retainer (15) travels while opening or closing of the door.
[007] Fig. 4discloses the sectional view of said link mold (10) with said retainer (15) in various engaged positions. It is quite evident from 10 the figure that the surface contact between said retainer (15) and said link mold (10) is maximum throughout.
[008] Further, JP 3099226 discloses a door check link apparatus for a vehicle including a check link having a base end portion swingably 15 connected to a body; and a check structure receiving a pair of upper and lower shoes which are mounted within a case mounted to the door, and which are slidably abutted, respectively, on detent surfaces of the check link in accordance with an open operation of the door. Both of the shoes are slidably abutted on both of the detent surfaces of 20 the check link, and accordingly the door check link apparatus provides a predetermined check force to the open operation of the door. The door check link apparatus is arranged to restrict a full open position of the door by abutting the case of the check structure on a full open stopper provided at a tip end portion of the check link. 25
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[009] However, the above mentioned patent does not disclose the design of a link apparatus which could reduce the noise while opening or closing of the door.
[0010] Lot of different designs of link apparatus have been in use such 5 as a link apparatus with grooves and a ball housed in ball box. However, the guide arm (link) has an arc-shaped guide groove in the middle portion along its length. The purpose of the guide groove here in the link mold is to provide a moving channel to the ball and engage it throughout the door opening/closing operation. Additionally, ball-10 shaped positioning pits for accommodating the ball are provided for giving stage limits to the door opening operation. Also, the groove does not consist of a gradient geometry. It only has a low angle slope before the ball-positioning pits to give an automatic closing feel.
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[0011] This not only increases the overall cost of the product, it is also not so effective when it comes to the removal of accumulated dust particles and reducingnoise during opening or closing of the door.
[0012] Hence, there is a need for a check link apparatus which removes 20 the accumulated dust particles deposited over it to decrease the operational noise and while doing so; there is no substantial increase in the cost.
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OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0013] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a check link apparatus to reduce the noise while opening or closing of the vehicle door.
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[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a check link apparatus which has grooves to reduce surface contact with the retainer.
[0015] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a check 10 link apparatus which removes the accumulated dust while opening or closing of the vehicle door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] In a regular door check link apparatus, the basic construction is such that the link mold and the retainer assume a line-contact in 15 assembly position. During opening/closing operation of a door, the retainer encased in a steel housing travels along the link mold. This type of design entails the abnormal operational noise caused due to rubbing of child parts contaminated with dust particles. To minimize the dust accumulation and thereby the noise, the present invention 20 discloses a check link apparatus comprising of a link mold with grooves and couple of protrusions on the steel housing.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0017] The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages, of the present invention can be fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description. These features of the 5 present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings, wherein:
[0018] Fig. 1:Existing check link assembly with existing link mold with retainer
[0019] Fig. 2: Cross-section view of existing check link assembly with 10 existing link mold with retainer
[0020] Fig. 3: Side view of existing link mould indicating different sections
[0021] Fig. 4: Sectional views of various sections of Fig. 3
[0022] Fig. 5: Link mould according to the present invention 15
[0023] Fig. 6: Top view of link mold according to the present invention indicating different sections
[0024] Fig. 7: Sectional views of various sections of Fig. 6
[0025] Fig. 8: Steel housing according to the present invention with protrusions 20
[0026] Fig. 9: Sectional views of check link apparatus with link mold, retainer and steel housing according to the present invention
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to an embodiment as shown in the drawing. 25
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[0028] The present invention provides a new check link apparatus, which is used to regulate the opening/closing position of the door of a vehicle without any noise.
[0029] Ref. to Fig. 8 and 9, the cross sectional view of the check link 5 apparatus (40) according to the present invention is disclosed. Said check link apparatus (40) is designed in such a way that the check link mold (50) has a round edge profile and has groove (55) carved out horizontally along the length of said check link mold (50). Further, the retainer (60) is encased in a newly designed steel housing (80) having 10 protrusions (70) towards the end which faces the body of the vehicle. While opening and closing operations of the vehicle door, said retainer (60) encased in said newly designed steel housing (80) moves back and forth over said check link mold (50). Due to the round edge profile and the groove (55) in said check link mold (50), surface 15 contact between said retainer and said check link mold is reduced which results in reduction of operation noise while opening and closing the vehicle door.
[0030] Referring to Fig. 5, the check link mold (50) according to the 20 present invention is disclosed. Said check link mold (50) is of a round edged profile and is provided with a groove (55) along the length of said check link mold (50). Said check link mold (50) also comprises a hole (65) for easy removal of dustaccumulated in said groove.Said groove (55) is provided such that when the door opening or closing 25 operation takes place, the surface contact between said retainer (60)
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and said check link mold (50) is minimum such that the noise generated during opening or closing operation of the door is minimized.
[0031] The check link apparatus (40) according to the present invention 5 is arranged in such a way that said retainer (60) is encased inside said steel housing (80) having protrusions (70) towards the end which faces the body of the vehicle, wherein said check link mold (50) is covered by said retainer (60).
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[0032] The depth of said groove (55) depends on the height of said check link mold (50). Since the height of said check link mold (50) differs at different sections (Figs. 6 & 7), the depth of said groove (55) also changes accordingly. Further, the minimum depth of said groove (55) is such that there is always a clearance between saidprotrusion 15 (70) and said check link mold (50) such that said protrusion (70) doesn’t hit said check link mold (50) while in motion and does not interfere in the functioning of said check link apparatus (40).
[0033] Referring to Fig. 7, various sectional views of said link mold 20 (50) arrangement with said retainer (60) are disclosed. Said link mold (50) is provided with a round edge profile and groove (55) such that when said retainer (60) moves over the surface of said link mold (50), the surface contact between them is the least.
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[0034] As seen in different sections, it is clear that the height of said groove (55) is different in each section. The difference in the height of said groove (55) is because of the difference in height of said link mold (50) at different sections. As seen in Fig. 6 and 7, the height of said groove (55) is maximum in section C-C since it is the thinnest 5 part of said link mold (50).
[0035] Referring to Fig. 8, said steel housing (80) is designed in such a way that it has a set of two protrusions (70) towards the end which faces the body of the vehicle. Due to the presence of said groove (55) 10 in said check link mold, the dust might get deposited inside said groove (55). During the door opening or closing operation, said protrusions (70) clears the deposited dust when said steel housing (80) with encased retainer (60) moves over said check link mold (50). Said protrusion (70) moves the dust towards said hole (65) from where the 15 deposited dust exits said check link mold (50).
[0036] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of 20 limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the specification, the reference numerals are merely for convenience, and are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically 25 described.

WE CLAIM:
1. A check link apparatus (40), to reduce noise while opening and closing of a vehicle door, said check link apparatus (40) comprising:
a check link mold (50) with groove (55); 5
a retainer (60) encased in a steel housing (80); and
said steel housing (80) having protrusions (70).
2. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retainer (60) encased in said steel housing (80) covers said 10 check link mold (50); and
said retainer (60) encased in said steel housing (80) moves horizontally along the length of said check link mold (50).
3. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove (55) is engraved horizontally along the length of 15 said check link mold (50).
4. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said check link mold (50) is provided with a round edge profile.
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5. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth of said groove (55) on said check link mold(50) is proportional to the height of said check link mold (50).
6. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein 25 the length of said protrusions (70) on said steel housing (80) is
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such that said protrusion (70) doesn’t hit said check link mold (50) while in motion and does not interfere in the functioning of said check link apparatus (40).
7. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein 5 said check link mold (50) has a hole (65) in said groove (55).
8. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protrusions (70) on saidsteel housing (80) removes dust particles accumulated in said groove (55)through said hole (65) 10 by pushing accumulated dust particles towards said hole (65).
9. The check link apparatus (40) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said hole (65) is in centre of said check link mold (50).