:FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The present invention generally relates to a suicide door hinge with integrated check strap. Particularly, the present invention relates to a suicide door with integrated check strap for slowing down the speed of the door and providing automatic position locking of the suicide door.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Along with the continuous progress of science and technology, people have proposed more and higher requirement to the intelligent degree of automobile. Presently, suicide doors/ passenger doors of motor vehicles are pivotally mounted to the vehicle body for movement between a fully open position and a closed position hence resulting into a big gap between the door and the chassis frame of the vehicle. However, recently such vehicle doors are manufactured to unite with a check strap which is operative for locating the door relative to the vehicle body at an intermediate position between the fully open and closed position. At times, when space laterally adjacent to a passenger door obstructs fully opening/closing of the door to the intermediate position minimizes incidents of accidental damage to the door, or to the nearby vehicles passing the door, or both.

[003] A Japanese Patent Application Number JP2010105483A discloses a door hinge apparatus with a checker capable of exhibiting a sufficient check force at a predetermined position where a door should stop and also capable of easily inserting a detent roller into a holding groove in assembling. However, the cited art involves a complex manufacturing and assembling process. The cited art utilizes a plurality of parts/components to make a shaft, thereby making it time consuming and tedious to assemble the parts/components.

[004] A European Patent Application Number EP1982030B1 discloses a method for controlling the closing movement of a chassis component closed by hand, for example a door, is disclosed for reducing the strain on closing said door. However, the cited art utilizes a plurality of rotating and moving parts/component with clutch and braking system, thereby making the system complex. Furthermore, the maintenance and/or replacement of the parts/components may not be easy. In case of the failure of functioning of one part/component, the entire system stops working. In such case, the replacement of the damaged part/component may not be easy.

[005] While known prior arts have proven to be commercially acceptable for certain application, however they all are associated with certain disadvantages and hence require improvements. For an instance, most of the suicide doors comprises of a separate check strap and are manually operable which leaves a big gap between the door and the chassis of the vehicle, while the manually operated door for opening and closing may adversely affect operation of the check strap.

[006] In view of the above problems associated with the state of the art, there is a need of a suicide door with an integrated check strap for a vehicle which automates the process of opening and closing of the door and locks the door at different position.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

[007] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a suicide door hinge with integrated check-strap.

[008] Another objective of the present invention is to maintain appearance wise quality of the door by integrating the check strap inside the suicide door hinge so that the check strap is not visible while opening the door.

[009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide automatic opening and closing of the doors through the solenoids with plungers that enables the driver to open/ close the door for the passenger.

[0010] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a suicide door hinge which offers integrity of check-strap and stability.

[0011] Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, the aspects of the present invention are disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] The present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred aspects thereof with reference to the appended drawings, in which the features, other aspects and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing in which:

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates exploded view of the hinge with integrated check-strap feature;

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates a stationary hinge bracket of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates different views of a rotary hinge of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates a shaft of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 illustrates different views of a ball bearing of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 illustrates different views of solenoid plunger of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 illustrates rubber tensioners and rollers provided in the present invention;

[0020] Figure 8a illustrates different views of a cylindrical rollers;
[0021] Figure 8b illustrates different views of a rubber tensioner;
[0022] Figure 9a, 9b and 9c illustrates the interlocking position of the hinge at three different locations of the hinge to open the doors at three different angles;
[0023] Figure 10 illustrates front view and top view of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 11a illustrates top view, side view and perspective view of the bolts;

[0025] Figure 11b illustrates a perspective view of the lock nuts attached with the shaft;

[0026] Figure 12 illustrates pins configured to connect with the rotatory hinge.

[0027] Reference numerals for the components of the present invention are enlisted herein:

Reference Numeral Component
101 Stationary Hinge Bracket
105 Roller securing means
110 Rotary Hinge
115 Shaft
120 Bearings
125 Linear Solenoid
130 Solenoid Plunger
135 Fasteners/ Pins
140 Rubber Tensioner
145 Lock Nut
150 Cylindrical Roller

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] The present invention relates to a suicide door hinge with integrated check strap which includes a stationary hinge bracket provided with at least three roller securing means, a rotary hinge for moving the door, a shaft to assemble the stationary bracket with rotary hinge, a locking nut, a pair of linear/ electric solenoids attached with a pair of solenoid plungers for moving the door, a roller bearing for locking the position of the door, a rubber tensioner for pushing the rollers into the roller securing means/detents, a plurality of fasteners to attach the component and a plurality of locating pins to secure the shaft.

[0029] The proposed suicide door with integrated check strap is designed to accommodate the hinge with the stationary bracket. The stationary bracket is configured to be mounted on car chassis. The shaft accommodates the rotating hinge with the bracket through a plurality of locking means. The rotating hinge is further connected with a pair of linear solenoid (i.e. used as a check-strap feature) with plungers that provides opening/ closing of the door. The opening/ closing of the door is controlled by rubber tensioner and cylindrical rollers. The cylindrical rollers are configured to move between the detents to lock the position of the door.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0030] The following detailed description and embodiments set forth herein below are merely exemplary out of the wide variety and arrangement of instructions which can be employed with the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. All the features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by similar other or alternative features performing similar or same or equivalent purposes. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, they all are within the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0032] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention.

[0033] It is to be understood that the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0034] It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof.

[0035] The present invention relates to a suicide door with an integrated check strap. As per the main embodiment of the present invention, the integrated check strap is configured to manage speed of the suicide door and helps in automating position locking of the suicide door. The present invention eliminates the use of separate check strap and uses an integrated check strap in the pair of rubber tensioner and roller bearings. The hinge provided on the suicide door is assembled such that the solenoids are integrated in the hinge so as to enable automatic opening/closing of the door. The suicide door with integrated check strap lowers down the speed of the door which reduces the chances of damage to exterior part of the door. The suicide door with integrated check strap helps to reduce the gap between the door and exterior body of the vehicle.
[0036] As per the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the suicide door with integrated check strap includes a stationary hinge bracket provided with at least three roller securing means, a rotary hinge for moving the door, a shaft to assemble the stationary bracket with rotary hinge, a lock nut (145) to lock the shaft from both sides, a pair of linear/ electric solenoids attached with a pair of solenoid plungers for moving the door, a roller bearing to take loads of the door at axial and radial directions by fitting the rollers in three different roller securing means, a rubber tensioner/ cushion rubbers for pushing the rollers (150) into roller securing means/detents (105), a plurality of fasteners to attach the component and a plurality of locating pins to secure the shaft.

[0037] Figure 1 of the present invention illustrates exploded view of the hinge with integrated check-strap feature, which comprises of the following components:

[0038] A) Stationary hinge bracket (101): In a preferred embodiment, Figure 2 illustrates stationary hinge bracket (101) configured with at least three bolts to attach with space frame of the vehicle, a pair of bearing pockets to secure bearings (120) through said bearing pockets, and at least three roller securing means/ detents (105) to provide locking of door at three different position. The stationary hinge is configured to be mounted on the chassis of the vehicle.
[0039] B) Rotary hinge (110): Figure 3 illustrates rotary hinge (110), the rotary hinge (110) is attached to the stationary bracket (101) with the help of a plurality of fasteners (135) (i.e. bolts and lock nut (145)). The rotary hinge bracket (110) is a rotating component configured to provide rotary motion to the door. In an exemplary embodiment, the rotary hinge (110) is configured with at least four bolts attached to the door frame, a rubber tensioner (140) securing means, solenoids securing means and a roller ball securing means.
[0040] C) Shaft (115) and bearing (120): Figure 4 illustrates a shaft (115) configured to accommodate the rotary hinge (110) with the hinge bracket (101). The shaft (115) is configured with a coller at both ends for fitting the bearings (120). Further, the shaft (115) comprises of a plurality of threads to secure a locking means/ lock nuts (145) that helps in assembling and locking the rotary hinge (110) with the bracket (101). In an exemplary embodiment, diameter of the shaft (115) ranges between 6.5mm- 10mm depending on the size of the door for locking the hinge mechanism. As per another embodiment, Figure 5 illustrates a ball bearing (120) configured to provide rotation to the shaft (115). The shaft (115) connected with the pair of roller bearings (120) is configured to take load of the door at radial and axial direction, thereby minimizing friction for rotation of the shaft and the hinge.
[0041] Further, a shaft (115) is connected with a pair of lock nuts (145) which helps in securing the shaft (115) and bearing (120) in position. In an exemplary embodiment, a lock nuts (145) can be composed of a nylon material as well.
D) Linear solenoid (125): Figure 6 illustrates a pair of linear solenoids (125) connected with the rotary hinge (110). The linear solenoid (125) provides a push/ pull linear mechanism of the door through the help of solenoid plungers (130). A pair of solenoid plungers (130) are configured to be attached to the linear solenoid (125) through fasteners/pins. The motion of the solenoid plungers (130) is controlled via a switch installed inside the vehicle. The switch is configured to be pressed by the driver/ person sitting inside the vehicle, where the switch enables push/ pull motion of the solenoid plungers (130). In an embodiment, the push/ pull motion of the linear solenoid is converted into rotatory through rotary hinge (110). The hinge (110) is configured to be rotated about central axis of the shaft (115). As per this embodiment, the movement of the solenoid plungers (130) helps in exerting force on pins (as referred in Figure 12) that are connected to the rotatory hinge (110). The linear solenoid (125) is actuated/activated through a switch/ control button placed in proximity to the driver that provides electric opening of the door. The linear solenoid (125) is electrically connected to the switch/ control button through wires. The switch/ control button upon switching on provides electric current resulting in opening/closing of the door.
[0042] The present invention provides automatic opening and closing of door with the help of linear solenoid (125) which actuates push/pull linear mechanism of the solenoid plungers (130) so as to provide rotational motion of doors. The solenoid plungers (130) are connected with hinge through locating pins/ fasteners (135).
[0043] E) Rubber tensioner (140) and Cylindrical Rollers (150): In the present invention, Figure 7 illustrates at least two rubber tensioner (140) integrated with at least two rollers (150) configured in the stationary bracket (101). The roller securing means/ detents (105) provided in the stationary bracket (101) are configured to engage cylindrical rollers (150) at different position to stop the door. The rubber tensioner (140) with cylindrical rollers (150) ensures more surface contact through the operation (i.e. opening or closing of door). The rollers (150) assembled on detents provides the rotary motion of the hinge attached to the door for opening/ closing of the door. The rollers (150) are configured to move longitudinally or in up-down motion so as to enable fitting of rollers (150) in different detents. The longitudinal motion of the rollers (150) through the detents are controlled by the rubber tensioner (140). Further, figure 8a illustrates different views of the cylindrical rollers (150) and Figure 8b illustrates a rubber tensioner (140) of the present invention.
[0044] In an exemplary embodiment, the rubber tensioner (140) and the cylindrical rollers (150) are used to interlock the hinge at 3 different locations. Figure 9a, 9b and 9c illustrates the interlocking position of the hinge at three different locations of the hinge to open the doors at three different angles, but not limited to, 0°, 35°, and 70°. Figure 9a illustrates the positioning of the hinge at closed condition when the door is closed, figure 9b illustrates the positioning of the hinge at half opened condition when the door is half opened and figure 9c illustrates the positioning of the hinge at open condition when the door full opened.
[0045] As per the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rubber tensioner (140) integrated with cylindrical rollers (150) provides movement of solenoids (automatic opening and closing feature) to the vehicle wherein the check-strap feature is controlled by rubber tensioner (140) and cylindrical rollers (150). The cylindrical rollers (150) are configured to move between the detents to lock the position of the door.
[0046] The position locking of the suicide door is managed with the help of at least two solenoids with plungers that helps to move the rollers (150) through the detents and thereby locks the position of the door. The solenoids provides automatic opening/ closing of the door and locking the door in different positions depending on the position of rollers (150) in detents.
[0047] In another embodiment of the present invention, the invention provides a suicide door hinge configured with an integrated check-strap position that helps in slowing down speed of the door while opening/ closing. Additionally, the present invention provides an automatic door opening mechanism that is operated by linear solenoid (125) with plungers. The pair of linear solenoid (125) with plunger enables the driver to control the opening/ closing of the doors for the passengers.

[0048] Figure 10 illustrates front view and top view of the present invention. The suicide door in the present invention includes a hinge with a stationary bracket (101). The stationary bracket (101) is configured to be mounted on car chassis. The stationary bracket (101) is attached with a rotating hinge through a shaft (115). The shaft (115) accommodates the rotating hinge with the bracket (101) through a plurality of locking means (i.e. bolts and lock nuts (145)). Further, the rotating hinge is connected with a pair of linear solenoid (125) through plungers. The linear solenoid (125) provides opening/ closing of the door by pushing/ pulling the solenoid plunger (130). The solenoid plungers (130) are configured to be attached to the rotating hinge through the pins/ fasteners (135). The opening and closing of the door is controlled through the check strap feature. The integrated check-strap feature provided in the present invention is controlled by rubber tensioner (140) and cylindrical rollers (150). The rubber tensioner (140) integrated with cylindrical rollers (150) provides a check strap feature (through linear solenoid (125) to the vehicle wherein the check-strap feature is controlled by rubber tensioner (140) and cylindrical rollers (150). The cylindrical rollers (150) are configured to move between the detents to lock the position of the door. The design of the suicide door with integrated check-strap confirms the overall mechanical integrity, flexibility, stability and lightweight, and required dynamics.

[0049] Figure 11a and 11b illustrates locking means of the present invention. The locking means may comprise of a plurality of bolts, such as but not limited to 3mm, and lock nuts (145). Figure 11a illustrates top view, side view and perspective view of the bolts. Figure 11b illustrates a perspective view of the lock nuts (145) attached with the shaft.

[0050] The various embodiments of the present invention provides following advantages:

• Optimized production cost: Lower number of manufacturing steps and components leads to optimized cost for production. The optimized production cost is achieved without compromising with the quality, features, functionality or strength.
• Environment Friendly: Environmental friendly because of reduced number of manufacturing steps (reduced number of check strap, reduced bending and cutting steps, automatic feature), which allows low consumption of electrical energy while production, low number of manufacturing steps.
• Negligible space losses: The stationary hinge is attached directly to the chassis frame. The suicide door hinge is integrated with check strap, thereby optimizing the space and maintains appearance wise quality during opening of the door as the check strap is not visible unlike the traditional systems. The vehicle door offers a solution that can provide dynamic functionality, automatic opening/ closing of door and integrated components to avoid space losses during movement.

[0051] While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims.

WE CLAIM:

1. A suicide door hinge for a vehicle, comprising:
• an integrated check strap;
• a stationary hinge bracket (101) connected to the integrated check strap is mounted on a chassis of the vehicle;
• at least three roller securing means (105) provided in the stationary bracket (101);
• a rotary hinge (110) connected to the stationary bracket (101) and configured with at least two rollers (150);
• a shaft (115) configured to accommodate the rotary hinge (110) with the bracket (101);
• a pair of roller bearings (120), comprising:
i. an inner casing of the bearings (120) to hold the shaft (115);
ii. an outer casing of the bearings (120) to hold the stationary hinge bracket (101);
• a pair of linear solenoid (125) connected to the rotary hinge (110);
• a pair of solenoid plunger (130) attached to the pair of linear solenoid (125);
• a plurality of fasteners/ pins (135) configured to connect the solenoid plunger (130) with the rotary hinge (110); and
• at least two rubber tensioner (140) integrated with the cylindrical rollers (150);
wherein,
I. the shaft (115) is configured to couple the rotary hinge (110) with the stationary hinge bracket (101) so as to provide rotary motion to door of the vehicle;

II. the inner casing of the bearings (120) is configured to secure the shaft (115) and the outer casing of the bearings (120) is configured to secure the stationary hinge bracket (101);
III. the linear solenoid actuates push/pull linear mechanism of the solenoid plungers (130), so that linear motion of the plungers gets turned into rotatory motion of doors;
IV. the cylindrical rollers (150) are configured to be secured at any one of: the three roller securing means (105) to lock position of the door;
V. the linear solenoids (125) provides automatic opening/ closing of the door and locking the door in different positions depending on position of the cylindrical rollers (150) in any one of: the roller securing means (105);
VI. the rubber tensioners (140) are configured for pushing the rollers (150) into the roller securing (105) means/detents, wherein the rollers (150) are configured to move longitudinally over the roller securing means (105) ensuring locking of door at different positions.
2. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is any one of: an electric vehicle, a four wheeled vehicle; and a truck.

3. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of roller bearings (120) are rotated by holding one casing with respect to other casing.

4. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer casing of the bearings (120) attached to the stationary bracket (101) is stationary that enables free rotation between the stationary hinge bracket (101), on rotation of the shaft (115).
5. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary bracket (101) is centrally aligned with chassis of the vehicle.

6. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid plungers (130) are connected with hinge through a plurality of locating pins/ fasteners (135).

7. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft (115) comprises of a plurality of threads to secure a locking means/ lock nuts (145) that helps in assembling and locking the rotary hinge (110) with the stationary bracket (101).

8. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft (115) is connected with a pair of roller bearings (120) which is configured to take loads of the door at radial and axial direction.

9. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the integrated check strap is in form of the rubber tensioner with roller bearing along with the pair of solenoids attached to the single hinge.

10. The suicide door hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suicide door hinge is integrated with the pair of linear solenoids (125) with solenoid plungers (130), so as to provide automatic opening and closing of the door.