Field of Search:
292/137,300,302,346,DIG.40,340 70/416,418
Claims:
1. A vehicle door lock, comprising:
2. Interlocking strike means for installation on a door and door jam, the interlocking means comprising:
3. An interlocking strike means as defined in claim 2, wherein:
4. A vehicle door lock, comprising:
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For passenger safety it is desirable for automobile doors and the doors of other vehicles such as recreation vehicles to have latch mechanisms which not only secure the doors closed against angular movement but also to provide a connection between between the door and adjacent door frame to prevent relative spreading in the plane of the door. More particularly, as a result of collision, vehicle doors sometimes spring free of the frame as a result of the frame spreading or separating from the edge of the door to the extent that the bolt is withdrawn whereupon the door is free to swing open permitting an occupant to fall out of the vehicle.
Attempts have been made to improve the security of vehicle doors such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,144; however, the primary purpose here was to provide redundant locking of the doors, that is locking the doors separately from the handle operated latch when the vehicle engine is running to prevent accidental opening by children. Another approach, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,698, involves a redundant lock which is operated automatically in response to excess acceleration or deceleration as might occur in an accident.
Earlier attempts to provide increased security have been made primarily to prevent jamming of the locks. Representative of this type of locks are found in U.S. Pats. Nos. 973,001 and 1,399,897.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a vehicle door safety device and is summarized in the following objects:
First to provide a vehicle door lock which secures the door and door frame against relative spreading movement along the axis of the bolt as well as relative pivotal movement transverse the axis of the bolt.
Second to provide a vehicle door lock utilizing a pair of novelly arranged strikes, one mounted on the door, the other mounted on the door frame and arranged when the door is closed, so that the door strike has an interlocking portion disposed between the frame strike and the frame whereas the frame strike has an interlocking portion interposed between the door strike and the door.
Third to provide a vehicle door lock as indicated in the preceding objects wherein both strikes have cooperating bolt receiving apertures so arranged as to permit an initial or safety latch before the door is fully closed; then, on closing a complete latching effect.
Fourth to provide a vehicle door safety device which may be incorporated in an otherwise conventional vehicle door lock with minimal changes in the lock and adjacent portions of the door and the door frame.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of a vehicle door showing edgewise the door strike and the extended portion of the bolt.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary edge view of a door showing the door strike and bolt.
FIG. 3 is an inside fragmentary elevational view of the door jam with portions in section and showing the frame strike.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary edge view of the door frame showing the door frame strike.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the door strike and frame strike with the door and frame omitted, the strikes being shown as they appear in relation to each other just before the door moves into its closed position.
FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the strikes in their safety catch condition.
FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the strikes in their fully interconnected position corresponding to the closed position of the door.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken through 8--8 of FIG. 5.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken through 9--9 of FIG. 6 showing the bolt in its safety catch position.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken through 10--10 of FIG. 7 showing the bolt in its fully locked position.
SPECIFICATION
The vehicle door lock is intended to be incorporated in a conventional vehicle having a door 1 including a door edge 2 having a stop strip 3 at its outer edge. The door also includes a bolt 4 moved between an extended retracted position by a conventional handle 5 the bolt being urged towards its extended position by a conventional spring 6 indicated diagrammatically.
The bolt is provided with a beveled end 7 a portion of which is provided with a notch 8 so as to form a safety catch extension 9.
The door 1 is hinged within a conventional door frame 10 having an edge 11 confronting the door edge 2 and provided with a clearance slot 12.
The door edge 2 is provided with a door strike member 13 and the frame edge 11 is provided with a frame strike member 14. The strike members are similar and are formed of metal strips of uniform width and thickness.
The door and frame strike members are provided with raised central portions 15 and 16 each joined at its ends to offset or shoulder portions 17 and 18 respectively which in turn are joined to end or mounting portions 19 and 20 respectively. The mounting portions are in parallel relation with the central portions.
The mounting portions 19 are provided with beveled perforations 21 to receive screws 22 which fasten the doors strike member 13 to the door edge 2. The mounting portions 20 of the frame strike member 14 are provided on their backsides, that is the sides opposite from the raised central portions 16, with nuts 23 which are formed integrally with the strike member or are welded thereto. The mounting portions 20 fit behind the door frame edge 11 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 so that the raised central portion 16 protrudes from the clearance slot 12. Bolts 24 extending through the edge 11 secure the frame strike member 14 in place.
The offset or shoulder portions 17 and adjacent edges of the raised portions 15 and 16 and the mounting portions 19 and 20 are provided with transverse notches 25 and 26 respectively. These notches occupy approximately one-half the width of the strike members and face in opposite directions so that as the door is closed the central portions 15 and 16 move into overlapping relation. More specifically, the raised central portion 15 moves into the space formed between the raised central portions 16 and the door frame edge 11 whereas the raised central portion 16 moves between the raised central portion 15 and the door edge 2, so that when the door is closed the strike members appear as shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and 10.
The raised central portion 15 of the door strike member 13 is provided with a rectangular opening 27 which receives the beveled end 7 of the bolt 4, or at least the safety catch extension 9. The raised central portion 16 is provided with a larger bolt receiving opening 28 which also includes a safety catch notch 29 dimensioned to receive a safety catch extension 9 of the bolt.
Operation of the vehicle door lock is as follows:
Under normal conditions the lock operates in a manner of a conventional door lock, that is the beveled side of the bolt is engaged as the door approaches its closed position causing the bolt to react against its spring 6 and when the door is fully closed the latch is permitted to extend. In the present invention the retraction of the bolt is accomplished by the edge 30 of the raised central portion 16, the bolt returning to its extended position in the opening 28 moves into registry therewith as shown in FIG. 10. Just before the door reaches its fully closed position the safety catch extension 9 moves into the safety catch notch 29 permitting the bolt to extend part way as shown in FIG. 9 and secure the door although the door is not fully latched.
The inter-engagement of the bolt with the raised central portions 16 as shown in FIGS. 9 or 10 prevents the door from swinging open. The opening 27 in the raised central portion 15 of the door strike member 13 merely provides clearance for the tip of the bolt as the door strike member is rigidly secured to the door edge 2. When the door is in the position shown in FIG. 9 or in FIG. 10 the raised central portion 15 and 16 overlap in a manner to resist spreading movement between the door and the door jam, that is the door is prevented from moving away from the door jam in a manner to withdraw the bolt from the frame strike member 14.
While the strike members 13 and 14 are shown in conjunction with the bolt these members perform the function to prevent spreading action whether or not they are secured by a bolt, thus if the conditions of use warrant more than one pair of strike members may be employed.
While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the details of the construction set forth, but instead, the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the various parts and their relationships as come within the purview of the appended claims.