Wide Opening Vehicle Door with Easy-Reach Feature

Abstract

A door return device for a vehicle door has a travel path including an easy-reach position and a fully open position. A housing is coupled to one of the vehicle door or the door frame and has a chamber containing a working fluid. A link is coupled to the other one of the vehicle door or the door frame and is movable into and out of the housing in response to travel of the vehicle door. An end-damping piston is slidable in the chamber and includes a fluid passage between opposite sides. A return spring is disposed between the end-damping piston and one longitudinal end of the chamber. When the return spring is substantially unloaded then the end-damping piston is positioned relative to the one longitudinal end such that the vehicle door is away from the fully open position at least as far as the easy-reach position.

1 . A door return device for a vehicle door having a travel path between a closed position in a door frame and a fully open position, wherein the travel path includes an easy-reach position spaced by a predetermined distance from the fully open position, the door return device comprising:
 a housing adapted to be coupled to one of the vehicle door or the door frame and having a chamber containing a working fluid;   a link adapted to be coupled to the other one of the vehicle door or the door frame and movable into and out of the housing in response to travel of the vehicle door along the travel path;   an end-damping piston slidable in the chamber and coupled to the link, wherein the end-damping piston partitions the chamber into first and second subchambers, and wherein the end-damping piston includes a surface for providing a fluid passage between the first and second subchambers; and   a return spring disposed between the end-damping piston and one longitudinal end of the chamber, wherein when the return spring is substantially unloaded then the end-damping piston is positioned relative to the one longitudinal end such that the vehicle door is away from the fully open position at least as far as the easy-reach position;   wherein manual opening movement of the vehicle door into the fully open position is damped by flow of the working fluid through the fluid passage, wherein manual opening movement of the vehicle door into the fully open position loads the return spring, and wherein when the vehicle door is released at the fully open position it gradually moves to the easy-reach position by the unloading of the return spring while the gradual closing movement of the vehicle door is damped by flow of the working fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the end-damping piston includes a bore for providing at least a portion of the surface for providing a fluid passage between the first and second subchambers. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the housing includes a substantially longitudinal groove generally radially spaced from the end-damping piston such that the surface for providing a fluid passage between the first and second subchambers further includes an outer edge of the end-damping piston. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the longitudinal groove is tapered so that a cross-sectional area of the longitudinal groove is generally decreasing in a direction corresponding to increased loading of the return spring. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a substantially longitudinal groove generally radially spaced from the end-damping piston such that the surface for providing a fluid passage between the first and second subchambers comprises an outer edge of the end-damping piston. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the longitudinal groove is tapered so that a cross-sectional area of the longitudinal groove is generally decreasing in a direction corresponding to increased loading of the return spring. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the return spring is comprised of a compression spring. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the return spring is comprised of an extension spring. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the vehicle door is a swinging door and wherein the link provides a door check link function. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the vehicle door is a sliding door, and the door return device is adapted to be mounted as an end bumper on a sliding door track. 
     
     
         11 . A door holding and return device for a swinging door of a vehicle wherein the door pivots along a travel path between a closed position in a door frame and a fully open position, wherein the travel path includes an easy-reach position spaced by a predetermined distance from the fully open position, the door return device comprising:
 a housing adapted to be coupled to one of the vehicle door or the door frame and having a chamber containing a working fluid;   a link adapted to be coupled to the other one of the vehicle door or the door frame and movable into and out of the housing in response to travel of the vehicle door along the travel path;   a hold piston fixed to the link and slidable in the chamber to hold the door at any position where it has been stopped between the easy-reach position and the closed position;   an end-damping piston slidable in the chamber and slidably coupled to the link to contact the hold piston, wherein the end-damping piston includes a surface for providing a fluid passage between opposite sides thereof; and   a return spring disposed between the end-damping piston and one longitudinal end of the chamber, wherein when the return spring is substantially unloaded then the end-damping piston is positioned relative to the one longitudinal end such that the vehicle door is away from the fully open position at least as far as the easy-reach position;   wherein manual opening movement of the vehicle door into the fully open position is damped by flow of the working fluid through the fluid passage, wherein manual opening movement of the vehicle door into the fully open position loads the return spring as a result of the hold piston moving the end-damping piston, and wherein when the vehicle door is released at the fully open position it gradually moves to the easy-reach position by the unloading of the return spring while the gradual closing movement of the vehicle door is damped by flow of the working fluid.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the housing includes a substantially longitudinal groove generally radially spaced from the end-damping piston such that the surface for providing a fluid passage between opposite sides thereof comprises an outer edge of the end-damping piston. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein the longitudinal groove is tapered so that a cross-sectional area of the longitudinal groove is generally decreasing in a direction corresponding to increased loading of the return spring, thereby providing variable damping during the gradual closing movement. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11  wherein the return spring is comprised of a compression spring.