Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert J Myslicki

Carl D May

Lloyd W Rogers

Bela Gergoe

David E Compeau

Michael Eugene Aubry

Douglas L Rusnell

Hecham R Khalid

A latch assembly for latching and unlatching a pivotally movable closure panel of an automotive vehicle. A locking lever is pivotally supported by the vehicle for movement between a latched position in which an engaging portion thereof is latched to the striker on the closure panel to hold the latter in its closed position and an unlatched position in which the engaging portion releases the striker to allow the closure panel to be moved toward an open position. A detent lever is pivotally supported by the vehicle for movement between an engaged position in which a stepped portion thereof engages the locking lever to retain the latter in its latched position and a released position in which the first portion thereof releases the locking lever to allow the latter to be moved to its unlatched position. A spring carried by the vehicle has a first leg acting in torsion engaging the detent lever for biasing the detent lever towards the engaged position and a second leg acting as a leaf spring engaging the locking lever for biasing the locking lever towards the unlatched position. In operation, the locking lever is held in the latched position by the detent lever biased in the engaged position by the first leg of spring acting in torsion and when the detent lever is manually manipulable to the released position the second leg of the spring rotates the locking lever to the unlatched position releasing the striker.

Latch having torsion spring leg and leaf spring leg

A latch mechanism for a vehicle closure panel hingedly mounts to a vehicle body panel and latches the closure panel in a closed position. A striker post is rotatably connected to one panel. A handle is mounted to the striker post and allows the striker post to be manually rotated, when the handle extends outwardly in an extended position. A striker guide is mounted on the other panel and has an open ended slot therein engaged by the striker post upon closing movement of the closure panel. The slot is angularly disposed to rotate the striker post from the extended position upon movement of the closure panel toward the closed position. A primary latch engages the striker post to hold the closure panel in the closed position and is releasable to allow movement of the closure panel from the closed position toward an opened position. A pop-up spring moves the closure panel from the closed position toward the open position so that the slot rotates the striker post toward the extended position. A retaining abutment projects into the slot for limiting the movement of the striker post upward in the slot, thereby limiting the closure panel movement toward the open position until manual movement of the handle disengages the striker post from the retaining abutment which allows further opening movement of the vehicle closure panel.

Primary and secondary hood latch with pop-up and presenter lever

A striker assembly includes a striker member fixed to mounting bracket. Studs secured to the bracket extend outwardly through enlarged openings in the body member. Nuts and washers secure the brackets to the member and permit exterior adjustment of the bracket and striker with the closure closed and latched to the striker member. Anti-theft means in the form of a round convex headed stud which extends through aligned openings in the body panel and the support bracket. A nut secures the round headed stud to the second bracket and with the stud clampingly engaging the exterior side of the body panel so that it cannot be removed by any tool.

Adjustable striker assembly with anti-theft protection

A venting arrangement for an automotive vehicle is provided in which its rear closure is automatically raised to a slightly open position in response to opening a door of the vehicle so that upon closing the door, entrapped air in the vehicle can escape through the rear to reduce door closing effort. The arrangement includes a latch and pull down mechanism for the rear closure of the vehicle to move the same between a partially open and a closed position and a control means including door jamb switches for energizing the pull down unit to raise the rear closure to its partially open position in response to opening movement of the door and to return the same to its fully closed position in response to closing of the door.

Vehicle venting arrangement responsive to side door opening and closing

A hinge assembly for hingedly attaching a movable closure to a vehicle body comprises a male hinge member having an integral ferrule, a female hinge member having a pair of spaced ears for straddling the ferrule and a connecting means for pivotally connecting the hinge members together. The connecting means comprises a pair of flanged bushings which are slidably received in the ferrule, a pair of hinge pins which are slidably received in the bushings and force fittingly received in the ears and an adjustment screw threadably received in a threaded opening in the ferrule for engaging the bushings and moving the latter outwardly to seat against the ears on the female hinge member to take up fabrication tolerances and prevent rattling between the hinge members.

Hinge bushing adjustment means for a hinge assembly

A lock striker assembly includes a striker member fixed to a mounting bracket. Studs secured to the bracket extend outwardly through enlarged openings in a body member. Nuts and washers secure the bracket to the member and permit exterior adjustment of the bracket and striker with the closure closed and the lock latched to the striker member. A second bracket is fixed to the inner side of the body member and has a stud extending through an enlarged opening in the first bracket. A nut secures the stud of the second bracket to the first after the position of the first bracket and striker member is fixed. This provides anti-theft protection.

Striker assembly

A striker assembly includes a reinforcement bracket having a threaded stud, a receptacle, and laterally spaced-apart opposed-facing cam shoulders. The reinforcement bracket is welded onto the vehicle body rear panel with the threaded stud at a precise vertical and transverse location determined by a locating fixture which seats against the compartment lid opening of the vehicle body. A striker bracket has the striker rod mounted thereon, an end which fits within the receptacle of the reinforcement bracket, and an aperture which fits over the threaded stud. Flanges bent from the striker bracket define cam faces which overlie the cam shoulders of the reinforcement bracket. As a nut is threaded onto the threaded stud, the striker bracket is forced into overlying engagement with the reinforcement bracket. The fit between the end of the striker bracket and the receptacle of the reinforcement bracket shifts the striker bracket in the direction to always maintain a contact between the threaded stud and the wall of the striker bracket aperture so that the striker rod carried by the striker bracket is precisely located in the vertical direction by the threaded stud. Simultaneously, the cam flanges of the striker bracket are forcibly seated on the cam shoulders of the reinforcement bracket to precisely locate the striker rod transversely with respect to the precise transverse location of the reinforcement bracket.

Growing community of inventors

W. Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Robert J Myslicki