SLIDING DOOR LOCK SYSTEM

Abstract

A sliding door lock system comprising a sliding door lock mechanism having a top plate which is fixed to a door frame via two flaps, each comprising a bolt receiving element for fixing the sliding door lock mechanism to the door frame using a fixing element, said top plate being shifted with respect to the door frame so that a cavity is formed, limited by side walls extending between the shifted part of the top plate and the flaps, said sliding door lock system comprising a reinforcement element which is disposed on at least one of the flaps and next to at least one of the side walls, wherein a support wall of the reinforcement element is adapted to support the adjacent side wall of the sliding door lock mechanism so that an outward deformation or a bending can be prevented.

Claims

1. A sliding door lock system of a vehicle comprising a first part located at a door frame and a second part located at a door; comprising: a sliding door lock mechanism having a top plate which is fixed to the door frame via two flaps, each comprising a bolt receiving element for fixing the sliding door lock mechanism to the door frame using a fixing element, said top plate being shifted with respect to the door frame so that a cavity is formed, limited by side walls extending between the shifted part of the top plate and the flaps; the top plate further comprises a rotatable clamp; wherein the cavity is provided so that the first part includes an engagement element adapted to gear into the top plate, and the top plate includes a recess or the rotatable clamp adapted to guide the engagement element into the cavity; said sliding door lock system comprising a reinforcement element which is disposed on at least one of the flaps and next to at least one of the side walls, wherein a support wall of the reinforcement element is adapted to support the adjacent side wall of the sliding door lock mechanism so that an outward deformation or a bending can be prevented.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the side walls project rectangularly with respect to the top plate and the flaps.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the support wall of the reinforcement element and the adjacent side wall is smaller than about 0.1 mm.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element is adapted to support the adjacent side wall of the sliding door lock mechanism over its entire length.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element is disposed in such a manner so that a width of the sliding door lock mechanism is not exceeded by the reinforcement element.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein a height of the reinforcement element corresponds to an upper surface of the top plate.

7. Reinforcement element for application at a sliding door lock mechanism of a vehicle, said reinforcement element comprising a ground wall, a support wall and at least one bolt receiving opening positioned so that the support wall of the reinforcement element can support an adjacent side wall of the sliding door lock mechanism in such a manner so that an outward deformation or a bending can be prevented.

8. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, being a rectangular body made of steel.

9. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, wherein a width of the reinforcement element is about 20 to 50 mm, a length is about 8 to 28 mm, and a height is about 4 to 10 mm.

10. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, wherein the at least one bolt receiving opening is a through hole, expediently comprising a counterbore.

11. Reinforcement element according to claim 10, wherein a diameter of the through hole is about 5 to 8 mm, and wherein a diameter of the counterbore is expediently about 9 to 12 mm, with a depth of about 2 to 4 mm.

12. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, wherein a region between the ground wall and the support wall is rounded.

13. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, wherein the ground wall comprises at least one recess.

14. Reinforcement element according to claim 7, comprising an anti-twist device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reinforcement element.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a side view of a reinforcement element disposed at a sliding door lock mechanism.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a reinforcement element disposed at a sliding door lock mechanism that is attached to a door frame.

[0027] FIG. 4a is a top view of a reinforcement element.

[0028] FIG. 4b is a sectional view of the reinforcement element of FIG. 4a.

[0029] FIG. 4c is a side view of the reinforcement element of FIG. 4a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary for the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0031] With reference to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a reinforcement element 10 is shown. The reinforcement element 10 comprises a bolt receiving opening 16 that is positioned basically in the middle of the reinforcement element 10. The reinforcement element 10 has a basically rectangular body, according to a preferred embodiment made of steel. One of the outer walls of the reinforcement element 10 is a support wall 14 that is adapted to support an adjacent sidewall of a sliding door lock mechanism (not shown).

[0032] FIG. 2 showsin a side viewa reinforcement element 10 that is disposed at a sliding door lock mechanism 40. The sliding door lock mechanism 40 comprises a top plate 42 that has or forms two flaps 44. The flaps 44 are attached to a ground plate 48 and the top plate 42 and the ground plate 48 are fixed by appropriate fixing elements to a door frame (not shown). The top plate 42 as well as the ground plate 48 are in one embodiment for example made of sheet metal. That means that the top plate 42 is for example bended to form the flaps 44. At the left flap 44, the reinforcement element 10 is disposed in such a manner so that a support wall 14 of the reinforcement element 10 is in contact or nearly in contact with a sidewall 46 of the top plate 42. Between the top plate 42 and the ground plate 48, a cavity/opening 52 is formed that is for example adapted to receive a stud or a pin of a sliding door lock mechanism of the appropriate (sliding) door of the vehicle. It may be understood that the top plate 42 or its side walls 46 may bend or deform outwardly if something is guided or put into the cavity 52. Preferably, the reinforcement element 10 is disposed on at least one of the flaps 44 to enhance and reinforce the whole structure, in particular the side walls 46.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a sliding door lock mechanism 40 that is attached to a door frame 60. As already known, the sliding door lock mechanism 40 comprises a top plate 42 and a ground plate 48. The top plate 42 comprises two flaps 44 and is shifted with respect to the ground plate 48 so that a cavity/an opening 52 is formed between the top plate 42 and the ground plate 48. The top plate 42 comprises also a recess 54 and a clamp 50 that is rotatably attached to the top plate 42. Advantageously, a reinforcement element 10 is disposed on at least one or both of the flaps 44. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcement element 10 is positioned/arranged at the upper flap 44. The reinforcement element 10 and the sliding door lock mechanism 40 are fixed by appropriate fixing elements 70, 70 which are for example bolts, screws, or the like. The fixing element 10 that is used to fix the reinforcement element 10 is preferably an Allen screw, also called hexagon socket screw. Of course, torx screws or the like may also be used.

[0034] FIG. 4a shows a top view of a reinforcement element 10. The outer edges of the reinforcement element 10 have a radius r10 which is for example 1 mm. A bolt receiving opening 16 is in this embodiment positioned basically in the middle of the reinforcement element 10. The reinforcement element 10 has a basically rectangular form with a width w10 and a length l10. In one embodiment, the width w10 is about 31 mm, the length l10 about 17 mm. A section view A-A is shown in FIG. 4b.

[0035] FIG. 4b shows the section view A-A of FIG. 4a. The reinforcement element 10 has a height h10. In one embodiment, the height h10 is about 7 mm. The bolt receiving opening 16 is formed as a through hole 16 and comprises a counterbore 18 with a depth d18 which is, according to one embodiment, about 3 mm. A diameter of the counterbore 18 is referenced by reference numeral D18 and a diameter of the through hole 16 is referenced by reference numeral D16. In one embodiment, the diameter D16 is about 6.5 mm, wherein the diameter D18 is about 10.5 mm.

[0036] FIG. 4c shows a side view of the reinforcement element 10 of FIG. 4a. This view shows the rounded region between a ground wall 12 and the support wall 14. A radius r14 lies for example within a range of about 3 mm.