1. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door;
b) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
wherein the unitary check body is manufactured from a resilient material so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy in response to the movement of the cam surfaces and detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement.
2. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
3. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength steel.
4. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength composite material.
5. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is formed from a moldable plastic material.
6. The door check apparatus of claim 5, wherein the check arm contains a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material.
7. The door check apparatus of claim 6, wherein the check arm reinforcement is manufactured from steel, aluminum, reinforced plastic or a similar structural material.
8. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is formed from a metallic material by casting, forging or similar means.
9. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body is rigidly mounted to the vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
10. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement.
11. The door check apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mounting bracket is rigidly mounted to the vehicle body structure via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
12. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device.
13. The door check apparatus of claim 12, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
14. The door check apparatus of claim 13, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after a painting and assembly process.
15. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a resilient material so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
16. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength steel.
17. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength composite material.
18. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is formed from a moldable plastic material.
19. The door check apparatus of claim 18, wherein the check arm contains a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material.
20. The door check apparatus of claim 19, wherein the check arm reinforcement is manufactured from steel, aluminum, reinforced plastic or a similar structural material.
21. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is formed from a metallic material by casting, forging or similar means.
22. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body is rigidly mounted to the vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
23. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement.
24. The door check apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mounting bracket is rigidly mounted to the vehicle body structure via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
25. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm contains a bump stop feature that is configured to contact the unitary check body at the full open swing limit of the vehicle door so as to prevent further rotation.
26. The door check apparatus of claim 25, wherein the bump stop feature is adapted to contact the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that the stop loads associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure.
27. The door check apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bump stop feature incorporates an energy absorbing material configured to prevent the vehicle door from bouncing closed when it reaches the full open swing limit.
28. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
29. The door check apparatus of claim 28, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
30. The door check apparatus of claim 29, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
31. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a high strength steel so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
d) said check arm being formed from a moldable plastic material and containing a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material;
e) said mounting bracket being rigidly mounted to the vehicle body via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
32. The door check apparatus of claim 31, wherein the check arm contains a bump stop feature that is configured to contact the unitary check body at the full open swing limit of the vehicle door so as to prevent further rotation.
33. The door check apparatus of claim 32, wherein the bump stop feature is adapted to contact the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that the forces associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure.
34. The door check apparatus of claim 33, wherein the bump stop feature incorporates an energy absorbing material configured to prevent the vehicle door from bouncing closed when it reaches the full open swing limit.
35. The door check apparatus of claim 34, wherein the energy absorbing material is co-molded with the plastic material of the check arm.
36. The door check apparatus of claim 31, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
37. The door check apparatus of claim 36, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
38. The door check apparatus of claim 37, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
39. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a high strength steel so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing a bump stop, cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
d) said check arm being formed from a moldable plastic material and containing a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material;
e) said bump stop feature incorporating an energy absorbing material co-molded with the plastic material of the check arm;
f) said mounting bracket being rigidly mounted to the vehicle body via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement, and the vehicle door is prevented from further rotation at its full open swing limit by the bump stop feature contacting the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that stop loads associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure, and the vehicle door is prevented from bouncing closed by the energy absorbing material.
40. The door check apparatus of claim 39, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
41. The door check apparatus of claim 40, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
42. The door check apparatus of claim 41, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-18. (canceled)
19. A sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of interconnected sense elements arranged in a first direction on a surface of the substrate;
a first plurality of interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in the first direction, each respective one of the first plurality of interconnected drive elements being located adjacent to and between respective ones of the plurality of sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the first direction; and
a second plurality of interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in a second direction, each respective one of the second plurality of interconnected drive elements being located between respective ones of the plurality of sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the second direction.
20. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the sense elements, the first plurality of drive elements, and the second plurality of drive elements are provided on the first surface of the substrate.
21. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of drive elements and the second plurality of drive elements are provided on different surfaces of the substrate.
22. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the sense elements are substantially circular in shape.
23. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of drive elements are substantially hexagonal in shape.
24. The sensor of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of drive elements has at least one edge contoured to be complimentary to at least one of the sense elements.
25. The sensor of claim 19 further comprising a controller, comprising at least one drive unit configured to apply drive signals to the first and second pluralities of drive elements and at least one sense unit, configured to sense signals representing a degree of coupling of the drive signals applied to the first and second plurality of drive elements to the sense electrodes.
26. The sensor of claim 25, wherein the controller further comprises a processing unit configured to calculate a position of an object in one direction from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying drive signals to different ones of the first plurality of drive elements and calculate a position of the object in another direction from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying drive signals to different ones of the second plurality of drive elements.
27. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially orthogonal.
28. The sensor of claim 27, wherein the first sets of sense and drive elements form columns of alternating sense and drive elements and the second sets of sense of drive elements form rows of alternating sense and drive elements.
29. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the drive elements are formed of a substantially transparent conductive material.
30. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of drive elements, the second plurality of drive elements, and the plurality of sense elements are arranged such that the elements do not overlap.
31. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a touch-sensitive sensor disposed within the housing, the touch-sensitive sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of interconnected sense elements arranged in a first direction on a surface of the substrate;
a first plurality of interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in the first direction, each respective one of the first plurality of interconnected drive elements being located adjacent to and between respective ones of the plurality of sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the first direction; and
a second plurality of interconnected drive elements arranged on a surface of the substrate in a second direction, each respective one of the second plurality of interconnected drive elements being located between respective ones of the plurality of sense elements to form first sets of sense and drive elements alternating in the second direction; and
a controller in communication with the touch-sensitive sensor comprising a drive unit and sense unit, the drive unit configured to apply drive signals to the first and second pluralities of drive elements and a sense unit configured to sense signals representing a degree of coupling of the drive signals applied to the first and second plurality of drive elements to the sense electrodes.
32. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the first plurality of drive elements and the second plurality of drive elements are provided on different surfaces of the substrate.
33. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the sense elements are substantially circular in shape.
34. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the first plurality of drive elements are substantially hexagonal in shape.
35. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the controller further comprises a processing unit configured to calculate a position of an object in one direction from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying drive signals to different ones of the first plurality of drive elements and calculate a position of the object in another direction from an analysis of the sense signals obtained by applying drive signals to different ones of the second plurality of drive elements.
36. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially orthogonal.
37. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the drive elements are formed of a substantially transparent conductive material.
38. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the first plurality of drive elements, the second plurality of drive elements, and the plurality of sense elements are arranged such that the elements do not overlap.