Lift assist lock assembly and locking method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280663-B2
Application number	US-201715722233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

An exemplary assembly includes a cylinder, a piston, and a lock. The lock is transitionable between an unlocked position that permits extension and retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder, and a locked position that limits retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder. The lock is blocked from transitioning from the locked to the unlocked position when a load supported by the piston exceeds a threshold load. An exemplary method includes transitioning a lock from an unlocked to a locked position. The lock in the unlocked position permits extension and retraction of a piston relative to a cylinder. The lock in the locked position limits retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder. The method further includes holding the lock in the locked position using a load supported by the piston that exceeds a threshold load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
a cylinder;
a piston; and
a lock transitionable between an unlocked position that permits extension and retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder, and a locked position that limits retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder, the lock blocked from transitioning from the locked to the unlocked position when a load supported by the piston exceeds a threshold load.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , comprising a spring of the lock that is in a clamped position where the spring is clamped against the piston when the lock is in the locked position, and is an unclamped position where the spring is unclamped from the piston when the lock is in the unlocked position.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a twist portion of the lock and a base portion of the lock, the twist portion rotatable relative to the base portion to move the spring between clamped position and the unclamped position.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a toothed structure of the lock that is moved from a disengaged to an engaged position when the load supported by the piston exceeds the threshold load and the spring is in the clamped position, the toothed structure in the engaged position limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion to hold the lock in the locked position.

5. The assembly of claim 3 , further comprising an extension from one of the twist portion or the base portion received within a channel in the other of the twist portion or the base portion,
wherein, when the lock is in the unlocked position, the extension is biased by the spring against a side of the channel to prevent the spring from moving to the clamped position by limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein, when the lock is in the locked position and the load supported by the piston exceeds the threshold load, the extension is biased against another side of the channel to hold the spring in the clamped position by limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion.

7. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the base portion is attached directly to the cylinder.

8. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring is a coil spring distributed annularly about the piston.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a liftgate assembly provides the load, and the liftgate assembly together with an item removeably attached to the liftgate assembly provides the threshold load.

10. A method, comprising:
transitioning a lock from an unlocked to a locked position, the lock in the unlocked position permitting extension and retraction of a piston relative to a cylinder, the lock in the locked position limiting retraction of the piston relative to the cylinder; and
holding the lock in the locked position using a load supported by the piston that exceeds a threshold load.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the holding prevents the lock from transitioning from the locked to the unlocked position.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising moving a spring to a clamped position where the spring is clamped against the piston when the lock is transitioned to the locked position, and moving the spring to an unclamped position where the spring is unclamped from the piston when the lock is transitioned to the unlocked position.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising rotating a twist portion of the lock relative to a base portion of the lock to move the spring between the clamped and the unclamped position.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising using the load that exceeds a threshold load to move a toothed structure from a disengaged position to an engaged position, the toothed structure in the engaged position limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion to hold the lock in the locked position, the toothed structure in the disengaged position permitting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion to permit movement between the locked position and the unlocked position.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising guiding rotation of twist portion relative to the base portion using an extension received within a channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, when the lock is in the unlocked position, biasing the extension against a side of the channel to prevent the spring from moving to the clamped position by limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, when the lock is held in the locked position by the load supported by the piston, biasing the extension against another side of the channel to hold the spring in the clamped position by limiting rotation of the twist portion relative to the base portion.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the base portion is attached directly to the cylinder.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the spring is a coil spring.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising permitting the lock to transition from the locked position to the unlocked position when the load is at or below the threshold load.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wetzel Cynthia
• Vanputten Raymond
• Cacioppo Rich James
• Miller Adam
• Taropa Traian
• Lee Michael Joseph

Classifications

• E05Y2201/484

  Torsion springs · CPC title

• E05Y2800/102

  Additional wing movements · CPC title

• F16F9/56

  Means for adjusting the length of, or for locking, the spring or damper, e.g. at the end of the stroke {(F16F9/50 takes precedence; for telescopic gas springs or dampers F16F9/0245; vehicle suspension locking arrangements B60G17/005)} · CPC title

• E05Y2900/546

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards · CPC title

• E05Y2600/524

  Friction · CPC title