Designers: Michele Santoro, Daken SpA, Matera (MT), Italy
Manufacturer: DAKEN SpA., Matera (MT), Italy
A doorstop device, for the attachment of doors or hatches in the open position, in particular, hatches for access to cargo compartments of commercial vehicles, comprises an outer casing, suitable to be connected to a vehicle, and a locking handle, extractable from the outer casing.
The handle comprises a hooking portion, adapted to engage the door of the vehicle, which hooking portion is placed at the first end of a stem. The stem is partly extractable from the outer casing and rotatably slidable inside the same between a first disengagement position, wherein the stem is retracted inside the outer casing and the hooking portion is in a first angular position, and a second engagement position, wherein such stem is extracted from the outer casing, and the hooking portion is rotated, so that the vehicle door may be hooked.
The doorstop device further comprises an inner shell, tubular in shape, coaxial with respect to the stem and supported by the outer casing, with respect to which such inner shell is locked axially. The stem is slidingly housed in the inner shell and is rotatable about its longitudinal axis x integral to such shell.
There are also two elastic means, housed in the inner shell parallel to the longitudinal axis x of the stem, which elastic means have a first end acting on the inner shell, and a second end acting on the stem, so that the extraction of the stem outside the inner shell causes a compression of the elastic means, which would tend to bring the stem back into the inner shell.
The stem has a pair of longitudinal seats, adapted to accommodate at least partially the elastic means. In this way, it is possible to reduce the transverse dimensions of the stem-elastic means assembly, and consequently the dimensions of the inner shell that contains them.
The stem comprises four hooking means, circumferentially spaced by 90°, adapted to engage the casing when the stem is in the disengagement position, in such a way as to block the involuntary rotation of such stem. Such hooking means is a tab that protrudes radially from the stem, and which is adapted to fit into a corresponding seat in the outer casing, so as to bind in rotation the stem, especially when the handle is in the inactive position.
The outer casing and the inner shell are made up of two semi-shells. Appropriately, the edges of the half-shells, intended to be coupled together, are labyrinth-shaped, so as to interlock, and to ensure sufficient impermeability to the system, without using additional components.
The locking handle has a grip of an annular shape, adapted to allow a user to securely grasp the handle. Appropriately, such grip has a knurling in its inner surface, so as to increase the friction during the grip by the user.
The advantage of this is to provide a compact and well-balanced device, wherein the elastic means rotate integrally on the stem of the handle, because they are carried by an inner shell, rotatably supported by the casing to be fixed to the vehicle.
