Vehicle door lock device

• US 10,407,947 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Shuntaro, Enomoto, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/524,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20170335605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/34 Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/02 Mounting of vehicle locks or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/66 the bolt position, i.e. the latching status
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/72 the lock status, i.e. locked or unlocked condition
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings

Abstract

A vehicle door lock device includes a latch mechanism holding and releasing a striker of a door; a locking/unlocking member switching between locking and unlocking of the door; a first switch detecting a state of the locking/unlocking member; a second switch switching between on and off of a room lamp of the vehicle; a connection portion to which a connector for an external device is connected; and a switch plate connecting at least the first switch and the second switch to the connection portion. Further, the switch plate includes a first switch plate connecting the first switch to the connection portion, a second switch plate connecting the second switch to the connection portion, and a switch-plate joining portion joining the first switch plate and the second switch plate together and passing between a bottom surface of a case and the locking/unlocking member.

Claims

1. A vehicle door lock device comprising:

a latch mechanism configured to engagingly hold a striker of a vehicle when a door of the vehicle is closed and release the striker when the door is to be open;

a locking/unlocking member configured to switch between locking and unlocking of the door;

a first switch configured to detect a state of the locking/unlocking member corresponding to switching between the locking and the unlocking of the door;

a second switch configured to switch between on and off of a room lamp of the vehicle according to a turning position of a latch of the latch mechanism;

a connector connection portion located on an opposite side of the latch mechanism across the locking/unlocking member and configured to receive a connector for electrically connecting the vehicle door lock device to one or more devices in the vehicle; and

a switch plate configured to electrically connect at least the first switch and the second switch to the connector connection portion, wherein

the switch plate includes

a first switch plate located on an opposite side of the latch mechanism across the locking/unlocking member and configured to electrically connect the first switch to the connector connection portion,

a second switch plate located on an opposite side of the first switch plate across the locking/unlocking member and configured to electrically connect the second switch to the connector connection portion, and

a switch-plate joining portion connecting the first switch plate and the second switch plate, the switch-plate joining portion extending between the first switch plate and the second switch plate,

wherein the locking/unlocking member and the switch plate are housed in a case, and

wherein the switch-plate joining portion of the switch plate is sandwiched between a part of the locking/unlocking member and an inner surface of the case.

2. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein

the first switch plate includes a first-switch holding portion that holds the first switch, and

the second switch plate includes a second-switch holding portion that holds the second switch.

3. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein

the locking/unlocking member includes a key member that performs an action related to switching between locking and unlocking of the door according to a lock/unlock operation with a key, and

the part of the locking/unlocking member used to sandwich the switch-plate joining portion is the key member so that the switch-plate joining portion of the switch plate is sandwiched between the key member and the inner surface of the case.

4. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 2, wherein

the locking/unlocking member includes a key member that performs an action related to switching between locking and unlocking of the door according to a lock/unlock operation with a key, and

the part of the locking/unlocking member used to sandwich the switch-plate joining portion is the key member so that the switch-plate joining portion of the switch plate is sandwiched between the key member and the inner surface of the case.