Vehicle door latch device

• US 10,443,276 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• 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: Akahori, Masakazu, Zhang, Chenming
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/321,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20170204639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/00 Doors B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 ; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 15/1635 of plastics materials springs E05B15/04
• 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 79/08 Mounting of individual lock elements in the lock, e.g. levers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/20 using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/06 using rotary motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/34 of geared transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/70 the wing position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle latch device; a vehicle latch device (1) includes a switch plate (46), which is provided in a housing (23), and is able to conduct electricity to a motor (48) or another electrical component in the housing (23) other than the motor 48; and the switch plate (46) is formed separately from the housing (23) and formed by an electrically conductive plate being embedded in a synthetic resin 462 in a state where a portion thereof electrically conductive to the motor or electrical component and a connection terminal portion thereof to outside are exposed. The switch plate (46) is fixed in the housing 23 by engagement means 255, 256, 257, 464a, 465, and 467 that engage the synthetic resin 462 and the housing 23 with each other.

Claims

1. A vehicle door latch device comprising:

a body accommodating therein an engagement mechanism, the engagement mechanism being configured to restrain a door in a closed position by engaging with a striker;

a housing attached to the body and accommodating therein an operation mechanism including a motor, the operation mechanism performing a switch-over operation between an unlocked state where an engaged state of the engagement mechanism with the striker is releasable and a locked state where the engaged state is unreleasable;

a switch plate, which is provided in the housing, configured to conduct electricity to electrical components including the motor in the housing, the switch plate, being separate from the housing, including a synthetic resin body and an electrically conductive plate, the electrically conductive plate including an electrically conductive portion to be connected to the electrical components including the motor and a connection terminal portion to be connected to outside of the vehicle door latch device, the electrically conductive plate being embedded into the synthetic resin body in a state where the electrically conductive portion and the connection terminal portion are exposed, wherein

the switch plate includes a plurality of engagement holes, and the housing includes a plurality of protruding portions which are engaged with the respective engagement holes of the switch plate.

2. The vehicle door latch device according to claim 1, wherein a female connector portion, to which an external connector is connected, is integrally molded with the switch plate by use of a synthetic resin for insert molding, with the connection terminal portion being exposed inside the female connector portion.

3. The vehicle door latch device according to claim 2, wherein an engaged portion and an engagement portion, which are engageable with each other, are further provided in the female connector portion and the housing.

4. The vehicle door latch device according to claim 1, wherein an attachment portion for a rotary switch, which is the electrical component, is integrally molded with the switch plate, by use of a synthetic resin for insert molding.