Automobile vehicle lock

• US 20030164616A1
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation), Arvinmeritor Light Vehicle Systems FRA (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: Arvinmeritor Light Vehicle Systems FRA (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Inventors: Burkat, Frederic, DeVries, Pascal, Chonavel, Sylvain, Chu, Yi Hwa, Belmond, Jean Marc
• Granted Patent: US 6,883,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/12 Automatic locking or unlocking at the moment of collision
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/28 for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/30 allowing opening by means of an inner door handle, even if the door is locked
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/82 using batteries other than the vehicle main battery
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/86 using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/01 Mechanical arrangements specially adapted for hands-free locking or unlocking handles with means for initiation of a hands-free locking or unlocking process E05B81/78
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1048 Lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

An automobile vehicle lock is released under normal operating conditions by an electric motor. Under degraded conditions, a mechanical release of the lock is enabled. This allows the motor providing electrical release of the lock to be simply dimensioned for release under normal operating conditions with no requirement to over-dimension the motor to ensure the lock will open under degraded operating conditions. Because release of the lock is mechanical under degraded operating conditions, enablement of the mechanical release is provided by a low-power standby motor. This allows a compact and inexpensive standby power source to be employed.

Claims

1. A lock assembly for a door comprising:

a locking member movable between a locked position and a released position;

an actuator activated from outside the door for releasing said locking member;

a coupling mechanism movable between an enabled and disabled position; and

a lever operable from inside the door for releasing said locking member when said coupling mechanism is in said enabled position, said lever inoperable for releasing said locking member when said coupling mechanism is in said disabled position.

2. The assembly of claim 1, including a pawl holding said locking member in said locked position and movable to release said locking member, said pawl movable in response to said actuator or said lever.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a coupling arm forming a portion of a mechanical transmission path between said lever and said pawl when said coupling mechanism is in said enabled position.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a standby actuator for moving said coupling arm between said enabled and disabled positions.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said standby actuator is an electric motor.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein said electric motor is of an electric power less than or equal to 10 Watts.

7. The assembly of claim 2, including a coupling release lever attached to said lever and movable into a position between said actuator and said pawl for forming a mechanical transmission path between said actuator and said pawl.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said coupling release lever activates said actuator when in said position between said actuator and said pawl.

9. The assembly of claim 7, including an actuator arm driven by said actuator to engage said coupling release lever.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator is an electric motor.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said electric motor is of an electric power less than 100 Watts.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said electric motor is of an electric power less than 80 Watts.

13. A module for a door comprising:

a lock having a locking member movable between a locked position and a released position;

an actuator activated from outside said door for releasing said locking member;

a coupling mechanism movable between an enabled and disabled position; and

a lever operable from inside the door for releasing said locking member when said coupling mechanism is in said enabled position, said lever inoperable for releasing said locking member when said coupling mechanism is in said disabled position.

14. The module of claim 13, including a pawl holding said locking member in said locked position and movable to release said locking member, said pawl movable in response to said actuator or said lever.

15. The module of claim 13, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a coupling arm forming a portion of a mechanical transmission path between said lever and said pawl when said coupling mechanism in said enabled position.

16. The module of claim 15, wherein said coupling mechanism includes a standby actuator for moving said coupling arm between said enabled and disabled positions.

17. The module of claim 13, including a coupling release lever attached to said lever and movable into a position between said actuator and said pawl for forming a mechanical transmission path between said actuator and said pawl.

18. The module of claim 17, wherein said coupling release lever activates said actuator when in said position between said actuator and said pawl.

19. The module of claim 16, including an actuator arm driven by said actuator to engage said coupling release lever.