Anti-panic mechanism of vehicle door latch device

• US 20040145191A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,080,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/32 allowing simultaneous actuation of locking or unlocking elements and a handle, e.g. preventing interference between an unlocking and an unlatching action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/36 Locks for passenger or like doors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

An anti-panic mechanism for a vehicle door latch device comprises a movable member provided between to an open link and a lock lever, and an anti-panic spring elastically connecting the lock lever with the movable member. When an unlocking operation by an inside lock button is not completed normally due to a first opening operation of an open handle, the movable member is displaced by a spring force of the anti-panic spring to move the open link to an engageable position after the open lever is returned to an initial position. The movable member and lock lever are coaxially pivoted by a single common shaft.

Claims

1. An anti-panic mechanism for a vehicle door latch device comprising:

an open lever displaceable from an initial position to an actuated position in response to a door opening operation of an outside open handle of a door;

a lock lever for connection to an inside lock button of the door and displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position;

an open link displaceable between an engageable position in which a displacement of the open lever toward the actuated position is transmitted to a ratchet pin of a ratchet when the lock lever Is in the unlocked position and a non-engageable position in which the displacement of the open lever toward the actuated position is not transmitted to the ratchet pin when the lock lever is in the locked position;

a movable member provided between to the open link and the lock lever so as to transmit the displacement of the lock lever to the open link;

an anti-panic spring elastically connecting the lock lever with the movable member;

wherein when the lock lever is displaced from the locked position into the unlocked position while the open lever is being in the actuated position by a first opening operation of the open handle, the lock lever is changed to the unlocked position against the spring force of the anti-panic spring without moving the movable member;

wherein when the open lever is returned to the initial position after the first opening operation of the open handle, the movable member is displaced by the spring force of the anti-panic spring to move the open link to the engageable position;

wherein said movable member and lock lever are coaxially pivoted by a single common shaft.