Truck lid latch assembly of a vehicle

• US 20050077734A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Lim, Nam Hyeok
• Application Number:
  US10/885,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20050077734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/10 Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/26 Emergency opening means for persons trapped in the luggage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

A trunk lid latch assembly provides an emergency release of a locked trunk from within. Therefore, if a person becomes trapped within the trunk, the trunk can be unlocked from within and the person can escape. The trunk lid latch assembly also provides operation of a trunk lamp for illuminating the inside of the trunk space.

Claims

1. A trunk lid latch assembly of a vehicle, comprising:

a fork lever rotatably installed on a base plate for cooperation with a strike in a locked state;

a pole lever rotatably installed on the base plate and configured to restrict rotation of the fork lever;

a tension spring installed between the pole lever and the fork lever to bias said levers;

a release lever installed to allow release of restricted rotation of the fork lever by rotating the pole lever;

a key release rod joined with the release lever, the key release rod capable of rotating the release lever by power provided by operation of a key;

an electric actuator;

an actuator lever installed to allow the pole lever to release restriction on rotation of the fork lever by operation of the electric actuator;

an emergency release knob configured and positioned to be accessible on an interior of the trunk; and

an emergency lever cooperating with the emergency release knob to rotate the release lever.

2. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the key release rod is joined with the release lever by a pin at a long hole such that the release lever can accommodate movement without being influenced in its rotation movement by movement of the electric actuator or emergency release knob.

3. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator lever is mounted such that it can rotate to the pole lever to be switched between a state wherein it rotates the pole lever by receiving operating power from the electric actuator and a state wherein it does not rotate the pole lever by not receiving operating power from the electric actuator.

4. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the emergency lever is configured and dimensioned to have a rotation axis the same as the release lever and the release lever is provided with a hooking lug which allows the emergency lever to rotate in only one direction.

5. A trunk lid latch assembly of a vehicle, comprising:

a fork lever installed on a base plate, wherein the fork lever is to be rotated and thereby change a state of locking into a striker;

a pole lever installed on the base plate that can be rotated and restrict rotation of the fork lever;

a tension coil spring installed between the pole lever and the fork lever to give tension therebetween;

a release lever installed to allow release of restricted rotation of the fork lever by rotating the pole lever;

a key release rod joined with the release lever that can rotate the release lever by power provided through operation of a key;

an electric actuator;

an actuator lever installed to allow the pole lever to release restriction on rotation of the fork lever by operation of the electric actuator;

an emergency release knob revealed to an interior of the trunk room;

an emergency lever connected with the emergency release knob and installed to rotate the release lever; and

a room lamp switch that can turn a room lamp on or off by changing a state of grounding with a car body through the base plate according to a state of rotation of the pole lever.

6. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 5, wherein the key release rod is joined with the release lever by a pin such that its part to be joined with the release lever is formed as a long hole so that the release lever can accommodate movement without being influenced in its rotation movement by movement of the electric actuator or emergency release knob.

7. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 5, wherein the actuator lever is mounted in such a way that it can rotate to the pole lever and will be switched between a state that it can rotate the pole lever by receiving an operating power from the electric actuator and a state that it can not rotate the pole lever by not receiving operating power from the electric actuator.

8. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 5, wherein the emergency lever is designed and installed to have a rotation axis similar to a rotation axis of the release lever and the release lever is provided with a hooking lug which allows the emergency lever to rotate in only one direction to the release lever.

9. The trunk lid latch assembly of claim 5, wherein the room lamp switch comprises:

a first electrode plate installed to have a state of electric connection with the base plate;

a second electrode plate installed to have a state of electric insulation to the base plate; and

a switch plate integrated into the pole lever to change an electric connection state of the first electrode plate and second electrode plate according to the rotation state of the pole lever.