VEHICLE LATCH

• US 20090295174A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Long, Joseph, Corrales, Manuel, Achinger, David W., Estrada, Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/169.14
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0982 Bolt blocking or disabling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A latch assembly is disclosed herein. The latch assembly has a fork bolt movably secured thereto for movement between a latched position and an unlatched position. A detent lever is also provided. The detent lever is capable of movement between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the detent lever retains the fork bolt in the latched position when the detent lever is in the engaged position. The detent lever has a stop member and a guide member each protruding away from a surface of the detent lever and the stop member is in a spaced relationship with respect to the guide member. The latch assembly also includes an actuator for moving the detent lever from the engaged position to the disengaged position by contacting the guide member while the stop member is positioned so that the actuator will contact the stop member and prevent further movement of the actuator when the fork bolt is in the unlatched position and the detent lever is in the disengaged position.

Claims

1. A latch assembly, comprising:

a fork bolt movably secured to the latch assembly, the fork bolt being capable of movement between a latched position and an unlatched position;

a detent lever movably secured to the latch assembly, the detent lever being capable of movement between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the detent lever retains the fork bolt in the latched position when the detent lever is in the engaged position and the detent lever has a stop member and a guide member each protruding away from a surface of the detent lever, the stop member being in a spaced relationship with respect to the guide member; and

an actuator for moving the detent lever from the engaged position to the disengaged position by contacting the guide member, the stop member being positioned so that the actuator will contact the stop member and prevent further movement of the actuator when the fork bolt is in the unlatched position and the detent lever is in the disengaged position.

2. The latch assembly as in claim 1, wherein the detent lever and the fork bolt rotate in a similar plane or planes parallel to each other and the actuator rotates in a plane that is not parallel to the planes in which the fork bolt and the detent lever rotate.

3. The latch assembly as in claim 1, wherein the detent lever and the fork bolt rotate in a similar plane or planes parallel to each other and the actuator rotates in a plane that is orthogonal with respect to the plane in which the detent lever rotates.

4. The latch assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a microswitch positioned to engage a cam surface of the fork bolt as the fork bolt rotates between the unlatched position and the latched position.

5. The latch assembly as in claim 4, wherein the microswitch provides a signal to a controller when the fork bolt is in the unlatched position and the cam surface engages the microswitch.

6. The latch assembly as in claim 1, wherein the detent lever further comprises a stabilizing feature for limiting of movement of the detent lever when the actuator engages the stop member.

7. The latch assembly as in claim 1, wherein the actuator is a gear comprising an integrally formed protrusion configured to engage the stop member and the guide member of the detent lever.

8. The latch assembly as in claim 7, wherein the protrusion has a curved peripheral surface configured to engage a cam surface of the guide member.

9. The latch assembly as in claim 1, wherein the actuator is a gear rotationally actuated by a motor and the gear further comprises an integrally formed protrusion configured to engage the stop member and the guide member of the detent lever, wherein the stop member and guide member are configured such that rotational movement of the gear in a first direction is prevented when the detent lever is in the disengaged position and the protrusion contacts the stop member.

10. The latch assembly as in claim 9, wherein the guide member prevents rotational movement of the gear in a direction opposite to the first direction when the detent lever is in the engaged position and the protrusion contacts the guide member.

11. A method of operating a latch assembly, the method comprising:

rotating a fork bolt into a latched position from an unlatched position;

engaging a detent lever with the fork bolt when the fork bolt is in the latched position;

releasing the detent lever from the fork bolt by rotating an actuator until it engages a guide member of the detent lever and moves the detent lever into a disengaged position with respect to the fork bolt;

rotating the fork bolt from the latched position to the unlatched position; and

preventing the actuator from contacting the guide member by locating a stop member of the detent lever such that rotation of the actuator in a first direction is limited by the stop member when the detent lever is in the disengaged position.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the detent lever and the fork bolt rotate in a similar plane or planes parallel to each other and the actuator rotates in a plane that is not parallel to the planes in which the fork bolt and the detent lever rotate.

13. The method as in claim 11, wherein the detent lever and the fork bolt rotate in a similar plane or planes parallel to each other and the actuator rotates in a plane that is orthogonal with respect to the plane in which the detent lever rotates.

14. The method as in claim 11, further comprising a microswitch positioned to engage a cam surface of the fork bolt as the fork bolt rotates from the unlatched position to the latched position, wherein the microswitch provides a signal to a controller when the fork bolt is in the unlatched position and the cam surface engages the microswitch.

15. The method as in claim 11, wherein the detent lever further comprises a stabilizing feature for limiting movement of the detent lever when the actuator engages the stop member.

16. The method as in claim 11, wherein the actuator is a gear comprising an integrally formed protrusion configured to engage the stop member and the guide member of the detent lever.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the protrusion has a curved peripheral surface configured to engage a cam surface of the guide member.

18. The method as in claim 11, wherein the actuator is a gear rotationally actuated by a motor and the gear further comprises an integrally formed protrusion configured to engage the stop member and the guide member of the detent lever, wherein the stop member and guide member are configured such that rotational movement of the gear in a first direction is prevented when the detent lever is in the disengaged position and the protrusion contacts the stop member.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the guide member prevents rotational movement of the gear in a direction opposite to the first direction when the detent lever is in the engaged position and the protrusion contacts the guide member.