VEHICLE DOOR LATCH DEVICE

• US 20110198870A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• 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: SAKAGAMI, Hiroyuki, NAGAOKA, Tomoharu
• Granted Patent: US 8,678,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/200
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0029 motor-operated for vehicles E05B81/20
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/265 hand actuated, e.g. by a lever at the edge of the door
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/00 Power-actuated vehicle locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/04 Electrical electrical circuits E05B81/54
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/08 Bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/108 Lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

In a vehicle door, a latch engages with a striker and a ratchet engages with the latch, so that the door is closed. In a vehicle door latch device, an inside operating lever and a childproof lock mechanism are disposed between a cover and a casing. To connect the childproof lock mechanism to the casing, the inside operating lever is held in an assembling position and the childproof lock mechanism is held in its locking state or in its unlocking state.

Claims

1. A vehicle door latch device comprising:

a casing;

a cover closing the casing;

an inside operating lever disposed between the casing and the cover and moving from a neutral position to open a door by operating an inside handle in a vehicle to an assembling position opposite to a direction for opening the door from the neutral position;

a connecting lever disposed between the casing and the cover and transmitting motion of the inside operating lever for opening the door, to an engagement unit for holding the door closed;

a childproof lock mechanism disposed between the casing and the cover and moving between an unlocking state where the motion of the inside operating lever for opening the door can be transmitted to the connecting lever and a locking state where the motion cannot be transmitted; and

a holding unit holding the childproof lock mechanism in the locking state or the unlocking state when the inside operating lever is in the assembling position, while the childproof lock mechanism is not held in the locking state or the unlocking state when the inside operating lever is in the neutral position.

2. The vehicle door latch device of claim 1 wherein the inside operating lever has a connecting portion exposed outside the cover through an elongate hole of the cover and coupled to a motion transmitting member transmitting motion of the inside handle.

3. The vehicle door latch device of claim 2 wherein a broader portion is formed at an end of the elongate hole of the cover so that the connecting portion of the inside operating lever appears from the broader portion when the inside operating lever is in the assembling position.

4. The vehicle door latch device of claim 3 wherein the cover has a covering portion covering the broader portion of the elongate hole.

5. The vehicle door latch device of claim 1 wherein the childproof lock mechanism comprises a childproof lock lever pivotally mounted between the cover and the casing and movable between its locking position and its unlocking position.

6. The vehicle door latch device of claim 5 wherein the holding unit comprises a floating member movable in a control opening of the inside operating lever and in an elongate hole of the childproof lock lever, and a setting portion of the control opening of the inside operating lever, the floating member engaging in the setting portion of the control opening to hold the childproof lock lever in its unlocking or locking position.

7. The vehicle door latch device of claim 5 wherein the holding unit holds the childproof lock mechanism in its locking position, the childproof lock lever switching from its locking position to its unlocking position to allow the inside operating lever to put from the assembling position to the neutral position.

8. The vehicle door latch device of claim 6 wherein the floating member comprises a floating pin.

9. The vehicle door latch device of claim 1 wherein the engagement unit comprises a latch engagable with a striker of the vehicle and a ratchet a ratchet engagable with the latch.