OPERATING DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE DOOR LATCH

• US 20140001778A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• 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: Yokomori, Kazuhito, Yamashita, Kohei
• Granted Patent: US 9,284,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/336.3
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/34 Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/06 using rotary motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/70 the wing position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/72 the lock status, i.e. locked or unlocked condition
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/74 by sensing the state of the actuator
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/04 for sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/40 for sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles

Abstract

An operating device for a vehicle door latch comprises an inside handle, a base member fixed to a door, and inside lever connected to the inside handle, a locking lever, a housing, a motor, an output lever, a detected lever coupled to the inside handle and an inside-handle detecting switch. The motion of the inside handle is detected by the inside-handle detecting switch via the detected lever of the device to make the door open or close. Another detecting switch detects motion of a swinging member outside the housing.

Claims

1. An operating device for a vehicle door latch, comprising:

an inside handle disposed on a door inside a vehicle;

a base member fixed to the door;

an inside lever pivoted to the base member and connected to the inside handle;

a locking lever moving between an unlocking position for validating a releasing action of the inside lever and a locking position for invalidating the releasing action of the inside lever;

a housing fixed to the base member;

a motor disposed in the housing;

an output lever disposed outside the housing to move the locking lever to the unlocking position and the locking position;

a detected lever pivoted to the housing and coupled to the inside handle; and

an inside-handle detecting switch disposed in the housing to detect an action of the detected lever to enable swinging of the inside handle to be detected.

2. The operating device of claim 1 wherein the detected lever is pivoted to part facing the inside handle in the housing and engages with a connecting portion of the inside handle so that the detected lever is moved with the inside handle.

3. The operating device of claim 1 wherein the inside-handle detecting switch detects a swinging direction of the detected lever and an operating direction of the inside handle to transmit a signal to control circuits to open and close the door.

4. An actuator for changing a door latch to a unlocking state and a locking state, comprising:

a housing;

a motor disposed in the housing;

an active lever disposed in the housing to move to an unlocking position and a locking position by the motor;

an output lever disposed outside the housing to move to an unlocking position and a locking position with the active lever; and

a detecting switch disposed in the housing to detect motion of a swinging member pivoted to an element outside and other than the housing.

5. The actuator of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of terminal plates to be electrically connected to the motor and the detecting switch in the housing.

6. The actuator of claim 4 wherein the detecting switch further comprises a sensor exposed from the housing, the sensor coming in contact with the end of the swinging member.

7. The actuator of claim 4 wherein the swinging member comprises an outside lever.

8. The actuator of claim 4 wherein the swinging member comprises a childproof lever.