CLOSURE LATCH FOR VEHICLE DOOR

• US 20160017645A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tomaszewski, Kris, Kaczmarczyk, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 10,513,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 81/06 using rotary motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/34 of geared transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/42 Cams
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/72 the lock status, i.e. locked or unlocked condition
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/90 Manual override in case of power failure
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/01 Mechanical arrangements specially adapted for hands-free locking or unlocking handles with means for initiation of a hands-free locking or unlocking process E05B81/78

Abstract

In an embodiment, a latch includes a ratchet and pawl. A lock includes a link pivotable between unlocked and locked positions wherein a release lever operates the pawl, and the lever disconnects from the pawl respectively. A cam rotates between unlocking and locking positions wherein the link can move to the unlocked position, and the link pivots to the locked position respectively. An override member rotates between actuatable and non-actuatable positions wherein the lever can engage the override member to unlock the cam, and the lever disconnects from the override member respectively. The lock is positionable in an unlocked state wherein the link is unlocked, a locked state wherein the link is locked, the cam is in the locking position and the override member is actuatable, and a second locked state wherein the link is locked, the cam is in the locking position and the override member is non-actuatable.

Claims

1. A closure latch for a vehicle door, the closure latch comprising:

a ratchet movable between an open position and a closed position and biased towards the open position;

a pawl movable between a ratchet locking position wherein the pawl holds the ratchet in the closed position and a ratchet release position wherein the pawl permits the ratchet to move to the open position, and wherein the pawl is biased towards the ratchet locking position;

an inside door release lever operatively connectable to the pawl; and

a lock including;

a lock link that is pivotable between an unlocked position wherein the lock link operatively connects the inside door release lever to the pawl, and a locked position wherein the lock link operatively disconnects the inside door release lever from the pawl, wherein the lock link is biased towards the unlocked position;

a first cam rotatable between an unlocking position wherein the first cam directly pivots the lock link to the unlocked position, and a locking position wherein the first cam directly pivots the lock link to the locked position; and

an override member connected for rotation with the first cam and rotatable between an actuatable position wherein the inside door release lever is engageable with the override member to move the first cam to the unlocking position, and a non-actuatable position wherein the inside door release lever is operatively disconnected from the override member,

wherein the lock is positionable in an unlocked state wherein the lock link is in the unlocked position, a locked state wherein the lock link is in the locked position, the first cam is in the locking position and the override member is in the actuatable position, and a second locked state wherein the lock link is in the locked position, the first cam is in the locking position and the override member is in the non-actuatable position.

2. The closure latch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first switch and a second switch each having a first state and a second state, wherein when the first cam is in the locking position, the first switch is in the first state and the second switch is in the second state, which indicates to an electronic control unit to enter a locked state wherein the electronic control unit operatively disconnects an outside door handle and an inside door handle from the pawl,

wherein when the first cam is in the second locking position, the first switch is in the second state and the second switch is in the first state, which indicates to an electronic control unit to enter a second locked state wherein the electronic control unit operatively disconnects the outside door handle and the inside door handle from the pawl,

and wherein when the first cam is in the second locking position, the first switch is in the second state and the second switch is in the second state, which indicates to the electronic control unit to enter a locked state wherein the electronic control unit operatively connects at least the outside door handle to the pawl.

3. The closure latch as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outside door handle is operatively connectable to the pawl via a power release actuator motor that is controllable by the electronic control unit to drive movement of the pawl between the ratchet release position and the ratchet locking position;

and wherein the second locked state is a child-locked state, and the lock further includes an inside door handle state switch that is configured to indicate actuation of the inside door handle to the electronic control unit,

wherein, when the electronic control unit is in the child-locked state, the electronic control unit is configured to enter an outside door handle unlocked state upon actuation of the inside door handle, wherein in the outside door handle unlocked state the electronic control unit actuates the power release actuator motor to move the pawl to the ratchet release position upon actuation of the outside door handle, and does not actuate the power release actuator motor to move the pawl to the ratchet release position upon actuation of the inside door handle.

4. The closure latch as claimed in any one of claims 2 and 3, further comprising a power release actuator motor that is operatively connected to the pawl to move the pawl to the ratchet release position, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to operate the power release actuator motor based on detection of actuation of at least one of the inside and outside door handles and based on which state the electronic control unit is in.

5. The closure latch as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pawl is movable to the ratchet release position by the power release actuator motor independent of the position of the first cam.

6. The closure latch as claimed in any one of claims 2-6, further comprising a lock actuation motor that is operatively connected to the first cam and that is controllable by the electronic control unit to drive the first cam in a first direction to the locking position and to drive the first cam in a second direction to the second locking position.

7. The closure latch as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lock actuation motor is rotatable between a first position associated with the locked state of the lock wherein the first cam and override member are driven by the driven gear to the locking position and the actuatable position respectively, a second position associated with the unlocked state of the lock wherein the first cam is driven by the driven gear to the unlocking position, and a third position associated with the additional locked state of the lock, wherein the first cam and the override member are driven by the driven gear to the locking position and the non-actuatable position respectively.

8. The closure latch as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, further comprising an outside door release lever that is movable from a rest position to a pawl release position by rotation of a key cylinder, wherein movement of the outside door release lever to the pawl release position moves the pawl to the ratchet release position.

9. The closure latch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock link is pivotably connected to the inside door release lever.

10. The closure latch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first actuation of the inside door release lever is configured to result in movement of the inside door release lever to the actuatable position while the lock link extends above a pawl release lever to inhibit the pawl release lever from moving to the unlocked position.

11. The closure latch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second actuation of the inside door release lever is configured to open the closure latch such that the inside door release lever is returned to a home position between the first actuation and the second actuation.

12. The closure latch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock link is driven by the inside door release lever.