HOUSING FOR A LATCH WITH WATER DRAIN OPENING AND METHOD OF DRAINING WATER FROM A LATCH

• US 20160348407A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Madrid, Jose Manuel, Guevara, Francisco Javier, Escamilla, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 10,858,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 77/44 Burglar prevention, e.g. protecting against opening by unauthorised tools E05B77/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings

Abstract

A housing for a vehicle latch is provided. The housing having a fluid pathway extending from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing through a perimeter wall, wherein the fluid pathway is defined by an inclined surface that extends downwardly and away from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing.

Claims

1. A housing for a vehicle latch, wherein the housing has a fluid pathway extending from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing through a perimeter wall, wherein the fluid pathway is defined by an inclined surface that extends downwardly and away from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing.

2. The housing as in claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

3. The housing as claim 1, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.

4. The housing as in claim 3, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

5. The housing as in claim 1, wherein an opening of the fluid pathway is located proximate to a movable component of the latch located within the housing.

6. The housing as claim 5, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.

7. The housing as in claim 6, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

8. A vehicle latch, comprising:

a housing;

a fluid pathway extending from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing through a perimeter wall of the housing, wherein the fluid pathway is defined by an inclined surface that extends downwardly and away from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing when the latch is in an installed configuration.

9. The latch as in claim 8, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

10. The latch as claim 8, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.

11. The latch as in claim 10, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

12. The latch as in claim 8, wherein an opening of the fluid pathway is located proximate to a movable component of the latch located within the housing.

13. The latch as claim 12, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.

14. The latch as in claim 13, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

15. A method of draining fluids from an interior of a vehicle latch, comprising:

locating a fluid pathway in a housing of the vehicle latch, wherein the fluid pathway extends from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing through a perimeter wall of the housing, wherein the fluid pathway is defined by an inclined surface that extends downwardly and away from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing when the latch is in an installed configuration.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

17. The method as claim 15, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the housing is formed from plastic.

19. The method as in claim 15, wherein an opening of the fluid pathway is located proximate to a movable component of the latch located within the housing.

20. The method as claim 19, wherein the fluid pathway further comprises a wall member extending vertically from the inclined surface, wherein the wall member blocks a portion of the fluid pathway.