RELEASE ACTUATOR FOR LATCH

• US 20170191289A1
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Perkins, Donald M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,815,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/04 Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/06 by means of inertial forces
• 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 81/15 with means preventing the detent to return to its latching position before the bolt has moved to the unlatched position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/73 Anti-rattlers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A vehicle latch is provided. The vehicle latch having: a frame; a pawl rotatably mounted to the frame for movement between an engaged position and a disengaged position; a claw rotatably mounted to the frame for movement between a latched position and an open position, wherein pawl is configured to impede rotational movement of the claw from the latched position to the open position when the pawl is in the engaged position; a release lever rotatably mounted to the frame; and a worm wheel having a plurality of cam lobes, wherein each of the cam lobes are located in separate and distinct planes with respect to each other, wherein the release lever operably couples the pawl to the worm wheel such that rotational movement of the worm wheel rotates the pawl.

Claims

1. A vehicle latch, comprising:

a frame;

a pawl rotatably mounted to the frame for movement between an engaged position and a disengaged position;

a claw rotatably mounted to the frame for movement between a latched position and an open position, wherein pawl is configured to impede rotational movement of the claw from the latched position to the open position when the pawl is in the engaged position;

a release lever rotatably mounted to the frame; and

a worm wheel having a plurality of cam lobes, wherein each of the cam lobes are located in separate and distinct planes with respect to each other, wherein the release lever operably couples the pawl to the worm wheel such that rotational movement of the worm wheel rotates the pawl.

2. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, wherein two of the plurality of cam lobes act as driving surfaces to release the pawl from engagement with the claw.

3. The vehicle latch as in claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of cam lobes is a stop feature that is configured to contact the release lever of the latch.

9. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, wherein a center of gravity (CG) of the pawl and a center of gravity (CG) of the release lever provide a system that is significantly more robust to external acceleration events than a latch with a pawl directly coupled to the worm wheel.

10. The vehicle latch as in claim 9, wherein the center of gravity (CG) of the pawl and the center of gravity (CG) of the release lever allow for a smaller return spring to be used with pawl.

11. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, further comprising a memory lever integrated into a housing of the latch.

12. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, wherein the memory lever has a feature configured to engage an integral engagement feature of the release lever.

13. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, wherein the memory lever has an integral ramp feature that slides up on an engagement feature of the release lever.

14. The vehicle latch as in claim 1, wherein the claw has an integral ramp that engages a ramp of the memory lever.

4. The vehicle latch as in claim 4, wherein the release lever is spring biased into a rest position by a spring.

5. The vehicle latch as in claim 4, further comprising a motor assembly for rotating the worm wheel.

6. The vehicle latch as in claim 5, wherein the release lever further comprises cam surfaces that interface with the cam lobes of the worm wheel.

7. The vehicle latch as in claim 6, wherein the release lever further comprises a stop surface the interfaces with the stop feature of the worm wheel.

8. The vehicle latch as in claim 7, further comprising the spring is located about a rotation axis of the release lever.

15. An actuator for a vehicle latch, comprising:

a motor assembly for rotating a worm wheel, the worm wheel having a plurality of cam lobes, wherein each of the cam lobes are located in separate and distinct planes with respect to each other; and

a release lever rotatably mounted to a frame of the latch, wherein rotation of the worm wheel causes movement of the release lever.

16. The actuator as in claim 15, wherein two of the plurality of cam lobes act as driving surfaces to release a pawl from engagement with a claw of the latch.

17. The actuator as in claim 16, wherein one of the plurality of cam lobes is a stop feature that is configured to contact the release lever of the latch, wherein the release lever is operatively coupled to the pawl.

18. The actuator as in claim 15, further comprising a memory lever integrated into a housing of the latch.

19. The actuator as in claim 18, wherein the memory lever has a feature configured to engage an integral engagement feature of the release lever.

20. A method of actuating a pawl of a vehicle latch, comprising:

pivotally mounting the pawl to a frame of the latch, wherein the pawl is configured to prevent a claw of the latch from moving into an open position when the pawl is in an engaged position with respect to the claw;

operably coupling a release lever to the pawl and a plurality of cam lobes of a worm wheel, wherein each of the cam lobes are located in separate and distinct planes with respect to each other and wherein the release lever is pivotally mounted to the frame of the latch; and

wherein a center of gravity (CG) of the pawl and a center of gravity (CG) of the release lever provide a system that is significantly more robust to external acceleration events than a latch with a single pawl directly coupled to the worm wheel and the claw.