CLOSURE LATCH ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR HAVING GEAR ARRANGEMENT FOR DOUBLE PULL RELEASE

• US 20170314298A1
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Closures Company Limited (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tomaszewski, Kris
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/30 allowing opening by means of an inner door handle, even if the door is locked
• 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 81/36 Geared sectors, e.g. fan-shaped gears
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/42 Cams

Abstract

A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door includes a latch mechanism and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism includes a lock link pivotable between unlock and lock positions, and dual cam arrangement which functions in coordination with rotation of a power lock gear to establish a first locked state where a first cam holds the lock link its lock position and a second locked state where a second cam holds the lock link in its lock position. An unlocked state is established when neither of the first and second cams engage the lock link in its unlock position.

Claims

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

a latch mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl, the ratchet being moveable between a striker capture position and a striker release position, the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl holds the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl permits the ratchet to move to its striker release position;

a latch mechanism including a pawl release lever moveable between a home position whereat the pawl is maintained in its ratchet holding position and a pawl release position whereat the pawl release lever moves the pawl to its ratchet releasing position;

an inside door release mechanism including an inside release lever operatively connectable to the pawl release lever for selectively moving the pawl release lever from its home position to its pawl release position; and

a lock mechanism including, a lock link that is pivotable between an unlock position whereat the lock link operatively connects the inside release lever to the pawl release lever and a lock position whereat the lock link operatively disconnects the inside release lever from the pawl release lever, a lock link biasing member for biasing the lock link toward its unlock position, and a dual cam arrangement having a first cam and a second cam, the first cam being rotatable between an unlock position whereat the first cam permits the lock link to pivot into its unlock position and a lock position whereat the first cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position, the second cam being rotatable between a child unlock position whereat the second cam is displaced from engagement with the lock link and a child lock position whereat the second cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position,

wherein the lock mechanism is operable in a first locked state, an unlocked state and a second locked state, the first locked state being established when the first cam is located in its lock position and the second cam is located in its child unlock position, the unlocked state being established when the first cam is located in its unlock position and the second cam is located in its child unlock position, and the second locked state being established when the first cam is located in either of its lock and unlock positions and the second cam is located in its child lock position.

2. The closure latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the first cam includes an override member and wherein movement of the inside release lever from a home position to an actuated position causes the inside release lever to engage and move the first cam from its lock position into its unlock position for shifting the lock mechanism from the first locked state into the unlocked state.

3. The closure latch assembly of claim 2, wherein the lock mechanism further comprises a power lock actuator including an electric motor operable for rotatably driving a power lock gear between a first locked position and a second locked position, wherein the power lock gear is operable in its first locked position to locate the first cam in its lock position and locate the second cam in its child unlock position for establishing the first locked state, and wherein the power lock gear is operable in its second locked position to locate the second cam in its child lock position for establishing the second locked state.

4. The closure latch assembly of claim 3, wherein the power lock gear includes a drive cam segment engageable with the override member on the first cam such that movement of the first cam from its lock position to its unlock position in response to movement of the inside release lever to its actuated position causes the override member to engage the drive cam segment and rotate the power lock gear from its first locked position to an unlocked position, and wherein driven rotation of the power lock gear from one of its second locked position and its unlocked position to its first locked position causes the drive cam segment to engage the override member and drive the first cam from its unlock position to its lock position.

5. The closure latch assembly of claim 4, wherein the second cam is fixed for rotation with the power lock gear such that rotation of the power lock gear between its first and second locked positions causes corresponding movement of the second cam between its child unlock and child lock positions.

6. The closure latch assembly of claim 5, wherein the first cam is rotatable relative to the power lock gear, and wherein a cam toggle spring is operable to locate the first cam in one of its unlock and lock positions.

7. The closure latch assembly of claim 4, wherein the first and second cams are rotatable relative to the power lock gear, wherein a first cam toggle spring is operable to locate the first cam in one of its lock and unlock position during rotation of the power lock gear, and wherein a second cam toggle spring is operable to locate the second cam in one of its child lock and child unlock positions during rotation of the power lock gear.

8. The closure latch assembly of claim 1 further comprising a power release actuator operatively connected to the pawl release lever for moving the pawl release lever to its pawl release position when the lock mechanism is in one of its first locked and unlocked states.

9. A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

a latch mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl, the ratchet being moveable between a striker capture position and a striker release position, the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl holds the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl permits the ratchet to move to its striker release position;

an inside door release mechanism including an inside release lever operatively connectable to the pawl for selectively moving the pawl from its ratchet holding position to its ratchet releasing position; and

a lock mechanism including a lock link that is pivotable between an unlock position whereat the lock link operatively connects the inside release lever to the pawl and a lock position whereat the lock link operatively disconnects the inside release lever from the pawl, a lock link biasing member for biasing the lock link toward its unlock position, and a dual cam arrangement having a first cam and a second cam, the first cam being rotatable between an unlock position whereat the first cam permits the lock link to pivot into its unlock position and a lock position whereat the first cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position, the second cam being rotatable between a child unlock position whereat the second cam is displaced from engagement with the lock link and a child lock position whereat the second cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position,

wherein the lock mechanism is operable in a first locked state, an unlocked state and a second locked state, the first locked state being established when the first cam is located in its lock position and the second cam is located in its child unlock position, the unlocked state being established when the first cam is located in its unlock position and the second cam is located in its child unlock position, and the second locked state being established when the first cam is located in either of its lock and unlock positions and the second cam is located in its child lock position.

10. The closure latch assembly of claim 9, wherein the first cam includes an override member, wherein movement of the inside release lever from a home position to an actuated position causes the inside release lever to engage and move the first cam from its lock position into its unlock position for shifting the lock mechanism from the first locked state into the unlocked state.

11. The closure latch assembly of claim 10, wherein the lock mechanism further comprises a power lock actuator including an electric motor operable for rotatably driving a power lock gear through a range of motion defined between a first locked position and a second locked position, wherein the power lock gear is operable in its first locked position to locate the first cam in its lock position and locate the second cam in its child unlock position for establishing the first locked state, and wherein the power lock gear is operable in its second locked position to locate the second cam in its child lock position for establishing the second locked state.

12. The closure latch assembly of claim 11, wherein the power lock gear includes a drive cam segment engageable with the override member on the first cam such that movement of the first cam from its lock position to its unlock position in response to movement of the inside release lever to its actuated position causes the override member to engage the drive cam segment and rotate the power lock gear from its first locked position to an unlocked position, and wherein driven rotation of the power lock gear from one of its second locked and unlocked positions to its first locked position causes the drive cam segment to engage the override member and drive the first cam from its unlock position to its lock position.

13. The closure latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the second cam is fixed for rotation with the power lock gear such that rotation of the power lock gear between its first and second locked positions causes corresponding movement of the second cam between its child unlock and child lock positions.

14. The closure latch assembly of claim 13, wherein the first cam is rotatable relative to the power lock gear, and wherein a cam toggle spring is operable to locate the first cam in one of its unlock and lock positions.

15. The closure latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second cams are rotatable relative to the power lock gear, wherein a first cam toggle spring is operable to locate the first cam in one of its lock and unlock position during rotation of the power lock gear, and wherein a second cam toggle spring is operable to locate the second cam in one of its child lock and child unlock positions during rotation of the power lock gear.

16. The closure latch assembly of claim 9 further comprising a power release actuator operatively connected to the pawl for moving the pawl to its ratchet releasing position when the lock mechanism is in one of its first locked and unlocked states.

17. A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

a latch mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl, the ratchet being moveable between a striker capture position and a striker release position, the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl holds the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl permits the ratchet to move to its striker release position;

a latch mechanism including a pawl release lever moveable between a home position whereat the pawl is maintained in its ratchet holding position and a pawl release position whereat the pawl release lever moves the pawl to its ratchet releasing position;

an inside door release mechanism including an inside release lever operatively connectable to the pawl release lever for selectively moving the pawl release lever from its home position to its pawl release position;

a lock mechanism including a lock link that is pivotable between an unlock position whereat the lock link operatively connects the inside release lever to the pawl release lever and a lock position whereat the lock link operatively disconnects the inside release lever from the pawl release lever, a lock link biasing member for biasing the lock link toward its unlock position, a dual cam arrangement having a first cam and a second cam, wherein the first cam is rotatable between an unlock position whereat the first cam permits the lock link to pivot into its unlock position and a lock position whereat the first cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position, wherein the second cam is rotatable between a child unlock position whereat the second cam is displaced from engagement with the lock link and a child lock position whereat the second cam engages and pivots the lock link into its lock position; and

a power lock actuator including an electric motor operable for rotatably driving a power lock gear between a first locked position and a second locked position, the power lock gear being operable in its first locked position to locate the first cam in its lock position and locate the second cam in its child unlock position, and the power lock gear being operable in its second locked position to locate the second cam in its child lock position;

wherein the lock mechanism is operable in a first locked state and a second locked state, the first locked state being established when the power lock gear is located in its first locked position and the second locked state being established when the power lock gear is located in its second locked position.

18. The closure latch assembly of claim 17, wherein the first cam includes an override member, wherein movement of the inside release lever from a home position to an actuated position causes the inside release lever to engage and move the first cam from its lock position into its unlock position for shifting the lock mechanism from the first locked state into an locked state.

19. The closure latch assembly of claim 18, wherein the power lock gear includes a drive cam segment engageable with the override member on the first cam such that movement of the first cam from its lock position to its unlock position in response to movement of the inside release lever to its actuated position causes the override member to engage the drive cam segment and drive the power lock gear from its first locked position to an unlocked position.

20. The closure latch assembly of claim 17, wherein the first and second cams are rotatable relative to the power lock gear, wherein a first cam toggle spring is operable to locate the first cam in one of its lock and unlock position during rotation of the power lock gear, and wherein a second cam toggle spring is operable to locate the second cam in one of its child lock and child unlock positions during rotation of the power lock gear.