VEHICLE DOOR LOCK APPARATUS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle door lock apparatus comprising:
- a latch housing having a latch chamber defined in its interior;
a latch mechanism housed in the latch chamber and configured to hole a door closed with respect to a vehicle frame;
an actuating housing assembled onto the latch housing, a housing chamber being formed in the interior of the actuating housing; and
an actuating mechanism housed in the housing chamber and configured to actuate the latch mechanism,wherein;
the actuating housing includes a first housing made of resin joined to a second housing made of resin to form the housing chamber,the first housing includes at least one projection that extends toward the second housing from a proximal end to a distal end,the second housing includes at least one receptacle having a contact part welded to the distal end of the at least one projection.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle door lock apparatus (1) includes a latch housing (9), a latch mechanism (8), an actuating housing (7), and an actuating mechanism (6). The actuating housing (7) includes a first housing (70) made of resin joined to a second housing (80) made of resin, thereby forming a housing chamber (7A). The first housing (70) includes at least one projection (75P, 75Q, 75R, and 75S) that extends toward the second housing (80) from a proximal end (75A) to a distal end (75B). The second housing 80 includes at least one receptacle (85P, 85Q, 85R, and 85S) having a contact part (85A) welded to the distal end (75B).
10 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A vehicle door lock apparatus comprising:
-
a latch housing having a latch chamber defined in its interior; a latch mechanism housed in the latch chamber and configured to hole a door closed with respect to a vehicle frame; an actuating housing assembled onto the latch housing, a housing chamber being formed in the interior of the actuating housing; and an actuating mechanism housed in the housing chamber and configured to actuate the latch mechanism, wherein; the actuating housing includes a first housing made of resin joined to a second housing made of resin to form the housing chamber, the first housing includes at least one projection that extends toward the second housing from a proximal end to a distal end, the second housing includes at least one receptacle having a contact part welded to the distal end of the at least one projection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein:
-
the at least one projection further includes a third shaft, the at least one receptacle further includes a third shaft receptacle corresponding to the third shaft, the electronic component of the actuating mechanism includes an electric motor, and the actuating member further includes a worm wheel rotatably supported by the third shaft, configured to be rotated by the electric motor to cause the third lever to pivot, and configured to switch the first lever from the unlock position to the lock position and vice versa.
-
-
6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:
-
the at least one projection further includes a fourth shaft, the at least one receptacle further includes a fourth shaft receptacle corresponding to the fourth shaft, the actuating member further includes a fourth lever supported by the fourth shaft so as to be linearly movable, configured to be displaced to a locked position, where the first lever is retained in the lock position, and to an unlocked position, where the first lever is not retained in the lock position, and, in the unlocked position, configured to enable the fork, when in the latch position, to be displaced to the unlatch position and, in the locked position, to disable or prevent the fork, when in the latch position, from being displaced to the unlatch position, and the third lever is configured to displace the fourth lever from the unlocked position to the looked position in response to the locking operation and to displace the fourth lever from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to the unlocking operation.
-
-
7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:
-
the latch housing includes a base plate made of metal configured to be affixed to the door and a third housing made of resin assembled onto the base plate and forming the latch chamber, together with the base plate, in their interior, the first housing includes at least two supports, each extending toward the second housing from a proximal end to a distal end via an intermediate segment, insertion-through holes are formed in the third housing, the intermediate segments of the supports being respectively inserted therein, and the second housing includes slip-off preventing parts respectively aligned with the distal ends of the supports.
-
-
8. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein:
-
one of the first housing and the second housing is formed by a light absorptive material, and the other of the first housing and the second housing is formed by a light transmissive material.
-
-
9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the distal end and the contact part each have a spacing setting surface that are in contact with each other without being melted or fused together and set a spacing between the first housing and the second housing.
-
10. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one receptacle includes a fitting part that surrounds the contact part and fits with the distal end of the at least one projection.
-
11. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
-
the latch housing includes a base plate made of metal configured to be affixed to the door and a third housing made of resin assembled onto the base plate and forming the latch chamber, together with the base plate, in their interior, the first housing includes at least two supports, each extending toward the second housing from a proximal end to a distal end via an intermediate segment, insertion-through holes are formed in the third housing, the intermediate segments of the supports being respectively inserted therein, and the second housing includes slip-off preventing parts respectively aligned with the distal ends of the supports.
-
-
12. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
-
one of the first housing and the second housing is formed by a light absorptive material, and the other of the first housing and the second housing is formed by a light transmissive material.
-
-
13. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the distal end and the contact part each have a spacing setting surface that are in contact with each other without being melted or fused together and set a spacing between the first housing and the second housing.
-
14. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one receptacle includes a fitting part that surrounds the contact part and fits with the distal end of the at least one projection.
-
15. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the latch mechanism includes:
-
a fork that is pivotable in the latch housing and is movable between a latch position for holding a striker and an unlatch position for releasing the striker; and a pawl that is pivotable in the latch housing to fix or open the fork.
-
-
16. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 15 wherein:
-
the at least one projection includes a first shaft and a second shaft, the at least one receptacle includes a first shaft receptacle corresponding to the first shaft and a second shaft receptacle corresponding to the second shaft, and the actuating member includes; a first lever configured to act on the pawl by being displaced and to cause the pawl to open the fort; a second lever pivotably supported by the first shaft, operably coupled to a door handle at a first end, and configured to pivot in response to an opening operation performed on the door handle so as to act on the first lever and displace the first lever; and a third lever pivotably supported by the second shaft, operably coupled to a lock operator at a first end, and configured to pivot in response to a locking operation or an unlocking operation performed on the lock operator to act on the first lever and displace the first lever to an unlock position, where the first lever is capable of acting on the pawl, and a lock position, where the first lever is incapable of acting on the pawl.
-
-
17. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:
-
the at least one projection further includes a third shaft and a fourth shaft, the at least one receptacle further includes a third shaft receptacle corresponding to the third shaft and a fourth shaft receptacle corresponding to the fourth shaft, an electric motor is housed in the housing chamber, and the actuating member further includes; a worm wheel rotatably supported by the third shaft, configured to be rotated by the electric motor to cause the third lever to pivot, and configured to switch the first lever from the unlock position to the lock position and vice versa, and a fourth lever supported by the fourth shaft so as to be linearly movable, configured to be displaced to a locked position, where the first lever is retained in the lock position, and to an unlocked position, where the first lever is not retained in the lock position, and, in the unlocked position, configured to enable the fork, when in the latch position, to be displaced to the unlatch position and, in the locked position, to disable or prevent the fork, when in the latch position, from being displaced to the unlatch position, and wherein the third lever is configured to displace the fourth lever from the unlocked position to the locked position in response to the locking operation and to displace the fourth lever from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to the unlocking operation.
-
-
18. The vehicle door lock apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
-
an electronic component housed in the housing chamber, wherein; the first housing includes a first peripheral edge section surrounding a first base wall, the second housing includes a second peripheral edge section surrounding a second base wail, and the housing chamber is formed by plastic welding the first peripheral edge section to the second peripheral edge section with the first base wall disposed so as to oppose the second base wall.
-
-
19. A vehicle door lock apparatus comprising:
-
a latch housing having a latch chamber defined in its interior; a fork and a pawl housed in the latch chamber and configured such that the fork releaseably engages a striker affixed to a vehicle frame so as to hold a vehicle door closed with respect to the vehicle frame; an actuating housing mounted on the latch housing, a housing chamber being formed in the interior of the actuating housing; and an actuator housed in the housing chamber and configured to actuate the fork and a pawl; wherein; the actuating housing includes a first housing made of resin fused to a second housing made of resin to form the housing chamber, the first housing includes at least one projection that extends from a proximal end connected to the second housing to a distal end, the second housing includes at least one receptacle having a contact part fused to the distal end of the at least one projection. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification