MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LATCH

• US 3,858,919 A
• Filed: 03/19/1973
• Issued: 01/07/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kiekert GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Frank Kleefeld, Gunter Gmeiner
• Inventors: Gmeiner, Gunter, Kleefeld, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Richard E.
• Application Number:
  US05/342,804
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 292/216,280,DIG.38,DIG.26 70/464
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/367 with centering alignment pin
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/045 for bifurcated bolts
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/243 with a bifurcated bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/26 Automatic undogging or reconnecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/38 Plastic latch parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8919 Antifriction provisions

Abstract

A motor-vehicle door latch wherein a coupling body on the doorpost is lockingly engageably by a pawl on the door edge which, in turn, is blockable by an operating lever. The latch has an actuating member which is operated by the door handles and is connected by a link to the operating lever. The actuating member is formed with a slot in which a pin carried by the locking mechanism is engaged. The operating lever has a guide surface with which the pin is only engageable when the pin is towards one end of the guide slot. Thus when the pin is at the other end of the guide slot the two elements are effectively disconnected and the door cannot be opened by actuation of either of the handles. But should either handle be retained in the actuated position and the locking mechanism be operated to unlock the door, the link will move along in the groove, engage the guide surface on the operating lever, and cam this lever over to free the pawl and operate the lock. This pin is made of a synthetic resin having a low coefficient of friction such as polytetrafluorethylene.

Claims

1. A door latch comprising;

a coupling body adapted to be mounted on a motor-vehicle doorpost;

a housing adapted to be mounted on a motor-vehicle door;

a locking pawl displaceable on said housing and lockingly engageable with said body;

an operating lever on said housing having a keeper engageable with said pawl and displaceable between an actuated position permitting displacement of said pawl thereby freeing said door from said doorpost and an unactuated position blocking displacement of said pawl thereby securing said door to said doorpost, said lever being formed with a guide surface;

an actuating member pivotal on said housing and formed with a guide slot, said pawl, said layer, and said member being pivotal on said housing about generally parallel axes;

a locking arm displaceable on said housing transverse to said axes;

a link pin fixedly mounted oN said arm and displaceable along said slot between a first location therein engageable with said surface and a second location therein wherein engagement with said surface is impossible said pin being displaceable toward and away from said guide surface;

means for displacing said member from a first to a second position with said link pin at said first location engaging said guide surface of said lever and displacing said operating lever into said actuated position and with said link pin at said second location for leaving said lever in said unactuated position; and

locking means connected to said arm for displacing said link pin in either position of said member from said first to said second location for decoupling said member from said lever and for displacing said link pin against said guide surface and forcing said operating lever from its unactuated position to its actuated position.

2. The latch defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means includes mechanism having a pivot on said housing for displacing said arm.

3. The latch defined in claim 2 wherein said actuating member is a lever having a pivot on said housing independent of said pivot of said mechanism.

4. The latch defined in claim 1 wherein said pin has a low-friction surface composed of polytetrafluorethylene.