Electric/manual door lock operating mechanism
First Claim
1. A vehicle door lock operating mechanism, comprising:
- (a) a door lock mechanism,(b) actuating means connected to said lock mechanism and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position,(c) operating means connected to said actuating means for manually moving same between said locked and unlocked positions,(d) a reversible electric motor,(e) a pivotal member movable between a locking position, an unlocking position, and a neutral position,(f) reduction gear means engageable between said electric motor and said pivotal member for implementing the movement of the latter from its neutral position to either its locking position or its unlocking position by the selective energization of said electric motor,(g) means connecting said actuating means and said pivotal member and including means for permitting a limited degree of free movement of said actuating means independent from said pivotal member when the latter is in its neutral position, whereby the lock mechanism may be manually operated independendly of said motor and reduction gear means, and(h) spring means for biasing said pivotal member towards its neutral position.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle door lock operating mechanism wherein a reversible electric motor 6 drives a pivotally mounted sector gear 10 through a centrifugal clutch 7 and reduction gears 8, 9 and 32. The sector gear is coupled to the pivotal actuating lever 2 of a lock mechanism 1 by means (ex. slot 13 and guide pin 14) which permit the free travel or play of the actuating lever over a distance equal to its stroke between the locked and unlocked positions. A manual operating knob 3 is also coupled to the lever 2, and a spring 15 biases the sector gear 10 back into a neutral or middle position whenever the motor 6 is deenergized, whereby low force manual operation may be performed independently of the sector gear and reduction gears. The centrifugal clutch, when disengaged in response to the motor deenergization, enables the spring 15 to easily drive the sector gear back into its neutral position.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A vehicle door lock operating mechanism, comprising:
-
(a) a door lock mechanism, (b) actuating means connected to said lock mechanism and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, (c) operating means connected to said actuating means for manually moving same between said locked and unlocked positions, (d) a reversible electric motor, (e) a pivotal member movable between a locking position, an unlocking position, and a neutral position, (f) reduction gear means engageable between said electric motor and said pivotal member for implementing the movement of the latter from its neutral position to either its locking position or its unlocking position by the selective energization of said electric motor, (g) means connecting said actuating means and said pivotal member and including means for permitting a limited degree of free movement of said actuating means independent from said pivotal member when the latter is in its neutral position, whereby the lock mechanism may be manually operated independendly of said motor and reduction gear means, and (h) spring means for biasing said pivotal member towards its neutral position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification