Deck lid release actuator

• US 4,969,672 A
• Filed: 05/15/1989
• Issued: 11/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Childs, Shane, Compeau, David E., Rogers, Lloyd W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US07/352,808
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 292/142, 292/144, 292/172, 292/201, 292/336.3, 292/341.16
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/14 operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/16 Locks for luggage compartments, car boot lids or car bonnets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A deck lid release actuator in which a uni-directional motor is mounted on a housing and rotatably drives a screw having high lead threads. The screw is rotatably journaled in a housing and a saddle nut threadedly engages the high lead threads of the screw so that rotation of the screw drives the saddle nut along the screw. An actuator member operably engages the detent lever of the deck lid latch and is mounted on the housing by a slide track extending parallel with the screw. When energization of the motor turns the screw, the saddle nut abuts against the actuator member to move the actuator member along the slide track and unlatch the deck lid latch. A spring acts on the actuator member to return the actuator member along the slide track thereby pushing the saddle nut axially along the screw as permitted by rotary back-drive of the screw and motor by the effort of the spring. The slide track mounting of the actuator member on the housing independently of the saddle nut serves to restrain the actuator member against rotation so that torque applied on the actuator member by the latch is isolated from the saddle nut and screw.

Claims

1. An actuator for the remote release of a latch in a motor vehicle

a housing;

an actuator member operably associated with the latch;

a screw having high lead threads operatively engaging the actuator member;

a motor mounted on the housing and connected to the screw to rotate the screw in one direction to move the actuator member along the screw in one direction to release the latch;

and spring means acting on the actuator member to return the actuator member in the other direction along the screw and thereby rotate the screw in the other direction and backdrive the motor.

2. The actuator of claim 1 further characterized by the operative engaging between the threads of the screw and the actuator member being provided by a saddle nut threadedly engaged on the threads of the screw and abutting against the actuator member to move the actuator member upon movement of the saddle nut, and said actuator member being mounted on the housing by an axial slide track effective to restrain the movement of the actuator member so that torque applied on the actuator member by the latch is isolated from the saddle nut and screw.

3. An actuator for the remote release of a latch in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a screw rotatably mounted in the housing and having high lead threads;

a nut threadedly engaged on the screw;

means preventing rotation of the nut with respect to the housing so that rotation of the screw moves the nut axially along the screw and axial movement of the nut along the screw rotates the screw;

an actuator member operably associated with the latch and with the nut so that axial movement of the nut along the screw in one direction moves the actuator member in one direction to release the latch;

a motor mounted on the housing and connected to the screw to rotate the screw in one direction to move the actuator member along the screw in the one direction to release the latch;

and spring means acting on the actuator member to move the actuator member and the nut in the other direction along the screw and thereby rotate the screw in the other direction and backdrive the motor.

4. An actuator for the remote release of a latch in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a screw rotatably mounted in the housing and having high lead threads;

a saddle nut threadedly engaged on the screw;

means preventing rotation of the saddle ntu with respect to the housing so that rotation of the screw moves the saddle nut axially along the screw and axial movement of the saddle nut along the screw rotates the screw;

an actuator member engaging the latch and being free of direct driving engagement with the screw to permit axial movement of actuator member independent of the screw;

mounting means mounting the actuator member on the housing for axial sliding and limited rotational movement in a path parallel to the path of axial movement of the saddle nut;

and a motor mounted on the housing and connected to the screw to rotate the screw in one direction to move the saddle nut along the screw and into drive engagement with the actuator member and thereby drive the actuator member to release the latch.

5. An actuator for the remote release of a latch in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing;

a screw rotatably mounted in the housing and having high lead threads;

a saddle nut threadedly engaged on the screw;

means preventing rotation of the saddle nut with respect to the housing so that rotation of the screw moves the saddle nut axially along the screw and axial movement of the saddle nut along the screw rotates the screw;

an actuator member engaging the latch;

mounting means mounting the actuator member on the housing for axial sliding and limited rotational movement in a path parallel to the path of axial movement of the saddle nut;

a motor mounted on the housing and connected to the screw to rotate the screw in one direction to move the saddle nut along the screw and into driving engagement with the actuator member and drive the actuator member to release the latch;

and spring means acting on the actuator member to move the actuator member and the nut in the other direction along the screw and thereby rotate the screw in the other direction and backdrive the motor.

6. An actuator for the remote release of a latch in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing having a longitudinal extending channel;

a screw rotatably mounted on the housing in the channel and having high lead threads;

a saddle nut threadedly engaged on the screw;

means preventing rotation of the saddle nut with respect to the actuator arm so that rotation of the screw moves the saddle nut axially along the screw and axial movement of the saddle nut along the screw rotates the screw;

an actuator member having an arm engaging the latch and legs projecting laterally from each side of the actuator member;

first and second slide tracks formed integrally in the housing on each side of the channel and receiving the legs of the actuator member to mount the actuator member on the housing for axial sliding and non-rotational movement in a path parallel to the path of axial movement of the saddle nut along the screw;

a motor mounted on the housing and connected to the screw to rotate the screw in one direction to move the saddle nut along the screw and into driving engagement with the actuator member and drive the actuator member to release the latch;

and spring means acting on the actuator member to move the actuator member and the nut in the other direction along the screw and thereby rotate the screw in the other direction and backdrive the motor.