Door lock device with one-motion door opening mechanism

• US 5,427,421 A
• Filed: 08/24/1993
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hamaguchi, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US08/111,510
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 292/216, 292/DIG. 23, 292/225, 292/DIG. 27, 74/480 R, 74/502.6
• US Class Current: 292/216
• 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 85/243 with a bifurcated bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/27 Disconnectable handle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

A door lock device has a one-motion door opening mechanism. The door lock device comprises a latch mechanism consisting of a latch and a ratchet preventing the latch from reverse-rotating, an outer opening lever, a lock lever, a link operatively placed between the outer opening lever and the lock lever, an inner opening lever connected to the inside opening handle of the vehicular door. The link and the inside opening handle are so connected that the link moves apart from the pressing piece of the ratchet when the inside opening handle excessively rotates. Consequently, when it is at the locked condition and the inside opening handle is operated to open the door, the ratchet is disengaged from the latch and the link is pressed by the pressing piece displacing it to the unlocked position. When the inside opening handle is excessively rotated, the link moves apart from the pressing piece.

Claims

1. A door lock device having a one-motion door opening mechanism;

comprising;

a latch mechanism consisting of a latch engaging a striker fixed to a vehicular body and a ratchet engaging said latch in order to prevent the latch from reverse-rotating,

an outer opening lever connected to an outside opening handle of a door,

a lock lever for moving the door lock device between a locked position and an unlocked position,

a link installed between said outer opening lever and said lock lever, said link being moved by the lock lever between the locked position and the unlocked position and having an engagement portion engaging said ratchet when the link is in the unlocked position and disengaged from said ratchet when the link is in the locked position, and

an inner opening lever connected to an inside opening handle of the door, said inner opening lever engaging the ratchet to rotate the ratchet without any relation to the link,

said ratchet having a pressing piece which displaces the link to the unlocked position of the link, wherein

said link and the inside opening handle being operatively connected to move the link apart from the pressing piece of the ratchet when the inside opening handle is excessively rotated,

wherein, when the inside opening handle is operated to open the door during the locked position of the lock device, the ratchet disengages from the latch and the link is pressed from the pressing piece of said ratchet displacing to the unlocked position, and when the inside opening handle is excessively rotated, the link moves apart from the pressing piece.

2. The door lock device having a one-motion door opening mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said inside opening handle and said inner opening lever are connected through a wire or rod and the wire or rod has a pressing member attached thereto so as to engage with the outer opening lever rotating said outer opening lever.

3. The door lock device provided with a one-motion door opening mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said lock device has a body provided with a dent portion formed on a front side of the lock device.

4. A door lock device provided with a one-motion door opening mechanism;

comprising;

a latch mechanism consisting of a latch engaging a striker fixed to a vehicular body and a ratchet engaging said latch in order to prevent the latch from reverse-rotating,

an outer opening lever connected to an outside opening handle of a door,

a lock lever for moving the lock device between a locked position and an unlocked position,

a link installed between the outer opening lever and the lock lever, said link being movable between the locked position and the unlocked position by said lock lever, said link sliding away from the striker when an inner opening lever is actuated and engaging the ratchet when the link resides in the unlocked position and the outer opening lever is operated to open the door, and to slide away from the striker when the inner opening lever is actuated and not engage the ratchet when the link is at the locked position, and

the inner opening lever connected to the inside opening handle of the door, said inner opening lever engaging directly or indirectly with the ratchet so as to rotate the ratchet without any relation to said link, wherein,

said ratchet has a pressing piece consisting of a first portion to displace said link to the unlocked position and a second portion formed at a front end portion of the first portion,

wherein, when the lock device is at the locked position and the inside opening handle is operated to open the door, the ratchet is disengaged from the latch and the link is pressed by the first portion of the pressing piece displacing to the unlocked position, and when the inside opening handle is excessively rotated, the link engages with the second portion of the pressing piece so as to slide toward the door when opened.

5. A door lock device provided with a one-motion door opening mechanism;

comprising;

a latch mechanism consisting of a latch on a door engaging a striker fixed to a vehicular body and a ratchet engaging said latch in order to prevent the latch from reverse-rotating,

an outer opening lever connected to an outside opening handle of the door,

a lock lever for moving the lock device between a locked position and an unlocked position.

a link installed between the outer opening lever and the lock lever, said link being movable between the locked position and the unlocked position by said lock lever, said link having an engagement portion engaging with the ratchet when the link is at the unlocked position, and not engaging with the ratchet when the link is at the locked position, and an inner opening lever connected to the inside opening handle of the door, said inner opening lever engaging directly or indirectly with the ratchet so as to rotate the ratchet without any relation with said link, wherein,

said pressing piece is made of an elastic material,

wherein, when the lock device is at the locked position and the inside opening handle is operated to open the door, the ratchet is disengaged from the latch and the link is pressed by said pressing piece displacing to the unlocked position, and when the inside opening handle is excessively rotated, the pressing piece is elastically deformed by engagement with the link.