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Adjunct actuator for vehicle door lock

  • US 5,855,130 A
  • Filed: 04/18/1997
  • Issued: 01/05/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An adjunct vehicle lock actuator comprising:

  • an electric motor;

    a sector gear operatively driven by said motor and rotatable between a sector gear lock position, a sector gear unlock position, and a neutral position therebetween, said sector gear having first and second spaced-apart spring engagement faces;

    a carriage engagable with said sector gear and rotatable between a carriage lock position and a carriage unlock position, said carriage connected to said sector gear by a lost motion connection permitting said carriage to move between said carriage lock and carriage unlock positions when said sector gear is in said neutral position, and requiring said carriage to be in said carriage lock position when said sector gear is in said sector gear lock position and requiring said carriage to be in said carriage unlock position when said sector gear is in said sector gear unlock position, said carriage connectable to a lock actuating arm of a vehicle door lock for rotation therewith; and

    a spring having a first gear engagement surface disposed adjacent said first spring engagement face of said sector gear and a second gear engagement surface disposed adjacent said second spring engagement face of said sector gear, at least one of said first gear engagement surface and said second gear engagement surface being spaced apart from the adjacent one of said first spring engagement face and said second spring engagement face when said sector gear is in said neutral position such that said spring is in an uncompressed free state, said spring being compressed to urge said sector gear toward said neutral position when said sector gear is in said sector gear lock position or said sector gear unlock position.

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