Accident responsive safety release for a motor vehicle's rear door child-lock device
First Claim
1. A method for releasing a motor vehicle'"'"'s rear door latch mechanism'"'"'s anti-egress child-lock device in response to a collision between the motor vehicle and another object and including steps of:
- presetting state of the anti-egress child-lock device on at least one said rear door to thereby inhibit manual operability of the rear door latch mechanism'"'"'s interior latch release device;
operating the motor vehicle with the preset said anti-egress child-lock device in the preset state;
accidentally colliding the motor vehicle usually with another object;
sensing the accidental collision to produce a crash signal in response to an impact level in excess of a predetermined threshold;
unsetting the preset state of the anti-egress child-lock device in automatic response to the crash signal; and
,enabling manual operability of the interior latch release device by an occupant subsequent to the collision.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motor vehicle rear door anti-egress CHILD-LOCK device safety release responsive to an accident involving the motor vehicle whereby a preset CHILD-LOCK device may be immediately unset upon collision between the motor vehicle and another object. The anti-egress CHILD LOCK release enables immediate post-accident unlatchability of the motor vehicle'"'"'s rear door by an occupant of the motor vehicle and allow unencumbered egress from the motor vehicle. The result is reduced risk particularly for automobile rest-seat passengers including children and adults who might otherwise remain dangerously entrapped within a wrecked vehicle and suffering risk for further post-accident physical or psychological trauma or even death due to bodily entrapment, fire or explosion which may follow an accident.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for releasing a motor vehicle'"'"'s rear door latch mechanism'"'"'s anti-egress child-lock device in response to a collision between the motor vehicle and another object and including steps of:
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presetting state of the anti-egress child-lock device on at least one said rear door to thereby inhibit manual operability of the rear door latch mechanism'"'"'s interior latch release device; operating the motor vehicle with the preset said anti-egress child-lock device in the preset state; accidentally colliding the motor vehicle usually with another object; sensing the accidental collision to produce a crash signal in response to an impact level in excess of a predetermined threshold; unsetting the preset state of the anti-egress child-lock device in automatic response to the crash signal; and
,enabling manual operability of the interior latch release device by an occupant subsequent to the collision. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A collision responsive releasing method for automatically disengaging an anti-egress child-lock safety mechanism included in a rear door latch mechanism of a motor vehicle to enable an entrapped occupant to manually unlatch and usually open the motor vehicle'"'"'s rear door as a potential post-collision exit route, comprising:
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presetting the anti-egress child-lock safety mechanism to a SET or blocked state and thereby inhibiting pre-collision manual operability of the interior unlatching device for the rear door latch mechanism by the occupant, operating the motor vehicle with the anti-egress child-lock mechanism preset in the blocked state; encountering a collision usually between the motor vehicle and another object; sensing an impact level of the collision exceeding a predetermined impact threshold level; and
,releasing the anti-egress child-lock mechanism to an UNSET or unblocked state in automatic response to the sensed impact level and thereby enable a post-collision said manual operability of the interior unlatching device for the rear door latch mechanism by the occupant. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A collision responsive child-lock control apparatus producing an automatic release of an anti-egress child-lock means for a motor vehicle passenger door, comprising:
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a passenger door latch means including an anti-egress child-lock means which may be enabled by an operator engaged preset means to inhibit interior operability of the door latch means by an occupant of the motor vehicle; a collision sensing means responsive to an impact level in excess of a predetermined threshold; a release means coupled with the collision sensing means and the anti-egress child-lock means to produce automatic disengagement of the anti-egress child-lock device upon responsive sensing of a collision and thereby reinstate interior operability of the door latch means by the occupant of the motor vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification