Superlocking vehicle door lock/unlock system

• US 5,965,953 A
• Filed: 09/26/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ueda, Minoru, Nakashima, Hitoshi, Ikeda, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/938,626
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1-10.6, 70/264, 70/237, 180/287, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/825.3-825.32, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 307/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/28 for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/48 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/06 using rotary motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/16 operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/65 Central control

Abstract

A door lock/unlock system of a type having an electrically operated door lock/unlock mechanism for holding a door in a locked position and allowing the door to be opened comprises a position sensor for detecting positions of the door lock/unlock mechanism, namely a lock position and an unlock position, when a battery is removed from an electric circuit once and thereafter re-connected again to the same, with or without an intention of committing a theft of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling operation of the door lock/unlock mechanism according to the detected position.

Claims

1. A superlocking vehicle door lock/unlock system of a type having an electrically actuated door lock/unlock mechanism provided for each of a plurality of vehicle doors and actuation means for electrically actuating and switching each said door lock/unlock mechanism selectively into an unlock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism unlocks a vehicle door in association with said door lock/unlock mechanism in response to specific operation of a door lock/unlock key, a lock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism locks the vehicle door and from which said door lock/unlock mechanism is allowed to be switched to said unlock position by a release member disposed inside the vehicle body and a superlock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism is prevented from being switched to said unlock position even with said release member said door lock/unlock system comprising:

a power source battery;

an electric circuit capable of being connected to said power source battery and supplied with electric power from said power source battery for operating electric components of the vehicle including said actuation means and said door lock/unlock mechanism;

position detecting means for detecting operated positions of said door lock/unlock mechanism when said electric circuit is brought into connection to said power source battery and

control means for providing a control signal for controlling operation of said actuation means according to said operated positions of said door lock/unlock mechanism detected by said position detection means;

wherein, when said electric circuit is brought into connection with said power source battery, said control means provides a restraint signal with which said actuation means forces said door lock/unlock mechanisms for all of said vehicle doors to remain switched in said superlock position when said position detection means detects that said door lock/unlock mechanism in association with a specific one of said vehicle doors is in said lock position and provides an unlock signal with which said actuation means forces said door lock/unlock mechanisms for all of said vehicle doors to-be switched into said unlock position when said position detection means detects that said door lock/unlock mechanism in association with said specific vehicle door is in said unlock position.

2. A superlocking door lock/unlock system as defined in claim 1, wherein said specific operation of said door lock/unlock key comprises a specified number of times of locking operation of said door lock/unlock key within a specified period of time.

3. A door lock/unlock system as defined in claim 1, wherein said position detection means comprises a switch turning on and off according to positions of a lock link means forming part of said door lock/unlock mechanism which moves between two positions corresponding to said lock and unlock positions of said door lock/unlock mechanism.

4. A door lock/unlock system as defined in claim 1, wherein said position detection means comprises a position sensor for detecting positions of an interior door lock knob linked to said door lock/unlock mechanism.

5. A door lock/unlock system as defined in claim 1, wherein said specified door is a driver'"'"'s side door.

6. A superlocking vehicle door lock/unlock system, which comprises:

an electrically actuated door lock/unlock mechanism provided for each of a plurality of vehicle doors, said door lock/unlock mechanism being switchable into an unlock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism unlocks a door in association with said door lock/unlock mechanism in response to specific operation of a door lock/unlock key, a lock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism locks said vehicle door and from which said door lock/unlock mechanism is allowed to be switched to said unlock position by a release member disposed inside the vehicle body and a superlock position in which said door lock/unlock mechanism is prevented from being switched to said unlock position even with said release member;

an actuator operative to electrically actuate and switch each said door lock/unlock mechanism selectively into said unlock, lock and superlock positions;

a power source battery;

an electric circuit capable of being connected to said power source battery and supplied with electric power from said power source battery for operating electric components of the vehicle including said actuator and said door lock/unlock mechanism;

a position detection sensor operative to detect operated positions of said door lock/unlock mechanism when said electric circuit is brought into connection to said power source battery; and

a control unit operative to provide a control signal for controlling operation of said actuator according to said operated positions of said door lock/unlock mechanism detected by said position detection sensor;

wherein when said electric circuit is brought into connection to said power source battery, said control unit provides a restraining signal with which said actuator forces said door lock/unlock mechanisms for all of said vehicle doors to remain switched in said superlock position when said position detection sensor detects that said door lock/unlock mechanism in association with a specific one of said vehicle doors in said lock position and provides an unlock signal with which said actuator forces said door lock/unlock mechanisms for all of said vehicle doors to be switched into said unlock position when said position detection sensor detects that said door lock/unlock mechanism in association with said specific vehicle door is in said unlock position.

7. A superlocking door lock/unlock system as defined in claim 6, wherein said specific operation of said door lock/unlock key comprises a specified number of times of locking operation of said door lock/unlock key within a specified period of time.