Vehicle door latch

• US 5,975,596 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Rogers, Lloyd Walker Jr., McDonald, Reginald Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaterlaus, Clifford B
• Application Number:
  US09/106,316
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 292/216, 292/DIG. 23, 292/169.11, 292/336.3, 292/DIG. 27, 292/DIG. 30, 292/DIG. 65
• US Class Current: 292/216
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/243 with a bifurcated bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/65 Emergency or safety
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

A vehicle door latch has a locking mechanism and a latching mechanism and inside and outside handle levers for unlatching the vehicle door latch. Each handle lever cooperates with the locking mechanism and the latching mechanism independently of the other so that the vehicle door latch can be unlocked and unlatched by one handle lever when the other handle lever is stuck in an unlatched position.

Claims

1. A vehicle door latch having a locking mechanism and a latching mechanism comprising:

the locking mechanism including an intermittent lever for unlatching the door that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position and that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position when in the unlocked position;

the latching mechanism including a first transfer member that moves between a latching position and an unlatching position and between an armed position and an unarmed position when in the unlatching position and an inside handle lever that drives the first transfer member;

the latching mechanism further including a second transfer member that moves between a latching position and an unlatching position and between an armed position and an unarmed position when in the unlatching position and an outside handle lever that drives the second transfer member;

the intermittent lever engaging and moving a selected one of the first and second transfer members to an unarmed position when the intermittent lever is moved to the unlocked position while the selected transfer member is in the unlatched position;

, and

a non-selected one of the first and second transfer members engaging the intermittent lever and moving the intermittent lever to the unlatched position when the said non-selected transfer member is moved to the unlatched position and the intermittent lever is in the unlocked position whereby the door latch may be unlocked and unlatched with either the inside handle lever or the outside handle lever stuck in an unlatched position before the door latch is unlocked.

2. An automotive vehicle door latch according to claim 1 wherein the intermittent lever has a tab that engages the selected transfer member to move the selected transfer member when the intermittent member is moved to the unlocked position and that is engaged by the said non-selected transfer member to move the intermittent lever to the unlatched position.

3. The vehicle door latch according to claim 2 wherein the second transfer member is substantially parallel to the first transfer member.

4. The vehicle door latch according to claim 3 wherein the inside handle lever drives the first transfer member via an unlatching lever and wherein the first transfer member pivots between the armed position and the unarmed position on the unlatching lever.

5. The vehicle door latch according to claim 3 wherein the second transfer member pivots between the armed and the unarmed positions.

6. The vehicle door latch according to claim 4 wherein the second transfer member pivots between the armed and the unarmed positions.

7. A vehicle door latching having a locking mechanism and a latching mechanism comprising:

the locking mechanism including an interminent lever for unlatching the door that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position and that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position when in the unlocked position;

the latching mechanism including an unlatching lever moves between a latching position and an unlatching position, a first transfer member pivotally mounted on the unlatching lever that pivots between an armed position and an unarmed position when the unlatching lever is in the unlatching position and an inside handle lever that drives the unlatching lever;

the latching mechanism further including an outside handle lever that moves between a latching position and unlatching position and a second transfer member pivotally mounted on the outside handle lever that pivots between an armed position and an unarmed position when the outside handle lever is in the unlatching position;

the intermittent lever engaging and moving a selected one of the first and second transfer members to an unarmed position when the intermittent lever is moved to the unlocked position while the selected transfer member is in the unlatched position; and

a non-selected one of the first and second transfer members engaging the intermittent lever and moving the intermittent lever to the unlatched position when the said non-selected transfer member is in the armed position and its associated lever is moved to the unlatched position and the intermittent lever is in the unlocked position whereby the door lock may be unlocked and unlatched with either the inside handle lever or the outside handle lever stuck in an unlatched position before the door latch is unlocked.

8. An automotive vehicle door latch according to claim 7 wherein the intermittent lever has a tab that engages the selected transfer member to move the selected transfer member when the intermittent member is moved to the unlocked position and that is engaged by the non-selected transfer member to move the intermittent lever to the unlatched position.

9. The vehicle door latch according to claim 8 wherein the tab extends below the first transfer member and the second transfer member when the unlatching lever and the outside handle lever are in their respective latching positions.

10. The vehicle door latch according to claim 9 wherein the first transfer member and the second transfer member move in parallel planes.

11. The vehicle door latch according to claim 9 wherein the unlatching lever and the outside handle lever both pivot on a common axis for movement between their respective latching positions and unlatching positions.