Electric door lock device of motor vehicle

• US 6,698,804 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shiota, Kouichi, Yamagishi, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US10/266,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 292/216, 292/201, 292/DIG.23, 292/DIG.29, 492/79, 492/80
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/58 including time control, e.g. for controlling run-time of electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/66 the bolt position, i.e. the latching status
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/23 Vehicle door latches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/29 End gate fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A control unit is configured to carry out a given controlling of an electric motor when a given operation is carried. The given operation is an operation wherein under operation of a closure mechanism, the door is moved in a close direction passing through an operative position of a half-latch switch and then moved back in an open direction at a position just before the half-latch position. The given controlling is so made that when the moving member takes a position other than a neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is rotated in a reversed direction to move the moving member to the neutral position, and when the moving member takes the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is stopped to keep the moving member at the neutral position.

Claims

1. An electric door lock device comprising:

a lock device including a latch plate engageable with a striker and a locking plate engageable with the latch plate to lock the same;

a drive device including a reversible electric motor, a moving member driven by the electric motor, a plurality of detection switches coupled to detect a position of said moving member, and a half-latch switch capable of sensing a half-latch position of the latch plate relative to the locking plate, the half-latch switch being arranged to issue a half-latch representing signal when the latch plate is about to take the half-latch position during a movement thereof that is induced when the door is being closed;

a closure mechanism which, upon sensing of the half-latch position by the half-latch switch, induces rotation of the electric motor in a normal direction to move the moving member from a neutral position defined by said plurality of detection switches, thereby moving the latch plate to a full-latch position relative to the locking plate, and upon arrival of the moving member at a reverse rotation position defined by said plurality of detection switches, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction thereby to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor in response to said plurality of detection switches; and

a control unit which is configured to carry out a given controlling of the electric motor when a given operation is carried out, the given operation being an operation wherein under operation of the closure mechanism, the door is moved in a close direction passing through the operative position of the half-latch switch and then moved back in an open direction at a position just before the half-latch position,

the given controlling being so made that when the moving member takes a position other than the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is rotated in a reversed direction to move the moving member to the neutral position, and when the moving member takes the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is stopped to keep the moving member at the neutral position.

2. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 1, in which two swing turns of the latch plate sensed by the half-latch switch at the time when the door is moved in a close direction passing through the operative position of the half-latch switch and moved back in an open direction at the position just before the half-latch position are used as an information signal for controlling the electric motor.

3. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an opening mechanism which, upon sensing manipulation of a handle, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to move the moving member from the neutral position in a direction to cancel a locked engagement between the latch plate and the locking plate, and upon arrival of the moving member at the reverse rotation position, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor.

4. An electric door lock device comprising:

a lock device including a latch plate engageable with a striker and a locking plate engageable with the latch plate to lock the same;

a drive device including a reversible electric motor, a moving member driven by the electric motor, and a half-latch switch capable of sensing a half-latch position of the latch plate relative to the locking plate, the half-latch switch being arranged to issue a half-latch representing signal when the latch plate is about to take the half-latch position during a movement thereof that is induced when the door is being closed;

a closure mechanism which, upon sensing of the half-latch position by the half-latch switch, induces rotation of the electric motor in a normal direction to move the moving member from a neutral position thereby moving the latch plate to a full-latch position relative to the locking plate, and upon arrival of the moving member at a reverse rotation position, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction thereby to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor; and

a control unit which is configured to carry out a given controlling of the electric motor when a given operation is carried out, the given operation being an operation wherein under operation of the closure mechanism, the door is moved in a close direction passing through the operative position of the half-latch switch and then moved back in an open direction at a position just before the half-latch position.

the given controlling being so made that when the moving member takes a position other than the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is rotated in a reversed direction to move the moving member to the neutral position, and when the moving member takes the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is stopped to keep the moving member at the neutral position;

wherein two swing turns of the latch plate sensed by the half-latch switch at the time when the door is moved in a close direction passing through the operative position of the half-latch switch and moved back in an open direction at the position just before the half-latch position are used as an information signal for controlling the electric motor;

wherein said lock further comprises an opening mechanism which, upon sensing manipulation of a handle, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to move the moving member from the neutral position in a direction to cancel a locked engagement between the latch plate and the locking plate, and upon arrival of the moving member at the reverse rotation position, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor; and

wherein said door lock device further comprises;

a cam possessed by the moving member;

a close detecting switch engageable with the cam, and

an open detecting switch engageable with the cam,

wherein when the close and open detecting switches assume respective operative positions, the control unit stops operation of the electric motor judging that the moving member has taken the neutral position, when the close detecting switch assumes an operative position and the open detecting switch assumes an inoperative position, the control unit continues rotation of the electric motor in a normal direction judging that the moving member has taken a first position other than the neutral position, when the close detecting switch assumes an inoperative position and the open detecting switch assumes an operative position, the control unit continues rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction judging that the moving member has taken a second position other than the first and neutral positions, and when the close and open detecting switches assume respective inoperative positions, the control unit rotates the electric motor in a reversed direction judging that the moving member has taken the reverse rotation position.

5. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 4, in which when the moving member fails to arrival at the reverse rotation position within a predetermined time counted by a timer from a time when the moving member starts to move from the neutral position, the electric motor is rotated in a reversed direction to move the moving member back to the neutral position and stopped.

6. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 5, in which when at least one of the closure and opening mechanisms fails to operate due to malfunction of at least one of the close and open detecting switches, the control unit brings about a function by which the moving member can be moved from the neutral position.

7. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a power recover treating system which controls the closure and opening mechanisms when an electric power returns after a power cut, the control unit using information signals from the open and close detecting switches as an information for detecting a position of the moving member.

8. An electric door lock device as claimed in claim 7, in which when it is detected that the moving member takes a position other than the neutral position, the control unit operates the electric motor to run in a direction to move the moving member to the neutral position and starts operation of one of the closure and opening mechanisms.

9. An electric door lock device comprising:

a lock device including a latch plate engageable with a striker and a locking plate engageable with the latch plate to lock the same;

a drive device including a reversible electric motor, a moving member driven by the electric motor, and a half-latch switch capable of sensing a half-latch position of the latch plate relative to the locking plate, the half-latch switch being arranged to issue a half-latch representing signal when the latch plate is about to take the half-latch position during a movement thereof that is induced when the door is being closed;

a closure mechanism which, upon sensing of the half-latch position by the half-latch switch, induces rotation of the electric motor in a normal direction to move the moving member from a neutral position thereby moving the latch plate to a full-latch position relative to the locking plate, and upon arrival of the moving member at a reverse rotation position, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction thereby to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor;

an opening mechanism which, upon sensing manipulation of a handle, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to move the moving member from the neutral position in a direction to cancel a locked engagement between the latch plate and the locking plate and upon arrival of the moving member at the reversed rotation position, induces rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction to return the moving member to the neutral position and stops rotation of the electric motor;

a cam possessed by the moving member;

a close detecting switch engageable with the cam;

an open detecting switch engageable with the cam; and

a control unit which is configured to carry out a given controlling of the electric motor when a given operation is carried out, the given operation being an operation wherein under operation of the closure mechanism, the door is moved in a close direction passing through the operative position of the half-latch switch and then moved back in an open direction at a position just before the half-latch position, the given controlling being so made that when the moving member takes a position other than the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is rotated in a reversed direction to move the moving member to the neutral position, and when the moving member takes the neutral position upon completion of the given operation, the electric motor is stopped to keep the moving member at the neutral position,

wherein when the close and open detecting switches assume respective operative positions, the control unit stops operation of the electric motor judging that the moving member has taken the neutral position, when the close detecting switch assumes an operative position and the open detecting switch assumes an inoperative position, the control unit continues rotation of the electric motor in a normal direction judging that the moving member has taken a first position other than the neutral position, when the close detecting switch assumes an inoperative position and the open detecting switch assumes an operative position, the control unit continues rotation of the electric motor in a reversed direction judging that the moving member has taken a second position other than the first and neutral positions and when the close and open detecting switches assume respective inoperative positions, the control unit rotates the electric motor in a reversed direction judging that the moving member has taken the reverse rotation position.