Child safety slide door apparatus for vehicles

• US 6,701,671 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohhashi, Masao, Suzuki, Shintaro, Fukumoto, Ryoichi, Yamada, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US09/469,232
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 493/60, 492/79, 492/80, 493/57, 296/155, 292/336, 292/347
• US Class Current: 49/280
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/40 for sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/244 by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/854 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/856 Actuation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/113 Power assistance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/426 against unauthorised use E05Y2400/51, E05Y2400/522 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/564 Swinging bolt, swinging detent

Abstract

A vehicular slide door apparatus includes a movable slide door, inside and outside door handles operable to initiate opening and closing movement of the door, a drive device that assists the slide door movement, and a remote control device that includes a door lock device and a switch. An open lever is operatively associated with the inside door handle to transmit operation of the inside door handle to the lock device, and a child-proof lever is operable to prevent operation of the inside door handle from being transmitted to the open lever. The switch is engageable by the open lever and is operatively associated with the drive device such that operation of the inside door handle produces selective actuation and non-actuation of the switch depending upon the position of the child-proof lever, with the actuation of the switch effecting driving operation of the drive device.

Claims

1. A vehicular slide door apparatus, comprising:

a slide door adapted to be moved along a lengthwise direction of a vehicle body for opening an opening area formed in a lateral side of the vehicle body upon an opening movement of the slide door and for closing the opening area upon a closing movement of the slide door;

an inside door handle operable to initiate the opening and closing movement of the slide door;

an outside door handle operable to initiate the opening and closing movement of the slide door;

a drive device assisting the slide door to move;

a door lock device for maintaining the slide door in a position closing the opening area;

an open lever operatively associated with the inside door handle to transmit operation of the inside door handle to the lock device, the open lever including a switch engaging portion;

a child-proof lever positionable in an operative position to prevent an opening operation of the inside door handle from being transmitted to the open lever; and

a switch operatively associated with the drive device to operate the drive device upon actuation of the switch by engagement with the switch engaging portion of the open lever, the outside door handle being operatively associated with the switch to actuate the switch when the outside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door and when the outside door handle is operated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door, the inside door handle being operatively associated with the switch to actuate the switch when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door, the switch not being actuated when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door at a time when the child-proof lever is in the operative position;

a remote control device, the remote control device operating the door lock device upon operation of one of the inside door handle and the outside door handle to initiate the opening movement of the slide door, the remote control device including the switch and the open lever; and

wherein the remote control device further includes an input lever coupled to the inside door handle and to which an operation force is transmitted from the inside door handle, an opening-directional lever positioned to be rotated when the input lever is rotated in one direction, and a closing-directional lever positioned to be rotated when the input lever is rotated in the other direction, the closing-directional lever actuating the switch.

2. A vehicular slide door apparatus, comprising:

a slide door adapted to be moved along a lengthwise direction of a vehicle body for opening an opening area formed in a lateral side of the vehicle body upon an opening movement of the slide door and for closing the opening area upon a closing movement of the slide door;

an inside door handle operable to initiate the opening and closing movement of the slide door;

an outside door handle operable to initiate the opening and closing movement of the slide door;

a drive device assisting the slide door to move;

a door lock device for maintaining the slide door in a position closing the opening area;

an open lever operatively associated with the inside door handle to transmit operation of the inside door handle to the lock device, the open lever including a switch engaging portion;

a child-proof lever positionable in an operative position to prevent an opening operation of the inside door handle from being transmitted to the open lever; and

a switch operatively associated with the drive device to operate the drive device upon actuation of the switch by engagement with the switch engaging portion of the open lever, the outside door handle being operatively associated with the switch to actuate the switch when the outside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door and when the outside door handle is operated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door, the inside door handle being operatively associated with the switch to actuate the switch when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door, the switch not being actuated when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door at a time when the child-proof lever is in the operative position;

a remote control device, the remote control device operating the door lock device upon operation of one of the inside door handle and the outside door handle to initiate the opening movement of the slide door, the remote control device including the switch and the open lever; and

wherein the remote control device further includes a closing-direction lever, the open lever being provided with a cam arm constituting the switch engaging portion that is engageable with the switch, the closing-direction lever including a cam profile engageable with the switch.

3. A vehicular slide door apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the open lever and the closing-direction lever are mounted on a common shaft.

4. A vehicular slide door apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the remote control device includes an input lever mounted on the shaft, the input lever including a flange engageable with a projection of the closing-direction lever when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door.

5. A vehicular slide door apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the remote control device includes an opening-direction lever mounted on the shaft, the flange of the input lever being engageable with a projection of the opening-direction lever when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door.

6. A vehicular slide door apparatus, comprising:

a slide door adapted to be moved along a lengthwise direction of a vehicle body for opening an opening area formed in a lateral side of the vehicle body;

an inside door handle operable to move the slide door;

a drive device assisting the slide door to move;

a door lock device for maintaining the slide door in a position closing the opening area;

an open lever operatively associated with the inside door handle to transmit manipulation of the inside door handle to the lock device, the open lever including a switch engaging portion;

a child-proof lever positionable to prevent an opening manipulation of the inside door handle from being transmitted to the open lever;

a switch engageable by the switch engaging portion of the open lever and operatively associated with the drive device such that manipulation of the inside door handle produces selective actuation and non-actuation of the switch depending upon a position of the child-proof lever, with the actuation of the switch effecting driving operation of the drive device;

an outside door handle, the outside door handle being operatively associated with the switch to actuate the switch when the outside door handle is manipulated to initiate a closing movement of the slide door and when the outside door handle is manipulated to initiate an opening movement of the slide door, manipulation of the inside door handle producing actuation of the switch when the inside door handle is operated to initiate the closing movement of the slide door, the switch not being actuated when the inside door handle is manipulated to initiate the opening movement of the slide door at a time when the child-proof lever is in an operative position;

a remote control device, the remote control device operating the door lock device upon operation of one of the inside door handle and the outside door handle to initiate the opening movement of the slide door, the remote control device including the switch, the open lever and the child-proof lever; and

wherein the remote control device further includes an input lever coupled to the inside door handle and to which an operation force is transmitted from the inside door handle, the input lever being rotatable in one direction and an opposite direction, an opening-directional lever positioned to be rotated when the input lever is rotated in the one direction, and a closing-directional lever positioned to be rotated when the input lever is rotated in the opposite direction, the closing-directional lever actuating the switch.