Power operated vehicle door latch

• US 6,733,052 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inteva Products LLC (Renco Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arabia, Frank Joseph Jr., Laukonis, Jeffery P, Perkins, Donald Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lugo, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US09/737,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/341.16, 292/216, 74/892.3, 267/153
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/28 for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking
• 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 81/34 of geared transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/40 Nuts or nut-like elements moving along a driven threaded axle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0801 Multiple
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0814 Double acting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/699 Motor controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19605 Reversing means

Abstract

A vehicle door latch has a forkbolt, a detent that holds the forkbolt in a latched position, a release mechanism that moves the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock mechanism for disabling the release mechanism. The detent is moved by an intermittent lever that is part of the release mechanism and part of the locking mechanism. A lock lever forming part of the lock mechanism moves the intermittent lever back and forth between an unlock position where the intermittent lever drives the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock position where the intermittent lever free wheels with respect to the detent. The intermittent lever is pivotally connected to an unlatching lever of the release mechanism that is operated by inside and outside release levers. The lock lever includes a lower lock lever, an upper lock lever and a spring that stores energy when the lower lock lever pivots with respect to the upper lock lever. The lock mechanism includes an inside lock lever and an outside lock lever for operating the lower lock lever. The door latch also includes a motor driven actuator assembly for operating the lock mechanism and a double lock assembly for disabling the lock assembly so that the door latch cannot be unlocked by the inside lock lever.

Claims

1. A power operated vehicle door latch having a forkbolt that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position, a detent for holding the forkbolt in the latched position, a release mechanism for moving the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock mechanism for disabling the release mechanism comprising:

an intermittent lever for moving the detent to release the forkbolt forming part of the release mechanism and part of the lock mechanism, a lock lever forming part of the lock mechanism, the lock lever moving the intermittent lever back and forth between an unlock position where the intermittent lever drives the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock position where the intermittent lever moves without driving the detent,

a motor driven actuator for operating the lock mechanism, the actuator including a pivotally mounted actuating lever, and an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position, and

a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position,

the centering device having a first coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position.

2. The power operated vehicle door latch as defined in claim 1 wherein the electric motor and the jack screw are vertically disposed in a side-by-side relationship.

3. A power operated vehicle door latch having a forkbolt that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position, a detent for holding the forkbolt in the latched position, a release mechanism for moving the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock mechanism for disabling the release mechanism comprising:

an intermittent lever for moving the detent to release the forkbolt forming part of the release mechanism and part of the lock mechanism,

a lock lever forming part of the lock mechanism, the lock lever moving the intermittent lever back and forth between an unlock position where the intermittent lever drives the detent to release the forkbolt and a lock position where the intermittent lever moves without driving the detent,

a motor driven actuator for operating the lock mechanism, the actuator including a pivotally mounted actuating lever, and an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position, and

a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position,

the centering device having a first coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position,

the electric motor and the jack screw being vertically disposed in a side-by-side relationship,

the actuating lever being pivotally mounted on a stud, the stud and the electric motor being located on opposite sides of the jack screw, and wherein the first coil spring and the second coil spring are located above and below the stud respectively.

4. A power operated vehicle door latch having a forkbolt that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position, a detent for holding the forkbolt in the latched position, a release mechanism for moving the detent to release the forkbolt, a lock mechanism for disabling the release mechanism, a motor driven actuator for operating the lock mechanism that includes an actuating lever that is pivotally mounted on a stud, and an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever about the stud in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position, characterized in that:

the power operated vehicle door latch has a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position,

the centering device having a first coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position.

5. The power operated vehicle door latch as defined in claim 4 wherein the stud is a fixed stud.

6. A power operated vehicle door latch having a forkbolt that moves between a latched position and an unlatched position, a detent for holding the forkbolt in the latched position, a release mechanism for moving the detent to release the forkbolt, a lock mechanism for disabling the release mechanism, a motor driven actuator for operating the lock mechanism that includes an actuating lever that is pivotally mounted on a stud, and an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever about the stud in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position, characterized in that:

the power operated vehicle door latch has a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position,

the centering device having a first coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position, and

the first and second coil springs are located by spaced posts respectively, the spaced posts being on opposite sides of the stud.

7. The power operated vehicle door latch as defined in claim 6 wherein the stud is a fixed stud, the spaced posts being on opposite sides of the fixed stud.

8. A motor driven actuator for operating a lock mechanism including an actuating lever pivotally mounted on a stud in combination with an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever about the stud in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position and a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position, characterized in that:

the centering device has a first coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil torsion spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position.

9. The combination as defined in claim 8 further characterized in that the stud is a fixed stud.

10. A motor driven actuator for operating a lock mechanism including an actuating lever pivotally mounted on a stud in combination with an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever about the stud in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position and a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position, characterized in that:

the centering device has a first coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position, and

the first and second coil springs are located by spaced posts respectively, the spaced posts being on opposite sides of the stud.

11. The combination as defined in claim 10 further characterized in that the stud is a fixed stud, the spaced posts being on opposite sides of the fixed stud.

12. A motor driven actuator for operating a lock mechanism including an actuating lever pivotally mounted on a stud in combination with an electric motor that is drivingly connected to the actuator via a jack screw having a nut that pivots the actuating lever about the stud in one direction to a locked position and in an opposite direction to an unlocked position and a centering device for returning the nut and the actuating lever to a neutral position after the electric motor drives the actuating lever to the locked position or to the unlocked position, characterized in that:

the centering device has a first coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the locked position and a second coil spring that returns the nut and the actuating lever to the neutral position from the unlocked position, and

the first and second coil springs have respective coil portions that are oppositely wound coil portions wound in opposite directions and located about spaced posts respectively, the first and second coil springs having respective tangential reaction arms that engage spaced surfaces of the nut respectively to bias the nut in opposite directions.