Door lock device for vehicle

• US 7,926,857 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yusuke, Akizuki, Ryujiro, Nishio, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo; Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/677,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/216
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/26 specially adapted for child safety
• 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 81/36 Geared sectors, e.g. fan-shaped gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/108 Lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A vehicle door lock device is provided. The vehicle door lock device includes a latch mechanism, an inside lever, an inside open lever, a bushing, a child protector lever, and an intermediate lever. The inside lever is operable from a passenger compartment side of a vehicle and supported pivotally about a support pin arranged in the vehicle door. The intermediate lever includes a guide hole, which receives the support pin. When pushed by the child protector lever as the child protector lever pivots, the intermediate lever pushes the bushing while moving along the guide hole relative to the support pin and thereby moves the bushing to a position between the unset position and the set position.

Claims

1. A vehicle door lock device comprising:

a latch mechanism positionable in an engaged state to hold a vehicle door in a closed state relative to a vehicle body and movable to a disengaged state to permit the vehicle door to be opened;

an inside lever operatively connected to a handle at a passenger compartment side of a vehicle door and pivotally supported about a pivot shaft supported in a housing to transmit torque;

an inside open lever pivotally supported on the pivot shaft to receive the torque transmitted from the inside lever and thereby pivot to transmit the torque;

an open link having a portion that receives the torque transmitted from the inside open lever, the open link moving in response to the torque transmitted from the inside open lever to transmit the torque;

a lift lever that receives the torque transmitted from the open link to move the latch mechanism from the engaged state to the disengaged state;

a child protector actuator;

an intermediate lever including a guide hole in which is located the pivot shaft,

a child protector lever supported pivotally about the pivot shaft and operatively connected to the child protector actuator to move in response to operation of the child protector actuator;

a movable body movable along a portion of the inside open lever between an unset position, enabling transmission of the torque from the inside lever to be transmitted to the inside open lever, and a set position disabling said transmission of the torque;

wherein operation of the child protector actuator to move the child protector lever in one direction causes the child protector lever to push the intermediate lever so the intermediate lever moves the movable body to the unset position allowing the torque produced by the inside lever upon operation of the handle to be transmitted to the lift lever to move the latch mechanism from the engaged state to the disengaged state; and

wherein operation of the child protector actuator to move the child protector lever in a direction opposite the one direction causes the child protector lever to push the intermediate lever so the intermediate lever moves the movable body to the set position not allowing the torque produced by the inside lever upon operation of the handle to be transmitted to the lift lever.

2. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is slidably supported by the inside open lever, and movement of the intermediate lever relative to the pivot shaft causes the intermediate lever to push the movable body and slidably move the inside open lever.

3. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide pin fixed to the housing, and an elongated hole in the intermediate lever extending linearly and parallel to a longitudinal direction of the guide hole, the guide pin being positioned in the elongated hole.

4. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body includes an engagement projection, and the intermediate lever includes an arcuate hole in which is positioned the engagement projection, the arcuate hole being arranged at a position extending along a circumferential direction about the pivot shaft when the movable body is arranged at the unset position.

5. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the housing accommodates the inside lever, the inside open lever, the movable body, the child protector lever, and the intermediate lever.

6. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the inside lever includes an engagement groove cut out towards the pivot shaft along a radial direction of the pivot shaft, and the movable body includes a first engagement projection engageable with the engagement groove and projecting in a direction parallel to the axis of the pivot shaft.

7. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate lever includes an arcuate hole extending along a circumferential direction about the pivot shaft when the movable body is arranged at the unset position, the movable body including a second engagement projection projecting in a direction parallel to the axis of the pivot shaft so as to be positioned in the arcuate hole.