Door lock apparatus

• US 8,403,379 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taga, Takao, Ishiguro, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumar, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/370,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 292/194, 292/201, 292/210, 292/216, 292/DIG.23
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/041 Coupling device with a shaft projecting axially rearwardly from the cylinder, e.g. affording a degree of universal motion to compensate for misalignment
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/28 for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/283 initiated by hand actuation, e.g. by using a mechanical key
• 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 85/06 Lock cylinder arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/26 Cooperation between bolts and detents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1043 Swinging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1076 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A door lock apparatus, at both sides of a region interposing a second link lever therebetween, includes a sector lever shaft and an inside lever shaft that extend in parallel with a swinging shaft of the second link lever. The door lock apparatus also includes an inside handle lever swingably arranged about the inside lever shaft, and when an inside door handle arranged inside a vehicle is open-operated while the second link lever is disposed in a cancel position, moves the second link lever upwards by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft, and when the inside door handle is open-operated while the second link lever is disposed in a non-cancel position, swings the sector lever in a locked position to an unlocked position about the center of the sector lever shaft, by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft.

Claims

1. A door lock apparatus comprising:

a latch mechanism that restricts movement of a door in an open direction by latching when the door is in a closed position with respect to a vehicle main body, the latch mechanism comprising a ratchet lever;

a first link lever that includes a connecting groove hole that is formed as a slit opening;

a second link lever that swings between a cancel position and a non-cancel position, the second link lever allowing movement of the door in the open direction by cancelling a latched state of the latch mechanism when moved upwards while being disposed in the cancel position, the second link lever maintaining the latched state of the latch mechanism when moved upwards while being disposed in the non-cancel position;

a connecting tool that connects the first link lever and the second link lever;

a sector lever shaft and an inside lever shaft that are disposed on both sides of the second link lever and extend in parallel with a swinging shaft of the second link lever;

a sector lever that is swingably disposed between an unlocked position and a locked position about the sector lever shaft, the sector lever configured to move the second link lever to the cancel position while in the unlocked position, and configured to move the second link lever to the non-cancel position while in the locked position, the sector lever comprising a connecting pin inserted into the connecting groove hole of the first link lever; and

an inside handle lever that is swingably disposed about the inside lever shaft, the inside handle lever configured to move the second link lever upward by swinging about a center of the inside lever shaft when an inside door handle arranged inside a vehicle is open-operated while the second link lever is positioned in the cancel position, and configured to swing the sector lever from the locked position to the unlocked position by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft when the inside door handle is open-operated while the second link lever is positioned in the non-cancel position,

wherein a shaft of the second link lever is disposed below the ratchet lever with respect to a top of the vehicle main body,

wherein in the cancel position, a ratchet driving portion of the second link lever is disposed below the ratchet lever with respect to the top of the vehicle main body,

wherein in the non-cancel position, the ratchet driving portion of the second link lever is disposed out of alignment with the ratchet lever;

the connecting pin of the sector lever is disposed father away from the ratchet lever than in the cancel position; and

the sector lever is configured in the locked position, defined by a counter-clockwise rotation of the sector lever from the unlocked position.

2. The door lock apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slit opening includes two parallel sides and two half-circle ends.

5. The door lock apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch mechanism includes a latch and a ratchet, the ratchet includes the ratchet lever, and the ratchet and the ratchet lever rotate integrally about a ratchet shaft.

6. The door lock apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting tool comprises a substantially cylindrical main body mounted on the first link lever, and the second link lever includes a connecting tool main body hole to receive the substantially cylindrical main body.

7. The door lock apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motor and a worm to move the sector lever between the unlocked position and the locked position.

8. The door lock apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lock knob, wherein the lock knob is configured to move the sector lever from the unlocked position to the locked position.

3. A door lock apparatus comprising:

a latch mechanism that restricts movement of a door in an open direction by latching when the door is in a closed position with respect to a vehicle main body, the latch mechanism comprising a ratchet lever;

a first link lever that includes a connecting groove hole that is formed as a slit opening;

a second link lever that swings between a cancel position and a non-cancel position, the second link lever allowing movement of the door in the open direction by cancelling a latched state of the latch mechanism when moved upwards while being disposed in the cancel position, the second link lever maintaining the latched state of the latch mechanism when moved upwards while being disposed in the non-cancel position;

a sector lever shaft and an inside lever shaft that are disposed on both sides of the second link lever and extend in parallel with a swinging shaft of the second link lever;

a sector lever that is swingably disposed between an unlocked position and a locked position about the sector lever shaft, the sector lever configured to move the second link lever to the cancel position while in the unlocked position, and configured to move the second link lever to the non-cancel position while in the locked position, the sector lever comprising a connecting pin inserted into the connecting groove hole of the first link lever; and

an inside handle lever that is swingably disposed about the inside lever shaft, the inside handle lever configured to move the second link lever upward by swinging about a center of the inside lever shaft when an inside door handle arranged inside a vehicle is open-operated while the second link lever is positioned in the cancel position, and configured to swing the sector lever from the locked position to the unlocked position by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft when the inside door handle is open-operated while the second link lever is positioned in the non-cancel position,

wherein a shaft of the second link lever is disposed below the ratchet lever with respect to a top of the vehicle main body,

wherein in the cancel position, a ratchet driving portion of the second link lever is disposed below the ratchet lever with respect to the top of the vehicle main body,

wherein in the non-cancel position, the ratchet driving portion of the second link lever is disposed out of alignment with the ratchet lever;

the connecting pin of the sector lever is disposed father away from the ratchet lever than in the cancel position; and

the sector lever is configured in the locked position, defined by a counter-clockwise rotation of the sector lever from the unlocked position.

4. The door lock apparatus of claim 3, wherein the slit opening includes two parallel sides and two half-circle ends.

9. The door lock apparatus of claim 3, wherein the latch mechanism includes a latch and a ratchet, the ratchet includes the ratchet lever, and the ratchet and the ratchet lever rotate integrally about a ratchet shaft.

10. The door lock apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a motor and a worm to move the sector lever between the unlocked position and the locked position.

11. The door lock apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a lock knob, wherein the lock knob is configured to move the sector lever from the unlocked position to the locked position.