Vehicle door latch device

• US 9,290,969 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corporation (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Yoshiaki, Katagawa, Minetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US13/591,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20130049379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/DIG.42, 292/216
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/40 Lock elements covered by silencing layers, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/36 Geared sectors, e.g. fan-shaped gears
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/54 Electrical circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/48
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/66 the bolt position, i.e. the latching status
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/68 by sensing the position of the detent
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/02 Lock casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0936 Spring retracted

Abstract

A vehicle door latch device comprises a base member having a striker-engagement groove which a striker of a vehicle body enters; a latch pivotally mounted to the base member and engagable with the striker; a ratchet pivotally mounted to the base member to engage with the latch to prevent the latch from turning; a latch-detecting switch detecting a turning position of the latch; and a synthetic resin terminal block in which a latch conductive plate is insert-molded. The terminal block has a holding portion that can hold the latch-detecting switch with an elastic claw. The latch conductive plate has a connecting terminal exposed in the holding portion and electrically connected to the latch detecting switch.

Claims

1. A vehicle door latch device comprising:

a base member having a striker-engagement groove in which a striker of a vehicle body enters;

a latch that is pivotally mounted to the base member and is engagable with the striker in the striker-engagement groove;

a ratchet that is pivotally mounted to the base member and engages with the latch to prevent the latch from turning;

a first latch-detecting switch that can detect a first turning position of the latch; and

a synthetic-resin terminal block that is fixed to the base member, a latch conductive plate being insert-molded in the terminal block, the terminal block having a first latch-detecting-switch holding portion that holds the first latch detecting switch with an elastic claw, the latch conductive plate having a connecting terminal exposed to the latch-detecting-switch holding portion and electrically connected to the first latch detecting switch directly;

a second latch detecting switch that can detect a second turning position of the latch different from the first turning position of the latch, the terminal block having a second latch-detecting-switch holding portion that can hold the second latch detecting switch, wherein the first latch-detecting-switch holding portion and the second latch-detecting-switch holding portion are formed in different surfaces of the terminal block such that the first latch detecting switch and the second latch detecting switch are stacked and held in the terminal block axially of the latch, wherein the first turning position is a half-latch position where the latch slightly engages with the striker, and the second turning position is a full-latch position where the latch completely engages with the striker; and

a ratchet detecting switch that can detect a turning position of the ratchet, the terminal block having a ratchet-detecting-switch holding portion that holds the ratchet detecting switch with an elastic claw;

the terminal block having an elongated central portion configured for being fixed to the base member,

wherein said elongated central portion of the terminal block is over the striker-engagement groove and extends along a longitudinal direction of the striker-engagement groove; and

the first and second latch-detecting-switch holding portions are formed in the terminal block at one side of the elongated central portion and the striker-engagement groove, and the ratchet-detecting-switch holding portion is formed in the terminal block at an opposite side of the elongated central portion and the striker-engagement groove.

2. The vehicle door latch device of claim 1 wherein a ratchet conductive plate electrically connected to the ratchet detecting switch is formed in the terminal block by insert molding.

3. The vehicle door latch device of claim 2 wherein the ratchet conductive plate has a connecting terminal exposed in the ratchet-detecting-switch holding portion and directly connected to the ratchet detecting switch electrically.

4. The vehicle door latch device of claim 2 wherein the ratchet conductive plate is formed by insert molding in the terminal block to cross over the striker-engagement groove.

5. The vehicle door latch device of claim 1 wherein the terminal block is integrally molded with a coupler connected to an external connector connected to an external wire harness.

6. The vehicle door latch device of claim 5 wherein ends of the latch conductive plate and ratchet conductive plate are exposed in the coupler to form terminals electrically connected to terminals of external connectors.

7. The vehicle door latch device of claim 5 wherein the coupler is formed at one side on the terminal block with respect to the striker-engagement groove.