CN1214170C - Latch devices for automotive doors or closures - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a latch device for an automotive door or closure, the device comprising: a motor coupled to a rotary drive and indexing member having at least one protrusion; at least one actuator arranged to be driven by the respective protrusions of the drive and indexing members; and motor control means for selectively positioning the drive and indexing members and thereby driving said at least one actuator member to perform a desired operation in the latching means to lock or unlock the latch of the door or closure member or to complete the closing of the door or closure member.

Description

Latch devices for automotive doors or closures

technical field

The present invention relates to a latch device for locking closures such as car doors and tailgates, in particular, but not exclusively, for electronic central locking systems of vehicles. The invention disclosed in this application relates to latch components, systems including such components, and methods of manufacturing latch devices. Generally speaking, the purpose of various inventions is to simplify and make the latch device more compact, in order to reduce its cost and reduce the weight of the vehicle.

Background technique

Electronic central locking systems are well known, a typical such system is eg disclosed in GB-A-2167482 and a related improvement is disclosed in PCT publication WO97/28338 by the applicant et al. Such systems provide central control of the locking and unlocking of the doors and other closures such as tailgates, hoods, petrol caps, and other functions of the vehicle such as lights. They interact mechanically with conventional locking mechanisms. And this traditional locking mechanism includes outer key mechanism and inner door handle button for each door. Through this locking mechanism, the inner and outer door handles can be rendered useless or in an invalid neutral position.

Vehicle door latches are disclosed, for example, in the inventor's applications WO 97/19242 entitled "Latch and latch actuator arrangement" and in applications WO 97/19243 and In WO 97/28337 entitled "Latch Actuating Device". A motor within the latch, usually controlled by a central locking device, drives the mechanism that unlocks and locks the latch. According to other patent publications such as EP-A-397966 (Roltra-Morese Spa) and GB-A-2221719 (Kiekert GmbH & CoKommanditgesellschaft) made door latch then there are problems such as large size, weight and complexity.

Furthermore, mechanisms are known which employ a motor to effect the closing of a partially closed door, such as described in US-A-5423582 (Kiekert GmbH & Co Kommanditgesellschaft); Systems that allow doors to be opened, such as the electrically assisted door opening/closing system described in EP-A-625625 (General Motors Corporation), but any such system has so far failed to be integrated with an electronic central locking system. Some of the content disclosed in the present invention for the above-mentioned purposes gives an integrated electric central locking and electric door opening/closing device, and even can realize all the above-mentioned functions with a common motor, which is very important for the current state of the art Significant improvements have been made.

For an illustration of the ability in manufacture to reduce the number of latch parts required in assembly, see for example the title "EP-A-743413 (Rockwell Lisht Vehicle System (UK)), where a large number of parts are often required in vehicle door latches. The present invention is achieved by Simplifying the mechanical operation of the latch and its interaction with the motor drive significantly reduces parts count.

There is an important safety feature in that in the event of an electrical fault or disturbance, all electrically controlled actuation systems such as locking and door opening/closing can be overridden by the corresponding manual mechanical actuation when appropriate. Each of the independent inventions of the present application can be used in a latch with full mechanical override.

Contents of the invention

The present invention proposes a latch device for an automotive door or closure comprising: a motor coupled to a rotary drive and index member having at least one protrusion; a corresponding drive and index member arranged to be driven thereby at least one actuator driven by the protrusion; and motor control means for selectively positioning the driving and indexing member and thereby driving the aforementioned at least one actuator for desired operation in the latch arrangement to lock or unlock the latch of the door or closure or to complete the closing of the door or closure.

The protrusions or actuators are resiliently displaceable at mutual contact, allowing limited displacement after the desired actuation has been accomplished. The protrusions are elastically displaceable. The actuating member is biased by a spring to the point where it contacts the protrusion of the driving and indexing member. The driving and indexing member is spring-biased to its neutral stable rotational position, enabling it to be preferentially driven from an intermediate unstable position to this position.

The device is suitable for use in a motor vehicle door or closure for releasably retaining a striker, the device comprising: a latch formed to retain the striker in the latch's latched position and to release the striker from the latch the unbolt position of the bolt; the locking member mounted for movement between its locked position, which retains the bolt in its latched position, and its unlatched position, which allows the bolt to move to its unbolted position; and for Means for locking the aforementioned locking member.

The driving and indexing member is coupled for selectively and independently driving the locking member for power opening and also for driving the locking device for power locking and unlocking. The driving and indexing member is arranged to drive the locking device and the bolt to effectuate the closing of the door or other closure. The drive and index are configured to selectively release the lock to allow the door to open.

The device comprises: at least two lock release levers, drivably connected to respective external control devices, simultaneously coupled with said locks for unlocking them; and two corresponding couplings, each selectively to move between the coupled position where the lock release lever is coupled to the lock and the neutral position where it does not do this coupling, and wherein said driving and indexing member is to said coupling The above positions provide selective power control for selectively coupling one or two external controls for opening the door or closure.

Only one of the motors described is used for selective central locking and power-assisted door closing. Wherein only one motor is used to realize selective central locking and power-assisted closing and opening of the door. Wherein the driving and indexing member selectively drives the locking and unlocking device and the latch during different phases of its rotational movement. The locking member is a claw. The external controls are interior and exterior door handles.

To provide a clutch for a door opening/closing drive mechanism which enables the latch to be operated by the door handle even in the event of a power failure or disturbance of the electric drive mechanism.

Double lock or so-called deadlock or "

Once the door has been locked by the key mechanism or electronic central locking, it cannot be unlocked by the inner door handle button. The door can only be unlocked by the interior door handle button if it has previously been locked by the door handle button. In order to achieve this effective and simple structure, automatic door latches with deadlocking devices are provided.

Child safety locks for the rear doors of vehicles are of course well known. These safety locks typically include a small lever within the latch that is only accessible when the rear door is open or with the aid of a special tool to disengage the interior door handle from the latch. An invention of the present application defines a latch arrangement that enables such a mechanism to be remotely controlled relative to the latch, for example from the driver's dashboard at the front of the vehicle, or with a hand-held remote transmitter.

To reduce the cost and weight of the vehicle, the number of key mechanisms can be reduced by coupling multiple latches to one key mechanism.

Existing vehicle door latches generally include components within the housing and extending outside the housing making the device bulky. For example, as described in US Patent No. 5,419,597 to Kiekert, the lever that causes the latch to release to open the door is connected by a cable to the door handle and typically protrudes from the latch housing. The applicants have discovered that by providing a common axis of rotation for the latch pawl (sometimes with the generic term "release lever") to be coupled to the rotary coupling of the door pawl, it is possible to simplify the latch assembly and the mounting of the door handle lever to the latch machine. inside the shell.

The door latch generally includes a housing to which the relevant components are permanently riveted so that the door latch cannot be disassembled unless broken. The aforementioned destructive disassembly problems are solved and the assembly process is simplified by providing a latch assembly whose housing has retaining means for releasably retaining the parallel plates.

In some door latch devices that include an electric actuator for locking and unlocking, the locking and unlocking is temporarily disabled when one of the door handles is pulled, but is enabled when the handle is released. It is thus necessary to repeat the locking or unlocking actuation operation. In order to solve this problem, the present invention enables this actuation operation to continue completely to the end without repeated actuation once the handle is released.

Automatic keying mechanisms typically provide rotary output drive through, for example, a shaft on an axis of rotation or a radial arm connected to such a shaft. In order to make the assembly more compact and simple, applicants have found it advantageous to convert this rotary motion into linear motion to drive suitable linear actuators in the latch for locking and unlocking.

In order to couple the motor drive to the respective appropriate actuator within the latch assembly for opening/closing the door and/or for locking and unlocking or other functions such as child safety locking, the applicant has found that, Rotary indexing mechanisms are particularly useful where there is an elastic coupling between structures in the drive actuator and structures on the rotary indexing mechanism. The resiliency of this coupling allows the indexing mechanism to continue to rotate through the actuator after the actuation operation is complete after one stage of rotation of the indexing mechanism while preventing jamming. It also allows for positioning tolerances while simplifying mechanism layout.

As noted above, certain inventions in this application relate to the electric opening of doors, ie, the opening of doors by electrically releasing a latch mechanism. Structure is provided for selectively coupling an interior or exterior door handle, eg, with a door opening mechanism of a latch arrangement, under control of a common motor. This is particularly advantageous in that it provides independent electrical control of the individual door handles, thereby eliminating the need for mechanical control of the child safety locking.

Some existing door latch devices provide a so-called emergency door opening function, which allows the door lock to be opened by operating the inner door handle without lifting the inner door handle button. The door lock then remains unlocked to ensure that the door can be opened by the outside door handle. This prevents passengers from inadvertently locking the vehicle. Normally, the door latches should be unlocked when the vehicle is in motion, but sometimes the door latches will be locked while the vehicle is stationary or even moving. The invention enables an emergency door opening mechanism to be provided in a latch device of compact and simple design.

A particularly important invention is the combination of electric locking and door latch release (door opening) by a common motor. There is also provided an electric door latch arrangement using the same motor. Preferably, the latch device provides for selectively electrically controlled interior or exterior door handles, such as for opening a door, and the latch device preferably also provides an electric child safety mechanism.

The latching device generally includes a latch for engaging a fixed striker of the door frame and a latch pawl for releasably retaining the latch in place. Then, the door can be opened by electricity by actuating the latch pawl. Applicants have found a particularly advantageous arrangement for electrically powered door latch release and door opening, using a linear actuator acting directly on the latch pawl, which permits independent door opening by external mechanical means such as a door handle.

Another advantageous means of manually opening the door by electrically releasing the latch using a rotary actuator acting directly on the latch pawl.

Electric closing operations involve actuating the deadbolt and then applying tension to the fixed striker to pull the door to its fully closed position. The applicant has found a particularly advantageous arrangement to have the rotary actuator act directly on the bolt under electric power. Preferably, the above device also provides a door opening function, ie the same electric drive means and preferably the same rotary actuator is used to release the latch pawl to open the door.

An invention which utilizes another advantageous form of a rotary actuator provides a linear actuator acting directly on the latch, also with selective door opening.

As with all of the above devices, preferably there is a complete mechanical override of any electrical function, that is, the mechanical actuation is independent.

With door latching devices, there is a risk of inadvertently locking the door when the door is slammed shut. This is particularly disadvantageous in electric central locking devices in which the locking of one door is linked to the locking of all doors. Existing anti-slam locking devices are generally quite complex and it is an object of the invention to provide an anti-slam latch device with all the advantages of compactness and simplicity of other inventions. This is accomplished by directional positioning of a reciprocatingly sliding coupling within the latch. The anti-slam latch is implemented in a different manner, ensuring that the actuator is prevented from moving within the latch anytime the device is unbolted and the door is open. The latch device has a fixed structure and only cooperates with the coupled actuator in its unlocked configuration.

As mentioned above, typically Bowden cables are used to connect the latch device to the door handle and key mechanism etc. Conventional means for connecting the end of the cable to the actuator arm include a member on the arm for engaging a cylindrical protrusion on the end of the cable. The applicant has found that instead of providing a specially made actuator arm in order to hold the protrusion on the cable, the invention enables the use of a simple planar blank to form the appropriate actuator arm. The flange back at the end of this blank defines a suitable structure to receive and retain the protrusion while still allowing it to rotate freely.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the invention, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, in which middle:

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a car with a central locking element.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the door and part of the frame.

Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of the central locking system and one of the latching devices;

Figure 4 is equivalent to Figure 1 in the above-mentioned applicant's PCT application number WO97/28338, which is a schematic wiring diagram of an electronic central locking system for automobiles;

Figure 5 is a side view of a mechanically actuated switch forming part of the vehicle door latch arrangement;

Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a male soft assembly forming part of the device of Figure 5;

7 is a schematic circuit diagram of a motor control circuit including the switch shown in FIG. 5;

Fig. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram corresponding to Fig. 7, but additionally includes a cone electric switch for door opening control;

Fig. 9 shows a kind of electric door opening mechanism;

Fig. 10 shows another kind of power door opening mechanism;

Fig. 11 shows a kind of electric door opening and closing mechanism;

Fig. 12 shows a kind of power door opening and closing mechanism;

Fig. 13 shows yet another kind of power door opening and closing mechanism;

Figure 14 shows a modification of the power door opening and closing mechanism in Figure 13;

Fig. 15 shows the power door-opening mechanism as Fig. 10 modification;

Fig. 16 shows the power door-opening mechanism as Fig. 13 modification;

Fig. 17 shows another kind of power door opening and closing mechanism;

Fig. 18 shows another kind of electric door opening and closing mechanism that adopts rotary indexing and driving mechanism;

Figure 18a is an integrated door opening device with the electric lock;

Figure 18b shows the electric door opening and closing mechanism adopting bidirectional rotary drive and indexing device;

Figure 19 shows a latch device with a rotary drive and indexing mechanism, wherein said mechanism provides power for opening the door in addition to being used for electrical opening and closing;

Figure 20 is a partial view of two components in Figure 19;

Fig. 21 is a simplified view of the two components in Fig. 19, but with the motor transmission changed;

Fig. 22 shows as Fig. 16 modification power door opening and door closing mechanism;

Fig. 23 shows another kind of door opening device;

Figure 24 shows a compact latching device in a housing suitable for a car door with an electric lock;

Figure 25 shows a latching device for selective power locking of a door having two door handle mechanisms and an interior door handle button;

Figure 26 shows a modification of the latch device of Figure 25;

Figure 26A is a schematic partial enlarged end view from the right side of the device in Figure 26;

Figure 27 shows the door handle lever shown in Figures 25 and 26, and shows how the lever mechanism continues to automatically actuate towards its unlocked adjustment-coupling position even after it is temporarily blocked by actuation of the door handle ;

Figure 28 shows another form of the rotary coupling joint of the latch device shown in Figures 25 and 26;

Figure 29 illustrates the use of a motor to drive a child safety device in the latch arrangement shown in Figures 25 and 26.

Figure 30 shows the integrated electric door opening and closing and central locking device using a shared motor;

Figure 31 illustrates the use of a rotary indexing and drive mechanism for three different actuating functions in a latch device.

Figure 32 shows a modification of the device in Figure 31 for four independent starting mechanisms;

Figure 33 shows the application of the rotary indexing and driving mechanism to independently actuate locking and door opening, especially for rear door or rear luggage compartment latches;

Figure 34 illustrates the use of a rotary indexing and drive mechanism to selectively drive two linear actuators such as those shown in Figures 25 and 26;

Figure 35 illustrates an elastic coupling between the actuator and the rotary drive, such as used in the device of Figure 25;

Figure 36 shows another form of elastic coupling between the rotary drive and the actuator;

Fig. 37 shows another kind of elastic coupling device suitable for Fig. 36 device;

Figure 38 shows another form of selective coupling between two actuators and a rotary indexing and driving mechanism;

Figure 39 schematically shows a disc used to convert the rotational motion of the key structure into the linear motion of two independent actuators, causing the two actuators to reciprocate in opposite directions;

Figure 40 shows another form of the disk in Figure 39, wherein the actuators reciprocate together in the same direction;

Figure 41 is a side view of the disk in Figure 39, also showing the end of the actuator;

Figure 42 is a view corresponding to Figure 41 of the tray in Figure 40;

Figure 43 is a partial view of the key mechanism with the rotary output drive plate shown in Figures 39-42;

Figure 44 schematically illustrates the rotary output shaft with radial arms of the granular key mechanism;

Figure 44a shows the coupling form between the rotary output shaft of the key mechanism in Figure 44 and a pair of linear actuators for reciprocating motion in the same direction;

Figure 44b shows a device corresponding to Figure 44a, but wherein the linear actuator moves in the opposite direction;

Fig. 44c shows another form of the rotary output drive shaft of the key mechanism and the means for converting the rotary motion to the linear motion for driving the linear actuator;

Figure 45 illustrates a double locking arrangement suitable for use with the key mechanism and interior door handle knob in any of the latch arrangements described with respect to other figures such as Figures 25 and 26;

Figure 46 shows an actuator plate formed from a planar blank with end fittings for connecting cables and the method of forming such fittings;

Fig. 47 shows a part of the latch device shown in other drawings, showing the non-destructively detachable casing;

Figure 48 shows how a single key mechanism can be arranged to operate two independent locks on different parts of the vehicle;

Figure 49 illustrates a clutch mechanism for electrically actuating an opening/closing mechanism such as a door;

FIG. 50 is a perspective view of the clutch actuation lever of the clutch mechanism shown in FIG. 49 .

cars with central locking

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional device for locking a vehicle door or other closure. Latches L1 to L4 are bolted to each of the four passenger doors, Latch L5 is attached to the tailgate (luggage compartment) and Latch 6 is attached to the petrol lock cover. The car battery is connected to the central electronic control system 90, which in turn is connected to the latch by cables (not shown).

As shown in Figure 2, each door has: inside and outside handles; a key mechanism, usually in the form of a cylindrical key mechanism; The door frame only makes linear movement between slightly protruding positions. The striker in the form of a columnar bar is fixed vertically to the door frame. A door latch L1 is bolted to the door such that a bolt, described in more detail below, engages the striker eye to hold the door in the closed position. The door has a resiliently deformable seal (not shown) which deforms when the door is closed relative to the frame and allows the door to open as soon as the bolt is disengaged from the striker. But even without such a seal, the latch is spring biased to the open position to open the door.

The function of the latch L1 is shown in more detail in Fig. 3, together with the central electronic control unit 90 and the car's base battery to which it is connected via cables. Also shown is the striker eye 10 partially enclosed by the jaws of the bolt 11 . The latch pawl 20 engages one side of the latch 11 to selectively fully latch or partially latch the latch in a conventional manner. The pawl 20 turns under the control of various couplings connected to the outer and inner handles, the inner handle button (where) and the mechanical child safety lock control (where) respectively. The motor 70 is controlled by a central electronic control unit 90 according to the rotational position of the bolt 11 as detected by the position sensor and converted within the latch L1 as described below with reference to FIGS. 5-8 .

The position sensors described above provide the necessary information to control the locking, closing and opening of the door and most of the electrical functions that are connected to most latching devices, although not often explicitly described below.

The motor is controlled to activate the pawl 20 to release the latch to open the door electrically, and is also controlled to selectively couple the outer handle with the button to operate the pawl 20 appropriately. However, in some latch devices, a separate motor may also be provided for this purpose, depending on design requirements and space utilization.

In Figure 4 there is shown the central electronic control circuit 90 with the motor A indicated by A for the four doors and the tailgate and the fuel (petrol) lid buckle; also the motor A for the engine compartment buckle (hood buckle). In this example, the interior lock is only controlled by an electric switch without an interior door handle button, although such a button could also be provided. The function of the above circuit need not be described in detail here, it is more fully described in the aforementioned WO 97/28338.

This electrical control system is described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 5-8. According to the present invention, there is provided a mechanical position sensor using a microswitch which, in the case of the bolt 11, reverses the polarity of the motor power supply corresponding to the reciprocating motion of the object driven by the motor. This mechanically responsive power supply can also initiate door opening by means of relay switches working in conjunction with electronic controls, as will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the cam member 101 is arranged to rotate about the same axis 15 as the bolt 11 and is driven by a protrusion 140 fitted into a groove 141 of the bolt 11 . Also shown in FIG. 5 is that the latch housing has three parallel layers which are rigidly interconnected by a hinge common to the cam member 101 and the shaft 15 of the latch bolt 11 . The cam member 101 can slide up and down on its axis of rotation so that the cam-follower microswitch actuators 111, 121 and 131 can follow the rectangular cam tracks C, B, A shown in FIG. 6, respectively. Cam member 101 is loaded by coil spring 19 to move upwards in FIG. 5 and downwards as indicated by arrow 191 in FIG. 6 . Groups of three microswitches 110, 120, 130 are rigidly attached to the latch housing 100 such that corresponding microswitch actuators can be positioned along their respective rectangular cam tracks.

The surface of the cam member 101 facing the microswitch group is shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. 6 . The unshaded portion of each cam track is the deepest, as indicated by line 102 in FIG. 5; the heavily shaded area in FIG. The slope from the darker to the shallower regions is represented by medium shades in Figure 6. Each rectangular cam track is defined by the rectangular walls shown and by central walls 104 , 105 and 106 . Needle-shaped microswitch actuators 111, 121 and 131 are indicated by circles in FIG. 6 in positions indicating their movement along their respective cam tracks. When the door is opened, the micro-switch actuator is at the upper right corner of the cam track shown in Figure 6; when the door starts to close, their relative positions move to the positions shown in A, B, and C in Figure 6 in the direction indicated by the letter L . At such a point, the door is fully opened.

When the latch 11 moves to the door-opening position, the structure H obliquely passes through the middle cam track B and is continuous with the end face of the middle wall 105, so that the entire cam assembly 101 moves upward in FIG. 6 against the loading of the spring along the direction M. sports. This is due to the sliding cam motion of the pin 121 on the structure H. Continued movement in direction K returns the microswitch actuators to position F, where spring force 191 brings them back to the upper right corner, as shown in FIG. 6, when the cam assembly moves in direction N. Ramp E causes the cam actuator to recess into each microswitch, causing the microswitch to change from "off" to "on". The steep structure H allows the microactuator to pop out again, opening the microswitch.

The control of the motor will now be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, which show an alternative arrangement of the electrical circuitry. In a car, each door is controlled by its own motor 70, and each door has a red warning light to warn the driver and passengers that the door is open. The car has a central electronic control circuit 90 of the usual type and integrated stall current sensor circuitry 91 . The first micro switch 110 controls switching of the door warning light 80 . The second microswitch 120 provides power to the motor with one polarity to match the closing control of the door. The third microswitch 130 powers the motor in reverse polarity to match the door opening control. The mechanical arrangement of Figures 5 and 6 ensures that the switches operate in the correct sequence. Using conventional notation, NO denotes a normally closed terminal, NC denotes a normally closed terminal and C denotes a common terminal. When the door is closed, the microswitch actuators are in positions A, B and C in Figure 6, and all microswitches are open. Movement towards the open position causes the microswitch actuator to move in the direction of arrow K in FIG. 6, and after a small amount of intermediate movement, when the actuator 131 is on the ramp E, the microswitch 130 is turned on. This allows the electrically assisted door to open. While the door is open, the door warning light control microswitch is turned on when the actuator 111 is on its own ramp. When the door reaches the end of its electrically assisted movement, the door opening microswitch 130 is turned off, while only the door warning light remains on. When the door is closed again, the door closing control microswitch is immediately turned on when the actuator 121 is located on its slope of line F in FIG. 6 , and the door warning light is turned off.

When the door is fully closed, the door closing control microswitch 120 is turned off when the actuator 121 falls on the step at line G in FIG. 6 .

The opening of the door is preferably initiated under the central electronic control circuit 90, which may be accomplished by a relay switch 140 in FIG. 8 . The signal from the central electronic control circuit 90 turns on the relay 140 along the circuit 150 to power the motor for enough time for the mechanism to move to the third microswitch 130 to turn on. Then this relay switch disconnects or suspends work.

The stall current sensor circuitry 91 need not be described in detail. In this case, it is a circuit breaker that provides overcurrent protection and can be manually reset when tripped. Current sensing of the drive motor current occurs on its ground return through resistors whose voltages are amplified by appropriate integrated differential amplifiers. The second amplifier determines the voltage difference between the resistance value and the reference voltage value provided by the temperature stable diode. This second differential amplifier acts as a comparator, providing logic level translation and outputting a stall signal.

A remote control transmitter is conventionally provided to control the central locking system, eg to unlock or lock the car from the outside. The car doors or special doors can be opened by remote control with the same command from the central control system. According to an invention, however, the electric child safety lock can be operated by a similar remote control method.

The central electronic control circuitry preferably receives input from these sensors, some of which are located within the latch and will determine the position of the pawl, latch bolt and pawl actuator or any other component of the latch mechanism. Other sensors are better located elsewhere in the car, such as to monitor the status of the car's engine. For example, when the engine has been started and the car has been started, the current supplied to the drive motor can be cut off by the central electronic control circuit system. In this way, accidents in which the door is accidentally opened by electricity are safely protected. As another example, if the door is jammed and the motor drive stalls, the current sensor circuitry 91 sends a message to the electronic control circuitry 90, cutting off power to the motor until some favorable condition is detected, such as manual activation. When the door is moved to a certain position by releasing the door handle.

The special arrangement described above allows a significant cost reduction in the automotive context. This minimizes the wiring length by placing the switch within the latch housing, in fact, reducing the necessary wiring to only two leads as shown in FIG. 7 or four wires 150 as shown in FIG. , 151 and 152 connect the door latch with the central control circuit system. By integrating the door warning light with the door latch, for example with a simple plug-in light, wiring and assembly costs can be minimized. An integral arrangement of door opening and door closing microswitches assembled in the same row is the most efficient arrangement to minimize wiring.

Electric door opening/closing

The operation of the movement of the bolt and claw relative to the door will now be described with reference to Figures 19-20 in conjunction with the previously mentioned published patent specification.

As shown in Fig. 9, the latch 11 may surround the striker eye 10, with notches 13 and 14 for full and half latching of the pawl 20, respectively. The latch 11 is spring-loaded clockwise to the open position, and the pawl 20 is spring-loaded counterclockwise (B5) to the locked position for locking the latch. The motor 70 outputs the rotation through the measuring gear and the helical gear to the rotary output drive 50, which is arranged to rotate in the direction D1, so that the eccentrically positioned cam lock 30 rests against the pawl 20 and moves in the direction D2 to its disengagement. Location. As the rotation continues in the direction D1, the lock 30 allows the pawl 20 to spring back in the direction D5 after the door is closed, locking the latch again.

Upon continued rotation in direction D1, lock 30 returns to its original neutral position NP, as shown in FIG. The lock 30 at this moment is in the neutral gear position for opening the door and starting next time.

Obviously, another form of output drive coupling could also be achieved, for example, using helical gears or spur gears. Furthermore, the pin 30 could be replaced by any form of camming arrangement against the pawl.

In the above construction, once the pawl is moved to its unlocked position, the door is opened under the force of its elastically deformable seal. The spring bias of the latch 11 also assists in opening the door.

Another form of door opening device is shown in Figure 10. The output drive of the motor 70 takes the form of a rack and pinion arrangement 31 , with a partial rack abutting against the pawl 20 , producing a linear drive in direction D1 . Once the latch is electrically detected to have moved to its fully disengaged position, the motor is either disengaged or reversed to bring the rack 31 back to its neutral position shown in FIG. 10 . When the motor is de-energized, the rack remains in its open position until the door is closed. Closing of the door causes the pawl to rotate to its latch engaged position while driving the rack back to its neutral position. The pawl 20 is now biased by means of a spring.

The detection of the position of the bolt naturally also applies to the arrangement in FIG. 9 , regardless of whether the above-mentioned motor is de-energized or reversed.

The arrangement in Figures 9 and 10 is suitable for a side door of a motor vehicle. Tailgate and luggage compartment latches differ from those described in that they generally have only one recess 13 to fully lock the latch. Furthermore, it is obvious that various gear arrangements are possible.

The latch device shown in Figure 11 is used for power closing and power opening. Thus, the device is an on/off mechanism powered by the same motor 70 . The motor drives the rotary indexing and drive member 50 selectively in direction D1 or D4. The neutral position of the index and driver 50 shown in FIG. 11 corresponds to the position in which the pin 34 is clear of the door latch 11 . The indexing and driving member 50 is rotationally biased towards its neutral position by a torsion spring 36 mounted coaxially therewith, while being constrained by a lever 35 secured to the latch housing. The torsion spring 36 has two wings 33a and 33b fitted to opposite sides of the cam pin 34 . Thus, when member 50 is driven counterclockwise in direction D, pin 34 drives torsion spring wing 33a urging the member in the opposite direction back to the neutral position. Correspondingly, the counterclockwise movement D4 causes the pin 34 to displace the torsion spring wing 33b to return the member 50 again.

In the above example, the unlocking or release of pawl 20 is achieved indirectly through an actuating plate 38 . This actuating plate 38 is rotatably connected to the jaw 20 at the position shown at 40 and is coupled to the part 50 by means of its arcuate slot 39 and the lug 32 of the part 50 . The arc-shaped groove 39 of the actuating plate 38 is concentric with the part 50, and its function allows the relative rotation of the part 50 in the counterclockwise direction D1 by about 70° for closing the door without interference.

Extending arm 37 of latch 11 protrudes above member 50 for selective engagement with pin 34 . To close the door, the pin 34 is driven counterclockwise in direction D1 to position A, where the door is partially closed manually, to which the bolt 11 will be reached. Closing the door is accomplished by placing the pin 34 against the extension arm 37 and driving it in direction D3 to its fully closed position. Once the latch is electrically detected as fully closed, the motor is de-energized and the torsion spring 36 brings the rotary member 50 back to its neutral position NP.

To open the door electrically, the motor drives cam pin 34 counterclockwise in direction D4, causing cam pin 34 to immediately pull the end of slot 39, thereby pulling pawl 20 in direction D5 to disengage it in direction D6. Then, as the door disengages from the frame in direction D8, the bolt springs open in direction D7. Once it is electrically detected that the latch has reached its fully disengaged position, the motor is de-energized and the rotary member 50 springs back to its neutral position NP.

The aforementioned electrical position sensor is suitably provided in the latch so that it is prevented from falling into its half-locked position in the recess 14, for example when the pawl 20 is driven to its disengaged position.

The device can be accommodated in a cabinet, which is compact and easy to manufacture, improves sound insulation and reduces manufacturing costs.

The latch device in Fig. 12 is a modification of the device in Fig. 11 for opening/closing the door. In this example, an actuating plate 41 instead of plate 38 is arranged to slide on the axis of rotation 43 of the rotary indexing and driving member 50 ; The actuating plate 41 has an end flange 44A depending downwardly to engage with the cam pin 34 of the rotating member 50 . The actuating plate 41 is slidable between positions C and C1, which correspond to the engaged and disengaged positions of the jaws 20, respectively.

The door is closed by rotating the cam pin 34 in a clockwise direction D3 into engagement with the latch extension arm 37 at position A and driving the pin to position A1. After a travel slightly beyond point A1, pin 34 is disengaged from the latch and passed in direction D3 to the second neutral position NP2. Thus, the first neutral position NP1 is located just before the pin 34 engages the latch extension arm 37 . The second neutral position NP2 is then at a point just beyond A1 but before it can engage flange 44A. Once disengaged from the bolt, the pin 34 is stopped in its second neutral position by elastically deformable means such as a spring (not shown) after the motor is de-energized under the control of a suitable electrical position sensor (not shown). at position NP2. The motor can also be stopped in a second neutral position by having it controlled driven in the opposite direction.

To open the door electrically, energizing the motor causes the pin 34 to drive the stand 34C from its neutral position 34B in the direction D3, where it engages the actuating plate 41, and at point C1 the flange is Follow direction D7 to position 44B. This causes the pawl to rotate in direction D4 to its fully disengaged position, allowing the bolt to rotate in direction D5 while leaving the striker in direction D6. Pin 34 continues in the same direction to its first neutral position NP1.

In either neutral position, the latch and pawl are completely freely actuatable by hand in a conventional manner between their engaged and disengaged positions. This provides a mechanical override safety measure against power failures.

In contrast to the arrangement of Figure 11, the rotary indexing and drive member 50 is essentially unidirectional, although its movement may be braked or partially reversed by reversing the electric drive.

The arrangement in FIG. 12 has the advantages of compactness and sound insulation associated with the arrangement in FIG. 11 .

The variation shown in Figure 13 provides means for electrically opening and closing the door with the same motor. In this example, the rotary output drive of the rotary indexing and driving member 50 is converted into linear motion through a rack and pinion transmission. The rack 56 is integral with a shuttle, and it has an end abutment surface 55 for engaging the latch. The extension arm 37 engages. At the other end, the rack is connected at 57 to a coil spring 58 mounted on a frame 59 of the latch housing for compression and tension. This coil spring is used to return the above-mentioned shuttle to the neutral position NP and to absorb vibration and reduce noise.

A rack 56 is connected to the actuating plate 52 by a pin 54 located in a slot 53 so that the shuttle can drive the latch to close the door without interference. Actuating plate 52 is rotatably connected to jaw 20 at 51 .

For the arrangement of Figures 11 and 12, the electric drive mechanism is independent of conventional mechanical latch operation so that the pawl can be controlled by the door handle when the pawl is in its neutral position NP.

Thus, to open the door, the shuttle or rack 56 is driven from its neutral position in direction D3 to its extreme position P1, after which the motor is de-energized and the rack 56 returns to its neutral position. By driving the shuttle in the reverse direction D5 from the neutral position to the second extreme position P2, pulling the actuating plate 52 and releasing the above-mentioned claws, the door can be opened by electricity.

The above device can use a smaller drive motor due to the larger transmission ratio.

Another modification of the above door opening/closing mechanism is shown in FIG. 14 . Instead of a rack and pinion, the linear shuttle 71 can be driven by the cam pin 34 of the rotary indexing and driving member 50 in either linear direction, direction D1 or D2 as the case may be. The cam pin 34 is positioned relative to the cam 74 fixed to the shuttle 71 so that the drive is only possible within a limited angular range of rotation of the rotary member 50, for example about 40°. The shuttle 71 is biased to its neutral position by a tension-compression spring 72 mounted on a frame 73 . Shuttle 71 has an end structure 78 that drives against position latch extension arm 37 to move from position A to position B. As shown in FIG. An actuating plate 77 corresponding to the plate 52 is provided to connect the shuttle 71 to the pawl 20 for electrical opening. As with the arrangement in FIG. 13 , the shuttle 71 has a pin 75 which slides in a slot 76 in an actuation plate 77 .

The arrangement of Figure 14 also has the advantage of being flexible, allowing the drive gear to move more easily to its neutral position should the electric drive be interrupted prematurely.

Another device for electrically opening the door is shown in FIG. 15 . In this example, the shuttle 83 is driven by a screw exchange gear in the form of a screw 81 and an internally threaded nut 82, still constrained to linear motion. The lead screw 81 is driven by the helical gear 80 driven by the rotary output. This shuttle is also biased towards its neutral position by the tension and compression spring 86. The slot 84 coupled to the pin 85 of the pawl 20 provides sufficient freedom to allow independent mechanical opening of the door as previously described. In this example there is no means for closing the door, but obviously the arrangement in this example could be incorporated into a door closing device such as that of FIGS. 12 and 13 . The arrangement in this example is simplified by providing only a neutral position A and a start position B for the shuttle 83.

This device also has the advantage of making the mechanical opening/closing of the door completely independent of the electrical device during all phases of electrical door opening. The device also has the advantage of being able to use smaller motors due to the high transmission ratio and of being extremely adaptable and extremely simple. As before, the tension and compression spring 86 provides an anti-backlash means that absorbs the inertia of the mechanism after the motor is shut down to reduce noise, thus extending the life of the drive mechanism.

Still another modification of the door opening/closing mechanism is shown in FIG. 16 . Shuttle 95 in this example is linearly driven by said lead screw between two spaced apart tension springs 97 and 98 on lead screw 96 between two fixed brackets 99 and 200. This lead screw is driven by a helical gear 80 driven by a motor 70 . The actuator plate 91 is also connected by a pin 92 sliding in a slot 94 to a shuttle 95 which has an abutment surface at its end 93A. The shuttle moves between a neutral position 93B, position A, a lower position 93C, a position C where the pawls are disengaged, and an upper limit position 93A and a position B where the latch is fully closed.

The nut 95 and screw 96 integrally formed with the shuttle 95 preferably have their mating cutouts at 45° relative to the lead screw 96 so that the shuttle and lead screw can drive each other. The means for constraining the linear movement of the nut 95 may take any suitable form, such as slots and tracks (not shown) fixed to or integral with the latch housing (not shown).

The springs 97 , 98 may be replaced by a single spring that can act as a compression or extension spring coupled with the nut 95 . This spring also can be the torsion spring that is coupled with driving gear.

As with the previous setup, electrical position sensing is used to control power to the motor. In conjunction with the aforementioned control device, a current sensor can be used as an indicator that the bolt, for example, has reached its locked position, since the current rises only beyond this locked position. Additionally, the polarity of the electric drive can be temporarily reversed to counteract the inertia of the moving parts.

The advantages of this device are comparable to those of the device shown in Figures 14 and 15 .

As with any of the arrangements shown in Figures 9-16, a clutch mechanism, preferably a conventional centrifugal clutch, may be provided on the rotary output drive shaft of the motor 70. Such a clutch eliminates induced currents in the motor as it drives the mechanism components and also helps reduce the load on the return spring used to return the clutch mechanism to its neutral position after the motor is started.

Another variation of the electric door open/close latch arrangement described above is shown in FIG. 17 . In this example, the actuation plate 202 is rotatably connected to the pawl 20 at 203 near the engagement point of the bolt 11 . The actuating plate 202 is constrained to rotate about the axis of rotation of the rotary indexing and drive mechanism 50, or can move linearly in the direction of drive D4 by means of end forks having wings 205 and 206 on either side of this axis of rotation. .

In the above example, the cam pins 34 are replaced by radial cams all integral with the rotary member 50 and arranged in two separate planes perpendicular to the aforementioned axis of rotation. In a first plane, a radial cam 207 is arranged to selectively abut and drive the latch extension arm 37 . In a plane apart, radial cams 209 and 208 are separated by approximately 100° and engage respectively depending lug 204 on actuating plate 202 of the door opening and W-shaped leaf spring 210 secured to the latch housing. Leaf spring 210 prevents the latch from loosening and holds it in the neutral position shown.

To close the door, the rotary member 50 is driven clockwise in direction D1 to drive the cam 207 against the latch extension arm 37 as previously described. To open the door electrically, the rotary member 50 is also driven in direction D1 from its neutral position, and in combination with the lug 204 drives the actuating plate 202 in direction D4 to disengage the pawls.

When the electric drive is interrupted for any reason, the drive gear is brought back to its neutral position by a slide spring (not shown) coupled to the drive gear. This ensures complete mechanical control means in the event of a power failure.

The latch device of Figure 18 is important in that it illustrates the use of a motor 70 and a rotary indexing and drive mechanism 50 to independently control the door opening/closing mechanism on the one hand and the electrical locking on the other. The door opening/closing mechanism includes a shuttle 215 constrained to linear movement and coupled to a tension and compression spring 218, as previously described with respect to FIG. 14 . The rotary member 50 has a single cam pin 34 which is rotatable in direction D1 or D5 between its two neutral positions NP1 and NP2 held by W-shaped retaining springs 220 and 219 respectively. The actuator 222 is constrained to move linearly in the direction D11 or D22 between the positions C1 and C2 and has a toggle 221 at its end for engagement with the cam pin 34 . The toggle lever 221 may be of the type described later with respect to FIG. 35 . It is rotatably mounted on the end of the actuator 222 and biased by the torsion spring 223 to its neutral position perpendicular to the length of the actuator. This device enables the cam pin to drive against the toggle lever 221 to drive the actuator 222 in the direction D11, and then after the toggle lever 221 is elastically deformed against the torsion of the spring to release, the cam pin can continue its operation. Rotational movement. In this example, the actuating member 222 can be driven by a cam pin to move in any one of the above two directions.

As with the W-shaped spring 210 of Figure 17, the springs 219 and 220 have the function of absorbing rotational shocks when the pins are located against the outer wings of the spring in either direction. The cam pin is then moved so that it is located between the two outer wings, within the central groove. This prevents accidental overruns.

The electric locking and opening of the door using the actuator 222 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 24, 26, 30-38. Briefly, this actuator will interact with a push button mechanism and selectively unlock and lock pawl 20 to prevent or allow actuation of a door handle or the like to be transmitted to pawl 20 .

A variation of the door opening mechanism of Figure 10 which also provides electrical locking and unlocking under the control of the same motor 70 is shown in Figure 18A. In this example, a rack and pinion unit integral with a linear shuttle drives the pawl 20 through the abutment surface 231 . The pawl 20 has an extension rod 232 that is driven by the abutment surface 231 or by a cable or other component connected to a latch locking mechanism (not shown). A tension-compression spring 235 likewise biases the shuttle into the neutral position N.

During power locking, the recess 234 in the above-mentioned shuttle is selectively combined with the end 1814 of the rod 1810 which rotates about its pivot 1812 and is biased by a torsion spring 1813 on this pivot 1812 to The neutral position shown. The opposing wing 1811 fits into a recess of the actuator 300 movable in either direction D7.

Fig. 18B shows yet another device for opening/closing the door, which is similar to that described below with reference to Fig. 33 . Rotary member 50 acts directly on pawl 20 having an extension arm 20A and simultaneously on latch extension arm 37 . The cam pin 30 is biased to its neutral position N by a spring 1802 positioned around a fixed pin 1801 .

The door is closed by driving the cam pin 30 to push the extension arm 37 at A towards position B; the cam pin is then returned to the neutral position N by the spring. By driving the motor in the opposite direction, the cam pin 30 moves the ejector pawl 20A in the direction D2 to release the latch bolt. This cam pin can be returned to its neutral position again by electricity or return spring.

The pawl 20 can also be released manually by an external operating device such as a handle, via a lever 246 and a cable 245 .

In this example, the distal end 20A of the pawl 20 can be raised by flexing to override the latch extension arm 37 .

The special device mentioned above can reduce the driving torque and make it more flexible.

Door opening/closing under electric power

The device in Figures 19-21 enables the door to be opened electrically by first releasing the claw and then actuating the latch under electricity to ensure it is fully open. This arrangement also provides the same powered door closing function as those previously described.

Referring first to Figures 19-21, the vehicle door closing means comprises a striker 10 attached to the door frame and a bolt 11 forming part of a latching means supported on the edge of the vehicle door. While the shape of the latch 11 is specific to the present invention, its general function is conventional and need not be described in detail here. The bolt 11 is rotatably mounted at 15 and can be driven in the direction of arrow 18 by the relative movement 17 of the striker 10 in the U-shaped recess 12 formed in the bolt 11 . The bolt 11 is also formed on its periphery with two further recesses 13 and 14 for engagement with the pawl 20 . The recess 13 is used to lock the bolt in the locked rotational position, which holds the striker 10 while continuing to close the door. When the pawl 20 is released from its locked position in the recess 13, the striker 10 is allowed to drive the bolt 11 under the camming action of the notch 12 to drive the bolt 11 in a clockwise direction 18 until the bolt 11 is no longer When blocked by the striker 10, the door can be made to beat towards the right side among Fig. 1 . But if the pawl 20 is allowed to cooperate with the other recess 14 in the so-called half-latch position, the door at this moment can be half-locked and half-opened.

The locking pawl 20 is rotatably mounted outside the reference numeral 21, and two fulcrums 15 and 21 are fixedly arranged on the latch housing (not shown). The jaws 20 have end teeth 24 for locking into the recesses 13,14. Also formed at this same end is a lock 23 on which a link arm 25 is rotatably mounted, the latter being coupled to the door handle for driving the pawl 20 . Lifting the door handle can make the link arm 25 move in the direction indicated by the arrow 26, and the traction pawl 20 moves counterclockwise as shown by the arrow 22 to move the pawl 20 to its disengaged position (not shown).

According to the invention, the latch 11 is drivingly coupled to a motor 70 of the type commonly used in central locking systems for vehicle doors. The relevant coupling device will be described in more detail below and also includes a device for releasing the pawl 20 .

The motor 70 is coupled to the bolt 11 via gears 40 , 50 , 60 . A gear 40 , shown in isolation in FIG. 20 , engages at 45 with teeth 16 on the bolt 11 . The gear 40 is mounted for rotation about an axis 42 common to the large diameter gear shown separately in FIG. 21 . Gear 50 is drivably coupled with gear 40 in such a way that it has a free rotation travel of 60°, by means of a pair of slots 52, 53 on one of the plates of gear 50, through which a pair of drive pins protrude. 44,43 are then connected with gear 40. This 60° of free travel is important in this embodiment, allowing the pawl 20 to be released and the bolt 11 to be driven in the proper sequence.

The rotation of gear 50 in the direction of arrow 41 is governed by its direct engagement with the shaft of motor 70 . In the embodiment shown in Figure 19, this coupling is the result of the gear 71 on the motor shaft meshing with the tooth 62 on the amount gear 60, while the suspension gear 60 is connected to the tooth 54 on the drive gear 60 The small diameter gear 61. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 21 , the worm gear 72 is directly driven by the shaft of the motor and directly drives the gear 50 .

A part of the gear 50 has a U-shaped notch 51 which cam-like abuts against the wing 33 protruding from the hook 32 at the end of the pawl actuator 30 . Actuator 30 is constrained by structures on the latch housing (not shown) to reciprocate generally in the direction indicated by arrow 34 so as to be mechanically connected to pin 23 of pawl 20 . The upper end of the pawl actuator 30 takes the shape of a dog leg, with an extension formed by a groove surrounding the pin 23 . This form of arrangement provides free travel in the drive connection between the jaw actuator 30 and the jaw 20 .

The power-assisted door locking operation is described below. It should be appreciated that the operation of locking the door may be performed mechanically without a motor, or may be driven by a motor. This naturally becomes an important safety feature.

The powered operation is described below. With the door in its closed position as shown in Figure 19, the bolt 11 is in its latched position and the pawl 20 is in its locked position. The jaw actuator 30 is meshed by a gear 50 . When the central electronic control circuit 90 receives the door opening command, the motor 70 drives the gear 50 to rotate counterclockwise, as shown by the reference numeral 41 in the figure. During the first 60° rotation, the gear 40 remains stationary and no attempt is made to turn the bolt 11 . Otherwise, the latch and pawl will jam. The notch 51 is shown by arrow 34 towards the push dog actuator 30, which immediately pushes the pin 23 and moves it to the disengaged position by turning it counterclockwise according to the arrow 22 shown by the drive dog. Continued rotation of the gear 50 causes the extension 33 of the pawl actuator 30 to act as a cam to locate on the outer periphery of the gear and temporarily prevent the reentry of the pawl 20, and when continued to rotate through another 60°, it will The walls of the slots 52 , 53 are caused to engage the pins 44 , 43 of the smaller gears that drive the bolt 11 , as indicated by arrow 18 . By power operation in this way, the half-latch can be prevented in a prepared manner. In this way, the bolt is turned so that the recess 14 passes the tooth 24 until the outer surface of the bolt 11 engages the tooth 24 of the pawl 20, thereby preventing re-entry of the pawl.

An electronic position sensor, which will be described below, shuts off drive to the motor when the door is partially opened and passes its unlatched position. The door can then be opened fully, conveniently by the passenger or driver.

Driving the bolt 11 clockwise against the striker's eye satisfactorily pushes the door open, which accelerates the opening movement of the door, which continues again and again until it is decelerated by the friction of the door hinge, the amount of deceleration depends on The degree to which the vehicle is tilted.

When the door is closed, it goes to the same position just past the half-latch position, and then energizes the motor again, but with the opposite polarity (see later). This motor then provides power-assisted door closing, ensuring that the door closes and latches properly. Furthermore, a half-latch position is not possible when the door is closed by power assist. As the door begins to close fully, the counterclockwise rotation of the latch 11 is accompanied by the rotation of the smaller gear 40 and the larger gear 50 . After this first phase of rotation, the extension 33 of the jaw actuator 30 translates in reverse downwards. The free travel between the jaw actuator 30 and the jaw 20 allows the jaw 20 to press against the slot 14 and into the slot 13 under a clockwise spring bias without jamming. After the tooth 24 has entered the slot 13, the device returns to the position shown in FIG. 19 .

The latch can be controlled by the door handle via the linkage arm 25 without power assist. The mechanical interaction is then maintained, and the opening and closing of the door causes the shaft of the motor to turn, but this provides only a small amount of mechanical resistance. Lifting the link arm 25 to release the pawl allows the door to open and the bolt 11 to rotate counterclockwise for the striker eye 10 . In addition, the pawl actuator 30 is disengaged from the gear 50 until the door is closed again. It should be known that due to the same mechanical linkage sequence, the power-assisted door closing can follow the non-power-assisted door opening and vice versa. When the operation of the latch is purely mechanical, it can be held in the half-latched position with the teeth 24 of the pawl 20 seated in the recess 14 . This is an additional convenience and safety feature.

Figure 22 shows a modification of the device of Figures 10 and 18A for providing the door opening and closing functions. It can be seen from the figure that the engaging surface 231 on the shuttle 233 is driven by its extension arm 232 to move the pawl 20 to a position 232A. Continued movement in this same direction drives the latch extender 37 to its unbolt position 37A. As with the device in Figure 18A, the groove 234 incorporates a link (1810 in Figure 18A) for power locking and unlocking.

A power door opening mechanism particularly suitable for luggage compartment or tailgate latches is shown in FIG. 23 . The rotary output drive mechanism 50 of the motor 70 is rigidly coupled to a lead screw 240 which causes a linear reciprocating motion of a shuttle body 242 which is threaded in its nut portion 243 and which is useful for Place the inner hole of this leading screw 240. The end abutment surface of the shuttle body 242 engages and drives the pawl 20 for opening the door. As with the other devices, a portion 244 of the pawl 20 is connected to an external manual control device such as a handle by a link 245 through a rod 246 so that when the latch has been previously activated by a key mechanism, an internal door handle knob or an electronic control device (not shown) ) after the bolt is removed, the door can be opened. Nut 243 and shuttle body return to its neutral position after starting each time, as shown in the figure, will use at least one in following two mechanisms at this moment: act on the return spring on the nut; the return spring of the motor while re-energizing the motor to move the nut in direction D6. The nut 243 is constrained to perform linear movement by suitable means such as rails fixed on the casing.

In another form of device, the lead screw 240 engages internal threads 241 in the rotary drive gear 50 while the lead screw is integrally formed with the shuttle body 242 . The skilled reader should be able to grasp the equivalent structure of other institutions.

Figure 24 shows a compact door latch. The casing 250 is in the shape of a flat rectangular box with rounded corners and has a U-shaped hole for accommodating the striker 10 . The housing includes opposing end plates 252 and side walls 251 that define an inner chamber 2530 for housing the motor 70 and the rotary output transmission 50 for controlling the pull cables 256, 258 of the respective rods 255 and 257 from The above-mentioned side walls protrude and are connected to the rod by nipples retained in the end formations. An ideal specific connection form will be described later with reference to FIG. 46 .

Of particular importance with regard to the compactness of this device is the fact that several parts, including the jaws 20, are all mounted on the same pivot 21. This latch mechanism provides power locking and unlocking.

Jaw 20 has a lever arm formed by a fork 259 so that it can be driven in rotation. A rotatable claw release lever 25 is connected to the pawl shaft 21 to be driven by an external manual control such as an interior or exterior door handle. Rotation of the jaw release lever 255 is transmitted to the jaw fork 259 only by the rotational coupling 300, 400 with the depending elongated lug 262 disposed parallel to the pivot. Clockwise actuation of the claw release lever 255 causes its end recess 263 to engage the lug 262, which is then driven toward the claw fork 259. This leads the pawl 20 to its unbolted position allowing the door to open.

The swivel coupling 300, 400 consists of two parts which are rotatably connected to the pivot 21 but which slide perpendicularly to the pivot by means of oval grooves formed in the two couplings. The lock 300 is constrained in the leftmost position shown in FIG. 24 where the door is unlocked, and the door is locked because the pawl release lever 225 is no longer coupled with the pawl 20 even if the release lever is in the neutral position. Linear movement between rightmost positions. A rotary slide 400 having an arcuate slot rides over the pin 301 of the lock 300 and is integrally formed with the depending lug 262 . This arcuate slot is sufficient to allow the slider to rotate with the release lever when the rotary slider 400 and pawl release lever 255 are coupled by means of the lug 262 . As the lock member 300 moves to the right toward it to neutralize the pawl release lever, the lug 262 moves with it so that it no longer engages the recess 263 for this release lever.

The rotary couplings 300 , 400 are selectively driven by an output disc 500 with an eccentric pin driven by the helical gear 50 of the motor 70 . This cam pin drives the lock 300 through a recess or other structure 302 . Such coupling means will be detailed in various forms with reference to Figures 25, 26, 35-38.

Mechanical locking and unlocking can be achieved via lever 257, for example from a key mechanism or an interior door handle knob. This drives the lock 300 and forces the motor to drive when there is no power. The latch device can then provide independent mechanical and electrical locking and unlocking.

Part 254, only a portion of which is shown, is also drivingly coupled to a portion of locking member 300 for locking and unlocking.

The rotary slider 400 with the lug 262 permanently coupled to the fork 259 of the pawl 20, by means of a boss or elongated piece 260 protruding from the housing, enables it to be rotated without moving in the entire process. It moves between locked and unlocked positions. Since the claw fork 259 rides on the boss 260 , the lug 262 cannot pass through the boss 260 in any radial direction along the radial direction of the pivot shaft 21 .

anti-slam lock

Boss 260 has the desired function of providing latch slam resistant locking. Boss 260, due to its radial engagement with lug 262, prevents sliding of locking member 300, preventing accidental locking of the door while the door handle is held open with the pawl in its unbolted position. Thus, if the door latch is loose and the door is slammed shut, the door will not be accidentally locked due to the rotary coupling 300, 400 retained within the housing.

Even without such a locking device with boss 260, the latching device can be configured for anti-slam locking purposes. In the configuration shown in FIG. 24 and in the arrangement of FIGS. 25 and 26 , the locking position of the locking member 300 is on the right side away from the striker 10 . The latch is oriented to close the door towards the left. Like this, if the latch disengages before closing the door, the locking member 300 will reach the left completely, and any impact when the door is slammed will not have any effect on its position. But if the door is locked and then suddenly closed, the locking member will continue its movement to the left to the unlocked position under this collision and may bounce back to its locked position. However, no matter which way, it will not appear from the unlocked position. Accidental movement to locked position. Thus, the orientation of the latch and the path of the coupling member 300 are such that, in application, the locked position is much farther from the striker eye 10 than the unlocked position of the coupling member 300 .

Optional electric lock

Two different latching arrangements for power locking and unlocking are described below with reference to 25 and 26 . Each device has two pawl release levers 700, 800 connected to external manual controls such as interior and exterior door handles, each such release lever being roughly equivalent to the pawl release lever 255 previously described with reference to FIG. . Each jaw release lever is selectively coupled to the jaw 20 via its own rotational coupling 300, 400 and 350, 450, respectively. Each such rotary coupling comprises a lock 300, 450 respectively connected to a rotary slide 400, 450 functionally similar to the corresponding component described above with reference to Fig. 24 . They are all arranged around a common pivot 21, providing maximum compactness and simplicity while enabling the jaw release lever to have sufficient leverage on the jaw 20 when the machine is installed in the housing.

In addition, each latch device has an additional lever 900 connected by a cable 901 to an external control mechanism, such as a child safety switch or an interior door handle knob, depending on whether it is used for a rear door or a front door. This alternative lever 900 has a fulcrum 902 within the housing and is connected to a lever arm by an end pin 903 connected to an appropriate one of the rotary couplings.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 25, the locking members 300 and 350 have respective lugs 304 and 305 which cooperate with cam pins 501 on the rotary indexing and driving member 500. In Figure 25, the two locks are independently driven in opposite directions, while in the device shown in Figure 26, they can be driven together to reciprocate in directions D7 and DB, of course they can also alternately and independently drive. The latch arrangement of Figures 25 and 26 is sufficiently flexible for child safety locking and/or emergency door opening and can be selectively combined with one or both of the outer door handles. They can also be integrated with an electric locking mechanism, controlled by the same or a different motor.

In the situation of FIG. 25 , for example, when used on a front door, the outer door handle can be connected to the pawl release lever 700 by a cable 701 and can be locked by the inner door handle button by a lever 900 at the same time. But for the rear door, this connection to the door handle would be reversed and the lever 900 would be redundant or could be used as a mechanical child safety bar.

The apparatus in Figure 25 operates in the following manner. As shown, the rotational coupling 300 , 400 drives the lugs 410 and 420 between the leftmost position and the rightmost position where the lug 420 exits the pocket 803 and the lug 410 exits the pocket 453 . The lug 420 permanently fits in the jaw of the prong 259 on the pawl 20 .

The rotary coupling 350 , 450 has on its left side a lug 451 that can be driven counterclockwise by a recess 702 on the jaw release lever 700 . It is also rotatably connected to the lever 900 via the pin 903 as mentioned above. The rotary slide 450 is formed with a recess 452 that can be driven counterclockwise for the lug 802 on the claw release lever 800; it also forms a recess 453 that drives the other rotary slide 400 in its left position Lug 410.

Activation of lever 700 drives jaw 20 through lugs 451 and 420 only in the position shown. Should the rotary slide 450 move to the left, the lug 451 is no longer coupled to the recess 702 and the lever 700 will be in the neutral position.

Activation of lever 800 directly drives lug 420 through recess 803, but only when rotary slide 400 is in its illustrated leftmost position. This in turn drives the jaws 20 .

As long as the rotary coupling 350, 450 is in its neutral leftmost position (not shown), the lever 700 is also in the neutral position and can be acted upon by the other release lever 800 with its lugs. Action on the recess 452 of the slider 450 automatically returns to its illustrated coupled position. In this way, for example, if the outer door handle is actuated on the latch and the inner door handle has been placed in the neutral position by the child safety lever, the door can be opened when the inner door handle is operated subsequently; in other words, the operation of the outer handle Ability to override child safety features. Similarly, the present device enables emergency override of the door lock, enabling lever 800 to lift the interior door handle knob coupled to lever 900 when the interior front door handle is operated.

The operation of the device in Fig. 26 is similar to that of Fig. 25, except that the two rotary slides 400, 450 cooperate with the fork on the right side of the device. Corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals. Figure 26A outlines the detailed structure on the right side of the device.

The above-mentioned device does not need a mechanical child safety bar because the electronic central control device can electrically control the selection operation of the inner door handle. Using the outside door handle as a mechanical override can open the inside handle, towards this for police cars as well as for child safety purposes.

The device described above enables double locking, for example by neutralizing the inner door handle knob connected to the lever 900 . This allows selective locking of the dual locking inner and outer handles as well as child safety controls with a single motor. By selectively controlling the interior door handle independently, electric child safety locking is possible even without any independent mechanism.

Existing door latches require many mechanical parts and typically use two motors for double locking.

The function of continuing to lock or unlock after being temporarily blocked by the action of the mechanical door handle.

The jaw release lever 700 of FIGS. 25 and 26 is shown in a neutral position 700A, while the jaw release lever 700 of FIG. 27 is shown in its fully activated position 700B. At start-up, in position d, the lug 420 of the respective rotary coupling can only be partially driven from its disengaged neutral position 420A towards its locked coupling position 420C. This is due to the lug abutting against the edge of the rod 700 at 420B. Once the door handle is released to return to position e, the recess rises to position 702A and lug 420 is free to move from position 420B to its fully coupled position 420C. In order to continue this leftward movement from B to C even after the initial effort has been blocked, the motor can be re-energized under the control of the central locking control 90 . However, another mechanical device can be used to provide a mechanical elastic force to bias the lug from 420B to 420C. Preferably there is an over-center spring arrangement whose unstable center position corresponds to the position of the lug halfway between positions 420A and 420C, which is slightly to the right of the middle position 420B where the lug engages the rod 700. . Thus, the lug is deflected to the right until it reaches its midway position; beyond this midway position, the lug is deflected to the left. Over-center spring arrangements of this type are well known and generally utilize a torsion spring connected at each end to the lug and to the housing.

Another configuration of the rotary slide 400 and jaw 20 of FIGS. 25 and 26 is shown in FIG. 28 . The forks are formed on the rotary slide 400, with different lengths of fork arms 430 and 431, and are no longer provided on the jaws. The jaws are formed with depending pins 20A which fit into the forks. This facilitates independent sealing or isolation of the rotary coupling and the individual rods, which can be sealed together with the drive gear and motor. With the arrangement of Figure 28, the pawl and latch are more easily separated from this sealed assembly, since the pin 20A can pass through a sealable hole in the housing on the pivot 21. This allows for better sound insulation and also increases the life of the latch actuator due to the absence of grit and other abrasives.

Electromechanical Child Safety Devices

An electromechanical child safety device for the aforementioned latch device is shown in FIG. 29 . Independent motor 70 drives a rod 194 rotatably supported at 195 by means of slide 191 rotatably supported at 192 through slot 193 . Slider 191 is constrained to linear motion, driven by a lead screw 198 driven by this motor through a reduction gear. Lever 194 has a pin 196 at its swivel end connected to an actuator lever 197 capable of reciprocating linear movement between positions c and d in directions D3 and D4 to operate the child safety mechanism. As noted above, this allows the mechanism to be selectively coupled to the pawl for selectively disengaging the interior door handle. This electronic control eliminates the need for mechanical child safety bars or switches in the rear door latches.

Combined electric locking and door opening and closing

The device shown in Figures 30-38 enables one motor to control the individual functions of the latching device, such as locking and unlocking of power-operated doors (central locking) and opening and/or closing of the door. Several novel inventions and other devices are disclosed.

The latching device in Fig. 30 has a rotary indexing and driving member 50 with a cam pin 30 having two neutral positions NP1 and NP2, loaded into said positions by a shock absorbing spring 100g. Controlled operation in directions D1 and D2 independently actuates the lever arm 1001 for locking the door and the cam fingers 1004 of a shuttle mechanism 1006 . For power locking, the lever 1001 can be turned in direction D11 or D12 against the return torsion spring 1002, suitably activating the pair of locking members 300 and 350 in unison. As shown, depending on the direction of rotation of the cam pin 30, the cam 1003 of the lever 1001 turns from the neutral position C to one of two extreme positions C1, C2.

Door opening is achieved by a shuttle 1006 having an engagement surface 1005 acting on a lever 1008 of the pawl 20 . To close the door, the abutment surface 1010 at the lower end of the shuttle abuts against the latch extension 37 to move from position B to position B1. As shown, the cam finger 1004 moves between a neutral position NP and extreme positions P1 and P2. Same as the foregoing, the above-mentioned shuttle is controlled by a tension-compression coil spring 1007 .

The device in Figure 31 shows how a single cam finger 1012 on the rotary indexing and drive member 50 can selectively control three functions: the single lever 1001 in Figure 30 is two equiangularly arranged around the rotary member 50 Such rods 1010, 1011 are replaced. Cam finger 1012 has three neutral positions NP1, NP2 and NP3 and is spring loaded by means not shown. This allows the two locks 300 and 350 to be controlled independently as shown.

Another variation is shown in FIG. 32 , wherein a fourth actuator is selectively actuated by a cam finger 1012 , and the four actuators 1020 - 1023 are equiangularly arranged around the rotating member 50 . This allows one motor to control the selective locking of the two handles and the opening and closing of the door by electricity, as shown in Figure 31, and auxiliary functions such as child safety operations. In a modified example of the device shown in FIG. 32 , different cams 1012 (not shown) can also be provided on different planes on which the rotating member 50 is axially separated, for example, on the camshaft, so as to improve the flexibility of multiple starting operations. .

Yet another variant shown in FIG. 33 is particularly suitable for tailgate or luggage compartment latches. A single cam pin 30 drives the jaw 20 through a rotary lever 1030 mounted coaxially with the jaw and provided with a depending flange 1031 to drive the jaw in direction D3 and free to rotate in direction D7 without actuating the jaw. In this way, the cam pin 30 can be rotated clockwise in the direction D6 to rotate the lever 1030 without being hindered by the pawl. The cam pin 30 also activates the lever arm 1034 to operate the lock 300 which is also coupled to the key mechanism via the linkage 1033 . The locking mechanism selectively couples the handle or knob to the pawl 20 via a linkage 245 .

Like the other devices, the swivel 50 can be brought into its neutral position by spring loading the curved swivel arm surface radially biased, for example by leaf springs 1037 .

Figure 34 shows that the cam pin 30 can be arranged to drive the two sliding pins 300 and 350, respectively, via appropriate pins or projections 304 and 354. The protrusion 354 is movable between positions A, A1 , A2 and A3 by the cam pin 30 and the protrusion 304 is correspondingly movable between positions B, B1 , B2 and B3. The stable positions of the protrusions 304, 345 are the positions shown for A1, A2 and B1, B2 on the dashed lines, between which the two protrusions are moved by the cam pin 30 and return to these positions after the cam pin 30 has passed. In order to allow the passage of the cam pins 30, they are elastically movable outwards to corresponding extreme positions A, A3, B and B3. As an example, as shown in Figure 35, in order to obtain the above-mentioned elastic effect, the protrusions on the locking members 300, 350 can be in the form of a toggle, and the toggle 1050 is rotatably set at the fulcrum 1052, and is set on this fulcrum. And the torsion spring held by a fixture 1504 is biased to its central position. This toggle or finger 1050 is rotatably displaced to position P1 where it will be brought back to its neutral position P by spring arm 1051 . Similarly, it can be displaced to position P2 and brought back to its neutral position by spring arm 1055 .

Naturally, other alternative elastic structures are also possible. As shown in FIG. 36, the cam pin 30 is fixedly located on a V-shaped leaf spring 1070 held in the box structure of the actuator 1080. This actuator, for example is part of one of the locking pieces. Additionally, as shown in Figure 37, a pin or button is mounted to slide in the housing of either actuator of the rotary member 50 so that it can be depressed to allow the cooperating cam 1083 to pass after the initial step of rotation.

In the structure of Fig. 38, a rotating cam 1083 is engaged with flexible elongated arms 1081 and 1082, and the latter two can be elastically deformed in the radial direction of the rotating member 50, thereby allowing the cam 1083 to pass through after the rotating actuation phase. .

key operating mechanism

The operation of a key mechanism suitable for use with a latch arrangement such as that of FIGS. 25 and 26 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 29-44. The key mechanism, which is typically cylindrical, has a rotational output which needs to be translated into linear displacement of eg the locks 300,350. This is accomplished by a specially formed cam disc 5000 arranged to be driven by the key mechanism. In the arrangement of Figures 39 and 41, the camming surfaces cause relative linear movement of the locking members; in the arrangement of Figures 40 and 42, the camming surfaces cause linear movement in the same direction. In each case, said means allow independent mechanical actuation of the same lock.

As shown in Figures 39 and 41, the cam disc 5000 has wedge-shaped cam surfaces in each of the four quadrants 41-44, ramping smoothly from a low position to a high position in the plane of the disc, radially and The planes of the discs are separated by the linear distance necessary to displace the locks sufficiently. In this example, the radially symmetrical quadrants of the cam face are on the opposite face of the disc. In the corresponding examples of Figures 40 and 42, the opposite quadrants of the cam surfaces are then on the same face of the disc. Regions D3 and D4 in FIGS. 39 and 40 represent the direction perpendicular to the plane of the disc 5000 in which the locking member moves.

In operation, the key is rotated 1/4 of a turn clockwise or counterclockwise toward the drive plate, and this movement is translated into corresponding linear movement of the locking members 300, 350 by the ramps of the quadrants.

The aforementioned lock is also shown in Figure 43, which corresponds to the system of Figures 39 and 41, wherein the locks are activated to move in opposite directions. An adapter 2007 engraved with a cylindrical keyway 2006 is coupled to drive the changer disc 5000 which can be driven by a key 2001 with a splined end 2005 . In this arrangement, by virtue of the curved splined end 2005, angular tolerances beyond a taper 2003 are allowed. Rotation of this key in direction 2004 drives adapter 2007 which in turn drives disk 5000 in the appropriate rotational direction.

In order to be highly anti-theft, a sleeve 2002 is provided on the shaft of the key 2001, preferably with an anti-stick material such as Teflon, silicon or adhesive grease. This prevents the teeth from biting into the shaft.

In other alternative arrangements, a conventional key mechanism is coupled to the latch with a cable, rod or rod.

Certain cylindrical keys as shown in FIG. 44 have radial arms connected to the key shaft 2001 . Utilizing a rotating rod 2011, the device of Figures 44a and 44b can drive these locking piece. The edge of the diamond hole engages the rotation of the lever 2011 to act as a cam surface to drive the lock linearly in the appropriate direction (in the same direction in Figure 44a, in the opposite direction in Figure 44b). In the device shown in Figure 44c, the key lock 3003 has a radial cam 3004 arranged to rotate in direction 3007 in cooperation with a recess 3005 in a rod 3001 connected via a pivot 3006. The rod 3001 has a protrusion that fits into a recess formed in the actuating rod 3002 movable linearly in the direction 3008; this could of course be one of the locking members 300,350. In the case of two locks, two rods 3001 are provided on the same rotating shaft 3006 .

double lock

As another form of the above-mentioned electric double locking device, there is a mechanical device shown in FIG. 45 . The key mechanism lever 451 is arranged to move parallel to the interior door handle knob mechanism 452, and the ends of the two mechanisms are coupled as shown by a pivot bar pivotally connected to the two mechanisms. The torsion spring 455 mounted on the pivot of the lever 453 of the key mechanism 451 has two wings arranged around a fixed guide 456 and also extending around the cam pin 457 on the lever 453 . Rotation of the lever 453 from the neutral position shown in FIG. 45 in either direction of rotation will pull the torsion spring, and then the appropriate wings on the torsion spring will act on the pin 457 to return it to the neutral position. Protrusion 460 on key mechanism 451 prevents rotation of lever 453 beyond the position shown at AA.

There are two parallel rails 458, 459 fixed to the latch housing, which are of equal length as shown but are movable in a straight line.

In the unlocked position shown in Figure 45, the door is locked by causing the trigger pin 457 to move along line BB by moving the key mechanism in direction D1. Then can only reverse above-mentioned process by this key mechanism and carry out when unblanking. If one intends to unlock, the inner door handle button 452 can be lifted in the direction D3, and the rod 453 is rotated in the direction D4 to move the above-mentioned pin to position 457A, where the pin is supported and maintained by the right-hand guide rail 458. This constitutes a double lock, dead lock, or super lock.

But if the door has been locked for the interior door handle button 452, the lever 453 at this time will rotate in the direction D2 causing the pin 457 to follow the path AA to the left side of the guide rail 459 and slide relative to it. Guide rail 459 extends downward sufficiently not to obstruct return of pin 457 along path AA.

The pawl release lever 460 or indeed any actuator can be configured as shown in FIG. 46 . During manufacture, the sheet metal blank is formed at one end with a transverse flange 469, with circular holes 461 and 462 aligned transversely to the ends of the rod. A slot 463 in the flange 469 makes the hole 462 open to the outside. During manufacture, flange 469 is folded at 467 and 468 to face main portion 460 as shown, where holes 461 and 462 are aligned. A columnar nipple 466 at the end of a cable (such as a Bowden cable) is attached to the entire rod 460 in such a way that the nipple is inserted into the hole from the flange side, allowing the cable 465 to pass through the slot 463 , and then turn the cable clockwise to lock it in a freely rotatable position. During manufacture, the nipple of the cable can be captured when the flange is folded over. This eliminates the need for riveting or molding the release lever. It is also possible to make the rod more compact than moulding.

Latch Actuator Housing

As previously mentioned, the latch actuator can be formed in a compact box-shaped enclosure. As shown in FIG. 47 , the enclosure may be formed from two opposing end panels 3017 and 3018 and a side wall 3027 . Such a device may be fixed to the door frame 3023 by screwing in suitable screws 3024, 3025 and 3026 respectively into the shaft 3019, the pivot 21 for the pawl 20 and other mechanisms 3020 and 3021 and 3022, the pivot for the bolt 11 on axis 15. Pivots 21 and 15 protrude axially upward through panel 3017 and include radial enlargements 3015 and 3028, respectively.

Coupled to the aforementioned radial enlargements 3015 and 3028 are keyholes 3012 and 3013 in the elongated closure plate 3010 . During manufacture, when the latch assembly C is assembled as shown, the panel 3017 is inserted onto the three shafts, positioning the closure plate 3010 to pass through the enlarged portions 3015, 3028 with respective key holes 3012, 3013. At this point, the corresponding hole 3011 in the closure plate 3010 is slightly misaligned with the axis of the shaft 3019 as shown. Closure plate 3010 is then slid in direction A over panel 3017 to pin it in place. The interior of each keyhole slides on and holds the respective shafts of the pivots 21 and 15 . This closure plate then pushes against the enlargements 3015 and 3012 . At this time, the hole 3011 in the closing plate reaches the axis of the shaft 3019, and simultaneously a closing cover 3014 is inserted through the hole 3011 and a corresponding hole on the panel 3017 to fix the closing plate so as not to slide.

The above arrangement allows non-destructive disassembly of the latch unit by simply removing the cover 3014, sliding the closure plate 3010, then removing the closure plate and disassembling the rest of the latch unit so that damaged parts can be replaced at any time .

Each end of the latch housing may be provided with such closure plates.

Key mechanism for operating multiple locking mechanisms

As shown in Figure 48, a single rotary key mechanism 481 with an output radial rod 482, rotatable in direction D1 or D2, can be arranged to actuate two different lock mechanisms 485 respectively via respective respective cables 483 and 484 and 486. Bowden cables are preferably used, although other connectors are of course also possible. The key mechanism on the door, for example, can be connected to the latches on this door and on the other doors respectively by corresponding cables. But this key mechanism can be located at any place that can reach on the vehicle body from the outside. This reduces the number of key mechanisms required and at the same time enables the door to be made more streamlined. Naturally, the above also applies to other closures than just doors, while three or more locks may be connected by respective cables to the same keying mechanism. Additionally, this is a highly adaptable system that enables the key mechanism to be set away from the latch.

clutch mechanism

As shown in Figure 49, the electrical drive for the door opening or closing mechanism can be disengaged by operating a mechanical actuator such as a door handle. This will ensure that even if a power failure occurs, the mechanism will not be jammed. Motor output shaft 60A drives rotary output drive 60 according to a shaft 492 passing through housing 491 . The rotary drive 60 is connected to a spline gear 496 which meshes with an internal spline coupling gear 498 . This coupling gear 498 is formed with a tapered cam surface 497 and is axially spring-loaded to engage the output gear 1490 of the drive rotary cam arrangement 1493, wherein a first cam 1495 for driving the pawl by the linkage arm 1491 and a drive latch are used. Second cam 1494 for bolt 11. The aforementioned coupling gear 498 is selectively coupled to the final output gear 1490 by manual engagement with opposing teeth at 499 . The coupling gear 498 is axially disengaged from the output gear when driven by the link arm 495, the end of which is also shown in FIG. The end flange 494 of the link arm is formed with a wedge-shaped cam 4941 which cooperates with a tapered cam surface 497 to axially drive the coupling gear 498 to compress the aforementioned spring. The link arm 495 is biased by the spring 493 to its neutral position as shown in FIG. 49 .

Like this, this linkage arm just can disengage clutch selectively and prevent the mutual interference of electric drive and mechanical drive.

Claims (15)

1. A latch device for an automotive door or closure, the device comprising: a motor coupled to a rotary drive and index member having at least one protrusion; a corresponding protrusion arranged to drive and index the member thereby at least one actuator for driving; and a motor control device for selectively positioning the driving and indexing member and thereby driving the aforementioned at least one actuator to perform the desired operation in the latch device To lock or unlock the latch of the door or closure or to complete the closure of the door or closure. 2. A latch device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projections or actuators are resiliently displaceable at mutual contact, allowing limited displacement after desired actuation has been accomplished. 3. The latch device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusion is elastically displaceable. 4. The latch device of claim 1, wherein the actuator member is biased by a spring to the point where it contacts the protrusion of the drive and index member. 5. The latch device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving and indexing member is spring-biased to its neutral stable rotational position so that it can be preferentially driven from an intermediate unstable position to such Location. 6. The latch device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device is suitable for use in an automobile door or closure to releasably retain the striker, the device comprising: a latch bolt formed to retain the striker in the latched position of the latch and released in the unbolted position of the latch; and a locking member mounted for use in its locked position retaining the latch in its latched position and in its locked position allowing the latch to move to movement between its unbolted position and its unlocked position; and means for locking said locking member. 7. The latch device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said driving and indexing member is coupled for selectively and independently driving said locking member to power open the door, and so driving said locking device For power locking and unlocking. 8. A latching device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said driving and indexing member is arranged to drive the locking device and the bolt to effectuate the closing of said door or closure. 9. A latch arrangement as claimed in claim 6 or 8, wherein the drive and indexing member is arranged to selectively release the locking member to allow opening of the door. 10. The latch device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the device comprises: at least two lock member release levers drivably connected to respective external control devices and simultaneously coupled with said lock member for unlocking thereof and two corresponding coupling members, each selectively movable between a coupled position where the lock member release lever is coupled to the lock member and a neutral position where it does not perform such coupling, and wherein Said drive and indexing member provides selective electrical control of said position of said coupling member for selectively coupling one or both of the external controls for opening said door or closure. 11. The latching device of claim 10, wherein only said one motor is used to effectuate selective central locking and power assisted closing. 12. The latch device of claim 10, wherein only said one motor is used to effectuate selective central locking and power assisted closing and opening of the door. 13. The latch device of claim 1, wherein said driving and indexing member selectively drives the locking and unlocking device and the bolt at different stages of its rotational movement. 14. The latch device of claim 6, wherein the locking member is a pawl. 15. The latch device of claim 10, wherein the external controls are interior and exterior door handles, respectively.

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