CN1650082A - Latch with shipping condition - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle latch has a housing (18) with a detent (32) and a stop (34). A lever (12) is pivotally connected to the housing (18) and movable from an install position engaging the housing (18) to an active position pivoted away from the housing (18). A spring (16) extends from the lever (12) to the housing applying a biasing force to the lever (12) urging the lever to the install position. The spring (16) has a tail portion (20), a coil section (22) and an opposite end (24). The opposite end (24) engages the lever (12). The tail end (20) is moveable to engage either the stop (34) or detent (32). In the install position, the tail end (20) engages the detent (32) and also engages the lever (12). In this position, the spring (16) increases the biasing force holding the lever (12) in the install position. The tail end (20) is removable from the detent (32) to engage the stop when the lever (12) is first pivoted away from the install position. This disengages the tail end (20) from the lever (12) and also reduces the biasing force on the lever (12).

Description

Latch with transport status

technical field

The invention relates to a vehicle latch capable of securing a lever, in particular a release lever, during transport and installation.

Background technique

Vehicle latches typically include a housing, a ratchet, a pawl, an inner release lever, an outer release lever, an inner locking lever, and an outer locking lever. Various levers are operably connected to the dogs to perform various functions of the latch. Examples of typical latches are disclosed in US Patents 4,929,007 and 6,254,148.

Each of the various levers is operably connected to a corresponding handle or lever, usually by a Bowden cable or rigid rod. After the lever is installed, the Bowden cable can be adjusted. However, the rigid rod cannot be adjusted when the clip used to connect the release lever to the rigid rod is closed. If the release lever is not installed in the correct position, the release lever will be in a non-optimal position due to the release lever being attached to the clip. If the release lever fails to return to the set rest or ready position, the lever may block or prevent the locking lever from moving freely, thereby preventing the latch from fully locking or unlocking.

In existing latch products for VW and Audi, the latch has a spring that biases the release lever to a set rest or ready position, thereby ensuring proper installation of the latch. Once the latch is installed and connected to the rigid rod operatively connecting the release lever to the outside handle, the spring will disengage the release lever and the latch is in normal operation. After servicing, the spring can be re-engaged for reinstallation. However, during normal operation, the spring does not work.

Contents of the invention

The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by installing a latch with a housing with a pawl positioned to maintain the spring and lever connection and thereby and selectively position the lever in the "installed" position during installation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a vehicle latch including a housing with a pawl and a stop. A lever with an abutment mount is pivotally connected to the frame. Mounted within the frame is a spring comprising a coiled portion, a tail portion and an opposed portion. The opposing portion can bias the lever to a predetermined position. The tail can be moved from the installed position to the operating position. When the tail is in the installed position, the tail engages the dog and the abutment abutment of the lever, thereby positioning the lever in a predetermined position. In the operating position, the tail is biased to engage the stop when the lever is first pivoted away from said predetermined position.

In a preferred embodiment, the lever engages the frame at a predetermined position of the lever in the mounted position. The predetermined position of the lever in the operating position is the same as the position of the lever in the installed position.

In a preferred embodiment, when the tail is in the installed position, the opposite end of the spring is connected to the lever and exerts a greater force to bias the lever to the predetermined position than when the spring tail is in the operational position. The tail of the spring can be moved away from the pawl by a force acting on the lever that is greater than the biasing force of the spring acting on the lever.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a vehicle latch including a housing with a pawl and a stop. A lever is pivotally connected to the frame and movable from a ready position engaging the frame to an operating position pivoted away from the frame. A spring extends from the lever to the frame and exerts a biasing force on the lever, forcing the lever to move to a ready position. The spring includes a coiled portion, a tail portion and an opposed portion. The opposing portion is connected to the lever and provides a biasing force that moves the lever to the ready position. The tail end is movably engaged with a stop or pawl. When the tail end engages the pawl, the tail end also engages the lever and the biasing force maintaining the lever in the ready position increases. When the lever is first pivoted away from the ready position, the tail end is movable from the pawl into engagement with the stop, thereby disengaging the lever from the tail end and thereby reducing the biasing force on the lever.

Description of drawings

Accompanying drawing shows the specific embodiment of the present invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the latch of the present invention with the lever in the "ready" position and the tail end of the spring in the "installed" position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the latch shown in Figure 1 with the lever first pulled or "operated"; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the latch shown in Figure 1 with the lever in the ready position and the spring tail in the "run" position.

Detailed ways

Figure 1 illustrates a latch 10 of the present invention. The latch 10 is of conventional construction and design. Typically, a latch consists of four levers, an inner and outer locking lever and an inner and outer release lever. Although the present invention is applicable to any of these levers, the present invention is more applicable to operating an external release lever connected to an external door handle.

The latch 10 includes a lever 12 pivotally connected to the latch 10 at a pin 14 . A spring 16 extends between a housing 18 of the latch 10 and the lever 12 . The spring 16 includes an elongated tail 20 extending from a coiled portion 22 wrapped around the pin 14 and terminating at an opposite end 24 . The opposite end 24 engages with a connection head 26 of the lever 12 . The tail 20 of the spring 16 engages the connecting end 28 of the lever 12 at an abutment seat or connecting head 30 .

The frame 18 includes a dog 32 and a stop 34, the dog 32 being preferably formed by two wedge-shaped parts 32a, 32b molded into the front of the frame. The dog 32 is positioned such that the tail 20 protrudes from the coiled portion 22 to engage the connector 30 while the connector 30 engages a stop 36 formed in the frame. The pawl 32 is sized to securely hold the tail 20 in this position, ie the installation or transport position. In this position, the lever 12 cannot be removed from the stop 36 unless a force sufficient to move the tail 20 out of the pawl 32 is applied. The spring 16 also produces a biasing force to force the lever 12 against the stop 36 . In this position, the connecting rod or Bowden cable can be connected to the connecting end 28 of the lever.

Once the rod or Bowden cable is connected to the connection end 28, the handle is operable to pull the lever 12 in the direction of arrow A (Fig. 2) from the ready position to the working position. As the connector 30 bears against the tail 20, the pulling force will force the tail 20 over the pawl 32, whereupon the spring bias forces the tail 20 into the operative position engaging the stop 34 as shown in FIG. By operating the opposite end 24 , said spring will force the lever 12 back against the stop 34 , as shown in FIG. 3 . However, with the tail 20 now abutting against the stop 34 , the force required to activate the lever 12 is equivalent to the biasing force produced by the opposite end 24 of the spring 22 , consistent with normal operation of the latch 10 . On the other hand, in said installed position, as shown in FIG. 1 , the spring 16 is more compressed and thus exerts a greater force on the lever 12 in order to keep it in the installed or transported position.

The tail 20 can be returned to the transport position by manually causing the tail 20 to rotate against the coiled portion 22 and over the wedges of the pawl 32 . Should the latch or release handle require maintenance, the tail 20 can be restored.

While various preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made without departing from the essence of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A vehicle latch comprising: a) a frame with a pawl and a stop; b) a lever pivotally connected to the frame, the lever having an abutment; and c) a spring comprising a coiled portion, a tail and an opposing portion for biasing the lever to a predetermined position, the tail being movable from a mounted position to an operating position, wherein in the installed position, the tail portion engages with the pawl and the butt joint of the lever, thereby positioning the lever in the predetermined position, and in the operating position, when the The tail is biased into engagement with the stop when the lever is first pivoted away from the predetermined position. 2. The latch of claim 1, wherein the predetermined position of the lever in the installed position is a position where the lever engages the housing. 3. The latch of claim 2, wherein the predetermined position of the lever in the operational position is the same as the position of the lever in the installed position. 4. The latch of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, when the tail is in the installed position, the opposite end engages the lever and produces a greater force than when the tail is in the operational position. high force to bias the lever to a predetermined position. 5. The latch of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the tail of the spring can be moved away from the pawl by exerting a force on the lever, the force being greater than the The biasing force of the spring acting on the lever is large. 6. The latch of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the lever is operatively connected to an exterior door handle. 7. A latch according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the tail of the spring is movable from an operating position to an installed position. 8. A latch according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the coiled portion of the spring is mounted on a pivot pin about which the lever rotates. 9. A vehicle latch comprising: a) a frame with a pawl and a stop; b) a lever pivotally connected to said frame and movable from a ready position engaged with said frame and a working position pivoted away from said frame; c) a spring extending from said lever to said frame, said spring exerting a biasing force on said lever to push said lever to said ready position, said spring having a tail, a coiled portion and an opposite end, said opposite end engages said lever, said tail end is movable to either said stop or said dog, when said tail end engages said brake When the pawl is engaged, the tail end engages the lever and the spring increases the biasing force holding the lever in the ready position when the lever is first pivoted away from the ready position to disengage Upon engagement with the tail end and thereby reducing the biasing force on the lever, the tail end may move from the pawl into engagement with the stop.

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