US2864639A - Remote handle blockout for automobile door latch - Google Patents

Description

S.-D. COCKBURN EI'AL Dec. 16, 1958 REMOTE HANDLE BLOCKOUT FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 16, 1958 s, c c u ET AL 2,864,639

REMOTE HANDLE BLOCKOUT FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 REMOTE HANDLE BLOCK-OUT FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH Stanley D. Cockburn, Detroit, and Charles J. Griswold,

Jr., Oak Park, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application October 22, 1956, Serial No. 617,617

Claims. (Cl. 292-280) This invention relates to operating apparatus for a vehicle door, and more particularly to automobile door unlatching means.

One feature of the invention is that it provides improved operating apparatus for a vehicle door; another feature of the invention is that it provides a safety device which permits the door to be closed and latched properly when the inside remote handle is used as a door pull-to; a further feature of the invention is that it provides a blocking member for blocking movement of the latch release member when the door is open so that the inside remote handle may be used as a door pull-to without operating the latch release member; and still another feature of the invention is that it provides actuating means engageable with the latch striker and with the blocking member for moving the blocking member to its out-ofthe-way position when the door is closed.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile in which the improved'operating apparatus is incorporated in the rear door;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the rear door latch and a portion of the striker portion of the door and body upon which the latch and striker are mounted;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Fig. 2 with parts broken away to show underlying structure; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the parts in a different position.

In a commonly used type of automobile door latch, the latch bolt is in the form of a rotatable gear which, when the door is closed, meshes with teeth on a striker carried on the automobile body. A detent holds the bolt against release movement to maintain the door in latched position and a release lever on the latch frame is movable to disengage the detent from the bolt and free the bolt for rotation so that the door can be opened. The detent may be operated by an outside handle or push button and by an inside remote handle. Often the inside handle is used as a pull-to in closing the door. If, during this operation, the handle is inadvertently turned, the detent will be moved out of engagement with the bolt and when the door reaches closed position there is no holding means to maintain the door latched so that the door will bounce out either to its safety latched position or a fully open position.

This invention provides a novel means for blocking the release member when the door is open so that the inside remote handle may be used as a pull-to without danger that the handle will be turned during door closing to permit the door to rebound.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an automobile designated generally as has a front door 12 which is hingedly mounted in conventional manner at its front edge and which has a latch (not shown) adjacent its rear edge engageable with a striker mounted on the States atent ice center pillar 14 of the automobile. A rear door 16 is hingedly mounted at its front edge on the pillar 14 and carries near its rear edge a latch designated generally as 18 engageable with a striker which is mounted on the automobile body and which is designated generally as 20. The latch may be operated by an outside push button 22 carried in a stationary handle 24 on the door. An inside remote turn handle 26 is connected to the latch for operation from the inside of the automobile and a conventional type garnish molding locking button 28 is provided for locking the door from the inside. The detailed construction of the latch is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Since the latch alone forms no part of the present invention and. since the latch is completely described in the copending.

application of James D. Leslie entitled, Rotary Bolt Door Latch, filed February 13, 1955 as Serial No.

534,034, it will not again be completely described here and the disclosure will be limited to the portions of the" latch which are necessary to understand the invention claimed.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the striker is shown mounted on a body pillar 30. The striker comprises a C-shaped body 32 having a pair of latching teeth 34a and 34b, the outer one 34a being a safety latching tooth and the inner one 34b being a primary latching tooth.

The latch has a frame comprising a body portion 36 which lies in the plane of the jamb face 37 of the door and which is adapted to be secured to the jamb face of the door by screws mounted in embossments 38. A flange portion 49 of the frame projects at right angles from the body portion 36 in a plane parallel to and adjacent the inner panel 41 of the door. A rotatably mounted bolt 42 is carried on the frame body 36 by means of a stud 44 rotatably journaled in the frame body 36 and rotatably supported at its outer end in a bolt housing 46 which projects from the frame body 36 out through the jamb face 37 of the door.

On the opposite or inner side of the frame body 36 a Y cam member 48 is mounted on the stud 44. Both the bolt 42 and the cam 48 are non-rotatabiy mountedonfthe stud, and as pointed out above, the stud itself is rotatably mounted on the latch frame so that the bolt 42 and the cam 48 turn as a unit. A detent 50 is pivotally mounted on the frame body 36 at 52 and the detent has a holding tooth 54 for engagement with-a tooth of the cam 48.

out of engagement with the bolt to free the bolt for rota- The link 56 has an elontion and unlatch the door. gated slot 58 through which a pin 60 projects for guiding movement of the lower end of the link. The pin is carried by a bell crank 62 which may be pivoted to swing the lower end of the link in a counterclockwise direction so that the lower edge of the link bypasses the detent 5'0 upon sliding movement of the link. When the link is swung to the position just described, it is uncoupled from the detent and the door is locked.

The link 56 may be operated to pivot the detent away from the bolt by the outside push button 22. The upper end of the link has a slot into which projects a turned tab 64 of an operating lever 66 which is pivoted on a stud 68 on the frame and the outer end of which is connected to a rod 70 which extends up to a push button.

cm, permitting free rotation of the bolt so that the door can be opened.

For operation from inside the automobile, the handle 26, which is mounted in conventional manner for turning movement on the inner door panel 41,,i connected by a rod 72 to a release lever 74 whichis pivotally mounted on a stud 76 on the latch frame. The lever 74 has an arm 74a which underlies an car 78 on a lever 80 which is pivotally mounted at 82 on the frame. The lever 80 has at its free end a notch 84 into which the free end of the detent 50 is connected. When the inside handle 26 is turned, the rod 72 is pulled to the right as the parts ap pear in the drawings, pivoting the release member 74 in a clockwise direction to raise it arm 74a. This arm picks up the tab, 78 on the lever 80 and swings the lever 80in a counterclockwise direction to depress the free end of the detent and move the detent tooth 54 out of engagement with the bolt cam.

.The latch illustrated also includes a locking structure which is not essential to the invention claimed herein. This locking structure as well as other details of the structure and operation of the latch are fully described in application S. N. 534,034.

When the handle 26 is used to pull the door closed, it often happens that the handle is inadvertently turned. This inadvertent turning of the handle swings the detent out of engagement with thebolt cam, permitting free rotation of the bolt. The door closes against a deformable weather strip and the rebound force may cause the door to bounce back at least to its safety latched position and often beyond the safety latched position to an open position. In order to prevent inadvertent turning movement of the inside handle 26 while still permitting this handle to be used as a pull-to to close the door, apparatus is provided for blocking the release member 74 when the door is open.

Asubsidiary frame 90 is mounted on the jamb face of the door and a blocking lever member 92 is pivotally mounted at 94 on a right angular flange portion 96 of this subsidiary frame. As shown in the drawings, the blocking member 92 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends. One arm of the lever terminates in a turned abutment portion 98 and the other arm terminates in a notched offset portion 100. A relatively weak spring 102 is arranged tobias the blocking member 92 toward the out-of-the-way position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein the. turned abutment 98 is out of the path of swing ng movement of the release member 74.

Actuating means on the door are engageable with the striker 20 and with the blocking member 92 for moving the blocking member to its blocking position (Fig. 4) when the door is open. This means comprises an actuating member 104 which is nonrctatably mounted outside the jamb face of the door on a stud 106 journaled in the subframe 90 and projecting out through the jamb face 37 of the door. At its inner end the stud 106 has nonrotatably mounted thereon a lever 108 which overlies the notched oflfset portion 100 of the blocking member 92. A relatively strong spring 110 is connected between the lever 108 and the subframe 90 to bias the lever 108 in a clockwise direction, and swing the blocking member 92 to its operative position illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the abutment 98 lies in the path of movement of and in blocking relation to the release member 74. Spring 110 is stronger than spring 102.

When the door is moved from its closed position as shown in Fig. 3 to a partially open position, as shown in Fig. 4, the actuating member 104 and the lever 108 are swung by spring 110 in a clockwise direction and hold the blocking member 92 in its operative position in which pivotal movement of the release member 74 is prevented. Thus when the door is open the remote handle 26 may be used as a pull-to with no possibility that it can be turned tornov'e the detent away from the bolt. As the door nioves toward its closed position, the actuating member 104 engages the striker body 32. Continued closing movement of the door causes pivotal movement of the actuating member 104 and lever 108, which swing as a unit in a counterclockwise direction. This raises the free end of the lever 108 and permits the relatively weak spring 102 to swing the blocking member 92 in a clockwise direction to its out-of-the-way position. Consequently, when the door is closed, the release member 74 is not blocked and the inside handle may be turned to open the door. As soon as the door swings open so that the blocking member 104 no longer is in engagement with the striker, the spring 110, which is stronger than the spring 102, swings the members 104 and 108 to the position of Fig. 4, the free end of the member 108 picking up the offset portion of the blocking member 92 and swinging the blocking member 92 against the force of the spring 102 to the blocking position shown so that the inside handle 26 may be used as a pull-to.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Latching apparatus for a vehicle door, comprising: a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a latch on the door having a movable bolt engageable with the striker and detent means for holding the bolt against release movement to maintain the door in latched position; movable release means for operating the detent means; a blocking member movable between an out-o-f-the-way position and an operative pos'tion in which it blocks movement of said release means; yieldable means urging said blocking member toward its out-of-the-way position; operating means on the door for moving said blocking member to its operative position against the force of said yieldable means; and an actuating member on the door connected with said operating means and engageable with and movable by a vehicle body portion when the door is closed to render said operating means ineffective.

2. Latching apparatus for a vehicle door, comprising: a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a latch on the door having a movable bolt engageable with the striker and detent means for holding the bolt against release movement to maintain the door in latched position; movable release means for operating the detent means; a handle connected to the movable release means for unlatching the door; a blocking member movable between an out-of-the-way position and an operative position in which it blocks movement of said release means and renders said handle ineffective to unlatch the door; yieldable means urging said blocking member toward its outof-the-way position; operating means on the door for moving said blocking member to its operative position against the force of said yicldable means; and an actuat ing member on the door connected with said operating means and engageable with an movable by a vehicle body portion when the door is closed to render said operating means ineffective.

3. Latching apparatus for a vehicle door, comprising: a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a latch on the door having a movable bolt engageable with the striker and detent means for holding the bolt against release movement to maintain the door in latched position; movable release means for operating the detent means; a handle connected to the movable release means for unlatching the door; a blocking member pivotally mounted on the door for movement between an out-of-the-way position and an operative position in which it blocks movement of said release means to render said handle ineffective to unlatch the door; a spring yieldably urging said blocking member toward its out-of-the-way position; operating means on the door for moving said blocking member to its operative position against the force of said spring; and an actuating member on the door connected 5 with said operating means and engageable with and movable -by a vehicle body portion when the door is closed to render said operating means inefiective.

4. Latching apparatus for a vehicle door, comprising: a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a latch on the door having a movable bolt engageable with the striker and a detent for holding the bolt against release move ment to maintain the door in latched position; movable t release means for operating the detent; a blocking member pivotally mounted on the door for movement between an out-of-the-way position and an operative position in which it blocks movement of said release means; a first spring urging said blocking member toward its out-ofthe-way position; operating means on the door including a second spring which is stronger than said first spring for moving said blocking member to its operative position against the force of said first spring; and an actuating member on the door connected with said operating means and engageable with an movable by a vehicle body portion when the door is closed to render said operating means ineffective.

5. Latching apparatus for a vehicle door, comprising: a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a latch on the door having a movable bolt engageable with the striker and a detent for holding the bolt against release movement to maintain the door in latched position; a release lever adapted to operate the detent; a handle connected to the release lever for moving said lever to unlatch the door; a blocking member pivotally mounted on the door for movement between an out-of-the-way position and an operative position in which it blocks movement of said release lever; a first spring connected to said blocking member and urging said blocking member toward its outof-the-way position; operating means on the door for moving said blocking member to its operative position against the force of said first spring comprising a second spring which is stronger than said first spring and an operating lever connected to said second spring and adapted to engage said blocking member; and an actuating membar on the door connected to said operating lever and enable with and movable by a vehicle body portion when the door is closed to render said operating means inefiective.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,751,242 Priestman June 19, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,864,639 December 16, 1958 Stanley D, Cockburn et ala in the printed specification It is hereby certified that error appears on and that the said Letters of the above numbered patent requiring correcti Patent should read as corrected below.

line 19 for "with an",'each occurrence,

Column 4, line 5'7, and column 5,

for "enable" 'r'ead engageable read with and column 6, line 17,

Signed and sealed this 28th day of July 1959,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE Attesting Oflicer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents

Images