US3290078A

US3290078A - Door lock

Info

Publication number: US3290078A
Application number: US390046A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Roethel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-08-17
Filing date: 1964-08-17
Publication date: 1966-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-06
Also published as: GB1108676A

Description

J. H. ROETHEL Dec. 6, 1966 noon LOCK Filed Aug. 17, 1964 d N R W; m E: 0 V0 7, N r IF H H United States Patent 3,290,078 DOOR LOCK John H. Roethel, South Miami, Fla. 5455 sw. 87th St., Miami, Fla.) Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 390,046 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-53) This invention relates to latch mechanism for swinging doors, especially the doors of automobile or other vehicle bodies.

Of current interest in automotive design is the use of double-jaw latching mechanisms in which a striker pin is engaged between a pair of opposed jaws to maintain a vehicle door in a latched condition. The present invention is embodied in an improved latch mechanism of this general category, and comprises a pair of opposed latching jaws or elements pivotally supported on the main plate portion of the latch mechanism. Both of the latching jaws are fixedly coupled to control or ratchet plates which are engageable by pivoted detent or pawl means for holding the latching jaws in latched position. The latch mechanism includes improved inner and outer manually operable actuating means for simultaneously swinging or pivotally actuating the detent or pawl means to disengage the same from the control or ratchet plates. Also included are improved control means for selectively controlling the effectiveness of the actuating means in the actuation thereby of the detent or pawl-means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved door latch mechanism which will effectively meet various requirements for vehicle door locks, which is characterized by simplification and compactness in construction, which is easy and economical to manufacture, and which is comparatively quiet, reliable and durable in use.

Further objects and features of the particular embodiment of the invention herein illustrated will appear in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation taken substantially through lines 11 of FIG. 2 illustrating a door latch mechanism constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially through lines 2-2 of FIG. 1; and 1 FIG. 3 is an elevation -of the door latch mechanism taken from the side opposite to that shown in FIG. 1.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawing there is illustrated, by way of example, a certain embodiment of the present invention as adapted to be applied to the door and door frame structures of an automobile body. The latch mechanism comprises a case plate 11 which is adapted to be secured, as by means of screws, to the inner side of the jamb portion of a vehicle door (not shown). The case plate 11 has a flange 12 which is adapted to be positioned along an inner panel of the door.

The present latch mechanism has a pair of pivoted latch devices comprising jaw elements 13 (see FIG. 3) positioned at the outer face of the case plate 11. Each jaw element, 13 is provided with an integral shaft or pivot portion 14 which extends through a suitable flanged aper- Patented Dec. 6, 1966 ture (not visible) in the case plate. Suitable bearing means (not shown) are provided within the flanged aperture for journalling each pivot shaft 14 for pivotal movement and for holding the jaw elements on the plate portion. Each jaw element 13 is keyed or otherwise fixedly coupled through its pivot shaft 14 to a control plate 15, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. Each jaw element 13 is a substantially triangular plate member having its pivot. action located near its apex. The base side or the side 16 opposite the apex is provided in the center with a semi-circular recess or enlarged notch 17 adapted to encompass a cylindrical striker or keeper pin (not shown).

Each control plate 15 is provided with two peripherally spaced abutments or ratchet teeth 18 and 19. Cooperable with the abutment or ratchet toothed edge of the upper control plate 15 is a swinging detent or pawl 21 pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet 22 secured to the case plate 11. It will be noted that the detent or pawl 21 extends in a substantially horizontal direction across the case plate 11 from the shoulder rivet 22 toward the flange 12. The detent or pawl 21 has an abutment portion 23 cooperable with the teeth or abutments 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15. It will be further noted that the detent or pawl 21 is located above the upper control plate 15, that the ratchet teeth or abutments 18 and 19 are located on the upper peripheral surface of the upper control plate 15, and that the abutment portion 23 of the detent depends from the detent in position to engage either of the ratchet teeth 18 or 19.

The lower control plate 15 is symmetrical to the upper control plate 15, and is placed on its pivot shaft so that the ratchet teeth 18 and 19 are located at the lower peripheral edge or in oppositely disposed relationship to the ratchet teeth 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15. The reason for this will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Cooperable with the abutment or ratchet-toothed edge of the lower control plate 15 is a swinging detent or pawl 24 pivotally mounted on a pivot stud or shoulder rivet 25 secured to the case plate 11. This detent or pawl 24 also extends in a substantially horizontal direction across the case plate 11 from its shoulder rivet 25 toward the flange 12. The detent -or pawl 24 has an abutment portion 26 corresponding to the abutment portion on the detent 21. The abutment portion 26 is cooperable with the abutment or teeth 18 and 19 on the lower control plate 15.

When the detent abutment portions 23 and 26, respectively, are in engagement with the control plate abutments 19, the jaw elements 13 will be held in what is known as a secondary latched position. When in this secondary latched position, the relationship of these jaw elements to a striker or keeper pin entrapped therebetween creates sufficient interference to prevent opening movement of the vehicle door. The door will not, however, be held against vibratory movement in a vertical direction, and it is expected that the rattling noise that will ensue as the vehicle is driven about will call the occupants attention to the fact that the door is not fully latched. When the abutment .portions 23 and 26 are in engagement with the respective control plate abutments 18, as seen in FIG. 1, both jaw elements 13 are in final or fully latched position.

Pivotal actuation of the detent or pawl 21 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or in a direction out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 of the upper control plate 15 is accomplished through a release lever, generally designated 27, having a common pivot axis with the detent 21 on the pivot stud 22. This lever has a horizontally extending arm 28 which extends toward the case plate flange 12 and a vertically depending arm 29. The horizontally extending arm 28 underlies a lug 31 on the 2 detent or pawl 21 so that when the lever 27 is swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, upward movement of its arm 28 will be transmitted through the rivet 31 to the detent 21 causing the latter to be lifted out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15.

The lever 27 is adapted to be operated by an outside operator, such as a push button mounted in a handle mounted on the outer panel of the vehicle door. Only a portion 32 of the stern of the outside operator is shown, the stem portion 32 abutting a flange 33 on the lower end of the lever arm 29.

Because the present latch mechanism embodies a double detent or pawl system, it is readily apparent that provision also must be made for pivotal actuation of the detent or pawl 24 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or in a direction out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the lower control plate 15. This is accomplished through a second release lever, generally designated 34, which has a common pivot axis with the detent 24 on the pivot stud 25. The lever 34 has a horizontally extending arm 35 which extends toward the case plate flange 12 and a vertically upwardly extending arm 36. The horizontally extending arm is riveted through a shoulder rivet 37 to the detent or pawl 24 so that when the lever 34 is swung in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, downward movement of its arm 35 will be transmitted through the rivet 37 to the detent 24 causing the latter to be moved downwardly out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the lower control plate 15.

The second lever 34 is responsive to movement of the first mentioned lever 27. It will be noted that the arm 36 of the second lever 34 extends upwardly into abutting relation to the flange 33 on the lever 27. At its extremity the arm 36 may have a bushing-like element 38 riveted thereto, this element being of a hard rubber, nylon or the like to eliminate metal to metal contact between the flange 33 and the end of the arm 36.

Through the foregoing arrangement, movement of the push button stem 32 upon actuation of the outer manually operable means is elfective to cause simultaneous swinging movement of both

levers

27 and 34. The levers swing in counter directions and cause counter swinging movement of the pawls or detents 21 and 24 away from the respective upper and lower control plates 15.

Both pawls or detents 21 and 24 and the

respective levers

27 and 34 are urged toward their normal nonactuated positions, as shown in FIG. 1, by a tension coil spring 39 which extends between the rivets 31 and 37. Since the

arms

28 and 35 move away from each other upon actuation of the

levers

27 and 34, the tension of the spring 39 increases and the spring acts to restore the levers and the detents to their FIG. 1 position upon release of the pressure exerted through the stem 32.

In addition to being operable from the outside of the vehicle door, the

levers

27 and 34 may be swung in detent disengaging direction by means of inner manually operable means mounted on the vehicle door. As best seen in FIG. 2, a bell crank lever 41 is pivotally mounted by means of a pivot stud 42 on the flange 12 near the upper edge of the latter. The bell crank lever 41 is provided with a substantially horizontally extending arm 43 which underlies an offset extension 44 of the lever arm 28. This arm extension 44 projects through a slot 45 in the flange 12, the slot 45 functioning as a guide for the end of the arm 28.

The bell crank lever 41 is provided with a second or substantially vertically extending arm 46 adapted to be coupled by a draft link (not shown) extending to a remote control mechanism (not shown) mounted on the inner panel of the door. When the bell crank lever 41 is swung in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, its arm 43 will swing upwardly thereby lifting the arm 28 of the lever 27. This arm 28 movement will result in the detent 21 being moved out of engagement with the upper control plate 15. As happened when the push button stem 32 was actuated to cause clockwise movement of the lever 27, clockwise movement of the lever 27 resulting from actuation of the bell crank lever 41 results in counterclockwise movement of the lever 34 and therefore disengagement of the detent 24 from the lower control plate 15.

As in any conventional door latch mechanism, provision is made for locking the latch mechanism to prevent disengagement of the detents from the control plates holding the latch jaws in latched position, the position shown in FIG. 3. In the present latch mechanism this is accomplished by means of a locking lever, generally designated 47. Locking lever 47 is pivotally mounted on the flange 12 by means of a pivot stud 48 and has a plurality of arms. These arms comprise an upstanding arm 49 terminating in a hook-like portion 51, a substantially horizontally extending arm 52, and a substantially verti cally extending arm 53. The horizontally extending arm 52 is coupled to a locking rod 54 which projects through the garnish molding at the top of the vehicle door inner panel. The vertically extending arm 53 is coupled to lever 55. The lever 55 is mounted on a tubular rivet 56 mounted in the flange 12. The tubular rivet is adapted to receive the stem end (not shown) of a conventional key cylinder mechanism accessible at the outer panel of the vehicle door.

The locking lever is shown in latch mechanism locked position. That is, the hook-like portion 51 on the end of the arm 49 is hooked over the extension 44 of the lever arm 28 of the release lever 27. This renders the lever 27 immovable. It will be readily apparent, that when the lever 27 is held against movement, neither the inner manually operable means (bell crank lever 41) nor the outer manually operable means (push button stem 32) may be actuated to cause disengagement of the detents 21 and 24 from the respective control plates 15. The latch mechanism is thus said to be in locked condition.

A toggle spring 57 holds the locking lever positively in either locked or unlocked position.

To complete the physical description of the present latch mechanism, attention is called to the tension spring 58 extending between the upper and lower control plates 15. When the parts of the latch mechanism are in the relationship shown in FIG. 1, the spring 58 is extended or under increased tension. Upon disengagement of the detents from the control plates, the spring 58 will drive both control plates 15 and thereby both jaw elements 13 to their unlatched positions. Upon the jaws 13 engaging a striker pin as the vehicle door is moved from an opened to a closed position, the control plates 15 will be rotated in counter directions against the resistance of and again placing the spring 58 under tension.

The latch elements are mounted in an appropriate housing 59 (see FIG. 3). The wall surfaces 61 and 62 of the housing on each side of the opening through which the striker or keeper pin is admitted act as stops to limit the movement of the latch elements in opening direction and to insure that the latch elements are positioned so that they will be ready to engage the striker pin as the door is moved from an open to a closed position. As the door is moved to a closed position, the striker pin will seat in one or the other of the recesses 17. This causes the striker pin to be guided into engagement with the recess 17 in the other jaw element so that both jaw elements fully engage the striker pin on opposite sides as they are swung against the resistance of the spring 58 toward the fully'latched position shown in FIG. 3. The detent abutment portions 23 and 26 will then on gage the control plate ratchet teeth 18 or 19' so that the jaw elements are restrained against movement in an unlatching direction.

In fully latched position, the center of the striker pin will be located substantially at the center of the circular notches or recesses 17. In fully latched position this center lies over-center from a line drawn between the pivot axes of the two jaw elements. This relationship is such that any forces tending to separate the two jaw elements will not be in the direction of opening movement of the door but will be rather in the direction of closing movement, and thus the tendency would be to urge the door more fully in a closed direction.

It is believed that the operation of the present latch mechanism is evident from the foregoing description, but that a brief restatement may be helpful to a full understanding of the mechanism. When the jaw elements are in unlatched position, a position in which they would be facing toward the opening in the housing on the front face of the latch mechanism, the detent projection 23 on the detent 21 and the detent projection 26 on the detent 24 will lie on what may be termed the cam surfaces 63 of the control plates 15, i.e., the curved surfaces behind the ratchet teeth 19. Upon closing movement of the door, the jaw elements will engage a striker pin which will force them toward the rear of the housing. Swinging movement of the jaw elements will be transmitted through the pivot shafts 14 to the control plates 15, the upper control plate rotating in a counterclockwise direction and the lower control plate rotating in a clock- Wise direction. The detent projections 23 and 26 will merely override the ratchet teeth 19 and 18.

The detent projections will drop into engagement with the ratchet tooth 19 on each control plate if insufficient force is applied in closing the door, but if sufficient force is applied both projections will drop into engagement with the ratchet teeth 18 thereby maintaining the jaw elements in fully latched position. If it is now desired to lock the doors so that they cannot be opened, it is only necessary to .move the rod 54 so that the locking lever 47 will be moved to place the hook-like portion in blocking relation to the release lever 27 arm 28. As has been explained, lever 27 is thus rendered immovable and the detents cannot be disengaged from the control plates 15.

The present latch mechanism cannot be placed in locked condition when the jaw elements 13 are in unlatched condition. The relationship of the detent portions 23 and 26 of the detents to the cam surfaces 63 of the control plates is such that the detents are displaced away from the control plates when the jaw elements and the control plates are in latch mechanism unlatched position. The displacement of the detent 21 results in an upward displacement of the arm 28 of the lever 27 to an extent sufiicient to position the side face of the extension 44 in the path of the hook-like portion 51 of the locking lever 47. The latter cannot be moved into its locking position shown in FIG. 2 until the extension 44 is moved out of the Way of the hook-like portion 51, as occurs when the jaw elements and control plates are moved to fully latched position.

The foregoing applies to a situation in which the jaw elements are in secondary latched position, i.e., when the jaw elements are in a position in which the detents are holding the control plates against movement in unlatching direction through engagement of the detent abutment portions 23 and 26 with the ratchet teeth 19. The depth of the undercut forward of each ratchet tooth 19 is such that the detents are displaced from their fully latched position to an extent sufficient to cause interference between the lever arm 28 extension 44 and the hook-like portion 51 of the locking lever 47. Thus, in secondary latched position of the jaw elements the locking lever 47 cannot be moved into locking position.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door,

a support having a plate portion for disposition at a free edge wall of the door,

a pair of jaw elements pivotally mounted on said plate portion for counter-swinging movement from an unlatched position to a latched position in which said jaw elements are adapted to engage a striker pin therebetween,

a pair of control plates mounted on said plate portion, each of which is fixedly coupled to one of said jaw elements for pivotal movement therewith,

each control plate being provided with detent means engageable portions,

a pair of detent means each pivotally mounted on said plate portion and engageable with the detent means engageable portions on the respective control plates to hold said jaw elements in door latched position,

spring means biasing said jaw elements toward unlatched position,

manually operable means comprising a pair of levers each fixedly coupled to one of said detent means for moving the latter out of engagement with the respective control plate engaged thereby,

said levers having coacting parts thereon through which movement of one of the levers in detent means disengaging direction simultaneously results in movement of the other lever in detent means disengaging direction,

and tension spring means extending between said detent means yieldably holding the latter in engagement with the respective control plates.

. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door,

a pair of jaw elements mounted on one side of said plate portion for counter-swinging movement about spaced pivot axes from an unlatched position toward each other to a latched position between said pivot axes,

a pair of control plates mounted on the opposite side of said plate portion,

each of said control plates being fixedly coupled to one of said jaw elements for movement therewith,

each of said control plates being provided with detent means engageable portions,

a first and a second detent means each pivotally mounted on said plate portion for swinging movement about respective pivot axes spaced outwardly of said first mentioned pivot axes,

said first and second detent means each being swingable respectively toward a respective one of said first mentioned pivot axes into engagement with said control plate detent means engageable portions to restrain said jaw elements in latched position,

spring means biasing said control plates and thereby said jaw elements toward unlatched position,

manually operable means comprising a pair of levers each fixedly coupled to one of said detent means for moving the latter out of engagement with the respective control plates,

said lever having coacting parts thereon whereby movement of one of the levers in detent means disengaging direction simultaneously results in movement of the other lever in detent means disengaging direction,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,420 1/ 1953 Endter.

2,859,995 11/1958 Rigaud 292-53 2,946,613 7/ 1960 Roethel 292--229 3,206,237 9/1965 Rocthel 29248 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A LATCH MECHANISM FOR A SWINGING DOOR, A SUPPORT HAVING A PLATE PORTION FOR DISPOSITION AT A FREE EDGE WALL OF THE DOOR, A PAIR OF JAW ELEMENTS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE PORTION FOR COUNTER-SWINGING MOVEMENT FROM AN UNLATCHED POSITION TO A LATCHED POSITION IN WHICH SAID JAW ELEMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A STRIKER PIN THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF CONTROL PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE PORTION, EACH OF WHICH IS FIXEDLY COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID JAW ELEMENTS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH, EACH CONTROL PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH DETENT MEANS ENGAGEABLE PORTIONS, A PAIR OF DETENT MEANS EACH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE PORTION AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE DETENT MEANS ENGAGEABLE PORTIONS ON THE RESPECTIVE CONTROL PLATES TO HOLD SAID JAW ELEMENTS IN DOOR LATCHED POSITION, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID JAW ELEMENTS TOWARD UNLATCHED POSITION, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEVERS EACH FIXEDLY COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID DETENT MEANS FOR MOVING THE LATTER OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE CONTROL PLATE ENGAGED THEREBY, SAID LEVERS HAVING COACTING PARTS THEREON THROUGH WHICH MOVEMENT OF ONE OF THE LEVERS IN DETENT MEANS DISENGAGING DIRECTION SIMULTANEOUSLY RESULTS IN MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER LEVER IN DETENT MEANS DISENGAGING DIRECTION, AND TENSION SPRING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID DETENT MEANS YIELDABLY HOLDING THE LATTER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE CONTROL PLATES.