The present invention relates to a door lock device for vehicle.
One example of door lock device for a vehicle includes a latch mechanism adapted to be capable of retaining a vehicle door in a closed state relative to a vehicle body, an open lever adapted to be driven along with operation to a door handle provided any of the inside and the outside of the door, an open link interposed between the open lever and a lift lever, the open link provided in the latch mechanism, and capable of switching between an unlock position in which actuation of the open lever in a door-open direction along with door-open operation to the door handle is transmitted to the lift lever, and a lock position in which actuation of the open lever in a door-open direction along with door-open operation to the door handle is not transmitted to the lift lever, and a lock operation unit that switches the open link between the unlock position and the lock position. The lock operation unit includes an active lever that is driven rotationally, a drive mechanism that drives the active lever, and a sub lever assembled to the active lever in a relatively rotatable manner and linked with the open link to be rotatably actuated. The sub lever is set so as to move integrally with the active lever when the open link is switched from the unlock position to the lock position, and to move with the active lever through a bias member when the open link is switched from the lock position to the unlock position, as disclosed in JP2006-233507A.
In the door lock device for the vehicle disclosed in JP2006-233507A mentioned above, in the case where the door handle is an inside door handle provided on the inside of the door and the open lever is an inside open lever driven along with operation to the inside door handle, so-called one-motion function or double-pull function can be realized by configuring the door lock device in a manner that the open link is driven by the inside open lever and the lock operation unit is driven from the lock position to the unlock position by the inside open lever when the open link is in the lock position and the inside open lever is actuated toward the door-open direction along with door-open operation to the inside door handle, and by properly setting a drive initiation timing to the open link by the inside open lever and a drive initiation timing to the lock operation unit by the inside open lever. It should be noted that the one-motion function or the double-pull function can similarly be realized in a configuration in which the open link is directly moved by the inside open lever from the lock position to the unlock position without interposing the lock operation unit, or in a configuration in which the open link is moved by the inside open lever from the lock position to the unlock position through the other member instead of interposing the lock operation unit.
The above-mentioned one-motion function can be realized by setting the drive initiation timing to the lock operation unit by the inside open lever earlier than the drive initiation timing to the open link by the inside open lever by a predetermined amount (specifically, by setting the timing for moving the open link from the lock position to the unlock position earlier). In this case, it is possible to move the open link in the lock position to the unlock position by driving the lock operation unit driven by the inside open lever before the open link is driven by the inside open lever.
Accordingly, the open link has been in the unlock position when the open link is driven by the inside open lever, and actuation of the inside open lever toward the door-open direction is transmitted to the lift lever through the open link, so that a state of the latch mechanism is switched from a latch state (state where the door cannot be opened) to an unlatch state (state where the door can be opened). Therefore, in this case, even when the door lock device is in the lock state (state where the open link is in the lock position), the door can be opened by one time of door-open operation (one time of pull operation).
Meanwhile, the above-mentioned double-pull function can be realized by setting the drive initiation timing to the lock operation unit by the inside open lever later than the drive initiation timing to the open link by the inside open lever by a predetermined amount (specifically, by setting the timing for moving the open link from the lock position to the unlock position later). In this case, the open link in the lock position moves toward the unlock position after the open link is driven by the inside open lever by a predetermined amount, so that the open link engages with (interferers with) the lift lever under the state where the open lever is not capable of transmitting the actuation of the inside open lever toward the door-open direction to the lift lever. It should be noted that this state is so-called panic state (state where switching of the latch mechanism from the latch state to the unlatch state is not permitted). In the panic state, a relative rotation between the active lever and the sub lever is allowed due to elastic deformation of the bias member of the lock operation unit, so that the active lever is capable of rotating to the unlock position.
Thus, in this case, the above-mentioned panic state can be cancelled by returning the inside door handle once experienced door-open operation and performing the door-open operation again (by performing pull operation twice) and thus the door can be opened. It should be noted that, when the inside door handle once experienced the door-open operation is returned, engagement (interference) between the open link and the lift lever and engagement (abutment) between the inside open lever and the open link are cancelled due to the inside lever and the open link moving toward a default position along with the returning operation to the inside door handle.
Thus, the sub lever of the lock operation unit is rotated by the bias member to the unlock position, so that the open link is moved to the unlock position. Accordingly, at the time of the second door-open operation to the inside door handle, the open link has been in the unlock position when the open link is driven by the inside open lever, and thus operation to the inside open lever toward the door-open direction is transmitted to the lift lever through the open link, so that the latch mechanism is switched from the latch state to the unlatch state where the door can be opened.
In the door lock device disclosed in the above-mentioned JP2006-233507A, the double-pull function can be realized as mentioned above. However, in the case where the double-pull function is realized, one time of door-open operation to the inside door handle leads to the panic state, in which the open link engages with (interfere with) the lift lever in a state where the open link is incapable of transmitting the door-open operation to the inside open lever to the lift lever. Accordingly, the engagement between the open link and the lift lever may bring a discomfort feeling upon handle operation.
The present invention is derived to solve the above-mentioned problem (to improve the feeling upon handle operation in the panic state). According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned door lock device to which the present invention is objected, a retaining portion is provided on the open lever that retains the open link at a retaining position between the lock position and the unlock position when the open link is switched from the lock position to the unlock position in a state where the open link is in the lock position and the open lever is actuated toward the door-open direction along with the door-open operation to the door handle to drive the open link by the open lever.
According to the door lock device for the vehicle of the present invention, by means of a retaining portion that is provided on the open lever, it is possible to retain the open link at a retaining position located between the lock position and the unlock position when the open link is switched from the lock position to the unlock position in a state where the open link is in the lock position and the open lever is actuated toward the door-open direction along with the door-open operation to the door handle so as to drive the open link by the open lever. Accordingly, setting the above-mentioned retaining position where the open link does not engage with (interfere with) the lift lever enables a configuration in which the open link does not engage with (interfere with) the lift lever in the panic state and thus improvement of the feeling upon operation to the door handle at the time when the panic state is cancelled.
Upon implementing the above-mentioned present invention, the door handle may be an inside door handle provided on the inside of the door, and the open lever may be an inside open lever driven along with operation to the inside door handle. In this case, the above-mentioned double-pull function is realized and the feeling upon operation to the inside door handle is improved in this door lock device.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The open mechanism A1 is provided for actuating a known latch mechanism 20 (refer to
The latch mechanism 20 is engaged with the striker so as to retain the door FD in the closed state (latch state). With the door FD in the closed state, the latch mechanism 20 is disengaged from the striker, so that the door FD is switched from the closed state to an opened state (state where the door is openable relative to the vehicle body) (unlatch state). As shown in
As shown in
The inside open lever 32 is rotatably assembled to a support shaft 11a provided on the housing body 11, and is linked with an inside door handle (not shown) provided on the interior of the door FD in a well-known configuration. The inside open lever 32 is actuated to rotate counterclockwise in
This open link 33 includes, at an upper end portion, a long hole 33a extending in the vertical direction in the state in
The open link 33 is moved from the positions shown in
Meanwhile, in the case where the open link 33 at the lock position shown in
The lock mechanism A2, which is provided for restraining or permitting the actuation of the open mechanism Al so as to lock or unlock the door FD, includes the above-mentioned lock operation unit 41. The lock mechanism A2 also includes a locking control lever 42 for driving the above open link 33 to the lock position or the unlock position through the lock operation unit 41, a key switch lever 43, an outside locking lever 44, a contact 45 assembled to the key switch lever 43, a seal ring 46 assembled between the outside locking lever 44 and the housing body 11, and the like (refer to
The lock operation unit 41, which is provided for switching the position of the open link 33 between the unlock position and the lock position, is assembled along with a torsion spring S4 (refer to
The active lever 41 a is rotatably assembled to the support shaft 11b, and includes an engagement portion 41a1 linked with a locking control lever 42 (component of a mechanical drive mechanism) and also an engagement portion (pin portion) 41a2 linked with the electric actuator A3 (electric drive mechanism). The sub lever 41b is rotatably assembled to the support shaft 11b. The sub lever 41b is rotatable relative to the active lever 41a by a predetermined amount, and has an engagement portion (pin portion) 41b1 linked with the long hole 33a of the open link 33.
The twisted spring 41c (bias member) is, as well as the twisted spring (bias member) described in JP2006-233507A, interposed between the active lever 41a and the sub lever 41b, and biases the sub lever 41b in one rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in
The locking control lever 42, which is actuated to rotate by a mechanical key operation to a key cylinder 102 (refer to
The electric actuator A3, which is provided for driving the above open link 33 to the lock position or the unlock position through the lock operation unit 41, includes an electric motor 51, a worm 52, and a locking lever 53. The electric motor 51 is a known motor driven in response to a lock operation and an unlock operation, and includes a first terminal 61, a second terminal 62, a switch 63, a connector 64, and the like for controlling an actuation thereof. The worm 52 is provided integrally with an output shaft 51a of the electric motor 51, and rotated and driven by the electric motor 51. The locking lever 53 is rotatably assembled to a support shaft 11c provided in the housing body 11.
The locking lever 53 has a sector gear 53a meshed with the worm 52, and also has an engagement portion (long hole) 53b linked with the engagement portion (pin portion) 41a2 of the active lever 41a in the lock operation unit 41. Therefore, when the electric actuator A3 is actuated, the locking lever 53 is tilted by driving force of the electric motor 51. Along with the tilting of the locking lever 53, the lock operation unit 41 is rotated. When the rotation of the lock operation unit 41 is transmitted to the open link 33, the door is locked or unlocked.
The locking lever 53 is provided with an operation portion 53c linked with a lock knob (not shown) provided on the indoor side of the door FD. The operation portion 53c is formed so as to be tilted integrally with the sector gear 53a and the engagement portion 53b. Therefore, when the lock knob (not shown) provided on the indoor side of the door FD is operated and the operation portion 53c is tilted, the engagement portion 53b of the locking lever 53 is integrally tilted, so that the lock operation unit 41 is rotated. Then, when the rotation of the lock operation unit 41 is transmitted to the open link 33, an unlock state of the door is switched to a lock state or otherwise, a lock state of the door is switched to a unlock state. It should be noted that the sector gear 53a is also integrally rotated so as to take the worm 52 and the electric motor 51 around.
Moreover, the locking lever 53 is provided with a projection 53d to be linked with an engagement portion 32a of the inside open lever 32. The projection 53d is configured to be pushed to turn by the engagement portion 32a of the inside open lever 32 when the inside open lever 32 is actuated toward the door-open direction. Accordingly, when the inside door handle (not shown) is pull-operated to actuate the inside open lever 32 toward the door-open direction, the projection 53d is, as shown in
In the above door lock device Ao, as shown in
The pushing portion 32c of the inside open lever 32 is capable of engaging with/disengaging from the pushing portion 33b of the open link 33 in the unlock position. As shown in
Moreover, in the above-mentioned door lock device for the vehicle Ao, a drive initiation timing to the locking lever 53 by the inside open lever 32 is set later by a predetermined amount in comparison to a drive initiation timing to the open link 33 by the inside open lever 32 (specifically, a timing for moving the open link 33 from the lock position to the unlock position is set later), so that the double-pull function is realized.
Accordingly, the open link 33 in the lock position moves to the unlock position after the open link 33 is driven by the inside open lever 32 by a predetermined amount, so that the open link 33 is retained by the retaining portion 32b of the inside open lever 32 at the retaining position (position shown in
As a result, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned panic state can be canceled to open the door FD by once returning the inside door handle (not shown) once experienced door-open operation and performing the door-open operation again (double-pull operation). At the time when the inside door handle (not shown) once experienced door-open operation is returned, the engagement (retainment) between the retaining portion 32b of the inside open lever 32 and the pushing portion 33b of the open link 33 is cancelled along with movement of the inside open lever 32 and the open link 33 toward their initial positions due to the return operation to the inside door handle (not shown), as shown in
Thus, in the case the door-open operation to the inside door handle (not shown) is performed again, at the time when the open link 33 is driven by the inside open lever 32, the open link 33 has been in the unlock position and the pushing portion 32c of the inside open lever 32 is engageable with the pushing portion 33b of the open link 33, so that the door-open direction operation to the inside open lever 32 is transmitted through the open link 33 to the lift lever 23. As a result, the latch mechanism 20 is switched from the latch state to unlatch state, and the door FD can be opened.
According to this embodiment, in the so-called panic state, the open link 33 is configured so as to be retained by the retaining portion 32b of the inside open lever 32 in the retaining position (position shown in
Although the above-mentioned embodiment is implemented in the configuration capable of both realizing the double-pull function and improving the feeling upon operation to the inside door handle when the panic state is cancelled by providing the retaining portion 32b to the inside open lever 32 in the door lock device for the vehicle Ao on which the double-pull function is realized, the feeling upon operation to the inside door handle when the panic state is cancelled may also be improved by providing a retaining portion which functions in a comparable manner to the above-mentioned retaining portion 32b to the outside open lever (31).
For implementation of the present invention, the configuration in which the open link is moved from the lock position to the unlock position directly by the inside open lever without interposing the lock operation unit, or the configuration in which the open link is moved from the lock position to the unlock position by the inside open lever through the other member in spite of the lock operation unit may be employed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2009-17448 | Jul 2009 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2010/061496 | 6/30/2010 | WO | 00 | 1/27/2012 |