Patent Application
20240084622
The present disclosure relates to a latch or locking mechanism for use in a motor vehicle.
Vehicles include closures secured by latches that latch and lock the closures to the vehicle body when the closure is in a partially closed or fully closed position. Certain latches may be configured to provide a number of functions such as power closing, manual closing or locking, power release or opening, manual release, and cinching. Certain closures, such as tailgates used primarily in pickup trucks or vehicles with cargo beds require two latches to secure the tailgate to the truck bed when the tailgate is in the closed or partially closed position.
According to one embodiment, a latch for use in a vehicle is provided. The latch may include a first housing member, a second housing member, and a clip. The first housing member may include a first edge member and the second housing member may include a second edge member. The clip may include a first leg and a second leg that may be collectively configured to sandwich the first and second edge members to fix the first housing to the second housing.
According to another embodiment, a latch for use in a vehicle is provided. The latch may include a first housing shell, a second housing shell, and a clip. The first housing shell may include a first peripheral wall that may form an outer periphery of the first housing shell and the second housing shell may include a second peripheral wall that may form an outer periphery of the second housing shell. The clip may include a first leg and a second leg. The first and second legs may be collectively configured to compress the first and second peripheral walls to fix the first housing shell to the second housing shell.
According to yet another embodiment, a method of assembling a vehicle latch is provided. The vehicle latch may include a first housing shell, a second housing shell, and a clip. The method of assembling the vehicle latch may include providing the first housing shell, the first housing shell may include a first peripheral wall that may form an outer periphery of the first housing shell. The method may also include placing a second housing shell, such as a second peripheral wall of the second housing shell on the first peripheral wall of the first housing shell. The method may further include attaching the clip to the first and second housing shells so that the first leg of the clip lies along the first peripheral wall and a second leg of the clip lies along the second peripheral wall.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
This invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and methods described below, as specific components and/or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting in any way.
As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular form “a,” “an,” and “the” also contemplates plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, reference to a component means one or more components. The term “substantially” or “about” may be used herein to describe disclosed or claimed embodiments. The term “substantially” or “about” may modify a value or relative characteristic disclosed or claimed in the present disclosure. In such instances, “substantially” or “about” may signify that the value or relative characteristic it modifies is within ±0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or 10% of the value or relative characteristic.
Directional terms used herein are made with reference to the views and orientations shown in the exemplary figures. One or more central axes are shown in the figures and described below. Terms such as “outer” and “inner” are relative to the central axis. For example, an “outer” surface means that the surfaces faces away from the central axis, or is outboard of another “inner” surface. Terms such as “radial,” “diameter,” “circumference,” etc. also are relative to the central axis. The terms “front,” “rear,” “upper” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The terms, connected, attached, etc., refer to directly or indirectly connected, attached, etc., unless otherwise indicated explicitly or by context.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Motor vehicle latches may include electro-mechanical systems that may include a number of actuators (e.g., motors) configured to actuate latch components (e.g., pawl, catch, release mechanisms) and sensors (e.g., switches) that may be configured to monitor the positions of the latch components. The actuators, latch components, and sensors may be disposed on a housing to protect the internal portions of the latch from water, debris, or some combination thereof. Generally, latch housings may include one or more sections or portions that may be attached (e.g., fastened) to one another by one or more threaded fasteners. The use of threaded fasteners requires investment in certain equipment such as fastener guns, torque monitoring software, and the like. Fastener guns require a predetermined amount of space (e.g., screw head clearance zone) to permit movement of the fastener gun to the location of the fastener. Moreover, because latch housings are generally formed of a polymeric or plastic material, there is a risk of over-torquing the fastener and damaging portions of the latch housing.
The present disclosure attempts to address one or more of the above-mentioned problems.
In one or more embodiments, the first peripheral wall 108 may be arranged substantially orthogonal (e.g., perpendicular) to the first sidewall 118 and the second peripheral wall 110 may be arranged substantially orthogonal (e.g., perpendicular) to the second sidewall 120. As an example, the first peripheral wall 108 may be spaced apart from an end portion of the first sidewall 118 so that the first peripheral wall 108 and the first sidewall 118 form a T-shaped cross-section. The second peripheral wall 110 may extend from a distal end of the second sidewall 120 so that the second peripheral wall 110 and the second sidewall 120 form an L-shaped cross-section.
As an example, a protrusion (e.g., tab, flange, post) may extend from at least one of the first and second peripheral walls (e.g., the second peripheral wall 110). In one or more embodiments, a seal 114 may be disposed between the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110. The seal 114 may be formed of a relatively soft and flexible material such as a thermoplastic elastomer (e.g., Styrene Ethylene Propylene Styrenes (SEPS) Styrene Ethylene-Butene Styrenes (SEBS)) or another material as required. As one example, the seal 114 may be formed by PTS Thermoflex. As another example, a gasket or lay-in-part component may form the seal 114.
The seal 114 and the clip 112 may be configured to provide a waterproof seal. As an example, the waterproof rating may be IP67k or another rating as required.
In one or more embodiments, the clip 112 may include a first leg 122, a second leg 124, and a medial wall 126 that may extend between the first leg 122 and the second leg 124. To fix the first housing shell 104 to the second housing shell 106, the clip 112 may be placed on the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110 so that the first leg 122 of the clip 112 lies along the first peripheral wall 108 and the second leg 124 lies along the second peripheral wall 110, or vice-versa. The first and second legs 122, 124 of the clip 112 may be spaced apart so that when the clip is placed on one or more attachment portions (e.g., the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110) of the first and second housing shells 104, 106, the first and second legs 122, 124 apply forces F1, F2 to the attachment portions (e.g., the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110) of the first and second housing shells 104, 106.
The clip 112 may be formed of one or more alloys or metal material such as spring steel or another suitable material that be configured to apply the first and second forces F1, F2 to the attachment portions (e.g., the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110) of the first and second housing shells 104, 106. In one or more embodiments, distal portions of the first and second legs 122, 124 may be tapered to facilitate placement of the clip 112 on the attachment portions (e.g., the first and second peripheral walls 108, 110) of the first and second housing shells 104, 106.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.
The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.
