This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0143875, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 20, 2018, which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a power child lock system for a vehicle.
A power child lock system for a vehicle may be configured to prevent the rear doors of the vehicle from being opened inside the vehicle and to allow the rear doors to be opened only outside the vehicle.
The power child lock system may be classified into a power child lock system operated by a power actuator, and a manual child lock system operated manually.
The power child lock system may have a child lock switch disposed near the driver's seat, and the power actuator may be driven by the child lock switch.
The manual child lock system may have a manual lever mounted on an inner panel of the rear door, and the manual lever may be moved by a user's manual operation between a lock position and an unlock position. The rear door to which the manual child lock system is applied may have a mounting hole and symbol marks formed in the inner panel thereof. The manual lever may be mounted in the mounting hole, and the symbol marks may indicate the lock position and the unlock position.
The rear door to which the power child lock system is applied may not require the mounting hole and the symbol marks in the inner panel thereof, while the rear door to which the manual child lock system is applied may require the mounting hole and the symbol marks in the inner panel thereof.
Some vehicles, to which the power child lock system and the manual child lock system are selectively applied, may be supplied with two types of inner panels by dualizing an inner panel of the rear door to which the power child lock system is applied and an inner panel of the rear door to which the manual child lock system is applied. That is, it may be required to load the inner panels by separating the inner panels, each of which being provided with the mounting hole and the symbol marks (the inner panels to which the manual child lock system is applied) from the inner panels, each of which being provided with the mounting hole and the symbol marks (the inner panels to which the power child lock system is applied), resulting in insufficient space for loading them in a vehicle manufacturing plant. In addition, different types of inner panels need to be individually supplied, increasing the manufacturing cost by about 6,500 won (KRW) per vehicle.
Meanwhile, in order to supply the inner panels of the rear doors by unifying them, the inner panels provided with the mounting holes and the symbol marks have been supplied to all vehicles to which the power child lock system and the manual child lock system are applied, and as for vehicles to which the power child lock system is applied, they have employed a method of sealing the mounting hole by inserting a plug into the mounting hole. However, the insertion of the plug into the mounting hole may be frequently missed during assembly.
The above information described in this background section is provided to assist in understanding the background of the inventive concept, and may include any technical concept which is not considered as the prior art that is already known to those skilled in the art.
The present disclosure relates to a power child lock system for a vehicle and, in particular embodiments, to a power child lock system for a vehicle having an indicator lever for selectively indicating a lock position and an unlock position.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can solve above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art while advantages achieved by the prior art are maintained intact.
An aspect of the present disclosure provides a power child lock system for a vehicle having an indicator lever for selectively indicating a lock position and an unlock position.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a power child lock system for a vehicle, which is mounted in an inner panel of a vehicle door, may include a power actuator, a wheel gear which is rotated by the power actuator, a child lock link which is moved by rotation of the wheel gear, a child lock lever which is moved by rotation of the wheel gear, an inside lever which is connected to an inside handle assembly through a cable, a release lever which is mechanically connected to a door latch mechanism, and is detachably connected to the inside lever, and an indicator lever which is rotatable by the movement of the child lock link. The indicator lever may be mounted to close a mounting hole of the inner panel.
The indicator lever may be disposed under the mounting hole and a diameter of the indicator lever may be larger than a diameter of the mounting hole of the inner panel.
The indicator lever may have two protrusions spaced apart from each other, and the child lock link may be fitted between the protrusions of the indicator lever.
A helical gear may be coupled to an output shaft of the power actuator, and the wheel gear may have a toothed portion meshing with the helical gear.
The wheel gear may have a contact protrusion which is brought into contact with the child lock lever, and the contact protrusion of the wheel gear may press the child lock lever by the rotation of the wheel gear to cause the child lock lever to move.
The inside lever and the release lever may be engaged or disengaged by movement of the child lock lever.
The child lock lever may have a post, the inside lever may have a first guide slot along which the post is guided, and the release lever may have a second guide slot along which the post is guided.
The first guide slot may be aligned with the second guide slot, and a length of the first guide slot may be shorter than a length of the second guide slot.
The inside lever may be engaged to the release lever as the post is inserted into the first guide slot and the second guide slot simultaneously, and the inside lever may be disengaged from the release lever as the post is released from the first guide slot.
The inside lever and the release lever may pivot around one pivot pin.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or equivalent elements. In addition, a detailed description of well-known techniques associated with the present disclosure will be ruled out in order not to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure.
Terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe the elements in exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, and the intrinsic features, sequence or order, and the like of the corresponding elements are not limited by the terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meanings as those generally understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the field of art to which the present disclosure belongs. Such terms as those defined in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted as having meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and are not to be interpreted as having ideal or excessively formal meanings unless clearly defined as having such in the present application.
Referring to
In addition, the inner panel 2 may have a mounting hole 4 adjacent to the latch opening 3 and symbol marks 5 and 6. An indicator lever 17 of a power child lock system 10 or a manual lever 27 of a manual child lock system 20 (see
According to an exemplary embodiment, a diameter d2 of the manual lever 27 or the indicator lever 17 may be larger than a diameter d1 of the mounting hole 4 of the inner panel 2. Thus, the manual lever 27 or the indicator lever 17 may more reliably close the mounting hole 4 of the inner panel 2, thereby preventing a user from arbitrarily operating the manual lever 27 or the indicator lever 17 using a tool such as a driver.
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
The power actuator 11 may be electrically connected to a child lock switch 41, and the power actuator 11 may be powered by operating the child lock switch 41. The child lock switch 41 may be disposed adjacent to the driver's seat. A helical gear 11a may be coupled to an output shaft of the power actuator 11.
The wheel gear 12 may have a toothed portion 12a formed at one end thereof, a guide protrusion 12b formed at the other end thereof, and a hole 12c formed in a central portion thereof. The toothed portion 12a of the wheel gear 12 may mesh with the helical gear 11a, and a shaft 18 may be inserted into the hole 12c of the wheel gear 12. The shaft 18 may protrude from the back plate 8 of the latch housing 7. As the helical gear 11a is rotated by the power actuator 11, the wheel gear 12 may rotate around the shaft 18.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The child lock link 13 may have a protrusion 13a formed at one end thereof, and a slot 13b extending horizontally in a center portion thereof. The protrusion 13a of the child lock link 13 may be connected to the indicator lever 17, and the guide protrusion 12b of the wheel gear 12 may be guided along the slot 13b of the child lock link 13 in a horizontal direction. As the guide protrusion 12b of the wheel gear 12 moves along the slot 13b of the child lock link 13 in the horizontal direction by the rotation of the wheel gear 12, the child lock link 13 may move in a vertical direction. That is, the rotational motion of the wheel gear 12 may be converted into the vertical linear motion of the child lock link 13 through the guide protrusion 12b and the slot 13b.
The child lock lever 14 may have a guide slot 14a adjacent to the top end thereof, and a post 14c adjacent to a bottom end thereof. The child lock lever 14 may be disposed in an inclined direction. As illustrated in
The inside lever 15 may have a pivot hole 15a formed in one end thereof, and a coupling portion 15b formed at the other end thereof. The coupling portion 15b of the inside lever 15 may be connected to the inside handle assembly 40 through the cable 45, and the inside lever 15 may pivot by the operation of an inside handle of the inside handle assembly 40. The inside lever 15 may return to its original position by an elastic force of a first torsion spring 15f.
The inside lever 15 may have a first guide slot 15c formed in the other end thereof, and the post 14c of the child lock lever 14 may be guided along the first guide slot 15c of the inside lever 15.
The release lever 16 may be interposed between the child lock lever 14 and the inside lever 15, and the release lever 16 may have a pivot hole (not shown) aligned with the pivot hole 15a of the inside lever 15, and a connection piece 16b mechanically connected to the door latch mechanism 30. The release lever 16 may return to its original position by an elastic force of a second torsion spring 16f. The second torsion spring 16f may be disposed between the release lever 16 and the child lock lever 14, and the child lock lever 14 may return to its original position by the elastic force of the second torsion spring 16f.
The release lever 16 may have a second guide slot 16c formed in the other end thereof, and the post 14c of the child lock lever 14 may be guided along the second guide slot 16c of the release lever 16.
The pivot hole 15a of the inside lever 15 may be aligned with the pivot hole (not shown) of the release lever 16, and a pivot pin 19 may be inserted into the pivot hole 15a of the inside lever 15 and the pivot hole of the release lever 16. Thus, the inside lever 15 and the release lever 16 may pivot around one pivot pin 19.
The pivot pin 19 may have a flange 19a interposed between the release lever 16 and the child lock lever 14, and a guide protrusion 19b extending from the flange 19a. The guide protrusion 19b of the pivot pin 19 may be inserted into the guide slot 14a of the child lock lever 14, and the pivot pin 19 may be fixed to the back plate 8 of the latch housing 7. The guide slot 14a of the child lock lever 14 may be guided along the guide protrusion 19b of the pivot pin 19.
The first guide slot 15c of the inside lever 15 may be aligned with the second guide slot 16c of the release lever 16, and a length S1 of the first guide slot 15c may be shorter than a length S2 of the second guide slot 16c. As illustrated in
The indicator lever 17 may have a cylindrical structure having an arrow symbol 17c indicating a direction. The indicator lever 17 may have two protrusions 17a and 17b spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction thereof, and the arrow symbol 17c may be embossed on a top surface of the indicator lever 17. The protrusion 13a of the child lock link 13 may be fitted between the protrusions 17a and 17b of the indicator lever 17. As the child lock link 13 moves in the vertical direction, the indicator lever 17 may move between the lock position LP and an unlock position UP.
Referring to
The manual child lock system 20 may include a child lock lever 24 connected to the manual lever 27, an inside lever 25 connected to the inside handle assembly 40 through the cable 45, and a release lever 26 mechanically connected to the door latch mechanism 30.
The child lock lever 24 may be connected to the manual lever 27 so that it may be moved by the rotation of the manual lever 27.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the connections of the child lock lever 24, the inside lever 25, and the release lever 26 may be substantially the same as or similar to the connections of the child lock lever 14, the inside lever 15, and the release lever 16 illustrated in
According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, by applying the indicator lever 17 which seals the mounting hole 4 of the inner panel of the rear door, the mounting hole 4 and the symbol marks 5 and 6 may be kept in the inner panel of the rear door, regardless of the power child lock system 10 and the manual child lock system 20. Thus, one type of inner panel may be supplied, and the manufacturing cost may be reduced (about 200 won (KRW) per vehicle).
Hereinabove, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but may be variously modified and altered by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure claimed in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2018-0143875 | Nov 2018 | KR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20180112441 | Damboiu | Apr 2018 | A1 |
20190234115 | Seo | Aug 2019 | A1 |
20200277808 | Seo | Sep 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
101513000 | Apr 2015 | KR |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200157856 A1 | May 2020 | US |