Patent Application
20150159406
The invention relates to a vehicle door latch including a lock plate, a catch, a pawl and a connector which connects the catch and the pawl to the lock plate.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,349 B2 discloses a motor-vehicle door latch with two spaced rigid lock plate parts. The latch further includes a standard latch fork rotating about a first pivot pin, and a retaining pawl rotating about a second pivot pin. The rotary axis of the latch fork and the retaining pawl are parallel, and the pivot pins are connected via a flange.
The invention described herein provides a vehicle door latch including a lock plate, a catch which is rotatable about a first rotary axis, and a pawl which is rotatable about a second rotary axis. The first rotary axis and the second rotary axis are non-parallel, which means that the first rotary axis and the second rotary axis form an angle larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees. Preferably, this angle is between 75 and 105 degrees, further preferably between 85 and 95 degrees, still further preferably about 90 degrees, and in particular this angle is exactly 90 degrees. The vehicle door latch further includes a connector which connects both the catch and the pawl to the lock plate. In other words, the catch and the pawl are not fixed to the lock plate separately, but by the same connector as a fixing device. Connecting the catch or the pawl to the lock plate means attaching the catch or the pawl to the lock plate such that a rotary movement about the rotary axis is possible, but a lateral movement along the rotary axis is restricted or even prevented.
The lock plate preferably includes two planar regions which are angled towards each other, preferably with an angle of 90 degrees between the planar regions. The lock plate can be a single lock plate or a combined lock plate having two or more lock plate members which are connected to each other. The lock plate is a carrier or frame which carries components of the vehicle door latch. In one embodiment, the lock plate forms a housing of the vehicle door latch or at least a part thereof.
In this document, a vehicle door can be any closable opening of a vehicle, such as a side door, an engine hood, a trunk or any lift gate. The term “rotary axis” may mean a physical axis, such as a pivot or a shaft, about which an object actually rotates, or a virtual line which only defines the orientation of the rotation.
With a single connector connecting both the catch and the pawl to the lock plate of the door latch, less parts are required for manufacturing the door latch. In addition, the connector increases the stability and ultimate strength of the lock plate by triangulating the load.
In one embodiment, the connector has two ends, wherein one end of the connector connects the catch to the lock plate, and the other, opposite end of the connector connects the pawl to the lock plate. In particular, the connector is an elongate member having a bend of an angle which equals the angle between the first and second rotary axes.
Preferably, the connector is formed integrally. This means that the connector is a single piece.
In general, the connector can be any member which is suitable for connecting the catch and the pawl to the lock plate. In a typical embodiment, the connector extends through an opening in the catch or the pawl and through an opening in the lock plate. The connector is then fixed to the lock plate on the side which is opposite to the catch or the pawl, respectively.
In one embodiment, the connector is a dual rivet. This means that the connector has two ends which extend through the catch and the pawl, respectively, and a corresponding opening in the lock plate, and is then riveted on the side of the lock plate which is opposite to the catch or the pawl, respectively.
In one embodiment, the connector has at least one stop for the catch and/or the pawl. The stop limits the axial movement, that is the movement along the rotary axis, of the catch or the pawl. In the opposite direction, the axial movement of the catch or the pawl is limited either directly or indirectly, for example via an intermediate member, by the lock plate. Preferably, the connector has two stops, that is one stop for the catch and one stop for the pawl. A stop might limit the axial movement of the catch or the pawl indirectly, for example via a bearing which is located between the stop and the catch or the pawl.
In one embodiment, the lock plate includes a slot through which one end of the connector extends. This slot has a width and a length. The width of the slot is slightly larger than the size of the end of the connector such that the end of the connector can pass through the slot. The length of the slot is larger than the width of the slot. The slot enables an easy assembly of the door latch because the connector remains movable, for example rotatably or translationally along the length of the slot.
Preferably, the slot extends in a direction of a projection of the rotary axis which does not extend through the slot onto the lock plate. The direction of the extension of the slot refers to the direction of the length of the slot. If, for example, the end of the connector which is used to connect the pawl to the lock plate extends through the slot, then the slot extends in the direction which is obtained by projecting the rotary axis of the catch onto the surface of the lock plate in which the slot is provided. In other words, the slot extends such that the end of the connector can be moved within the slot towards the opening in the lock plate through which the other end of the connector extends.
Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to drawings which show:
The vehicle door latch 1 includes a lock plate 2, only a part of which is shown in
The catch 3 and the pawl 4 are designed as known in the art. In particular, the catch 3 has a cut which is designed to interact with a locking pin, in particular to catch the locking pin, in order to lock the vehicle door. In an open position, the cut receives the pin, and in a closed position, the catch 3 cannot release the locking pin.
The pawl 4 is designed to interact with the catch 3. In particular, the pawl 4 locks the catch 3 in its closed position. The catch 3 can only transition from its closed position to its open position if the pawl 4 does not block the rotational movement of the catch 3.
Between the catch 3 and the lock plate 2, an optional bearing 7 is provided. This bearing 7 facilitates the rotation of the catch 3 by reducing the friction between the catch 3 and the lock plate 2. A biasing element 6 is provided between the pawl 4 and the lock plate 2. This biasing element 6, such as a leg spring, causes a rotational bias on the pawl 4 which urges the pawl 4 into a position in which it locks the transition of the catch 3 from its closed to its open position. The biasing element 6 is optional. The biasing element 6 may include a bearing to facilitate the rotation of the pawl 4.
The design of the lock plate 2, the catch 3 and the pawl 4 are not particularly limited and can be selected according to the specifications of the vehicle door latch 1 or the environment in which the vehicle door latch 1 is to be used. The only constraint is that the first rotary axis and the second rotary axis are not parallel. In other words, the two rotary axes constitute an angle which is larger than 0 degrees and smaller than 180 degrees.
One effect achieved by the angled single connector 5 is that the locking plate 2 is strengthened from deformations, in particular in an axial direction of the catch 3.
In the present embodiment, the connector 5 is a dual rivet. This means that the two end faces of the connector 5, that is the end face 5d of the end section 5a and the end face 5e of the end section 5b, can be riveted on the outside of the lock plate 2 in order to attach the catch 3 and the pawl 4 to the lock plate 2. The expression “outside of the lock plate” might mean “outside of a part of the lock plate in which the catch 3 and the pawl 4 are located”.
The connector 5 includes a first stop 8 which separates the end section 5a from the central section 5c and a second stop 10 which separates the end section 5b from the central section 5c. The first stop 8 limits or prevents an axial movement of the catch 3, and the second stop 10 limits or prevents an axial movement of the pawl 4.
In one embodiment, the first stop 8 optionally includes a rotatable stop face 8a which is connected to the central section 5c of the connector 5 via a bearing 8b. The stop face 8a can thus rotate about the first rotary axis together with the catch 3 such that there is no relative rotational movement between the stop face 8a and the catch 3.
The first end section 5a at least partly has a first cylindrical surface 9. This cylindrical surface 9 preferably is static with respect to the central section 5c of the connector 5. The cylindrical surface 9 might have a coating with a low friction.
The second stop 10 preferably has the same structure as the first stop 8. This means that the stop 10 has a stop face 10a for getting in contact with the pawl 4, wherein the stop face 10a is connected to the central section 5c of the connector 5 via a bearing 10b. The end section 5b at least partly has a second cylindrical surface 11 which preferably is static with respect to the central section 5c of the connector 5.
The bearing 8b or the bearing 10b might not be a part of the first stop 8 or the second stop 10, respectively, and thus of the connector 5. A bearing might instead be a separate component which is arranged between a stop and the catch 3 or the pawl 4. The stop face 8a or the stop face 10a is then a part of the bearing as a separate component.
The first cylindrical surface 9 can have the same diameter as the second cylindrical surface 11. In another embodiment, the diameters of the cylindrical surfaces 9 and 11 can be different from each other.
Although
When assembled as shown in
Comparably, the stop face 10a contacts the pawl 4, and the biasing element 6 is sandwiched between the pawl 4 and a surface of one part of the lock plate 2. The end section 5b of the connector 5 extends through the pawl 4, the biasing element 6 and an opening in the part of the lock plate 2. The end face 5e of the connector 5 can be riveted on the outside of the lock plate 2.
The dashed line in
This invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and modifications for various applications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. While this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and appended claims. In particular, the scope of the present invention includes all possible combinations of the features cited in all claims, which includes multiple dependencies of the dependent claims such that a dependent claim may depend on any preceding claim.
