Closure Latch

Abstract

A vehicle body door lock includes a detent movable between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt. The inside remote handle is connected to a remote lever having an operating foot. A detent release lever is connected to the detent and includes a slot. A pin movable within this slot is located in and out of the path of the remote lever foot to thereby couple and uncouple the inside remote handle and the detent. The pin is connected to a shiftable link which in turn is pivoted to a garnish button operated lever located by an overcenter spring in either coupled or uncoupled position to thereby locate the pin either in or out of the path of movement of the remote lever foot. When the remote handle is operated to open the door, the detent release lever slot cams the pin and causes the overcenter spring to move the garnish button lever to uncoupled position. This provides for automatic inside remote handle free wheeling. If the garnish button lever is moved to coupled position when the door is open, and the door is then closed, reverse rotation of the bolt rotates the detent release lever sufficiently toward released position to cause the spring to go overcenter and move the garnish button operated lever to uncoupled position.

Description

This invention relates to closure latches and more particularly to vehicle body door locks.

Conventionally, vehicle body door locks include an inside operator, such as a garnish button, for disconnecting the inside release means or remote handle. If the inside release means is disconnected with the door in open position, the outside operating means must be operated as the door is closed or the inside release means is reconnected. Also, the operator sometimes forgets to operate the inside operator when the door is in closed position so that the inside release means remains connected to the lock.

The door lock of this invention provides for automatic disconnection of the remote handle each time that the remote handle is operated to open the door or alternatively each time the door is closed if the remote handle is reconnected when the door is open. Thus the operator need not remember to operate the inside operator to disconnect the remote handle each time the door is closed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the remote lever connected to the inside remote handle is coaxially mounted with the detent release lever. The detent release lever is provided with a slot and a pin is positionable in this slot either in or out of the path of the remote lever to thereby selectively and alternately couple and uncouple the remote lever and the detent. A garnish button operated transfer lever is located in coupled and uncoupled positions by an overcenter spring and connected to the pin. Each time the remote handle is operated, the resulting movement of the remote lever cams the pin toward its uncoupled position and moves the transfer lever sufficiently so that the overcenter spring moves this lever to its uncoupled position. This in turn moves the garnish button to locked position. If the garnish button is moved to unlocked position when the door is in open position, the movement of the detent by the bolt causes the detent release lever to cam the pin toward uncoupled position and move the transfer lever to uncoupled position.

Thus, the automatic disconnect is of very simple construction and independent of any conscious effort on the part of the operator.

A major object of this invention is to provide a vehicle body door lock having remote handle actuated means for automatically disconnecting the remote handle each time the remote handle is operated. Another major object of this invention is to provide a vehicle body door lock having detent actuated means for automatically disconnecting the remote handle when the door is closed. Another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle body door lock having a pin selectively positionable in a slot of a detent release lever either in or out of the path of a remote lever to selectively couple and uncouple the remote lever and detent release lever.

These and other objects of the door lock of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a door lock according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body designated 10 includes a front door 12 hinged at its forward edge 14 to the body 10 for swinging movement between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown. Door 12 is held in closed position by a door lock 16 according to this invention. The outside operating or release means for the lock 16 includes a fixed door handle 18 embodying conventional pushbutton means 20, and the inside operating means or release means includes a conventional remote handle 22 mounted on the inner panel of the door 12.

Generally the lock 16 is the same as that shown and described in Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,682 and, accordingly, only those details necessary for an understanding of this invention will be specifically described. The back plate 24 of the lock 16 includes a lateral extension 26. A detent release lever 28 is pivoted at 30 to the extension 26 and includes a bifurcated portion 32 which straddles an arm of the detent 34 of the lock 16. The lever 28 also includes a longitudinal slot 36 having an enlarged portion 38 at the upper end thereof.

A bellcrank or transfer lever 40 is pivoted at 42 to the extension 26 and one leg thereof is pivoted to a rod 44. The other end of the rod is pivoted to one leg of a transfer lever 46 pivoted at 48 to the inner panel of door 12. A vertically shiftable garnish button or inside operator 50 is pivoted to the other leg of lever 48 and is vertically shiftable between locked and unlocked positions to respectively shift the lever 40 between uncoupled position, shown in FIG. 2, and coupled position, shown in full lines in FIG. 3, as will be further described. One end of a link 52 is pivoted at 54 to the other leg of the bellcrank 40 and the other end of the link mounts a fixed pin 56 which is slidably received in the slot 36. The head of the pin overlies the slot 36 and the enlarged portion 38 permits assembly of the pin within the slot. A coil type overcenter spring 58 is hooked between an extension 60 of the lever 40 and the extension 26 selectively and alternately locate the lever 40 in its uncoupled position, shown in FIG. 2, or its coupled position, shown in full lines in FIG. 3. When the lever 40 is in uncoupled position, a tab 62 of extension 26 locates the lever against the action of the spring 58, and when the lever 40 is in its coupled position, the engagement of the pin 56 with the lower end of the slot 36 locates the lever against the action of the spring 58.

An inside remote lever 64 is coaxially pivoted at its upper end at 30 with the lever 28. A shiftable rod 66 connects the lower end of the lever 64 and the remote handle 22 so that upon operation of the remote handle the lever 64 is swung clockwise about the pivot 30. The lever 64 further includes an arcuate tab or foot 68 and this foot and the pin 56 provide the operative connection between the inside remote handle and the detent when the lever 40 is in its coupled position, as will be described.

With reference to FIG. 3 which shows the lever 40 in full lines in its coupled position, it will be noted that when the lever 40 is in this position the pin 56 lies in the path of the foot 68 so that upon clockwise swinging movement of the lever 64, the foot 68 will pick up the pin 56 and in turn rotate the lever 28 clockwise about the pivot 30 to its dash line position and thereby pivot the detent about its pivot on the lock frame to released position to permit the bolt to move to unlatched position.

When the lever 40 is in its uncoupled position shown in full lines in FIG. 2, the pin 56 is located out of the path of the foot 68 so that swinging movement of the lever 64 results in remote handle freewheeling.

The garnish button 50 provides for movement of the lever 40 between its coupled and uncoupled positions and may be operated at any time to locate the lever 40 in the selected position.

When the remote handle is operated to release the detent 34 of the lock, the rod 66 is shifted forwardly of the body as viewed in FIG. 1 to in turn swing the remote lever 64 clockwise about the pivot 30. The foot 68 of the remote lever will pick up the pin 56 to thereby swing the transfer lever clockwise about the pivot 30 and in turn release the detent 34. As the lever 28 swings clockwise, the slot 36 will cam the pin 56 upwardly to in turn shift the link 52 and thereby swing the bellcrank lever 40 counterclockwise about the pivot 42. As soon as the end of the spring 58 connected to the lever 40 moves past a line between the pivot 42 and the other end of the spring, the spring 58 will go overcenter to move the lever 40 to its uncoupled position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 or in dash lines in FIG. 3. Thereafter the remote handle 22 is disconnected from the transfer lever 28.

When the door is closed, the detent 34 will intermittently swing as the detent ratchets past the first and second teeth or abutments of the bolt. During this swinging movement of the detent, the lever 28 will intermittently swing counterclockwise about the pivot 30 but this will have no effect on the position of the lever 40 since the movement is not sufficient to cause the spring 58 to go overcenter. Thus each time that the remote handle 22 is operated to release the detent and open the door, the remote handle is automatically disconnected and is not reconnected when the door is thereafter closed.

When the door is in an open position, the garnish button may be operated to position the lever 40 in coupled position. If the lever 40 is located in coupled position as shown in full lines in FIG. 3 and the door is then closed, as the detent ratchets past the first tooth of the bolt, the detent will rotate in a direction which will shift the lever 28 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3 to its dash line position. This in turn will shift the link 50 upwardly to its dash line position to rotate lever 40 counterclockwise. As soon as the end of the spring 58 connected to lever 40 moves past a line between the pivot 42 and the other end of the spring connected to the extension 26, spring 58 will go overcenter and move the lever 40 to uncoupled position, shown in dash lines in FIG. 3, so that pin 56 moves up slot 36 and handle 22 is disconnected.

Thus this invention provides an improved vehicle body door lock.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, and an inside release member mounted on the body, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent, connecting means operable to selectively and alternately connect the disconnect the remote lever and release lever, and means actuating the connecting means to disconnect the remote lever and release lever upon movement of the release lever by the remote lever and by the detent.

2. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, and an inside release member mounted on the body, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent, means including a pin movable within a slot in one lever and engageable by the other lever for interconnecting the remote lever and release lever, means selectively and alternately locating the pin either in a first position in the slot in the path of the other lever to connect the remote lever and release lever or in a second position in the slot out of the path of the other lever to disconnect the remote lever and release lever, and means actuating the locating means to move the pin from the first position thereof to the second position thereof to disconnect the remote lever and release lever upon movement of the release lever by the remote lever and by the detent.

3. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, and an inside release member mounted on the body, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent, means including a pin movable within a slot in the release lever and engageable by the remote lever for interconnecting the remote lever and release lever, means selectively and alternately locating the pin either in a first position in the slot in the path of the remote lever to connect the remote lever and release lever or in a second position in the slot out of the path of the remote lever to disconnect the remote lever and release lever, and means actuating the locating means to move the pin from the first position thereof to the second position thereof to disconnect the remote lever and release lever upon movement of the remote lever by the inside release member.

4. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, an inside release member mounted on the body, and an inside operator mounted on the body for movement between locked and unlocked positions, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent for movement therewith, a transfer lever mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside operator, means including a pin movable within a slot in the release lever and engageable by the remote lever for interconnecting the remote lever and the detent release lever, means connecting the pin to the transfer lever, the transfer lever being operable by the inside operator to locate the pin in a first position in the slot in the path of the remote lever to connect the remote lever and detent release lever in the unlocked position of the operator and being operable to locate the pin in a second position in the slot out of the path of the remote lever to disconnect the remote lever and detent release lever in the locked position of the inside operator, the slot camming the pin from the first position to the second position to disconnect the remote lever and detent release lever upon movement of the detent release lever by the detent upon movement of the detent to released position by the bolt.

5. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, an inside release member mounted on the body, and an inside operator mounted on the body for movement between locked and unlocked positions, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent for movement therewith, a transfer lever mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside operator, a link pivoted adjacent one end thereof to the transfer lever and mounting a pin adjacent the other end thereof received within a slot in the detent release lever to interconnect the transfer lever and the detent release lever, the transfer lever being operable by the inside operator to locate the pin in a first position in the slot in the path of the remote lever to connect the remote lever and detent release lever in the unlocked position of the operator and being operable to locate the pin in a second position in the slot out of the path of the remote lever to disconnect the remote lever and detent release lever in the locked position of the inside operator, movement of the detent release lever by the detent upon movement of the detent to released position by the bolt causing the slot therein to cam the pin from the first position to the second position to disconnect the detent release lever and remote lever.

6. In a vehicle body having a door, a door lock mounted on the door and including a lock frame, a detent swingably mounted on the frame for movement between holding and released positions with respect to a bolt mounted on the frame for movement between latched and unlatched positions, an inside release member mounted on the body, and an inside operator mounted on the body for movement between locked and unlocked positions, the combination comprising, a remote lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the inside release member, a detent release lever movably mounted on the frame and operatively connected to the detent for movement therewith, a transfer lever mounted on the frame for movement between first and second positions and operatively connected to the inside operator, means selectively and alternately biasing the transfer lever to first and second positions upon movement of the inside operator to locked and unlocked positions, a link pivoted adjacent one end thereof to the transfer lever and mounting a pin adjacent the other end thereof received within a slot in the detent release lever, the pin having a first position in engagement with an end of the slot and in the path of the remote lever to connect the remote lever and detent release lever in the first position of the transfer lever and having a second position in the slot out of the path of the remote lever to disconnect the remote lever and detent release lever in the second position of the transfer lever, movement of the detent release lever by the detent upon movement of the detent to released position by the bolt causing the slot to cam the pin from the first position to the second position to disconnect the remote lever and detent release lever, the biasing means holding the pin in engagement with the slot end to locate the pin in the first position thereof and locate the transfer lever in the second position, and means locating the transfer lever in the second position against the action of the biasing means to locate the pin in the second position thereof.