U.S. patent number 3,858,916 [Application Number 05/423,927] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-07 for door lock device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Nozomu Torii, Minoru Yamanaka.
United States Patent |
3,858,916 |
Torii , et al. |
January 7, 1975 |
DOOR LOCK DEVICE
Abstract
A door lock device including a base plate, a bracket mounted on
the base plate, two shafts fixed to the base plate and the bracket,
one of the shafts being held in common by a first latch member and
a first pawl, the other of the shafts being held in common by a
second latch member and a second pawl, biasing means for
maintaining the first and second latch members and the first and
second pawls in normal states thereof, a striker in contact with
the first and second latch members so as to move them swingingly
against the biasing means, the first and second pawls being opposed
to the second and first latch members respectively for retaining
them in the half-latched or full-latched position, and means for
simultaneously releasing the retaining means for the first and
second latch members so as to make them return to their normal
states from the half-latched or full-latched position.
Inventors: |
Torii; Nozomu (Hekinan,
JA), Yamanaka; Minoru (Toyota, JA) |
Assignee: |
Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
(Kariya-City, Aichi-pref., JA)
|
Family
ID: |
16370686 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/423,927 |
Filed: |
December 12, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 13, 1972 [JA] |
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47-197212 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
292/45;
292/DIG.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
85/247 (20130101); Y10T 292/0849 (20150401); Y10S
292/23 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
65/32 (20060101); E05c 003/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;292/11,25,26,45,48,216,DIG.23 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Moore; Richard E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Fisher, Spivak, McClelland
& Maier
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent
of the United States is:
1. A door lock device, comprising:
a base plate;
a bracket mounted on said base plate;
two shafts fixed to said base plate and said bracket;
one of said shafts being held in common by a first latch member and
a first pawl;
the other of said shafts being held in common by a second latch
member and a second pawl;
biasing means for maintaining said first and second latch members
and said first and second pawls in normal states thereof,
respectively;
a striker capable of contact with said first and second latch
members so as to move them swingingly against said biasing
means;
said first and second pawls being opposed to said second and said
first latch members, respectively, for retaining them in the
half-latched or the full-latched position; and
means for simultaneously releasing said retaining means for said
first and said second latch members so as to make them returned to
their normal states from said half-latched or full-latched
position.
2. A door lock device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said biasing
means for said latch members is tortioned therebetween and
comprises first and second coiled portions arranged in peripheries
of said shafts, respectively.
3. A door lock device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said biasing
means for said pawls is a coil spring tortioned therebetween.
4. A door lock device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means
for releasing said retaining means comprises a first lever
pivotably swingably mounted on said bracket for engaging with one
of said pawls and releasing it from engagement with one of said
latch members and a second lever pivotaly swingably mounted on said
bracket and operatively connected to said first lever for engaging
with the other of said pawls for releasing it from engagement with
the other of said latch members in linkage with said first lever.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a door lock device for
vehicles and more particularly to an improved door latch means
enhancing the safety of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
It has become increasingly more important for a motorcar to be
safe, comfortable and to meet the ecological demands of present
times. Not only has there been extreme legislative pressures on the
automobile industry, but the changing standards of living have
brought even greater public demands. One primary area of concern
for the safety of the automobiel has been directed to the door lock
device. Although prior art devices have been concerned with
prevention of inadvertent opening of the automobile doors,
especially in the event of collision, such prior art devices have
not been entirely satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principle object of the present invention to
provide an improved door lock device wherein latch means are
provided in a double arrangement to increase the strength of the
mechanism, such that in the event one of the latch means between a
latch member and a pawl is released, engagement can be retained by
the other latch means, and thereby it is possible to raise the
security of such door lock higher than in conventional devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
door lock device wherein each set of latch member and associated
pawl hold a common pivot shaft, thereby permitting the present
device to be a compact structure which is low cost in
manufacture.
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention, these and other objects are attained by providing a door
lock device including a base plate, a bracket mounted on the base
plate, two shafts fixed to the base plate and the bracket, one of
the shafts being held in common by a first latch member and a first
pawl, the other of the shafts being held in common by a second
latch member and a second pawl, biasing means for maintaining the
first and second latch members and the first and second pawls in
normal states thereof, a striker in contact with the first and
second latch members so as to move them swingingly against the
biasing means, the first and second pawls being opposed to the
second and first latch members respectively for retaining them in
the half-latched or full-latched position, and means for
simultaneously releasing the retaining means for the first and
second latch members so as to make them return to their normal
states from the half-latched or full-latched position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the
present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same
becomes better understood from the following detailed description
when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing one embodiment of the present
invention in full-latch engagement;
FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of FIG. 1 showing the internal
construction of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line A--A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the present invention in the
door-open position;
FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the present invention in
half-latch engagement;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the present invention in
full-latch engagement;
FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view showing the relasing mechanism of
the present invention in the status before effecting the releasing
operation;
FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view showing the releasing mechanism
in the status after releasing the engagement of the latch
means;
FIG. 9 is a side elevation viewed in the direction of the arrow B
of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the striker engaging with the
latch means of the present invention; and
FIG. 11 is a side elevation of FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1 - 3, a base plate 10 together with a
bracket 12 forms a body for retaining and housing the operative
members of the present door lock device. A first shaft 14 is
retained within hole 18 of the base plate 10 and hole 20 of the
bracket 12 and a second shaft 16 is retained within a hole 22 of
the base plate 10 and hole 24 of the bracket 12. The numeral 26
represents a first latch member, 28 a second latch member, 30 a
first pawl and 32 a second pawl. The first latch member 26 and the
first pawl 30 are held in common on the first shaft 14 and are
arranged so as to swingingly move around the shaft 14. The second
latch member 26 and second pawl 32 are held in common on the second
shaft 16 and are arranged so as to swingingly move around the shaft
16. The first latch member 26 is opposed to the second pawl 32, and
the second latch member 28 is opposed to the first pawl 30. A first
tooth face 34 and second tooth face 36 are provided on the first
latch member 26, which may engage with a tooth 38 of the second
pawl 32. A first tooth face 40 and second tooth face 42 are
provided on the second latch member 28, which may engage with the
tooth 44 of the first pawl 30. A pawl return spring 46 has hooks
52, 58 caught by a notch 50 provided on an arm 48 of the first pawl
30 and by a notch 56 provided on an arm 54 of the second pawl 32,
respectively, such that the spring 46 may urge the first pawl 30 in
clockwise direction and the second pawl 32 in counter-clockwise
direction with the shafts 14 and 16 as their axes. A latch spring
60 includes a first coiled portion 62 and a second coiled portion
64 arranged in peripheries of the first shaft 14 and the second
shaft 16, respectively. The first latch member 26 and the second
latch member 28 provide notches 66 and 68 respectively to which are
hooked, with a predetermined load, arms 70 and 72 respectively
provided at the latch spring 60 so as to urge the first latch
member 26 in a clockwise direction, and the second latch member 28
in a counter-clockwise direction. Arms 74 and 76 are formed at the
first latch member 26 and the second latch member 28, respectively,
so that they may engage with a U-shaped arm 80 of a striker 78, as
shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. A lever 82 which is mounted to the
bracket 12 by the shaft 84, swingingly moves around shaft 84, as
viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8. The lever includes a contact portion 90
which may be in contact with the arm 54 of the second pawl 32
through a conical hole 86 in the bracket 12, so as to rotate the
second pawl 32 in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIGS. 7
and 8, by a suitable angle. The lever 82 also provides a pin 96 so
as to transmit the movement of the lever 82 to a lever 94 through
an elongated hole 92 in the bracket 12. The pin 96 is engageable,
with a small amount of play, with an elongated hole 98 provided in
the lever 94. The lever 94 is mounted on the bracket 12 by a shaft
100 so as to swingingly move around the shaft 100. The lever 94
includes a contact portion 102 which may be in contact with the arm
48 of the first pawl 30 so as to make the rotation of the first
pawl 30 in the clockwise direction by a suitable angle. Four holes
104 are provided at the base plate 10 and four trapped holes 106
are provided at the bracket 12, both for fitting the door locking
device to the door (not shown). The striker 78, shown in FIGS. 10
and 11, is secured by a screw to the side of the vehicle body
through the fitting holes 108, so as to permit engagement between
the U-shaped arm 80 and the door locking device.
With reference first to FIGS. 4 to 6, the engaging process of the
present device will be described. FIG. 4 shows the present device
in a door-open status. When the door is operated from the open to
closed status, the U-shaped arm 80 of the striker 78, fitted to the
vehicle body, would advance toward the second tooth-face 36 of the
first latch member 26 and the second tooth-face 42 of the second
latch member 28. The U-shaped arm 80 then simultaneously pushes the
second tooth-faces 36 and 42 of the first and second latch members
26 and 28, respectively. Accordingly, the first latch member 26 and
the second latch member 28 rotate against each load of arms 70 and
72 of the latch spring 60 with the first shaft 14 and the second
shaft 16 as axes in the counterclockwise direction and the
clockwise direction, respectively. When they have rotated through
predetermined angles, the first tooth face 34 of the first latch
member 26 would engage with the tooth 38 of the second pawl 32 with
the clockwise rotation of the second pawl 32 against the spring 46,
and the first tooth-face 40 of the second latch member 28 would
engage with the tooth 44 of the first pawl 30 with the
counterclockwise rotation of the pawl 30 against the spring 46, as
shown in FIG. 5. This position represents the half latched status.
When the U-shaped arm 80 directly advances, the rotating angles of
the first latch member 26 and the second latch member 28 would
become large, such that the engagement between the first tooth-face
34 of the first latch member 26 and the tooth 38 of the second pawl
32 may be released, and, at the same time, the engagement between
the first tooth-face 40 of the second latch member 28 and the tooth
44 of the first pawl 30 may be released. The tooth 38 of the second
pawl 32 is then engaged with the second tooth-face 36 of the first
latch member 26, and the tooth 44 of the first pawl 30 is engaged
with the second tooth face 42 of the second latch member 28. This
position represents the full latched status as shown in FIG. 6. The
operation for releasing the engagement will now be described with
reference to FIGS. 7 - 9. FIG. 7 shows the door closed status. The
lever 82 is operatively connected to the door handle through a link
means (not shown) and is swingably pivotably fitted to the bracket
12 by the shaft 84. When lever 82 is made to swingingly move in the
counterclockwise direction, the contact portion 90, which is in
contact with the arm 54 of the second pawl 32 through the conical
hole 86 bored at the bracket 12, permits the pawl 32 to rotate in
the counterclockwise direction centering around the shaft 16, as
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, until the engagement between the second
tooth-face 36 of the first latch member 26 and the tooth 38 of the
second pawl 32 is completely released. Accompanying with this
operation, the pin 96, provided on the lever 82, is engaged, with a
little amount of play, through the elongated hole 92 bored in the
bracket 12 with the elongated hole 98 of the lever 94. Lever 94 is
swingably pivotably fitted to the bracket 12 by the shaft 100, so
that the lever 94 may move swingingly, with the shaft 100 as an
axis, in the clockwise direction. At the same time, the contact
portion 102, which is in contact with the arm 48 of the first pawl
30 may permit the pawl 30 to rotate in the clockwise direction
until the engagement between the second tooth-face 42 of the second
latch member 28 and the tooth 44 of the first pawl 30 is completely
released. Such operation could be effected against the load of the
pawl return spring 46. As the result, the first latch member 25 and
the second latch member 28 are both completely released from their
engagements and accordingly, owing to the load of arms 70 and 72 of
the latch spring 60, the first latch member 26 rotates in the
counterclockwise direction until the face 110 of the first latch
member 26 makes contact with the face 112 of the bracket 12, as
viewed in FIG. 8. The second latch member 28 rotates in the
clockwise direction until the face 114 of the second latch member
28 makes contact with the face 116 of the bracket 12, as also shown
in FIG. 8. This position represents the door open status of the
present device.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of these teachings. It is therefore
to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the
invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described
herein.
* * * * *