EP1548214A1 - Inertia locking mechanism - Google Patents
Inertia locking mechanism Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1548214A1 EP1548214A1 EP03258142A EP03258142A EP1548214A1 EP 1548214 A1 EP1548214 A1 EP 1548214A1 EP 03258142 A EP03258142 A EP 03258142A EP 03258142 A EP03258142 A EP 03258142A EP 1548214 A1 EP1548214 A1 EP 1548214A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- locking mechanism
- inertia
- mechanism according
- latch
- lever
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- E05B85/00—Details of vehicle locks not provided for in groups E05B77/00 - E05B83/00
- E05B85/02—Lock casings
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- E05B77/00—Vehicle locks characterised by special functions or purposes
- E05B77/02—Vehicle locks characterised by special functions or purposes for accident situations
- E05B77/04—Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision
- E05B77/06—Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision by means of inertial forces
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- E05B77/00—Vehicle locks characterised by special functions or purposes
- E05B77/02—Vehicle locks characterised by special functions or purposes for accident situations
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an inertia locking mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inertia locking mechanism that incorporates magnetic biasing for a vehicle operable in response to vehicle acceleration or deceleration to prevent unwanted unlatching of a vehicle door latch.
- vehicle passenger doors may deform. This deformation may cause components in the linkage from an inside or outside door handle to change their relative positions. This potentially results in an unwanted unlatching of the latch due to, for example, the linkage stretching and thus moving a release lever of the latch. In such a crash or impact situation, unlatching of vehicle passenger doors is undesirable because the latched doors provide a large proportion of the structural integrity of the vehicle, whereas unlatched doors do not. Additionally, the unlatching of a door during an impact increases the risk of vehicle occupants being thrown from the vehicle, leading to an increased risk of injury.
- the present invention seeks to overcome, or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
- one aspect of the present invention provides an inertia locking mechanism for a vehicle door latch, the mechanism comprising a transmission path normally operable by a door handle to release a latch bolt of a vehicle door latch, the transmission path comprising a component that is arranged to cause a block or break in the transmission path in the event that a vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined lever, the component being magnetically biased and the block or break being arranged to be created when the magnetic biasing is overcome by the acceleration.
- a second aspect of the present invention provides a door latch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a release lever operable by a door handle, and a transmission path linkage comprising a inertia body arranged in normal operation to transmit unlatching movement from the release lever to release a latch bolt of the latch, wherein, in the event that the vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined level, the inertia of said body in the latch mechanism causes a block or break to be created in the transmission linkage, the inertia body being biased into its normal operating position by a magnet.
- a latch 11 is mounted to a vehicle side passenger door 90 at the intersection of a shut face 91 (at the door trailing edge) and inside face 92 thereof. A portion of the door is cut away to provide an opening 93 spanning the intersection, the opening being capable of receiving a striker (not shown) mounted to a fixed portion of the vehicle such as a door pillar (not shown).
- a similarly dimensioned opening 94 is also provided in a chassis 12 of the latch 11.
- An outside release lever 14 of the latch 11 is connected to an outside handle 20 of the door 90 by a linkage 21.
- a latch bolt in the form of a rotatable claw 95 (also partially visible in Figure 15) is pivotally mounted to an inner face of the of a chassis 12 by a pivot pin, and is arranged to receive the striker in a mouth 96 thereof.
- the claw 95 is shown in a released state.
- the claw 95 is biased into an open position by resilient means such as a spring (not shown).
- the claw 95 may be retained by a latch pawl 97 by engagement of a pawl tooth 97a thereof with either a first safety abutment 95a or fully latched abutment 95b on a periphery of the claw 95.
- the latching pawl 97 is pivotally mounted about a second pivot pin 89 and is resiliently biased by a spring 98 into contact with the claw 95, as is known.
- a cover plate 99 has been placed on the latch so as to partially obscure claw 95 and totally obscure the latch 97 pawl.
- the cover plate 99 further shrouds mouth 20 of the retention plate 22 so as to minimise the ingress of dirt etc. into the latch 11 via the mouth.
- An outside actuating lever 56 is pivotably connected to a release link connector 88 by a pin.
- Connector 88 extends from a pawl lifter (not shown).
- the pawl lifter rotates about pin 89 and has a lost motion connection to the pawl 97 to be capable of disengaging the pawl from the claw 95.
- Inside actuating lever 87 is similarly connected to the pawl lifter.
- the pawl lifter and connector 88 rotate together about pin 89.
- the pawl lifter is biased in a clockwise direction by a spring (not shown). Rotation of a main lock lever 86 in a clockwise direction causes actuating levers 56 and 87 to rotate clockwise by the action of a cam portion (not visible) of link 86 to move to a locked position.
- Actuating levers 56 and 87 are biased in an anti-clockwise direction by a spring (not shown) so that when the main lock lever 86 returns to the unlock position, the links 56 and 87 also return to their unlocked position.
- a mechanism of the latch 11 indicated generally at 10 comprises a number of latch components mounted to another portion of latch chassis 12 to that visible in Figure 15.
- the mechanism is positioned on top of the cover plate 99 so as to be capable of actuating lever 56.
- the components comprise the release lever 14 pivotally mounted to the chassis 12 by pin 16 at one end and further having a slotted aperture 18 at its other end for connection to the outside door handle (illustrated schematically at 20 in Figure 1).
- a limb 22 extends from one side of release lever 14 and has pivotally mounted thereon a catch 24 having a tooth 26.
- the catch 24 is pivotally mounted about pin 28 and is biased in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1.
- a ramp surface 30 is secured to tooth 26 and projects into the paper when viewed in Figure 1.
- An inertia pawl 32 is pivotally mounted to release lever 14 via pin 34 positioned intermediate pin 16 and aperture 18.
- the inertia pawl 32 is biased in an anti-clockwise direction.
- the pawl comprises a pawl tooth 36 arranged to engage tooth 26 of catch 24 via an end surface 38 of the pawl and an inner surface 40 of catch tooth 26.
- Pawl tooth 36 further comprises an inner surface 42 and catch tooth 26 further comprises an end surface 44.
- a fixed projection 46 extends from the chassis 12 and is positioned so as to engage ramp 30 during pivoting motion of the release lever 14, as will be discussed in further detail below.
- a transmission lever 48 is further pivotally mounted to pin 34 on release lever 14.
- the transmission lever 48 is rotationally fast with pawl 32 and is therefore also biased in an anti-clockwise direction by biasing means in the form of a permanent magnet 50 that is arranged to attract a magnetic portion of the transmission lever.
- An abutment surface 52 is provided at the end of lever 48 remote from pin 34 such that in normal operation the abutment surface may contact a corresponding abutment surface 54 of an actuating lever 56, when the actuating lever is in an unlocked position as shown in Figure 17. It will be appreciated that when fitted to the trailing edge of a vehicle side passenger door as shown in Figure 1, the pivotal axis of transmission lever 48 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal (i.e. front to rear) axis of the vehicle and vehicle door and the axis about which claw 95 and latch pawl 97 rotate.
- a projection 58 is provided on one face of transmission lever and fits in a slot or recess 60 provided in chassis 12.
- projection 58 may slide along a linear slot portion 60a, arranged to extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of transmission lever 48.
- the projection is, of course, biased towards the upper surface of slot portion 60a by magnet 50.
- projection 58 may also move along arcuate slot portion 60b as transmission lever 48 pivots about pin 34 to come to rest in the position shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, projection 58 may move to the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5 so as to come to rest along the abutment surface 62 which extends substantially parallel to slot portion 60a. It should be noted that with pin 58 at rest along abutment surface 62, abutment surface 52 of the transmission lever 48 cannot contact abutment surface 54 of actuating lever 56.
- the latch Under normal operating conditions starting with the latch in a latched, unlocked condition, the latch operates as follows:
- a subsequent pull on the outside door handle then enables the latch mechanism 10 to be released in the normal way, with abutment surface 52 contacting abutment surface 56.
- This resetting feature of the transmission linkage enables the latch to be continue to be used in the normal way after an impact. In particular, it enables the door to be opened to enable emergency personnel to enter the vehicle in the event that the vehicle occupants are injured in the impact (assuming that this is not prevented by excessive deformation of the door to which the latch is fitted).
- the inertia body 170 is biased in an anti-clockwise direction by a spring or magnet (not shown) and is shown in its rest position in Figure 6.
- An upper surface 176 of the body 170 defines, together with the upper surface of slot 160 what is effectively an elongate slot portion 160a equivalent to slot portion 60a of the first embodiment.
- projection 158 tends to contact surface 176 of the inertia body 170 during movement along slot portion 160a.
- Inertia body 170 further comprises an inertia mass portion 174 remote from pin 172.
- inertia body 170 is caused to pivot about pin 172 in a clockwise direction relative to the remainder of the latch. This occurs due to the tendency of the inertia mass portion 174 to remain stationary in the transverse direction, whilst the rest of the vehicle accelerates. In the rest position the spatial relationship between surface 176, projection 158, pin 172 and the slot 160 is such that the inertia mass may rotate without fouling on the projection 158.
- the transmission lever rotates in a clockwise direction X under the influence of magnet 150 to come to rest in the position shown in Figure 7. Once the acceleration has ceased, inertia mass 170 rotates anti-clockwise to return to its rest position under the influence of its biasing.
- FIGS 10 and 11 illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention in which like parts have again been designated by like numerals, but with the addition of the prefix "2". Again, only the differences between this embodiment and the first two embodiments are discussed in detail.
- the inertia body 270 is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction in a similar manner to the body 170 of second embodiment. This causes projection 258 to leave notch 280 and slide in a direction of X 2 to attain the position shown in Figure 11. Once the deceleration due to the impact has ceased, the projection is maintained in this position due to an equilibrium of the anti-clockwise biasing force acting on release lever 214, clockwise biasing force acting on the transmission lever 248 due to magnet 250, the anti-clockwise biasing force acting on the inertia body 274 due to torsion spring 284, and the frictional resistance between projection 258 and surface 282 of body 270.
- a subsequent pull on outside door handle 220 causes inertia member 270 to rotate in a clockwise direction until the frictional resistance between projection 148 and surface 282 and the biasing force of magnet 250 is overcome, so that the projection slides back into notch 280.
- abutment surface 252 misses abutment surface 254. Only once the outside door handle is released, to return transmission linkage back to the rest position shown in Figure 10 will a further pull on outside door handle lead to the unlatching of the latch 210.
- FIGS 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which like parts have been designated by like numerals, but with the addition of the prefix "3". Only differences between this embodiment and the preceding embodiments are discussed in detail.
- slot 360 has a U-shaped configuration with spaced substantially parallel linear slot portions 360a and 362 joined by a transverse slot portion 360b.
- the slot configuration is similar to that of the first embodiment except that the transverse portion 360b is angled towards linear slot portion 362 so as to promote pin 358 entering portion 362 if lever 348 pivots from its rest position.
- a permanent magnet 350 is provided to urge pin 358 into slot 360a.
- the pawl and catch mechanism of the first embodiment is dispensed with.
- lever 348 pivots clockwise in portion 360b of the slot as shown in Figure 13. If there is a simultaneous or near-simultaneous deformation of the door at this point which causes release lever 314 to pivot anti-clockwise, pin 358 slides in slot portion 362 as shown in Figure 14 such that the end 352 of lever 348 misses abutment surface 354 of actuating lever 356, preventing the latch from releasing.
- lever 314 normally returns to its rest position under the influence of magnet 350, freeing pin 358 and transmission lever 348 to pivot anti-clockwise back to the rest position shown in Figure 12, so that subsequent pulls on the outside door handle 320 will release the latch.
- the moment provided by the magnet in this embodiment is approximately 15 Nmm when the transmission lever 348 is in its rest position, and approximately 9.5 Nmm when the lever is in its locked position in slot 362.
- the strength of the magnet and arrangement of the magnet and the levers may be adjusted to provide particular biasing characteristics.
- FIG. 14A A fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 14A which is the same as the fourth embodiment except that second linear slot 362 is omitted.
- lever 448 pivots clockwise.
- any pivoting of release lever 414 is blocked by abutment surface 463, also ensuring that the latch is not released.
- Figure 14A shows the actuating lever in a locked position at which inertia lever 448 is incapable of contacting surface 454 to release the latch.
- magnets to provide the biasing of the lever or inertia body has been found to be particularly effective since reliability may be improved over an extended period of time. This is because magnets do not generally suffer from corrosion, fatigue and the effects of dirt ingress to the same extent as conventional springs.
- lever 48, 348, 448 or inertia body 170, 270 may be adjusted according to the particular characteristics required by altering the mass or length of the lever arm.
- Interchangeable masses may be attached to the lever 48, 348, 448 or inertia body 170, 270 to achieve this. Such masses may also be provided as the ferrous material to be attracted by the magnet.
- a magnet may alternatively be provided on the transmission lever or inertia body, rather that fixed to the latch chassis.
- Magnets may be provided on both the chassis and the transmission lever/inertia body to repulse each other. Electromagnets may be used rather than permanent magnets. Additionally, components may be provided to block the transmission path, rather than provide a break. Furthermore, a similar arrangement may be used to provide such a block or break in the transmission path from the inside door handle to the latch bolt, although in normal circumstances it is less likely for deformations of the door in an impact to cause unlatching by virtue of the movement of the inside door handle relative to the latch mechanism. In certain circumstances it may not be necessary for the mechanism to be resettable.
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- Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
Abstract
An inertia locking mechanism for a vehicle door latch, the mechanism comprising a
transmission path normally operable by a door handle to release a latch bolt of a vehicle
door latch, the transmission path comprising a component that is arranged to cause a
block or break in the transmission path in the event that a vehicle undergoes
acceleration above a predetermined level, the component being magnetically biased and
the block or break being arranged to be created when the magnetic biasing is overcome
by the acceleration.
Description
- The present invention relates to an inertia locking mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inertia locking mechanism that incorporates magnetic biasing for a vehicle operable in response to vehicle acceleration or deceleration to prevent unwanted unlatching of a vehicle door latch.
- During an impact with another body, vehicle passenger doors may deform. This deformation may cause components in the linkage from an inside or outside door handle to change their relative positions. This potentially results in an unwanted unlatching of the latch due to, for example, the linkage stretching and thus moving a release lever of the latch. In such a crash or impact situation, unlatching of vehicle passenger doors is undesirable because the latched doors provide a large proportion of the structural integrity of the vehicle, whereas unlatched doors do not. Additionally, the unlatching of a door during an impact increases the risk of vehicle occupants being thrown from the vehicle, leading to an increased risk of injury.
- The present invention seeks to overcome, or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.
- Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides an inertia locking mechanism for a vehicle door latch, the mechanism comprising a transmission path normally operable by a door handle to release a latch bolt of a vehicle door latch, the transmission path comprising a component that is arranged to cause a block or break in the transmission path in the event that a vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined lever, the component being magnetically biased and the block or break being arranged to be created when the magnetic biasing is overcome by the acceleration.
- A second aspect of the present invention provides a door latch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a release lever operable by a door handle, and a transmission path linkage comprising a inertia body arranged in normal operation to transmit unlatching movement from the release lever to release a latch bolt of the latch, wherein, in the event that the vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined level, the inertia of said body in the latch mechanism causes a block or break to be created in the transmission linkage, the inertia body being biased into its normal operating position by a magnet.
- Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:
- FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a latch incorporating an inertia locking mechanism according to the present invention incorporating a transmission linkage shown in a rest position;
- FIGURE 2 shows the transmission linkage of Figure 1 in a locked position;
- FIGURE 3 shows the linkage of Figure 1 in a pawl lifted condition;
- FIGURE 4 shows the linkage of Figure 1 in a lever return position;
- FIGURE 5 shows the linkage of Figure 1 in a full travel position;
- FIGURE 6 is a schematic view of an inertia locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention incorporating a transmission linkage shown in a rest position;
- FIGURE 7 shows the linkage of Figure 6 in a locked position;
- FIGURE 8 shows the linkage of Figure 6 in a resetting position;
- FIGURE 9 shows the linkage of Figure 6 in a full travel position;
- FIGURE 10 is a schematic view of an inertia locking mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention incorporating a linkage, the linkage being in a rest position;
- FIGURE 11 shows the linkage of Figure 10 in a locked condition;
- FIGURE 12 is a schematic view of an inertia locking mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention incorporating a transmission linkage shown in a rest position;
- FIGURE 13 shows the linkage of Figure 12 in an activated condition;
- FIGURE 14 shows the linkage of Figure 12 in a full travel position;
- FIGURE 14A is a schematic view of an inertia locking mechanism according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention incorporating a transmission linkage shown in a rest position;
- FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a vehicle passenger door incorporating a latch including a mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;
- FIGURE 16 is a perspective view of the latch of Figure 15 in a partially assembled state; and
- FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of the latch of Figure 15 at a later stage of assembly;
-
- Referring to Figure 15, a latch 11 is mounted to a vehicle side passenger door 90 at the intersection of a shut face 91 (at the door trailing edge) and inside
face 92 thereof. A portion of the door is cut away to provide anopening 93 spanning the intersection, the opening being capable of receiving a striker (not shown) mounted to a fixed portion of the vehicle such as a door pillar (not shown). A similarly dimensionedopening 94 is also provided in achassis 12 of the latch 11. An outside release lever 14 of the latch 11 is connected to anoutside handle 20 of the door 90 by alinkage 21. - Referring now to Figure 16 it can be seen that a latch bolt in the form of a rotatable claw 95 (also partially visible in Figure 15) is pivotally mounted to an inner face of the of a
chassis 12 by a pivot pin, and is arranged to receive the striker in amouth 96 thereof. In Figures 15 and 16 theclaw 95 is shown in a released state. Theclaw 95 is biased into an open position by resilient means such as a spring (not shown). However, as it is caused to rotate by relative movement between the striker and latch 11 during closure of the door 90, theclaw 95 may be retained by alatch pawl 97 by engagement of apawl tooth 97a thereof with either a first safety abutment 95a or fully latched abutment 95b on a periphery of theclaw 95. Thelatching pawl 97 is pivotally mounted about asecond pivot pin 89 and is resiliently biased by aspring 98 into contact with theclaw 95, as is known. - Turning to Figure 17, a
cover plate 99 has been placed on the latch so as to partially obscureclaw 95 and totally obscure thelatch 97 pawl. Thecover plate 99 furthershrouds mouth 20 of theretention plate 22 so as to minimise the ingress of dirt etc. into the latch 11 via the mouth. - An outside actuating
lever 56 is pivotably connected to a release link connector 88 by a pin. Connector 88 extends from a pawl lifter (not shown). The pawl lifter rotates aboutpin 89 and has a lost motion connection to thepawl 97 to be capable of disengaging the pawl from theclaw 95. Inside actuatinglever 87 is similarly connected to the pawl lifter. The pawl lifter and connector 88 rotate together aboutpin 89. The pawl lifter is biased in a clockwise direction by a spring (not shown). Rotation of amain lock lever 86 in a clockwise direction causes actuatinglevers link 86 to move to a locked position. - Actuating
levers main lock lever 86 returns to the unlock position, thelinks - Referring to Figures 1 and 17, a mechanism of the latch 11 indicated generally at 10 (shown in broken lines in Figure 17) comprises a number of latch components mounted to another portion of
latch chassis 12 to that visible in Figure 15. The mechanism is positioned on top of thecover plate 99 so as to be capable of actuatinglever 56. The components comprise therelease lever 14 pivotally mounted to thechassis 12 bypin 16 at one end and further having aslotted aperture 18 at its other end for connection to the outside door handle (illustrated schematically at 20 in Figure 1). Alimb 22 extends from one side ofrelease lever 14 and has pivotally mounted thereon acatch 24 having atooth 26. Thecatch 24 is pivotally mounted aboutpin 28 and is biased in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1. Aramp surface 30 is secured totooth 26 and projects into the paper when viewed in Figure 1. - An
inertia pawl 32 is pivotally mounted to releaselever 14 viapin 34 positionedintermediate pin 16 andaperture 18. Theinertia pawl 32 is biased in an anti-clockwise direction. The pawl comprises apawl tooth 36 arranged to engagetooth 26 ofcatch 24 via anend surface 38 of the pawl and aninner surface 40 ofcatch tooth 26.Pawl tooth 36 further comprises aninner surface 42 andcatch tooth 26 further comprises anend surface 44. - A
fixed projection 46 extends from thechassis 12 and is positioned so as to engageramp 30 during pivoting motion of therelease lever 14, as will be discussed in further detail below. - A
transmission lever 48 is further pivotally mounted topin 34 onrelease lever 14. Thetransmission lever 48 is rotationally fast withpawl 32 and is therefore also biased in an anti-clockwise direction by biasing means in the form of apermanent magnet 50 that is arranged to attract a magnetic portion of the transmission lever. Anabutment surface 52 is provided at the end oflever 48 remote frompin 34 such that in normal operation the abutment surface may contact acorresponding abutment surface 54 of anactuating lever 56, when the actuating lever is in an unlocked position as shown in Figure 17. It will be appreciated that when fitted to the trailing edge of a vehicle side passenger door as shown in Figure 1, the pivotal axis oftransmission lever 48 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal (i.e. front to rear) axis of the vehicle and vehicle door and the axis about whichclaw 95 andlatch pawl 97 rotate. - A
projection 58 is provided on one face of transmission lever and fits in a slot orrecess 60 provided inchassis 12. In normal operation,projection 58 may slide along alinear slot portion 60a, arranged to extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis oftransmission lever 48. The projection is, of course, biased towards the upper surface ofslot portion 60a bymagnet 50. However,projection 58 may also move along arcuate slot portion 60b astransmission lever 48 pivots aboutpin 34 to come to rest in the position shown in Figure 2. Thereafter,projection 58 may move to the positions shown in Figures 4 and 5 so as to come to rest along theabutment surface 62 which extends substantially parallel to slotportion 60a. It should be noted that withpin 58 at rest alongabutment surface 62,abutment surface 52 of thetransmission lever 48 cannot contactabutment surface 54 of actuatinglever 56. - Under normal operating conditions starting with the latch in a latched, unlocked condition, the latch operates as follows:
- The vehicle user pulls on
outside door handle 20 causingrelease lever 14 to pivot in an anti-clockwise direction against its biasing force. In turn, this causestransmission lever 48 to move from left to right as viewed in Figure 1 (vertically when fitted to a door 90), withpin 58 sliding inslot portion 60a such thatabutment surface 52contacts abutment surface 54 of the actuatinglever 56, displacing the actuating lever and causinglatch pawl 97 to lift clear ofclaw 95 and the latch to unlatch. When theoutside door handle 20 is released, the transmission linkage returns to the rest position shown in Figure 1, thereby enabling thelatch mechanism 10 to re-latch. - Turning to Figure 2, the vehicle to which
latch mechanism 10 is fitted has suffered an impact with a sufficient transverse component of acceleration (e.g. an impact from the side) to cause the inertia oftransmission lever 48 to overcome the attraction ofmagnet 50 and pivot in direction X relative to the remainder of the latch to bringprojection 58 into the position shown in Figure 2. Sincelever 48 is rotationally fast withpawl 32,pawl 32 also pivots in a clockwise direction. This results insurface 38 sliding out of contact withsurface 40, thereby allowingcatch 24 to rotate clockwise.Surface 44 of thecatch tooth 26 thus comes into contact withsurface 42 of the pawl tooth and retainslever 48 in the position shown in Figure 2 against the force of attraction ofmagnet 50. In a typical impact, this movement may occur in 8 to 12 milliseconds and preventsabutment surface 52 contactingabutment surface 54 of actuatinglever 56 due to unwanted deformation of the door. - After the impact occurs, a single pull on
outside door handle 20 causes releaselever 14 and catch 24 to pivot aboutpin 16. This pivoting motion causes fixedprojection 46 to contactramp 30, thus also forcingcatch 24 to rotate anti-clockwise aboutpin 28 relative to releaselever 14. As can be seen from Figures 2 and 4, this causessurface 42 to no longer be in contact withsurface 44 of thecatch 24, thereby enablingprojection 58 to move upwardly in a direction Y as it is also being moved to the right under the influence of a pivoting movement oflever 14 aboutpin 16. This movement continues untilprojection 58 comes to rest onsurface 62 as shown in Figure 4. - If the
outside door handle 20 is pulled to its full extent of travel,projection 58 will reach the position onsurface 62 shown in Figure 5. However, once outsidedoor handle 20 is released, the biasing ofrelease lever 14 andtransmission lever 48 will causeprojection 58 to slide to the left alongsurface 62 before moving anti-clockwise under the influence ofmagnet 50 to return to the rest position shown in Figure 1. - A subsequent pull on the outside door handle then enables the
latch mechanism 10 to be released in the normal way, withabutment surface 52 contactingabutment surface 56. This resetting feature of the transmission linkage enables the latch to be continue to be used in the normal way after an impact. In particular, it enables the door to be opened to enable emergency personnel to enter the vehicle in the event that the vehicle occupants are injured in the impact (assuming that this is not prevented by excessive deformation of the door to which the latch is fitted). - Turning to Figures 6 to 9, which illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention, like parts have wherever possible been designated by like numerals with the addition of the prefix "1". Only differences between the latch of the second embodiment with respect of the latch of the first are discussed in further detail below.
- It can be seen from Figure 6 that the pawl and catch arrangement of the first embodiment has been dispensed with. In contrast with the
transmission lever 48 of the first embodiment,transmission lever 148 is biased in a clockwise direction by apermanent magnet 150 acting on a magnetic portion oftransmission lever 150.Slot 160 is substantially triangular in shape. In normal operation,projection 158 is maintained in theupper region 160a of theslot 160 by aninertia body 170 pivotally mounted aboutpin 172. - The
inertia body 170 is biased in an anti-clockwise direction by a spring or magnet (not shown) and is shown in its rest position in Figure 6. Anupper surface 176 of thebody 170 defines, together with the upper surface ofslot 160 what is effectively anelongate slot portion 160a equivalent to slotportion 60a of the first embodiment. However, due to the clockwise biasing oftransmission lever 148,projection 158 tends to contactsurface 176 of theinertia body 170 during movement alongslot portion 160a. -
Inertia body 170 further comprises aninertia mass portion 174 remote frompin 172. - In normal operation, a vehicle user pulls on
outside door handle 120 causingtransmission lever 148 to move substantially linearly towardsactuating lever 156 whilst being guided by the movement ofpin 158 in aslot portion 160a.Abutment surface 152contacts abutment surface 154 to actuate theactuating lever 156, thereby causing the latch to be released. - If the vehicle is involved in an impact resulting in a transverse component of acceleration above a predetermined value,
inertia body 170 is caused to pivot aboutpin 172 in a clockwise direction relative to the remainder of the latch. This occurs due to the tendency of theinertia mass portion 174 to remain stationary in the transverse direction, whilst the rest of the vehicle accelerates. In the rest position the spatial relationship betweensurface 176,projection 158,pin 172 and theslot 160 is such that the inertia mass may rotate without fouling on theprojection 158. Once theinertia mass 170 has rotated, the transmission lever rotates in a clockwise direction X under the influence ofmagnet 150 to come to rest in the position shown in Figure 7. Once the acceleration has ceased,inertia mass 170 rotates anti-clockwise to return to its rest position under the influence of its biasing. - When the
outside door handle 120 is then pulled,projection 158 followssurface 178 ofslot 160 in a direction Y as can be seen in Figure 8. This results inabutment surface 152 missingabutment surface 154. This movement also causes theinertia body 170 to rotate in a clockwisedirection allowing projection 158 to pass, before returning to its rest position as shown in Figure 9. Thus, once thehandle 120 is released,projection 158 followssurface 176 and returns to the rest position shown in Figure 6. From this position, a further pull onoutside door handle 120 will cause the transmission linkage to operate as normal. - Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a third embodiment of the present invention in which like parts have again been designated by like numerals, but with the addition of the prefix "2". Again, only the differences between this embodiment and the first two embodiments are discussed in detail.
- It can be seen that in this embodiment, the
slots projection 258 rests in normal use in anotch 280 provided ininertia body 270. When a user pulls onoutside door handle 220,transmission lever 248 moves from left to right to contact actuatinglever 256, whilstprojection 258 is retained withinnotch 280. This means thatinertia body 270 rotates during this movement against the biasing force ofmagnet 284. - In an impact, the
inertia body 270 is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction in a similar manner to thebody 170 of second embodiment. This causesprojection 258 to leavenotch 280 and slide in a direction of X2 to attain the position shown in Figure 11. Once the deceleration due to the impact has ceased, the projection is maintained in this position due to an equilibrium of the anti-clockwise biasing force acting onrelease lever 214, clockwise biasing force acting on thetransmission lever 248 due tomagnet 250, the anti-clockwise biasing force acting on theinertia body 274 due totorsion spring 284, and the frictional resistance betweenprojection 258 andsurface 282 ofbody 270. - A subsequent pull on
outside door handle 220causes inertia member 270 to rotate in a clockwise direction until the frictional resistance betweenprojection 148 andsurface 282 and the biasing force ofmagnet 250 is overcome, so that the projection slides back intonotch 280. However, during this sliding motion and rotation of theinertia body 270,abutment surface 252 missesabutment surface 254. Only once the outside door handle is released, to return transmission linkage back to the rest position shown in Figure 10 will a further pull on outside door handle lead to the unlatching of thelatch 210. - Figures 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which like parts have been designated by like numerals, but with the addition of the prefix "3". Only differences between this embodiment and the preceding embodiments are discussed in detail.
- In this embodiment, it can be seen that
slot 360 has a U-shaped configuration with spaced substantially parallellinear slot portions linear slot portion 362 so as to promotepin 358 enteringportion 362 iflever 348 pivots from its rest position. As in the previous embodiments apermanent magnet 350 is provided to urgepin 358 intoslot 360a. However, in this embodiment, the pawl and catch mechanism of the first embodiment is dispensed with. - Thus, if an impact occurs to a vehicle on which a latch of this embodiment is fitted, the
lever 348 pivots clockwise in portion 360b of the slot as shown in Figure 13. If there is a simultaneous or near-simultaneous deformation of the door at this point which causesrelease lever 314 to pivot anti-clockwise, pin 358 slides inslot portion 362 as shown in Figure 14 such that the end 352 oflever 348 missesabutment surface 354 of actuatinglever 356, preventing the latch from releasing. - Once the acceleration has ceased,
lever 314 normally returns to its rest position under the influence ofmagnet 350, freeingpin 358 andtransmission lever 348 to pivot anti-clockwise back to the rest position shown in Figure 12, so that subsequent pulls on theoutside door handle 320 will release the latch. - The moment provided by the magnet in this embodiment is approximately 15 Nmm when the
transmission lever 348 is in its rest position, and approximately 9.5 Nmm when the lever is in its locked position inslot 362. In other embodiments, the strength of the magnet and arrangement of the magnet and the levers may be adjusted to provide particular biasing characteristics. - A fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 14A which is the same as the fourth embodiment except that second
linear slot 362 is omitted. Thus, if an impact occurs,lever 448 pivots clockwise. However, any pivoting ofrelease lever 414 is blocked byabutment surface 463, also ensuring that the latch is not released. It should be noted that Figure 14A shows the actuating lever in a locked position at whichinertia lever 448 is incapable of contactingsurface 454 to release the latch. - The use of magnets to provide the biasing of the lever or inertia body has been found to be particularly effective since reliability may be improved over an extended period of time. This is because magnets do not generally suffer from corrosion, fatigue and the effects of dirt ingress to the same extent as conventional springs.
- It should be appreciated that the various orientations and directions used to describe the position of various components and the movement of components are for ease of reference only. In practice the latch may be installed in a number of different positions provided the orientation is such that acceleration or deceleration will result in the latch operating as described above. As such, the terms used should not be construed as limiting.
- It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous alternative configurations of components may be used to achieve a break or freewheel in the transmission path which is subsequently resettable. The inertia of
lever inertia body lever inertia body
Claims (15)
- An inertia locking mechanism (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) for a vehicle door latch, the mechanism comprising a transmission path normally operable by a door handle to release a latch bolt (95) of a vehicle door latch (11), the transmission path comprising a component that is arranged to cause a block or break in the transmission path in the event that a vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined level, the component being magnetically biased and the block or break being arranged to be created when the magnetic biasing is overcome by the acceleration.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the block or break is subsequently removable.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the block or break is removable by actuation of the release lever.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to any preceding claim comprising a release lever (14, 114, 214, 314, 414) operable by a door handle and the transmission path being a transmission linkage.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the linkage comprises a transmission lever (48, 148, 248, 348, 448), the transmission lever preferably being pivotally mounted to the release lever.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the block or break may be created by pivoting of the transmission lever.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the transmission lever is the body.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 7 wherein a pawl (32) and catch (24) arrangement is capable of maintaining the block or break.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 8 wherein the pawl is releasable by an actuation of the release lever.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 9 wherein a guide arrangement (60, 160, 260, 360, 460) is provided to control the return of the transmission lever to the normal operating position thereof.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claims 1 to 6 wherein an inertia member (170, 270) is the body, the inertia member preferably being pivotable to cause the creation of a break.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to any preceding claim wherein the magnetic biasing is provided by a permanent magnet (50, 150, 250, 284, 350, 450) on one body interacting with magnetic material provided on another body.
- An inertia locking mechanism according to claim 12 wherein the permanent magnet is provided on a fixed body (12, 112, 212, 312, 412) of the mechanism and magnetic material is provided on the component.
- A vehicle door latch (11) including an inertia locking mechanism according to any preceding claim or a door (90) or door module incorporating an inertia locking mechanism according to any preceding claim or a vehicle incorporating an inertia locking mechanism according to any preceding claim.
- A door latch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a release lever operable by a door handle, and a transmission path linkage comprising a inertia body arranged in normal operation to transmit unlatching movement from the release lever to release a latch bolt of the latch, wherein, in the event that the vehicle undergoes acceleration above a predetermined level, the inertia of said body in the latch mechanism causes a block or break to be created in the transmission linkage, the inertia body being biased into its normal operating position by a magnet.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP03258142A EP1548214A1 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Inertia locking mechanism |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP03258142A EP1548214A1 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Inertia locking mechanism |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1548214A1 true EP1548214A1 (en) | 2005-06-29 |
Family
ID=34530813
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP03258142A Withdrawn EP1548214A1 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Inertia locking mechanism |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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EP (1) | EP1548214A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2432184A (en) * | 2005-11-11 | 2007-05-16 | John Phillip Chevalier | Coupling apparatus which decouples in the event of acceleration above a predetermined threshold |
WO2008068261A1 (en) * | 2006-12-06 | 2008-06-12 | Valeo S.P.A. | Vehicle handle with a security device |
EP2053186A1 (en) * | 2007-10-22 | 2009-04-29 | Hyundai Motor Company | Device for preventing unlocking of door handle |
DE102019118796A1 (en) * | 2019-07-11 | 2021-01-14 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Locking device for a door or flap of a motor vehicle |
US20210246692A1 (en) * | 2018-07-05 | 2021-08-12 | Kiekert Ag | Lock for a motor vehicle |
DE102022113054A1 (en) | 2022-05-24 | 2023-11-30 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Crash unlock with magnet and KSI |
DE102022113035A1 (en) | 2022-05-24 | 2023-11-30 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Motor vehicle lock, especially motor vehicle door lock |
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DE1553411A1 (en) * | 1966-09-16 | 1970-07-16 | Artur Mann | Security door handle |
US4326111A (en) * | 1978-01-21 | 1982-04-20 | Inertia Switch Limited | Inertia switch device |
US4381829A (en) * | 1979-10-23 | 1983-05-03 | Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault | Collision detection system with safety devices |
DE4117110C1 (en) * | 1991-05-25 | 1992-12-24 | Daimler Benz Ag | Release mechanism on car door lock - has actuated pivot release lever, control lever and pivoting safety lever |
US5373752A (en) * | 1992-08-08 | 1994-12-20 | Kiekert Gmbh & Co. Kg | Power actuator for motor-vehicle door latch |
DE19912680A1 (en) * | 1999-03-20 | 2000-09-21 | Volkswagen Ag | Vehicle door fastening has housing, outer handle, release lever, core, carrier and lug |
EP1355026A2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2003-10-22 | ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Ltd | Latch arrangement |
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2003
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DE1553411A1 (en) * | 1966-09-16 | 1970-07-16 | Artur Mann | Security door handle |
US4326111A (en) * | 1978-01-21 | 1982-04-20 | Inertia Switch Limited | Inertia switch device |
US4381829A (en) * | 1979-10-23 | 1983-05-03 | Regie Nationale Des Usines Renault | Collision detection system with safety devices |
DE4117110C1 (en) * | 1991-05-25 | 1992-12-24 | Daimler Benz Ag | Release mechanism on car door lock - has actuated pivot release lever, control lever and pivoting safety lever |
US5373752A (en) * | 1992-08-08 | 1994-12-20 | Kiekert Gmbh & Co. Kg | Power actuator for motor-vehicle door latch |
DE19912680A1 (en) * | 1999-03-20 | 2000-09-21 | Volkswagen Ag | Vehicle door fastening has housing, outer handle, release lever, core, carrier and lug |
EP1355026A2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2003-10-22 | ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Ltd | Latch arrangement |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2432184A (en) * | 2005-11-11 | 2007-05-16 | John Phillip Chevalier | Coupling apparatus which decouples in the event of acceleration above a predetermined threshold |
WO2008068261A1 (en) * | 2006-12-06 | 2008-06-12 | Valeo S.P.A. | Vehicle handle with a security device |
KR101398316B1 (en) * | 2006-12-06 | 2014-05-23 | 발레오 에스.피.에이. | Vehicle handle with a security device |
EP2053186A1 (en) * | 2007-10-22 | 2009-04-29 | Hyundai Motor Company | Device for preventing unlocking of door handle |
US20210246692A1 (en) * | 2018-07-05 | 2021-08-12 | Kiekert Ag | Lock for a motor vehicle |
DE102019118796A1 (en) * | 2019-07-11 | 2021-01-14 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Locking device for a door or flap of a motor vehicle |
DE102022113054A1 (en) | 2022-05-24 | 2023-11-30 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Crash unlock with magnet and KSI |
DE102022113035A1 (en) | 2022-05-24 | 2023-11-30 | Kiekert Aktiengesellschaft | Motor vehicle lock, especially motor vehicle door lock |
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