GB2220224A - A motor vehicle lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor vehicle is provided having a first door and a second door (1). Double locking means (10, 12, 13) to prevent unauthorised unlocking is provided for the second door having actuating means located in a position on the vehicle accessible only with the first door open. <IMAGE>

Description

A MOTOR VEHICLE The present invention relates to motor vehicles.and more particularly to motor vehicles having means for double locking doors.

On vehicles without central door locking there exists a need for a cheap and simple method of double locking a door which is not separately lockable from outside the vehicle. A vehicle can be regarded as double locked when latch controls operable from inside or outside the vehicle to release a door latch are prevented from being operated save by a master control initially accessible only from outside the vehicle with a key or the like. This is irrespective of whether disabling means used to lock the door are themselves in operation. With a double locked vehicle a person breaking a window cannot obtain access to unlock the disabling means and then operate the latch release means to open a door and gain entry to the vehicle.

It is known to provide electrically operated means to prevent operation of latch release means and effectively double lock a vehicle, but such means are complex and expensive.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the invention there is provided a motor vehicle having at least one first door and at least one second door each with a door latch, latch release means operable from both inside and outside the vehicle, disabling means, operable from inside the vehicle, to disable when engaged at least that part of the latch release means operable from outside the vehicle, and first and second double locking means, operable on the first ana second doors respectively, to prevent operation of the latch release means whether the disabling means is engaged or not, the first double locking means being operable externally of the vehicle, the second double locking means comprising actuating means, stop means and a linkage therebetween, whereby movement of the actuating means between first and second positions causes the stop means to move between corresponding operative and non-operative positions respectively to engage and disengage the second double locking means, wherein the actuating means is accessible only with the or each first door open.

A simple, effective and inexpensive means for double locking a vehicle is thus provided.

The actuating means may be located on a door pillar for the or each first door and may have a portion engageable, when in the first position, with a catch on the first door such that opening of the first door moves the actuating means from the first to the second position to disengage the second double locking means.

The first and second doors may be front and rear doors respectively with the door pillar interposed between the front and rear doors.

Preferably the catch and portion of the actuating means engageable therewith disengage upon the catch having moved the actuating means from the first position to the second position.

The portion of the actuating means engageable with the catch may be mounted on a slide whose axis is angled from the direction of travel of the catch so that the portion of the actuating means engageable with the catch slides progressively out of engagement with the catch when moved between the first and second positions of the actuating means.

The catch is preferably spring loaded to be biased towards the portion of the actuating means engageable therewith.

The actuating means may be protected by a security shield interposed between itself and a join between adjacent body panels to prevent unauthorised disengagement of the second double locking means with a probe inserted through the join from outside the vehicle.

The stop means is preferably a cam cooperable with a latch disabling member to lock, when the cam is in the operative position, the latch disabling member such that the latch is disabled and cannot be released.

The linkage may be a Bowden (registered trade mark) cable to pull the stop means from the non-operative to the operative position.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to two preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing of which: Figure 1 is a cut away perspective view of a second door and door pillar according to the first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a schematic side view of part of a second door according to the invention, Figure 3 is a side view of a door latch mechanism according to the invention, Figure 4 is a perspective view of actuating means according to the first embodiment of the invention, Figure 5 is a partial vertical section of the actuating means substantially the same as shown in Figure 4 in a first position, Figure 6 schematically shows a cam and latch release member in a position corresponding to that of the actuating means as shown in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a partial vertical section of the actuating means of Figure 5 shown in a second position, Figure 8 schematically shows the cam and latch release member in a corresponding position to the actuating means as shown in Figure 7, Figure 9 is a schematic side view of actuating means according to the second embodiment of the invention in a first position, and Figure 10 shows the actuating means of Figure 9 in a second position.

Referring to the drawings, a second door for a motor vehicle is shown in the form of a rear door 1 mountable on a door pillar 2 positioned between the rear door and a first door in the form of a front door (not shown).

In Figure 1 double locking means having actuating means 13, stop means in the form of a cam 10 and a Bowden (regd.

trade mark) cable linkage 12 are shown fitted to the door pillar 2 and rear door 1.

The rear door 1 has a latch 3 on which the cam 10 and cable 12 are mounted, latch release means operable from inside and outside the vehicle in the form of an inner handle 4 and an outer handle 5 connected to the latch 3 by an inner linkage 6 and an outer linkage 7 respectively and disabling means 8 comprising a knob 29 operating a disabling member 11 in the latch 3 via a disabling linkage 9 to disable the latch release means 4, 6 and 5, 7.

The cam 10 is pivotally mounted at P and co operable with the latch disabling member 11 which is pivotally mounted at PP.

The actuating means 13 is mounted on the door pillar 2 and is connected to the cam 10 via the cable 12.

The cable 12, in connecting the actuating means 13 to the cam 10, passes through a first aperture 14 in the rear door 1 and a second aperture 15 in the door pillar 2.

The actuating means 13 has a hollow body 16 set into the door pillar 2 within which moves a portion of the actuating means in the form of a slider 17 having a first projection 18, a tubular aperture 19 and a socket 20 to receive a nipple 21 on the cable 12. The slider 17 is slidably mounted in the body 16 on a wire slide 22 extending through the tubular aperture 19.

The actuating means 13 co operates with a catch 23. The catch 23 is spring mounted in a cylindrical body 25 attached to a frame 24 of the first door. In Figures 5 and 7 a security shield 26 is shown having a downwardly extending lip 27 and a second projection 28 to prevent unauthorised tampering with the actuating means 13 by any thin instrument inserted between the first and second doors, when closed.

The arrangement of the latch release means 4,'6 anti 5, 7 and disabling means 8, 9 is such that depressing the knob 29 to operate the disabling means disables the latch release means 4, 6 and 5, 7 by moving the latch disabling member 11 from an enabled position to a disabled position.

In use the second double locking means is operated by manually setting the slider 17 to the first position, as shown in Figure 5 which, by means of the cable 12, will pull the cam 10 into its operative position, as shown in Figure 6. In turn this will either move the latch disabling member 11 to the disabled position or hola the member 11 in the disabled position, depending upon whether the knob 29 of the disabling means was depressed or not at the time. It will be observed from Figure 6 that the cam is "over centre" when in the operative position, thus locking into engagement the second double locking.means until the cam is manually returned to its inoperative position, as in Figure 8.

With the second double locking means engaged, the first door may be closed whereupon the spring mounted catch 23 will ride over the first projection 18 on the slider 17 against the spring bias and will thence be biased into position abutting the first projection 18, as shown in Figure 5. The lip 27 and the second projection 28 will then shield the slider 17 from unauthorised tampering whilst the first door is closed.

The first' door can now be double locked closed by a first double locking means (not shown) whereby neither front nor rear door may be opened by operation of the latch release means inside or outside the vehicle. It will be appreciated from the above that by breaking a window an unauthorised person wishing to enter the vehicle will not be able to unlatch either door.

Upon release of the first double locking means on the front door using a key or similar, the front door may be opened whereupon the catch 23 will engage the first projection 18 on the slider and move same to the second position as shown in Figure 7. On achieving the second position, the first projection will have slid down out of engagement with the catch to allow same to pass over the first projection as the front door continues to open.

Upon moving from the first position to the second position the slider 17 will push the cable 12, and hence the cam 10, to its inoperative position as shown in Figure 8. The knob 29 of the disabling means 8 may now be lifted to return the latch disabling member 11 to its enabled position as shown in Figure 8, whereupon the rear door may be opened by the latch release means 4, 6 or 5, 7.

The second double locking means of the invention may be modified so that the slider 17 is set to the first position automatically by engagement of the first double locking means. Alternatively, the actuating means may be arranged such that the second double locking means is set automatically upon closing of the front door to proviae an easy to use child lock for the rear door.

The second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 9 and 10. The slider 17 of the first embodiment is replaced by a rotary portion 30 of the actuating means having a corresponding first projection 18 cooperable with a catch 23 and shielded by a second projection 28.

The rotary portion 30 is rotatably mounted on the door pillar 2 for movement from a first position as shown in Figure 9 to a second position as shown in Figure 10 by the catch 23. The first projection 18 is subsequently returnable to the first position by manual turning of the rotary portion 30.

Although the actuating means is described above as being mounted on the door pillar, it may if more convenient be mounted upon the second door. For example a simpler linkage may sometimes result from mounting the actuating means on a leading edge of the second door.

Claims (11)

1. A motor vehicle having at least one first door and at least one second door each with a door latch, latch release means operable from both inside and outside the vehicle, disabling means, operable from inside the vehicle, to disable when engaged at least that part of the latch release means operable from outside the vehicle, and first and second double locking means, operable on the first and second doors respectively, to prevent operation of the latch release means whether the disabling means is engaged or not, the first double locking means being operable externally of the vehicle, the second double locking means comprising actuating means, stop means and a linkage therebetween, whereby movement of the actuating means between first and second positions causes the stop means to move between corresponding operative and non-operative positions respectively to engage and disengage the second double locking means, wherein the actuating means is accessible only with the or each first door open.

2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuating means is located on a door pillar for the or each first door and has a portion engageable, when in the first position, with a catch on the first door such that opening of the first door moves the actuating means from the first to the second position to disengage the second double locking means.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first and second doors are front and rear doors respectively and wherein the door pillar is interposed between the front and rear doors.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the catch and portion of the actuating means engageable therewith disengage upon the catch having moved the actuating means from the first position to the second position.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the portion of the actuating means engageable with the catch is mounted on a slide whose axis is angled from the direction of travel of the catch so that the portion of the actuating means engageable with the catch slides progressively out of engagement with the catch when moved between the first and second positions of the actuating means.

6. A motor vehicle according to any one of-claims 2 to 5, wherein the catch is spring loaded to be biasea towards the portion of the actuating means engageable therewith.

7. A motor vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the actuating means may be protected by a security shield interposed between itself and a join between adjacent body panels to prevent unauthorised disengagement of the second double locking means with a probe inserted through the join from outside the vehicle.

8. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stop means is a cam cooperable with a latch disabling member to lock, when the cam is in the operative position, the latch disabling member such that the latch is disabled and cannot be released.

9. A motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the linkage is a Bosuen (registered trade mark) cable to pull the stop means from the non-operative to the operative position.

10. A motor vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawing.

11. A motor vehicle substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawing.