JP2003172056A - Latch device for tail gate of motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain the linkage of a latch and a striker without using a latchet. <P>SOLUTION: A latch 5 is provided with an admission contact surface 9 and a linkage holding surface 10, the latch 5 is exerted by an elastic force of a latch spring 7 from evacuation position where the admission contact surface 9 and the linkage holding surface 10 are put out of place from a moving locus of the striker 2 toward a linking position existing on the moving locus of the striker 2, when the striker 2 moves through a striker's passage 3 in the door closing direction and contacts to the admission contact surface 9, the latch 5 is pushed out to the evacuation position side against the elastic force of the latch spring 7 but when the striker 2 passes the admission contact surface 9 and comes to a predetermined position, it is returned to the linking position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, the linkage holding surface 10 is returned to the top of the moving locus of the striker 2, therefore, the latch device of the motor vehicle tail gate is capable of preventing the movement of the striker 2 in the door opening direction from the predetermined position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle tailgate latch device. What is a vehicle tailgate?
It includes trunk doors, glass hatch doors, back doors, etc., and is a generic term for luggage room doors.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a latch device for a tailgate holds a latch that engages with a striker and prevents the door from opening and rotating so that the latch and the striker are engaged with each other. It is equipped with a ratchet.

[0003]

The known latch device is
Since the ratchet is required to prevent the latch from rotating and opening the door, the number of parts is large and the cost is high.

[0004]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the striker 2 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body enters the base plate 1 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body, and is substantially U. A striker passage 3 of a mold is formed, and the striker passage 3 is provided at a position near the striker passage 3 of the base plate 1.
In the latch 5 engageable with the striker 2 that has entered into the state of FIG. 1, the latch 5 is provided with an entry contact surface 9 and an engagement holding surface 10, and the latch 5 includes The abutment surface 9 and the engagement holding surface 10 move from the retracted position deviated from the movement trajectory of the striker 2 toward the engagement position facing the movement trajectory of the striker 2 and the latch spring 7
When the striker 2 enters the striker passage 3 in the closing direction and comes into contact with the entrance contact surface 9, the latch 5 resists the elasticity of the latch spring 7 and moves toward the retracted position. When the striker 2 passes through the entrance contact surface 9 and reaches a predetermined position, it is returned to the engagement position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, and the engagement holding surface 10 moves the striker 2 along the locus. Return to the top,
Therefore, the engagement holding surface 10 returned to the movement trajectory.
Is a latch device for a vehicle tailgate that prevents the striker 2 from moving in the door opening direction from the predetermined position.

[0005]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1
Is a base plate of a latch device fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body, and the upper part thereof is gently bent rearward with respect to the lower part. A U-shaped striker passage 3 into which a striker 2 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body enters is formed in the base plate 1. An elastic stopper 4 with which the striker 2 abuts is provided on the inner side of the striker passage 3.

A latch 5 is rotatably attached to the base plate 1 by a latch shaft 6. The latch 5 is provided at the engagement position where the striker passage 3 overlaps with the striker passage 3 and the striker passage 3
It is rotationally displaced between the retracted positions for further withdrawal. The latch 5 is biased toward the engagement position by the elasticity of the latch spring 7 provided on the outer periphery of the latch shaft 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a latch arm formed integrally with the latch 5, which extends in the radial direction of the latch shaft 6 along the striker passage 3 and contacts the elastic stopper 4 by the elasticity of the latch spring 7 when the door is open. Thus, the latch 5 is elastically held in the engagement position.

The latch 5 is provided with an entrance contact surface 9 and an engagement holding surface 10. Entry abutment surface 9 and engagement holding surface 1
"0" constitutes both sides of a mountain shape having the corner portion 11 as the apex, both surfaces being substantially orthogonal to each other, and the latch 5
Is in the engagement position, it overlaps with the striker passage 3 (movement locus of the striker 2). Further, the engagement holding surface 10 is an arcuate surface having the latch shaft 6 as a center, while the entrance contact surface 9 is a surface having a receding angle with respect to the entering direction of the striker 2. Therefore, when the striker 2 is inserted into the striker passage 3 by the door closing operation, the striker 2 contacts the entry contact surface 9 and then pushes the latch 5 against the resilience position against the elasticity of the latch spring 7. You can enter.

When the striker 2 which has entered the striker passage 3 passes through the entry contact surface 9, the latch 5 is returned to the engaging position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7 as shown in FIG. The engagement holding surface 10 overlaps with the striker passage 3 and abuts and engages with the striker 2. In this state, the latch 5 is only held in the engagement position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, but even if a force in the door opening direction acts on the striker 2, the latch 5 is not pushed out to the retracted position side. Therefore, the abutting engagement state between the engagement holding surface 10 and the striker 2 is held and the door is not opened. That is, the engagement holding surface 1
Since 0 is an arcuate surface centered on the latch shaft 6, the force that the striker 2 tries to move in the door opening direction does not become the force that rotates the latch 5.

Reference numeral 12 is an operation mechanism provided with a door opening mechanism and a lock mechanism of the latch device. Key lever 1 of operating mechanism 12
3 is connected to a key cylinder 14 of the tailgate via a rod 15. The key lever 13 is axially fixed to the base plate 1 by a mounting shaft 17 inserted in the circular arc long hole 16. The key cylinder 14 has an action of switching the latch device between a locked state and an unlocked state, and an action of releasing the latch device to open the door. The key cylinder 14 is operated to the unlock side, which will be described in detail later. And mounting shaft 1
When 7 moves relatively to the unlock point A side of the circular arc elongated hole 16 and is operated to the lock side, the mounting shaft 17 relatively moves to the lock point B side of the circular arc elongated hole 16.

The key lever 13 is integrally provided with a release arm 19 facing the latch projection 18 formed at the tip of the latch arm 8. When the key lever 13 is rotated counterclockwise in the unlocked state, the release arm 19 is released. The arm 19 comes into contact with the latch projection 18 to rotate the latch 5 clockwise, whereby the striker 2 is released. At this time, since the engagement holding surface 10 of the latch 5 is an arcuate surface centered on the latch shaft 6, the latch 5 can smoothly rotate clockwise.

Reference numeral 20 denotes an open lever of the operating mechanism 12, which is fixed to the base plate 1 by the mounting shaft 17. The first arm 21 of the open lever 20 is connected to a tailgate opener 22 in the vehicle via a wire 23. A return spring 25 is attached between the second arm 24 of the open lever 20 and the base plate 1,
The open lever 20 is biased clockwise, and
The elasticity of the return spring 25 is also transmitted to the key lever 13 via the bent portion 26 of the release arm 19 that can come into contact with the second arm 24.

Reference numeral 27 is a movable bending piece formed on the key lever 13, and 28 is a third arm formed on the open lever 20. When the attachment shaft 17 relatively moves to the unlock point A side of the arcuate elongated hole 16, the movable bending piece 27 approaches the attachment shaft 17 as shown in FIGS. The latch device is in an unlocked state as it faces the rotation trajectory of 28. In this unlocked state, the open lever 20
The counterclockwise rotation of is transmitted to the key lever 13 via the third arm 28 and the movable bending piece 27, so that the latch 5 can be rotated. However, when the mounting shaft 17 relatively moves to the lock point B side of the arcuate elongated hole 16, the movable bending piece 27 separates from the mounting shaft 17 as shown in FIG.
When the arm 28 deviates from the rotation trajectory, the latch device is locked. In this locked state, the open lever 20
Since the counterclockwise rotation of is not transmitted to the key lever 13, the tailgate cannot be opened by the tailgate opener 22. In FIGS. 7 and 8, 29
Is a contact piece formed on the base plate 1.

[0013]

Operation: When the door is closed in the state shown in FIG. 1, the striker 2
Enters the striker passage 3 and abuts on the abutment contact surface 9 of the latch 5, which causes the latch 5 to move to the latch spring 7.
Since the striker 2 can be pushed to the retracted position side against the elasticity of the striker 2, the striker 2 can pass through the entry contact surface 9 and proceed to a predetermined position as shown in FIG.
Is returned to the engagement position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, and the engagement holding surface 10 of the latch 5 overlaps the striker passage 3 and abuts and engages with the striker 2. In this state, the latch 5 is only held in the engagement position by the elasticity of the latch spring 7,
Even if a force is applied to the striker 2 in the door opening direction, the engagement holding surface 10 is an arcuate surface having the latch shaft 6 as a center. Therefore, the force for rotating the latch 5 toward the retracted position is not applied to the latch 5. Absent. Therefore, the striker 2 can be held at a predetermined position by the engagement holding surface 10 and the tailgate can be held in the closed state without using a ratchet as in the conventional case.

When the tailgate is opened by the key cylinder 14, the key lever 13 is rotated counterclockwise by the key cylinder 14. Then, the key lever 13
The release arm 19 comes into contact with the latch protrusion 18 of the latch 5 to rotate the latch 5 clockwise to release the striker 2 and open the door.

When the tailgate is opened by the tailgate opener 22, the open lever 20 is rotated counterclockwise by operating the opener 22. Then, the third arm 28 of the open lever 20 contacts the movable bending piece 27 to rotate the key lever 13 counterclockwise, so that the release arm 19 of the key lever 13 contacts the latch protrusion 18 of the latch 5 and rotates the latch 5 clockwise. Let the door open.

In order to switch the latch device to the locked state, the key lever 13 in FIG. 7 is rotated clockwise by the key cylinder 14. Then, since the release arm 19 of the key lever 13 is in contact with the contact piece 29 of the base plate 1, the release arm 19 is rotated clockwise about this contact portion to attach the mounting shaft 1
7 moves relatively to the lock point B side of the circular arc long hole 16,
The lock state shown in FIG. 8 is obtained. In this locked state, the movable bending piece 27 is separated from the mounting shaft 17 and deviates from the rotation trajectory of the third arm 28. Therefore, even if the open lever 20 is rotated counterclockwise by the tailgate opener 22, the key lever 13 rotates. Without it, you cannot open the door.

To release the locked state, a force for rotating the key lever 13 counterclockwise is applied by the key cylinder 14. Then, since the release arm 19 of the key lever 13 contacts the latch protrusion 18 of the latch 5 and the return spring 25 is connected to the release arm 19, the key lever 13 rotates counterclockwise around this contact part. ,
The mounting shaft 17 moves relatively to the unlock point A side of the arcuate elongated hole 16 to be in the unlocked state shown in FIG. 7, and when the key lever 13 is further rotated counterclockwise by the key cylinder 14, the latch is released as described above. The door 5 rotates to open.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the striker 2 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body enters the base plate 1 fixed to the tailgate or the vehicle body. A U-shaped striker passage 3 is formed, and a latch 5 engageable with the striker 2 that has entered the striker passage 3 is locked by a latch shaft 6 at a position near the striker passage 3 of the base plate 1. , The latch 5 is provided with an entrance contact surface 9 and an engagement holding surface 10, and the latch 5 is retracted so that the entrance contact surface 9 and the engagement holding surface 10 deviate from the movement track of the striker 2. From the position, the elastic force of the latch spring 7 urges the striker 2 toward the engagement position facing the movement path of the striker 2. When entering the inside in the direction of closing the door and coming into contact with the entrance contact surface 9, it is pushed out to the retracted position side against the elastic force of the latch spring 7, but the striker 2 passes through the entrance contact surface 9 and reaches a predetermined position. Then, the engagement holding surface 10 is returned to the engagement position by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, and the engagement holding surface 10 is returned to the movement track of the striker 2, and thus the engagement holding surface is returned to the movement path. Since 10 is a latch device for the vehicle tailgate that prevents the striker 2 from moving in the door opening direction from the predetermined position, the latch 5 and the latch 5 can be provided without using a ratchet that prevents the reverse rotation of the latch as in the conventional case. The engagement state with the striker 2 can be maintained and the tailgate can be reliably kept in the closed state. Further, according to the present invention, in the device, the engagement holding surface 10 is a latch device for a vehicle tailgate formed in an arcuate surface having the latch shaft 6 as a center. Therefore, the engagement between the latch 5 and the striker 2 is surely achieved. The state can be held and the latch 5 can be easily rotated to open the door. Further, in the present invention, in the above apparatus, the base plate 1 is provided with an elastic stopper 4 which elastically contacts the striker 2 immediately before the striker 2 enters the striker passage 3 and reaches the predetermined position. Since the latch 5 biased by the elastic force of the latch spring 7 serves as a vehicle tailgate latch device that is held in the engagement position by contacting the elastic stopper 4, the operating noise can be reasonably reduced. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a latch device in a door open state.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a latch device.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the latch device in a closed state.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a latch.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a key lever.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the open lever.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an unlocked state.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a locked state.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Base plate, 2 ... Striker, 3 ... Strike passage, 4 ... Elastic stopper, 5 ... Latch, 6 ... Latch shaft, 7 ... Latch spring, 8 ... Latch arm, 9 ... Entry contact surface, 10 ... Engagement holding surface, 11 ... Corner, 12 ... Operating mechanism,
13 ... Key lever, 14 ... Key cylinder, 15 ... Rod, 16 ... Arc long hole, 17 ... Mounting shaft, 18 ... Latch protrusion, 19 ... Release lever, 20 ... Open lever, 2
1 ... 1st arm, 22 ... Opener, 23 ... Wire,
24 ... 2nd arm, 25 ... Return spring, 26 ... Bending part, 2
7 ... Moving bending piece, 28 ... 3rd arm, 29 ... Abutting piece.

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 13, 2002 (2002.8.1)
3)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 6]

[Figure 1]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 5]

[Figure 7]

[Figure 8]

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A substantially U-shaped striker passage 3 into which a striker 2 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body enters is formed in a base plate 1 fixed to either the tailgate or the vehicle body. , The striker 2 that has entered the striker passage 3 at a position near the striker passage 3 of the base plate 1.
A latch 5 which can be engaged with the latch 5 is fixed by a latch shaft 6, and the latch 5 has an entrance contact surface 9 and an engagement holding surface 10.
And the latch 5 moves from the retracted position where the entry contact surface 9 and the engagement holding surface 10 deviate from the movement trajectory of the striker 2 toward the engagement position facing the movement trajectory of the striker 2. When the striker 2 enters the striker passage 3 toward the door closing direction and comes into contact with the entrance contact surface 9, the latch 5 is urged by the elastic force of the latch spring 7, and the latch 5 retreats against the elastic force of the latch spring 7. When the striker 2 is pushed to the position side and reaches the predetermined position by passing through the entrance contact surface 9, the elastic force of the latch spring 7 returns it to the engagement position so that the engagement holding surface 10 of the striker 2 moves. The engagement holding surface 10 that has returned to the movement locus and thus has returned to the movement locus prevents the striker 2 from moving from the predetermined position in the door opening direction. Location. 2. The engagement holding surface 10 according to claim 1.
Is a vehicle tailgate latch device formed in an arcuate surface centered on the latch shaft 6. 3. The elastic member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the striker 2 elastically abuts the striker 2 just before the striker 2 enters the striker passage 3 and reaches the predetermined position. A latch device for a vehicle tailgate in which a stopper 4 is provided, and the latch 5 biased by the elastic force of the latch spring 7 contacts the elastic stopper 4 and is held at the engagement position.