JP2005315022A - Vehicular electrically unlockable lock device for back door - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular electrically unlockable lock device for a back door capable of waterproofing with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: This electrically unlockable lock device for the back door is composed of a lock mechanism for gripping and releasing a striker, and an electric unlocking mechanism for releasing a lock of this lock mechanism. The electric unlocking mechanism has a main waterproof housing having a contact plane, and a sub-waterproof housing having a contact plane brought into close contact with the contact plane of this main waterproof housing. The contact planes of these main and sub-waterproof housings are arranged so that an opening part is formed only in a lower part in a back door closed state. A motor, a release lever rotatingly driven by this motor, and a driving mechanism reaching the release lever from the motor, are positioned and stored in a part surrounded by the contact planes between the main and sub-waterproof housings. This release lever is provided with a pressing arm for engaging with a driven arm of a ratchet by projecting toward the lock mechanism side from a lower opening part of the main and sub-waterproof housings. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric unlocking lock device for a back door of a vehicle that performs unlocking electrically.

The back door is generally provided in, for example, a one-box car. This back door lock mechanism is provided with a lock mechanism for fixing the striker to the vehicle body below the rear opening, and holding and releasing the striker on the back door that opens and closes the rear opening.
JP-A-9-49356 JP 2003-90158 A

  A recent back door lock mechanism further includes an electric unlocking mechanism for electrically unlocking the lock mechanism. The back door is generally provided with a wiper, and rainwater enters the back door from the shaft portion of the wiper. For this reason, it is preferable that the electric unlocking mechanism is waterproofed, but the conventional electric unlocking lock device for back doors must adopt a complicated configuration for waterproofing, so both the component cost and the assembly cost are required. It was expensive.

  An object of the present invention is to obtain an electric unlocking lock device for a back door that can be waterproofed with a simple structure.

  According to the present invention, a striker is fixed to a vehicle body below a rear opening, a lock mechanism that holds and releases the striker on a back door that opens and closes the rear opening, and an electric motor that unlocks the lock mechanism. In an electric unlocking lock device for a vehicle back door provided with an unlocking mechanism, the locking mechanism includes a hook and a ratchet for gripping and releasing the striker, and the ratchet is hooked when pressed by the electric unlocking mechanism. An electric unlocking mechanism has a main waterproof housing having a joint surface and a sub-waterproof housing having a joint surface closely contacting the joint surface of the main waterproof housing In addition, the joint surface of the main and sub waterproof housings has an open part only in the lower part when the back door is closed. Between the main and sub waterproof housings, located at the part surrounded by the joint surface, the motor, a release lever that is driven to rotate by the motor, and the motor to the release lever. The release lever is provided with a pressing arm that protrudes from the lower open portions of the main and sub waterproof housings toward the locking mechanism and engages the driven arm of the ratchet. It is characterized by.

  A lock release lever can be formed integrally with the release lever, and this manual lock release lever can be protruded from the lower open portions of the main and sub waterproof housings together with the pressing arm.

  The drive mechanism housed between the main and sub waterproof housings has a degree of freedom. As a specific example, a worm that is rotationally driven by a motor, an intermediate gear that is rotationally driven by the worm and that has a rotational axis different from the rotational axis of the release lever, and a gear that interlocks the intermediate gear and the release lever A drive mechanism can be comprised by a mechanism and the torsion coil spring which urges | biases an intermediate | middle gear to an original position.

  More specifically, in this drive mechanism configuration, the intermediate gear is provided with a helical gear that meshes with the worm and a small gear that is coaxial with the helical gear, and the release gear is provided with a sector gear that meshes with the small gear. The center of the sector gear serving as the rotation axis of the release lever is preferably positioned below the rotation axis of the intermediate gear with the back door closed. According to this configuration, the pressing arm of the release lever can be easily protruded toward the lock mechanism from the lower open portions of the main and sub waterproof housings.

  Both the lock mechanism and the electric unlocking mechanism are preferably sub-assembled.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, waterproofing of the electric unlocking type locking device for back doors of a vehicle can be achieved reliably with a simple configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the back door 10 of the vehicle (one-box car) is pivotally attached to the left and right axis 21 at the upper rear end of the vehicle body 20 so as to open and close the rear opening 11 of the vehicle. A striker 22 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 below the rear opening 11, and an electric unlocking lock that forms a back door lock mechanism in cooperation with the striker 22 on the lower inner surface of the back door 10. The mechanism 30 is fixed. The electric unlocking lock mechanism 30 is broadly divided into a lock mechanism block 100 that holds and releases the striker 22 and an electric unlocking mechanism block 200 that unlocks the lock mechanism block 100. When the back door 10 is closed, the lock mechanism block 100 is located below the electric unlocking mechanism block 200.

  The lock mechanism block 100 includes a lower base plate 101 and an upper base plate 102 as shown in exploded view in FIG. The lower base plate 101 is formed with a striker entry groove 101a for allowing the striker 22 to enter. Between the lower base plate 101 and the upper base plate 102, a hook 105 and a ratchet 106 are pivotally mounted on the shaft 103 and the shaft 104, respectively, on both sides of the striker entry groove 101a. Between the lower base plate 101 and the upper base plate 102, synthetic resin cushion blocks 107 and 108 are sandwiched and held on both sides of the striker entry groove 101 a and covering the hook 105 and the ratchet 106. 107 and 108 are torsion coil springs 109 and 110 that urge the hook 105 and the ratchet 106 to engage with each other (the hook 105 is turned clockwise and the ratchet 106 is turned counterclockwise in FIGS. 8 to 11). It is supported. Between the cushion blocks 107 and 108, a synthetic resin cushion 111 (FIG. 1) that abuts against the striker 22 that enters the striker entry groove 101 a and softens the shock is supported. An elastic tongue 108a is formed integrally to reduce the shock at the time of entering the striker 22 and at the same time to take play in the left-right direction of the striker 22. In FIGS. 8 to 11 showing the movement of the hook 105 and the ratchet 106, the cushion blocks 107 and 108 and the cushion 111 are not drawn.

  As is apparent from FIGS. 8 to 11, the hook 105 includes a striker holding groove 105a, a lock engaging portion 105b, a half lock engaging portion 105c, and a switch pressing portion 105d. The ratchet 106 includes a lock portion 106a that engages with and disengages from the lock engaging portion 105b or the half lock engaging portion 105c of the hook 105, and a driven arm 106b. The driven arm 106 b extends in a direction parallel to the shaft 104 of the ratchet 106 so as to be pressed by the electric unlocking mechanism block 200.

  The torsion coil springs 109 and 110 rotate and urge the hook 105 and the ratchet 106 in a direction in which the lock engaging part 105b or the half lock engaging part 105c and the lock part 106a are engaged. When the lock engaging portion 105b and the lock portion 106a are engaged, the striker 22 is held in the striker holding groove 105a (FIG. 11, locked state). Further, the state in which the half lock engaging portion 105c and the lock portion 106a are engaged (the lock portion 106a is located between the lock engaging portion 105b and the half lock engaging portion 105c) is a half locked state (FIGS. 9 and 10). ). On the other hand, when the lock engaging portion 105b and the lock portion 106a are disengaged, the torsion coil spring 109 rotates the hook 105 in the striker opening direction to disengage the striker 22 from the striker entry groove 101a (FIG. 8, unlocking). Status).

  The upper base plate 102 is connected to a sandwiching support plate portion 102a parallel to the rotation plane of the hook 105 and the ratchet 106, and an electric unlocking mechanism block 200 extending upward from the sandwiching support plate portion 102a in a substantially orthogonal direction. And a plate portion 102b. The striker entry groove 101a of the lower base plate 101 is formed in a sandwiching plate portion 101b parallel to the sandwiching support plate portion 102a. The lower base plate 101 and the upper base plate 102 are coupled to the lower base plate 101 and the upper base plate 102. Attachment plate portions 101c and 102c are formed which are in close contact with each other and are inclined with respect to both the sandwich plate portion 101b (the sandwich support plate portion 102a) and the coupling plate portion 102b.

  The lower base plate 101 and the upper base plate 102 are caulked and fixed by the shaft 103 and the shaft 104 in a state in which the hook 105, the ratchet 106, the cushion blocks 107 and 108, the torsion coil springs 109 and 110, and the cushion 111 are accommodated therebetween. The lock mechanism block 100 is unitized (sub-assembled).

  As shown in an exploded view in FIG. 2, the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 has a main waterproof housing 201 and a sub waterproof housing 202 both made of synthetic resin, and between the main waterproof housing 201 and the sub waterproof housing 202. All the elements of the electric drive system are stored. The main waterproof housing 201 and the sub-waterproof housing 202 are formed with ultrasonic welding planes (bonding surfaces) 201a and 202a, which are planes facing each other, and various types of storage are provided in a portion surrounded by the ultrasonic welding planes 201a and 202a. A recess is formed.

  On the main waterproof housing 201 side, as a recess viewed from the ultrasonic welding plane 201a side, there are a motor storage recess 201b, a worm storage recess 201c, a helical gear storage recess 201d, and a bottomed shaft hole located at the center of this helical gear storage recess 201d 201e is formed. Under the helical gear housing recess 201d, a bottomed cylinder part 201f for supporting the release lever and a lower semi-cylindrical part 201g concentric with the bottomed cylinder part 201f for supporting the release lever are formed as convex parts from the welding plane 201a. ing.

  On the other hand, on the sub-waterproof housing 202 side, as a recess viewed from the ultrasonic welding plane 202a side, a motor storage recess 202b paired with the motor storage recess 201b, a worm storage recess 202c paired with the worm storage recess 201c, and a helical gear storage A helical gear storage recess 202d that is paired with the recess 201d is formed. A substantially concave half of the helical gear storage recess 202d is formed with a sector-shaped recess 202e that is one step deeper than the storage recess 202d and opened downward when the back door 10 is closed. Is formed with a bottomed cylindrical portion 202f that is paired with a bottomed shaft hole 201e, which is located at the center of the helical gear storage recess 202d. Further, at the lower end portion of the sector-shaped recess 202e, a substantially semi-cylindrical step portion 202g that is opened downward and forms a pair with a bottomed cylinder portion 201f (lower semi-cylindrical portion 201g) for supporting a release lever, A bottomed cylindrical portion 202h located at the center of the stepped portion 202g is formed.

  The sub-waterproof housing 202 is also formed with a pair of screw seats 202i that protrudes on the opposite side of the main waterproof housing 201, and an electrical connector cylinder portion 202j. A pair of screw holes 102d corresponding to the pair of screw seats 202i and a through hole 102e corresponding to the bottomed cylindrical portion 202h are formed in the mounting plate portion 102c of the upper base plate 102 on the lock mechanism block 100 side.

  All elements constituting the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 are supported by being sandwiched between the main waterproof housing 201 and the sub waterproof housing 202 described above. The motor unit 203 is housed between the motor housing recess 201b and the motor housing recess 202b, and the worm 204 fixed to the output shaft of the motor unit 203 is housed between the worm housing recess 201c and the worm housing recess 202c. An intermediate gear 205 is housed between the housing recess 201d and the helical gear storage recess 202d. The intermediate gear 205 has a helical gear (worm gear) 205a meshing with the worm 204 and a small flat gear 205b coaxial with the helical gear 205a. The shaft hole 201e and the bottomed cylindrical portion 202f are rotatably supported. A torsion coil spring 206 is housed together with the intermediate gear 205 between the helical gear housing recess 201d and the helical gear housing recess 202d. The hooks 206a (only one shown in FIG. 2) at both ends of the torsion coil spring 206 are hooked on the intermediate gear 205 and the main waterproof housing 201, respectively, so that the intermediate gear 205 is unlocked (clockwise in FIG. 6). Rotating force is applied.

  A release lever 207 having a sector gear 207a that meshes with a small spur gear 205b of the intermediate gear 205 has a pair of support shafts 207b and 207c that protrude from the front and back of the central portion of the sector gear 207a. The support shaft 207b is rotatably supported by the release lever supporting bottomed cylindrical portion 201f and the lower semi-cylindrical portion 201g, and the support shaft 207c is rotatably supported by the bottomed cylindrical portion 202h. The rotation shaft (support shafts 207b and 207c) of the release lever 207 is positioned below the rotation shaft (protrusion shaft 205d) of the intermediate gear 205 when the back door 10 is closed.

  The release lever 207 is formed with a pressing arm 207d protruding downward from the sector gear 207a. The pressing arm 207d engages with the driven arm 106b of the ratchet 106 on the lock mechanism block 100 side and rotates the ratchet 106 in the unlocking direction. The release lever 207 is also integrally formed with a manual unlocking lever 207e protruding in the radial direction of the support shaft 207b (207c). This manual unlocking lever 207e is in a position where it can be directly operated from the vehicle interior. For example, even when the battery has run out, the release lever 207 is manually rotated in the unlocking direction. An operation wire that is pulled in conjunction with the pull lever in the vehicle compartment is connected to the manual unlock lever 207e, and when the pull lever is pulled manually, the release lever 207 can be rotated in the unlock direction. .

  The main waterproof housing 201 and the sub waterproof housing 202 are ultrasonically welded in a state where the above motor unit 203, worm 204, intermediate gear 205, torsion coil spring 206 and release lever 207 are housed in the respective housing recesses between them. The planes 201 a and 202 a are brought into close contact with each other and ultrasonically welded, and unitized (sub-assembled) as an electric unlocking mechanism block 200. In the combined state of the main waterproof housing 201 and the sub-waterproof housing 202, a lower open portion 210 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is formed below the sector-shaped recess 202e and the substantially semi-cylindrical stepped portion 202g of the sub-waterproof housing 202. Only the pressing arm 207d of the release lever 207 and the manual lock release lever 207e protrude from the downward opening 210, and the other elements are in a liquid-tight state where the other elements are not exposed. The structure in which the rotation shaft of the release lever 207 is positioned below the rotation shaft of the intermediate gear 205 in a state where the back door 10 is closed is that only the pressing arm 207d of the release lever 207 and the manual unlocking lever 207e are removed from the lower opening 210. It is advantageous for protruding.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 7, a pair of power supply terminals 203 a and 203 b of the motor unit 203 and detection terminals 208 a and 208 b of the courtesy switch 208 are provided in the electrical connector cylinder 202 j of the sub waterproof housing 202. I'm here. The power supply terminals 203a and 203b are embedded in the sub-waterproof housing 202, and when the motor 203 is properly stored in the motor storage recess 202b, the power supply terminals 203a and 203b are electrically connected to the motor terminals. The courtesy switch 208 is held by the cushion block 107 on the lock mechanism block 100 side, and a lock state (locked state or half-locked (unlocked) depends on whether or not the switch section 208c is pressed by the switch pressing portion 105d of the hook 105. ) State).

  The lock mechanism block 100 and the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 that are sub-assembled are inserted into the screw holes 102d formed in the coupling plate portion 102b on the lock mechanism block 100 side by inserting the fixing screws 113, so that the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 side. It is integrated by being screwed to the screw seat 202i, and is configured as an electric unlocking lock mechanism 30. At this time, the bottomed cylindrical portion 202h of the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 is fitted into the through hole 102e of the coupling plate portion 102b of the lock mechanism block 100 to correctly position the lock mechanism block 100 and the electric unlocking mechanism block 200. 3 and 4 show this integrated electric unlocking lock mechanism 30. FIG.

  The courtesy switch 208 is held by a holding claw 107a (FIGS. 1 and 7) formed on the cushion block 107 during this complete assembly. In this complete assembly state, the pressing arm 207 d of the release lever 207 protruding from the lower opening 210 of the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 can be engaged with the driven arm 106 b of the ratchet 106.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the integrated electric unlocking lock mechanism 30 has the mounting plate portions 101 c and 102 c on the lock mechanism block 100 side fixed to the lower inner surface of the back door 10 with fixing screws 12. A back door lock mechanism is configured together with the striker 22.

  In the back door lock mechanism configured as described above, the striker 22 is now held in the striker holding groove 105a of the hook 105, and the lock engagement portion 105b of the hook 105 and the lock portion 106a of the ratchet 106 are engaged (FIG. 3). 4 and 11). In this locked state, for example, when the motor unit 203 is energized by a remote control unlocking signal and the worm 204 rotates in the unlocking direction, the intermediate gear 205 opposes the torsion coil spring 206 via the helical gear 205a. Rotate in the direction. When the intermediate gear 205 rotates counterclockwise, the release lever 207 rotates clockwise (lock release direction) A via the small flat gear 205b and the sector gear 207a, and the pressing arm 207d pushes the driven arm 106b of the ratchet 106. Then, the lock portion 106a and the lock engaging portion 105b are disengaged, the striker 22 is released from the striker holding groove 105a of the hook 105, and the lock is released. That is, the back door 10 can be opened.

  When the worm 204 is rotated by an angle necessary for the above unlocking operation, the energization to the motor unit 203 is cut off. As a result, the intermediate gear 205 and the release lever 207 are returned to the original positions by the force of the torsion coil spring 206, The pressing arm 207 d of the release lever 207 is separated from the driven arm 106 b of the ratchet 106.

  In addition to the electric unlocking operation described above, the release lever 207 can be rotated in the unlocking direction A via the manual unlocking lever 207e located at a position where it can be directly operated from the vehicle interior. Therefore, similarly, unlocking can be performed. The original position returning operation when the pull lever is released is the same as in the case of electric unlocking.

  When the back door 10 is closed again, the striker 22 enters the striker holding groove 105 a of the hook 105, and the locked state is brought about when the lock engaging portion 105 b is engaged with the lock portion 106 a of the ratchet 106. The state (FIGS. 9 and 10) where the lock portion 106a is positioned between the lock engagement portion 105b and the half lock engagement portion 105c is a half-locked state, and the lock portion 106a is engaged with the half lock engagement portion 105c. The state (FIG. 8) is an unlocked state. In these states, the switch pressing portion 105d does not press the switch section 208c of the courtesy switch 208, so that half-lock or unlock is detected. In the locked state, the switch pressing portion 105d presses the switch piece 208c (FIG. 11), so the locked state is detected. Since the detection terminals 208a and 208b of the courtesy switch 208 face the electric connector cylinder 202j together with the pair of power supply terminals 203a and 203b of the motor unit 203, the electrical connection work is simple.

  According to the above embodiment, the electric drive elements of the electric unlocking mechanism block 200 are all housed in the housing recess between the main waterproof housing 201 and the sub-waterproof housing 202, and from the lower opening 210 of both housings. Since the pressing arm 207d of the release lever 207 protrudes, reliable waterproofing can be achieved. Of course, the electric drive element of the illustrated embodiment is an example, and other drive mechanisms can be used.

In the above embodiment, the main waterproof housing 201 and the sub-waterproof housing 202 are made of a synthetic resin material, and the joint surfaces thereof are ultrasonic welding planes, but may be joint surfaces joined by an adhesive or welding. Further, when the joining surface is a flat surface as in the embodiment, ultrasonic welding is easy, but it is not always necessary that the bonding surface is a flat surface.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a lock mechanism block of an electric unlocking lock device for a vehicle back door according to the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the unlocking mechanism block. It is a front view of the whole. FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the sub-waterproof housing and the courtesy switch around the unlocking mechanism block. It is a top view of the lock release state of a lock mechanism block. It is a top view of the same half lock state. It is a top view just before reaching the locked state from the half-locked state. It is a top view of the locked state. It is sectional drawing which shows the relationship between the striker of a one box car, and the electric unlocking type locking mechanism of a back door.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Back door 11 Rear opening 20 Vehicle body 21 Left-right direction shaft 22 Strike 30 Electric unlocking lock mechanism 100 Lock mechanism block 101 Lower base plate 102 Upper base plate 103 104 Shaft 105 Hook 106 Ratchet 106b Driven arm 107 108 Cushion block 107a Courtesy switch Holding claw 108a Elastic tongue piece 109 110 Torsion coil spring 111 Cushion 113 Fixing screw 200 Electric unlocking mechanism block 201 Main waterproof housing 202 Sub waterproof housing 201a 202a Ultrasonic welding plane (joint surface)
201b 202b Motor housing recess 201c 202c Worm housing recess 201d 202d Helical gear housing recess 201e Bottomed shaft hole 201f Bottom lever cylindrical portion 201g for release lever support Lower semi-cylindrical portion 202e Sector-shaped concave portion 202f Bottomed cylindrical portion 202g Substantially semi-cylindrical step portion 202h Bottomed cylinder portion 202i Screw seat 203 Motor unit 203a 203b Power supply terminal 204 Worm 205 Intermediate gear 205a Helical gear 205b Small flat gear 205d Projection shaft 206 Torsion coil spring 207 Release lever 207a Sector gear 207b 207c Support shaft 207d Press arm 207e Manual lock release lever 208 Courtesy switch 208a 208b Detection terminal 210 Lower open part

Claims (5)

A striker is fixed to the vehicle body below the rear opening, and a lock mechanism that holds and releases the striker on a back door that opens and closes the rear opening, and an electric unlocking mechanism that unlocks the lock mechanism are provided. In the electric unlocking lock device for the back door of the vehicle provided,
The lock mechanism includes a hook and a ratchet for gripping and releasing the striker, and the ratchet has a driven arm for releasing the grip of the striker by the hook when pressed by the electric unlocking mechanism,
The electric unlocking mechanism includes a main waterproof housing having a joint surface, and a sub waterproof housing having a joint surface closely contacting the joint surface of the main waterproof housing. The joint surface of the main and sub waterproof housings is: In the state where the back door is closed, an opening is provided only in the lower part,
A motor, a release lever rotated by the motor, and a drive mechanism extending from the motor to the release lever are housed between the main and sub waterproof housings at a portion surrounded by the joint surface. The release lever is provided with a pressing arm that protrudes from the lower open portions of the main and sub waterproof housings toward the lock mechanism and engages with the driven arm of the ratchet. Electric unlocking lock device for doors. 2. The electric unlocking lock device according to claim 1, wherein a manual unlocking lever formed integrally with the release lever protrudes from the lower open portions of the main and sub waterproof housings together with the pressing arm. Electric unlocking lock device. 3. The electric unlocking type locking device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism housed between the main and sub waterproof housings is a worm that is rotated by the motor, and is rotated by the worm. An intermediate gear having a rotation shaft different from the rotation shaft of the release lever, a gear mechanism that links the intermediate gear and the release lever, and a torsion coil spring that urges the intermediate gear to rotate to its original position. Electric unlocking lock device for vehicle back door. 4. The electric unlocking lock device according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate gear has a helical gear that meshes with the worm and a small gear that is coaxial with the helical gear, and the release lever has a sector gear that meshes with the small gear. The center of the sector gear is a rotation shaft of the release lever, and the release lever rotation shaft is used for a back door of a vehicle that is positioned below the rotation shaft of the intermediate gear when the back door is closed. Electric unlocking lock device. 5. The electric unlocking lock device for a back door of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein both the lock mechanism and the electric unlocking mechanism are sub-assembled. 6.

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