JP2009013639A - Door latch device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely and attractively block an opening into which an operating tool can be inserted. <P>SOLUTION: This door latch device for an automobile comprises a base member 4 supporting an engaging mechanism part engaged with a striker to hold a door in the closed state, and locking/unlocking levers 11, 12 movable from an unlocked position into a locked position and reversely thereof by an actuator 16. When the door is in the open state, the locking/unlocking levers 11, 12 can be moved from the unlocked position into the locked position by inserting a key in an opening 431 provided in the base member 4. The locking/unlocking levers 11, 12 are movable in a direction parallel with the inserted direction of the key and turnable from the unlocked position into the locked position, and have a cover part 111 abutting on the peripheral edge of the opening 431 of the base member 4 to block the opening 431 in the unlocked position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a door latch device for an automobile which can be operated in a locked state using an operating jig only when the door is in an open state when it cannot be operated in a locked state by an electric drive source due to a failure of an electric system or the like. About.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automobile door latch device, a locking / unlocking lever that can move from a locking position to an unlocking position and vice versa is directly or indirectly connected to an electric drive source. The electric drive source is operated by an operation of a wireless operation switch or the like possessed by the driver, and moves the locking / unlocking lever from the unlocking position to the locking position, thereby disabling the door opening operation.

  However, in a door where the key cylinder and door lock knob that are mechanically connected to the locking / unlocking lever have been abolished, the locking / unlocking lever is locked when the electric drive source becomes inoperable due to a failure of the electric system such as battery exhaustion. There is no way to move it to a position. Therefore, when the driver leaves the vehicle, an unauthorized person can freely open the door and enter the vehicle, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of anti-theft performance.

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose solutions for solving the above-described problems. In the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an operation jig is inserted into an opening that is exposed only when the door is opened when it becomes impossible to move the locking / unlocking lever to the locking position by the electric drive source. Or by manually operating the button exposed from the opening, the locking / unlocking lever can be moved to the locking position, and the opening can be closed by a button, a cover, etc. And intrusion of dust and the like.
French Patent No. 2782108 German utility model No. 2031347

  However, in the automotive door latch device described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the opening is formed along the moving direction of the locking / unlocking lever, a large opening that can allow the movement of the locking / unlocking lever is required. Not only does it look bad, but it is difficult to reliably close the opening. Moreover, in the door latch apparatus for motor vehicles described in patent document 2, since the cover for obstruct | occluding an opening part is needed separately, the number of parts increases and becomes a factor of a cost rise.

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a device that can operate the locking / unlocking lever to the unlocking position by using the operation jig only when the door is opened, and has an attractive and reliable opening for inserting the operation jig. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automobile door latch device that can be closed.

According to the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows.
(1) A base member that supports a meshing mechanism that can hold a door in a closed state by engaging with a striker, and an unlocking and unlocking mechanism that can be moved from an unlocking position to a locking position and vice versa by an electric drive source. And when the door is in an open state, the locking / unlocking lever can be moved from the unlocking position to the locking position by inserting an operation jig into the opening provided in the base member. In the automobile door latch device, the locking / unlocking lever moves in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the operation jig, is rotatable from the unlocking position to the locking position, and is in the unlocking position. And a lid that closes the opening by contacting the periphery of the opening of the base member.

(2) In the above item (1), the locking / unlocking lever has a protrusion that engages with the opening when in the unlocking position.

(3) In the above item (2), the locking / unlocking lever is orthogonal to the locking direction of moving from the unlocking position to the locking position based on an operation of a door handle provided on the outside or inside of the door. And a guide groove that is slidably engaged with the protrusion when the locking / unlocking lever is in the unlocking position and moves in the releasing direction. .

(4) In any one of the above items (1) to (3), the operation jig is a key for operating a key cylinder provided on a vehicle exterior panel of another door.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
According to the first aspect of the invention, when the locking / unlocking lever is in the unlocking position, the opening of the base member can be reliably closed by the lid provided on the locking / unlocking lever. Moreover, since it is set as the structure which provided the cover part integrally in the locking / unlocking lever, it can be set as a simple structure, without the number of parts increasing.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the protrusion provided on the locking / unlocking lever is engaged with the opening of the base member, so that the opening can be reliably closed with a good appearance.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the protrusion is slidably engaged with the guide groove, so that the movement of the locking / unlocking lever in the releasing direction is stabilized, and the releasing operation of the meshing mechanism portion can be reliably performed. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the locking / unlocking lever can be easily moved to the unlocking position by inserting the key into the opening.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a front view of the door latch device, FIG. 2 is also a rear view, FIG. 3 is a side view, FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. It is. In the following description, the left side in FIG. 1 and the right side in FIG. 2 are the “vehicle inside” of the automobile, the right side in FIG. 1 and the left side in FIG. The front side of the drawing in FIG. 1 and the back side of the drawing in FIG. 2 are the “front” of the automobile, and the back side of the drawing in FIG. 1 and the front side of the drawing in FIG.

  The door latch device 1 includes a base member 4 that is fixed to a rear end surface of a door 2 that is pivotally supported by the vehicle body by a plurality of bolts 3 facing forward, and is fixed to the vehicle body side in the base member 4. By engaging with the striker 5, the meshing mechanism portion 6 that holds the door 2 in a closed state is supported, and an open lever 9, an outside lever 10, first and second levers 1, 2 are provided on the front side of the base member 4. Locking and unlocking levers 11 and 12, an inside lever and other levers are arranged. Since the inside lever and other levers are not directly related to the present invention, detailed explanation and illustration are omitted. 4 and 5, the outside lever 10 is omitted for simplification of the drawing.

  The door 2 is formed of a vehicle exterior door panel 2A and a vehicle interior door panel 2B. The vehicle exterior door panel 2A is provided with an outside handle 13 that is operated when the door 2 is opened from the outside of the vehicle. Is provided with an inside handle (not shown) that is operated when the door 2 is opened from inside the vehicle. Of the door handles, the outside handle 13 is connected to the outside lever 10 via a cable 14. Note that the key cylinder and the door lock knob mechanically connected to the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are abolished mainly on the rear door 2 to which the door latch device 1 according to the present invention is attached.

  The base member 4 includes a metal cover plate 41 and a base plate 42 fixed to the rear end surface of the door 2 with bolts 3, and a synthetic resin body 43 sandwiched between the plates 41 and 42 in the front-rear direction of the automobile. Formed from. In FIGS. 3 to 5, the base plate 42 is omitted because the main part is clearly shown.

  The cover plate 41 and the body 43 facing the rear end surface of the door 2 are provided with striker entry grooves 41a and 43a into which the striker 5 can enter when the door 2 is closed. In the striker entry groove 43a of the body 43, a vertically long rectangular opening 431 penetrating the body 43 in the front-rear direction is formed.

  The opening 431 is provided at a position that is exposed to the outside only when the door 2 is in the open state, and is used for operating a key cylinder (not shown) provided on the outside panel of the door of the passenger seat, for example, the passenger seat door. The key 17 (operation jig) is formed in a size that allows insertion in the direction of arrow A. A guide groove 432 facing the up and down direction with the front open is continuously provided at the upper part of the opening 431.

  The base plate 42 is bent in a substantially L shape in plan view, and has a first base portion 421 that is substantially parallel to the inside and outside directions of the door 2 and a second base portion 422 that is substantially parallel to the inside door panel 2B. is doing.

  The meshing mechanism portion 6 is in the body 43 and is pivotally supported by the pivot 7 facing the front-rear direction between the cover plate 41 and the base plate 42, and can engage with the striker 5 that has entered the striker entry grooves 41a and 43a. The latch 61 is also pivotally supported by the pivot 8 and is engaged with the outer periphery of the latch 61, so that the latch 61 is moved from the latch position (rotated approximately 90 degrees clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2) to the open position ( And a ratchet 62 that prevents rotation to the position shown in FIG.

  The open lever 9 is disposed on the front side of the first base portion 421 and is fixed to the pivot 8 so as to rotate integrally with the ratchet 62. The outside lever 10 is pivotally supported by a pivot 15 that faces in the front-rear direction at a lower portion on the vehicle interior side on the front side of the first base portion 421, and a lower end portion of the cable 14 is connected to an end portion that faces the vehicle exterior side. Is done.

  The first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are pivotally connected to an inside lever whose lower end is pivotally supported by the second base portion 422 by the coupling shaft 18, and the second base portion 422. By being connected to an actuator (electric drive source) 16 having a built-in motor via another lever pivotally supported by the actuator 16, the power of the actuator 16 causes the key 17 to be parallel to the insertion direction A about the connecting shaft 18. 3 is moved from the unlocked position shown in FIG. 3 (position shown by a solid line) and FIG. 4 to the locked position shown in FIG. 5 and vice versa.

  The first locking / unlocking lever 11 and the second locking / unlocking lever 12 are formed separately so that a reliable locking / unlocking operation can be obtained even in an abnormal operation state, but always operates integrally except during an abnormal operation. Therefore, the first locking / unlocking lever 11 and the second locking / unlocking lever 12 may be integrally formed.

  When the outside handle 13 is operated to open the door, the operating force is transmitted to the outside lever 10 via the cable 14. As a result, the outside lever 10 rotates a predetermined amount counterclockwise from the non-actuated position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 against the biasing force of the spring (not shown) based on the operating force, The step portion 10a engages with the bent shoulder portion 12a of the second locking / unlocking lever 12, and moves to the operating position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  At this time, if the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the unlocking position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3, the locking direction (the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 move from the unlocking position to the locking position). In the moving direction, by moving in the release direction (upward in FIGS. 1 and 3) perpendicular to the right direction in FIG. 3 and reaching the release position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The bent portion 12b of the second locking / unlocking lever 12 contacts the lower edge 9a of the open lever 9, and the open lever 9 is rotated in the release direction (clockwise in FIG. 1). As a result, the ratchet 62 rotates in a direction away from the latch 61 to allow the door 2 to be opened. In addition, if the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the locking position, the bent portion 12b of the second locking / unlocking lever 12 moves relative to the lower edge 9a of the open lever 9 even if the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are moved in the release direction. The open lever 9 cannot be rotated in the release direction and the door 2 cannot be opened.

  A lid 111 capable of closing the opening 431 is integrally provided at the upper end of the first locking / unlocking lever 11. When the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the unlocking position, the lid 111 closes the opening 431 by abutting the periphery of the opening 431 on the front side of the body 43, and is also locked. When in position, it leaves the opening 431. When the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the unlocking position, the lid 111 is engaged with the opening 431 while being slidably engaged with the guide groove 432. A protrusion 112 is provided.

  When the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the unlocking position, the projecting portion 112 is engaged with the opening 432 to securely close the opening 432, and the first and second locking / unlocking levers When the first and second unlocking levers 11 and 12 are moved in the unlocking position, the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are moved in the unlocking direction by engaging and sliding in the guide grooves 432. The open lever 9 can be reliably rotated in the release direction with stabilization.

  Next, for example, due to a failure in the electric system such as battery exhaustion, the actuator 16 cannot be operated, and the actuator 16 cannot operate the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 from the unlocked position to the locked position. The operation procedure when it becomes will be described.

  With the door 2 opened, the key 17 is inserted into the opening 431 and pushed inward as shown in FIG. As a result, the protrusion 112 engaged in the opening 431 contacts the tip of the key 17 and is pushed forward, so that the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are moved from the unlocked position to the locked position. Move to.

  After the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are moved to the locking position, when the door 2 is closed, the latch 61 is moved to the striker 5 while the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are held in the locking position. Engagement, the door 2 is held in the closed position. Therefore, the driver can leave the vehicle with peace of mind and prepare for repair. When ready for repair, the other door with the key cylinder can be opened using the key 17 to repair the failure. Note that when the door 2 is in the closed position, the opening 431 is closed between the door 2 and the vehicle body, so that an unauthorized tool cannot be inserted into the opening 431. Therefore, an unauthorized person cannot enter the vehicle while the driver is away from the vehicle.

  As described above, in the embodiment according to the present invention, the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 can be moved from the unlocking position to the locking position by simply inserting the key 17 into the opening 431. it can.

  When the first and second locking / unlocking levers 11 and 12 are in the unlocking position, the lid portion 111 provided integrally with the first locking / unlocking lever 11 abuts on the periphery of the opening 431 and the protrusion 112 has the opening 431. Since the opening 431 is securely closed, rainwater and dust can be prevented from entering the opening 431.

  When the door 2 is opened, the opening 431 is a small opening that allows the key 17 to be inserted, and at the same time, the opening 431 is closed by the lid 111 and the protrusion 112, so that the appearance is good.

It is a front view of the door latch device concerning the present invention. It is a rear view of a door latch device. It is a side view of a door latch device. It is a perspective view of a door latch device when a locking / unlocking lever is in an unlocking position. It is a perspective view of a door latch device when a locking / unlocking lever is in a locking position. It is the VI-VI line expanded sectional view in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Door latch apparatus 2 Door 2A Outside door panel 2B Outside door panel 3 Bolt 4 Base member 5 Striker 6 Engagement mechanism parts 7 and 8 Axis 9 Open lever 9a Lower edge 10 Outside lever 10a Intermediate step part 11 First locking / unlocking lever 12 2 Locking / unlocking lever 12a Bending shoulder 12b Bending part 13 Outside handle 14 Cable 15 Axis 16 Actuator (electric drive source)
17 key (operation jig)
18 connecting shaft 41 cover plate 41a striker entry groove 42 base plate 43 body 43a striker entry groove 61 latch 62 ratchet 111 lid portion 112 projection 421 first base portion 422 second base portion 431 opening 432 guide groove

Claims (4)

A base member that supports a meshing mechanism that can hold the door in a closed state by engaging with a striker, and a locking / unlocking lever that can be moved from the unlocking position to the locking position and vice versa by an electric drive source. And an automobile in which the unlocking lever can be moved from the unlocked position to the locked position by inserting an operation jig into an opening provided in the base member when the door is in an open state. Door latch device for
The unlocking lever moves in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the operation jig, is rotatable from the unlocking position to the locking position, and when in the unlocking position, the peripheral edge of the opening of the base member A door latch device for an automobile having a lid portion that abuts against the opening and closes the opening.   2. The door latch device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the locking / unlocking lever has a protrusion that engages with the opening when in the unlocking position. The locking / unlocking lever is movable in a release direction orthogonal to the locking direction of moving from the unlocking position to the locking position based on an operation of a door handle provided on the vehicle exterior or vehicle interior of the door,
3. The guide groove according to claim 2, wherein when the locking / unlocking lever is in the unlocking position and moves in the release direction, a guide groove is slidably engaged with the opening. Door latch device for automobiles.   The automobile door latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation jig is a key for operating a key cylinder provided on an outside panel of another door.

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