JP2015140614A - Door latch device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose an electric release type door latch device excellent in theft prevention, for preventing intrusion of foreign matters from an operation window hole for releasing a latch by emergency operation.SOLUTION: A door latch device for a vehicle comprises: a latch mechanism 13; and an open lever 40 driven by an electric driving mechanism 35 and releasing the latch mechanism 13. The open lever 40 is provided with a manual operation part 40a operable from the vehicle inside, and the operation window hole 43 for exposing the manual operation part 40a of the open lever 40, is formed in a device case for internally installing the electric driving mechanism 35 and the open lever 40, and a freely installing cover 44 is openably provided in this operation window hole 43.

Description

  The present invention relates to a door latch device for holding a back door of a vehicle in a closed position.

FIG. 25 is a schematic view showing a door latch device (tailgate latch device) of a back door provided in an automobile such as a station wagon.
This figure shows a state in which the door latch device is engaged with the striker 10 of the vehicle body to hold the closed position of the back door.

The door latch device includes a known latch mechanism 13 including a fork 11 and a claw 12.
The fork 11 is rotatably supported by a shaft 14 on a base plate (not shown), and the fork 11 receives a clockwise rotational force by a return spring.

The claw 12 is rotatably supported on the base plate by the shaft 15, and the claw 12 receives a counterclockwise rotational force by the return spring, and in a state where the fork 11 is engaged with the striker 10, The fork 11 is locked so as to prevent the backward movement of the fork 11, thereby holding the closed position of the back door.

On the other hand, this door latch device is an electric release type door latch device provided with an electric actuator that performs latch release of unlatching to be an open position from a latching state in which the closed position of the back door is held.
That is, the motor 16 as an electric actuator, the worm 17 provided on the output shaft of the motor 16, the worm wheel 18 meshed with the worm 17, and the small gear (projected integrally with the central portion of the worm wheel 18) An electric drive mechanism comprising an interlocking gear) 19 is provided, and the open lever 20 is turned by this electric drive mechanism to release the latch.
The worm wheel 18 is provided with a return spring.

Specifically, the electric drive mechanism is built in the motor case 21, and the open lever 20 is pivotally supported on the shaft 22 in the motor case 21.
The open lever 20 has an arcuate gear portion 20a formed on one side of a shaft 22, the gear portion 20a meshes with the small gear 19, and the other side serves as an interlocking portion 20b in a motor case. 21 is an interlocking part that interlocks the claw 12 with this interlocking part 20b.

  Accordingly, if the motor 16 is supplied with power in the latched state shown in FIG. 19 in which the back door is held at the closed position, the rotational driving force of the motor 16 is transmitted to the open lever 20 via the worm 17, the worm wheel 18, and the small gear 19. Since the open lever 20 pivots counterclockwise, the claw 12 is pushed around by the interlocking portion 20b and rotates clockwise against the spring force of the return spring.

As a result, the lock of the fork 11 is released, and the fork 11 is rotated clockwise by the spring force of the return spring, so that the striker 10 is disengaged as shown in FIG. (Unracking state)
From this, the back door can be opened.

When the door latch device is unlatched, power supply to the motor 16 is stopped.
As a result, the worm wheel 18 is reversed by the spring force of the return spring, so that the open lever 20 and the claw 12 are moved backward as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the door latch device is provided with a manual open lever 23 for emergency operation.
The manual open lever 23 is provided outside the motor case 21 on the vehicle compartment side, and its base is pivotally supported by a shaft 22 protruding outside the motor case 21 and pivots integrally with the open lever 20. So that they are connected.
Therefore, this manual open lever 23 cannot be operated from outside the vehicle.

The manual open lever 23 is operated (emergency operation) from the vehicle interior when the electric drive mechanism such as the motor 16 or its power supply circuit is faulty or the electric drive mechanism does not release the latch due to battery exhaustion. To release the latch.
That is, when the back door is fixed at the closed position and cannot be opened due to a failure of the electric drive mechanism, the manual open lever 23 is operated from the vehicle interior to release the latch.

  That is, in FIG. 25, if the manual open lever 23 is operated in the counterclockwise direction, the open lever 20 pivots integrally, so that the latch is released in the same manner as described above, so that the back door can be opened.

JP 2013-185335 A

  Since the above-described conventional door latch device is provided with the manual open lever 23 outside the motor case 21 on the indoor side, the manual open lever 23 is pivoted and latched by a thin line passing through the door gap from the outside of the back door. Since it may be released, there is a risk that the back door will be opened due to fraud and the items in the vehicle will be stolen.

In order to prevent theft as described above, a cover that covers the manual open lever 23 is provided in the motor case 21, and an operation window hole that exposes the operation portion 23 a of the manual open lever 23 is provided in the cover. There is something.
However, when such a cover is provided, the operation window hole is formed small to prevent theft, and the operability of the manual open lever 23 is deteriorated.

Further, when a cover for covering the manual open lever 23 is provided, the width in the thickness direction of the door latch device, that is, the width in the axial direction of the shaft 22 is increased, and parts for the manual open lever 23 and the cover are increased. The number of points increases, which causes a problem that the production cost increases with weight.

Furthermore, it is conceivable that the manual opening lever 23 is provided in the motor case 21 and an operation window hole for exposing the operation portion 23a is formed in the motor case 21.
When configured in this manner, the operation window hole must be formed small to prevent theft, and the operability is deteriorated.In addition, foreign matter enters from the operation window hole. Gears, etc. may malfunction.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is an electric release type door latch device capable of emergency operation, in order to prevent the entry of foreign matter from the operation window hole exposing the operation portion of the open lever and to prevent theft. In addition to providing a cover to open and close the window hole, we provide a door latch device for vehicles that simplifies the configuration by reducing the number of components and reduces the width and weight in the thickness direction, and further reduces the production cost. The purpose is to do.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides, as a first invention, a fork that can be engaged with and disengaged from a striker provided on a vehicle body or a door, and an engagement position of the striker and a release for releasing the engagement. A latch mechanism having a claw that restricts movement to a position, and is pivotally attached to an apparatus case and driven by an electric actuator, and the claw is operated by the turning movement to restrict the fork to an open position. In the vehicle door latch device having an open lever, the open lever is provided with a manual operation portion operable from the inside of the vehicle, and the electric drive mechanism including the electric actuator and the device case including the open lever are provided in the device case. The operation window hole that exposes the manual operation part of the open lever is formed, and the operation window hole can be opened. Suggest door latch apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that a cover.

As a second invention, in the door latch device according to the first invention described above, one of the device case or the cover is provided with a support shaft portion that rotatably supports one end portion of the cover, The tip of the support shaft is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the other of the device case or the cover has a shaft hole into which the support shaft is inserted, Formed in communication with this shaft hole, provided with a notch hole through which the projecting portion of the support shaft portion passes, after passing the projecting portion through the notch hole, and inserting the support shaft portion into the shaft hole, By rotating the cover, the cover is locked by the projecting portion and is prevented from being removed. By rotating the cover so that the notched hole and the projecting portion are aligned, the cover is supported by the support shaft portion or the shaft hole. The vehicle door is characterized in that it can be removed from the vehicle. To propose a switch device.

As a third invention, in the door latch device of the first or second invention described above,
A locking tongue piece is integrally formed on the other end of the cover, and the device case has a locking holding portion for locking the locking tongue piece when the cover is closed, and the locking tongue piece For a vehicle, provided with a projection that gets over and locked to the locking holding portion, and a stopper protrusion that locks a part of the cover when the cover is opened and restricts the opening position. A door latch device is proposed.

As a fourth invention, in the door latch device according to any one of the first to third inventions described above, the cover is pressed against the stopper protrusion that regulates the opening position of the cover, A shaft hole having a notch hole through which the projecting portion of the support shaft portion passes is provided, and the support shaft portion is fitted into the shaft hole while pressing the cover against the stopper protrusion, and the cover is closed and opened. In this rotation range, a door latch device for a vehicle is proposed, in which the cover is prevented from being removed by the protruding portion of the support shaft portion.

 As a fifth invention, in the door latch device according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, the cover is screwed to the device case and the operation window hole is closed. A door latch device for a vehicle is proposed.

  As a sixth invention, in the door latch device according to any one of the first to fifth inventions described above, the cover is removed to open the operation window hole, and the locking tongue of the removed cover is manually operated by the open lever. The present invention proposes a vehicle door latch device that is configured to engage with an operation portion and perform latch release operation.

In the door latch device of the first invention, since the open lever is provided in the device case, the open lever is not turned unlatched by an illegal action.
Therefore, it becomes an electric release type door latch device capable of emergency operation with excellent anti-theft performance.

In addition, the operation window hole that exposes the manual operation part of the open lever is provided with a cover that can be opened and closed so that the cover is opened only when emergency operation is performed. It is closed.
Therefore, there is no possibility that foreign matter or the like enters from the operation window hole and the built-in parts such as gears do not operate properly.

According to the door latch device of the second invention, the cover can be easily attached and detached.
That is, when attaching the cover, the protruding part of the support shaft part provided on one of the device case or the cover is passed through the notch hole of the shaft hole provided on the other, and the support shaft part is inserted into the shaft hole. After that, if the cover is rotated, the cover is attached by being prevented from coming off by the protruding portion.
When removing the cover, align the protruding part of the support shaft part with the notch hole, and if the support shaft is extracted from the shaft hole in this state, the protruding part of the support shaft part passes through the notch hole. Can be removed from the device case.

According to the door latch device of the third aspect of the present invention, when the cover closes the operation window hole, the locking tongue piece is locked to the locking holding portion, and the locking tongue piece is fixed to the protrusion. The locked state is maintained at the end.
Therefore, the cover securely holds the operation window hole closed.
Also, when opening the cover, the cover is swiveled around the support shaft, and a part of the cover is brought into contact with the stopper protrusion.In this case, the locking tongue piece moves over the protrusion, Release the locking of the locking holding part.

In the door latch device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the state where the cover is pressed against the stopper protrusion, the protruding portion of the support shaft portion provided in either the device case or the cover has a notch hole in the shaft hole provided in the other of them. When the cover is pivoting between the closed position and the open position around the support shaft, it is locked by the protrusion of the support shaft and removed. Is prevented.
When removing the cover, the support shaft is pulled out from the shaft hole while the cover is pressed against the stopper projection.

In the door latch device according to the fifth aspect of the invention, if the screw is removed and the cover is removed from the device case, the operation window hole can be opened. Therefore, the latch can be released by operating the open lever from the operation window hole. Can do.

In the door latch device of the sixth invention, when the cover is removed from the device case, the manual operation portion of the open lever is exposed to the operation window hole.
Therefore, the latching operation of the open lever can be performed by operating the manual operation portion of the open lever using the locking tongue of the cover instead of a tool such as a flathead screwdriver.
Therefore, even when the tool is not at hand, the latch can be released.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the electric release type door latch device, when the electric drive mechanism such as the motor or its power supply circuit is faulty or the electric drive mechanism does not release the latch due to battery exhaustion, the cover is opened. Since it is configured to release the latch by operating the open lever from the operation window hole, it is excellent in theft prevention, and it becomes a door latch device that prevents intrusion of foreign substances etc. from the operation window hole, and also reduces the number of parts The structure can be simplified, the width and weight in the thickness direction of the door latch device can be reduced, and a door latch device that is advantageous in reducing the production cost can be provided.

It is a front view of a door latch device showing one embodiment of the present invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line on FIG. It is the simplified front view of the said door latch apparatus which removed the case cover body of the motor case, and showed the internal structure, This figure is the figure which showed the latching state. It is a rear view of the open lever with which the above-mentioned door latch apparatus was equipped. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4. It is a partial enlarged front view which shows the spindle part of the cover provided in the case cover body of the said door latch apparatus. It is a side view of the spindle part shown in FIG. It is an expanded partial view of the said cover which showed the axial hole part. It is the expanded partial view of the cover which showed the attachment process of the said cover. It is an enlarged partial view of a cover which shows the state where the above-mentioned cover was attached to a spindle part. It is a side view of the cover shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial view of a cover similar to FIG. 10, showing a state in which the cover is turned to a position where the operation window hole is opened. It is the simple expanded partial sectional view cut | disconnected along CC line on FIG. It is the simplified front view of the door latch apparatus similar to FIG. 3 which showed the releasing operation | movement of a latch. It is a front view of the door latch apparatus similar to FIG. 1 which shows the state which provided in the motor case and opened the cover of the operation window hole. It is a front view of the door latch apparatus similar to FIG. 1 which shows the state which removed the above-mentioned cover from the motor case. It is a simplified front view of the door latch device similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of the present invention, and this figure is a view showing a latching state. It is the same simplified front view as FIG. 17 which showed the latch release operation | movement of other embodiment. It is the enlarged front view of the cover which showed the modification of the said cover which changed the formation direction of the notch hole provided in the shaft hole. It is the expanded partial view which showed the state which attaches the cover of an above-described modification to a case lid. It is an expanded partial view which shows the cover of the said modified example rotated to the open position of the window hole for operation. It is an expanded partial view which shows the state which turned the cover of the said modification to the closed position. It is the expanded partial view of the cover which showed embodiment which provided the spindle part in the cover. FIG. 24 is an enlarged partial view of a case lid provided with a shaft hole to which the cover shown in FIG. 23 is attached. It is the simplified front view of the conventional door latch apparatus which removed the case cover body of the motor case, and showed the internal structure, This figure is the figure which showed the latching state. FIG. 26 is a simplified front view of a door latch device similar to FIG. 25 illustrating a latch release operation. FIG. 26 is a simplified front view of a door latch device similar to FIG. 25 showing a latch release state.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention implemented on a back door of an automobile such as a station wagon will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a front view of a door latch device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view showing the internal structure of the motor case with the case lid removed. 4 is a simplified front view of the door latch device, FIG. 4 is a rear view of the open lever provided in the door latch device, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
The door latch device of this embodiment is characterized by an open lever and a cover, and other configurations are the same as those of the conventional door latch device shown in FIGS. The reference numerals are attached and the description is omitted.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the fork 11 and the claw 12 constituting the latch mechanism 13 are supported by shafts 14 and 15 in the base plate 31, and the base plate 31 is covered by a cover plate 32. .
Then, mounting brackets 33 are provided on both sides of the base plate 31, and the mounting bracket 33 is screwed to the back door, and the door latch device is assembled to the back door.
The base plate 31 is formed with a striker insertion groove 34 which is inserted by closing the back door.

Furthermore, an electric drive mechanism 35 is integrally attached to the latch mechanism 13 described above.
The electric drive mechanism 35 is the same as the conventional example, and includes a motor (electric actuator) 16, a worm 17, a worm wheel 18, and a small gear incorporated in an empty space formed by a case body 36 and a case lid 37 of the motor case. (Interlocking gear) 19.

The worm 17 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 16, and a small gear 19 is provided at the center of the worm wheel 18 meshed with the worm 17.
The gear body including the worm wheel 18 and the small gear 19 is rotatably supported by a shaft rod 38 bridged between shaft support portions 36a and 37a provided on the case main body 36 and the case lid body 37. The wheel 18 is provided with a return spring 39 that rotates backward to the initial position.
The small gear 19 may be formed integrally with the central portion of the worm wheel 18, or the small gear 19 formed separately may be fixed to the worm wheel 18.

On the other hand, an open lever 40 that is electrically driven by the electric drive mechanism 35 to release the latch is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the open lever 40 is provided with a shaft portion 41 including a convex shaft portion 41a and a concave shaft portion 41b on one side, and the convex shaft portion 41a is connected to the case body. 36 is fitted to the concave shaft portion 36b, and the convex shaft portion 37b of the case lid 37 is inserted into the concave shaft portion 41b so as to be pivotally supported.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the open lever 40 is formed with a wide portion on one side of the shaft portion 41, and an arc-shaped concave groove portion 42 with the shaft portion 41 as the center is formed in the wide portion. Further, a window hole 42a is provided on the front side of the concave groove portion 42, and a gear 42b (external gear in this embodiment) is formed along the lower surface thereof.
Further, the small gear 19 is inserted into the concave groove portion 42, and the small gear 19 is engaged with the gear 42b.
It is also possible to form the concave groove 42 as a window hole without providing the window hole 42a, and to provide the gear 42b at the edge of the window hole.

In the open lever 40, a protruding tongue piece on one side of the shaft portion 41 is a manual operation portion 40a, and the other side is an interlocking portion 40b that pushes the claw 12.
As can be seen from FIG. 3, the interlocking portion 40 b of the open lever 40 protrudes from the motor case, and the tip portion thereof faces the pushing portion 12 a of the claw 12.

  On the other hand, an operation window hole 43 is formed in the case lid 37 of the door latch device described above, so that the emergency operation can be performed by exposing the manual operation portion 40a of the open lever 40 from the operation window hole 43. However, the door latch device of the present embodiment has a theft prevention structure in which a cover 44 is provided in the operation window hole 43.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 44 has a shaft hole 44a formed on one side thereof supported by a support shaft portion 45a provided on the case lid 37, and a locking tongue piece 44b provided on the other side. It is configured to be able to be locked to a locking holding portion 45 b provided on the lid body 37.

6 and 7 are enlarged partial views showing the above-described support shaft portion 45a. As shown in the figure, this support shaft portion 45a has a cylindrical shape, and an upper portion thereof is orthogonal to the axial direction. The protruding portion 45c is provided.
8 shows the shaft hole 44a of the cover 44 described above.
As shown in the figure, the shaft hole 44a is formed with a notch hole 44c that is communicated with the shaft hole 44a.

Further, FIG. 9 shows the process of attaching the cover 44.
That is, the notch hole 44c of the cover 44 is aligned with the projecting portion 45c of the support shaft part 45a, and the support shaft part 45a is fitted into the shaft hole 44a. Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. Is rotated about the support shaft portion 45a, the cutout hole 44c pivots below the projecting portion 45c, so that the cover 44 is prevented by the projecting portion 45c of the support shaft portion 45a.
If the cover 44 is turned so as to open the operation window hole 43, the cutout hole 44c turns and moves below the protruding portion 45c of the shaft hole 45a as shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 shows the above-described locking holding portion 45 b provided on the case lid 37.
As shown in the figure, the latch holding portion 45b is formed as an insertion groove having an open top, and the case lid 37 serving as an insertion passage for the insertion groove has a latch tongue of the cover 44. A protrusion 45d on which the piece 44b can get over is provided.
The locking tongue piece 44b inserted into the locking holding portion 45b and locked by the protrusion 45d is locked and held.
Therefore, normally, as shown in FIG. 1, the cover 44 is held closed by the locking tongue piece 44b.

In the door latch device of the present embodiment described above, if the back door is in the closed position and the door latch device is in the engaged state (latching state) of the striker shown in FIG. The latch can be released in accordance with 35 operations.
That is, since the worm 17 and the worm wheel 18 are interlocked by driving the motor 16, the small gear 19 rotates integrally with the worm wheel 18.

Accordingly, the open lever 40 in which the gear 42b is meshed with the small gear 19 pivots clockwise in FIG. 3 in conjunction with the rotation of the small gear 19, so that the pushing portion 12a of the claw 12 is pushed by the interlocking portion 40b. Turned.
As a result, the blocking of the fork 11 by the claw 12 is released, and as shown in FIG. 14, the fork 12 is rotated counterclockwise by the return spring, and the engagement of the striker 10 is released.
By the above operation, the latch is released by the electric drive mechanism 35 and the back door can be opened.

  When the motor 16 of the electric drive mechanism 35 is unlatched, the power supply stop control is performed. Therefore, the open lever 40 receives the spring force of the return spring 39 and pivots counterclockwise in FIG. 14 to return to the initial position shown in FIG. The claw 12 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 14 by the spring force of the return spring as the open lever 40 rotates backward, and contacts the fork 11. This operation maintains the latch release operation.

On the other hand, when the electric drive mechanism 35 does not operate regardless of the power supply operation due to a failure of the motor 16 or its power supply circuit or battery consumption, the back door cannot be opened because the latch cannot be released.
In the case of such an abnormal state, the door latch device of this embodiment can manually operate the open lever 40 from the passenger compartment to release the latch (emergency operation) from the door latch device.

That is, when an abnormal state as described above occurs, the locking tongue piece 44b of the cover 44 is removed from the locking holding portion 45b by approaching the back door from the vehicle interior, and as shown in FIG. The cover 44 pivotally supported by 45a is rotated to open the operation window hole 43.
In this case, the locking tongue piece 44b is moved over the protrusion 45d to release the locking and the cover 44 is turned, and a part of the cover 44 is brought into contact with the stopper protrusion 45e provided on the case lid 37. Let

As a result, the manual operation portion 40a of the open lever 40 is exposed from the operation window 43. When the manual operation portion 40a is pulled rightward (in FIG. 15), the open lever 40 is pivoted as shown in FIG. Since it turns clockwise about the part 41, it can be made to release latch similarly to the above.
In addition, although the manual operation part 40a may be operated manually, you may draw around using tools, such as a driver.

Further, the cover 44 can be removed from the case lid 37 as shown in FIG.
By removing the cover 44 in this manner, the manual operation portion 40a of the open lever 40 is exposed to the operation window hole 43, and therefore, the locking tongue piece 44b of the cover 44 is inserted into the circular hole of the manual operation portion 40a. 40 can be turned to release the latch by emergency operation as described above.
Since the emergency operation using the cover 44 can be performed in this way, even when there is no tool such as a driver, the latch can be released in an emergency and the back door can be opened.

The manual operation portion 40a of the open lever 40 does not necessarily have to be formed with a circular hole. If a concave portion, a catch, a groove, or the like is formed, the open lever 40b or a screwdriver can be used to open the lever. 40 can be swiveled.

Accordingly, even when the electric drive mechanism 35 breaks down and the back door cannot be opened, the back door can be opened by urgently releasing the latch of the door latch device.
Note that the door latch device of the present embodiment normally closes the cover 44 and closes the operation window hole 43 as shown in FIG. Even if an attempt is made to release the latch, the open lever 40 cannot be swung because such a tool only hits the cover 44.
Further, since the operation window hole 43 is closed by the cover 44, there is no possibility that foreign matter or the like enters from the operation window hole 43.

  In the above-described embodiment, the gear 42a formed on the open lever 40 is formed as an external gear formed toward the outside (upper side in FIG. 3) with respect to the shaft portion 41 that is the rotation center in the window hole. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the gear is formed as an internal gear formed toward the inner side (lower side in FIG. 17) with respect to the shaft portion 41 that is the center of rotation. It can also be implemented.

17 and 18 show another embodiment of a door latch device including an open lever 40 provided with an internal gear 42c.
FIG. 17 shows a latching state, and FIG. 18 shows a latch release state.
Since this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 except for the open lever 40, the same members and components are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in the figure, the open lever 40 has a wide portion formed on one side of the shaft portion 41, and an arc-shaped concave groove portion 42 centered on the shaft portion 41 is formed in the wide portion. A window hole 42a is provided on the front side of the groove 42, and an internal gear 42c is formed on the upper surface thereof.
Further, the small gear 19 is inserted into the concave groove portion 42, and the small gear 19 is engaged with the internal gear 42c.

It is also possible to form the concave groove 42 as a window hole without providing the window hole 42a, and to provide the internal gear 42c at the edge of the window hole.
Thus, by using the internal gear 42c as the gear, the internal gear 42c and the worm wheel 18 are positioned closer to the shaft portion 41 that is the rotation center of the open lever 40 than in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The device can be further miniaturized.
As mentioned above, also about other embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 17, FIG. 18, the cover 44 which covers the window hole 43 for operation can be provided so that removal is possible.

FIG. 19 is a front view of the cover 46 showing a modification in which the formation direction of the notch hole 44 c provided in the cover 44 is changed.
As shown in the figure, a shaft hole 46a having a notch hole 46c formed on the left side in the longitudinal direction of the cover 46 of this modification (opposite side of the locking tongue piece 46b).
As shown in FIG. 20, in this cover 46, with the cover 46 pressed against the stopper projection 45e, the notch hole 46c of the shaft hole 46a is aligned with the projection 45c of the support shaft portion 45a, and the shaft hole 46a. The support shaft part 45a is inserted into the cover 46, and then the cover 46 is turned and attached.
In addition, when attaching in this way, according to the elasticity of the cover 46, the support shaft part 45a is inserted into the bent shaft hole 46a.

In the cover 46 formed in this manner, as shown in FIG. 21 in the open position and in the closed position as shown in FIG. 22, the cutout hole 46c of the shaft hole 46a pivots below the protruding portion 45c of the support shaft portion 45a. The cover 46 is prevented from being removed between the closed position and the open position.
When removing the cover 46, the notch hole 46c of the shaft hole 46a is aligned with the projecting portion 45c of the support shaft portion 45a while the cover 46 is pressed against the stopper protrusion 45e, and the support shaft portion 45a. Is removed from the shaft hole 46a.

FIG. 23 shows an embodiment in which the above-described cover 46 is provided with the same support shaft portion 45a, and the support shaft portion 45a is provided with a protruding portion 45c.
In the case of carrying out in this way, as shown in FIG. 24, a similar shaft hole 46a having a notch hole 46c is formed in the case lid 36.

In addition to the above-described embodiment, the present invention can be configured such that the covers 44 and 46 are screwed to the case lid 36 or fixed with one touch using an engaging claw.
In the case of an automobile in which the striker 10 is mounted on the back door, the present invention is implemented so that the door latch device is attached to the vehicle body.

  The present invention can be applied to a door latch device installed in a back door of an automobile having no boundary between a vehicle interior such as a station wagon and a trunk portion.

10 striker 13 latch mechanism 16 motor 17 worm 18 worm wheel 19 small gear 35 electric drive mechanism 40 open lever 40a manual operation part 40b interlocking part 41 shaft part 42 concave groove part 42a window hole 42b external gear 42c internal gear 43 for operation Window hole 44 cover
44a Shaft hole 44b Locking tongue piece 44c Notch hole 45a Support shaft part 45b Locking holding part 45c Projection part 45d Projection 45e Stopper 46 Cover 46a Shaft hole 46b Locking tongue piece 46c Notch hole

Claims (6)

A latch mechanism including a fork that can be engaged with and disengaged from a striker provided on a vehicle body or a door, and a claw that restricts movement of the fork to an engagement position of the striker and a release position for releasing the engagement;
An open lever that pivotally attaches to the device case and is driven by an electric actuator, operates the claw by the turning movement, and restricts the fork to move to an open position;
In a door latch device for a vehicle having
The open lever is provided with a manual operation unit operable from the inside of the vehicle,
The device case including the electric drive mechanism including the electric actuator and the open lever is provided with an operation window hole for exposing the manual operation portion of the open lever, and the operation window hole is opened. A door latch device for a vehicle, characterized in that a cover is provided. The door latch device according to claim 1,
One of the device case or the cover is provided with a support shaft portion that rotatably supports one end portion of the cover, and the distal end portion of the support shaft portion is oriented in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. Forming a protruding protrusion,
The other of the device case or the cover is provided with a shaft hole into which the support shaft portion is inserted and a notch hole that is formed in communication with the shaft hole and passes through the projecting portion of the support shaft portion.
By passing the protruding portion through the cutout hole, fitting the support shaft portion into the shaft hole, and rotating the cover, the cover is locked by the protruding portion and is prevented from being removed. The vehicle door latch device is configured such that the cover can be removed from the support shaft portion or the shaft hole by rotating the cover so that the protruding portions are aligned with each other. In the door latch device according to claim 1 or 2,
A locking tongue piece is formed integrally with the other end of the cover,
The device case includes a locking holding portion that locks the locking tongue piece when the cover is closed, a protrusion that the locking tongue piece gets over and is locked to the locking holding portion, and the cover A door latch device for a vehicle, comprising: a stopper projection that locks a part of the cover when the door is opened and restricts the opening position. In the door latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cover is provided with a shaft hole having a cutout hole through which the protruding portion of the support shaft portion passes while the cover is pressed against the stopper protruding portion that regulates the opening position of the cover.
The support shaft is fitted into the shaft hole while pressing the cover against the stopper protrusion, and the cover protrusion prevents the cover from being removed in the rotation range between the closed position and the open position of the cover. A door latch device for a vehicle characterized by being configured as described above. The door latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A door latch device for a vehicle, wherein the cover is screwed to a device case and the operation window hole is closed. The door latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The vehicle is characterized in that the cover is removed from the device case, the operation window hole is opened, and the latching tongue of the removed cover is engaged with the manual operation portion of the open lever to release the latch. Door latch device.

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