JP2020097848A - Automobile door latch device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reliably maintain a close state of a door even when the direction of inertia that is applied to an inertia lever is reversed during a collision for an automobile door latch device.SOLUTION: An inertia lever 15 is held at a neutral position in which a rotation of an outside lever 14 to a release direction is allowed by a spring 26. When inertia that exceeds a set value is applied outwards, the inertia lever 15 rotates from the neutral position to one direction by a predetermined angle against a biasing force of the spring 26, and rotates to a first block position in which the rotation of the outside lever 14 to the release direction is blocked. When inertia that exceeds a set value is applied inwards, the inertia lever 15 rotates in a direction opposite to the one direction by a predetermined angle against the biasing force of the spring 26, and can rotate to a second block position in which the rotation of the outside lever 14 to the release direction is blocked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch device, and more particularly to a vehicle door latch device that maintains a closed state of a door even when a side collision accident or the like occurs.

Conventionally, as an invention capable of maintaining a closed state of a door when the door is impacted by a side collision accident, for example, there is an invention described in Patent Document 1.

In the invention described in the cited document 1, the inertial lever is pivotally supported by an open lever that rotates in conjunction with the opening operation of the outside handle provided on the vehicle outer side of the door, and the set value is exceeded due to an impact such as a side collision. When an inertial force acts on the door, the inertial lever is allowed to swing from a first position where it avoids contact with the housing to a second position where it contacts the housing and restrains the open lever. It is designed to prevent the opening of the.

Patent No. 5948786

2. Description of the Related Art In an automobile, an airbag is installed in a passenger compartment for protecting an occupant when a vehicle body is impacted by a side collision or the like. For this reason, when the airbag is actuated due to a side impact or the like, after the impact side door is first impacted in the inward direction (direction from the vehicle exterior side to the vehicle interior side) When the airbag is activated, an impact acts in an outward direction (a direction from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle). As a result, the inertial force in the inward direction acts on the various movable elements of the vehicle door latch device provided in the door after the inertial force first acts in the outward direction.

As described above, when the inertial direction acting on various movable elements is reversed from the outward direction to the inward direction, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the inertial lever moves from the first position to the second position during a side collision. Nevertheless, there is a problem in that the open lever is immediately returned to the first position and the open lever cannot be reliably restrained.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle door latch device capable of reliably maintaining the closed state of the door even when the inertial direction acting on the inertial lever is reversed during a collision. And

According to the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows.
A first invention is a meshing mechanism capable of holding a door in a closed position by meshing with a striker, and a release mechanism that is pivotally supported by a base structure and is interlocked with an opening operation of a door handle arranged on the door. A rotatable outside lever, and an open link capable of swinging to an unlocked position and a lockable position where the meshing of the meshing mechanism can be released based on rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, When an inertial force exceeding a set value acts, in an automobile door latch device provided with an inertial lever that is rotatable against the biasing force of the spring, the inertial lever releases the outside lever by the spring. When the inertial force exceeding the set value acts in the outward direction while being held in the neutral position that permits the rotation in the direction, the spring moves in the one direction from the neutral position against the biasing force of the spring. When the inertial force exceeding the set value acts inwardly by rotating the outside lever to the first block position that prevents the outside lever from rotating in the release direction, the spring is not attached. It is characterized in that it can be rotated to a second block position which resists the force and rotates a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the one direction to prevent the outside lever from rotating in the release direction.

Preferably, the inertia lever is pivotally supported on the base structure by a shaft separate from the outside lever.

Preferably, the outside lever has an engaging portion that moves in an arc in accordance with the rotation in the release direction, and the inertia lever is located outside the arc trajectory of the engaging portion when in the neutral position. , The blocking lever is located on the arcuate track of the engaging portion when in the first block position and the second block position, and the inertia lever is in the first block position and the second block position. At this time, with respect to the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, the engagement portion comes into contact with the blocking portion to prevent the outside lever from rotating in the release direction.

Preferably, when the inertia lever is in the neutral position, the inertial lever is located on an arcuate track of the engaging portion in accordance with the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, and the engaging portion into which the engaging portion enters. Have.

A second aspect of the present invention is a meshing mechanism capable of holding a door in a closed position by meshing with a striker, and a release mechanism that is pivotally supported by a base structure and is interlocked with an opening operation of a door handle arranged on the door. A rotatable outside lever, and an open link capable of swinging to an unlocked position and a lockable position where the meshing of the meshing mechanism can be released based on rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, When an inertial force exceeding a set value acts, in an automobile door latch device provided with an inertial lever that is rotatable against the biasing force of the spring, the inertial lever releases the outside lever by the spring. When the inertial force exceeding the set value acts in the outward direction while being held in the standby position that allows the rotation in the direction, the spring is resisted against the urging force of the spring, and a predetermined angle is obtained in one direction from the standby position. A first inertial lever that is rotated to a first block position that blocks rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, and the spring allows rotation of the outside lever in the release direction. While being held in the standby position, when an inertial force exceeding the set value acts in the inward direction, it rotates a predetermined angle from the standby position in the opposite direction to the one direction against the biasing force of the spring. A second inertial lever that is rotatable in a second block position that blocks rotation of the outside lever in the release direction is included.

Preferably, the first inertial lever and the second inertial lever are pivotally supported by the base structure so as to be independently rotatable with respect to the outside lever, coaxially with another axis.

Preferably, the outside lever has an engagement portion that moves in an arc along with the rotation in the release direction, and the first inertial lever is located outside the arc trajectory of the engagement portion when in the standby position. When it is in the first block position, it is located on the arcuate track of the engagement portion, and the engagement portion abuts against the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction. The second inertial lever is located outside the arcuate track of the engaging portion when in the standby position, and is in the second block position, having a first blocking portion that blocks rotation of the lever in the release direction. At this time, the engagement portion is positioned on the arcuate track of the outside lever, and the outside lever is prevented from rotating in the release direction by the contact of the engagement portion against the rotation in the releasing direction of the outside lever. It has a second blocking portion.

Preferably, when the first inertial lever and the second inertial lever are in the standby positions, respectively, between the first inertial lever and the inertial lever, the outside lever is rotated in the release direction. An engaging portion located on an arcuate track of the engaging portion is provided, and the engaging portion enters the engaging portion as the outside lever rotates in the release direction.

According to the present invention, even when the direction of the inertial force acting on the inertial lever is reversed at the time of a collision or the like, the outside lever is reliably prevented from rotating in the release direction, and the door is closed. Can be reliably maintained.

1 is a side view of an automobile to which an automobile door latch device according to the present invention is applied. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle door latch device that employs a first embodiment. Similarly, it is a rear view of a vehicle door latch device. Similarly, it is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle door latch device. Similarly, it is a side view of the principal part of the vehicle door latch device. It is a front view of the principal part of a door latch device for vehicles similarly. FIG. 5 is a front view of the main part of the vehicle door latch device in which the outside lever is similarly released. Similarly, it is a front view of a main part of the vehicle door latch device in a state in which the inertia lever is rotated to the first block position. Similarly, it is a front view of the main part of the vehicle door latch device in a state in which the inertia lever is rotated to the second block position. It is a front view of the principal part of the door latch device for motor vehicles which adopted a 2nd example. FIG. 5 is a front view of the main part of the vehicle door latch device in which the outside lever is similarly released. Similarly, it is a front view of a main part of the vehicle door latch device in a state where the first inertial lever is rotated to the first block position. Similarly, it is a front view of a main part of the vehicle door latch device in a state where the second inertial lever is rotated to the second block position.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Basic structure)
The vehicle door latch device 1 is for a right door, is mounted in a right side door D that is openably and closably supported on a side surface of a vehicle body as shown in FIG. 1, and as shown in FIGS. The base structure 2 fixed in the inside, the engagement mechanism 3 assembled to the base structure 2 and capable of holding the door D in the closed state by engaging with the striker S fixed to the vehicle body, and the base structure 2. It is provided with various movable elements described later that are assembled.

As shown in FIG. 1, an outside handle (door handle) OH that is opened when the door D is opened from outside the vehicle and an outside door latch device 1 for the vehicle in a locked state and an unlocked state are provided outside the vehicle. A key cylinder K that is operated when switching to is provided. Further, inside the door D, an inside handle (door handle) IH that is opened when the door D is opened from inside the vehicle, and an inside handle (door handle) IH that is operated from inside the vehicle to switch the vehicle door latch device 1 between a locked state and an unlocked state. A lock knob KN (see FIG. 5) is provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the base structure 2 is fixed inside the door D by bolts (not shown), and is made of a box-shaped synthetic resin body 4 having an open rear surface. A cover plate 5 made of metal fixed to the inside of the door D, a back plate 6 fixed to the front side of the body 4 (see FIG. 5), and a casing 7 made of synthetic resin L-shaped in plan view are included.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the engagement mechanism 3 is pivotally supported by a latch shaft 8 in the front-rear direction in an accommodation space formed between the body 4 and the cover plate 5, and can be engaged with the striker S when the door is closed. And the latch 9 is pivotally supported by the ratchet shaft 10 in the front-rear direction in the accommodation space between the body 4 and the cover plate 5, and engages with the outer peripheral edge of the latch 9 when the door is closed to open the latch 9 (clockwise in FIG. 3). Ratchet 11 capable of preventing rotation to the. The latch 9 is biased in the open direction by a spring (not shown). The ratchet 11 is urged by the spring 12 in the engagement direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3) for engaging the outer peripheral edge of the latch 9.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the door D is closed, the striker S enters the striker entry groove 2a of the base structure 2 from the left side and engages with the engagement groove 9a of the latch 9. As a result, the latch 9 rotates from the open position (the position that is rotated by approximately 90 degrees clockwise from the full latch position shown in FIG. 3) to the close direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3). The ratchet 11 maintains the door D in a closed state by engaging the outer peripheral edge of the latch 9 which has been rotated to the full latch position and preventing the latch 9 from rotating in the open direction.

(First embodiment)
Next, a first embodiment will be described based on FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, various movable elements include an outside lever 14 pivotally supported on the lower front surface of the back plate 6 by a pivot 13 oriented in the front-rear direction and a pivot 27 oriented in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 3). When the inertial force that is pivotally supported on the lower front surface of the back plate 6 exceeds a preset value due to a side collision or the like, the inertial lever 15 that can rotate by a predetermined angle and the ratchet 11 can rotate integrally. It includes an open lever 16, an open link 17 arranged in the casing 7, a lock lever 18 and an inside lever 19 supported on the inner surface of the casing 7. Further, in the casing 7, a first key lever 20 connected to the key cylinder K via a rod (not shown), a second key lever 21 rotatable integrally with the first key lever 20, a portable switch or a vehicle interior. A motor 30 that can rotate normally and reversely by operating an operation switch provided on the vehicle, and a drive gear 31 that is pivotally supported by a pivot 32 that faces the inside and outside of the vehicle and that can rotate normally and reversely by the motor 30 are provided. Note that in FIG. 5, the body 4 and the casing 7 are partially omitted to clearly show the meshing mechanism 3 and various movable elements.

The open link 17 and the lock lever 18 constitute a lock mechanism capable of switching the vehicle door latch device 1 between a locked state and an unlocked state. The lock mechanism has at least an unlocked state that enables the release operation of the outside lever 14 based on the opening operation of the outside handle OH to enable the door D to open, and a unlocked state that disables the release operation to disable the door D from opening. It has a function that can be switched to.

The outside lever 14 is provided on the casing 7 while being pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 13 that faces the front-rear direction and is urged clockwise (counterclockwise in FIG. 3) in FIGS. 6 to 9 by the urging force of a spring 22. By contacting the stopper portion (not shown) that is shown, it is held at the standby position shown in FIG.

The vehicle outer side connecting portion 14a provided at the vehicle outer side end portion of the outside lever 14 is connected to the outside handle OH via a vertical operation force transmission member 23. As a result, the opening operation of the outside handle OH is transmitted to the vehicle outside coupling portion 14a of the outside lever 14 via the operation force transmission member 23. The outside lever 14 rotates a predetermined angle in the release direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 6) from the standby position against the biasing force of the spring 22, and rotates to the operating position shown in FIG. 7.

The vehicle interior side connection portion 14 b provided at the vehicle interior side end portion of the outside lever 14 is connected to the connection hole 17 a provided at the lower portion of the open link 17. As a result, the rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction is converted into a vertical motion in the vertical direction and transmitted to the open link 17.

Further, the outside lever 14 is provided with an engaging portion 14d that extends downward and has a front end bent backward. The engaging portion 14d moves in an arc around the pivot 13 as the outside lever 14 rotates.

The inertial lever 15 is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 27 located below the pivot shaft 13 and oriented in the front-rear direction so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle, and is held in a neutral position shown in FIGS. The spring 26 is a torsion coil spring, one arm portion 26 a of which is hooked in the clockwise direction by the first hook portion 6 a of the back plate 6 and the inertia lever 15, and the other arm portion 26 b of which is the back plate 6. The inertial lever 15 is held in the neutral position by being hooked counterclockwise by the second hooking portion 6b and the inertial lever 15.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inertial lever 15 has a substantially semicircular shape in a front view and a bilaterally symmetrical shape. At the neutral position shown in FIG. 6, the inertia lever 15 has a shape in which the center of gravity is positioned higher than the pivot 27, and is bent in an arc shape from the outer peripheral edge located above the pivot 27 toward the front. First blocking portion 15a, a second blocking portion 15b bent rearward from an outer peripheral edge located on the right side of the pivot 27, and a second blocking portion 15b bent rearward from an outer peripheral edge located on the left side of the pivot 27. And a third blocking portion 15c bent and formed. Between the first blocking portion 15a and the second blocking portion 15b, when the outside lever 14 is rotated in the release direction, the engaging portion 14d of the outside lever 14 can enter in the release direction. 15d is provided. A second entry portion 15e having the same shape as the first entry portion 15d is provided between the first entry portion 15a and the third entry portion 15c.

The inertial lever 15 in the first embodiment has a left-right line symmetric shape so as to be shared with the left and right vehicle door latch devices 1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, since the vehicle door latch device 1 is for the right door, in FIG. 6, the right half of the first blocking portion 15a of the inertia lever 15, the second blocking portion 15b, and the first entry portion 15d are not shown. The left half of the first blocking portion 15a, the third blocking portion 15c, and the second entry portion 15e do not function. On the other hand, when the vehicle door latch device 1 is for the left door, the left half of the first blocking portion 15a, the third blocking portion 15c and the second entry portion 15e function, and the right half of the first blocking portion 15a, The second blocking portion 15b and the first entrance portion 15d do not function.

The inertia lever 15 resists the urging force of the spring 26 and acts from the neutral position shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, it can be rotated clockwise by a predetermined angle and can be stopped at the first block position where it abuts the first stopper portion 6c of the back plate 6, and the inertial force is directed inward (outward of the vehicle). From the direction toward the inside of the vehicle), it rotates clockwise against the urging force of the spring 26 and abuts against the second stopper portion 6d of the back plate 6 as shown in FIG. It is possible to stop at the second block position.

When the inertia lever 15 is in the neutral position, the first entry portion 15d is located on the arcuate track of the engagement portion 14d as the outside lever 14 rotates in the release direction. Therefore, when the outside lever 14 rotates in the release direction when the inertia lever 15 is in the neutral position, the engagement portion 14d enters the first entry portion 15d as shown in FIG. , Permitting rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the inertial lever 15 is rotated to the first block position, the first entrance portion 15d is displaced out of the arcuate track of the engaging portion 14d, and the second blocking portion 15b is moved to the engaging portion. It is located on the circular arc orbit of 14d. Therefore, when the outside lever 14 starts rotating in the release direction with the inertia lever 15 in the first block position, the engaging portion 14d immediately contacts the inner wall surface of the second blocking portion 15b. , The rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the inertial lever 15 is rotated to the second block position, the first entry portion 15d retracts outside the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion 14d, and the right half of the first blocking portion 15a is moved. It is located on the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion 14d. Accordingly, when the inertia lever 15 is in the second block position, when the outside lever 14 starts rotating in the release direction, the engaging portion 14d immediately contacts the inner wall surface of the first blocking portion 15a. Therefore, rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inside lever 19 is pivotally supported on the inner side surface of the casing 7 by a pivot 33 that is oriented in the left-right direction, and the connecting portion 19a provided at the lower end portion is connected via an operating force transmission member (not shown). By being connected to the inside handle IH, it is rotated around the pivot 33 in the clockwise direction from the standby position shown in FIG. 5 in conjunction with the opening operation of the inside handle IH. The clockwise rotation of the inside lever 19 is transmitted to the outside lever 14 when the tip end of the arm portion 19b of the inside lever 19 comes into contact with the bent portion 14c formed on the outside lever 14 from below. .. As a result, the outside lever 14 rotates in the release direction in conjunction with the opening operation of the inside handle IH.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lock lever 18 is pivotally supported on the inner side surface of the casing 7 by a pivot 24 directed in the left-right direction, and a connecting portion 18b provided at a lower end portion of an arm extending obliquely forward and downward is transmitted with an operating force. The ends of the two arm portions 18c, 18c, which are connected to the lock knob KN via the member 34 and extend obliquely upward and forward, can contact the protruding portion 31a of the rotating drive gear 31, and are obliquely downward rearward. The connecting protrusion 18d provided on the extending arm is connected to the elongated hole 21a of the second key lever 21. As a result, the lock lever 18 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise direction from the unlock position shown in FIG. 5 by the manual locking/unlocking operation of the lock knob KN and the key cylinder K and the rotation of the drive gear 31 by the driving of the motor 30. Move to the locked position and vice versa. The unlocked position and the locked position of the lock lever 18 are elastically held by the biasing force of the spring 25 supported on the inner surface of the casing 7.

A protrusion 18 a that protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle is provided on the upper portion of the lock lever 18. The protrusion 18a is connected to a long hole 17b provided in the open link 17 so as to be relatively slidable in the vertical direction and abuttable in the front-back direction.

The open link 17 has a connecting hole 17a provided at a lower portion thereof connected to a vehicle-side connecting portion 14b of the outside lever 14 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction, and a long hole 17b facing vertically is a protruding portion of the lock lever 18. By being connected to 18a so as to be slidable in the vertical direction and abuttable in the front-back direction, the unlocked position shown in FIG. 5 and the outside position from the unlocked position are interlocked with the rotation of the lock lever 18. The lever 14 is pivoted counterclockwise about the vehicle interior side coupling portion 17a to a lock position which is pivoted by a predetermined angle.

When the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state (the open link 17 and the lock lever 18 are both in the unlocked position) and the outside lever 14 rotates from the standby position in the release direction, the open link 17 is unlocked. The release portion 17c moves straight upward from the lock position, and the release portion 17c comes into contact with the rotating end portion 16a of the open lever 16 from below, thereby rotating the open lever 16 and the ratchet 11 that rotates integrally with the open lever 16 in the release direction. Let As a result, the engagement relationship between the ratchet 11 and the latch 9 is released, and the door D can be opened.

When the locking mechanism is in the locked state (both the open link 17 and the lock lever 18 are in the locked position) and the outside lever 14 is rotated in the release direction, the open link 17 moves diagonally upward and forward from the locked position. However, since the release portion 17c of the open link 17 swings against the rotating end portion 16a of the open lever 16, the open lever 16 and the ratchet 11 cannot be rotated in the release direction. Therefore, when the lock mechanism is in the locked state, the engagement relationship between the ratchet 11 and the latch 9 is maintained, and the door D cannot be opened.

Next, based on FIGS. 6, 8 and 9, the operation of the vehicle door latch device 1 in the first embodiment, particularly the case where a shock is applied to the vehicle door latch device 1 due to a side collision or the like, will be described.

In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 6, the inertia lever 15 is held in the neutral position by the urging force of the spring 26. When the inertia lever 15 is in the neutral position, the first entry portion 15d is on the arcuate track of the engaging portion 14d of the outside lever 14, and allows the outside lever 14 to rotate in the release direction. There is.

For example, it is assumed that a side collision accident or the like occurs while the vehicle is traveling or the vehicle is stopped while the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state. In this case, first, since the impact F1 acts on the door D on the side of the collision from the outside of the vehicle toward the inside of the vehicle, the door latch device 1 for the vehicle is first directed in the outward direction (in FIG. 6). The inertial force of the left direction acts.

When an outward inertial force acts on the vehicle door latch device 1, the inertial lever 15 resists the urging force of the spring 26 and moves counterclockwise from the neutral position about the pivot 27, as shown in FIG. Rotate in the direction.

When the inertia lever 15 rotates counterclockwise and stops at the first block position, the first entry portion 15d of the inertia lever 15 retracts outside the arcuate track of the engagement portion 14d of the outside lever 14, and the second blocking The portion 15b moves on the arc locus of the engaging portion 14d. As a result, even if the inertial force acting on the outside handle OH, the outside lever 14, or other elements causes a force to rotate the outside lever 14 in the release direction from the standby position, the outside lever 14 Since the engaging portion 14d immediately contacts the inner wall surface of the second blocking portion 15b, rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction is blocked. Therefore, even if a force for rotating the outside lever 14 in the release direction acts on the outside lever 14 due to an impact such as a side collision, the outside lever 14 and the open link 17 are moved in the release direction. The engagement between 11 and the latch 9 is retained, and the closed state of the door D is reliably retained.

Subsequently, when the airbag installed in the vehicle compartment is actuated by the impact of the side collision, the impact F2 in the vehicle exterior direction acts on the door D on the impacted side. The inertial direction acting on the lever 15 is reversed, and the inertial force in the inward direction acts. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the inertial lever 15 rotates clockwise from the first block position, passes the neutral position, and resists the biasing force of the spring 26 to rotate to the second block position. Move. As a result, this time, the right half of the first blocking portion 15a moves on the arc locus of the engaging portion 14d. As a result, due to the operation of the airbag, an impact is applied to the door D from the inside of the vehicle, and due to this action, for example, the inertial force acting on the inside handle IH rotates the outside lever 14 in the release direction. Even if the moving force is reversed, the outside lever 14 is prevented from rotating in the release direction, so that the closed state of the door D can be reliably maintained.

When the impact acting on the door D disappears, the inertia lever 15 returns to the neutral position by the urging force of the spring 27, and enables the subsequent opening operation of the door D.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described based on FIGS.
In the second embodiment, instead of the inertia lever 15 of the first embodiment, the inertia lever 150 includes a first inertia lever 151 and a second inertia lever 152, and the engaging portion of the outside lever 14 of the first embodiment. A spring that applies an urging force to the first inertial lever 151 and the second inertial lever 152 instead of the spring 26 that provides the engaging portion 14e in place of 14d and provides the urging force to the inertial lever 15 of the first embodiment. 28 is provided. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.
In the description of the second embodiment, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described, and the same parts as the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings and will not be described in detail.

The first inertial lever 151 and the second inertial lever 152 are pivotally supported on the lower front surface of the back plate 6 by a pivot 29 that is located below the pivot 13 and faces in the front-rear direction so that the first inertial lever 151 and the second inertial lever 152 can rotate independently of each other. .. The center of gravity of the first inertial lever 151 and the center of gravity of the second inertial lever 152 are respectively set above the pivot 29.

The spring 28 is a torsion coil spring, and one arm portion 28 a is hooked so as to apply a biasing force to the first inertia lever 151 in the clockwise direction, and the other arm portion 28 b is hooked to the second inertia lever 152. It is locked so as to apply a biasing force to the counterclockwise direction.

The first inertial lever 151 is urged clockwise by the urging force of the spring 28 about the pivot 29, so that the first inertial lever 151 comes into contact with the third stopper portion 6e of the back plate 6 and the standby position shown in FIGS. When the inertial force that is elastically held by the spring acts in the outward direction (leftward direction), it rotates counterclockwise against the urging force of the spring 28, and the lower edge of the back plate moves. The fourth stopper portion 6f is rotated to the first block position shown in FIG. 12 and stopped.

The second inertia lever 152 is urged in the counterclockwise direction about the pivot 29 by the urging force of the spring 28, so that the second inertia lever 152 comes into contact with the fourth stopper portion 6f of the back plate 6 as shown in FIGS. When the inertial force that is elastically held in the position and exceeds the set value acts in the inward direction (to the right), the spring rotates against the urging force of the spring 28 in the clockwise direction, and the right edge portion has the back plate. The third stopper portion 6e of No. 6 is rotated to the second block position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the first inertial lever 151 and the second inertial lever 152 are respectively in the standby position, the inertial lever 150 has a substantially fan shape when viewed from the front, and the outer periphery of the first inertial lever 151. While the first blocking portion 151a, which is a portion, and the second blocking portion 152a, which is the outer peripheral portion of the second inertial lever 152, are located outside the circular arc orbit of the engaging portion 14e due to the rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction, An entry portion 153 is formed between the first inertia lever 151 and the second inertia lever 152, the outer periphery of which is open and extends toward the pivot 29.

The entrance portion 153 is provided on the arcuate track of the engaging portion 15d as the outside lever 14 rotates in the release direction. As a result, when the first inertial lever 151 and the second inertial lever 152 are in the standby position and the outside lever 14 rotates in the release direction, as shown in FIG. The engagement portion 14e is allowed to enter the entry portion 153, thereby permitting the outside lever 14 to rotate in the release direction.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the first inertial lever 151 is rotated to the first block position, the first blocking portion 151a of the first inertial lever 151 moves on the arcuate track of the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14. Is displaced to. As a result, when the outside lever 14 starts to rotate in the release direction with the first inertia lever 151 in the first block position, the engaging portion 14e immediately contacts the first blocking portion 151a. Because of the contact, the outside lever 14 is prevented from rotating in the release direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, when the second inertial lever 152 is rotated to the second block position, the second blocking portion 152a of the second inertial lever 152 is on the circular arc orbit of the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14. Is displaced to. As a result, when the outside lever 14 starts to rotate in the release direction with the second inertia lever 152 in the second block position, the engaging portion 14e immediately contacts the second blocking portion 152a. Because of the contact, the outside lever 14 is prevented from rotating in the release direction.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 10, 12 and 13, the operation of the vehicle door latch device 1 in the second embodiment, particularly the case where an impact acts on the vehicle door latch device 1 due to a side collision or the like, will be described.

In the normal state, as shown in FIG. 10, the first and second inertia levers 151 and 152 are respectively held at the standby positions by the urging force of the spring 28. When the first and second inertial levers 151 and 152 are at the standby position, the entrance portion 153 is located on the arcuate trajectory of the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14 and the first blocking portion of the first inertial lever 151. 151a and the 2nd blocking part 152 of the 2nd inertial lever 152 are located outside the circular arc track of the engaging part 14e. Therefore, in this state, the outside lever 14 is allowed to rotate in the release direction.

For example, it is assumed that a side collision accident or the like occurs while the vehicle is traveling or the vehicle is stopped while the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state. In this case, first, the impact F1 (see FIG. 12) acts on the door D on the side of the collision from the outer side of the vehicle toward the inner side of the vehicle. Directional inertial force acts.

When an outward inertial force acts on the vehicle door latch device 1, as shown in FIG. 12, the first inertial lever 151 resists the urging force of the spring 28 and moves from the standby position around the pivot 29. Rotate counterclockwise. In this case, the second inertia lever 152 remains in the standby position.

When the first inertia lever 151 rotates counterclockwise and stops at the first block position, the first blocking portion 151a of the first inertia lever 151 moves on the arcuate trajectory of the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14. .. As a result, even if the inertial force acting on the outside handle OH, the outside lever 14, or other elements causes a force to rotate the outside lever 14 in the release direction from the standby position, the outside lever 14 Since the engaging portion 14e immediately contacts the first blocking portion 151a of the first inertia lever 151, rotation of the outside lever 14 in the release direction is blocked. Therefore, even if a force for rotating the outside lever 14 in the release direction acts on the outside lever 14 due to an impact such as a side collision, the outside lever 14 and the open link 17 are prevented from moving in the release direction. , The engagement between the ratchet 11 and the latch 9 is retained, and the closed state of the door D is reliably retained.

Then, when the airbag installed in the vehicle compartment is activated by the impact of the side collision, the impact F2 (see FIG. 13) in the vehicle exterior direction acts on the door D on the collision side. , The inertial direction is reversed and the inertial force acts in the inward direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the first inertial lever 151 returns to the standby position, while the second inertial lever 152 resists the biasing force of the spring 28 and moves clockwise from the standby position about the pivot 29. Turn to.

When the second inertial lever 152 rotates clockwise and stops at the second block position, the second blocking portion 152a of the second inertial lever 152 moves on the arcuate trajectory of the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14. As a result, even if a force for rotating the outside lever 14 in the release direction from the standby position acts on the outside lever 14 due to an inertial force acting on the inside handle IH or other elements, for example, the engaging portion 14e of the outside lever 14 will do. Immediately contacts the second blocking portion 152a of the second inertia lever 152, so that the outside lever 14 is prevented from rotating in the release direction. Therefore, even if a force for rotating the outside lever 14 in the release direction acts on the outside lever 14 due to an impact such as a side collision, the outside lever 14 and the open link 17 are prevented from moving in the release direction. , The engagement between the ratchet 11 and the latch 9 is retained, and the closed state of the door D is reliably retained.

When the impact acting on the door D disappears, the second inertial lever 152 returns to the standby position by the urging force of the spring 28 and enables the subsequent opening operation of the door D.

1 Automotive Door Latch Device 2 Base Structure 2a Striker Entry Groove 3 Engaging Mechanism 4 Body 5 Cover Plate 6 Back Plate 6a First Hook 6b Second Hook 6c First Stopper 6d Second Stopper 6e Third Stopper Part 6f Fourth stopper part 7 Casing 8 Latch shaft 9 Latch 9a Engagement groove 10 Ratchet shaft 11 Ratchet 12 Spring 13 Pivot shaft 14 Outside lever 14a Outer side connecting part 14b Inner side connecting part 14c Bending part 14d, 14e Engaging part 15 Inertial lever 15a First blocking portion 15b Second blocking portion 15c Third blocking portion 15d First entry portion 15e Second entry portion 150 Inertial lever 151 First inertia lever 151a First blocking portion 152 Second inertia lever 152a Second blocking portion 153 Entry part 16 Open lever 16a Rotating end part 17 Open link 17a Connecting hole 17b Long hole 17c Release part 17d Projecting part 18 Lock lever 18a Projecting part 18b Connecting part 18c Arm part 18d Connecting projecting part 19 Inside lever 19a Connecting part 19b Arm Part 20 First key lever 21 Second key lever 21a Long hole 22 Spring 23 Operating force transmission member 24 Axis 25 Spring 26 Spring 26a, 26b Arm part 27 Axis 28 Spring 28a, 28b Arm part 29 Axis 30 Motor 31 Drive gear 31a Projection 32 Axis 33 Axis 34 Operating force transmission member D Door IH Inside handle (door handle) K Key cylinder KN Lock knob OH Outside handle (door handle) S Striker

Claims (8)

A meshing mechanism that can hold the door in the closed position by meshing with the striker,
An outside lever pivotally supported by the base structure and rotatable in a release direction in conjunction with an opening operation of a door handle arranged on the door,
An open link capable of swinging to an unlock position where the meshing of the meshing mechanism can be released and a lock position where the meshing mechanism cannot be released based on rotation of the outside lever in the release direction;
When an inertial force exceeding a set value acts, in an automobile door latch device equipped with a rotatable inertial lever against the biasing force of a spring,
The inertia lever is held by the spring in a neutral position that allows the outside lever to rotate in the release direction, and when an inertial force exceeding a set value acts in the outward direction, The inertial force exceeding the set value is rotated against the biasing force to the first block position that rotates in the one direction by a predetermined angle from the neutral position to prevent the outside lever from rotating in the release direction. When acted inward, the second block resists the biasing force of the spring and rotates a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the one direction to prevent the outside lever from rotating in the release direction. A door latch device for an automobile, which is rotatable to a position. The vehicle door latch device according to claim 1, wherein the inertia lever is pivotally supported on the base structure by a shaft different from the outside lever. The outside lever has an engaging portion that moves in an arc with rotation in the release direction,
The inertial lever is located outside the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion when in the neutral position, and is located on the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion when in the first block position and the second block position. Have a section,
When the inertia lever is in the first block position and the second block position, the engagement portion abuts on the blocking portion with respect to the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction. The vehicle door latch device according to claim 2, wherein rotation of the side lever in the release direction is prevented. When the inertia lever is in the neutral position, the inertia lever is located on an arcuate track of the engaging portion according to the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction, and has an entrance portion into which the engaging portion enters. The door latch device for an automobile according to claim 2 or 3. A meshing mechanism that can hold the door in the closed position by meshing with the striker,
An outside lever pivotally supported by the base structure and rotatable in a release direction in conjunction with an opening operation of a door handle arranged on the door,
An open link capable of swinging to an unlock position where the meshing of the meshing mechanism can be released and a lock position where the meshing mechanism cannot be released based on rotation of the outside lever in the release direction;
When an inertial force exceeding a set value acts, in an automobile door latch device equipped with a rotatable inertial lever against the biasing force of a spring,
The inertia lever is
While being held at a standby position by which the outside lever is allowed to rotate in the release direction by the spring, and when an inertial force exceeding a set value acts in the outward direction, it resists the biasing force of the spring, A first inertial lever that is rotatable from the standby position in one direction by a predetermined angle to a first block position that blocks rotation of the outside lever in the release direction;
While being held at a standby position by which the outside lever is allowed to rotate in the release direction by the spring, when an inertial force exceeding a set value acts inward, against the biasing force of the spring, A second inertial lever rotatable to a second block position for rotating the outside lever in a release direction by rotating a predetermined angle from the standby position in a direction opposite to the one direction; Door latch device for automobiles. 6. The first inertial lever and the second inertial lever are pivotally supported by the base structure so as to be independently rotatable with respect to the outside lever by coaxial coaxial with the outside lever. Door latch device for automobiles. The outside lever has an engaging portion that moves in an arc with rotation in the release direction,
The first inertial lever is located outside the circular arc orbit of the engaging portion when in the standby position, and is located on the circular arc orbit of the engaging portion when in the first block position. A first blocking portion that blocks rotation of the outside lever in the release direction by abutting the engagement portion against rotation in the release direction,
The second inertial lever is located outside the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion when in the standby position, and is located on the circular arc trajectory of the engaging portion when in the second block position, and the outside lever is released. 7. The automobile according to claim 6, further comprising a second blocking portion that blocks rotation of the outside lever in the release direction when the engagement portion abuts against the rotation in the direction. Door latch device. When the first inertial lever and the second inertial lever are in the standby positions, respectively, the engaging portion between the first inertial lever and the inertial lever in association with the rotation of the outside lever in the release direction. Providing an entry part located on the arc trajectory of
The vehicle door latch device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the engaging portion enters the entrance portion as the outside lever rotates in the release direction.

Images