Latch internal mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10385592-B2
Application number	US-201615236981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A door for vehicles includes a mechanism that prevents unlatching of the door if the door handle is moved at a high rate of speed, but permits unlatching during normal (e.g. manual) handle operation. The mechanism includes a wheel having a wheel tooth. The door mechanism also includes an inertia lever having a first pair of teeth. An input lever has a second pair of teeth that engage the wheel tooth and the first pair of teeth. This engagement prevents rotation of the input lever only when the input lever rotates at a rate above a predefined maximum rate thereby rotating the inertia lever relative to the wheel. Rotation of the input lever unlatches a door latch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A latch system for vehicle doors, comprising:
a support;
a first member rotatably connected to the support for rotation about a first axis relative to the support, the first member including a tooth having opposite sides;
an intermediate member rotatably connected to the support for rotation about the first axis relative to the support having spaced apart first and second teeth forming a first gap therebetween;
a torsion spring operably interconnecting the first member and the intermediate member such that force is transmitted from the intermediate member to the first member through the torsion spring, and wherein the first member has a sufficient mass moment of inertia to deform the torsion spring and permit rotation of the intermediate member relative to the first member through a first range of motion when the intermediate member is rotated at an angular rate that exceeds a predefined maximum allowable angular rate;
an input lever rotatably connected to the support for rotation about a second axis that is spaced apart from the first axis, the input lever having spaced apart first and second teeth forming a second gap therebetween;
a movable handle operably connected to the input lever by a first linkage such that movement of the handle rotates the input lever;
a latch mechanism having a movable pawl that is operably connected to the input lever such that rotation of the input lever shifts the pawl from a retaining position to a released position to place the latch mechanism in an unlatched state;
wherein movement of the handle at a first speed causes rotation of the input lever at a first angular rate that is below the predefined maximum allowable angular rate so as to cause the first tooth of the input lever to engage the first tooth of the intermediate member and rotate the intermediate member at an angular rate that is below the predefined maximum allowable angular rate and the first member to thereby place the latch mechanism in the unlatched state;
movement of the handle at a second speed causes rotation of the input lever at a second angular rate that is above the predefined maximum allowable angular rate and causes the first tooth of the input lever to engage the first tooth of the intermediate member and rotate the intermediate member at the angular rate that exceeds the predefined maximum allowable angular rate, relative to the first member such that the second tooth of the input lever and the second tooth of the intermediate member engage the opposite sides of the tooth of the first member while the first tooth of the input lever simultaneously engages the first tooth of the intermediate member, thereby preventing rotation of the input lever such that the latch mechanism is not placed in the unlatched state.

2. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
rotation of the input lever at the first angular rate that is below the predefined maximum allowable angular rate causes the second tooth of the input lever to engage the tooth of the first member such that rotation of the input lever rotates the first member.

3. The latch system of claim 2 , wherein:
the second tooth of the input lever engages the tooth of the first member after the first tooth of the input lever engages the first tooth of the intermediate member and rotates the intermediate member through an initial angular range.

4. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
the opposite sides of the tooth of the first member comprise first and second involute gear surfaces.

5. The latch system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first and second teeth of the input lever include involute gear surfaces on opposite sides of the second gap that engage the opposite sides of the tooth of the first member.

6. The latch system of claim 5 , wherein:
the first and second teeth of the intermediate member include involute gear surfaces on opposite sides of the first gap.

7. The latch system of claim 6 , wherein:
the second tooth of the input lever includes a planar end surface that engages the first involute gear surface of the tooth of the first member while the involute surface of the second tooth of the intermediate member simultaneously engages the second involute gear surface of the tooth of the first member.

8. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
the input lever is rotatably connected to the support for rotation about a central portion of the input lever, the input lever including a first portion extending from the central portion and wherein the first and second teeth of the input lever are disposed at an end of the first portion.

9. The latch system of claim 8 , wherein:
the input lever includes a second portion extending from the central portion and having an end portion, and wherein the first linkage is connected to the end portion.

10. The latch system of claim 1 , including:
an input spring rotatably biasing the first tooth of the input lever into engagement with the first tooth of the intermediate member.

11. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first member comprises a wheel that rotates about a center of the wheel, the wheel having oppositely-facing first and second sides and peripheral edge surfaces extending between the first and second sides, the wheel including a protrusion projecting outwardly from the first side, and wherein the tooth projects outwardly from the first side;
the first axis extends through a central portion of the intermediate member, the intermediate member including an arm that extends away from the central portion, the arm including a transverse extension at an end thereof;
the torsion spring including at least one coil extending around the first axis, and a pair of legs extending outwardly away from the first axis, and wherein the protrusion of the wheel and the transverse extension of the intermediate member are disposed between the legs of the torsion spring such that the torsion spring biases the intermediate member to a home position relative to the wheel when the intermediate member rotates in first and second opposite directions relative to the wheel.

12. The latch system of claim 1 , wherein:
the latch mechanism includes a rotating claw that is configured to engage a striker to retain a door in a closed position when the claw is in an engaged position;
the pawl engages the claw and retains the claw in the engaged position when the pawl is in a retaining position, and the latch system further including:
a rotatable link operably interconnecting the input lever and the pawl whereby rotation of the input lever rotates the rotatable link and causes rotation of the pawl from the retaining position to the released position such that the claw can rotate from the engaged position and disengage from the striker to permit opening of the door.

13. A door comprising:
a wheel having a wheel tooth and an inertia lever having a first pair of teeth, wherein the wheel tooth is disposed between the first pair of teeth, and wherein the first pair of teeth comprise a first tooth and a second tooth, and the second pair of teeth comprise a first tooth and a second tooth, and wherein the wheel and the inertia lever rotate about a first axis;
a torsion spring biasing the inertia lever to a home position relative to the wheel;
an input lever rotatable to unlatch a latch and having a second pair of teeth that engage the wheel tooth and the first pair of teeth and prevent rotation of the input lever only when the input lever rotates at a rate above a maximum rate, thereby causing rotation of the inertia lever relative to the wheel;
and wherein the first tooth of the input lever engages the first tooth of the inertia lever and rotates t

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Manolescu Constantin
• Puscas Livianu Dorin
• Papanikolaou Kosta
• Herline Thomas Michael

Classifications

• E05B79/22

  Operative connections between handles, sill buttons or lock knobs and the lock unit (mounting of non-movable base elements of a handle to a lock E05B79/06) · CPC title

• F16H21/44

  for conveying or interconverting oscillating or reciprocating motions · CPC title

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title