Power latch assembly with impact protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11414899-B2
Application number	US-201916285293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A latch assembly and system therewith configured for retaining a closure panel of a motor vehicle in a closed position relative to a vehicle body during and upon the latch assembly experiencing an impact force during a crash condition and prior to the latch assembly having been intentionally actuated to move to an unlatched state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A latch assembly for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having a vehicle body defining a door opening and a vehicle swing door pivotably connected to the vehicle body for swing movement between an open position and a closed position relative to the vehicle body and a passenger compartment, the latch assembly comprising:
a housing having a portion configured to face laterally outwardly from the passenger compartment, said portion having an inner surface configured to face inwardly toward the passenger compartment;
a ratchet disposed in said housing for movement between a striker capture position to retain the vehicle swing door in the closed position and a striker release position to allow the vehicle swing door to be moved to the open position;
a pawl disposed in said housing and configured for release from a ratchet holding position, whereat said ratchet is maintained in latched engagement with a striker in the striker capture position to maintain the vehicle swing door in the closed position, to a ratchet releasing position, whereat said ratchet is moved out of latched engagement from the striker to allow the vehicle swing door to be moved from the closed position to the open position;
a latch release mechanism forming a release chain for moving the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position; and
a mechanical feature disposed in said housing, the mechanical feature being configured to be moved by a force generated during a crash condition of the motor vehicle, whereupon the movement of said mechanical feature during the crash condition prevents inadvertent movement of said release chain to prevent movement of said pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position.

2. The latch assembly of claim 1 , further including an electric motor configured to drive a power release gear in response to selective energization of said electric motor to move said pawl between the ratchet holding position and the ratchet releasing position, wherein said mechanical feature includes an anti-rotation member fixed to said inner surface of said housing, wherein said anti-rotation member is maintained in clearance relation with said power release gear during a normal operating condition of the motor vehicle, and wherein said anti-rotation member is brought into locked engagement with said power release gear upon said inner surface being deformed by the force generated during the crash condition, whereat said anti-rotation member prevents rotation of said power release gear, thereby preventing inadvertent movement of said pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position.

3. The latch assembly of claim 2 , further including a worm gear fixed to an output shaft of said electric motor, said worm gear being configured in meshed engagement with said power release gear.

4. The latch assembly of claim 2 , wherein said anti-rotation member is fixed to said inner surface of said housing in radially aligned relation with said power release gear.

5. The latch assembly of claim 4 , wherein said anti-rotation member includes teeth configured to mesh with teeth of said power release gear upon said inner surface being deformed.

6. The latch assembly of claim 5 , wherein said teeth of said anti-rotation member extend along a first radius and said teeth of said power release gear extend along a second radius, wherein said first radius and said second radius are substantially the same.

7. The latch assembly of claim 6 , wherein a plurality of said teeth of said anti-rotation member are configured to interlock with a plurality of said teeth of said power release gear upon said inner surface being deformed.

8. The latch assembly of claim 7 , wherein said anti-rotation member is polymeric.

9. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mechanical feature includes an elongate extension member fixed to said pawl, said elongate extension member having a first end region extending in a first direction from a center-of-rotation of said pawl to provide an active region of said pawl configured for operable locking engagement with said ratchet while in the ratchet holding position and for operable disengagement from said ratchet while in the ratchet releasing position, and a second end region extending in a second direction from said center-of-rotation of said pawl, different from said first direction of said first end region, to provide an inactive region configured to mechanically bias said pawl toward the ratchet holding position upon said inner surface of said housing being deformed by the force generated in the crash condition.

10. The latch assembly of claim 9 , wherein said elongate extension member has a generally C-shaped body portion extending from said first end region to said second end region, and wherein said second end region extends through and beyond a radial axis that extends through said center-of-rotation of said pawl.

11. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mechanical feature is disposed in said housing adjacent said inner surface and is configured to be impacted when said inner surface of said housing is deformed by the force generated in the crash condition of the motor vehicle.

12. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly is configured to be mechanically actuated by a handle connected to the latch assembly to move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position after the crash condition.

13. The latch assembly of claim 12 , wherein the handle is an inside door handle.

14. The latch assembly of claim 12 , wherein the handle is an outside door handle.

Assignees

• Magna Closures Inc

Inventors

• Ottino Franco Giovanni
• Quartieri Carlo
• Boeri Enrico

Classifications

• E05B85/00

  Details of vehicle locks not provided for in groups E05B77/00 - E05B83/00 · CPC title

• E05B81/34

  of geared transmissions · CPC title

• E05B81/12

  characterised by the function or purpose of the powered actuators · CPC title

• E05B81/06

  using rotary motors · CPC title

• E05B77/04 Primary

  Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision · CPC title