Automotive door latch with power opening feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11674338-B2
Application number	US-201916362736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

A power-operated vehicle closure system includes a vehicle door equipped with a cinch assembly having a power actuator and a closure latch assembly having a latch mechanism and a latch cinch mechanism. Actuation of the power actuator in a first direction provides a power cinch operation to cause the latch cinch mechanism to cinch the latch mechanism. Actuation of the power actuator in a second direction provides a power ice breaking operation to cause the latch cinch mechanism to open the latch mechanism. The system includes a controller that receives signals indicating the positions of a ratchet and a pawl of the latch mechanism and controls the power actuator to operate the latch cinch mechanism in either the first or second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power door for a motor vehicle closure system, the power door comprising:
a door moveable with respect to a vehicle body between an open position and a fully-closed position;
a closure latch assembly mounted to the door and having a latch mechanism, a latch release mechanism, and a latch cinch mechanism; and
an actuator assembly mounted to the door and having a power actuator operatively connected to the latch cinch mechanism,
wherein actuation of the power actuator in a first direction functions to cause the latch cinch mechanism to cinch the latch mechanism and actuation in a second direction functions to open the latch mechanism;
wherein the latch mechanism has a ratchet rotatable about a ratchet axis between a striker release position, whereat the ratchet is positioned to release a striker mounted to the vehicle body, and two distinct striker capture positions, whereat the ratchet is positioned to retain the striker, wherein the two distinct striker capture positions include a secondary striker capture position when the door is located in a partially-closed position and a primary striker capture position when the door is located in its fully-closed position,
wherein the latch mechanism further comprises a ratchet biasing member for normally biasing the ratchet toward its striker release position, a pawl moveable between a ratchet holding position, whereat the pawl is positioned to hold the ratchet in its primary striker capture position, and a ratchet releasing position, whereat the pawl is located to permit rotation of the ratchet to its striker release position, and a pawl biasing member for normally biasing the pawl toward its ratchet holding position,
wherein the latch release mechanism is operable to selectively move the pawl from its ratchet holding position to its ratchet releasing position,
wherein the latch cinch mechanism is configured for rotation about a pivot axis different from the ratchet axis, the latch cinch mechanism including a rotatable ratchet lever having a cinch cam and an ice breaker cam, wherein the actuation of the power actuator in the first direction causes rotation of the ratchet lever about the pivot axis in a cinching direction for causing the cinch cam to engage the ratchet and forcibly rotate the ratchet from its secondary striker capture position into its primary striker capture position, thereby cinching the latch mechanism so as to provide a power cinch function,
wherein the actuation of the power actuator in the second direction causes rotation of the ratchet lever about the pivot axis in an opening direction for causing the ice breaker cam to engage the ratchet and forcibly rotate the ratchet from its primary striker capture position to its striker release position, thereby opening the latch mechanism so as to provide a power opening function.

2. The power door of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet lever is rotatable in the cinching direction from a rest position to a cinch-actuated position to provide the power cinch function, and wherein the ratchet lever is rotatable in the opening direction from the rest position to an ice break-actuated position to provide the power opening function.

3. The power door of claim 2 , wherein the power actuator is operable to rotate the ratchet lever from its cinch-actuated position to its rest position upon completion of the power cinch function, and wherein the power actuator is operable to rotate the ratchet lever from its ice breaker-actuated position to its rest position upon completion of the power opening function.

4. The power door of claim 1 , wherein the ratchet lever is fixed [for rotation] to a driven pulley for rotation about the pivot axis, wherein the latch cinch mechanism includes a drive pulley that is rotatably driven about the pivot axis by the power actuator, and wherein a cable assembly interconnects the driven pulley to the drive pulley.

5. A method for operating a power door for a motor vehicle closure system, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a closure latch assembly mounted to the power door, the closure latch assembly having a latch mechanism and a latch cinch mechanism, wherein the latch mechanism includes a ratchet rotatable about a ratchet axis between a striker release position, a secondary striker capture position, and a primary striker capture position;
providing a cinch assembly mounted to the door, the cinch assembly having a power actuator operatively connected to the latch cinch mechanism;
actuating the power actuator in a first direction and, in response thereto, causing the latch cinch mechanism to rotate in the first direction about a pivot axis different from the ratchet axis and cinching the latch mechanism;
actuating the power actuator in a second direction and, in response thereto, causing the latch cinch mechanism to rotate in the second direction about the pivot axis different from the ratchet axis and opening the latch mechanism;
receiving a striker in the latch mechanism of the closure latch assembly;
rotating the ratchet from the striker release position to the secondary striker capture position;
rotating the latch cinch mechanism in the first direction and, in response thereto, rotating the ratchet from the secondary striker capture position to the primary striker capture position;
rotating the latch cinch mechanism in the second direction and, in response thereto, rotating the ratchet from the primary striker capture position toward the striker release position; and
rotating the ratchet to the striker release position.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein in response to the rotation of the ratchet from the striker release position to the secondary striker capture position, the method further comprises positioning a pawl of the latch mechanism to a first ratchet holding position against the ratchet to block rotation of the ratchet toward the striker release position;
in response to the rotation of the ratchet from the secondary striker capture position to the primary striker capture position, the method further comprises positioning the pawl in a second ratchet position to block rotation of the ratchet toward the striker release position;
and prior to the rotation of the latch cinch mechanism in the second direction, the method further comprises positioning the pawl in a ratchet releasing position to allow the ratchet to rotate toward the striker release position.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
at a latch controller, receiving a first signal from one or more sensors indicating a door closing condition of the latch mechanism;
in response thereto, sending a first command from the latch controller to the power actuator to actuate the power actuator in the first direction;
at the latch controller, receiving a second signal from the one or more sensors indicating a door opening condition of the latch mechanism; and
in response thereto, sending a second command from the latch controller to the power actuator to actuate the power actuator in the second direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein prior to receiving the first signal, the method further comprises rotating the ratchet of the latch mechanism from the striker release position to the secondary striker capture position and, in response thereto, positioning a pawl of the latch mechanism in a ratchet holding position;
in response to the actuation of the power actuator in the first direction, the method further comprises rotating the ratchet from the secondary striker capture position to the primary striker capture position;
prior to receiving the second signal, the method further comprises rotating the pawl to a ratchet releasing position; and
in response to the actuation of the power actuator in the second directi

Assignees

• Magna Closures Inc

Inventors

• Tomaszewski Kris

Classifications

• E05B81/56

  Control of actuators · CPC title

• E05B77/36

  Noise prevention; Anti-rattling means · CPC title

• E05B81/32

  Details of the actuator transmission · CPC title

• E05B77/34 Primary

  Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress (closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14) · CPC title

• E05B83/36

  Locks for passenger or like doors · CPC title