Electric door latch apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12129690-B2
Application number	US-202217892272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 14, 2022
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

An electric door latch apparatus includes a catch part for unlocking a door to a vehicle body by being caught by a striker mounted on the vehicle body or selectively unlocking the door from the vehicle body by being separated from the striker, a door locking/unlocking part for unlocking or locking the catch part to the striker by applying a rotational force of a main motor to the catch part, a master lock link for selectively rotating the catch part, a key lever for selectively restricting a rotation of the master lock link, an inside emergency operating lever rotatable by an inside handle for selectively rotating the master lock link, a manual emergency door unlocking part movable by a rotation of the inside emergency operating lever for selectively providing an elastic force to the key lever, and an electric emergency door unlocking part for selectively moving the key lever.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric door latch apparatus for a vehicle, the electric door latch apparatus comprising:
a catch part configured to lock a door to a vehicle body by being caught by a striker mounted on the vehicle body or to selectively unlock the door from the vehicle body by being separated from the striker;
a door locking/unlocking part configured to unlock or lock the catch part to the striker by applying a rotational force of a main motor to the catch part;
a master lock link configured to selectively rotate the catch part;
a key lever configured to selectively restrict a rotation of the master lock link;
an inside emergency operating lever configured to be rotated by an inside handle and to selectively rotate the master lock link;
a manual emergency door unlocking part configured to be moved by a rotation of the inside emergency operating lever and to selectively provide an elastic force to the key lever; and
an electric emergency door unlocking part configured to selectively move the key lever.

2. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the catch part comprises:
a catch having a locking groove provided so that the striker is inserted into the locking groove or the striker is separated from the locking groove;
a pawl rotatably provided in a state of being in close contact with the catch and configured to restrict a rotation of the catch or to be separated from the catch to allow the catch to rotate freely; and
a pawl release lever configured to rotate integrally with the pawl.

3. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a hook formed on the master lock link is configured to be selectively caught by a seating protrusion formed on the pawl release lever, such that the catch part is selectively rotated.

4. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pressing flange provided on the inside emergency operating lever and configured to selectively press a rotation guide flange provided on the master lock link by a rotation of the inside emergency operating lever.

5. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a push flange provided on the inside emergency operating lever and configured to push up a first connection protrusion provided on the manual emergency door unlocking part by a rotation of the inside emergency operating lever, such that the key lever moves.

6. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
an emergency protrusion is provided on the key lever;
a main slot is provided in the manual emergency door unlocking part;
an auxiliary slot is provided adjacent to the main slot of the manual emergency door unlocking part; and
the emergency protrusion is inserted into the main slot to apply an elastic force to the key lever.

7. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the main slot comprises:
upper and lower regions each having a relatively large width; and
a central region disposed between the upper region and the lower region and having a width smaller than the width of the upper region and the width of the lower region.

8. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a rib provided between the central region and the auxiliary slot and configured to apply an elastic force to the emergency protrusion of the key lever.

9. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electric emergency door unlocking part comprises:
a sub-motor;
a sub-driving gear provided on a rotary shaft of the sub-motor;
a sub-driven gear configured to engage with the sub-driving gear; and
a rotary protrusion provided on the sub-driven gear and inserted into a position regulating groove provided in the key lever.

10. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a child-lock switch provided in the vehicle;
an inside handle detection sensor configured to detect a motion of the inside handle; and
a controller configured to operate the sub-motor and move the key lever when the child-lock switch is turned on and the inside handle detection sensor detects the motion of the inside handle.

11. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
a parking switch provided in the vehicle;
a deadlock switch provided in the vehicle;
an inside handle detection sensor configured to detect a motion of the inside handle; and
a controller configured to operate the sub-motor and move the key lever when the parking switch and the deadlock switch are turned on and the inside handle detection sensor detects the motion of the inside handle.

12. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a key nut configured to move the key lever by being rotated by a vehicle key.

13. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising first and second operating protrusions provided on the key nut and selectively connected to a catching end provided on the key lever.

14. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an outside emergency operating lever configured to be rotated by an operating force of an outside handle and to apply a rotational force to the catch part through the electric emergency door unlocking part.

15. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
a first long hole is provided in the outside emergency operating lever;
a pin shaft is provided on the master lock link; and
the pin shaft is configured to be movably inserted into the first long hole.

16. An electric door latch apparatus for a vehicle, the electric door latch apparatus comprising:
a catch part configured to lock a door to a vehicle body by being caught by a striker mounted on the vehicle body or to selectively unlock the door from the vehicle body by being separated from the striker, wherein the catch part comprises:
a catch having a locking groove provided so that the striker is inserted into the locking groove or the striker is separated from the locking groove;
a pawl rotatably provided in a state of being in close contact with the catch and configured to restrict a rotation of the catch or to be separated from the catch to allow the catch to rotate freely; and
a pawl release lever configured to rotate integrally with the pawl;

a door locking/unlocking part configured to unlock or lock the catch part to the striker by applying a rotational force of a main motor to the catch part, wherein the door locking/unlocking part comprises:
the main motor;
a rotary shaft provided on the main motor and configured to rotate in two directions;
a main driving gear provided on the rotary shaft;
a main driven gear configured to engage with the main driving gear; and
a main operating lever configured to engage with the main driven gear and transmit a rotational force of the main motor to the pawl release lever through the main driven gear;

a master lock link configured to selectively rotate the catch part;
a key lever configured to selectively restrict a rotation of the master lock link;
an inside emergency operating lever configured to be rotated by an inside handle and to selectively rotate the master lock link;
a manual emergency door unlocking part configured to be moved by a rotation of the inside emergency operating lever and to selectively provide an elastic force to the key lever; and
an electric emergency door unlocking part configured to selectively move the key lever.

17. The electric door latch apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
a pressing protrusion is provided on the main operating lever;
a seating protrusion corresponding to the pressing protr

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Nam Jinwoo
• Han Jungho
• Kwak Kyoung Taek

Classifications

• E05B85/26

  Cooperation between bolts and detents · CPC title

• E05B81/56

  Control of actuators · CPC title

• E05B81/34

  of geared transmissions · CPC title

• E05B81/30

  Rotary elements · CPC title

• E05B81/76

  Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles · CPC title