Door lock release mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12312840-B2
Application number	US-202117552353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Nov 4, 2015
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle door lock release mechanism includes a plate assembly coupled with a vehicle, sliding plates that slide in opposite directions, an elastic member coupled with the plate assembly, and electromagnets coupled with the plate assembly. One electromagnet may be energized to prevent movement of a first sliding plate while a second sliding plate may move responsive to a release cable being pulled. The second electromagnet may be energized to magnetically couple with and prevent movement of the second sliding plate once the second sliding plate reaches the second electromagnet. The elastic member may be stretched and store energy from the release cable being pulled while both the first and second electromagnets remain energized. The first electromagnet may be de-energized to permit movement of the first sliding plate and release the energy stored in the elastic member for opening a door of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door lock release mechanism, comprising:
a plate assembly configured to be coupled with a vehicle, the plate assembly including a first sliding plate and a second sliding plate configured to slide relative to each other, the second sliding plate configured to be pulled away from the first sliding plate by a release cable;
an elastic member coupled with the plate assembly; and
first and second electromagnets coupled with the plate assembly, the first electromagnet configured to be energized to magnetically couple with and prevent movement of the first sliding plate while the second sliding plate is configured to move toward the second electromagnet responsive to the release cable being pulled, the second electromagnet configured to be energized to magnetically couple with and prevent movement of the second sliding plate once the second sliding plate reaches the second electromagnet after the release cable has been pulled,
the elastic member configured to be stretched and store energy from the release cable being pulled while both the first and second electromagnets remain energized,
the first electromagnet configured to be de-energized to permit movement of the first sliding plate and release the energy stored in the elastic member for opening a door of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electromagnets are disposed at opposite ends of the plate assembly.

3. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is coupled with the first sliding plate at a first end of the elastic member and with the second sliding plate at a second end of the elastic member.

4. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a first elastic member that is coupled with the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate, and the vehicle door lock release mechanism further comprising:
a second elastic member coupled with the first sliding plate and configured to bias the first sliding plate toward the first electromagnet.

5. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the plate assembly includes a base plate that is configured to be coupled with the vehicle, the first and second sliding plates configured to move relative to one another along the base plate.

6. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the first elastic member is coupled at a first end of the first elastic member to the second sliding plate and at a second end of the first elastic member to the first sliding plate, and the second elastic member is coupled at a third end of the second elastic member to the first sliding plate and at a fourth end of the second elastic member to the base plate.

7. A vehicle door control system comprising the vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 1 and a control unit operably coupled to the vehicle door lock release mechanism, wherein the control unit is configured to energize the first and second electromagnets during movement of the vehicle above a designated threshold speed to prevent opening of the door of the vehicle regardless of the release cable being pulled, and the control unit is configured to de-energize the first electromagnet responsive to the movement of the vehicle being no faster than the designated threshold speed to delay opening of the door of the vehicle following the pulling of the release cable.

8. A vehicle door lock release mechanism, comprising:
a plate assembly including a base plate, a first sliding plate, and a second sliding plate, the base plate configured to be coupled with a vehicle, the first and second sliding plates configured to move relative to each other along the base plate;
an elastic member coupled with the first and second sliding plates; and
first and second electromagnets coupled with the base plate, the first electromagnet configured to be energized to magnetically couple with and prevent movement of the first sliding plate, the second electromagnet configured to be energized to magnetically couple with and prevent movement of the second sliding plate,
the second sliding plate configured to be pulled along the base plate away from the first sliding plate, away from the first electromagnet, and toward the second electromagnet by pulling of a door lock release cable, the elastic member configured to be stretched between the first and second sliding plates by the first electromagnet preventing movement of the first sliding plate and the second electromagnet preventing movement of the second sliding plate after the door lock release cable has been pulled,
the first electromagnet configured to be de-energized to permit the elastic member to pull the first sliding plate away from the first electromagnet and toward the second sliding plate and thereby release energy stored in the elastic member to open a door of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the first and second electromagnets are disposed at opposite ends of the base plate.

10. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the elastic member is coupled with the first sliding plate at a first end of the elastic member and with the second sliding plate at a second end of the elastic member.

11. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 8 , wherein the elastic member is a first elastic member that is coupled with the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate, and the vehicle door lock release mechanism further comprising:
a second elastic member coupled with the first sliding plate and the base plate.

12. The vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the second elastic member is configured to bias the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate toward each other, the first elastic member configured to bias the first sliding plate toward the first electromagnet.

13. A vehicle door control system comprising the vehicle door lock release mechanism of claim 8 and a control unit configured to be operably coupled to the vehicle door lock release mechanism, wherein the control unit is configured to energize the first and second electromagnets during movement of the vehicle above a designated threshold speed to prevent opening of the door of the vehicle regardless of the door lock release cable being pulled.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured to de-energize the first electromagnet responsive to the movement of the vehicle being no faster than the designated threshold speed to delay opening of the door of the vehicle following the pulling of the door lock release cable.

15. A method, comprising:
energizing a first electromagnet to secure a first sliding plate to the first electromagnet during movement of a vehicle, the first sliding plate configured to rotate a door post to open a door of the vehicle when the first sliding plate moves away from the first electromagnet;
receiving a pulling action on a door lock release cable on a second sliding plate, the pulling action moving the second sliding plate toward a second electromagnet;
securing the second sliding plate against the second electromagnet by energizing the second electromagnet; and
de-energizing the first electromagnet to release the first sliding plate from the first electromagnet and rotating the door post to open the door of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first electromagnet is energized while the movement of the vehicle is faster than a designated speed threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fir

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Stojc Andre
• Filion Daniel

Classifications

• E05B83/363

  for railway vehicles (E05B77/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05B81/28

  Linearly reciprocating elements · CPC title

• E05B77/02

  for accident situations · CPC title

• E05B77/54

  Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold (triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12) · CPC title

• E05B47/0006

  having a non-movable core; with permanent magnet · CPC title