Vehicle lid lock device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509921-B2
Application number	US-202318386332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2023
Priority date	Dec 9, 2022
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle lid lock device includes: a drive actuator; a lock pin movable between a first position where one end thereof is engaged with a part of a lid in a vehicle exterior panel to maintain the lid closed and a second position where the lock pin is disengaged from the part of the lid to allow the lid to open; a handle member to be gripped by a user; and a cable having one end coupled to another end of the lock pin and another end coupled to a part of the handle member and configured to retract the lock pin to disengage the lock pin from the part of the lid member when the user pulls the handle member. A clip part is formed integrally with the handle member. The handle member is tiltable with respect to a fixing surface of the vehicle interior structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle lid lock device comprising:
a drive actuator; a lock pin provided so as to be movable between a first position where one end of the lock pin is engaged with a part of a lid provided in a vehicle exterior panel to maintain a closed state of the lid and a second position where the lock pin that has received a driving force from the drive actuator and retracted in an axial direction is disengaged from the part of the lid to allow the lid to be in an open state; a handle member to be gripped by a user, the handle member comprising a hinge portion; and a cable having one end coupled to another end of the lock pin and another end coupled to a part of the handle member and configured to retract the lock pin in the axial direction to disengage the lock pin from the part of the lid member when the user pulls the handle member, wherein a clip part, via which the handle member is fixed to a vehicle interior structure, is formed integrally with the handle member, the handle member is tiltable, by the action of the hinge portion, with respect to a fixing surface of the vehicle interior structure when the handle member is fixed to the vehicle interior structure via the clip part, and the handle member is configured to disengage the lock pin from the part of the lid member by tilting with respect to the fixing surface of the vehicle interior structure.

2 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the handle member is fixed to the vehicle interior structure by snap-fitting, in which the clip part is fitted into a fitting hole formed in the vehicle interior structure.

3 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 1 , wherein
the handle member comprises: a grip part to be gripped by the user and to a part of an outer circumferential surface of which the another end of the cable is coupled; a support arm extending outward from a part of the outer circumferential surface of the grip part and provided with a locking projection at a portion of a distal-side periphery of the support arm; a planar part from one planar surface of which the clip part projects outward; a portion of a periphery of the planar part and another portion of the support arm on an opposite side of a longitudinal axis of the support arm from a position where the locking projection is formed, at the distal-side periphery of the support arm; and a locking claw formed at a distal end of a beam part extending from another surface of the planar part in a direction opposite to the direction in which the clip part protrudes, at the periphery of the planar part, the locking claw being configured to be engageable with and disengageable from the locking projection, and in the handle member, when the locking projection is locked by the locking claw, the support arm is maintained in an upright state with respect to the planar surface of the planar part, and when a pulling force in a predetermined direction is applied to the grip part, the locking projection and the locking claw are disengaged from each other, allowing the support arm, together with the grip part, to rotate about the hinge part and tilt with respect to the planar surface of the planar part.

4 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 3 , wherein the hinge part has a self-hinge structure in which the support arm and the planar part are integrally formed.

5 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 3 , wherein
the hinge part is disposed on the opposite side of a central axis of the handle member from the side on which the cable is disposed, and the beam part, the locking claw, and the locking projection are disposed on the same side of the central axis as the cable.

6 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 1 , wherein the handle member is provided near an opening formed in a partition provided in a luggage room, and the opening is provided with a removable lid that covers the handle member.

7 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 3 , wherein the grip part has a substantially ring shape having an inside diameter that allows a user to insert a finger therethrough for operation.

8 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 1 , wherein the handle member is formed as a single component of a synthetic resin material.

9 . The vehicle lid lock device according to claim 1 , wherein the handle member is fixed to the vehicle interior structure with the integrally-formed clip part such that the handle member is not removable from the vehicle body when the handle member is used in an emergency.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Ueki Toshiyuki

Classifications

• E05B85/16 Primary

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• E05B81/16

  operating on locking elements for locking or unlocking action · CPC title

• E05B83/34

  for fuel inlet covers essentially flush with the vehicle surface · CPC title

• E05B83/24

  for car bonnets · CPC title

• E05B79/20 Primary

  using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables · CPC title