Vehicle lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9180798-B2
Application number	US-201214001538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2012
Priority date	Feb 28, 2011
Publication date	Nov 10, 2015
Grant date	Nov 10, 2015

Abstract

The present invention provides a lock device for locking by inserting a striker into a base member. The lock device includes a latch, which is disposed on the base member and constrains and releases the striker, and a pawl, which holds the latch. Backlash of the latch is limited by a simple structure. A cam member is rotationally connected to the base member by a rotation shaft different from that of the pawl. An engaging protrusion and recess are formed on the pawl and cam member, respectively. When the pawl is at an allowable position, the protrusion and recess are engaged with each other to hold the cam member. The engagement is released when the pawl rotates to a holding position, engaging the cam member with the latch, which is at a locked position, thereby rotating the latch such that the striker contacts the bottom surface of a base groove.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle lock device comprising:
a base member configured to be fixed to one of a fixing member and a moveable member, the base member having a base groove into which a striker that is connected to the other one of the fixed member and the moveable member is inserted, the base groove including a bottom surface;
a latch having a latch groove, wherein the latch groove is capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the striker, the latch is rotationally coupled to the base member, and the latch can rotate between a locked position, in which the latch restrains the striker while the striker is between the latch and the base groove, and an unlocked position, in which the latch releases the striker;
a pawl, which is rotationally coupled to the base member by a first rotation shaft and is rotational between an allowable position and a holding position, wherein, in the allowable position, the pawl allows the latch to rotate between the locked position and the unlocked position, and at the holding position, the pawl prevents rotation of the latch from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the pawl rotates from the holding position to the allowable position according to an unlocking operation;
a cam member, which is rotationally coupled to the base member by a second rotation shaft that is different from the first rotation shaft of the pawl, wherein the cam member allows the latch to rotate between the locked position and the unlocked position and is engaged with the latch at the locked position to rotate the latch such that the striker contacts the bottom surface of the base groove;
an engaging protrusion integrally formed on the pawl;
an engaging recess integrally formed in the cam member, wherein the engaging recess is engaged with the engaging protrusion to hold the cam member when the pawl is located the allowable position, and the engaging recess is disengaged from the engaging protrusion to release the cam member from the pawl when the pawl rotates between the allowable position and the holding position, and the engaging recess is shaped to extend in a rotation direction of the pawl when the pawl is located at the allowable position;
a holding protrusion formed on at least one of the latch and the cam member; and
a holding surface formed on the other one of the latch and the cam member,
wherein the holding protrusion and the holding surface are pressed against each other when the latch is at the locked position so that the cam member rotates the latch such that the striker contacts the bottom surface of the base groove.

2. The vehicle lock device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control member, which is coupled to the pawl and performs the unlocking operation, wherein positions of the control member that correspond to the allowable position and the holding position of the pawl are different from each other.

3. The vehicle lock device according to claim 1 , wherein a guide surface is formed on the pawl, and the guide surface slides on the latch when the pawl is at the locked position to allow the latch to be rotated by the cam member.

4. The vehicle lock device according to claim 1 , wherein
the latch and the cam member are located on different planes that are perpendicular to an axial direction of the second rotation shaft, and
a part of the cam member overlaps with the latch in the axial direction over the entire range of rotation of the latch.

5. The vehicle lock device according claim 1 , wherein a distance between an axis of the first rotation shaft of the pawl and the engaging protrusion is different from a distance between an axis of the second rotation shaft of the cam member and the engaging protrusion.

6. The vehicle lock device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a latch engaging surface formed on the latch; and a step formed on the pawl, wherein the step contacts the latch engaging surface at the locked position, and the step is arranged on a rotation track of the latch in the unlocking direction.

7. The vehicle lock device according to claim 6 , wherein a radial distance from an axis of the first rotation shaft of the pawl to the step is shorter than a radial distance from the latch on which the holding surface is formed or an axis of the rotation shaft of the cam member to the holding surface.

Assignees

• Suzumura Hirokazu
• Iwasa Kazuya
• Kato Haruo
• Teraoka Nobuyoshi
• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Suzumura Hirokazu
• Iwasa Kazuya
• Kato Haruo
• Teraoka Nobuyoshi

Classifications

• B60N2/20 Primary

  the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/04, B60N2/22 {, B60N2/3002} take precedence) · CPC title

• E05B85/26

  Cooperation between bolts and detents · CPC title

• B60N2205/20

  Measures for elimination or compensation of play or backlash · CPC title

• B60N2/366 Primary

  characterised by the locking device · CPC title