Patent ID: 6123371
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A vehicle door lock actuator mechanism comprising:a. a mounting formation;b. a driven input lever fulcrumed on said mounting formation for operative connection to a manually actuable element inside the vehicle door selectively operable to shift said driven input lever about its fulcrumed axis between a first and a second angular position;c. a driven output lever for operative connection with latching means whereby displacement of said driven output lever from a first to a second angular position releases the vehicle door from a latched condition in use;further characterized in that said vehicle door lock actuator mechanism includes:d. coupling means including a drive dog having connection with one of said driven input lever or said driven output lever so that said coupling means is positively displaced on angular movement thereof and engaging a drive formation of the other of said levers extending longitudinally of an arm thereof and having a portion shaped to permit relative movement between said drive dog and said arm laterally of said drive dog;e. a security actuator lever linked to said drive dog and selectively movable between a first and a second position to shift said drive dog longitudinally between an engaged condition with respect to the first position at which said drive dog couples the levers for angular movement in unison, and a loss motion child safety condition respective to said second position at which said drive dog is aligned with said second position so that angular movement of said driven input lever between the first and the second position is not transmitted to said driven output lever for releasing said latching means, said security actuator lever being manually operable by means rendered inaccessible by the closing of the vehicle door;f. a main locking element selectively driven by a main power actuator between a locked condition and an unlocked condition wherein the associated latch means is secured against release in the locked condition and is freed for release in the unlocked condition; andg. a lost motion connection between said security actuator lever and said main locking element defining means for permitting motion of said main locking element without affecting the setting of said security actuator lever to the first and the second position, and for permitting movement of said security actuator to a third position carrying said main locking element to the locked condition;whereby said vehicle door lock actuator mechanism can be set to lock the vehicle door on closing for securing the vehicle without operation of said power actuator.