Abstract:
A vehicle closure has a compartment latch and a handle for operating the compartment latch. The compartment latch includes a reset member that is automatically engaged to disable the compartment latch when the compartment latch is unlatched. The reset member must be reset manually to restore normal operation of the compartment latch. Manual resetting is difficult to avoid inadvertent operation by children.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a vehicle compartment latch and more particularly to a vehicle compartment latch for latching a vehicle compartment closure, such as a trunk deck lid in the closed position to secure the vehicle compartment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Passenger vehicles are normally equipped with a rear vehicle compartment for storing a spare tire and transporting items such as groceries and luggage. The compartment, conventionally known as a trunk is closed by a deck lid that is hinged to the vehicle body and swings open to provide access to the compartment. The closure or deck lid is equipped with a compartment latch that cooperates with a striker attached to the vehicle body to latch the closure in the closed position automatically when the deck lid is closed. 
     In order to open the deck lid, the compartment latch is conventionally designed to be unlatched or opened from a position outside the compartment because the compartment is not designed to hold passengers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle compartment latch that does not automatically latch when deck lid is closed against the striker. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle compartment latch that can be unlatched from inside the compartment. 
     A feature of the invention is that the vehicle compartment latch is equipped with a safety device that disables the detent lever when the compartment latch is unlatched thus preventing an inadvertent automatic latching of the vehicle compartment latch when the deck lid is subsequently closed. 
     Another feature of the invention is that the vehicle compartment latch is equipped with a safety device that must be reset manually after the compartment latch is unlatched in order to arm the compartment latch for a subsequent latching operation. 
     Another feature of the invention is that the vehicle compartment latch is equipped with a safety device that is automatically engaged but difficult to disengage. 
     Still another feature of the invention is that the vehicle compartment latch is equipped with a safety device that disables the latch detent in response to an unlatching operation. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of a vehicle compartment latch of the invention showing the parts of the vehicle compartment latch in the open or unlatched position with the reset member engaged; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear view of a vehicle showing the vehicle compartment latch of FIG. 1 in section (with internal parts of the vehicle closure latch in the open or unlatched position in solid line and in the closed or latched position in dashed line) and a partially sectioned handle assembly for operating the compartment latch; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the vehicle compartment latch shown in FIG. 1 showing the vehicle compartment latch in the open or unlatched position with the reset member engaged; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear view of the vehicle compartment latch shown in FIG. 1 showing the vehicle compartment latch in the open or unlatched position with the reset member reset or cocked; and 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the vehicle compartment latch shown in FIG. 1 showing the vehicle compartment latch in the closed or latched position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Vehicle compartment latch  10  comprises a housing or support  12  that is adapted for fastening to a vehicle compartment closure, such as a trunk compartment deck lid  1   1  and a fork bolt  14  that pivots on support  12  about pivot pin  15  between an open or unlatched position shown in solid line in FIG. 2 and a closed or latched position shown in dashed line in FIG.  2 . Vehicle compartment latch  10  is attached to deck lid  11  so that fork bolt  14  is moved from the open position shown in FIG. 1 to the closed position shown in FIG. 2 when deck lid  11  is closed and fork bolt  14  engages a striker  16  that is attached to the vehicle body  17  at the deck lid opening. The cooperation of a fork bolt and striker is well known and need not be described in detail. 
     Vehicle compartment latch  10  further comprises a detent lever  18  that pivots on support  12  about pivot pin  19  and cooperates with fork bolt  14  in a well known manner to retain fork bolt  14  in the closed position shown in dashed line in FIG. 2 or release the fork bolt  14  for return to the open position shown in solid line in FIG.  2 . That is, detent lever  18  pivots between a detent position shown in dashed line in FIG. 2 and a release position shown in solid line in FIG.  2 . Fork bolt  14  is spring biased clockwise to the open position shown in solid line in FIG. 2 by a coil spring  20  that surrounds pivot pin  19  with an extension at one end engaging fork bolt  14 . An extension at the other end of coil spring  20  engages detent lever  18  so that detent lever  18  is also spring biased counterclockwise by coil spring  20  against abutment  21  of support  12  to the detent position shown in dashed line in FIG.  2 . Thus detent lever  18  rides over end  22  of fork bolt  14  and engages latch shoulder  23  of fork bolt  14  when fork bolt  14  is moved to the closed position by closing deck lid  11 . 
     Detent lever  18  has an upper arm  25  and a catch  29  attached to a lower arm  31 . Arm  25  cooperates with a rotary cam  27  that is operated by a conventional key lock cylinder (not shown) to move detent lever  18  to the release position allowing the deck lid  11  to open. Catch  29  is also used to move detent lever  18  to the release position as explained below. 
     Vehicle compartment latch  10  further comprises a safety reset member  24  that is attached to support  12  by pins disposed in slots of support  12  (not shown) so that reset member  24  translates back and forth on support  12  in a horizontal direction as best shown in FIGS. 1,  3 ,  4  and  5 . 
     Reset member  24  has a cage  27  that houses a coil spring  28  that engages an inner end surface of cage  27  at the left end and an attachment of support  12 , at the right end. Thus, coil spring  28  biases reset member lever  24  toward the engaged position, i.e. to the left with respect to support  12  as viewed in FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , where ramp  26  lifts catch  29  attached to arm  31  of detent lever  18  as shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 . Reset member  24  has a detent  30  at the lower end of ramp  26  and a detent  32  at the upper end of ramp  26  to hold catch  29  in the lower reset or cocked position shown in FIG. 4 or in the upper engaged position shown in FIG.  3 . When lifted to the upper engaged position, catch  29  pivots detent lever  18  counterclockwise to the release position shown in solid line in FIG.  2 . 
     Reset member  24  further includes a thumb pad  34  and a reset arm  35  that cooperates with striker  16  when deck lid  11  is closed and reset member  24  is cocked as explained below. 
     Catch  29  is attached to core wire  36  of a conventional pull cable  38  by a slotted cleat  40  at one end. Cleat  40  is slotted to provide a lost motion connection so that detent lever  18  and catch  20  can be cycled without moving core wire  36 . Core wire  36  is attached to a handle assembly  42  at the opposite end so that compartment latch  10  can be unlatched from inside the trunk. Handle assembly  42  comprises a housing  44  that is attached to the interior side of deck lid  11 . A handle  46  is pivotally attached to the housing by a pin that extends through the housing and attaches handle  46  to a lever  48  inside housing  44 . Core wire  38  is attached to the end of lever  48 . A coil spring inside housing  44  biases handle  46  and lever  48  to the latch position shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Vehicle compartment latch  10  operates in the following manner. When deck lid  11  is closed, fork bolt  14  engages striker  16  and fork bolt  14  is pivoted counterclockwise by the closing deck lid  11  from the open or unlatched position shown in solid line FIG. 2 to the closed or latched position shown in dashed line trapping striker  16  in the compartment latch  10  as shown in FIG.  5 . As fork bolt  14  pivots to the closed position detent lever  18  normally rides over end  22  of fork bolt  14  and engages latch shoulder  23 . However, when safety reset lever  24  is engaged as shown in FIG. 3, detent lever  18  is held in the release position shown in solid line in FIG.  2  and fork bolt  14  simply bypasses detent lever  18  so that the deck lid is not latched in the closed position. Thus whenever the deck lid  11  is closed with safety reset lever  24  engaged, deck lid  11  can be reopened from the interior of the trunk or other closure simply by lifting the deck lid. 
     In order to latch deck lid  11  in the closed position, the reset member  24  must be cocked or reset before the deck lid is closed. Reset member  24  is reset or cocked by moving reset member  24  manually to the cocked or reset position shown in FIG. 4, that is, to the right with respect to support  12  from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Reset member  24  is difficult to reset purposely to avoid or at least hindering a resetting operation by children. To move reset member  24  to the right to the reset position of FIG.  4 . The catch  29  must be lifted out of detent  30  while the thumb pad  34  is pushed to the left. A mature adult with large hands can grasp the catch  29  in the crook of the forefinger and lift the catch  29  while the thumb pad is pushed to the right by the thumb of the same hand. However, for a child, the resetting reset member  29  is at least a two hand operation. Moreover, the child must be able to figure out the requirement for simultaneous operation of the distinct catch and thumb pad. 
     As reset member  24  moves to the reset position of FIG. 4, catch  29  is moved down ramp  26  by return spring  20  pivoting detent lever  18  clockwise to the detent position shown in dashed line in FIG.  2 . Coil spring  28  is simultaneously compressed in cage  27 . When reset member  24  reaches the reset position, catch  29  engages detent  32  holding reset member  24  against the reaction of compressed coil spring  28 . Detent lever  18  is now operational. 
     Thus when the deck lid  11  is subsequently closed, fork bolt  14  is pivoted to the closed position by striker  16  where fork bolt  14  is held in the closed position by detent lever  18  in a well known manner. The closed position of fork bolt  14  and the cooperating detent position of detent lever  20  are both shown in dashed lines in FIG.  2 . 
     As fork bolt  14  is pivoted to the closed position, it engages and pivots detent lever  18  to the release position shown in solid line in FIG. 2 against the bias of return spring  20 . This lifts catch  29  from lower detent  30  which allows reset member  24  to move toward the engaged position, that is toward the left as viewed in FIG. 5, under the action of coil spring  28 . However, the travel of reset member  24  is cut short by reset stop arm  35  engaging striker  16  as shown in FIG.  5 . This stops the travel of catch  29  up ramp  26  so that catch  29  does not engage detent  30 . This allows detent lever  18  to move back to the detent position and hold fork bolt  14  in the latch position. 
     Vehicle compartment latch  10  is released by pivoting detent lever  18  counterclockwise to the release position shown in solid line in FIG.  2 . Fork bolt  14  is now free to rotate clockwise and deck lid  11  is opened a given amount by the bias of the fork bolt return spring  20  and the pressure of the deck lid seal (not shown). These opening forces open deck lid  11  enough to withdraw striker  16  so that fork bolt  14  pivots clockwise back to the open position shown in solid line in FIG. 2 under the bias of the fork bolt return spring  20 . As striker  16  is withdrawn, reset stop arm  35  is released and safety reset member  24  is automatically engaged by coil spring  28 . The parts are now in the position shown in FIG. 3 so that the deck lid  11  cannot be latched in a closed position unless the reset member  24  is intentionally disengaged first. 
     In the event that the reset member  24  is disengaged and a child is then trapped in a latched trunk inadvertently, closure latch  10  can be unlatched by handle assembly  42 . Handle assembly  42  is specifically designed for ease of operation and preferably colored to be noticed easily, for example a bright yellow handle  46  in a black housing. The bright yellow handle  46  also preferably includes a graphic black down arrow  50 . Moreover the end of handle  46  is preferably disposed in a slot  52  so that the handle  46  can only be operated in the release direction. Housing  44  has finger space  54  above handle  46  and a thumb pad  48  below handle  46  so that handle  46  is easily engaged by four fingers and pulled down. When handle  46  is rotated down about 30°, detent lever  18  is rotated counterclockwise to the release position shown in solid line in FIG.  2 . Deck lid  11  is now unlatched and opened easily. 
     While the compartment latch of our invention has been described in connection with deck lid  11 , the compartment latch can be used with other compartment closures where unintentional latching is not desirable. In other words, many modifications and variations of the present invention in light of the above teachings may be made. It is, therefore, to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.