Motor-driven door latch for vehicle

A motor-driven door latch includes a catch part that is caught on a striker to lock the vehicle door to the vehicle body or is released from the striker so that the vehicle door can be opened from the vehicle body. A door locking and releasing part includes a main motor and is configured to apply a torque to the catch part through the main motor. An emergency door releasing part is provided with an auxiliary motor and is contacted with the door locking and releasing part by operation of the auxiliary motor. An inside emergency operating lever is connected with an inside handle installed at the vehicle door and is configured to receive an operation force of the inside handle to rotate and apply torque to the catch part through the emergency door releasing part and the door locking and releasing part.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0025607, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Mar. 6, 2019, which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle is used to lock or unlock a door to a vehicle body by using a motor for the convenience of the user.

In addition, an inside handle and an outside handle are respectively installed to allow the user to grasp the vehicle door and to easily operate the vehicle door, and a switch or the like is provided on the vehicle door for locking or releasing the motor-driven door latch.

However, in the conventional motor-driven door latch structure, when the motor is inoperable due to a vehicle collision or battery discharge, a structure or a device for releasing the door locking state through an appropriate door unlocking means has been became necessary.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle. Particular embodiments of the invention relate to a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle capable of turning a door into an unlocked state using an emergency motor when a motor for opening and closing a door is inoperable.

Embodiments of the invention can provide a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle capable of easily releasing the door locking state even if a motor for opening and closing a door cannot be operated due to a collision accident or battery discharge and easily releasing the door locking state even by a key operation for a vehicle, thereby improving the merchantability and safety of the vehicle.

A motor-driven door latch for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include, a catch part which is caught on a striker mounted on the vehicle to lock a door for a vehicle to a vehicle body or is released from the striker so that the door can be opened from the vehicle body. A door locking and releasing part includes a main motor and applies torque to the catch part through the main motor to allow the catch part to be locked to or released from the striker. An emergency door releasing part is provided with an auxiliary motor and contacted with the door locking and releasing part by the operation of the auxiliary motor when the main motor is not operated. An inside emergency operating lever is connected with an inside handle installed at the door for the vehicle and receives an operation force of the inside handle to rotate and apply torque to the catch part through the emergency door releasing part and the door locking and releasing part. An outside emergency operating lever is connected with an outside handle installed at the door for the vehicle and receives an operation force of the outside handle to rotate and apply torque to the catch part through the emergency door releasing part and the door locking and releasing part.

The catch part may comprise a catch having a locking groove which the striker mounted on the vehicle body is catch in or separated from and being installed to be rotatable; and a pawl installed to be rotatable and in close contact with the catch to limit the rotation of the catch or separated from the catch to allow the catch to be freely rotatable.

The door locking and releasing part may comprise the main motor, which can rotates in a clockwise and anticlockwise directions and includes a first drive gear; a first driven gear engaged with the first drive gear; a pawl release lever coupled to the pawl to be integrally rotated; and an operating lever, which is engaged with the first driven gear and receives the torque through the first driven gear to rotate the pawl release lever.

The emergency door releasing part may comprise the auxiliary motor including a second drive gear; a second driven gear engaged with the second drive gear; a master locking link, which installed to be rotatable, contacted with the second driven gear so that the rotation thereof is limited and includes a hook at one end portion thereof; and a pressurizing spring applying an elastic force to the master locking link in order to rotate the master locking link in a direction.

Two seating protrusions may be formed at the pawl release lever; and a pressurizing protrusion which seats on the seating protrusions, and presses and rotates the pawl release lever, may be provided at the operating lever.

A door latch controller detecting an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and applying an operation signal to the main motor, may be further included.

The door latch controller may detect vehicle collision through a collision detecting sensor to apply an operation signal to the auxiliary motor when the main motor is inoperable due to vehicle collision.

The inside emergency operating lever may be installed to be rotatable and one end portion thereof is provided with a pressurizing flange; and the master locking link may be provided with a rotation inducing flange, which corresponds to the pressurizing flange and is pressed by the pressurizing flange down to rotate the master locking link.

The outside emergency operating lever may be installed to be rotatable, one end portion thereof may be formed with a wire hole with which a wire is connected and the other end portion thereof is formed with a first long hole; and the master locking link may be provided with a pin shaft inserted into the first long hole.

A key cylinder into which a key for a vehicle is inserted to operate may be provided with a key nut; the key nut may be connected with one end portion of a key lever; and the other end portion of the key lever may be connected with the second driven gear.

The key lever may be formed with a second long hole at a lower portion thereof; and the second driven gear may be provided with a coupling protrusion inserted into the second long hole.

A protrusion may be provided at an upper portion of the key lever; the key nut may be provided with two first and second operating protrusions spaced from each other in a circumference direction; and a movable groove into which the protrusion is inserted to move may be provided between the first and second operating protrusions.

In accordance with the motor-driven door latch for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since a door for a vehicle can be locked a vehicle body in a stable manner by using a main motor and the locked door can be freely released from the vehicle body, the user can conveniently use a door for a vehicle.

When the main motor is inoperable due to a discharge or collision, it is possible to release the door locked to the vehicle body via an auxiliary motor and an inside handle or an outside handle, so that the use safety of the door for a vehicle can be improved.

When the main motor and the auxiliary motor are inoperable at the same time, a key for the vehicle can be used to release the door locked to the vehicle body, thereby further improving the use safety of the door for a vehicle.

The following reference numerals can be used in conjunction with the drawings:1: first base plate2: second base plate10: catch part11: catch12: pawl20: door locking and releasing part21: main motor22: first driven gear23: pawl release lever24: operating lever30: emergency door releasing part31: auxiliary motor32: second driven gear33: master locking link34: pressurizing spring40: inside emergency operating lever50: outside emergency operating lever60: key nut70: key lever

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.

Since size and thickness of each component illustrated in the drawings are arbitrarily represented for convenience in explanation, the present invention is not particularly limited to the illustrated size and thickness of each component and the thickness is enlarged and illustrated in order to clearly express various parts and areas.

Referring toFIGS.1to5, a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a catch part10which is caught on a striker mounted on the vehicle to lock a door for a vehicle to the vehicle body or is released from the striker so that the door can be opened from the vehicle body; a door locking and releasing part20which applies torque to the catch part10to allow the catch part10to be locked to or released from the striker; and an emergency door releasing part30that allows the door locked to the vehicle body to be released from the vehicle body when the door locking and releasing part20is not operated due to battery discharge or collision, and the like.

The catch part10may include a catch11, which is rotatably mounted on one side of a first base plate1and has a locking groove in which the striker mounted on the vehicle body is inserted into or separated from and a pawl12, which is mounted on the first base plate1to be rotatable and is in close contact with the catch11to limit the rotation of the catch11or separated from the catch11to allow the catch11to be freely rotatable.

The door locking and releasing part20may include a main motor21, which is mounted on a second base plate2, rotatable in a clockwise and anticlockwise directions, and includes a first drive gear211. A first driven gear22is engaged with the first drive gear211. A pawl release lever23is disposed with the first base plate1interposed therebetween and coupled to the pawl12to be integrally rotated (referring toFIG.4). An operating lever24is engaged with the first driven gear22and rotates while receiving a torque from the first driven gear22to rotate the pawl release lever23.

The emergency door releasing part30may include an auxiliary motor31for emergency mounted on the first base plate1and provided with a second drive gear311; a second driven gear32engaged with the second drive gear311; a master locking link33of which one end portion is rotatably mounted on the first base plate1and the other end portion is provided with a hook331; and a pressurizing spring34for pressurizing the master locking link33to be rotated in a clockwise direction.

When the user operates a release handle or a button mounted on the door, a door latch controller detects this to apply an operation signal to the main motor21to operate the main motor21.

Referring toFIG.6, the first drive gear211and the first driven gear22rotate respectively by driving the main motor21, the operating lever24engaged with the first driven gear22is rotated to rotate the pawl release lever23, and the pawl12rotates together by the rotation of the pawl release lever23and is spaced from the catch11, so that the catch11can freely rotate, thereby releasing the door locked the vehicle body and opening the door.

Therefore, when the user pushes or pulls the door while holding the inside handle or the outside handle installed on the door, the door is opened while one side of the door is supported by the vehicle body and the door is being rotated.

The pawl release lever23may be provided with two seating protrusions231and the operating lever24may be provided with a pressurizing protrusion241which is seated on the seating protrusions231to press and rotate the pawl release lever23.

On the other hand, if the main motor fails due to a vehicle collision, the door latch controller senses the collision through a collision detecting sensor and applies an actuating signal to the auxiliary motor31.

Thus, as shownFIGS.7and8, the operation of the auxiliary motor31rotates the second drive gear311and the second driven gear32respectively, and the master locking link33is released from the second driven gear32by the rotation of second driven gear32and rotates in a clockwise by the elastic restoring force of the pressurizing spring34, so that a door lock release preparation state where a hook331of the master locking link33is hung on the seating protrusions of the pawl release lever23is made.

In the door lock release preparation state, if a passenger pulls the inside handle, the inside emergency operating lever40connected with the inside handle through a wire41is rotated.

The inside emergency operating lever30may be installed on the second base plate2to be rotatable and one end portion thereof may be provided with a pressurizing flange42, as shown inFIG.9.

Further, in the master locking link33, a rotation inducing flange332may be formed in a circular arc shape corresponding to the pressurizing flange42. The pressurizing flange42is integrally rotated by the rotation of the inside emergency operating lever40to press the rotation inducing flange332of the master locking link33, so that the master locking link33rotates in a clockwise direction from the door lock release preparation state where the master locking link33is hung on the seating protrusions231of the pawl release lever23to rotate the pawl release lever23in an anticlockwise.

The pawl12is rotated by the rotation of the pawl release lever23together and thus separated from the catch11, so that the catch11can be freely rotated. Thus, the door locked to the vehicle body is released from it and can be opened.

On the other hand, in the door lock release preparation state, if the user pulls the outside handle, as shown inFIG.10, an outside emergency operating lever50connected with the outside handle through a wire is rotated.

The outside emergency operating lever50may be installed on the second base plate2to be rotatable, one end portion thereof may be formed with a wire hole51with which a wire is connected and the other end portion thereof may be formed with a first long hole52into which a pin shaft333provided at the master locking link33is inserted.

When the outside emergency operating lever50is rotated, the master locking link33is further rotated in a clockwise direction from the door lock release preparation state by the rotation of the outside emergency operating lever50to rotate the pawl release lever23in an anticlockwise.

The pawl12is rotated by the rotation of the pawl release lever23together to be separated from the catch11to allow the catch11to freely rotate, so that the door locked to the vehicle body is released from it and the door can be opened.

On the other hand, when the battery of the vehicle is discharged and the main motor21and the auxiliary motor31become inoperable, if the user inserts a key for a vehicle a key hole to rotate a key cylinder, as shown inFIG.11, a key nut60provided at the key cylinder is rotated and a key lever70is raised by the rotation of the key nut60to rotate the second driven gear32. Thus, the rotation of the second driven gear32allows the master locking link33to be released from the second driven gear32. The master locking link33is rotated by the elastic restoring force of the pressurizing spring34in a clockwise direction, so that the door lock release preparation state where the hook331of the master locking link33is hung on the seating protrusions231of the pawl release lever23is achieved.

In the door lock release preparation state, when the user pulls the outside handle, as described above, the outside emergency operating lever50is rotated so that the door can be opened.

Referring toFIG.12, a second long hole71may be formed at a lower portion of the key lever, a coupling protrusion321inserted into the second long hole71may be provided at the second driven gear32, a protrusion72may be provided on an upper portion of the key lever70, two operating protrusions61and62spaced from each other in a circumference direction may be provided at the key nut60and a movable groove63which the protrusion72is inserted into and can move therein may be provided between the first and second operating protrusions61and62.

That is, when the auxiliary motor31is operated and the second driven gear32is rotated, the key lever70moves up and down by the rotation of the second driven gear32but the protrusion72of the key lever70moves up and down in the movable groove63of the key nut60, so that the protrusion72of the key lever70is not contacted with the first and second operating protrusions61and62of the key nut60.

On the other hand, when the key nut60is rotated by operation of the key for a vehicle, the key lever70is contacted with the first operating protrusion61to be forcibly raised up, so that the second driven gear32is forcibly rotated by the key lever70and the master locking link33rotates also, thereby achieving the door lock release preparation state.