Valet block out for deck lid latch

A deck lid may be released via rotation of a latch release shaft. A pinion gear is operably connected with the release shaft for rotating the release shaft. An electric motor has a gear meshing with the pinion gear and is energizable to rotate the pinion gear. An electrical switch is located inside the vehicle for energizing the electric motor. According to the invention, a blocking member is movably mounted on the latch and movable between a normal disengaged position, permitting rotation of the pinion gear by the motor, and a blocking position in which the blocking member engages the pinion gear to block rotation thereof by the electric motor. In a preferred embodiment, the blocking member is slidably mounted on the latch and the pinion gear has a toothed periphery with a cutout into which the blocking member is slid to block rotation of the pinion gear, thereby causing the motor to stall.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a remote releasable deck lid latch and, more 
particularly, provides a blocking member selectively engageable to stall 
an electric motor which would otherwise release the latch. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Motor vehicles typically have a latch for latching a deck lid in a position 
closing a luggage compartment. The latch is released by a key cylinder to 
open the lid and permit access to the luggage compartment. 
It is also known to provide remote release of the latch by mounting an 
electric motor on the latch and energizing the motor via an electrical 
switch provided inside the occupant compartment so that the driver may 
release the latch. The disadvantage of this remote release for the deck 
lid is that a person who has entry into the occupant compartment, such as 
a valet parking attendant, will also have access to the luggage 
compartment by actuating the switch. Accordingly, the prior art has 
proposed a secondary electrical switch located within the luggage 
compartment which is selectively switchable to prevent energization of the 
motor by the inside switch. 
The present invention provides a new and improved disabling device for 
preventing the release of the deck lid latch via the remote energized 
motor. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A deck lid latch may be released via rotation of a latch release shaft. A 
pinion gear is operably connected with the release shaft for rotating the 
release shaft. An electric motor has a gear meshing with the pinion gear 
and is energizable to rotate the pinion gear. An electrical switch is 
located inside the vehicle for energizing the electric motor. According to 
the invention, a blocking member is movably mounted on the latch and 
movable between a normal disengaged position, permitting rotation of the 
pinion gear by the motor, and a blocking position in which the blocking 
member engages the pinion gear to block rotation thereof by the electric 
motor. In a preferred embodiment, the blocking member is slidably mounted 
on the latch and the pinion gear has a toothed periphery with a cutout 
into which the blocking member is slid to block rotation of the pinion 
gear thereby causing the motor to stall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a conventional vehicle deck lid latch 
10 having housing 12 which mounts a fork bolt 14 for engaging a striker. A 
detent lever, not shown, is located within the latch housing 12 for 
latching the fork bolt 14 in its latched position. A release shaft 16 is 
journaled within the housing 12 and is rotatable to pivot the detent lever 
and thereby unlatch the fork bolt 14 to permit opening of the deck lid. 
A plastic housing including upper half 18 and lower half 20 is retained 
upon the latch housing 12 by screws 22 and 24. A drive shaft 28 has a 
lower end 30 which is keyed with the release shaft 16 so that rotation of 
the drive shaft 28 will rotate the release shaft 16 to release the latch. 
A spring 31 seats on housing 18 and urges drive shaft 28 to a normal rest 
position. A cable 32 wraps around the drive shaft 28 and has its other end 
suitably connected with a key operated cylinder, not shown. The operation 
of the key cylinder by a key will rotate the drive shaft 28 to release the 
latch. 
The latch 10 may also be released by rotation of a pinion gear 36. The 
pinion gear 36 has a drive lug 38 which will engage with a complimentary 
lug 40 provided on the drive shaft 28 upon rotation of the pinion gear, 
sufficient to carry the drive lug into engagement with the lug 40 of the 
drive shaft 28. The pinion gear 36 has teeth 42 on the periphery thereof 
which mesh with a worm gear 44 driven by electric motor 46. The electric 
motor 46 is energized by an electrical circuit which includes connector 
strips 50, 52 and 54 and an electrical switch, not shown, mounted inside 
the occupant compartment, conveniently accessible to the driver. 
A blocking member 58 is slidably captured within a cavity 60 of the lower 
housing 20 and has a blocking tooth 64. A knob 68 has snap tabs 70 and 72 
which reach through a cutout 74 of upper housing 18 to mate with recesses 
provided in the blocking member 58. 
Referring to FIG. 2, the spring 31 has positioned the drive shaft 28 and 
pinion gear 36 in their normal rest positions. Energization of the motor 
46 by the remote switch located in the passenger compartment will rotate 
the pinion gear 36 counterclockwise to, in turn, rotate the drive shaft 28 
and release shaft 16 to release the fork bolt 14 and permit opening of the 
deck lid. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, it is seen that the blocking member 58 has been 
slid rightwardly so that the blocking tooth 64 becomes engaged within a 
cutout 76 in the periphery of the gear 36 and abuts against a shoulder 78. 
Accordingly, any attempted counterclockwise rotation of the drive gear 36 
upon energization of the electric motor 46 will be blocked by engagement 
of the shoulder 78 with the blocking tooth 64, thereby causing the motor 
46 to be stalled. 
Accordingly, it will be understood that moving the blocking member 58 
rightwardly to the blocking position of FIG. 3 will be effective to 
prevent a valet parking attendant or other unauthorized vehicle occupant 
from unlatching the deck lid. However, the installation of a properly 
bitted key within the key cylinder will tension the cable 32 and thereby 
rotate the drive shaft 28 and release shaft 16 to accomplish unlatching of 
the deck lid latch. 
Referring to FIG. 4, a second embodiment of the invention is shown in which 
the pinion gear 36' has peripheral teeth 42'. A peripheral segment 79 of 
the periphery of gear 36' is cutout to provide a concave shoulder surface 
80. A rotary blocking member 82 is mounted on the shaft 84 and has a 
peripheral surface 83 from which a peripheral segment 85 is cutout to 
define a concave clearance surface 86. 
FIG. 4 shows the normal, at rest position of the pinion gear 36' and the 
rotary blocking member or wheel 82 is shown in its normal, unblocking 
position in which the concave clearance surface 86 thereof registers with 
the pinion gear 36'. Accordingly, energization of the motor 46' will 
rotate the pinion gear 36' to unlatch the deck lid latch. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, it is seen that the pinion gear 36' is shown in 
its normal rest position, however, the rotary blocking member 82 has been 
rotated so that its peripheral surface 83 has become engaged within the 
cutout peripheral segment 79 of the pinion gear 36. Accordingly, 
energization of the motor will cause the concave shoulder surface 80 of 
the pinion gear 36' to engage with the peripheral surface 83 of the rotary 
blocking member 82 to block rotation of the pinion gear 36' and stall the 
motor. 
Thus, it is seen that the invention provides a new and improved valet block 
out for a motor-released deck lid latch and more particularly provides a 
blocking member which is movable into obstruction with a motor driven 
pinion gear to stall the motor and thereby prevent unlatching of the deck 
lid of the luggage compartment.