Vehicle door lock actuator

A power actuator for a vehicle door locking mechanism includes a power operable actuator lever, a manual locking lever operated by a sill button or the like, and a transmission connector selectively coupling the power operable and manual levers so that they are reciprocated by a drive from the manual lever between locked and unlocked conditions. A superlocking motor is operable to rotate the transmission connector angularly about a longitudinal axis and disengage the connector from at least one of the levers to disable the manual lever and effect superlocking for maximum security.

This invention relates to locking systems for vehicle doors and other 
closures of the kind in which the individual locks are interconnected 
through a central control unit for electrical actuation whereby locking or 
unlocking of all doors can be effected from a single control station 
actuated from within or outside the vehicle, herein referred to as 
"Central locking systems". More specifically the invention relates to the 
provision in said system of a power operated lock actuator incorporating a 
superlocking facility whereby the associated door latch cannot be freed 
from a locked condition even if access is gained to latch actuating 
elements within the vehicle. e.g. the interior door handle or sill button 
as by breaking a window or probing into or through the door. 
It is known from our granted patent published GB 2285476-A to provide a 
power operated lock actuator with superlocking facility, said actuator 
including an actuator lever powered by main drive means for selectively 
setting lock mechanism in locked or unlocked conditions by movement 
between respective locked and unlocked positions; and linkage operable to 
drive connect a manual locking element to the actuator lever for manual 
shifting between said positions, the linkage including a longitudinally 
moveable sliding link coupled to the actuator lever and connected to the 
manual locking element through a floating connecting pin engaged in guide 
slots of said lever and element and shaped to provide a lost motion 
portion; superlocking being effected by selective powered shifting of an 
element also engaged with the pin to carry the latter into the lost motion 
portion whereby motion of the manual element is not transmitted to the 
sliding link. 
The object of the invention is to provide an actuator having a remotely 
controllable powered superlocking facility which is convenient and 
reliable in operation, economical to produce, assemble and install, and 
which provides a high standard of security against tampering and attempted 
unauthorised entry to the vehicle. 
According to the invention there is provided a power actuator as describe 
in appended claim 1. 
Conveniently both the actuator element and the manual locking element are 
levers fulcrumed for angular movement in a plane or planes including or 
parallel to the connector axis, said first and second drive formations 
co-acting with arms of said levers. 
Conveniently the actuator lever or other actuator element remains connected 
with the transmission connector throughout the angular movement of the 
latter and only the manual locking lever or equivalent element is 
disengaged therefrom at the disengaged position. 
With the latter arrangement the assembly preferably further includes 
restoring means comprising a fixed camming abutment co-acting with a 
portion of the transmission connector remote from its axis at or near the 
end of its reciprocating travel towards the unlocking condition to return 
it automatically from the disengaged to the engaged angular position 
whereby connection with the manual locking element can be restored by 
operation of the actuator element. 
To facilitate said reengagement the second drive formation and/or the 
coacting part of the manual locking element may include a resiliently 
loaded crank pin for self-engagement as restoring alignment of the 
components takes place. 
The main drive means will conveniently include a main rotary electric drive 
motor with provision for alternative manual operation, for example from an 
external key operated lock cylinder of the respective vehicle door in use. 
Said angular movement of the transmission connector is conveniently 
effected by a second or super locking rotary electric drive motor, for 
example having a pinion on its output shaft meshing with a toothed sector 
of the transmission connector.

The assembly comprises a two-part actuator and locking mechanism housing 
formed of plastics mouldings, the main part 10a of said housing having a 
portion broken away in FIG. 1 and the cover part 10b being attached 
thereto by screws to form a unitary assembly for ease of installation and 
to give maximum protection to the lock and actuator components against 
ingress of dirt and moisture, and against unauthorised interference or 
tampering. 
Contained within the housing will be a main rotary electric drive motor 
(not shown) selectively operable to shift an actuator element in the form 
of a locking lever 12 between locked and unlocked positions; and 
conventional locking mechanism (not shown) operating to secure the 
respective door latch (not shown) also of conventional construction, from 
being released when locking has taken place. 
Lever 12 can also be operated manually, for example from a key actuated 
cylinder lock externally of the door in known manner and the actuator 
train acting on lever 12 may conveniently include the driver and indexing 
arrangement described and claimed in our said copending U.K. Patent 
Application dated Oct. 24, 1995 now examined Application G.B. 2,306,551, 
dated May 7, 1997 to which reference is made for further detail. It will 
be understood that the invention may also be combined with other forms of 
actuator drive and locking mechanism. 
A manual locking element in the form of an inside lock lever 14 is 
fulcrumed on the housing on an axis parallel to the fulcrum axis of lever 
12 and will be operatively connected to an interior sill button or 
interior door handle of the relevant door. 
The near parallel upwardly extending arms of levers 12 and 14 are 
selectively coupled by a transmission connector 16 in the form of an 
elongate bar extending generally horizontally spaced above and across the 
lever axes. 
Connector 16 is guided in housing main part 10a both for angular movement 
about its longitudinal axis between engaged and disengaged positions and 
for reciprocating movement along said axis between locking and unlocking 
conditions. 
Connector 16 includes a tubular coaxial stem 18 at its left hand end as 
viewed in FIG. 1 having a splined interior for sliding engagement with a 
keyed driving shaft 20 of a toothed sector 22. An electric rotary 
superlocking motor 24 drives sector 22 by way of pinion 26. A limit stop 
28 projecting radially from stem 18 coacts with abutments in housing part 
10a to limit the angular travel. 
Connector 16 can also slide longitudinally in the housing for reciprocating 
movement along its axis. Its right hand part is flattened and extends 
downwardly from its axis to form an engagement portion 30. A first drive 
formation in the form of a notch 32 in the lower edge of this portion 
mates with a crosshead 34 at the upper end of locking lever 12. Cross head 
34 is shaped so that it remains in constant engagement with notch 32 
regardless of the angular position of connector 16 about its axis and/or 
the angular position of lever 12, thus motion of said lever is transmitted 
to connector 16 to cause the reciprocating motion of the latter between 
locking and unlocking conditions. 
The upper end of lever 14 will lie behind engagement portion 30 as viewed 
in FIG. 1 remote from notch 32 towards the right hand end of connector 16. 
Said upper end includes a cage 36 integral with the lever end which locates 
a sliding crank pin 38 resiliently urged outwardly of cage 36 by a spring 
40. The free end of pin 38 engages a socket (not shown) constituting a 
second drive formation in the back of engagement portion 30 when connector 
16 is angled to the engaged position, it being shown in this position in 
the drawings i.e. with the engagement portion 30 depending vertically of 
the connector axis. 
In this position levers 12 and 14 are linked together by connector 16. 
Operation of the sill button or the like will move lever 14 and so cause 
lever 12 to be shifted and cause manual locking and unlocking of the 
locking mechanism. 
If the door is locked using the external key or by actuation of the central 
locking system to cause powered locking, lever 12 and transmission 
connector 16 will be shifted into locking condition moving to the left as 
viewed in FIG. 1 and lock lever 14 will also be moved depressing the sill 
button. 
If left in this condition the door could be unlocked by unauthorised access 
to the interior for operating the sill button or the like, e.g. by 
breaking a window or possibly by "fishing" with an implement to engage the 
sill button or to engage its linkage with the actuator in the door 
interior. 
For added security against this kind of activity the actuator can be set in 
superlocking condition in which operation of the sill button or equivalent 
is disabled. 
This is effected by an operation of motor 24 to turn connector 16 angularly 
anticlockwise as viewed from the stem end. This moves the lower part of 
engagement portion 30 away from crank pin 38 of lever 14 so that the 
second drive formation is uncoupled. Movement of lever 14 will not 
displace lever 12 and unlocking cannot be effected by use of the sill 
button or its external linkage. 
Superlocking can be cancelled by the reverse operation of motor 24 
restoring connector 16 from the disengaged to the engaged position and 
reseating crank pin 38 in the socket. If the sill button has been moved 
while the mechanism was in the superlocked condition crank pin 38 may not 
be aligned with its socket, its resilient loading allows it to spring into 
place as soon as there is appropriate relative movement between connector 
16 and lever 14. 
Provision is also made for automatic reconnection i.e. cancellation of 
superlocking, by providing restoring means which turns connector 16 back 
to the engaged position automatically on longitudinal travel to the 
unlocked condition whether manually e.g. by the external key, or on 
powered actuation from the main drive motor, either of which moves lever 
12 to carry connector 16 with it. 
A fixed camming abutment in the form of a wedge 42 is provided in the 
corner of housing cover part 10b as seen in FIG. 2. This coacts with the 
lower leading corner of engagement portion 30 as it reaches the extremity 
of its travel to the unlocked condition, deflecting portion 30 back to its 
vertical alignment so that crank pin 38 will spring back into driving 
engagement therewith as referred to above. This provision means that an 
operation of a superlocking motor 24 is not required to reset the 
mechanism for subsequent locking and superlocking after unlocking has 
taken place. 
The arrangement described provides an effective and reliable superlocking 
facility using simple and compact mechanism with a minimum of components 
and with ease of both powered and manual operation and control. It also 
provides for a choice of operating sequences and manners of use including 
in particular the convenience of a central locking system and provision of 
conventional manual operation. 
It will be appreciated that the powered actuation could take various forms, 
for example a push-pull type electromagnetic or other power actuator motor 
could be coupled directly to the reciprocating transmission connector by a 
link or other form of actuator element rather than the rotary drive and 
lever arrangement described. The powered superlocking motor and drive 
could also take other forms, for example d push-pull motor linked to a 
crank pin on the transmission connector.