Vehicle door lock assembly

Abstract: A vehicle door lock assembly (1) having a lock (2) with a safety lever (4) movable between a first and a second position respectively enabling and disabling release from the outside; a door-lock actuator (5) with an output member (19) rotating about a respective axis (B) of rotation; and a transmission element (20) in the form of a rod, connected in articulated manner to the output member (19) of the door-lock actuator (5) and to the safety lever (4) of the lock (2); the output member (19) being movable between a first position corresponding to the first position of the safety lever (4), a second position corresponding to the second position of the safety lever (4), and a third position reached by passing a dead center position wherein the axes (D, C) connecting the transmission element (20) to the safety lever (4) and to the output member (19) of the door-lock actuator (5), and the axis (B) of rotation of the output member (19) are coplanar with one another.

Description: The present invention relates to a vehicle door lock assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 (US 4 093 289 A). As is known, on vehicles featuring a centralized door locking system, each lock is associated with an electrically operated door-lock actuator, which interacts with a safety lever of the lock to move the lever between a safety-off and a safety-on position respectively enabling and disabling release of the lock by the outside door handle. As is also known, the safety lever may also be operated manually from inside the vehicle, normally by means of a knob close to the window. Some locks also feature a further so-called "dead lock" function for disabling manual release of the safety lever by means of the knob, and so preventing the lock from being released from the outside by anyone breaking into the vehicle and obtaining access to the safety knob and the inside handle or linkages. Implementing the dead lock function on known lock assemblies involves using additional components, thus complicating the system mechanically, or, as in some known solutions, an additional electric actuator, which increases cost and in turn complicates the electric system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a straightforward, low-cost lock assembly featuring a dead lock function, and which involves no substantial increase in cost or complexity as compared with known assemblies without the dead lock function. According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle door lock assembly comprising a lock having a safety lever movable between a first position enabling release from the outside, and a second position disabling release from the outside; manual actuating means for manually activating said safety lever; a door-lock actuator having an output member rotating about a respective axis of rotation; and first transmission means interposed between said output member of said door-lock actuator and said safety lever of said lock; said output member being movable between a first position corresponding to said first position of said safety lever, and a second position corresponding to said second position of said safety lever; characterized in that said first transmission means comprise at least one transmission element; and connecting means for connecting said transmission element to said safety lever and to said output member of said door-lock actuator, and defining respective hinge axes; said door-lock actuator being activatable to set said output member to a third position reached as of said second position and by passing a dead center position wherein said hinge axes and said axis of rotation of said output member are coplanar with one another, and so make said manual actuating means ineffective. Two preferred, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show schematic side views, with parts removed for clarity, of a first embodiment of a lock assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and in three different operating positions; Figures 4, 5 and 6 show schematic side views, with parts removed for clarity, of a second embodiment of a lock assembly in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and in three different operating positions. Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates a lock assembly for a motor vehicle door (not shown). Assembly 1 substantially comprises a lock 2 having a supporting body 3 fittable to the door, and a safety control lever 4 hereinafter referred to simply as "safety lever"; a door-lock actuator 5 for electrically operating lever 4; and a knob 6 for manually operating lever 4. Lock 2 also comprises in known manner an external-release control lever 7 for controlling release from the outside (by means of a handle not shown); and a closing mechanism 8 (shown partly) which interacts with a fixed striker (not shown) integral with the door post. Mechanism 8 substantially comprises in known manner a fork (not shown) cooperating with the striker; and a catch 9 cooperating with the fork in the closed position to keep it firmly closed. External-release control lever 7 is selectively connectable to catch 9 by a transmission lever 10 operated by safety lever 4. More specifically, lever 4 is hinged to body 3 about an axis A, and rotates between a first safety-off position (Figure 1) and a second safety-on position (Figure 2), which positions respectively correspond to an active position of transmission lever 10, wherein lever 10 is connected positively to and transmits the movement of lever 7 to catch 9 to open the catch, and an idle position of transmission lever 10, wherein lever 10 is disconnected from lever 7, so that the movement of lever 7 is not transmitted to catch 9. Lever 4 is movable to and from said first and second positions either manually, by means of knob 6 fitted to the door and connected to lever 4 by a transmission rod 16, or by electrically controlling door-lock actuator 5. Door-lock actuator 5 substantially comprises an electric motor 17; a reducer 18 (shown schematically in Figure 1); and an output member 19 rotating about a respective axis B parallel to axis A, and connected to lever 4 in articulated manner by a rod 20. More specifically, rod 20 has one end 21 hinged to output member 19 about an axis C, and the opposite end 22 hinged to lever 4 about an axis D, which axes C and D are parallel to each other and to axes A and B. Output member 19 is rotated by electric motor 17 from a first position (Figure 1) corresponding to the safety-off position, to a second position (Figure 2) corresponding to the safety-on position. Door-lock actuator 5 is conveniently arrested in the first position by a mechanical stop (not shown), and in the second position by a microswitch (not shown), which detects the second position and cuts off electric supply to motor 17. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, output member 19, in the first position, extends substantially crosswise to rod 20, and, in the second position, is rotated roughly 50° clockwise with respect to the first position, so that lever 4 in the safety-on position and knob 6, connected to lever 4 by rod 16, are lowered with respect to the Figure 1 position. According to the present invention, assembly 1 features a so-called "dead lock" function, i.e. for disabling manual control of the safety Lever using knob 6. The dead lock function is implemented by door-lock actuator 5 by further rotating output member 19 from the second position into a third position (Figure 3) past a dead center position in which axes B, C, D lie in the same plane P. The third position is defined by a mechanical stop 25 of door-lock actuator 5; which stop is shown schematically in Figure 3 in the form of a stop wall for arresting output member 19, but may, as will be obvious to an expert, actually be defined by a fixed element for arresting any of the elements of reducer 18. In the dead lock position described above, knob 6 assumes a third position lowered further with respect to the second position to indicate the dead lock function is operative. When lock assembly 1 is in the Figure 3 position, knob 6 is prevented from being raised manually to release the safety lever. That is, since the third position of output member 19 is beyond said dead center position, any pull exerted on knob 6 and transmitted to output member 19 by rod 16, lever 4 and rod 20, as opposed to rotating output member 19 back into the Figure 2 position, would simply tend to further rotate member 19 clockwise, which rotation is obviously prevented by stop 25. Output member 19 may therefore only be reset to the Figure 2 position by electrically controlling door-lock actuator 5. Figures 4 to 6 show a further embodiment of the present invention, indicated as a whole by 1', which is only described insofar as it differs from assembly 1, and using the same numbering system for any parts similar or corresponding to those already described. Assembly 1' substantially differs from assembly 1 by the safety-on position of safety lever 4 (Figure 5) being a limit stop position conveniently defined by contact between an appendix 30 of lever 4 and a pin 31 of catch 9. Further rotation of output member 19 from the safety-on position (Figure 5) to the dead-lock-on position (Figure 6) therefore fails to produce any further movement of lever 4 and, hence, of knob 6 (not shown). This is made possible by the transmission between output member 19 and lever 4 comprising an elastically deformable element 32. More specifically, and as shown in the enlarged detail in Figure 4, element 32 conveniently comprises a coil spring housed inside a hole 33 formed in output member 19 and having a radial axis E intersecting axes B and C. Hole 33 terminates in a through slot 34 of axis E, in which an end pin 35, defining axis C, of rod 20 is housed is sliding manner, and therefore prevents spring 32 from withdrawing from hole 33. When output member 19 is set to the third position (Figure 6), spring 32 is compressed to get past the dead center position even though lever 4 remains stationary. The advantages of assemblies 1 and 1' according to the teachings of the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description. In particular, the dead lock function is achieved in a straightforward manner with no additional components. Clearly, changes may be made to assemblies 1, 1' as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. For example, spring 32 may be replaced by any other elastic element, and may be interposed between rod 20 and lever 4.

Claims: A vehicle door lock assembly (1) comprising a lock (2) having a safety lever (4) movable between a first position enabling release from the outside, and a second position disabling release from the outside; manual actuating means (6) for manually activating said safety lever (4); a door-lock actuator (5) having an output member (19) rotating about a respective axis (B) of rotation; and first transmission means (20) interposed between said output member (19) of said door-lock actuator (5) and said safety lever (4) of said lock (2); said output member (19) being movable between a first position corresponding to said first position of said safety lever (4), and a second position corresponding to said second position of said safety lever (4); characterized in that said first transmission means comprise at least one transmission element (20); and connecting means for connecting said transmission element to said safety lever and to said output member of said door-lock actuator, and defining respective hinge axes (D, C); said door-lock actuator (5) being activatable to set said output member (19) to a third position reached as of said second position and by passing a dead center position wherein said hinge axes (D, C) and said axis (B) of rotation of said output member (19) are coplanar with one another, and so make said manual actuating means (6) ineffective. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by comprising mechanical stop means (25) for arresting said door-lock actuator (5) in said third position of said output member (19). An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said manual actuating means comprise a knob (6) for manually operating said safety lever (4); and second transmission means (16) interposed between said knob (6) and said safety lever (4). An assembly as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said knob (6) assumes two distinct positions respectively corresponding to said second and to said third position of said output member (19). An assembly as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims from 1 to 3, characterized by comprising stop means (30, 31) for arresting said safety lever (4) in said second position; said first transmission means (20) comprising at least one flexible element (32) permitting rotation of said output member (19) while said safety lever (4) and said manual actuating means (6) are maintained stationary. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said flexible element (32) is interposed between said transmission element (20) and said output member (19). An assembly as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said flexible element is a coil spring (32); said output member comprising a radial seat (33) housing said spring (32); and said connecting means comprising an end pin (35) of said transmission element (20), connected in sliding manner to said output member (19) and cooperating with said spring (32).

Inventors: OTTINO FRANCO GIOVANNI, OTTINO, FRANCO GIOVANNI
Applicants: INTIER AUTOMOTIVE CLOSURES SPA, INTIER AUTOMOTIVE CLOSURES S.P.A
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E05B65
IPC codes: E05B65