Patent GB-1229596-A (GB)
IPC: E05B65/22
Filed: 1968-04-26
Abstract: 1,229,596. Latch fastenings. A. R. DEVITO and O. V. PUZIK. 26 April, 1968 [27 April, 1967], No. 19996/68. Heading E2A. An automobile door latching mechanism comprises a latch-supporting plate 34; a latching wedge 31 on one side of the plate which is susceptible of being urged into a latching position; a contactor 50 pivotally mounted on the opposite side of the plate and slidable between a working position, in which the contactor can pivot to actuate a release lever 36 for the latching wedge, and an idling position in which it cannot actuate the release lever; and means 10, 62, 76, for moving the contactor into and maintaining it in each of its said positions. In the construction shown the wedge 31 has an opening 32 which is engaged by a pin 33 carried by the release lever 36 which is pivoted to the plate 34 on the opposite side to the wedge 31. The pin 33 passes through an arcuate slot in the plate 34 and the opening 32 is slightly elongated so that the pin can move in the opening. The release lever 36 is biassed by a spring 42 so that it normally holds the wedge in the latching position. The wedge is disposed in housing 16 which has a slot 24 so that a head 14 of a keeper pin can enter the housing to be engaged by the wedge the housing being car ried by plate 34. The head shown is pentagonal in shape and it can be engaged by the wedge in either of two positions, a safety latching position in which it is in engagement with faces c and d of the wedge and a full latching position in which it is in engagement with a face e of the wedge and is also in engagement with a resilient bumper 20. In a modification a circular head is substituted for the pentagonal head shown. To move the wedge to releasing position from the outside of the door, a push button 9 is depressed and a plunger 52 of the push button pivots the contactor 50 and causes a tang 68 of the contactor to engage a tab 45 of the release lever to pivot the release lever against the bias of the spring 42, the release lever in turn sliding the latch element 31 to its releasing position. To move the wedge to the release position from the inside of the door, a remote control lever 83 is provided and this is connected by means of a slotted rod 92 to the inside handle; when the inside handle is turned the remote control lever 83 is pivoted and its arm 87 engages and lifts an arm 38 of the release lever 36 so pivoting the lever and releasing the wedge. To move the contactor 50 to its idling position in which the tang 68 is unable to engage the tab 45 when the contactor is pivoted by the push button, a cylinder lock 10 is provided on the outside of the door; this has an extension 55 which carries a crank lever 54 and turning the cylinder lock by its key causes the crank lever to engage a flange 51 of the contactor 50 to move the contactor from its lower working position to its upper idling position. To return the contactor to its working position rotation of the crank lever 54 in the opposite direction causes it to engage a second flange 57 of the contactor. A toggle 'spring 62 is provided which holds the contactor in both its idling and its working positions. The contactor 50 can also be moved between its working and idling positions by means of a locking lever 76 which is pivotally carried by a flange 40 extending from the plate 34; the locking lever can be moved between two positions either by the inside handle or by a garnish moulding button and it is biassed to both its positions by a toggle spring 79; it has an arm 75 which engages a slot in the contactor to move the contactor between its positions. The contactor has an extension 65 with a tab 66 which if the contactor is in its idling position when the door is open is engaged by a stop 46 of the release lever 36, as the release lever is pivoted during closing of the door, to move the contactor to its lower working position. A child-safety lever is pivoted to the flange 40 and an arm 99 of the lever can block movement of arm 89 of the remote control lever 83 so preventing release of the wedge from inside the door. Access to an operating arm 96 of the lever 99 is only possible when the door is open. When the locking lever is connected to the inside handle the lever has a tab which is engaged by an arm of the remote control lever when the remote control lever is operated by the inside handle to release the wedge to move the locking lever so that the contactor is moved to the working position. When the locking lever is connected to a garnish moulding button the tab is omitted. The construction permits keyless locking since if the garnish moulding button or the inside door handle is moved to the locking position and the push button is depressed during closing the door the movement of the contactor to the working position does not take place since the stop 46 cannot engage the tab 66 of the contactor. In a modification intended for the rear door of a vehicle the extension 65 of the contactor and the tab 66 are omitted so that when the contactor is in the idling position slamming the door automatically locks it.