Abstract:
A vehicle door latch ( 10 ) has a release lever ( 22 ) is mounted to the housing and operably connected to a pawl ( 62 ) by a clutch lever ( 94 ) extending therebetween. The clutch lever ( 94 ) is moveable between an engaged position operably connecting the release lever ( 22 ) to the pawl ( 62 ) effecting movement of the pawl toward the released position and a disengaged position operably disconnecting the release lever from the pawl. A locking lever ( 100 ) is mounted to the housing for moving the clutch lever ( 94 ) between the engaged and disengaged positions. The clutch lever ( 94 ) moves in a first plane ( 19 ) to effect movement of the pawl and the locking lever moves the clutch lever out the first plane ( 19 ) to effect movement between the engaged and said disengaged positions.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/185,125 filed Feb. 25, 2000. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to vehicle door latches and more specifically to the actuation and locking mechanisms associated with such latches. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Most vehicle door latches currently in production share certain basic operational principals. The operating mechanism is generally mounted to a housing, which in turn is arranged for mounting in the vehicle door. The housing includes a slot for registering with and receiving a wire or rod keeper of a striker mounted to the vehicle adjacent the perimeter of the door. A ratchet is provided to engage and release the striker in respective rest and release positions. The ratchet is held in the rest position by a pawl. The pawl is moveable out of engagement with the ratchet to release the ratchet and in turn allow the striker to be withdrawn from the slot. Movement of the pawl is generally effected by at least one release lever. Often there are separate release levers associated with an inside door handle of the vehicle and an outside door handle of the vehicle. 
   At least the outside release lever may be connected to the pawl by a locking mechanism which in turn is actuated by a locking mechanism. In such arrangements, the vehicle door lock will engage or disengage the locking mechanism whereby movement of the release lever will not be translated into movement of the pawl. 
   In current latch arrangements, the ratchet, pawl, locking mechanism and lock actuator lie in parallel planes or orthogonal planes and movement is about generally parallel pivoting axi. The prior art arrangement as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,453, presents some challenges where power operated locking mechanisms are utilized because it may leave little room for placement of the power actuator. 
   Additionally, the design of the prior art latches prevent the latches from being easily modified to accommodate different applications. Each latch application requires a complete set of tools to manufacture the different latches for each application. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is desirable to provide a vehicle door latch in which a lock lever has two degrees of freedom such that movement in a first plane effects latching and unlatching and movement out the first plane effects locking and unlocking of the latch. 
   It is desirable to provide a vehicle door latch in which the basic latch design can be modified to accommodate different latch applications, including front and rear doors, sliding doors and liftgates. 
   The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by providing a vehicle door latch that has a housing having a mouth for receiving a striker. A ratchet is pivotally mounted to the housing for rotation between latched and unlatched conditions. The ratchet cooperates with the mouth to selectively retain a striker. A pawl is mounted to the housing for releasably engaging the ratchet. The pawl is moveable relative to the ratchet between a rest position engaging the ratchet to block movement of the ratchet toward the unlatched condition and a released position disengaging the ratchet to allow movement of the ratchet toward the unlatched condition. A release lever is mounted to the housing and operably connected to the pawl by a clutch member extending therebetween. The clutch lever is moveable between an engaged position operably connecting the release lever to the pawl effecting movement of the pawl toward the released condition and a disengaged position operably disconnecting the release lever from the pawl. A locking lever is mounted to the housing for moving the clutch lever between the engaged and disengaged positions. The clutch lever moves in a first plane to effect movement of the pawl and the locking lever moves the clutch lever out the first plane to effect movement between the engaged and said disengaged positions. 
   According to another aspect of the invention, the clutch lever is mountable at a first and second location. When the clutch lever is mounted at the first location, the clutch lever moves in a first plane to effect movement of the pawl and the locking lever moves the clutch lever out the first plane to effect movement between the engaged and the disengaged positions. When the clutch lever is mounted at the second location, the clutch lever moves in a second plane. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the present invention, 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a door latch according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the door latch of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the door latch of  FIG. 1  taken from a side opposite from  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective partial cut-away view of a door latch of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective partial cut-away view of a door latch of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective partial cut-away view of a door latch of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of a door latch of  FIG. 1  with a key arrangement; 
       FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view of a door latch of  FIG. 7 ; and 
       FIG. 9  is a top plan view of latch according to the present invention with an alternative outside release lever location. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   A latch according to the present invention is generally illustrated by reference  10  in the accompanying drawings. Referring in particular to  FIGS. 1  to  3 , the latch  10  includes a housing  2  having a mouth  4  for receiving a striker, as is well know in the art. The striker cooperates with the mouth  4  to selectively latch and unlatch. 
   The housing  2  has a face plate  12  stamped from sheet metal. One side of the face plate  12  has a flange  14  which extends generally perpendicular thereto and surrounds the mouth  4 . The opposite side of the face plate  12  has a flange  16  defining a spacer for mounting cover plate  18 . Cover plate  18  has a support flange  20  extending generally perpendicular to the face plate  12 . Cover plate  18  is stamped from sheet metal and has a series of apertures stamped or formed therein as will be discussed below. 
   Outside release lever  22  is rotatably mounted on support flange  20  by pin  23 . Outside release lever  22  is an L-shaped lever. The “toe” or shorter end extends below the cover plate  18  to a first depth or plane  19 . The distal or “leg” end of the lever  22  has an aperture  26  for receiving a Bowden wire  21 . The end of the outer casing  25  of the Bowden wire mounts on tab  28  of the support flange  20 . A rivet  24  provides an abutment limiting travel of the release lever  22  in a rest condition. Actuation of the Bowden cable will cause longitudinal displacement of the toe of the lever  22  in a first plane  19 . 
   Inside release lever  28  is rotatably mounted on support flange  20  by pin  29 . Spring  30  extends between the inside release lever  28  and the support flange  20  to bias the inside release lever  28  to the rest position. The distal end of the inside release lever  28  has an aperture  32  for receiving an end of Bowden wire  34 . The outer casing  35  of the Bowden wire  34  mounts on tab  36  of the support flange  20 . Inside release lever  28  is T-shaped having a first end  38  extending below the cover plate  18  to the first depth or plane  19 . The opposite end  40  has a cam surface  42 . 
   Inside lock lever  44  is rotatably mounted on support flange  20 . Inside lock lever  44  is V-shape pivotally connected to the support flange  20  at the apex of the V. The legs of the V define a U-shaped notch  46  and one of the legs has an aperture  48 . A Bowden wire  49  connects with the aperture  48  and the outer casing  51  of the Bowden wire connects to the tab  36 . 
   Support flange  20  has a key cylinder mount  50  for receiving a key cylinder, as is well known in the art. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , ratchet  56  is pivotally mounted on a shaft  58  for rotation about a ratchet axis  60 . The ratchet is U-shaped and is pivotally movable between a latched and an unlatched condition. In the latched condition, the ratchet  56  cooperates with the mouth  4  for capturing a striker. Ratchet  56  is biased to the unlatched condition. Ratchet  56  has two abutment surfaces corresponding to the fully latched condition and a partially latched confirguration. Ratchet  56  is mounted for rotation on a third plane  57  extending parallel to the first plane  19 . The third plane is closest to the face plate  12 . 
   A pawl  62  is mounted to the housing for releasably engaging the ratchet  56  on pin  64 . The pawl  62  is movable relative to the ratchet between a rest position where it engages the ratchet  56  to block rotational movement of the ratchet  56  toward the unlatched condition and a release position in which it disengages the ratchet  56  to allow movement thereof toward its unlatched condition. Pawl  62  is biased to engage the ratchet. 
   Referring additionally to FIG.  5 . pawl  62  has two arms  66  and  68 . Arm  68  extends longitudinally of the face plate  12  in a second plane  67  intermediate the first  19  and third planes  57 . Arm  66  extends generally laterally in the first, second and third planes, having an arm  69  which extends only in the first plane  19 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 4 , coaxially mounted on pin  64  is inside connecting lever  70 . Lever  70  rotates in the first plane  19 . Lever  70  is L-shaped. The toe  72  is positioned to engage the toe of inside release lever  28 . Rotation of lever  28  responsively effects rotation of inside connecting lever  70 . Lever  70  has a U-shaped “leg” end  74 . 
   Child lock switch  76  is pivotally mounted to the face plate  12 . Switch  76  pivots between a child lock condition and an engaged condition. Switch  76  has a flange  78  having a tab  80  that extends between the first and second planes. When the switch  76  is in the child lock condition, tab  80  is rotated to be out of the U-shaped end  74 , uncoupling the lever  70  from the pawl arm  68 . When the switch  76  is rotated to the engaged condition, tab  80  is positioned in the bight of the U-shaped end  74  to interengage between and couple the lever  70  with the pawl arm  68 , enabling the release lever  28  to rotate the pawl  62  and release the ratchet  56 . 
   Optionally, switch  76  is molded with an integral ring spring formation  82  to bias the switch  76  to either the child lock condition or the engaged condition. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the outside release arm  22  is illustrated. An outside connecting lever  84  is pivotally mounted to the molded core  86  of the housing. Connecting lever  84  has diametrically opposed arms  88  and  90  and is centrally pivoted. Arm  88  extends in the first plane  94  to engage the release lever  22 . Arm  90  extends in the second plane  67 . The distal end of the arm  90  has a keyhole shaped pin  92  extending into the first plane  19 . Mounted on pin  92  is an elongated clutch arm  94 . Clutch arm  94  has a distal end  96  which engages arm  69  of the pawl  62 . Clutch arm  94  is constrained by core  86  to reciprocate in a longitudinal direction in the first plane  19 . However, clutch arm  94  also pivots or rocks to allow the distal end  96  to move out of the first plane  19  towards the second plane as indicated in stippled lines. Spring  98  extends from the core  86  to the clutch arm  94  to bias the clutch arm  94  to move in the first plane  19 . When the clutch arm  94  is constrained to travel in the first plane  19 , clutch arm  94  couples the outside release lever  22  with the pawl  62  to effect unlatching. As will be discussed below, when the distal end  96  of clutch arm  94  is pivoted out of the first plane  19 , the clutch arm  94  will not engage the arm  67  of the pawl  62 , uncoupling or locking the latch  10 . When the clutch arm  94  is deflected out of the first plane  19 , outside release lever  22  will not effect unlatching of the latch  10 . 
   Optionally, clutch arm  94  may be provided with a slot which receives a pin constraining the movement thereof to the longitudinal and inter-plane movement. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the locking lever  100  is illustrated. Locking lever  100  has a hollow body  102  having arms  104 ,  106 ,  108  and  110  extending therefrom. Arm  104  is J-shaped and positioned at one end of the body  102 . The toe of the J-shape has an unlocked positioned at the first plane  19  and an locked position extending towards second plane  67 . Arm  104  is aligned to engage clutch arm  94 . Thus, movement of the arm  104  effects movement of the clutch arm  94  to deflect the distal end of the clutch arm  94  out of the first plane  19 . 
   Arm  106  extends towards the face plate  12  at approximately the mid-point of the hollow body  102 . 
   Arm  108  extends away from the first plane  19  at approximately 90° relative to arm  104 . Arm  108  has tab  112  extending generally axially with hollow body  102 . Arm  108  is also provided with an aperture  114  at the distal end. On a face opposite tab  112  is pin  116 . Pin  116  is positioned to engage with inside lock lever  44  ( FIG. 3 ) and fitted within U-shaped notch  46 . Spring  117  is fitted between the support flange  20  and the arm  108 . Spring  117  biases locking lever  100  to either the locked or unlocked positions. Movement effected by Bowden cable  49  will effect a pivoting movement of the inside locking lever  44 , which will responsively effect movement of the locking lever  100  between the locked and unlocked positions. 
   Arm  110  is hook shaped and is connected to arm  108  offset from the axis of rotation of the hollow body  102 . The distal end of arm  110  has a U-shaped notch  116 . The U-shaped notch is positioned to generally align with the key cylinder mount  50 . 
   Referring back to  FIG. 2 , locking lever  100  is pivotally mounted on the cover plate  18  on shaft  118  to define an axis of rotation generally parallel to the first plane  19 . Locking lever  100  is able to pivot between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the locked position, arm  104  will extend through cover plate  18  to deflect clutch arm  94  out of first plane  19 , disabling or uncoupling the outside release lever  22 . 
   An actuator  120  is mounted on support flange  20 . The output shaft  123  is connected to tab  112  of the locking lever  100 . Actuator  120  is energized to move between an extended position and a retracted position. In the extended position, output shaft  123  will rotate locking lever  100  to the unlocked position. In the retracted position, output shaft  123  will rotate locking lever to the unlocked position. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 1 , inside release lever  28  is rotatable between a rest position and a release position. As the inside release lever  28  is rotated from the rest position to the release, tab  40  will engage the base of arm  110 , if the locking lever  100  is in the locked position. Further rotation of the inside release lever  28 , the base of arm  110  will travel along cam surface  42  to the locking lever  100  to rotate from the locked condition to the unlocked condition. Additionally, rotation of the inside release lever  28  will effect release of the latch  10 , if the child lock feature  76  is engaged. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the key locking feature is illustrated. A conventional key cylinder (not illustrated) is mounted to the key cylinder mount  50 . A disc  52  is rotatably mounted in an aperture of the mount  50 . A pin  54  extends from the disc  52  to engage with arm  110 . A double crescent cam surface  53  is provided to cooperate with a key cylinder interface  55 . Rotation of the key cylinder interface  55  in a first sense will effect rotation of arm  110  from the locked condition to the unlocked condition and rotation in an opposite sense will effect rotation from the unlocked to the locked condition. The cam surface  53  of the disc  52  provides an amount of free or lost motion of the disc  52  relative to the interface  55 . This arrangement enables the arm  110  to move in response to the releasing movement of the inside locking lever  28  without responsively moving the key interface  55 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 9 , an alternate location for mounting the outside release lever is illustrated. The outside release lever  122  is pivotally mounted on the face plate  12  at pin  129 . Spring  130  extends between release lever  122  and clutch arm  194  to bias both into a rest position. Clutch arm  194  is pivotally mounted outside release lever  122  at pin  132 . Clutch arm  194  has an abutment  134  which will engage pawl  162  to effect releasing of the latch  10 . Rotation of locking lever  100  between the locked condition and the unlocked condition moves arm  106 . Arm  106  will effect movement of clutch arm  194 . When in the locked condition, arm  106  will deflect the clutch arm  194  so that the arm  194  does not contact the pawl  162 . When in an unlocked condition, the arm  106  will not deflect clutch arm  194 , enabling engagement of the arm  194  with the pawl  162  to effect unlatching. 
   Additionally, pawl  162  has a tab  164  which can engage directly with inside release lever  28  and replace the child lock switch  76 . 
   It is now apparent to those skilled in the art that the vehicle latch of the present invention is easily modified for use in the different applications, namely, front and rear doors, sliding doors, liftgates, and can have numerous features incorporated therein or not. The latch of the present invention can be incorporated with many features, including a key cylinder, a child lock feature, and automatic unlocking on activating the inside release lever. The variations can be manufactured using common components thereby reducing part count and the tooling required to manufacture the components. 
   [check ref.  116 ] 
   The above description is intended in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Variations from the exact description may be apparent to those skilled in such devices without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims set out below.