Patent ID: 8146965

Claim:
A door lock device for a vehicle comprising: a latch mechanism that holds a vehicle door in a closed state with respect to a vehicle body; an inside lever operable from a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an inside open lever operatively linked to the inside lever, and to the latch mechanism via an open link and a lift lever to release the vehicle door from the closed state held by the latch mechanism by causing the open link to move the lift lever; a locking lever freely switchable to an unlock position, which enables transmission of movement of the inside open lever and which permits an operation force from a handle outside the vehicle and operatively connected to the open link to move the lift lever via the open link to operate the latch mechanism so that the vehicle door is permitted to open with respect to the vehicle body, and a lock position, which disables the transmission of the movement of the inside open lever and which does not permit the operation force from the handle outside the vehicle to move the lift lever via the open link; a movable body movable to an unset position, which enables transmission of movement of the inside lever to the inside open lever when the locking lever is located at the unlock position, a set position, which disables the transmission of the movement of the inside lever to the inside open lever when the locking lever is located at the unlock position, and a double lock position, which disables the transmission of the movement of the inside lever to the inside open lever when the locking lever is located at the lock position; an electrical drive unit; a switching lever linked to the movable body and driven by the electrical drive unit to move the movable body; and a first engagement piece arranged on the locking lever and a second engagement piece arranged on the switching lever; wherein when the locking lever is located at the unlock position, the second engagement piece engages with the first engagement piece when the movable body is located at the set position to limit movement of the switching lever so that movement of the movable body is restricted within a range between the unset position and the set position; and when the locking lever is located at the lock position, the first engagement piece is arranged at a position avoiding engagement with the second engagement piece to allow the switching lever to move the movable body between the unset position and the double lock position.