US3427060A - Remote control device for motor vehicle door locks - Google Patents

Description

E. PENNELL Feb. 11, 1969 Filed May 27. 1966 FIG.

PEN/VELL By jrum ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A motor vehicle provided with an opening on the side remote from the driver, a door hinged to said side to close or afford access to said opening, said door having latch means to hold it locked, internal means for rendering said latch means selectively operable or inoperable, local control means connected to said internal means and disposed on the inner side of said door, and a push-pull cable traversing the distance from a knob on one end to said latch means while passing under the dashboard, through the upper door hinge and through said door, for effecting a similar control of said latch means from the drivers side of said vehicle.

The invention relates to door locks for motor vehicles and, more particularly, to mechanical means to safely and conveniently lock and/or unlock the present existing door located on the opposite side of the vehicle from the operator or driver.

The purpose of the invention is to enable the car user, upon unlocking one door from the outside with a key and opening this door, to release the interiorly operated lock on an opposite door without moving from his location at the first named door.

My invention is not intended to open or close a vehicle door but to actuate the pushbutton control device of the presently existing door lock. It thus permits a vehicle to be locked and/or unlocked with a key from the outside in the presently existing normal fashion and usual pushbutton door lock operator to be manually moved to lock and/ or unlock the door.

My invention thus in no way interferes with or alters the presently existing normal operation of a door lock and/ or push button operator therefor, but is adaptable to any presently existing car door lock mechanism.

An object of my invention is to permit the operator of the vehicle to conveniently and safely lock and/or unlock the opposite door.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are for the purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of a motor vehicle embodying my invention, with the remote front door in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of that part of the vehicle adjacent to top hinge of the front door of FIGURE 1, said door being in open position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the interior of the lock means for the door of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the motor vehicle, carrying an embodiment of my invention, is designated 11.

ice

It is provided with a door opening closable by a door 12 pivotally connected to the vehicle 11 by means including an upper hinge 13 with a pivot pin 14. Said door 12 has lock or latch means generally designated 15 for holding it closed.

The latch means 15 of the present embodiment comprises an angular escutcheon plate .16 secured to the door :12 by suitable means, not shown. Said plate comprises a first part 17 which overlies the free edge, and a second part 18 extending at a right angle thereto and overlying the inner surface, of the door 12. A pivot pin 19 extends through said part 17. The end portion of said pin may fixedly carry a latch bolt or locking device 20 in the form of a gear, desirably shrouded, if the latch mechanism is generally as disclosed in the Cockburn et a1. Patent No. 2,871,049, as here contemplated. The pin 19 carries a locking ratchet, cam or similar device 21 on its inner end. The latch 20 hooks over or otherwise lockingly engages a conventional stud, keeper or other cooperating lock member (not shown) carried by the door post (not shown) of the car which is adjacent the free edge of the door 12 when closed.

A pawl or detent lever 22 of angular form is provided with a return spring 23, the intermediate portion of which is coiled about the pin 24 which pivots the pawl to the first part 17. One end portion of the spring resiliently engages the nearly horizontal arm 25 of said pawl 22 to urge the depending portion 26 thereof into locking engagement with said ratchet or cam 21. The other end of the spring 23 is held in a stressed condition biasing the lock operator or lever 28 clockwise, by engaging a notched portion of a lug 27 formed on the lower end of a pawl lock operator 28. The lock operator 28 is pivoted to the part 17, as indicated by a stud at 29 and to a pawl lock 31 by a pivot member indicated at 32.

The pawl lock or intermittent lever 31 has a lower arm 33 which when in lowered position lockingly engages the top of the detent lever or pawl 22 and an upper arm 34 which carries a lug 35 operatively received in a slot 36 in a flange 37 outstanding from a pawl look operating plate 38. A pin 39 pivotally connects this plate 3 8 to the second part 18. In accordance with conventional practice, the plate 38 may be turned counterclockwise by depressing the usual interior locking button 40 mounted on a generally vertical suitably guided rod 41, the lower end of which connects with the lower arm of a bell-crank lever 42, to rotate it clockwise about its supporting pivot 43, said pivot 43 outstands from the second part 18, and the lever 42 has an upstanding arm provided with an outstanding lug 44 received in a notch 45 in the lower edge of said plate.

This counterclockwise movement of the plate 38, pulls the right-hand end of the pawl lock 31 down to cause its lower arm 33 to engage or closely approach the top of the locking pawl 22, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3. It thereby holds it in a position, such as that illustrated, where the depending portion 26 thereof prevents the ratchet 21 from turning, whereby the latch means 15 is held locked.

In the structure here shown, the latch means 15 may be locked or unlocked by a key inserted from outside the vehicle. Turning of the key effects a swinging of the lever 46 about its pivot 47, resulting in a rocking of the plate 38 through the action of a connecting link 48, similar to that which could be effected by the button 40.

As will be understood, the latch means 15 may also be unlocked by inward movement of a conventional push button (not shown) on the outside door handle (not shown) which swings the pawl lock operator 28 inward or clockwise about its pivot 29 and effects movement of pawl lock 31 to the right. When the button 40 is up or in lockrelease position, this movement also effects a clockwise turning of the pawl lifter 49, about its pivot '50, as the lower arm 33 is then in line with the angular portion 51, on the top of the upstanding portion 52 of said lifter. This movement causes the pawl 22 to be lifted clear of the ratchet 21 by the clockwise swinging of the left-hand lug 52' which effects a corresponding raising of the overlying portion 53 of said ratchet.

Operation of the latch from outside the car in the illustrated embodiment may be accomplished specifically by means of the mentioned pushbutton (not shown) acting from the left on the flanged upper portion of the operator or lever 28. Said button, like that designated 38 in said patent, may be slidable in a fixedly mounting handle (not shown) on the outer door panel. As shown in the patent, said handle may have an overhanging or awning portion. The pushbutton may act through a push rod (not shown) which abuts said flanged upper portion of the pushbutton lever 28 which is pivoted to the part 17 on a stud 29.

When the pushbutton is operated to open the door from outside the car, the push rod, acting against said flange on pushbutton lever 28, causes clockwise pivotal movement of lever 28 and consequent longitudinal shifting movement of the intermittent lever 31, so that the free end of arm 33 engages the bent tab or angular portion 51 at the end of arm 52 of multiplier lever 49, pivoting said multiplier lever in a clockwise direction and the detent lever 22 in a counterclockwise direction, so that the detent foot 26 moves out of blocking relation to cam 21 and the bolt or pin 19 is freely rotatable.

Such a lifting of the pawl 22 may also be effected by the inner door handle 60 which is connected to move the lower arm 54 of a bell-crank lever 55 pivoted to the second part 18 about pin 56. Said lever 55 has an upper generally horizontal arm, not shown because it is behind the second part 18, overlying the right-hand lug 57 of litter 49. The spring 23 when released restores the parts to the positions illustrated.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I provide for the convenient operation of the lock means from the drivers side of the vehicle, or from the left-hand side where the vehicle is of the lefthand drive type. If the vehicle is one of the right-hand drive type as in Great Britain, then the lock means to be operated would be on the front door on the left, rather than that on the right, and the manual control knob or push-pull button 58, here shown in FIGURE 1 on the lefthand end portion of the adshboard 59 of the vehicle 11, would be correspondingly positioned on the right-hand end portion of the dashboard to project toward the drivers seat.

In the illustrated embodiment, however, I provide a push-pull cable 62 with sheathing 63 in which it moves. Said cable is connected to this knob 58, extends under the dashboard 59 along the interior of the car, and is fastened along the fire wall 64. The push-pull cable continues on thru the door post 65, thru the upper hinge 13 of the door, into and along the door to the lock mechanism 15, whether it be that illustrated or one of another type, where it is, in this embodiment, connected to a boss 66. The boss 66 is here formed from a /z x A cylindrical brass or other metal section. A hole, such as one A in diameter, is formed in about the center and transverse to the axis of the brass section to receive the end of the pushpull cable 62 remote from the knob 58. Another hole 67 is formed to extend axially of the brass section 66 and tapped to receive a suitable fastener, such as a screw or the like, which is tightened to hold the section 66 on the lock mechanism and the push-pull cable in place.

The brass section 66 is desirably attached to the door lock mechanism 15 in the following way. A 7 clearance hole is drilled in the plate 38 of the door lock mechanism, or the corresponding member of a different lock mechanism, if used. A 7 set screw 68 is inserted thru this clearance hole and threaded into the tapped hole 67 on the end of the brass section, as shown most clearly 4 in FIGURE 4. This screw is then tightened to hold the push-pull wire cable 62 in place, after proper adjustment as to position. The screw 68 thus performs the double function of securing the cable 62 and the plate 38 to the section 66.

When the knob 58 on the dashboard is pushed in, the cable slides in the sheathing 63 and the pushbutton 40 on the door lock on the door opposite the operator is elevated or, in this form unlocked. When said knob 58 is pulled, the cable slides in the opposite direction in the sheathing and said pushbutton is depressed or, in this form, locked.

My invention permits the operation of a pushbutton 40 of a door lock by pressing down or pulling up on said pushbutton without using the control knob 58 on the dashboard, in the presently existing normal fashion. It also provides an inexpensive safety device for presently existing and future vehicles.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that my invention further permits a driver of the vehicle to operate the pushbutton mechanical safety door lock to lock and/or unlock the opposite door while the vehicle is in motion, without diverting attention from operating the vehicle. It will also permit the elimination of the hazard of accidents by operators of vehicles, caused by accidentially hitting the gas pedal while stretching across the width of the vehicle to lock and/or unlock the opposite pushbutton door lock.

My invention will further permit the elimination of the embarrassing and awkward physical contortions experienced in looking and/or unlocking the opposite door of a motor vehicle. It will also eliminate the inconvenience caused to the operator of the vehicle in locking and/or unlocking the opposite door.

Having now described my invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the Patent Statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difliculty in making changes or modifications in the kind of lock, the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements of conditions, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a motor vehicle provided with an opening on the side remote from the driver, a door hinged to said side to close or aflord access to said opening, said door having latch means to hold it locked, means to operate said latch means, internal means for rendering said latch means selectively operable or inoperable by said means, local control means connected to said internal means and disposed on the inner side of said door, and a push-pull cable with one end also connected to said internal means for effecting a similar control of said latch means from the drivers side of said vehicle, a manual control knob carried on the other end of said cable, said cable traversing the distance from said knob to said latch means while passing under the dash board, through the upper hinge and through said door.

2. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 1, the latch means comprising angular escutcheon plate on said door, a first part of which overlies the free edge of said door and a second part of which extends over the inner surface of said door, a pivot pin passing through said first part, a latch device secured to the outer end of said pin for engaging a cooperating door frame element when the door is closed, a rachet secured to the inner end of said pin, and a pawl with an arm which is spring-urged to normally hold said ratchet from turning.

3. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 2, the latch means comprising a pawl lifter movable by said means to operate a pawl lock movable between pawl-engaging and pawl-releasing positions, a pawl lock operating plate pivotally mounted on said second part so as to be swinga'ble between a position where it holds the pawl lock in locking position with respect to the pawl and where it raises said pawl lock from engagement with said pawl and the push-pull cable has its one end operably connected to said plate.

-4. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 3, said operating knob which is on the other end of said cable being installed on the drivers side of the vehicle after said cable passes through the door, the upper hinge thereof, and traverses the distance under the dash board on the interior of the vehicle while guided along the fire wall thereof.

5. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 1, a plate pivoted so that when swung in one direction said internal means is positioned so that the latch means is operable and when swung in the opposite direction said internal means is positioned so that the latch means is inoperable, and the push-pull cable is connected through said plate to said internal means, so that pulling on said operating knob swings said plate to render the latch means inoperable and pushing on said knob swings said plate in the opposite direction, rendering the latch means operable.

6. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 5, a boss provided with an aperture is formed on the interior face of said plate, said cable is inserted in said aperture, and a set screw is tightened to hold said cable in place on said boss.

7. In a motor vehicle as recited in claim 6, the boss is formed as a cylindrical metal member, the aperture is transverse to the axis of said member, and the member has an axial hole tapped to threadably engage said set screw which passes through said plate and into said member, performing the double function of securing said member to said plate and said cable to said member in adjusted position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,459,281 6/1923 Carter 292-167 2,001,787 5/ 1935 Lakin -1- 262 2,612,397 9/1952 Stutt 292-166 2,648,351 8/1953 Curtis et 211. r 137750 2,840,405 6/ 1958 Feltz et al 292-422 2,843,018 7/1958 Cooper et a1 74-501 2,871,049 1/1959 Cockburn et al 292-480 3,096,845 7/1963 Oishei et a] 112 3,243,216 3/ 1966 Peters 292--201 RICHARD E. MORRE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 292-216

Images