US3572791A

US3572791A - Closure latch

Info

Publication number: US3572791A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles W Foley
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1969-05-16
Filing date: 1969-05-16
Publication date: 1971-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-30

Abstract

A door lock of the freewheeling type includes a holding lever controlled by the locking lever and engageable with the outside operating lever when the door is open and the pushbutton is momentarily depressed to maintain the intermittent link in its upper bypass position with respect to the detent. A transfer lever engaged by the bolt releases the holding lever when the door is closed and the bolt reaches latched position. If the pushbutton is not momentarily depressed before the door is closed, the lock automatically undogs.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Charles W. Foley Warren, Mich.

May 16, 1969 Mar. 30, 1971 General Motors Corporation Detroit, Mich.

CLOSURE LATCH 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl Int. Cl Field of Search 292/216 E05c 3/26 292/216, 280, J3, J4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,365,226 1/1968 Shay 292/216 3,384,405 5/1968 Schiele 292/216 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Att0meys-W. E. Finken and Herbert Furman ABSTRACT: A door lock of the freewheeling type includes a holding lever controlled by the locking lever and engageable with the outside operating lever when the door is open and the pushbutton is momentarily depressed to maintain the intermittent link in its upper bypass position with respect to the detent. A transfer lever engaged by the bolt releases the holding lever when the door is closed and the bolt reaches latched position. If the pushbutton is not momentarily depressed before the door is closed, the lock automatically undogs.

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A T TORNEY CLOSURE LATCH This invention relates to closure latches and more particularly to vehicle body door locks. I

Door locks of the freewheeling type include a coupling member or intermittent link for selectively coupling and uncoupling the outside operating means and detent. Automatic undogging is provided by cooperating undogging shoulders on the intermittent link and detent for moving the intermittent link to a coupled position should it be in uncoupled position and the door closed.

Generally door locks of this type also include a keyless locking feature wherein depression of the operating means as the door is being closed shifts the intermittent link to a bypass position so that no engagement with the detent can occur and the intermittent link remains in uncoupled position.

In its preferred embodiment, the door lock of this invention is of this general type but includes the additional feature of requiring only momentary actuation of the outside operating meansto hold the intermittent link in uncoupled position as the door is closed. The holding means includes a holding member movable into and out of the path of movement of the outside operating means upon movement of the intermittent link into and out of uncoupled and coupled positions, respectively. The holding member engages the outside operating means when momentarily actuated to maintain the outside operating means in depressed position. To return the operating means to its normal position, a transfer lever is actuated by the bolt when the bolt reaches latched position and moves the holding member out of engagement'with the operating means.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved vehicle body door lock of the freewheeling type having automatic undogging means and means for selectively disabling the automoatic ,undogging means without requiring continuous control by the operator as the door is closed. Another feature of this invention is to provide such a door lock wherein bolt actuated means releases the disabling means when the bolt reaches latched position. A further feature of this invention is to provide such a door lock wherein the selective disabling means includes means holding the coupling member in an uncoupled bypass position until released by the bolt actuated means when the bolt reaches latched position. Yet another feature of this invention is that the holding means are moved between holding and released positions by the locking means and .are engageable with the operating means upon momentary actuation thereof to maintain the coupling member in the uncoupled bypass position.

These and other objects of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a door lock according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIG; 2;

FIG. 4 is a view showing the door lock in unlatched position .and the coupling member held in an uncoupled bypass position;

FIG. 5 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

Referring now particularly to FIG. I of the drawings, a vehicle body designated generally 10 includes a front door 12 hinged adjacent its forward edge 14 to the body for swinging movement between a closed position, as shown, and an open position, not shown. When the door is in closed position, it is held therein by a door lock designated generally 16 according to this invention.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 through 4 of the drawings, the lock 16 includes a main frame of plate 18 which is adapted to be mounted on the inside of the lock pillar wall of door 12 by suitable bolts extending through threaded embossments 20 of the frame. An auxiliary frame or plate 22 is located in spaced relationship to the frame 20 by lateral flanges 24, 26, and 28, and is staked at 32 to the flanges 24 and 30 after assembly.

A fork bolt 34 is swingably mounted on a pivot or shaft 36 extending between the

plates

18 and 22 for movement between a latched position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and an unlatched position, shown in FIG. '4. A coil torsion spring 38 surrounds the pivot 36 and has one end thereof bearing against a lanced lateral tab of framel8 and the other end bearing against a notched lateral tab of the bolt to continually biasthe bolt counterclockwise to unlatched position. When the bolt is in latched position as shown in FIG. 2, a conventional headed striker pin 40 is trapped between the throat of the bolt and a conventional spring biased shoe 42. The striker pin 40 is mounted on the lock pillar wall of the body and the engagement of the bolt in latched position with the striker pin maintains the door 12 in closed position. A detent 44 is pivoted on a pivot or shaft 46 extending between the

plates

18 and 22 and includes a foot 48 which is engageable with either shoulder ,50 or 52 of the bolt 34 to thereby respectively hold the bolt in either a fully latched position, as shown in FIG. 2, or an intermediate atched position, not shown. A coil torsion spring 54, FIG. 3, surrounds the pivot 46 and is hooked between the detent and a lateral tab of frame 18 to continuously bias the detent counterclockwise and towards the bolt 34. l l I The frame 18 includes an upwardly extending ribbed extension 56 and an outside operating lever 58 is pivoted at 60 to this extension. The lever 58 includes a lateral flange 62 which is engageable by the push rod 64 of conventional pushbutton means 66, FIG. 1, for release of the detent from the outside of the vehicle as will be described. The pushbutton means 66 is housed within a conventional outside door handle 68. The upper laterally bent end of an intermittent link or coupling member 70 fits within an opening in the lever 58 and a coil torsion spring 72 surrounding the pivot 60 engages both a notched lateral flange 74 of extension 56 and an opening in the member 70 to bias the member 70 downwardly and in turn bias the lever 58 counterclockwise to hold the lever in engagement with the flange 74, as shown in FIG. 2. The spring 72 also provides an antirattle arrangement between the upper end of the member 70 and the lever 58. The lower end of the member 70 includes a laterally inwardly extending tab 76 which underlies a shoulder 78 of the detent 44 when the member 70 is in its coupled position, as shown in FIG. 2, and which is located to the left of the shoulder 78 when the member 70 is in its.uncoupled position as shown in FIG. 4.

When the member 70 is in its coupled position as shown in FIG. 2 and the pushbutton means 66 is operated to shift the push rod 64 inwardly of door 12 or to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, engagement of the push rod with flange 62 of lever 58 will swing the leverclockwise about pivot 60 and in turn shift the member 70 upwardly. Tl-Ie engagement of tab 76 with shoulder 78 swings the detent 44 clockwise about pivot 46 and against the action of spring 54 to thereby release the bolt 34 for movement to unlatched position. When the member 70 is in the uncoupled position, it can be seen that any upward shifting movement of the member 70 will have no effect on the detent 44 since the intermittent member will merely freewheel with respect to the detent.

A locking lever 80, located inwardly of plate 22, is pivoted at 82 to the plate and includes a notch 84 which straddles a laterally inwardly extending bent tab 86 of the plate. An overcenter-type coil torsion spring 88 is interconnected between the locking lever and theplate 22 to thereby hold the locking lever in either an unlocked position, shown in FIG. 2, wherein the left-hand edge of the notch 84 engages tab 86, or a locked position, shown in FIG. 4, wherein the right-hand edge of the notch 84 engages the tab 86.

Another locking lever 90 is coaxially pivoted at 82 with the locking lever 80, although located outwardly of plate 22 rather than inwardly thereof. A notched lateral tab 92 of the locking lever extends through an opening 94 of the locking lever 90. A coil torsion spring 96 surrounds the pivot 82 and has one leg thereof engaging the notch in tab 92 and the other leg thereof engaging a notched lateral tab 98 of a holding or detent lever 100 pivoted on pivot 82. Lever 90 includes a shoulder 102 which is engageable by the tab 98 under the action of spring 96 to thereby locate levers 90 and 100 with respect to each other and continuously bias the lever 90 clockwise of the pivot 82 and into engagement with the tab 92 so that the levers 80 and 90 will move as a unit and in turn move the lever 100 with them during their movement. The levers 88 and 90 and the holding lever 100 are movable as a unit from their position of FIG. 2, wherein the levers 80 and 90 are in unlocked position and the lever 100 is in nonholding or undetented position, to their position shown in FIG. 4 wherein the lever 80 and 90 are in locked position and the lever 100 is in holding or detented position.

The lever 80 further includes a laterally inwardly extending flange 104 which includes a tab 106, FIG. 3, received within a slot 108 of the intermittent member 70. Thus, when the member 80 moves from its FIG. 2 position to its FIG. 4 position, the engagement of the tab 106 with the slot 108 moves the intermittent member form its coupled position to its uncoupled position as member 70 swings about its upper end relative to lever 58.

From the foregoing description, it is believed apparent that the locking levers 80 and 90 are in unlocked position and the holding lever is in nonholding or undetented position, when the intermittent member is in coupled position, and that the locking levers are in locked position and the holding lever is in holding or detented position when the intermittent member is in uncoupled position. The locking levers are movable between their positions by a conventional garnish button 110, FIG. 1, conventionally connected to a lateral flange 112 of lever 90 and also by an outside key cylinder arrangement 114, FIG. 1, conventionally connected to an extension 116 of the lever 90.

A transfer lever 118, located outwardly of plate 22, is coaxially pivoted at 46 with the detent 44. The lower end of the lever 118 includes a laterally inwardly extending tab 120 and the upper end thereof includes a laterally outwardly extending notched tab 122. A coil torsion spring 124 surrounds the pivot 46 outwardly of the plate 22 and has one end thereof engaging a notched lateral tab 126 of lever 100 and the other end thereof engaging the tab 122 to thereby continuously bias the lever 118 counterclockwise and bias the lever 100 clockwise to locate and hold the tab 120 in engagement with an edge of plate 22 and additionally hold tab 98 in engagement with shoulder 102. Spring 124 is weaker than

springs

96 and 88 and therefore cannot continuously maintain levers 80 and 90 in locked position and lever 100 in holding or detented position.

The inside operating means includes a conventional remote handle and rod assembly 128, FIG. 1, connected to one leg of an inside remote bellcrank lever 130 which is pivoted at 132 to a lateral apertured tab 134 of plate 22. The other leg of lever 130 overlies an extension 136 of the detent 44 so that swinging movement of the lever 130 upon operation of the handle assembly 128 will swing the detent clockwise and move the foot 48 thereof out of engagement with either of the bolt shoulders 50 or 52.

Assume now that the bolt 34 has been released, as previ ously described, by operation of the pushbutton means 66 and that the door 12 is in its open position. Assume also that the operator then either depresses the garnish button 110 or operates the key cylinder assembly 114 to thereby move the locking levers 80 and 90 from their unlocked position of FIG. 2 to their locked position of FIG. 4 and move the lever 100 from the undetented position of FIG. 2 to the detented position of FIG. 4.

Assume now that the operator wishes to close the door 12 and lock the door from the outside of the vehicle without any further operation. The operator momentarily depresses the pushbutton means 66 to move the push rod 64 to the right and in turn swing the lever 58 clockwise of the pivot 60. As the lever 58 moves clockwise from its position of FIG. 2 to its position of FIG. 4, the member 70 will, of course, shift upwardly to its position shown in FIG. 4 and the detent shoulder 138 of the member 100 will engage a lateral flange 140 of the lever 58 to thereby retain the lever in this position and retain the member 70 in its upper position. Thereafter, all that the operator need do is to close the door 12. As the door closes, the bolt 34 will, of course, rotate clockwise upon engagement with the striker pin 40 and when the bolt reaches its latched position, the edge of the bolt will engage the tab 120 to swing the lever 118 clockwise from its position of FIG. 4 to its position of FIG. 2. This will cause the tab 122 to pick up a shoulder 142 of lever 100 and swing the lever counterclockwise of the pivot 82 from its FIG. 4 position to its FIG. 2 position. As the lever 100 swings in this direction, it will release the lever 58 so that the lever can return to its position shown in FIG. 2 and the member 70, of course, will be shifted downwardly to its uncoupled position so that the lock 16 will remain in its locked condition. The levers and remain in their locked position.

If the operator moves the levers 80 and 90 to their locked position by depressing the garnish button 110 or operating the key cylinder assembly 114 and does not thereafter momentarily operate the pushbutton means 66 before he closes the door, the movement of the bolt to latched position will intermittently move the detent 44 clockwise as the foot 48 ratchets

past shoulders

50 and 52. The movement of the detent will cause an edge 144 of the detent to pick up a lateral tab 146 of the member 70 to swing the member 70 counterclockwise of the lever 58 about its upper end. The engagement of tab 106 with slot 108 will swing lever 80 counterclockwise from locked position to unlocked position. The engagement of tab 92 with slot 94 moves lever 90 from the locked to unlocked position, and the engagement of shoulder 102 with tab 98 moves member counterclockwise to release shoulder 138 from tab 140 and permit lever 58 to move to its position of FIG. 2. Thus the lock will automatically undog or be placed in its unlocked condition.

If the operator moves the levers 80 and 90 to their locked position and momentarily depresses the pushbutton means 66 as previously described, and then changes his mind, he can raise the garnish button to return the levers 80 and 90 to their unlocked position. When the garnish button 110 is raised, the engagement of the edge 102 over lever 90 with tab 98 of lever 100 swings the lever 100 counterclockwise and out of engagement with the operating lever 58 to pennit the operating lever 58 to return to its normal position shown in FIG. 2. This shifts the intermittent member 70 downwardly to its uncoupled position. After this initial release of the lever 100, the continued counterclockwise movement of the lever 90 causes the lower edge of the opening 94 to pick up the tab 92 and move the lever 80 to unlocked position as the lever 90 moves to its unlocked position. This swings the intermittent member 70 counterclockwise to its coupled position wherein the tab 76 underlies the shoulder 78, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the door lock of this invention permits the operator to change his mind providing that he raises the garnish button before the door is closed.

Thus, this invention provides an improved vehicle body door lock.

Iclaim:

1. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means movable between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means and operatively connecting the operating means and detent means in coupled position, means for moving the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means normally operative to move the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position during movement of the latch means from unlatched to latched position, means selectively operable in the unlatched position of the latch means for releasably disabling the normally operative means, and means operated by the latch means for automatically releasing the disabling means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

2. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means movable between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means and operatively connecting the operating means and detent means in coupled position, means for moving the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means normally operative to move the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position during movement of the latch means from unlatched to latched position, means selectively operable by movement of the operating means in the unlatched position of the latch means for releasably disabling the normally operative means, and means operated by the latch means for auto matically releasing the disabling means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

3. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means operatively connected to the operating means and movable between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means, movement of the coupling means in coupled position by the operating means moving the coupling means into engagement with the detent means to move the detent means to undetented position and release the latch means, means for moving the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means on the coupling means engageable by the detent means upon movement of the detent means by the latch means for moving the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position, releasable means for holding the coupling engageable means in a bypass position with respect to the detent means to maintain the coupling means in uncoupled position, and means operated by the latch means for automatically releasing the releasable means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

4. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means operatively connected to the operating means and movable between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means, movement of the coupling means in coupled position by the operating means moving the coupling means into engagement with the detent means to move the detent means to undetented position and release the latch means, means for moving the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means on the coupling means engageable by the detent means upon movement of the detent means by the latch means for moving the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position, means for moving the coupling engageable means to a bypass position with respect to the detent means, means releasably holding the coupling engageable means in the bypass position, and means operated by the latch means for automatically releasing the holding means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

5. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means swingably connected to the operating means for movement relative thereto between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means, and shifting movement thereby in coupled position into engagement with the detent means to move the detent means to undetented position and release the latch means, means for swinging the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means on the coupling means engageable by the detent means upon movement of the detent means by the latch means for swinging the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position, shifting movement of the coupling means in uncoupled position by the operating means moving the coupling engageable means to a bypass position with respect to the detent means, releasable holding means for maintaining the coupling means in the bypass position, and means operated by the latch means for releasing the holding means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein the holding means are movable into and out of the path of shifting movement of the coupling means for releasable engagement therewith, and the means operated by the latch means move the holding means out of the path of movement of the coupling means to release the coupling means.

' 7. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein the releasable holding means are operatively connected to the swinging means for movement into the path of shifting movement of the coupling means upon movement of the coupling means by the swinging means to uncoupled position, the means operated by the latch means moving the releasable holding means out of the path of movement of the coupling means.

8. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein the means for swinging the coupling means include locking lever means movable between locked and unlocked positions to respectively swing the coupling means between uncoupled and coupled positions, the holding means including a holding member movable between holding and released positions and engageable in holding position with the operating means upon movement of the coupling engageable means to the bypass position to maintain the coupling engageable means in bypass position.

9. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, a coupling member swingably connected to the operating means for swinging movement relative thereto between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means, and shifting movement thereby in coupled position into engagement with the detent means to move the detent means to undetented position and release the latch means, locking movable between unlocked and locked positions for respectively swinging the coupling member between coupled and uncoupled positions, means on the coupling member engageable by the detent means upon movement of the detent means by the latch means for swinging the coupling member from uncoupled to coupled position and moving the locking means from locked to unlocked position, shifting movement of the coupling member in uncoupled position by the operating means moving the coupling member engageable means to a bypass position with respect to the detent means, holding means movable between holding and released positions with respect to the operating means and engageable therewith in holding position upon movement of the operating means when the coupling member is in uncoupled position to maintain the coupling member engageable means in the bypass position, means operatively connecting the holding means to the locking means for movement thereby between holding and released positions upon movement of the locking means between locked and unlocked positions and movement independently thereof, and means operated by the latch means for moving the holding means to released position independent of movement of the locking means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

Claims

2. A closure latch comprising, in combination, latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions, detent means movable between detented and undetented positions with respect to the latch means and operative in detented position to hold the latch means in latched position, movable operating means, coupling means movable between coupled and uncoupled positions with respect to the detent means and operatively connecting the operating means and detent means in coupled position, means for moving the coupling means between coupled and uncoupled positions, means normally operative to move the coupling means from uncoupled to coupled position during movement of the latch means from unlatched to latched position, means selectively operable by movement of the operating means in the unlatched position of the latch means for releasably disabling the normally operative means, and means operated by the latch means for automatically releasing the disabling means upon movement of the latch means to latched position.

7. The combination recited in claim 5 wherein the releasable holding means are operatively connected to the swinging means for movement into the path of shifting movement of the coupling means upon movement of the coupling means by the swinging means to uncoupled position, the means operated by the latch means moving the releasable holding means out of the path of movement of the coupling means.