Back to results
US 10,378,252 B2Granted
Dual motor latch assembly with power cinch and power release having soft opening function
AssigneeMagna Closures Inc.
InventorsFranco Giovanni Ottino, Francesco Cumbo, Marco Taurasi, Enrico Margheritti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A two-motor power latch assembly for a motor vehicle closure system configured to provide a power cinching feature and a power release feature. The power cinching feature is configured to retain the ratchet in a cinched striker capture position with the pawl disengaged from the ratchet. The power release feature is configured to move the ratchet from its cinched striker capture position to a cinch release striker capture position for unloading the seals prior to release of the ratchet to its striker release position.
Claims20
A power latch assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a ratchet moveable between a striker release position whereat said ratchet is positioned to release a striker and three distinct striker capture positions whereat said ratchet is positioned to retain the striker, wherein said three distinct striker capture positions include a first striker capture position, a second striker capture position and a third striker capture position;
- a ratchet biasing member for normally biasing said ratchet toward its striker release position;
- a pawl moveable between a ratchet checking position whereat said pawl is positioned to hold said ratchet in one of its first and second striker capture positions and a ratchet release position whereat said pawl permits movement of said ratchet to its striker release position;
- a pawl biasing member for normally biasing said pawl toward its ratchet checking position;
- a latch cinch mechanism having a cinch lever and a cinch link lever pivotably connected to said cinch lever, wherein said cinch link lever includes a first engagement member configured to selectively engage a second engagement member on said ratchet when said ratchet is initially rotated into one of its first and second striker capture positions;
- and
- an actuation mechanism including an electric motor, a cinch gear driven by said electric motor, and a cam flange fixed for common rotation with said cinch gear, wherein said cam flange includes a drive slot with a drive post extending from said cinch lever being disposed within said drive slot for coordinating pivotal movement of said cinch lever and said cinch link lever with rotation of said cam flange and said cinch gear;
- wherein a power cinching function is provided by said electric motor rotating said cinch gear in a cinching direction from a cinch start position to a cinch stop position, said power cinching function being initiated when said ratchet is rotated by the striker into one of its first and second striker capture positions and said pawl is located in its ratchet checking position such that rotation of said cinch gear from its cinch start position to its cinch stop position causes pivotal movement of said cinch lever and said cinch link lever which forcibly rotates said ratchet into its third striker capture position due to engagement of said of said first and second engagement members, and wherein said pawl is positioned in its ratchet checking position but is disengaged from said ratchet when said ratchet is rotated to and held in its third striker capture position.
5 more elements
A power latch assembly, comprising:
- a ratchet moveable between a striker release position whereat the ratchet is positioned to release a striker and three distinct striker capture positions whereat the ratchet is positioned to retain the striker, wherein the three distinct striker capture positions include a first striker capture position, a second striker capture position and a third striker capture position;
- a ratchet biasing member for normally biasing the ratchet toward its striker release position;
- a pawl moveable between a ratchet checking position whereat the pawl is positioned to hold the ratchet in one of its first and second striker capture positions and a ratchet release position whereat the pawl permits movement of the ratchet to its striker release position;
- a pawl biasing member for normally biasing the pawl toward its ratchet checking position;
- a latch release mechanism having a pawl lever, a release lever, and a backup lever, the pawl lever engaging the pawl and being moveable between a first pawl lever position whereat the pawl is located in its ratchet checking position and a second pawl lever position whereat the pawl is located in its ratchet release position, the release lever being selectably engageable with the backup lever and moveable between a non-actuated position whereat the backup lever is located in a first position and an actuated position whereat the backup lever is located in a second position;
- a latch cinch mechanism having a cinch lever and a cinch link lever pivotably mounted to the cinch lever, wherein the cinch link lever includes a first engagement member configured to selectively engage a second engagement member on the ratchet when the ratchet is positioned in its first striker capture position;
- and
- an actuation mechanism having a power cinching actuator and a power release actuator, the power cinching actuator including a first electric motor, a cinch gear driven by the first electric motor and a cam flange fixed for rotation with said cinch gear, wherein the cam flange includes a drive slot and the cinch gear includes a cam segment, wherein a drive post extending from the cinch lever is disposed within the drive slot for coordinating pivotal movement of the cinch lever and the cinch link lever with rotation of the cinch gear and the cam flange, and wherein the power release actuator includes a second electric motor and a power release gear driven by the second electric motor for moving the pawl lever between its first and second pawl lever position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.