US 11,365,569 B2Granted

Vehicle door lock apparatus

AssigneeAnsei Corporation

InventorsMasaharu Takagi, Satoshi Yamaji

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicle door lock apparatus has a first housing superimposed on a second housing that includes a base wall, a first concave wall projecting from the base wall, an engaging part formed in or on the first concave wall, and an opening that provides a path from the outside into an inner housing chamber. A transmission cable includes an inner cable slidably housed in an outer cable. A portion of the inner cable is exposed from a first end of the outer cable, passes through the opening, and is coupled to a rotatable element disposed in the inner housing chamber via a linkage. A casing cap that surrounds an end of the outer cable has a contact part that contacts the first concave wall in a second direction and an engaged part that engages with the engaging part in the second direction when the contact part contacts the first concave wall.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A vehicle door lock apparatus that is fixedly disposed between a vehicle frame and a door that is openable and closable with respect to the vehicle frame, and is capable of holding the door closed with respect to the vehicle frame, the vehicle door lock apparatus comprising:

a housing having an inner housing chamber formed inside the housing;
a latch mechanism housed in the housing and configured to hold the door closed with respect to the vehicle frame;
an actuating mechanism housed in the inner housing chamber and including a rotatable element that rotates around a rotational axis extending in a first direction, the rotatable element being configured to actuate the latch mechanism;
and
a transmission cable extending through a wall of the housing into the inner housing chamber and configured to rotate the rotatable element;
wherein:
the first direction is at least substantially parallel to a vehicle inward-outward direction,
a second direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
a third direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
the housing includes a first housing superimposed on a second housing in the first direction to form the inner housing chamber,
the second housing has:
a base wall extending in the second direction and the third direction,
a first wall that projects from the base wall in the first direction and also extends along the third direction,
an engaging hole defined by a closed surface on the first wall, the engaging hole being contained in a plane extending in the first and third directions, and
an opening that passes through the base wall and provides a path from an exterior into the inner housing chamber, the transmission cable includes an inner cable slidably disposed within an outer cable,
a portion of the inner cable is an exposed portion exposed at a first end portion of the outer cable,
the exposed portion extends through the opening and is coupled to the rotatable element via a linkage,
a casing cap is disposed around the first end portion of the outer cable and assembled to the first wall, and
the casing cap has an engaged part extending through the engaging hole of the first wall and including at least one first portion engaging with a surface of the first wall that extends in the first and third directions to retain the engaged part in engagement with the engaging hole, and at least one second portion that is entirely surrounded by the closed surface defining the engaging hole.

16 more elements

A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame;
a striker attached to the vehicle frame;
a vehicle door that is openable and closable with respect to the vehicle frame;
a housing affixed to the vehicle door and comprising a first housing superimposed on a second housing in a first direction such that an inner housing chamber is defined between the first housing and the second housing;
a latch mechanism disposed in the inner housing chamber and configured to hold and release the striker attached to the vehicle frame;
an actuating mechanism disposed in the inner housing chamber and including a lever that is rotatable around a rotational axis extending in the first direction to actuate the latch mechanism;
and
a transmission cable having an outer cable, an inner cable slidably disposed within the outer cable, and a casing cap disposed around an end portion of the outer cable;
wherein:
the first direction is at least substantially parallel to a vehicle inward-outward direction,
a second direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
a third direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
the second housing has:
a base wall extending in the second direction and the third direction,
a first wall that projects from the base wall in the first direction and also extends along the third direction,
an engaging hole defined by a closed surface on the first wall, the engaging hole being contained in a plane extending in the first and third directions, and
an opening that passes through the base wall,
an exposed portion of the inner cable adjacent to the casing cap extends through the opening and is operably coupled to the lever, and
the casing cap has an engaged part extending through the engaging hole of the first wall and including at least one first portion engaging with a surface of the first wall that extends in the first and third directions to retain the engaged part in engagement with the engaging hole, and at least one second portion that is entirely surrounded by the closed surface defining the engaging hole.

16 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a first housing superimposed on a second housing in a first direction such that an inner housing chamber is defined between the first housing and the second housing;
a latch mechanism disposed in the inner housing chamber and configured to hold and release a striker attached to a vehicle frame;
an actuating mechanism disposed in the inner housing chamber and including a lever that is rotatable around a rotational axis extending in the first direction to actuate the latch mechanism;
and
a transmission cable having an outer cable, an inner cable slidably disposed within the outer cable, and a casing cap disposed around an end portion of the outer cable;
wherein:
the first direction is at least substantially parallel to a vehicle inward-outward direction,
a second direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction,
a third direction is at least substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
the second housing has:
a base wall extending in the second direction and the third direction,
a first wall that projects from the base wall in the first direction and also extends along the third direction,
an engaging hole defined by a closed surface on the first wall, the engaging hole being contained in a plane extending in the first and third directions, and
an opening that passes through the base wall,
an exposed portion of the inner cable adjacent to the casing cap extends through the opening and is operably coupled to the lever, and
the casing cap has an engaged part extending through the engaging hole of the first wall and including at least one first portion engaging with a surface of the first wall that extends in the first and third directions to retain the engaged part in engagement with the engaging hole, and at least one second portion that is entirely surrounded by the closed surface defining the engaging hole.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/819,126Filed 21 Nov 2017
Priority: JP JP2016-22857125 Nov 2016
Published: US 2018/0148956 A131 May 2018
Granted: 21 Jun 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

E05B 79/20
Connections between movable lock parts: using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables
B60J 5/0493
Arranged at the vehicle sides: appurtenances
E05B 77/283
For anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking: initiated by hand actuation, e.g. by using a mechanical key
E05B 79/12
Connections between movable lock parts: using connecting rods