Closure latch assembly with crash unlock mechanism using single electric motor

A power latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

• a ratchet configured for movement between a striker capture position and a striker release position and being biased toward said striker release position;
• a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat said pawl maintains said ratchet in said striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat said pawl releases said ratchet for movement of said ratchet to said striker release position;
• a link member separate from said pawl and pivotal relative to said pawl, said link member configured to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position;
• an override release mechanism being moveable between a disengaged position, whereat at least one of an inside door handle and an outside door handle is disengaged from operable communication with said link member, and an engaged position, whereat at least one of said inside door handle and said outside door handle is engaged in operable communication with said link member;
• a power release actuator system configured to control powered actuation of said link member to move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position and to maintain said override release mechanism in said disengaged position during normal operation of the power latch assembly and to selectively move said override release mechanism to said engaged position;
• wherein said power release actuator system includes a motor and a drive gear driven about a drive gear axis by said motor, said drive gear having an actuation feature extending outwardly therefrom in spaced relation from said drive gear axis, said actuation feature being coupled directly with said link member to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position when said motor drives said drive gear in a first direction;
• wherein said override release mechanism includes a release link overlying said link member with said actuation feature being configured in engagement with said release link to selectively move said override release mechanism between said disengaged and engaged positions when said motor drives said drive gear in a second direction opposite said first direction;
• and
• wherein said release link is operably coupled to said pawl.

A power latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

• a ratchet configured for movement between a striker capture position and a striker release position and being biased toward said striker release position;
• a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat said pawl maintains said ratchet in said striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat said pawl releases said ratchet for movement of said ratchet to said striker release position;
• a link member separate from said pawl and pivotal relative to said pawl, said link member configured to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position;
• an override release mechanism being moveable between a disengaged position, whereat at least one of an inside door handle and an outside door handle is disengaged from operable communication with said link member, and an engaged position, whereat at least one of said inside door handle and said outside door handle is engaged in operable communication with said link member;
• a power release actuator system configured to control powered actuation of said link member to move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position and to maintain said override release mechanism in said disengaged position during normal operation of the power latch assembly and to selectively move said override release mechanism to said engaged position;
• wherein said power release actuator system includes a motor and a drive gear driven about a drive gear axis by said motor, said drive gear having an actuation feature extending outwardly therefrom in spaced relation from said drive gear axis, said actuation feature being coupled directly with said link member to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position when said motor drives said drive gear in a first direction;
• wherein said override release mechanism includes a release link overlying said link member with said actuation feature being configured in engagement with said release link to selectively move said override release mechanism between said disengaged and engaged positions when said motor drives said drive gear in a second direction opposite said first direction;
• and
• further including a crash unlock lever configured in operable communication with said actuation feature, said actuation feature being configured for lost motion with said crash unlock lever when said link member moves said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position and to drive said crash unlock lever into driving engagement with an indexing member upon said override release mechanism moving to said engaged position, said indexing member being configured to move between a plurality of indexed positions to bring said inside door handle into and out of operable communication with said link member.

A power latch assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:

• a ratchet configured for movement between a striker capture position and a striker release position and being biased toward said striker release position;
• a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat said pawl maintains said ratchet in said striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat said pawl releases said ratchet for movement of said ratchet to said striker release position;
• a link member separate from said pawl and pivotal relative to said pawl, said link member configured to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position;
• an override release mechanism being moveable between a disengaged position, whereat at least one of an inside door handle and an outside door handle is disengaged from operable communication with said link member, and an engaged position, whereat at least one of said inside door handle and said outside door handle is engaged in operable communication with said link member;
• a power release actuator system configured to control powered actuation of said link member to move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position and to maintain said override release mechanism in said disengaged position during normal operation of the power latch assembly and to selectively move said override release mechanism to said engaged position;
• wherein said power release actuator system includes a motor and a drive gear driven about a drive gear axis by said motor, said drive gear having an actuation feature extending outwardly therefrom in spaced relation from said drive gear axis, said actuation feature being coupled directly with said link member to selectively move said pawl from said ratchet holding position to said ratchet releasing position when said motor drives said drive gear in a first direction;
• wherein said override release mechanism includes a release link overlying said link member with said actuation feature being configured in engagement with said release link to selectively move said override release mechanism between said disengaged and engaged positions when said motor drives said drive gear in a second direction opposite said first direction;
• and
• further including an outside release lever operably coupled to said outside door handle, said outside release lever having a disengaged position, whereat said outside door handle is disengaged from operable communication with said release link, and an engaged position, whereat said outside door handle is engaged in operable communication with said release link.