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US 2003/0199223 A1Published application
Latch
AssigneeMeritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Limited
InventorNigel Victor Spurr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An entry door lock system includes an energy storage device (27) to permit unlatching if unlatching movement of a door handle occurs before the latch has been unlocked. The device (27) is passive if unlocking occurs before unlatching movement of the door handle. The invention avoids the need for repeat movement of the door handle in cases where unlocking follows initial door handle movement.
Claims15
A latch comprising:
- a housing;
- a locking member supported by the housing and movable between locked and unlocked conditions;
- a latch release member supported by the housing and movable between closed and open conditions;
- a latching member supported by the housing and movable between latched and unlatched conditions, movement of the latch release member to the open condition causing movement of the latching member to the unlatched condition when the locking member is in the unlocked condition, and movement of the latching member to the unlatched condition being prevented when the locking member is in the locked condition;
- an energy storage device is provided interconnecting the latch release member and the latching member;
- and
- a blocking member supported by the housing and movable from a disengaged condition to an engaged condition in which movement of the latching member to the unlatched condition is prevented when the locking member is in the locked condition, movement of the latch release member to the open condition causing the energy storage device to generate a biasing force moving the latching member to the unlatched condition when the blocking member is in the engaged condition, movement of the blocking device to the disengaged condition permitting movement of the latching member to the unlatched condition under the action of the biasing force.
4 more elements
A method of unlatching a door comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a door latch in a locked and latched condition;
- b) moving a door handle to an open condition with the latch in the locked and latched condition;
- c) generating a biasing force with a spring in response to performing step b);
- d) actuating the door latch from the locked condition to an unlocked condition with the door handle in the open condition subsequent to performing step c);
- and
- e) applying the biasing force to move the door latch from the latched condition to an unlatched condition subsequent to performing step d).
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.