Power operated door latch

In combination with a vehicle door swingable on a vehicle body between an open position and a closed position in a door opening in said body and a striker on said body projecting into said door opening,

• a door latch comprising:
• a latch bolt on said door rotatable between unlatched, ajar-latched and closed-latched positions,
• said striker engaging said latch bolt during movement of said door to and from said closed position so that said latch bolt is always in said unlatched position when said door is open and in said ajar-latched position when said door is in said ajar position and in said closed-latched position when said door is in said closed position,
• detent means on said door having a detenting position engaging said latch bolt and retaining said latch bolt in either of said ajar-latched and said closed-latched positions and a releasing position permitting unobstructed rotation of said latch bolt to said unlatched position,
• spring means on said door biasing said detent means to said detenting position so that whenever said latch bolt achieves said closed-latched position said detent means achieves said detenting position whereby said door latch retains said door in said closed position in a manual-closed operating mode when said door is swung manually to said closed position,
• manual release means on said door selectively operable to move said detent means from said detenting position to said releasing position whereby said door latch releases said door in a manual-open operating mode for opening movement from said closed position,
• a non-reversible electric motor on said door,
• automatic switch means on said latch responsive to the position of said latch bolt operative when said latch bolt achieves said ajar-latched position to switch on said motor for a predetermined door closing duration,
• first clutch means between said motor and said latch bolt operative to power rotate said latch bolt to said closed-latched position when said motor is switched on for said door closing duration whereby said door is closed in a power-closed operating mode of said door latch,
• manual switch means selectively operable to switch on said motor after said predetermined door closing duration,
• said automatic switch means being operative to thereafter switch off said motor after a predetermined door opening duration, and
• mechanical release means between said motor and said detent means operative to move said detent means to said releasing position during said door opening duration of motor operation whereby said door is opened in a power-open operating mode of said door latch,
• said automatic switch means being further operative to permit random sequencing of each of said power-open and said power-closed operating modes and said manual-open and said manual-closed operating modes.