US 5,007,261 AGranted

Electrically actuated lock mechanism with electrical failure protection

OwnerNorman G. Quantzinventor

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Abstract

An electrically actuated rear deck lock mechanism which may be locked or unlocked in a conventional manner. The lock mechanism latches the deck lid with a latch member engaging a lock bar after closure of the deck lid. An electric actuator moves the latch to a locked position. Once in the locked position, the electrical actuator mechanism is free of the mechanical forces applied to the latch member such that any forces experienced during normal operation of the vehicle are absorbed through the mechanical interaction of the latch with the lock bar without undue effect on the electrical actuator. The latch member can also be manually moved to a locked position without interfering with the electrical locking position of the mechanism. A bypass cam and a release member are provided which permit the rear deck locking mechanism to be manually locked and unlocked in the event of a power failure or a failure of the electric actuator.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A locking mechanism for entrapping a lock bar comprising:

a support frame;
a lock member pivotally attached to said support frame, said lock member having a lock dog and a guide tab;
a release member slidably attached to said lock member, said release member having a linear slot receiving said guide tab therein, said release member being displaceable along said linear slot between an engage and release position;
latch means having a latch member pivotally attached to said support frame and displaceable between an open and a locked position, said latch member having a dog catch engaging said lock dog to lock said latch member in said locked position, and a catch slot receiving said lock bar in said open position and entrapping said lock bar in said locked position, said latch means further being pivotable in response to forcibly rotating said latch member beyond said locked position to displace said release member to said release position;
first resilient means for producing a force biasing said latch member towards said open position;
second resilient means for producing a force biasing said lock member towards a locked position engaging said lock dog with said dog catch;
third resilient means for producing a force biasing said release member to said engage position;
a housing attached to said support frame;
a cam gear rotatably disposed in said housing, said cam gear having a predetermined cam surface;
an electric motor for rotating said cam gear;
at least one stud, protruding from said cam gear, engaging said latch means as said cam gear rotates through a first rotational interval to displace said latch member to said locked position, said at least one stud further engaging said release member when said release member is in said engage position to displace said lock member during a second rotational interval of said cam gear to disengage said lock dog from said dog catch, said at least one stud not engaging said release member when said release member is displaced by said latch means to said release position;
and
cam actuated switch means responsive to the displacement of said latch means from said open position towards said locked position for providing electrical power to said electric motor and responsive to a first contour of said cam surface for terminating said electrical power to said electric motor after said latch member is in said closed position, said cam actuated switch means further being responsive to an unlock signal for providing electrical power to said electric motor and responsive to a second contour of said cam surface for terminating said electrical power to said electric motor after said latch member is released from said locked position by the disengagement of said dog catch.

10 more elements

A locking mechanism for engaging a lock bar to secure a rear deck lid of an automotive vehicle having a key operated lock, said locking mechanism comprising:

a support bracket;
a latch member pivotally attached to said support bracket, said latch member having a catch slot engaging said lock bar to lock said rear deck lid when said latch member is in a locked position;
a bypass cam pivotally attached to said support bracket adjacent to said latch member;
means for releasably attaching said bypass cam to said latch member such that they pivot together as a single unit;
lock means pivotally attached to said support bracket, said lock means having a first position locking said latch member in said locked position and displaceable to a second position releasing said latch member;
a release member slidably attached to said lock means, said release member being displaceable from a normal position to a release position by said bypass cam in response to forcibly closing said rear deck lid to displace said latch member beyond said locked position;
means for biasing said latch member towards an open position;
means for biasing said lock means towards said first position;
means for independently biasing said bypass cam to pivot in the same direction as said latch member;
and
an electrical actuator responsive to the engagement of said lock bar in said catch slot to pivotally displace said bypass cam and said latch member to said locked position and responsive to an unlock signal to engage said release member when said release member is in said normal position, the engagement of said release member displacing said lock means to said second position releasing said latch member from its locked position, wherein the displacement of said release member to said release position disengages said release member from said electrical actuator.

8 more elements

A locking mechanism for engaging a lock bar to secure a rear deck lid of an automotive vehicle having a key operated lock, said locking mechanism comprising:

a support bracket;
a latch member pivotally attached to said support bracket, said latch member having a catch slot engageable with said lock bar in an open position and entrapping said lock bar to lock said rear deck lid in a closed position;
a bypass cam pivotally attached to said support bracket adjacent to said latch member;
means for releasably connecting said bypass cam with said latch member, forcing them to pivot as a single unit;
a lock member pivotally attached to said support bracket, said lock member having a first position locking said latch member in said closed position and displaceable to a second position releasing said latch member from said closed position;
a release member slidably connected to said lock member, said release member being resiliently biased to a normal position and displaceable to a release position by said bypass cam when said rear deck lid is forcibly closed pivoting said latch member beyond its closed position;
means for biasing said latch member and said bypass cam towards said open position;
means for biasing said lock member towards said first position;
an electric actuator responsive to the displacement of said latch member from its open position by said lock bar during the manual closing of said rear deck lid to pivotally displace said bypass cam and said latch member to said closed position and responsive to an unlock signal for engaging said release member to displace said lock member to said second position wherein the displacement of said release member to said release position disengages said release member from said electric actuator;
and
a key actuated cam for displacing said lock member to said second position in response to being rotated by said key operated lock, said key actuated cam having means for releasing said latch member from said bypass cam permitting said latch member to pivot to said first position independent of the position of said bypass cam.

8 more elements

An improved locking mechanism for engaging a lock bar provided in an automotive vehicle to secure a rear deck lid, said automotive vehicle having a key operated lock, said locking mechanism being of the type having a support frame, a latch member engagable with said lock bar, said latch member pivotably displaceable between an open and locked position, a lock member for locking said latch member in said locked position, means for biasing said latch member towards said open position and for biasing said lock member to engage said latch member, an electric actuator for pivotably displacing said latch member to said locked position during a first rotational interval and for displacing said lock member during a second rotational interval to disengage said latch member from said locked position, and a key actuated cam for displacing said lock member to disengage said latch member in response to the turning of said key operated lock, the improvement comprising:

a release member slidably attached to said lock member, said release member being resiliently biased to a first position in which it is engageable by said electric actuator during said second rotational interval to pivotably displace said lock member, disengaging said latch member from said locked position and displaceable by said latch member being pivoted beyond said locked position in response to said deck lid being forceably closed to a second position in which said release member is not engagable by said electric actuator during said second rotational interval.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.