Solenoid operated latch device with movable pole piece

A remotely actuated solenoid latch apparatus adapted to be mounted to a motor vehicle structure and engagable with a striker bar, comprising:

• a tubular housing;
• a solenoid coil assembly fixedly disposed in said tubular housing and defining a longitudinal bore;
• a pole piece having a first end portion disposed within said bore;
• an armature having a first end portion disposed within said bore and adapted to move axially therein between a first position displaced from said pole piece to a second position attracted toward said pole piece in response to energization of said solenoid coil assembly;
• a latch bolt coupled to a second end portion of said armature and adapted for lockingly engaging the striker bar when said armature is in said first position and releasably disengaging the striker bar when said armature is in said second position;
• first biasing means for urging said armature toward said first position to define a predetermined air gap between said first end portion of said pole piece and said first end portion of said armature;
• a movable guide member having a central passage in which said latch bolt is movably disposed and having movement limiting means for defining a predetermined axial relationship between said guide member and a portion of said latch bolt extending out of said central passage when said armature is in said first position;
• coupling means for interconnecting said guide member and said pole piece such that said pole piece is axially movable within said longitudinal bore upon corresponding movement of said guide member;
• and
• second biasing means acting on said coupling means for urging said guide member toward an axially protracted position;
• said guide member adapted to move to an axially retracted position upon contact with the striker bar in opposition to said second biasing means for compensating for positional variations between said guide member and the striker bar, said movement limiting means maintaining said latch bolt in said predetermined axial relationship relative to said guide member whereby said guide member aligns said latch bolt relative to the striker bar to enable said latch bolt to thereafter contact the striker bar until the striker bar is lockingly engaged by said latch bolt.

A fuel filler door latch assembly adapted to be mounted to a motor vehicle structure and engagable with a striker bar, comprising:

• a housing member defining an inner chamber and having an access opening, said housing adapted to be mounted to the motor vehicle structure;
• a door for covering said access opening when said door is in a closed position, the striker bar secured to said door so as to be disposed within said chamber of said housing when said door is in said closed position;
• a solenoid actuated latch apparatus extending at least partially into said housing through an aperture therein, said latch assembly including:
• a solenoid having an energization coil assembly defining a longitudinal bore;
• an armature disposed in said bore and adapted to translate in response to energization of said coil assembly;
• pole means for defining a working air gap across which magnetic fields are transferred thereby generating an attracting force between said pole means and said armature which urges said armature to move toward said pole means when said coil assembly is energized;
• biasing means for urging said armature away from said pole means when said coil assembly is de-energized;
• latch means associated with said movable armature for lockingly engaging the striker bar when said armature is in on of said positions and releasably disengaging the striker bar when said armature is in the other positions;
• and
• alignment compensating means associated with said latch means and adapted to move upon engagement with the striker bar for aligning said latch means relative to the striker bar to enable said latch means to thereafter lockingly engage the striker bar in a latched position.

A fuel filler door latch assembly adapted to be mounted to a motor vehicle structure and engagable with a striker bar, comprising:

• a housing member defining an inner chamber and having an access opening, said housing member adapted to be mounted to the motor vehicle structure;
• a pivotable door assembly for covering said access opening when said door assembly is in a closed position, the striker bar secured to said door assembly so as to be disposed within said chamber of said housing member when said door assembly is in said closed position;
• a solenoid actuated latch apparatus extending at least partially into said housing member through an aperture therein, said latch assembly including:
• a tubular housing;
• a solenoid coil assembly fixedly disposed in said tubular housing and defining a longitudinal bore;
• a pole piece having a first end portion disposed within said bore;
• an armature having a first end portion disposed within said bore and adapted to translate therein between a first position displaced from said pole piece to a second position attracted toward said pole piece in response to energization of said solenoid coil assembly;
• a latch bolt associated with a second end portion of said armature and adapted for lockingly engaging the striker bar when said armature is in said first position and releasably disengaging the striker bar when said armature is in said second position;
• first biasing means for urging said armature toward said first position to define a predetermined air gap between said first end portion of said pole piece and said first end portion of said armature;
• a movable guide member having a central passage in which said latch bolt is movably disposed and having movement limiting means for defining a predetermined axial relationship between said guide member and a portion of said latch bolt extending out of said passage;
• strap means for interconnecting said guide member and said pole piece such that said pole piece is axially movable within said longitudinal bore upon corresponding movement of said guide member;
• and
• second biasing means associated with said strap means for urging said guide member toward an axially protracted position;
• said guide member adapted to move to an axially retracted position upon contact with the striker bar in opposition to said second biasing means for compensating for positional variations between said guide member and the striker bar, said movement limiting means maintaining said latch bolt in said predetermined axial relationship relative to said guide member whereby said guide member aligns said latch bolt relative to the striker bar to enable said latch bolt to thereafter contact the striker bar until the striker bar is lockingly engaged by said latch bolt.