US 5,236,234 AGranted

Vehicle door latches

AssigneeRockwell Automotive Body Systems (UK) Ltd.

InventorAlan E. Norman

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Abstract

Unitary integrated door latch assembly for vehicles, best seen in FIG. 1, has retention mechanism including a rotary or other latch bolt which engages a door post striker locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the retention mechanism, and electrical actuation and switching means for remote operation of the assembly and/or operation of latch assemblies of other doors of the vehicle e.g. as part of a central locking system, the assembly being in the form of a unit having a body or housing containing at least the electrical components and preferably also the mechanical components substantially sealed for protection and to resist tampering, and with electrical circuitry moulded into the body for plug-in connection of actuators, switches and other electrical components and for plug-in connection to external circuitry, the housing accommodating various selections of electrical components so that a common standard unit can be readily adaptable to different modes or systems of operation e.g. to provide a superlocking facility if required.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A vehicle door latch assembly including retention mechanism having a latch bolt operatively co-acting with a door post striker for latching the door in use;

locking mechanism selectively operable to lock and unlock the retention mechanism;
a primary electric actuator linked for selective powered operation of the locking mechanism;
electrical circuit means connected with said actuator;
and a body structure locating the retention mechanism, the locking mechanism, the actuator, and the circuit means in their operative relationship and formed to accommodate one or more additional electrical components in operative connection with said circuit means, said body structure including a housing part containing at least the actuator, the circuit means, and any of said additional electric components for installation of the assembly as a single unit with all electric elements of the assembly substantially protected within said housing part;
characterized in that said circuit means includes a metal circuit formation integrated into a component of said housing part by incorporation during molding of said component from plastics material, any electrical separation of parts of the circuit formation needed to adapt it to the combination of electrical components used in a particular assembly being provided by selective removal of one or more parts of the integrated component and circuit formation after molding.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.