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US 7,070,214 B2Granted
Lock mechanism
AssigneeArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems (UK) Ltd.
InventorsSidney Edward Fisher, Gurbinder Singh Kalsi, Stephen Drysdale, Robert Frank Tolley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lock mechanism has a manually actuable element, a lock lever and an actuator, with the manually actuable element connected to the lock lever via a transmission path. The transmission path includes a rigid link with an end defining an abutment for selectively driving the lock lever. A drive feature couples the abutment to the lock lever when the lock lever is rotated between locked and unlocked positions by operation of the manually actuable element. The drive feature decouples the abutment from the lock lever when the manually actuable element is actuated in an attempt to move the lock lever from a superlocked position, allowing the abutment to move relative to the lock lever.
Claims22
A lock mechanism for a vehicle, the lock mechanism comprising:
- a manually actuable element;
- a lock lever having a locked position, an unlocked position and a superlocked position relating to a locked condition, an unlocked condition and a superlocked condition of the lock mechanism, respectively, the manually actuable element being connected to the lock lever via a transmission path, wherein the lock lever is rotatable about an axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element;
- an actuator that rotates the lock lever about the axis of rotation between the locked position, the unlocked position and the superlocked position;
- and
- a rigid link in the transmission path, wherein the rigid link is pivotable relative to the manually actuable element and has a first end in driven connection with the manually actuable element and a second end defining an abutment for selectively driving the lock lever via a drive feature,
- wherein the drive feature couples the abutment to the lock lever so that the abutment follows an arcuate path centered on the axis of rotation when the lock lever is rotated about the axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element,
- wherein the drive feature decouples the abutment from the lock lever when the manually actuable element is actuated in an attempt to move the lock lever from the superlocked position such that the abutment moves relative to the lock lever, and
- wherein the drive feature includes an elongate slot in the lock lever, the elongate slot including a slot end and a notch arranged at the slot end for engaging the abutment, and the abutment rests partly in the notch and partly in the elongate slot when the lock lever is in one of the locked position and the unlocked position.
5 more elements
A latch mechanism for a vehicle, the latch mechanism comprising:
- a lock mechanism including:
- a manually actuable element;
- a lock lever having a locked position, an unlocked position and a superlocked position relating to a locked condition, an unlocked condition and a superlocked condition, respectively, of the lock mechanism, the manually actuable element being connected to the lock lever via a transmission path;
- an actuator that rotates the lock lever about an axis of rotation between the locked position, the unlocked position and the superlocked position;
- and
- a rigid link in the transmission path, wherein the rigid link is pivotable relative to the manually actuable element and has a first end in driven connection with the manually actuable element and a second end defining an abutment for selectively driving the lock lever via a drive feature,
- wherein the drive feature couples the abutment to the lock lever so that the abutment follows an arcuate path centered on the axis of rotation when the lock lever is rotated about the axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element,
- wherein the drive feature decouples the abutment from the lock lever when the manually actuable element is actuated in an attempt to move the lock lever from the superlocked position such that the abutment moves relative to the lock lever, and
- wherein the lock lever has a released position corresponding to a released condition of the latch mechanism, and wherein the lock lever is moveable between the released position, the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element.
6 more elements
A lock mechanism for a vehicle, the lock mechanism comprising:
- a manually actuable element;
- a lock lever having a locked position, an unlocked position and a superlocked position relating to a locked condition, an unlocked condition and a superlocked condition of the lock mechanism, the manually actuable element being connected to the lock lever via a transmission path, wherein the lock lever is rotatable about an axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element;
- an actuator that rotates the lock lever about the axis of rotation between the locked position, the unlocked position and the superlocked position;
- and
- a rigid link in the transmission path, wherein the rigid link is pivotable relative to the manually actuable element and has a first end in driven connection with the manually actuable element and a second end defining an abutment for selectively driving the lock lever via a drive feature, wherein the drive feature includes a resilient member,
- wherein the drive feature couples the abutment to the lock lever so that the abutment follows an arcuate path centered on the axis of rotation when the lock lever is rotated about the axis of rotation between the locked position and the unlocked position by operation of the manually actuable element, and
- wherein the drive feature decouples the abutment from the lock lever when the manually actuable element is actuated in an attempt to move the lock lever from the superlocked position such that the abutment moves relative to the lock lever.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.