Vehicle door lock device

A vehicle door lock device, comprising:

• a latch mechanism being capable of holding a door of a vehicle in a closed state with respect to a body of the vehicle and adapted to be mounted to said door together with a housing;
• an inside open lever rotatably mounted to said housing and adapted to be actuated for rotation from an initial position to an operating position along with a door opening operation of an inside door handle provided inside said door;
• an outside open lever rotatably mounted to said housing and adapted to be actuated for rotation from an initial position to an operating position along with a door opening operation of an outside door handle provided outside said door;
• an open link tiltably mounted to a connecting portion provided in said outside open lever by a predetermined amount, said connecting portion being adapted to be displaced along with rotation of said outside open lever, said open link having a pushing portion capable of engaging an engaging portion of a lift lever provided in said latch mechanism, said open link being pushed from an initial position toward said lift lever when said inside open lever is actuated for rotation from the initial position to the operating position or when said outside open lever is actuated for rotation from the initial position to the operating position;
• an active lever rotatably mounted to said housing and adapted to be switched by a locking operation of a lock/unlock operation member from an unlock position to a lock position to bring said open link into a locked state and switched by an unlocking operation of said lock/unlock operation member from the lock position to the unlock position to bring said open link into an unlocked state;
• a spring interposed between said outside open lever and said open link, the spring biasing said open link toward the unlocked state and causing the open link to be held relatively movably with respect to said lift lever to permit return of the open link to the initial position;
• an unlocked state holding guide for holding said open link in the unlocked state when said active lever is in the unlock position and when said outside open lever rotates between the initial position and the operating position, said unlocked state holding guide being configured so as to hold the open link in the unlocked state by preventing the open link from moving into the locked state through a frictional cooperation between the open link and the unlocked state holding guide;
• a locked state holding guide for holding said open link in the locked state when said active lever is in the lock position and when said outside open lever rotates between the initial position and the operating position, said locked state holding guide being configured so as to hold the open link in the locked state by preventing the open link from moving into the unlocked state through a frictional cooperation between the open link and the locked state holding guide;
• a pushing arm portion provided in said active lever, said pushing arm portion being configured such that when said active lever is in the unlock position, said pushing arm portion engages with said open link which is in the unlocked state so that said open link tilts by switching a position of said active lever from the unlock position to the lock position, and said pushing arm portion disengages from said open link which is in the locked state to permit the movement of the open link into the unlocked state;
• a first pushing arm portion provided in said inside open lever, said first pushing arm portion capable of being engaged with and disengaged from said outside open lever;
• and
• a second pushing arm portion provided in said inside open lever, said second pushing arm portion capable of being engaged with and disengaged from said active lever;
• wherein said first pushing arm portion and said second pushing arm portion are configured so that the timing of engagement of said second pushing arm portion with said active lever is earlier than the timing of engagement of said first pushing arm portion with said outside open lever when said inside door handle is operated to open the door.