Vehicle door latch system

A method for preventing movement of a forkbolt pivotally mounted to a housing portion of a vehicle door latch, the method comprising:

• biasing a block out mechanism into an unblocking position by a biasing member, the block out mechanism allowing a detent lever to move from an engaged position to a disengaged position when the block out mechanism is in the unblocking position, wherein the forkbolt can move between a latching position and an unlatching position when the detent lever is in the disengaged position;
• and
• moving the block out mechanism into a blocking position for a predetermined time period by temporarily overcoming a biasing force of the biasing member by applying a voltage to a shape memory alloy operatively coupled to the block out mechanism, wherein the voltage causes the shape memory alloy to constrict in size when the voltage is applied and wherein the shape memory alloy returns to an un-constricted size a predetermined time period after removal of the voltage from the shape memory alloy, and the block out mechanism moves to the unblocking position by the biasing member after the predetermined time period, wherein an electronic control module applies the voltage when at least one sensor detects at least one variable during at least one predetermined event, the at least one sensor being configured to generate a signal for receipt by the electronic control module, the signal corresponding to the at least one variable, the electronic control module being configured to apply the voltage when the at least one variable exceeds a locking threshold.

A method for preventing movement of a forkbolt pivotally mounted to a housing portion of a vehicle door latch, the method comprising:

• biasing a block out mechanism into an unblocking position by a biasing member, the block out mechanism allowing a detent lever to move from an engaged position to a disengaged position, wherein the forkbolt is free to from a latching position to an unlatching position when the detent lever is in the disengaged position;
• detecting the occurrence of at least one variable during at least one predetermined event by at least one sensor;
• sending a signal to an electronic control module when the at least one variable during the at least one predetermined event is detected to cause a shape memory alloy to constrict in size by applying a voltage to the shape memory alloy, the electronic control module being configured to apply the voltage when the electronic control module determines that the at least one variable has occurred during the at least one predetermined event;
• and
• wherein the shape memory alloy moves the block out mechanism into a blocking position, wherein the detent lever is prevented from moving from the engaged position for a predetermined time period by temporarily overcoming the biasing member when the voltage is applied to the shape memory alloy, the shape memory alloy being configured to maintain the block out mechanism in the block out position for a predetermined time period after the voltage has been removed from the shape memory alloy, and wherein the block out mechanism moves to the unblocking position by the biasing member after the predetermined time period.