Closure fasteners – Bolt guards
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-23
2002-10-29
Estremsky, Gary (Department: 3677)
Closure fasteners
Bolt guards
C292S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06471266
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door latch cover for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to a door cover for an automotive vehicle adapted to be coupled to a latch installed at a door of an automotive vehicle for preventing a locked door from being externally unlocked and foreign objects from being infused into a door latch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a door of an automotive vehicle(hereinafter referred to as door) is mounted with a door latch for locking and unlocking the door and a striker is also disposed at a pillar of the body of the vehicle so as to be joined to the door latch.
The door latch assembly includes, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, a door latch
3
so disposed as to be exposed to a facing side of door hinge in a door
1
comprising an inner panel and an outer panel, a door latch cover
10
for encompassing the door latch
3
, an outer handle (O) connected to a rod (L) for actuating the door latch
3
, and a door lock actuator
5
connected to the rod (L) for restricting/releasing the actuation of the door latch
3
and encompassed by a door lock actuator cover
20
.
In other words, the door latch
3
and the door lock actuator
5
are respectively encompassed by each cover
10
and
20
, where the covers
10
and
20
serve to prevent infuse of foreign objects into the door latch
3
and the door lock actuator
5
and avoid odd objects such as steel ruler and the like from being inserted in between a door glass (not shown) and a weather strip (not shown) to thereby prevent the door latch
3
and the door lock actuator
5
from being actuated.
The door latch cover
10
and the door lock actuator cover
20
are coupled by respectively being inserted into a protruder
30
formed at the door latch
3
and another protruder (not shown) formed at the door lock actuator
5
, where bosses
11
and
21
each formed at predetermined positions of the door lock actuator cover
20
and the door latch cover
10
are inserted by the protruder
30
formed at a bracket
32
of the door latch
3
, as illustrated in
FIGS. 2
a
,
2
b
and
3
.
Furthermore, each cover
10
and
20
is formed with a plurality of incised parts
12
such that rod (L) and the like provided to connect to other parts do not interfere with the covers
10
and
20
while the covers
10
and
20
encompass the door latch
3
and the door lock actuator
5
.
However, there is a problem in that, when the door latch and the door lock actuator are inserted while the door latch cover and the door lock actuator cover are respectively manufactured, assembly should be made without interference from respective cover and rod when respective covers are installed, resulting in decrease of assembly efficiency.
Furthermore, there is another problem in that the door latch cover is fitted into the door latch to thereby frequently generate a movement or disengagement of the cover due to vibration of an automotive vehicle, such that the door latch or door lock actuator are actuated to open the door, causing a fear of theft or robbery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a door latch cover for automotive vehicle adapted to allow one door latch cover to encompass a door latch and a door lock actuator, thereby preventing a steel ruler and the like from being inserted in between a weather strip and a door window glass to release the door latch or the door lock actuator and reducing the number of assemblies in the door latch assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a door latch cover for automotive vehicle adapted to improve a coupling force between a door latch cover and a door latch, thereby preventing the latch cover from being removed or moved from the door latch and also preventing an automotive vehicle from being stolen.
In accordance with the objects of the present invention, there is provided a door latch cover for automotive vehicle, the door latch cover fixedly arranged to encompass a door latch connected by a door lock actuator to be locked and to be unlocked and so constructed as to prevent the door latch from being actuated from outside through a door glass and a weather strip, wherein the door latch cover is integrally formed with an extended for blocking an upper part of the door lock actuator and for preventing the door actuator from being actuated from outside.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4628300 (1986-12-01), Amato
patent: 4902058 (1990-02-01), Ohhashi et al.
patent: 5435609 (1995-07-01), Igata et al.
patent: 5676002 (1997-10-01), Hoeptner, III
patent: 5709420 (1998-01-01), Umino
patent: 5988712 (1999-11-01), Segelin
patent: 823616 (1959-11-01), None
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