Closure fasteners – Bolts – Swinging
Patent
1998-12-08
2000-12-12
Browne, Lynne H.
Closure fasteners
Bolts
Swinging
292DIG63, 2923363, E05C 306, E05C 316
Patent
active
061587885
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a door lock device for a vehicle door, and in particular to a door lock device operable into three conditions: first, a condition in which the door is held in a closed position (a closed position holding condition), second, a condition in which the door is locked in the closed position (a locked condition), and third, a condition in which the holding of the closed position is released (a released condition).
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, in this type of door lock device, a lock device main unit B having the above three operating modes is mounted on an open/close free end side D1 of a door D in FIG. 1. In a prior art example, a knob for effecting the operation from the closed position holding condition to the locked condition and vice versa and a lever for effecting the operation from the closed position holding condition to the released condition are mounted on the interior side of the door, the knob and lever being connected with the lock device main unit by individual rods for transmitting the knob movement and lever movement, respectively, to the lock device main unit B.
Such a door lock device has had the various problems described below because the rods are non-elastic rigid members. There are at least four problems.
A stick or the like is inserted between the door body and the door window from outside the vehicle so that the rods are operated to put the lock device into the released condition and thus open the door, and articles inside the vehicle are stolen.
When the vehicle collides, there is a possibility that the rods may be mechanically bent and the lock device main unit may be put into the same condition as if the rods are pulled, that is, into the released condition, causing the door to open and thus exposing passengers to danger.
If the prescribed route along which the rods are to be installed in the vehicle door is bent, it is difficult to install the rods along the prescribed route when assembling the lock device onto the door, and the assembling work efficiency is impaired.
Assembling the lock device to the door demands close dimensional tolerances on the positional relationship between the lock device main unit and the knob and lever, and the assembling work has to be done with care, which requires a lot of time and work.
To solve the above-enumerated problems, there is proposed the following construction. That is, an operating member for effecting the operation to switch between the closed position holding condition, lock condition, and released condition is provided in the lock device main unit, the operating member being made switchable between three positions, i.e., an unlocked position, a locked position, and a released position. In the main unit, an engaging member for engaging a latch member that engages on a striker is interlocked with the operation of the operating member such that when the operating member is in the released position, engagement of the latch member by the engaging member is released, and when the operating member is in any of the other positions, the latch is engaged with the engaging member. Further, a locking lever for switching the door lock device between the unlocked and locked conditions is interlocked with the operation of the operating member such that when the operating member is in the locked position, the locking lever is in the locked condition, and when the operating member is in any of the other positions, the locking lever is in the unlocked condition. On the other hand, an operating handle for switching the mode between the closed position holding condition, locked condition, and released condition is mounted on the interior side of the door. This operating handle is connected with the operating member in the lock device main unit by a flexible cable. Such a construction is proposed (for example, in European Patent Application No. 169644).
In the above construction, since the cable for connecting the lock device main unit with the operating handle in interlocking relationship is flexible, the cable
REFERENCES:
patent: 4342209 (1982-08-01), Kleefeldt
patent: 4889373 (1989-12-01), Ward et al.
patent: 5005885 (1991-04-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5853060 (1998-12-01), Chao et al.
patent: 5927775 (1999-07-01), Trammell, Jr.
Fukaya Hideaki
Ikeda Ichio
Browne Lynne H.
Drucker William A.
Kabushikikaisha Ansei
Walsh John B.
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