Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-08-21
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C049S280000, C049S360000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276743
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally pertains to motor vehicles and more particularly to a latching mechanism for a vehicle door.
2. Discussion
In various types of motor vehicles, including minivans, delivery vans, and the like, it has become common practice to provide the vehicle body with a relatively large side openings that are located immediately behind the front doors which are opened and closed with a sliding door. The sliding door is typically mounted with hinges on horizontal tracks on the vehicle body for guided sliding movement between a a closed position flush with the vehicle body closing the side opening and an open position located outward of and alongside the vehicle body rearward of the side opening. The sliding door may be operated manually, as is most generally the case or with a power operated system.
One significant drawback of several of the power operated systems heretofore utilized is their inability to close the door in a slow and controlled manner with a device which may be readily interchanged with a completely manual latch mechanism. Typically, these systems rely on complex latching mechanisms which are costly to produce and difficult to integrate into a vehicle relative to their completely mechanical counterparts.
Consequently, there remains a need in the art for an improved power latching mechanism for a vehicle power door system which permits the vehicle door to be closed both manually and in an automated cycle which is less complex and costly to produce and which may readily be integrated into a vehicle in an upgrading manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a vehicle power door system which draws the vehicle door into a latched position in a controlled manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a vehicle power door system which may be cycled manually to latch and unlatch the vehicle door.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a vehicle power door system which may be cycled automatically to unlatch the vehicle door.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a vehicle power door system which may be easily integrated into the vehicle in an upgrading manner.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a power sliding door system for a vehicle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a power latching mechanism for use in a power tailgate system for a vehicle.
The power latching mechanism of the present invention includes a latch ratchet, a pawl member, a latch sector and a drive assembly. The latch ratchet is configured to selectively engage or disengage a member to secure the vehicle door to or release the vehicle door from the vehicle body. The latch ratchet is operable between a fully unlatched position and a fully latched position. The latch sector is pivotably coupled to the latch ratchet and is operable between a first extended position, a neutral position and a second extended position. The drive assembly is coupled to the latch sector and operable for selectively moving the latch sector from the neutral position to the first and second extended positions. Placement of the latch sector in the neutral position does not effect the operation the latch ratchet. Accordingly, the latch ratchet may be actuated manually to either latch or unlatch the vehicle door when the latch sector is in the returned position. Placement of the latch sector in the first extended position causes the latch ratchet to move to the fully latched position. Placement of the latch sector in the second extended position permits the latch ratchet to move to the fully unlatched position. The preferred embodiment includes a clutch mechanism which permits the latch sector to move to the neutral position when the drive assembly is not in use. The preferred embodiment also includes an unlatching mechanism which is operable for manually releasing the latch ratchet from the fully latched position.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Brock Waine T.
Faubert Robert J.
Jyawook Jaime N.
Kapes Richard C.
Manning Richard A.
Calcaterra Mark P.
Coletta Lori L.
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
Dayoan D. Glenn
LandOfFree
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