Vehicle door locking system

Details Vehicle door locking system Vehicle door locking system

1999-08-13

2001-09-18

Estremsky, Gary (Department: 3627)

Closure fasteners

Bolts

Swinging

C292SDIG006

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290269

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a locking system for the doors of vehicles, primarily, but not exclusively road vehicles.
Conventionally a vehicle door locking system includes a latch mechanism which physically interconnects the door and the surrounding frame to hold the door in a closed position, the mechanical latch being releasable to permit the door to be opened. A complex mechanical linkage arrangement controls whether the latch mechanism can be released by movement of an internal door handle and/or an external door handle dependent upon the operative state of a number of other mechanisms including an external key-operated lock, a child-lock, an internal sill locking button and possibly other electrically controlled locking or unlocking systems. Although such an arrangement is normally a mechanical arrangement it can be depicted as in
FIG. 1
as a logic diagram from which the complexity can readily be appreciated.
FIG. 1
illustrates that there may be inputs to the latch mechanism from an internal handle, and an external handle but that the input from the internal handle is dependent upon the setting of a child inhibition (child lock) override. Similarly there are inputs from mechanical locking, electrical locking, and deadlocking systems and the linkage arrangement ensures that operation of the latch mechanism by the internal or the external handle is blocked when any of the mechanical lock, electrical lock, and deadlock systems are operative. Moreover, in the case of an attempt to release the latch mechanism by the internal handle this can only succeed if there is no contrary input from the child inhibition override.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle door locking system which can achieve at least the same flexibility of control, but in a simple and convenient form.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a vehicle door locking system including a latch mechanism having an operative condition and a release condition, an external manually operable control for moving the latch mechanism from said operative to said release condition, controllable coupling means for determining whether or not operation of said external control is transmitted to said latch mechanism to move said latch mechanism from said operative to said release condition, an internal manually operable control for moving the latch mechanism from said operative to said release condition, second controllable coupling means for determining whether or not operation of said internal control is transmitted to said latch mechanism to move said latch mechanism from said operative to said release condition, and a control arrangement responsive to predetermined locking input signals for determining when said first and second controllable coupling means are operative to transmit movement of said respective control to the latch mechanism.
Preferably said control arrangement is an electromechanical device and said signals are electrical signals.
Conveniently said first and second controllable coupling means are each mechanical coupling means.
Desirably said control arrangement includes a movable cam member common to both coupling means, for determining when each coupling means is operative.
Preferably said cam member is a rotatable cam.
Most preferably said cam member is rotatable only in one direction.
Conveniently each said coupling means includes a moveable link pin for establishing a driving connection between an input member moveable by the respective manually operable control and an output member driving the latch mechanism.
Alternatively each said coupling means comprises a moveable pawl spring biased to a position in which it provides a mechanical connection between an input member moveable by the respective manually operable control and an output member for moving said latch mechanism, and said cam means selectively prevents the pawl moving under the action of its resilient means so as to prevent connection between the manually operable control and the latch mechanism.
Preferably there is provided means, available to an authorised user, for overriding the action of the control arrangement and thus permitting the or each manually operable control to release said latch mechanism.
Desirably said means includes a mechanical coupling actuated by movement of the or each manual control beyond its normally permitted range of movement.
Preferably there is provision, in the control arrangement, for the acceptance of a signal from a vehicle crash sensor and the use of such signal to operate the system to ensure that the interior manually operable control is coupled to the latch mechanism.
Desirably the system includes means for encrypting the signals supplied to the control arrangement and a decoding system which must be initialised by a security code signal supplied by the vehicle's security system before the signals to the control arrangement can be decoded and implemented.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4929007 (1990-05-01), Bartczak
patent: 5474339 (1995-12-01), Johnson
patent: 5494322 (1996-02-01), Menke
patent: 5574315 (1996-11-01), Weber
patent: 5667260 (1997-09-01), Weyerstall
patent: 5702136 (1997-12-01), Funk
patent: 32 47018 (1984-06-01), None
patent: 39 18858 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 41 08507 (1992-09-01), None
patent: 295 11451 (1995-10-01), None

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