Latch device for vehicle door

Abstract

A latch device (1) provided on a door side of a vehicle is provided with: a ratchet wheel (12) that engages with a striker (2) so as to be rotatable in a locking direction toward a fully locked position and rotatable in a release direction toward an unlocked position; a sector gear (13) that is rotated by the actuator (3); a tightening lever (14) that is connected to the sector gear (13) and that rotates the ratchet in the upward locking direction by coming into contact with a contact part (125) of the ratchet (12); a pawl (15) that restricts rotation of the ratchet (12) in the release direction; and a release lever (16) for releasing the restriction by the pawl (15) by coming into contact with the sector gear (13), one of the sector gear (13) and the tightening lever (14) having a groove (132, 143), the groove (132, 143) including a second groove (132Y, 143Y) provided such that, when the ratchet (12) and the tightening lever (14) are in an abnormal position, the sector gear (13) comes into contact with the release lever (16) and the restriction by the pawl (15) on the ratchet (12) can be released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a latch device for a vehicle door. Background Art

[0002] A latch device for a vehicle door having a power tightening mechanism for shifting a latch from a semi-locked position to a fully locked position is known (Patent Document 1). The latch device described in the document is mounted on a rear door of a vehicle and comprises a ratchet (24), a tightening rod (21) and a ratchet pawl (25). The rear door is shifted between a semi-locked position and a fully locked position by engaging / releasing the ratchet (24) with a striker (7) provided on the vehicle body side.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0301562 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the above-mentioned conventional door latch device with a power tightening mechanism, the ratchet is rotated in the locking direction by utilizing the tightening rod actuated by the actuator, so that the ratchet is shifted from the half-locked position to the fully locked position, but the tightening rod is located on the rear side of the ratchet in the locking direction.

[0008] However, the inventors of the present invention have found that when the driver closes the door and the door is in the semi-locked position, if the driver opens the door and the ratchet returns to the state before the semi-lock, the take-up lever located at the rear side of the ratchet in the semi-locked position is located at the front side of the ratchet. If such an abnormal state is reached, there is a problem that the take-up lever is mechanically locked and the restoration operation cannot be performed.

[0009] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a latch device for a vehicle door which can restore the positional relationship between a ratchet wheel and a take-up lever to a normal positional relationship even if the positional relationship between the ratchet wheel and the take-up lever becomes an abnormal state.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem through the following scheme: a driving element and a tightening rod that are rotated by utilizing an actuator are provided with a rotation limiting portion that limits the rotation range of the driving element according to the rotation position of the tightening rod, and the rotation limiting portion is configured so that when the ratchet is located between the fully locked position and the unlocked position, and the contact portion of the tightening rod relative to the ratchet is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet, the driving element contacts the release component and can cause the release component to rotate in the opposite limiting direction.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet and the tightening lever becomes abnormal, the driving element contacts the release member and can rotate the release member in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet can rotate in the release direction and return to the unlocked position. Thus, the ratchet and the tightening lever can be restored to a normal positional relationship. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the latch device for a vehicle door according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2A Yes means Figure 1 Front view of the unlocked state of the ratchet and pawl (unlocked position P1 of the ratchet).

[0016] Figure 2B Yes means Figure 1 A front view of the semi-locked state of the ratchet and pawl (semi-locked position P2 of the ratchet).

[0017] Figure 2C Yes means Figure 1 Front view of the fully locked state of the ratchet and pawl (fully locked position P3 of the ratchet).

[0018] Figure 3A Yes means Figure 1 A front view of the sector gear and the take-up lever in an unlocked or semi-locked state.

[0019] Figure 3B Yes means Figure 1 Front view of the sector gear and take-up lever in the fully locked state (before the sector gear returns to the neutral position).

[0020] Figure 3C Yes means Figure 1 Front view of the sector gear and take-up lever in the fully locked state (after the sector gear returns to the neutral position).

[0021] Figure 3D Yes means Figure 1 Front view of the sector gear and the release action of the take-up lever.

[0022] Figure 3E It is along Figure 3A Cross-sectional view of line IIIE-IIIE.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the operation of the latch device when the door is closed.

[0024] Figure 5It is a perspective view showing the operation of the latch device when the door is opened.

[0025] Figure 6 It is a perspective view of the latch device for explaining the cause of the abnormal positional relationship between the ratchet and the take-up lever.

[0026] Figure 7 It is magnified Figure 6 The right picture shows the front view of the sector gear, tightening rod and ratchet.

[0027] Figure 8 It means from Figure 7 The main view of the action of restoring the abnormal position relationship.

[0028] Fig. 9A It is a front view showing a sector gear and a take-up lever of another embodiment of the latch device for a vehicle door according to the present invention.

[0029] Fig. 9B It is along Fig. 9A A cross-sectional view of line IXB-IXB. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 While explaining the embodiment examples for implementing the invention. Figure 1 The present invention is a stereoscopic view showing an embodiment of a latch device for a vehicle door of the present invention. The latch device 1 for a vehicle door of the present embodiment (hereinafter, also referred to as the latch device 1) is applicable to various vehicle doors such as a rear door, a side door (front side door, rear side door), and a trunk lid. When the vehicle door is closed, it is firmly sealed to maintain a sealed state in the vehicle compartment or the trunk, and when the vehicle door is opened, it is set to a half-open door to facilitate the subsequent opening operation.

[0031] The latch device 1 of the vehicle door of the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle door side, and closes the vehicle door by engaging with the striker 2, and opens the vehicle door by releasing from the striker 2. The striker 2 is fixed to the vehicle body side, such as the rear door opening, the side door opening, the trunk opening, etc.

[0032] The latch device 1 of the vehicle door of this embodiment includes a base plate 11, on which a ratchet 12, a sector gear 13, a tightening rod 14, a pawl 15, and a release rod 16 are rotatably mounted. The base plate 11 on which these elements are mounted is fixed to a vehicle door such as a rear door (not shown) using bolts or the like. The striker 2 is formed by bending a solid round bar-shaped steel material and is fixed to the vehicle body side. Figure 1 In addition, the sector gear 13 is an example of the driving element of the present invention, and the ratchet 15 and the release lever 16 are examples of the release member of the present invention.

[0033] The ratchet 12 is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the base plate 11 about the rotation axis 12C, and is elastically biased in the release direction relative to the base plate 11 by a coil spring (not shown). Figure 2A to Figure 2C The rotational position of the ratchet wheel 12 will be described. Figure 2A 1 is a front view showing the unlocked state between the ratchet 12 and the pawl 15 (the unlocked position P1 of the ratchet 12). Figure 2B 1 is a front view showing a semi-locked state between the ratchet 12 and the pawl 15 (a semi-locked position P2 of the ratchet 12). Figure 2C It is a front view showing the fully locked state between the ratchet 12 and the pawl 15 (the fully locked position P3 of the ratchet 12 ).

[0034] Ratchet 12 in Figure 2A The unlocking position P1 of the state where the striker 2 is released is different from the unlocking position P2 of the state where the striker 2 is released. Figure 2C As shown in the figure, the striker 2 is completely caught in the fully locked position P3, during which time, as shown in the figure, Figure 2B As shown in the figure, the half-locked position P2 in the state of half-grasping the striker 2 is passed. The rotation direction of the ratchet 12 toward the full-locked position P3 is called the locking direction, and the rotation direction toward the unlocking position P1 is called the releasing direction. Figure 1 and Figure 2A to Figure 2C For explanation, the direction in which the ratchet 12 rotates clockwise is the releasing direction, and the direction in which it rotates counterclockwise is the locking direction. In addition, the terms such as the locking direction and the releasing direction are used not only for the rotating direction of the ratchet 12, but also for the rotating direction of the sector gear 13, the tightening rod 14, the ratchet 15, and the releasing rod 16 constituting the latch device 1. That is, when these elements rotate, the rotating direction when the latch device 1 works in a locked manner is called the locking direction, and the rotating direction when the latch device 1 works in a released manner is called the releasing direction.

[0035] The ratchet 12 is released in the direction Figure 1 The clockwise elastic force shown in Figure 2A In the unlocking position P1 shown in FIG. 1 , the rotation in the release direction is limited by a stopper not shown. Figure 2A The unlock position P1 shown in FIG. 1 is further rotated in the release direction (clockwise). Figure 2A The unlocked position P1 shown is waiting for engagement with the striker 2 .

[0036] The ratchet 12 is formed of a flat metal material or a synthetic resin material, such as Figure 2CAs shown, it includes a first convex portion 121 that engages with the first concave portion 151 of the pawl 15 at the fully locked position P3, a second convex portion 122 that similarly engages with the second concave portion 152 of the pawl 15, and a notch portion 123 for the striker 2 to engage. Figure 2C As shown, when the ratchet 12 is in the fully locked position P3, the first protrusion 121 of the ratchet 12 engages with the first recess 151 of the pawl 15, and the second protrusion 122 of the ratchet 12 engages with the second recess 152 of the pawl 15. As a result, the ratchet 12 overcomes the elastic force acting in the release direction and is constrained in the fully locked position P3. Figure 2C The fully locked position P3 is shown.

[0037] In addition, Figure 2B As shown, the ratchet 12 includes a first recessed portion 124 that engages with the first protruding portion 153 of the pawl 15 at the half-locked position P2. Figure 2B As shown, when the ratchet 12 is in the half-locked position P2, the first protrusion 153 of the pawl 15 engages with the first recess 124 of the ratchet 12. As a result, the ratchet 12 is temporarily restrained in the half-locked position P2 against the elastic force acting in the release direction. Figure 2B The semi-locked position P3 is shown. In addition, the ratchet 12 also includes a contact portion 125 that contacts the tightening lever 14.

[0038] return Figure 1 The sector gear 13 and the tightening lever 14 are mounted on the bottom plate 11 by the same rotating shaft 13C. The sector gear 13 is a gear formed in a sector shape, and the tooth portion 131 of the sector gear 13 is connected to the actuator 3 in a manner that meshes with the tooth portion 31 of the actuator 3. The sector gear 13 of this embodiment corresponds to the driving element of the present invention, but the driving element of the present invention is a member that is rotated by the actuator 3 and acts on the tightening lever 14 and the release lever 16 as discussed later, and is not limited to the sector gear 13.

[0039] In addition, the sector gear 13 is formed with a curved long hole-shaped groove 132 (see also FIG. 1 ) through which the pin 141 of the tightening lever 14 passes. Figure 3E And, Figure 1 The position shown is set as the neutral position and is set to rotate in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the direction in which the sector gear 13 rotates clockwise is the locking direction, and the direction in which the sector gear 13 rotates counterclockwise is the releasing direction. In addition, the groove 132 and the pin 141 of the present embodiment are an example of the rotation restricting portion of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 3A to Figure 3E 1 is a front view showing the relationship between the sector gear 13 and the tightening rod 14. Figure 3A It means it is in unlocked state or half-locked state. Figure 3BIt indicates that the vehicle is in a fully locked state and is before the sector gear 13 returns to the neutral position. Figure 3C 1 is a front view showing the fully locked state and the state after the sector gear 13 returns to the neutral position. Figure 3D 1 is a front view showing the release action of the sector gear 13 and the tightening rod 14, Figure 3E It is along Figure 3A Cross-sectional view of line IIIE-IIIE.

[0041] like Figure 3A As shown, the tightening rod 14 is moved in the release direction relative to the sector gear 13, that is, the Figure 3A In addition, the tightening rod 14 has a pin 141 that passes through the groove 132 of the sector gear 13. When no other load acts on the tightening rod 14, the pin 141 is elastically urged in the release direction, and stops at a position abutting against the right end of the groove 132, thereby limiting further rotation in the release direction.

[0042] The details are discussed later, but if the sector gear 13 is Figure 3A If the neutral position shown is rotated clockwise (locking direction), Figure 3B As shown in FIG. 1 , the tightening lever 14 provided to the rotating shaft 13C like the sector gear 13 abuts against the right end of the groove 132. Therefore, as the sector gear 13 rotates, the tightening lever 14 also rotates in the clockwise direction (locking direction) around the rotating shaft 13C. As a result, the contact portion 142 of the tightening lever 14 abuts against the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12, causing the ratchet 12 to rotate from the right end. Figure 2A The unlocked position P1 or the half-locked position P2 shown is Figure 2B The fully locked position P3 is shown rotated.

[0043] On the other hand, Figure 3C As shown in FIG. 1 , if the ratchet 12 rotates to the fully locked position P3, then Figure 2C As shown in FIG. 1 , the first recess 151 of the pawl 15 engages with the first protrusion 121 of the ratchet 12, and the second recess 152 of the pawl 15 engages with the second protrusion 122 of the ratchet 12, thereby preventing the ratchet 12 from rotating in the release direction while holding the striker at its notch 123. Figure 3C As shown in the figure, the take-up lever 14 rotates counterclockwise to return to the neutral position, and the take-up lever 14 also rotates counterclockwise due to the elastic force along with the counterclockwise rotation of the sector gear 13.

[0044] In from Figure 3C When the full lock state is released, Figure 3DAs shown, the sector gear 13 rotates counterclockwise from the neutral position, contacts the first contact portion 161 of the release lever 16 and pushes the first contact portion 161. The details will be discussed later, but the rotation restriction of the ratchet 12 is released by the release lever 16 and the pawl 15, so that the striker 2 is released. When the sector gear 13 rotates counterclockwise from the neutral position, the tightening lever 14 elastically urged counterclockwise relative to the sector gear 13 also rotates counterclockwise, but the space for arranging the components of the latch device 1 is limited. Therefore, when the tightening lever 14 rotates counterclockwise, it is sometimes impossible to ensure a sufficient space for preventing interference with other components.

[0045] Therefore, in the latch device 1 of the present embodiment, the groove 132 of the sector gear 13 is formed in a long hole shape. Figure 1 When the shown neutral position is rotated counterclockwise, even if the tip of the tension lever 14 contacts the bottom plate 11 or the like, the tension lever 14 remains stopped at this position, and the sector gear 13 can further rotate counterclockwise. Figure 3D 1 shows the rotation limit (the end in the counterclockwise direction) of the sector gear 13 to release the fully locked state of the ratchet 12. In this state, the sector gear 13 contacts and presses the first contact portion 161 of the release lever 16. Figure 3D The range of the groove 132 indicated by 132X is the range of the groove required for the relative rotation between the sector gear 13 and the tightening rod 14 during the release operation of the latch device 1, and is also referred to as the first groove 132X. In addition, in the latch device 1 of this embodiment, the long hole-shaped groove 132 is not only the first groove 132X, but is further extended to the range indicated by 132X, and the details thereof will be discussed later. This range is also referred to as the second groove 132Y.

[0046] return Figure 1 The ratchet 15 is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the base plate 11 about the rotation axis 15C, and is elastically biased relative to the base plate 11 in a limiting direction to limit the rotation of the ratchet 12 in the release direction by a coil spring (not shown). Figure 1 and Figure 2A to Figure 2C In the example shown, the pawl 15 is elastically urged in the counterclockwise direction. The pawl 15 is formed of a flat metal material or a synthetic resin material, such as Figure 2C As shown, the first recessed portion 151 that engages with the first protruding portion 121 of the ratchet 12 at the fully locked position P3 and the second recessed portion 152 that similarly engages with the second protruding portion 122 of the ratchet 12 are included. Figure 2BAs shown, the pawl 15 includes a first protrusion 153 that engages with the first recess 124 of the ratchet 12 at the half-lock position P2. In addition, the pawl 15 also includes a contact portion 154 that contacts the release lever 16.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the release lever 16 is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the base plate 11 about the rotation axis 16C, and is elastically biased by a coil spring relative to the base plate 11 in a direction that allows the pawl 15 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction (the limiting direction of the ratchet 12). Figure 1 In the example shown, the release lever 16 is elastically urged in the clockwise direction. The release lever 16 is formed of a flat metal material or a synthetic resin material, and includes a first contact portion 161 that contacts the sector gear 13 and a second contact portion 162 that contacts the contact portion 154 of the pawl 15 during the release operation of the latch device 1.

[0048] The clockwise rotation of the release lever 16 caused by the elastic force is limited by the stopper pin 163 provided on the bottom plate 11, and the release lever 16 does not rotate further in the clockwise direction. Figure 2C The fully locked state shown is located at the left side of the pawl 15 (the front side of the elastic force direction of the pawl 15). That is, it is set to a position that does not hinder the pawl 15 from rotating counterclockwise to constrain the ratchet 12 to the fully locked position P3. In addition, if the first contact portion 161 is pushed by the sector gear 13, the release lever 16 overcomes the elastic force and rotates counterclockwise, Figure 2C The second contact portion 162 shown in the figure places the contact portion 154 of the ratchet 15 at the Figure 2C The ratchet 12 is pushed to the right by the pawl 15, thereby releasing the constraint of the ratchet 12.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the release member for locking or releasing the ratchet 12 relative to the full lock position P3 is composed of two members, the pawl 15 and the release lever 16 . However, the release member of the present invention may be composed of one member or three or more members.

[0050] The vehicle door latch device 1 of the present embodiment further includes a sensor 4 for detecting the half-locked position P2 of the ratchet 12 and a controller 5 for driving and controlling the actuator 3 based on a detection signal of the sensor 4 and a release signal of a door opening switch.

[0051] The sensor 4 is not particularly limited in type as long as it can detect that the ratchet 12 is at the half-locked position P2, and various sensors such as proximity switches, rotary encoders, and limit switches can be used. The sensor 4 informs the driver that the ratchet 12 is at the half-locked position P2, and calls attention to not driving with the door half-open.

[0052] A door opening switch (not shown) is provided near the door hook or around the dashboard of the vehicle, for example. If the driver presses the door opening switch, a release signal from the door opening switch is input to the controller 5. Thus, the controller 5 drives the actuator 3 to rotate the sector gear 13 in the release direction (counterclockwise) to rotate the release lever 16 in the counterclockwise direction, release the constraint of the pawl 15 on the ratchet 12, and rotate the ratchet 12 from the fully locked position P3 to the half-locked position P2 or the unlocked position P1.

[0053] On the other hand, when the door is closed, if it is closed to a half-open state automatically or manually by the driver, the sensor 4 detects that the ratchet 12 is in the half-locked position P2. Therefore, the controller 5 drives the actuator 3 to rotate the sector gear 13 in the locking direction (clockwise) to rotate the tightening rod 14 in the locking direction, and the ratchet 12 rotates from the half-locked position P2 to the fully locked position P3.

[0054] Next, the operation of closing the door provided with the vehicle door lock device 1 according to the present embodiment and the operation of opening the door will be described. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional diagram showing the operation of closing the door. Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing the operation of opening the door.

[0055] When the door is closed, the door is automatically or manually closed from the open state to a half-open state by the driver. The half-open state is as follows: the ratchet 12 rotates toward the half-lock position P2, such as Figure 2B As shown in the figure, the striker 2 is engaged with the vicinity of the entrance of the notch 123. The semi-locked state is shown in Figure 4 In the left picture.

[0056] If the ratchet 12 rotates from the unlocked position P1 to the half-locked position P2, the sensor 4 detects that the ratchet 12 is at the half-locked position P2. Therefore, the controller 5 drives the actuator 3 to rotate the sector gear 13 in the locking direction (clockwise) to rotate the tightening rod 14 in the locking direction, so that the ratchet 12 rotates from the half-locked position P2 to the fully locked position P3. Figure 4 In the center figure of . As a result, the fully locked state is achieved, and the detection signal of the sensor 4 for detecting the half-locked position P2 of the ratchet 12 stops, so the half-open door warning light displayed on the instrument panel, etc. is turned off.

[0057] If the ratchet 12 rotates to the fully locked position P3, Figure 2CAs shown in FIG. 1 , the first recess 151 of the pawl 15 engages with the first protrusion 121 of the ratchet 12, and the second recess 152 of the pawl 15 engages with the second protrusion 122 of the ratchet 12, thereby preventing the ratchet 12 from rotating in the release direction while holding the striker at its notch 123. Figure 4 As shown in the right figure of , the door is rotated counterclockwise in the manner of returning to the neutral position, and the take-up lever 14 also rotates counterclockwise due to the elastic force along with the counterclockwise rotation of the sector gear 13. Through the above steps, the closing action of the door ends.

[0058] On the other hand, in order to open the door, the driver presses the door opening switch provided in the vehicle. When the door opening switch is pressed, a release signal of the door opening switch is input to the controller 5, and thus the controller 5 drives the actuator 3 to rotate the sector gear 13 in the neutral position in the release direction (counterclockwise). The state is shown in Figure 5 In the left picture.

[0059] If the sector gear 13 rotates counterclockwise as shown in the figure, it contacts the first contact portion 161 of the release lever 16. As a result, the release lever 16 rotates counterclockwise as shown in the figure, and the second contact portion 162 at one end contacts the contact portion 154 of the ratchet 15 and presses the contact portion 154. As a result, the ratchet 15 rotates clockwise in the figure. The state is shown in FIG. Figure 5 If the ratchet 15 rotates clockwise, the engagement between the first recess 151 of the ratchet 15 and the first protrusion 121 of the ratchet 12 and the engagement between the second recess 152 of the ratchet 15 and the second protrusion 122 of the ratchet 12 are disengaged, thereby releasing the constraint of the ratchet 12 that has been restricted from rotating in the release direction, and the ratchet 12 is rotated in the release direction by elastic force, so that the ratchet 12 rotates from the fully locked position P3 to the half-locked position P2. After that, the door is opened automatically or manually by the driver.

[0060] Next, a phenomenon in which the positional relationship between the ratchet wheel 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes abnormal in the latch device 1 of the present embodiment described above will be described. Figure 6 1 is a perspective view of the latch device for explaining the cause of the abnormal positional relationship between the ratchet wheel 12 and the tightening rod 14. Figure 7 It is magnified Figure 6 The front view of the sector gear 13, the tightening rod 14 and the ratchet 12 in the right figure, Figure 8 It means from Figure 7 The main view of the action of restoring the abnormal position relationship.

[0061] The present inventors have confirmed that: Figure 4In the door closing action shown, when the driver performs an operation to close the door and the door becomes a semi-locked position P2, if the driver performs an operation to open the door in the opposite manner and performs an action to return the ratchet 12 to the state before the semi-lock, then the contact portion 142 of the tightening rod 14 located on the rear side of the ratchet 12 at the semi-locked position P2 is located on the front side of the ratchet 12. Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional diagram showing this situation.

[0062] Figure 6 The left figure shows the semi-locked state, and the ratchet 12 rotates to the semi-locked position P2. Therefore, the sensor 4 detects this situation, and the controller 5 causes the sector gear 13 to start rotating in the locking direction (clockwise). However, at this time, as shown in the center figure, if the driver operates to open the door, the ratchet 12 rotates in the opposite direction to the release direction due to the striker 2. Therefore, if the locking action is normal, Figure 3B As shown in FIG. 1 , the contact portion 142 of the tightening lever 14 is located at the rear side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12 relative to the contact portion 145 of the ratchet 12. However, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in this, the contact portion 142 of the tightening lever 14 is located at the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12 relative to the contact portion 145 of the ratchet 12. If it becomes such an abnormal state, there is a problem that the tightening lever 14 is mechanically locked and the recovery operation cannot be performed.

[0063] Therefore, in the latch device 1 of this embodiment, the following two measures are taken so that even if Figure 7 The abnormal positional relationship shown in the figure can be restored to the normal positional relationship by simply performing the release operation. One countermeasure is to provide a second groove 132Y in the groove 132 of the sector gear 13 so that even if the positional relationship becomes abnormal, the second groove 132Y can be restored to the normal positional relationship. Figure 7 In other words, the groove 132 of the sector gear 13 is composed of a first groove 132X that functions when the ratchet 12 and the tightening rod 14 are in a normal positional relationship and a second groove 132Y that functions when the ratchet 12 and the tightening rod 14 are in a recovery action in an abnormal positional relationship.

[0064] That is, in Figure 7 In the abnormal positional relationship shown, the ratchet 12 rotates to the fully locked position P3 and is restrained by the pawl 15, or the ratchet 12 maintains the half-locked position P2 and is temporarily restrained by the pawl 15, but in any case, the rotation of the ratchet 12 is restricted by the pawl 15. Therefore, it is necessary to rotate the sector gear 13 in the release direction (clockwise) and rotate the release lever 16 in the release direction, thereby rotating the pawl 15 in the release direction.

[0065] In the latch device 1 of this embodiment, even if Figure 7 The tightening rod 14 cannot rotate due to the abnormal position relationship shown in the figure. Figure 8 As shown, as long as the sector gear 13 is rotated in the release direction (clockwise), the pin 141 of the tightening lever 14 slides in the second groove 132Y in the groove 132 of the sector gear 13, so that the first contact portion 161 of the release lever 16 can be pushed by the sector gear 13. As a result, the ratchet 12 returns to the unlocking position P1 due to the elastic force, so the tightening lever 14 also rotates counterclockwise due to the elastic force and can return to the original position. As long as the door closing operation can be performed again from this state, the tightening action can be performed in a normal position relationship. If it is assumed that the second groove 132Y is not provided in the groove 132 of the sector gear 13, the pin 141 of the tightening lever 14 stops at the left end of the first groove 132X, so the sector gear 13 cannot be further rotated in the release direction.

[0066] In order to become Figure 7 The abnormal position relationship shown in FIG. 1 can be restored to the normal position relationship by simply performing a release operation. The second countermeasure is to Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the stopper 17 is provided on the bottom plate 11. As described above, when the sensor 4 detects the half-locked position P2 of the ratchet wheel 12, a warning display is displayed to draw the driver's attention to the half-open door. Therefore, if the half-open door display does not turn off despite the operation of closing the door, the driver realizes that some abnormality has occurred, and therefore performs a retightening operation on the basis of opening the door again.

[0067] However, in Figure 7 As shown in the figure, when the positional relationship between the tightening rod 14 and the ratchet 12 is reversed and becomes an abnormal state, if the ratchet 12 does not output the detection signal of the half-locked position P2, the vehicle-side system including the controller 5 determines that the door is in a fully locked state, so there is a possibility that the driver does not notice the abnormal state. Therefore, in the latch device 1 of the present embodiment, a stopper 17 is provided on the bottom plate 11, such as Figure 7 As shown, when the contact portion 142 of the tightening lever 14 is located at the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12 relative to the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12, the tightening lever 14 is restricted from rotating in the locking direction to prevent the ratchet 12 from reaching the fully locked position P3. By providing the stopper 17, the rotation of the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12 in the locking direction can be restricted, so that the semi-locked position P2 can be maintained, and a warning display of a half-open door can be displayed to the driver.

[0068] Incidentally, in the above-described embodiment, the groove 132 is formed in the sector gear 13 and the pin 141 is provided in the take-up lever 14 as the rotation restricting portion. However, the sector gear 13 may be provided with a pin and the take-up lever 14 may be formed with a groove. Fig. 9A 1 is a front view showing a sector gear 13 and a take-up lever 14 of another embodiment of the latch device 1 for a vehicle door of the present invention. Fig. 9B It is along Fig. 9A A cross-sectional view of the IXB-IXB line. Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B In the illustrated embodiment, a groove 143 is formed in the tightening lever 14, and a pin 133 engaging with the groove 143 is provided in the sector gear 13, so that the first groove 132X in the above-mentioned embodiment corresponds to the first groove 143X located on the left side of the groove 143 in the present embodiment, and the second groove 132Y in the above-mentioned embodiment corresponds to the second groove 143Y located on the right side of the groove 143 in the present embodiment. In addition, the groove 143 and the pin 133 in the present embodiment are an example of the rotation limiting portion of the present invention.

[0069] As described above, the latch device 1 of the vehicle door of the present embodiment is arranged on the door side of the vehicle, and in the latch device 1, it is provided with: the ratchet 12, which is arranged to be elastically biased in the release direction in a manner that it can rotate in the locking direction toward the fully locked position and in the release direction toward the unlocked position, and is engaged with the striker 2 arranged on the body side of the vehicle; the sector gear 13, which is rotated by the actuator 3; the tightening rod 14, which is connected to the sector gear 13, and is in contact with the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12 on the rear side of the ratchet 12 in the locking direction by the rotation of the sector gear 13, so that the ratchet is rotated in the locking direction; and the ratchet pawl 15 and the release rod 16, The ratchet 12 is restricted from rotating in the release direction, and is elastically biased in the restriction direction, and can rotate in the anti-restriction direction by contacting with the sector gear 13 to overcome the elastic biasing force, and one of the sector gear 13 and the tightening lever 14 has a rotation limiting portion that limits the rotation range of the sector gear 13 according to the rotation position of the tightening lever 14, and the rotation limiting portion is configured as follows: when the ratchet 12 is located between the full lock position and the unlock position, and the tightening lever 14 is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12 with respect to the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and can rotate the release lever 16 in the anti-restriction direction. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the tightening lever 14 becomes an abnormal state, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and can rotate the release lever 16 in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can rotate in the release direction and return to the unlocking position P1. As a result, the ratchet wheel 12 and the take-up lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0070] In addition, the latch device 1 of the vehicle door of the present embodiment further includes a stopper 17, which restricts the rotation of the take-up lever 14 in the locking direction when the contact portion 125 of the take-up lever 14 relative to the ratchet 12 is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12, so as to prevent the ratchet 12 from becoming the fully locked position. Therefore, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes an abnormal state, the contact portion 125 of the ratchet 12 is restricted from rotating in the locking direction by the take-up lever 14 and the stopper 17. As a result, the ratchet 12 maintains the semi-locked position P2, and thus a warning display of a half-open door can be presented to the driver.

[0071] In the latch device 1 for a vehicle door of the present embodiment, the rotation restricting portion is a groove 132, 143 in which a pin 141, 133 provided on the other of the sector gear 13 and the take-up lever 14 engages, and the groove 132, 143 is configured such that when the ratchet 12 is located between the fully locked position P3 and the unlocked position P1 and the contact portion 125 of the take-up lever 14 relative to the ratchet 12 is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12, the pin 141, 133 can move to the position where the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 in the groove 132, 143. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes abnormal, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and the release lever 16 can be rotated in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can be rotated in the release direction and return to the unlocked position P1. As a result, the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0072] In the latch device 1 for the vehicle door of the present embodiment, the grooves 132 and 143 include the first grooves 132X and 143X and the second grooves 132Y and 143Y. When the ratchet 12 is located between the fully locked position P3 and the unlocked position P1 and the contact portion 125 of the take-up lever 14 is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet 12, when the sector gear 13 rotates to the position in contact with the release lever 16, the pins 141 and 133 move while engaging with the second grooves 132Y and 143Y. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes abnormal, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and the release lever 16 can be rotated in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can be rotated in the release direction and return to the unlocked position P1. As a result, the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0073] In the latch device 1 for a vehicle door of the present embodiment, the driving element includes the sector gear 13, the release member includes the pawl 15 and the release lever 16, the pawl 15 contacts the ratchet 12 in a manner to restrict the ratchet 12 from rotating in the release direction, and is elastically biased in the restriction direction, and the release lever 16 contacts the pawl 15 by contacting the sector gear 13, and causes the ratchet 15 to rotate in the anti-restriction direction against the elastic bias. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the tightening lever 14 becomes an abnormal state, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and causes the release lever 16 to rotate in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can rotate in the release direction and return to the unlocking position P1. As a result, the ratchet 12 and the tightening lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0074] In addition, the latch device 1 for a vehicle door of the present embodiment further includes a base plate 11, a ratchet 12, a sector gear 13, a take-up lever 14, a pawl 15, and a release lever 16 are rotatably provided on the base plate 11, the ratchet 12 is elastically biased in a release direction relative to the base plate 11, the sector gear 13 and the take-up lever 14 are supported on the base plate 11 by the same rotation axis 13C, the take-up lever 14 is elastically biased in a release direction relative to the sector gear 13, the pawl 15 is elastically biased in a restriction direction relative to the base plate 11, and the release lever 16 is elastically biased in a direction allowing the pawl 15 to rotate in the restriction direction relative to the base plate 11. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes an abnormal state, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and the release lever 16 can be rotated in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can be rotated in the release direction and returned to the unlocked position P1. As a result, the ratchet wheel 12 and the take-up lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0075] In addition, the latch device 1 of the vehicle door of the present embodiment further comprises: a sensor 4 for detecting the half-locked position P2 of the ratchet 12; and a controller 5 for driving and controlling the actuator 3 based on the detection signal of the sensor 4 and the release signal of the door opening switch. When the sensor 4 detects that the ratchet 12 is at the half-locked position P2, the controller 5 drives the sector gear 13 by driving and controlling the actuator 3 to rotate the take-up lever 14 in the locking direction, so that the ratchet 12 rotates to the full-locked position P3. When the release signal of the door opening switch is input, the controller drives the sector gear 13 by driving and controlling the actuator 3 to rotate the release lever 16, releases the restriction of the ratchet 12 by the pawl 15, and rotates the ratchet 12 to the half-locked position P2 or the unlocked position P1. Thus, even if the positional relationship between the ratchet 12 and the take-up lever 14 becomes an abnormal state, the sector gear 13 contacts the release lever 16 and the release lever 16 can rotate in the anti-restriction direction, so that the ratchet 12 can rotate in the release direction and return to the unlocked position P1. As a result, the ratchet wheel 12 and the take-up lever 14 can be restored to a normal positional relationship.

[0076] Description of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1. Vehicle door lock device; 11. Bottom plate; 12. Ratchet; 12C. Rotation axis; 121. First protrusion; 122. Second protrusion; 123. Notch; 124. First recess; 125. Contact portion; 13. Sector gear (driving element); 13A. Rotation axis; 131. Tooth; 132. Groove (rotation limiting portion); 132X. First groove; 132Y. Second groove; 133. Pin (rotation limiting portion); 14. Take-up lever; 141. Pin (rotation limiting portion); 14, rotation limiting portion); 142, contact portion; 143, groove (rotation limiting portion); 15, pawl (releasing member); 15C, rotating shaft; 151, first recess; 152, second recess; 153, first protrusion; 154, contact portion; 16, release lever (releasing member); 16A, rotating shaft; 161, first contact portion; 162, second contact portion; 163, stop pin; 17, stop member; 2, striker pin; 3, actuator; 4, sensor; 5, controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle door lock device, which is arranged on the door side of the vehicle, wherein: The vehicle door lock device comprises: a ratchet wheel configured to be elastically biased in the release direction so as to be rotatable in the locking direction toward the fully locked position and in the release direction toward the unlocked position, and engaged with a striker provided on the body side of the vehicle; a drive element that is rotated by an actuator; a tightening rod connected to the driving element, which contacts the contact portion of the ratchet wheel at the rear side of the ratchet wheel in the locking direction due to the rotation of the driving element, so as to rotate the ratchet wheel in the locking direction; as well as a release member which restricts the ratchet wheel from rotating in a releasing direction and is elastically biased in the restricting direction, and is able to rotate in an anti-restricting direction by contacting the driving element to overcome the elastic biasing force, One of the driving element and the tightening rod has a rotation limiting portion that limits the rotation range of the driving element according to the rotation position of the tightening rod. The rotation limiting portion is configured such that when the ratchet is located between the fully locked position and the unlocked position and the contact portion of the tightening rod relative to the ratchet is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet, the driving element contacts the release member and can rotate the release member in the anti-limiting direction.

2. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle door lock device further includes a stopper that restricts the rotation of the take-up lever in the locking direction when a contact portion of the take-up lever with respect to the ratchet is located forward of the ratchet in the locking direction to prevent the ratchet from reaching the fully locked position.

3. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The rotation restricting portion is a groove for engaging with a pin member provided in the other of the driving element and the tightening rod. The groove is configured to have a shape such that when the ratchet is located between the fully locked position and the unlocked position and the contact portion of the tightening rod relative to the ratchet is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet, the pin member can move in the groove to a position where the driving element contacts the release member.

4. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 3, wherein: The grooves include a first groove and a second groove, When the ratchet is located between the fully locked position and the unlocked position and the contact portion of the tightening lever relative to the ratchet is located on the front side of the locking direction of the ratchet, when the driving element rotates to a position in contact with the release member, the pin member moves while engaging with the second groove.

5. The vehicle door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The driving element includes a sector gear, The release member includes a pawl and a release lever, The pawl contacts the ratchet wheel in a manner to restrict the ratchet wheel from rotating in a releasing direction, and is elastically biased in the restricting direction. The release lever comes into contact with the pawl by coming into contact with the driving element, and causes the pawl to rotate in the anti-restriction direction against the elastic urging force.

6. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 5, wherein: The vehicle door lock device further comprises a bottom plate, The ratchet, the driving element, the tightening rod, the pawl and the release rod are respectively rotatably arranged on the bottom plate. The ratchet is elastically urged in the release direction relative to the base plate, The driving element and the tightening rod are supported on the base plate by the same rotating shaft. The tightening rod is elastically urged in a releasing direction relative to the driving element. The pawl is elastically urged toward the limiting direction relative to the bottom plate, The release lever is elastically biased relative to the base plate in a direction that allows the pawl to rotate in the restricting direction.

7. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 6, wherein: The vehicle door lock device further comprises: a sensor that detects a semi-locked position of the ratchet; and a controller that drives and controls the actuator based on a detection signal from the sensor and a release signal from a door opening switch, For the controller, When the sensor detects that the ratchet is in the half-locked position, the actuator is used to drive the driving element to rotate the tightening rod in the upward locking direction, so that the ratchet rotates to the fully locked position. When a release signal from the door opening switch is input, the drive element is driven by the drive control of the actuator to rotate the release lever, release the restriction of the pawl on the ratchet, and rotate the ratchet to the half-locked position or the unlocked position.

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