Door latch, related door and related vehicle
By using a plastic coating and a pawl design in the door latch, the problems of difficulty inserting the striker in the intermediate state and the door easily opening during a collision are solved, achieving safe and convenient door locking.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510324667.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-03-20
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle door latches make it difficult to insert the striker without excessive force in the intermediate state, and there is a high risk of preventing the door from opening during a collision.
A claw design including a plastic coating is adopted, which restrains the striker by compressing the plastic coating at the middle position. Combined with a pawl and an elastic device, it ensures that the striker is effectively restrained in the event of a collision to prevent the door from opening.
This allows the striker to be inserted without excessive force, while reducing the risk of the door opening during a collision, thereby improving the safety and ease of use of the door.
Smart Images
Figure CN120684064A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle door latches for securing the closing of vehicle doors. Background Art
[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch configured to interact with a striker attached to a vehicle body to secure the door closed.
[0003] A vehicle door latch is typically associated with several states:
[0004] - open state, where the door is open and the striker is outside the latch,
[0005] - a closed state in which the striker is located at the bottom of the recess of the latch and is blocked in the recess by the claw of the latch, and in which the door is flush with the body of the vehicle,
[0006] - An intermediate state in which the striker is located on the edge of the recess and is restrained by the claw so that the door cannot be opened but is not completely closed.
[0007] In the event of a collision, when the latch is in the intermediate position, the latch must be designed to restrain the striker and prevent the door from opening. To be able to restrain the striker, the pawl must therefore exert a sufficiently high force. However, the force exerted by the return spring must not be so high that the user does not need too much force to insert the striker into the groove.
[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle door latch that enables the striker to be inserted without excessive force while reducing the risk of the door opening in the event of a collision when the door is in an intermediate state. Summary of the Invention
[0009] The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch, comprising:
[0010] - a housing comprising an opening,
[0011] a pawl comprising a jaw which, in combination with the housing, provides a recess and an associated passage, the recess being configured to receive a striker in a closed position of the door, the passage being provided for accessing the recess, the pawl being configured to rotate between a closed position in which the passage is blocked by the pawl and an open position in which the striker can pass through the passage,
[0012] a pawl configured to block the rotation of the pawl in an intermediate position in which the striker is trapped in the channel by the jaws,
[0013] The jaws include teeth configured to retain the striker in the channel in the intermediate position.
[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the jaws include a plastic coating that provides a planar jaw in the channel to facilitate introduction of the striker through the channel into the recess, wherein the plastic coating is configured to be compressed by the striker in the event of a collision when the striker is restrained in the intermediate position by the jaws.
[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, the plastic coating is made of, for example Made of thermoplastic elastomer.
[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, the thickness of the plastic coating is at least equal to the height of the teeth, for example comprised between 1 and 1.2 times the height of the teeth.
[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, the thickness of the plastic coating is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm, in particular between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.
[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, the pawl may be positioned above or below the striker.
[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, the curvature of the teeth is similar to the curvature of the cross section of the striker.
[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, the latch further comprises elastic means, such as a coil spring, to constrain the pawl toward the closed position.
[0021] The present invention also relates to a vehicle door comprising the vehicle door latch as described above.
[0022] The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a striker and a vehicle door as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a door latch according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a latch claw;
[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A perspective cutaway view of a portion of a door latch and a striker;
[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a door latch and a portion of a striker;
[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a door latch and a portion of a striker after compression coating; DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] The following achievements are examples. Although the description relates to one or more embodiments, it does not mean that each reference refers to the same embodiment or that features only apply to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined to provide other embodiments.
[0029] The present invention relates to a door latch 1 for locking a door of a vehicle. Such a door latch 1 is usually arranged in a door panel and is configured to interact with a striker 3 fixed to the vehicle body beside the door.
[0030] Figure 1 1 shows a portion of a latch 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The latch 1 includes a housing 5 configured to protect the latch mechanism. The housing 5 may be a metal housing, such as a steel housing. The housing 5 includes an opening 7 configured to receive the striker 3. The housing 5 may have a parallelepiped shape, and the opening 7 may be located at the interface between two faces of the housing 7.
[0031] The latch 1 also includes a pawl 9 disposed in the housing 5. The pawl 9 can be positioned adjacent to the opening 7 and can protrude within the opening 7. The pawl 9 includes a jaw 11. The combination of the opening 7 of the housing 5 and the jaw 11 provides a channel 13 and a recess 15 disposed at the end of the channel 13. The recess 15 can be implemented by removing material from an interior portion of the jaw 11. The recess 15 is configured to receive the striker 3 when the door is in the closed state.
[0032] The jaws 9 are configured to rotate between a closed state or position in which the passage 13 is blocked by the jaws 11 so as to confine the striker 3 in the recess, and an open state or position in which the striker 3 can pass through the passage 13. The jaws 9 are configured to rotate about an axis that can be positioned below the passage 13 (e.g., Figure 1 as shown), above the channel 13 or behind (next to) the channel 13.
[0033] The latch 1 further comprises a pawl 17 configured to cooperate with the pawl 9 to enable or block rotation of the pawl 9. The pawl 17 is particularly configured to block rotation of the pawl 9 in an intermediate state or position in which the striker 3 is restrained in the channel 13 by the jaws 11, which corresponds to a partially closed position of the door, that is, the door is not completely closed (in this state, the door panel is generally not flush with the adjacent vehicle body), but cannot be opened without acting on the inside handle or the outside handle.
[0034] Furthermore, the jaws 11 comprise teeth or protrusions 19 configured to restrain the striker 3 in the channel 13 in an intermediate position, in particular in the event of a collision. Figure 2An enlarged view of a portion of the jaw 11 and the associated teeth 19 is shown. The teeth 19 allow the force exerted by the jaw 11 on the striker 3 to be directed towards the inside of the channel 13, so that the striker 3 is more effectively restrained by applying a given torque. This torque can be applied by a combination of the pawl 17 and elastic means (such as a coil spring) configured to constrain the jaw 9 towards the closed position.
[0035] The tooth 19 may be shaped such that at least its inner side (towards the recess 15 ) has a curved concave shape, the curvature of which corresponds significantly to the radius of the cross section of the striker 3 .
[0036] The jaws 11 further comprise a plastic coating 21, such as a thermoplastic elastomer coating, e.g. Coating. The thickness of the coating 21 is at least equal to the height of the teeth 19, for example between 1 and 1.2 times the height of the teeth, and is configured to restore the teeth 19 to produce a flat jaw 11. The thickness of the coating 21 can be between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm, in particular between 0.6 mm and 1 mm. This thickness decreases at the location of the teeth 19. The plastic coating 21 is configured to be compressed by the striker 3 when the striker 3 applies a force above a predetermined threshold. This predetermined threshold depends on the material of the plastic coating 21. When the striker 3 is in a position such as Figure 3 In the illustrated intermediate position, this compression of the plastic coating 21 by the striker 3 occurs in the event of a collision.
[0037] Figure 4 Figure showing the striker in its neutral position in normal operation (not during a crash). In this normal function, the jaws 11 have a flat surface, enabling the insertion and release of the striker 3. This flat jaw also enables a given torque to be applied in the neutral position, which can confine the striker in the channel if the force applied by the striker towards the outside of the channel is not too high. If, in the event of a crash, this force becomes too high, the coating 21 is compressed under the pressure of the striker 3, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, this allows the striker to be trapped in the channel even if the force of the collision is higher than a predetermined threshold. In fact, the compression coating changes the shape of the jaws and makes the tooth shape 19 apparent. The shape of the tooth 19 changes the direction of the force exerted by the jaws 11 on the striker 3 and allows the jaws 11 to react to the force F exerted by the striker 3 during the collision, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Since the curvature of the teeth corresponds to the radius of the cross section of the striker 3 , the contact surface between the striker 3 and the jaws 11 is maximized after the coating 21 has been compressed.
[0038] After a collision, if the door latch 1 is used again, the coating 21 needs to be replaced.
[0039] The invention also relates to a vehicle door comprising a door latch 1 as described above, and to a vehicle comprising a striker 3 and such a door.
Claims
1. A vehicle door latch (1), comprising: - a housing (5), said housing comprising an opening (7), - a claw (9), said claw (9) comprising a jaw (11), said jaw (11) providing, in combination with said housing (5), a recess (15) and a passage (13), said recess (15) being configured to receive a striker (3) in a closed position of said door, said passage (13) being intended for accessing said recess (15), said claw (9) being configured to rotate between a closed position, in which said passage (13) is blocked by said jaw (11), and an open position, in which said passage (13) is enabled to pass through said passage (13), a pawl (17) configured to block the rotation of the pawl (9) in an intermediate position in which the striker (3) is restrained in the channel (13) by the jaws (11), The jaws (11) include teeth (19) configured to confine the striker (3) in the channel (13) in the intermediate position.
2. Vehicle door latch (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein The jaw (9) comprises a plastic coating (21) which provides a flat jaw (11) in the channel (13) to facilitate the introduction of the striker (3) through the channel (13) into the recess (15), wherein the plastic coating (21) is configured to be compressed by the striker (3) in the event of a collision when the striker (3) is restrained in the intermediate position by the jaw (9).
3. The vehicle door latch (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The plastic coating (21) is made of Made of thermoplastic elastomer.
4. The vehicle door latch (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The thickness of the plastic coating (21) is at least equal to the height of the teeth (19).
5. The vehicle door latch (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The thickness of the plastic coating (21) is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm.
6. A vehicle door latch (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The curvature of the teeth (19) is similar to the curvature of the cross section of the striker (3).
7. A vehicle door latch (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The vehicle door latch (1) further comprises elastic means such as a coil spring to constrain the pawl (9) toward the closed position.
8. A vehicle door comprising a door latch (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.
9. A vehicle comprising a door according to the preceding claim.