Vehicle door locking device

Abstract

A vehicle door locking device (10a) includes: a rotating member (38a) that is movable from a neutral position to a latch release corresponding position and a cam operation position by a driving force of a first driving motor (37); a release lever (40) that switches a latch mechanism (20) to a latch release state in conjunction with movement of the rotating member (38a) to the latch release corresponding position; and a press cam (46) configured to alternately switch the vehicle door locking device (10a) to a double locking non-setting state and a double locking setting state each time the rotating member (38a) moves from the neutral position to the cam operation position and then returns to the neutral position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a door locking device for vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to switch between a locked state, an unlocked state, and a latch-released state by the driving force of an electric motor. Specifically, the vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a rotating member that rotates by the driving force of an electric motor. This rotating member can rotate to a neutral position, an unlocked position (corresponding to a position after rotation from the neutral position in a predetermined direction), a locked position (corresponding to a position after rotation from the neutral position in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction), and a latch-released position (corresponding to a position after passing the locked position from the neutral position), and is configured to be in the neutral position when the electric motor is not activated.

[0003] Furthermore, the vehicle door locking device is configured such that when the door locking device is in the locked state, the door locking device switches to the unlocked state when the rotating member rotates from the neutral position to the unlocked position by the driving force of the electric motor; and when the door locking device is in the unlocked state, the door locking device switches to the locked state when the rotating member moves from the neutral position to the locked position by the driving force of the electric motor. Additionally, when the rotating member moves from the neutral position past the locked position to the latch release position by the driving force of the electric motor, the door locking device switches to the latch release state. Thus, the vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to switch between the unlocked state, the locked state, and the latch release state by switching the driving force of the electric motor in both directions.

[0004] In the vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when viewed from a neutral position, the locking position and the latch release position of the rotating member are located on the same side. With this configuration, when switching the vehicle door locking device from an unlocked state to a locked state, the rotating member will switch to the latch release state when it passes the locking position and reaches the latch release position. Therefore, the vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a stop bar that, when in the unlocked state, restricts the rotation of the rotating member so that the rotating member does not move past the locking position to the latch release position. With this stop bar, when switching from the unlocked state to the locked state by rotating the rotating member, the rotating member can be reliably stopped at the locking position, thus preventing unexpected opening of the door.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-85292.

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] In the vehicle door locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when in the unlocked state, the rotating member cannot move past the locking position to the latch-off position. Therefore, in order to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the latch-off state when in the unlocked state, the rotating member must be temporarily moved to the locking position by the driving force of the electric motor to switch to the locked state, and then the rotating member must be moved to the latch-off position again by the driving force of the electric motor. In this way, the electric motor must be driven twice. Therefore, in order to enable the latch mechanism to be switched from the latched state to the latch-off state by a single operation of the electric motor regardless of whether it is in the locked or unlocked state, a switching mechanism and its driving force source that operate independently of the mechanism for switching the locking and unlocking states and the driving force source for driving the mechanism are required.

[0010] Furthermore, in vehicle door locking devices, there are cases where, in addition to the latching mechanism, there is a mechanism that is operated by a driving force source. Examples of such mechanisms include double-locking mechanisms and child safety mechanisms (sometimes also called child safety mechanisms). A double-locking mechanism is configured to prevent mechanical operation from switching the door from a locked state to an unlocked state when the door lock is in the locked state. A child safety mechanism is configured to prevent the door lock from switching to a latch-out state when the door handle located on the inside of the door is operated. Vehicle door locking devices equipped with double-locking mechanisms and child safety mechanisms require a driving force source to operate these mechanisms. Moreover, adding a driving force source to operate the double-locking mechanism and child safety mechanism to a vehicle door locking device increases the component cost of the vehicle door locking device. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned facts, and its object is to provide a door locking device for a vehicle that, regardless of whether it is in a locked or unlocked state, can switch the latch mechanism from a latched state to a latch-released state by a single action of a driving force source, and has a mechanism that is operated by the driving force of the driving force source, and does not require a separate driving force source from the driving force source used to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the latch-released state.

[0012] Methods for solving problems

[0013] To solve the aforementioned problem, the vehicle door locking device according to the present invention includes:

[0014] A latching mechanism configured to switch from a latched state that prevents the door from being opened to a latched-out state that allows the door to be opened;

[0015] A first actuating member is configured to be movable to a first position and a second position. In the first position, the latching mechanism is allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state by manual operation of a manual operating member provided on the door. In the second position, the latching mechanism is not allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state even if the manual operating member is manually operated.

[0016] A limiting mechanism configured to switch between a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state, movement of the first actuating member is restricted from the second position to the first position or the first actuating member is held in the second position; and in the second state, the first actuating member is held in the first position or movement of the first actuating member from the second position to the first position is permitted; and

[0017] A rotating component is capable of being moved by a first driving force source to a latch release position and a limiting mechanism switching position. The latch release position is a position after rotating from the neutral position in a predetermined direction, and the limiting mechanism switching position is a position after rotating from the neutral position in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. When moving from the neutral position to the latch release position, the rotating component switches the latch mechanism from the latched state to the latch release state. Each time the rotating component moves from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position, it alternately switches the limiting mechanism to the first state and the second state.

[0018] The effects of the invention

[0019] According to the present invention, when the rotating member moves from the neutral position to the latch-release position by the driving force of the first driving force source, the latching mechanism switches from the latch-locked state to the latch-released state. Therefore, the latching mechanism can be switched from the latch-locked state to the latch-released state with a single drive of the driving force source. Furthermore, when the rotating member moves from the neutral position to the restricting mechanism switching position by the driving force of the first driving force source, the restricting mechanism can be switched from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state. Moreover, since the rotation direction of the rotating member when moving from the neutral position to the restricting mechanism switching position is opposite to the rotation direction when moving from the neutral position to the latch-released position, by switching the direction of the driving force output by the first driving force source, the switching of the latching mechanism from the latch-locked state to the latch-released state and the alternating switching of the restricting mechanism to the first and second states can be achieved. Therefore, since there is no need to separately provide a driving force source for switching the latching mechanism from the latched state to the latched-out state and a driving force source for switching the state of the limiting mechanism, it is possible to prevent or suppress an increase in the number of components of the door locking device for vehicles. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1A This is a diagram showing a car door with a door locking device used in vehicles.

[0021] Figure 1B yes Figure 1A A cross-sectional view with the arrow pointing in the direction of the IB-IB line.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the door locking device.

[0023] Figure 3A This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the construction of a push-button cam.

[0024] Figure 3B This is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a push-button cam.

[0025] Figure 4A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0026] Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0027] Figure 4C This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0028] Figure 4D This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0029] Figure 4E This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0030] Figure 4F This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a push-button cam.

[0031] Figure 5A This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0032] Figure 5B This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0033] Figure 6A This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0034] Figure 6B This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0035] Figure 7A This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0036] Figure 7B This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0037] Figure 8A This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0038] Figure 8B This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0039] Figure 9A This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0040] Figure 9B This is a diagram showing the operation of the door locking device.

[0041] Figure 10A This is a diagram illustrating the structure and operation of the door locking device according to the second embodiment.

[0042] Figure 10B This is a diagram illustrating the structure and operation of the door locking device according to the second embodiment.

[0043] Figure 11A This is a diagram illustrating the structure and operation of the door locking device according to the second embodiment.

[0044] Figure 11B This is a diagram illustrating the structure and operation of the door locking device according to the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The following describes a vehicle door locking device according to various embodiments of the present invention. In the following description, the vehicle door locking device will sometimes be simply referred to as a "door locking device". In the following description, the directions of the door locking device and its constituent components are based on the directions of the vehicle. In the figures, arrow Fr indicates the front side of the door locking device (and the vehicle), arrow Rr indicates the rear side, arrow Out indicates the outer side in the vehicle width direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the outer side of the vehicle), arrow In indicates the inner side in the vehicle width direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the inner side of the vehicle), arrow Up indicates the upper side, and arrow Dw indicates the lower side.

[0046] <Car door>

[0047] Figure 1A It is a side view of the door 90 with door locking devices 10a and 10b applied, and is a view taken from the outside of the vehicle. Figure 1B It is a cross-sectional view near the rear end of the door 90, which uses door locking devices 10a and 10b, and is Figure 1A A cross-sectional view along the IB-IB line arrow direction. The front end of the door 90 is connected to the vehicle body in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the vehicle body, and is configured to be able to be closed and opened by rotating relative to the vehicle body. The door 90 has a door body portion 91 forming its lower half and a door window frame 92 provided in its upper half. The door body portion 91 includes: an outer panel 911 forming the outer side of the door 90, an inner panel 912 fixed to the inner side of the outer panel 911, and a resin decorative panel 913 fixed to the inner side of the inner panel 912 and forming the inner side of the door body portion 91.

[0048] A door handle assembly comprising an exterior door handle 914 and a key lock cylinder 916 is installed on the exterior panel 911. The exterior door handle 914 and key lock cylinder 916 are operating components that can be manually operated by the vehicle user from the outside of the vehicle. An interior door handle 915 is installed on the trim panel 913. The interior door handle 915 is an operating component that can be manually operated by the vehicle user from the inside of the vehicle. Both the exterior door handle 914 and the interior door handle 915 can move to an initial position and an operating position by rotating relative to the door 90. Furthermore, both the exterior door handle 914 and the interior door handle 915 are elastically forced towards the initial position by a force-applying member (not shown). Therefore, when not manually operated, the exterior door handle 914 and the interior door handle 915 are held in the initial position by the force of the force-applying member. The vehicle user can manually operate the exterior door handle 914 and the interior door handle 915 (manually move them from the initial position to the operating position).

[0049] like Figure 1BAs shown, the door locking devices 10a and 10b are disposed in the interior space of the door 90 (i.e., the space surrounded by the outer panel 911 and the inner panel 912), with a portion protruding to the outside at the rear end of the door 90. Furthermore, the door locking devices 10a and 10b are fixed to the inner panel 912 (i.e., the door 90).

[0050] Furthermore, the construction of the door 90 is not particularly limited. The door 90 only needs to be connected to the body in a way that allows it to rotate relative to the body, and be configured to be able to close and open by rotating relative to the body.

[0051] <First Implementation Method>

[0052] Door locking device

[0053] The door locking device 10a according to the first embodiment has a double locking mechanism 22 as a mechanism that operates by the driving force of a driving force source. Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view showing a construction example of the door locking device 10a. The door locking device 10a includes an engaging body 11 and an actuator body 12.

[0054] The engaging body 11 has a latching mechanism 20. The latching mechanism 20 is configured to switch between a latched state and a latched-off state. The latched state is a state in which the door 90 is not allowed to open (or, in other words, the door 90 is kept closed). The latched-off state is a state in which the door 90 is allowed to open.

[0055] In this embodiment, the latching mechanism 20 is configured to include a base plate 201, a latch 202, and a lifting rod 203. The latch 202 is supported and rotatable relative to the base plate 201, and can move to a latched position (full latched position and half latched position) and a latch-released position. Furthermore, the latch 202 is configured such that when the door 90 is in the closed state, if it is in the latched position, it restricts (disallows) the opening of the door 90; and when the door 90 is in the closed state, if it moves from the latched position to the latch-released position, it allows the door 90 to open. The lifting rod 203 is supported and rotatable relative to the base plate 201, and is configured to move to an initial position (see reference 203). Figure 5A , Figure 5B ) and position of action (refer to Figure 7A , Figure 7B )move.

[0056] Furthermore, the lifting lever 203 is configured such that, when in the initial position, it restricts the latch 202 from moving from the latched position to the latch-released position, and when in the operating position, it allows the latch 202 to move from the latched position to the latch-released position. In this way, the latch mechanism 20 is configured such that, when the door 90 is closed, the lifting lever 203 remains in the latched state when in the initial position, and switches from the latched state to the latch-released state when the lifting lever 203 moves from the initial position to the operating position. Moreover, the specific construction of the engaging body 11, including the latch mechanism 20, is not particularly limited, and various known constructions can be used.

[0057] The door locking device 10a is configured to switch the latching mechanism 20 from a latched state to a latch-out state by the driving force of the first motor 37 (described later). Furthermore, the door locking device 10a is configured to switch the latching mechanism 20 from a latched state to a latch-out state by manual operation of the inner door handle 915 or the outer door handle 914.

[0058] Additionally, the door locking device 10a includes a locking mechanism 24. The locking mechanism 24 is configured to switch between an unlocked state and a locked state. The unlocked state allows the latching mechanism 20 to switch from a latched state to a latch-released state when the external door handle 914 or the internal door handle 915 is manually operated. The locked state prevents the latching mechanism 20 from switching from a latched state to a latch-released state when the external door handle 914 or the internal door handle 915 is manually operated. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 24 is configured to include an opening link 34, a drive lever 41, a locking lever 44, a locking link 45, and an opening link force spring 42.

[0059] Furthermore, the door locking device 10a includes a dual locking mechanism 22. The dual locking mechanism 22 is configured to switch between a dual locking unset state (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "DL unset state") and a dual locking set state (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "DL set state") when the locking mechanism 24 is in the locked state. The DL unset state allows the locking mechanism 24 to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state. The DL set state disallows the locking mechanism 24 from switching from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0060] The actuator body 12 includes a housing 31, a cover (not shown), a base 32, an external opening rod 33, an opening connecting rod 34, an internal opening rod 35, an internal rod 36, a first motor 37, a rotating member 38a, a rotating member force spring 39, a release rod 40, an active rod 41, an opening connecting rod force spring 42, a second motor 43, a locking rod 44, a locking connecting rod 45, a push-button cam 46, a key lever 47, a key switch lever 48, and a key crank 49. Furthermore, the double locking mechanism 22 is configured to include the rotating member 38a, the locking rod 44, the locking connecting rod 45, and the push-button cam 46.

[0061] The housing 31 is a component that functions as the housing of the actuator body 12. The base 32 is a component for mounting specified components and is mounted on the housing 31. The cover (not shown) is a component that is mounted on the housing 31 to cover the components housed within the housing 31.

[0062] The external opening lever 33 is an example of the third actuating member of the present invention. The external opening lever 33 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 31. The external opening lever 33 is configured such that, by rotating relative to the housing 31, it can be moved to an initial position (e.g., referring to...). Figure 5A , Figure 5B The external opening lever 33 has an initial position that is an example of the initial position of the third actuating member of the present invention, and an actuating position that is an example of the actuating position of the third actuating member of the present invention. The external opening lever 33 has an opening link support 331 that supports the opening link 34 so that it can rotate, and an internal link engaging portion 332 that can be easily engaged with the internal link 36. The external opening lever 33 is always elastically forceped toward the initial position by the external opening lever force spring 333. The actuating position of the external opening lever 33 is the position after the opening link support 331 has moved upward relative to the initial position. The external opening lever 33 is connected to the external door handle 914 of the vehicle door 90 via a cable or the like. Furthermore, the external opening lever 33 is configured to move from the initial position to the actuating position in conjunction with the movement of the external door handle 914 when the external door handle 914 is manually operated (moved from the initial position to the operating position).

[0063] The opening linkage 34 is an example of the fourth actuating member of the present invention in the first embodiment. The opening linkage 34 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the external opening lever 33. Therefore, the opening linkage 34 can rotate relative to the external opening lever 33 and can rotate and move integrally with the external opening lever 33 relative to the housing 31. Furthermore, by rotating relative to the external opening lever 33, the opening linkage 34 can move to the unlocked position (see reference 33). Figure 6A , Figure 6B ) and lock location (refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5BThe lever 34 can move to the initial position and the operating position respectively, by moving together with the external lever 33, in both the unlocked and locked positions.

[0064] The opening linkage 34 includes a release lever engagement portion 341 and a spring engagement portion 342. The release lever engagement portion 341 of the opening linkage 34 is configured such that, when the opening linkage 34 is in the unlocked position, if the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the lifting lever 203 is pushed upward via the release lever 40, thereby moving the lifting lever 203 from the initial position to the operating position. Furthermore, the release lever engagement portion 341 of the opening linkage 34 is configured such that, when the opening linkage 34 is in the locked position, it does not contact the release lever 40 when the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position. The spring engagement portion 342 engages with the opening linkage force spring 42, which will be described later. The spring engagement portion 342 has a protruding structure that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the rotation center line of the opening linkage 34 relative to the lifting lever 203.

[0065] The internal opening lever 35 is an example of the sixth actuating member of the present invention. The internal opening lever 35 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 31. The internal opening lever 35 is configured such that, by rotating relative to the housing 31, it can be moved to an initial position (e.g., referring to...). Figure 5A , Figure 5B ) and position of action (e.g., from Figure 5A The position shown is clockwise, from Figure 5B The position shown is rotated counterclockwise to the desired position. The internal opening lever 35 engages with the internal door handle 915 provided on the door 90, and is configured to move from the initial position to the operating position in conjunction with the movement generated by the manual operation of the internal door handle 915. For example, the internal opening lever 35 and the internal door handle 915 are connected by a cable or the like (not shown). In addition, the internal opening lever 35 is always elastically forced toward the initial position by an internal opening lever force-applying member (not shown). Therefore, when the internal door handle 915 is not operated, the internal opening lever 35 is held in the initial position by the force of the internal opening lever force-applying member.

[0066] The internal opening lever 35 includes an internal lever engaging portion 351. The internal lever engaging portion 351 is configured to freely engage and disengage with the internal opening lever engaging portion 361 of the internal lever 36, which will be described later. Furthermore, the internal opening lever 35 is configured such that, when moving from the initial position to the operating position, the internal lever engaging portion 351 engages with the internal opening lever engaging portion 361 of the internal lever 36, and pushes the internal lever 36 from the initial position toward the operating position.

[0067] The internal rod 36 is an example of the seventh actuating member of the present invention. The internal rod 36 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 31. By rotating relative to the housing 31, the internal rod 36 can move to an initial position (e.g., referring to...). Figure 5A , Figure 5B ) and position of action (e.g., from Figure 5A The position shown is counterclockwise, from Figure 5B The position shown is moved (after rotating clockwise). The inner lever 36 has an inner opening lever engaging portion 361 and an outer opening lever engaging portion 362. The inner opening lever engaging portion 361 is configured to engage freely with the inner lever engaging portion 351 of the inner opening lever 35. The outer opening lever engaging portion 362 is configured to engage freely with the inner lever engaging portion 332 of the outer opening lever 33.

[0068] The first electric motor 37 is an example of the first driving force source of the present invention. The first electric motor 37 is the driving force source of the rotating member 38a described later, and is configured to output rotational power in both forward and reverse directions when energized. A first worm gear 371 is provided on the rotating shaft of the first electric motor 37, and the first electric motor 37 drives the rotating member 38a to rotate via the first worm gear 371.

[0069] The rotating member 38a is supported so that it can rotate relative to the housing 31 via the base 32, and is configured to rotate by rotational power transmitted from the first motor 37. In this embodiment, a worm gear is used as the rotating member 38a, meshing with a first worm 371 provided on the rotating shaft of the first motor 37. Furthermore, the first worm 371 of the first motor 37 and the rotating member 38a (worm gear) are configured to drive in reverse. That is, in the state where the first motor 37 is not energized (the state where the first motor 37 does not output rotational power), the rotating member 38a can rotate by the force of the rotating member force spring 39 described later.

[0070] Rotating member 38a can rotate relative to housing 31 to a neutral position (see reference). Figure 5A , Figure 5B ), the corresponding position for latch release (refer to) Figure 7A , Figure 7B ) and cam movement position (refer to Figure 9A , Figure 9B The movement is as follows: The neutral position is the middle position of the movable range of the rotating member 38a. The latch release corresponding position is the position at one end of the movable range of the rotating member 38a. It is the position after rotating from the neutral position in a predetermined direction. The cam actuation position is the position at the other end of the movable range of the rotating member 38a, which is the position after rotating from the neutral position in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the cam actuation position is an example of the switching position of the limiting mechanism of the present invention.

[0071] The rotating member 38a includes a release lever engagement portion 381 and a cam engagement portion 382. The release lever engagement portion 381 is configured to engage freely with the rotating member engagement portion 401 of the release lever 40, and has a protruding structure extending from one end face of the rotating member 38a in the axial direction. The cam engagement portion 382 is configured to engage freely with the cam arm 612 of the pressing cam 46 (described later), and has a protruding structure extending from the end face opposite to the side where the release lever engagement portion 381 is located in the axial direction. Furthermore, the rotating member 38a is configured such that when it moves from the neutral position to the latch release position, the release lever engagement portion 381 contacts the rotating member engagement portion 401 of the release lever 40 and pushes the release lever 40, but the cam engagement portion 382 does not push (does not contact) the cam arm 612. Furthermore, the rotating member 38a is configured such that when it moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position, the cam engagement portion 382 contacts the cam arm 612 and pushes the cam arm 612, but the release rod engagement portion 381 does not push (does not contact) the rotating member engagement portion 401 of the release rod 40.

[0072] The rotating member force-applying spring 39 is configured to always elastically apply force to the rotating member 38a toward the neutral position. The rotating member force-applying spring 39 can be, for example, a torsion coil spring with arms at both ends. In this case, a configuration in which one arm engages with the rotating member 38a and the other arm engages with the base 32 can be used. The rotating member force-applying spring 39 is coaxially housed within the rotating member 38a.

[0073] Release lever 40 is an example of the second actuating member of the present invention. Release lever 40 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to housing 31. By rotating relative to housing 31, release lever 40 can be moved to an initial position (see reference 31). Figure 5A , Figure 5B ) and position of action (refer to Figure 8A , Figure 8BThe initial position of the release lever 40 is an example of the initial position of the second actuating member of the present invention, and the operating position of the release lever 40 is an example of the operating position of the second actuating member of the present invention. The release lever 40 includes a rotating member engaging portion 401 and a lifting lever engaging portion 402. The rotating member engaging portion 401 is configured to be freely disengaged from the release lever engaging portion 381 of the rotating member 38a, and is configured to engage with the release lever engaging portion 381 of the rotating member 38a when the rotating member 38a rotates from the neutral position toward the latch release position. However, the rotating member engaging portion 401 of the release lever 40 is configured not to contact the release lever engaging portion 381 of the rotating member 38a when the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position. The lifting lever engaging portion 402 is configured to be freely disengaged from and engaged with the lifting lever 203 and the inner lever 36.

[0074] The drive lever 41 is supported so that it can rotate coaxially with the inner lever 36 relative to the housing 31. However, the drive lever 41 and the inner lever 36 can rotate independently of each other relative to the housing 31. The drive lever 41 is configured to move to a locked position and an unlocked position by rotating relative to the housing 31. The locked position is the position at one end of the movable range of the drive lever 41, and the unlocked position is the position at the other end of the movable range of the drive lever 41.

[0075] The drive lever 41 is elastically applied towards either the locked position or the unlocked position by a positioning spring (not shown). Specifically, when the drive lever 41 is located closer to the locked position than a predetermined position in the middle of its movable range, the positioning spring elastically applies force towards the locked position; when it is located closer to the unlocked position, the positioning spring elastically applies force towards the unlocked position.

[0076] The drive lever 41 includes a locking link engaging portion 411 and a spring mounting portion 412. The locking link engaging portion 411 is a part that can be rotatably engaged (or connected) to one end of the locking link 45. The spring mounting portion 412 is a part for mounting the opening link force spring 42.

[0077] The opening link force spring 42 is mounted on the spring mounting portion 412 of the drive rod 41. The opening link force spring 42 is configured to hold the opening link 34 in the locked position when the drive rod 41 is in the locked position, and to hold the opening link 34 in the unlocked position when the drive rod 41 is in the unlocked position. However, the opening link force spring 42 is also configured to allow the opening link 34 to be in the locked position even when the drive rod 41 is in the unlocked position through elastic deformation. The opening link force spring 42 can be, for example, a torsion coil spring with arms at both ends. The two arms of the opening link force spring 42 are substantially parallel and can elastically deform in a manner that widens the distance between the two arms. In this case, the spring engagement portion 342 of the opening link 34 can be constructed with a protruding structure that protrudes in a direction parallel to the axis of the opening link 34 (relative to the rotation center line of the outer opening rod 33). Furthermore, the spring engagement part 342 of the opening link 34 is located between the two arms of the opening link force spring 42 (it is clamped between the two arms).

[0078] The second electric motor 43 is an example of the second driving force source of the present invention. The second electric motor 43 is the driving force source for the locking lever 44, which will be described later. The second electric motor 43 is configured to output rotational power in both forward and reverse directions. A second worm gear 431 is mounted on the output shaft of the second electric motor 43. Furthermore, the second electric motor 43 is a driving force source separate from and independent of the first electric motor 37.

[0079] The locking lever 44 is rotatably mounted to the housing 31 via the base 32. Furthermore, the locking lever 44 can move to the unlocked position and the locked position by rotating relative to the housing 31. The locking lever 44 has a toothed portion 441 and a locking link engaging portion 442. The toothed portion 441 is a sector gear-shaped portion that meshes with the second worm gear 431 of the second motor 43. The locking link engaging portion 442 is a rod-shaped portion extending radially outward from the rotation center of the locking lever 44 relative to the housing 31. One end of the locking link 45, described later, is rotatably connected to the end of the locking link engaging portion 442. The locking lever 44 moves to the unlocked position and the locked position by the driving force of the second motor 43.

[0080] The locking link 45 is an example of the first actuating member of the present invention in the first embodiment. The locking link 45 is a long, rod-shaped member, for example, formed by a metal plate. A cam pin engagement portion 451 is provided at the middle portion along the elongated direction of the locking link 45. The cam pin engagement portion 451 has a protrusion-shaped structure that protrudes in a direction approximately perpendicular to the elongated direction of the locking link 45. One end of the locking link 45 along the elongated direction is rotatably connected to the top end of the locking link engagement portion 442 of the locking rod 44, and the other end is rotatably connected to the locking link engagement portion 411 of the driving rod 41.

[0081] Furthermore, when the locking lever 44 is in the locked position, the locking link 45 and the driving lever 41 are also in the locked position; when the locking lever 44 is in the unlocked position, the locking link 45 and the driving lever 41 are also in the unlocked position. The unlocked position of the locking link 45 is an example of the first position of the first actuating member of the present invention, and the locked position is an example of the second position of the first actuating member of the present invention. Moreover, the locking link 45 and the locking lever 44 move in a generally linear direction, substantially parallel to the elongated direction, in a coordinated manner. Therefore, the unlocked position of the locking link 45 is at one end of its generally linearly movable range, and the locked position is at the other end of its movable range.

[0082] The push-button cam 46 is an example of the limiting mechanism of the present invention. The push-button cam 46 is a component used to alternately switch the dual locking mechanism 22 to the DL set state and the DL unset state. Figure 3A This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the construction of the push-button cam 46. Figure 3B This is an exploded perspective view of the push-button cam 46. (See diagram below.) Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the push-button cam 46 includes an outer cylinder 60 (fixed cylinder), an inner cylinder 61 (movable cylinder), a pin 62, and a pin-applying spring 63. The push-button cam 46 as a whole has a long, rod-shaped structure. For ease of explanation, one end of the push-button cam 46 along its long strip direction is sometimes referred to as the "first end side," and the opposite end side as the "second end side." In the figures, arrow F indicates the first end side of the push-button cam 46, and arrow S indicates the second end side.

[0083] The outer cylinder 60 is an example of the main body of the limiting mechanism of the present invention. The outer cylinder 60 is a generally cylindrical member that is open at both ends in the elongated direction (axial direction). An outer cylinder cam portion 601, described later, is provided on the inner circumferential side of the outer cylinder 60. In addition, a slit 602 is provided near the first end of the outer cylinder 60, through which the cam arm 612 of the inner cylinder 61 can be inserted. The slit 602 connects the outer circumferential side and the inner circumferential side of the outer cylinder 60 and extends along the elongated direction of the outer cylinder 60.

[0084] The inner cylinder 61 is an example of the third limiting member of the limiting mechanism of the present invention. The inner cylinder 61 is a member having an inner cylinder cam portion 611 and a cam arm 612. The inner cylinder cam portion 611 is a generally cylindrical portion that is open at both ends in the elongated direction. The cam arm 612 is a tongue-shaped portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder cam portion 611 to the outer peripheral side. A crank engagement portion 617 is provided on the cam arm 612. The crank engagement portion 617 is a portion that can be easily engaged with the key crank 49 described later, and has a protruding structure that protrudes in a direction that is generally parallel to the rotation center line of the key crank 49 relative to the housing 31.

[0085] Furthermore, the inner cylinder 61 is configured such that the inner cylinder cam portion 611 is housed inside the outer cylinder 60, and the cam arm 612 protrudes outward through the slit 602 of the outer cylinder 60. The inner cylinder 61 can move to a non-switching position, a first switching position, and a second switching position by moving relative to the outer cylinder 60 in the elongated direction (axial direction). However, the inner cylinder 61 cannot rotate relative to the outer cylinder 60. The non-switching position is, for example, a position near the end of the first end side of the movable range of the inner cylinder 61 relative to the outer cylinder 60. The first switching position is a position further to the second end side than the non-switching position, for example, a position near the end of the second end side of the movable range of the inner cylinder 61. The second switching position is a position between the non-switching position and the first switching position.

[0086] Pin 62 is an example of the first limiting member of the limiting mechanism of the present invention. Pin 62 is a generally rod-shaped member with a pin cam portion 621 (described later) provided in the middle portion along its elongated direction. The middle portion along the elongated direction of pin 62 is inserted into the outer cylinder 60 and the inner cylinder 61. The first end of pin 62 protrudes from the end face of the first end of the outer cylinder 60, and the second end of pin 62 protrudes from the end face of the second end of the outer cylinder 60. Furthermore, pin 62 is capable of reciprocating along the axial direction relative to the outer cylinder 60 and the inner cylinder 61, and is also capable of rotating relative to the outer cylinder 60 and the inner cylinder 61.

[0087] Pin 62 can move linearly relative to housing 31 to a first position (see reference). Figure 8A , Figure 8B ) and second position (refer to) Figure 5A , Figure 5B The pin 62 moves. The first position is the position at the end of the first end side of the movable range of the pin 62, and the second position is the position near the end of the second end side of the movable range of the pin 62. For ease of explanation, the state in which the pin 62 is in the first position is sometimes referred to as the first state of the pressing cam 46, and the state in which the pin 62 is in the second position is referred to as the second state of the pressing cam 46. The protruding length of the "end of the first end side of the pin 62" protruding from the "end face of the first end side of the outer cylinder 60" when the pressing cam 46 is in the first state is longer than the protruding length mentioned above when the pressing cam 46 is in the second state.

[0088] The pin-applying spring 63 is housed inside the outer cylinder 60 and always applies elastic force to the pin 62 towards the first end. The pin-applying spring 63 is a helical spring capable of elastic compression deformation in the axial direction.

[0089] When the pressing cam 46 is in the second state, it switches to the first state when the inner cylinder 61 moves from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returns to the non-switching position. Conversely, when the pressing cam 46 is in the first state, it switches to the second state when the inner cylinder 61 moves from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returns to the non-switching position. In other words, the pressing cam 46 is configured to alternately switch between the first and second states each time a series of actions involving the inner cylinder 61 moving from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returning to the non-switching position is performed.

[0090] Figures 4A to 4F This is a schematic diagram showing the outer cylinder cam portion 601, the inner cylinder cam portion 611, and the pin cam portion 621 unfolded on a plane. For ease of explanation, the side in the circumferential direction is sometimes referred to as the operating side, and its opposite side as the counter-operating side. In each figure, the operating side is indicated by arrow A, and the counter-operating side is indicated by arrow C.

[0091] The outer cylinder cam portion 601 has a protruding structure that extends from the inner circumference of the outer cylinder 60 towards the inner circumference. At the second end of the outer cylinder cam portion 601, a first cam surface 603, a first stop surface 606, a second cam surface 604, and a cam groove 605 are arranged circumferentially from the reaction side towards the action side in the order described above. Furthermore, multiple sets (three sets in this embodiment) of the first cam surface 603, the first stop surface 606, the second cam surface 604, and the cam groove 605 are arranged circumferentially.

[0092] Both the first cam surface 603 and the second cam surface 604 are inclined surfaces that are tilted relative to the axial direction and circumferential direction. Specifically, they are surfaces extending from the second end side and the reaction side towards the first end side and the action side (or, in other words, surfaces facing the second end side and the action side). Furthermore, the end P of the second end side and the reaction side of the second cam surface 604 is located on the second end side compared to the end Q of the second end side and the reaction side of the first cam surface 603. The first stop surface 606 is a surface that is substantially parallel to the axial direction and faces the reaction side. Alternatively, the first stop surface 606 can be described as a stepped surface between the first cam surface 603 and the second cam surface 604. The cam groove 605 is a groove that is open on the second end side and the inner circumferential side, and closed on the first end side. Additionally, the cam groove 605 is a groove extending along the axial direction, configured as a protrusion 622 that allows the pin 62 (described later) to be inserted and removed from the second end side.

[0093] A plurality of third cam surfaces 613, a plurality of fourth cam surfaces 614, a plurality of second stop surfaces 615, and a plurality of third stop surfaces 616 are provided at the second end of the inner cylinder cam portion 611. The third cam surfaces 613 and 614, like the first cam surfaces 603 and 604, are inclined surfaces that are inclined relative to the axial direction and circumferential direction; specifically, they are surfaces extending from the second end and the reaction side towards the first end and the action side. The second stop surface 615 is located on the action side of the third cam surface 613 and the reaction side of the fourth cam surface 614, and the third stop surface 616 is located on the reaction side of the third cam surface 613 and the action side of the fourth cam surface 614. The second stop surfaces 615 and 616 are inclined surfaces that are inclined relative to the axial direction and circumferential direction; specifically, they are surfaces extending from the first end and the action side towards the second end and the reaction side. Furthermore, from the reverse side towards the actuating side, the third cam surface 613, the second stop surface 615, the fourth cam surface 614, and the third stop surface 616 are arranged in a circumferential manner. Therefore, in the inner cylinder cam portion 611, the approximately "V"-shaped cuts of the second end side opening formed by the third cam surface 613 and the second stop surface 615 are alternately arranged in a circumferential manner with the approximately "V"-shaped cuts of the second end side opening formed by the fourth cam surface 614 and the third stop surface 616.

[0094] And, as Figure 4A As shown, assuming two straight lines L1 and L2 passing through the ends of the actuating and reciprocating sides of the third cam surface 613 and parallel to the axial direction, a portion of the actuating side of a first cam surface 603, a first stop surface 606 located on the actuating side of the first cam surface 603, and a portion of the reciprocating side of a second cam surface 604 located on the actuating side of the first stop surface 606 are included between these two straight lines L1 and L2. Furthermore, assuming two straight lines L3 and L4 passing through the ends of the actuating and reciprocating sides of the fourth cam surface 614 and parallel to the axial direction, a portion of the actuating side of a cam groove 605 and a portion of the reciprocating side of the first cam surface 603 adjacent to the actuating side of the cam groove 605 are included between these two straight lines L3 and L4.

[0095] The action of a push-type cam 46 like this is as follows. Figure 4A The diagram illustrates the relationship between the outer cylinder cam portion 601, the inner cylinder cam portion 611, and the pin cam portion 621 when the push-button cam 46 is in its second state. (For example...) Figure 4AAs shown, the state in which the first end face of the protrusion 622 of the pin 62 contacts the first cam surface 603 of the outer cylinder 60, and the side face of the pin 62 on the actuating side contacts the first stop surface 606, is the second state of the press-type cam 46 (i.e., the state in which the pin 62 is in the second position). Furthermore, since the force of the pin-applying spring 63 (specifically, the component of this force parallel to the direction of the second cam surface 604) acts to push the pin 62 toward the actuating side and the first end face, the press-type cam 46 is held in the second state.

[0096] In this state, when the inner cylinder 61 moves toward the second end side, the third cam surface 613 of the inner cylinder cam portion 611 contacts the end face of the first end side of the protrusion 622 and pushes the protrusion 622 toward the second end side. Therefore, as Figure 4B As shown, pin 62 moves from the second position toward the second end side. Furthermore, when the protrusion 622 is located at the second end side relative to the end P of the first stop surface 606, pin 62 becomes capable of rotating toward the operating side without obstruction from the first stop surface 606. Therefore, as... Figure 4C As shown, pin 62 rotates toward the actuating side under the force of pin-applying spring 63 (specifically, the component of the force parallel to the direction of the third cam surface 613), and stops at the deepest part (the end on the first end side) of the approximately "V"-shaped cut formed by the third cam surface 613 and the second stop surface 615. Pin 62 is held in this state by the force of pin-applying spring 63.

[0097] In this state, when the inner cylinder 61 moves towards the first end (or when the force applied to the inner cylinder 61 disappears), the pin 62 moves towards the first end while maintaining the above state through the force of the pin-applying spring 63. Furthermore, as... Figure 4D As shown, the end face of the first end of the protrusion 622 contacts the second cam surface 604. When the inner cylinder 61 moves further towards the first end, the tip of the pin 62 disengages from the third cam surface 613 (the deepest part of the approximately "V"-shaped cut formed by the third cam surface 613 and the second stop surface 615), and the pin 62 becomes capable of rotating towards the actuating side. Therefore, the pin 62 rotates towards the actuating side by the force of the pin-applying spring 63, and as... Figure 4E As shown, it is embedded in the cam groove 605. Furthermore, the protrusion 622 is kept embedded in the cam groove 605 by the force of the pin-applied spring 63 (the end face of the first end of the protrusion 622 is in contact with the bottom surface of the cam groove 605). Figure 4E The state shown is the first state of the push-button cam 46 (the state where pin 62 is in the first position).

[0098] Furthermore, the bottom surface of the cam groove 605 is located on the first end side compared to the first cam surface 603. Therefore, the protruding length of the "first end side end of the pin 62" protruding from the "first end side end face of the outer cylinder 60" when the press-type cam 46 is in the first state is longer than the protruding length when the press-type cam 46 is in the second state.

[0099] In this state, when the inner cylinder 61 moves towards the second end, the fourth cam surface 614 of the inner cylinder 61 contacts the end face of the first end of the protrusion 622 and pushes the protrusion 622 towards the second end. Therefore, the pin 62 moves towards the second end and disengages from the cam groove 605. Furthermore, the pin 62 rotates towards the rotational side under the force of the pin-applying spring 63 (more specifically, the component of the force parallel to the direction of the fourth cam surface 614), and then... Figure 4F As shown, rotation stops because the top of pin 62 is embedded in the deepest part of the roughly "V"-shaped cut formed by the fourth cam surface 614 and the third stop surface 616. Furthermore, pin 62 is held in this state by the force of pin-applying spring 63.

[0100] Subsequently, as the inner cylinder 61 moves towards the first end, the end face of the protrusion 622 of the pin 62 on the first end side contacts the portion of the first cam surface 603 that is biased towards the reverse action side. Furthermore, the pin 62 moves towards the first end while rotating towards the action side under the force of the pin-applying spring 63, and then stops because the side of the pin 62 on the action side contacts the first stop surface 606. Thus, it returns to... Figure 4A The state shown.

[0101] like Figure 4E As shown, when the push-button cam 46 is in the first state, the position of the inner cylinder 61 when the inner cylinder cam portion 611 moves away from the pin cam portion 621 towards the first end is the non-switching position of the inner cylinder 61. The non-switching position is not a specific location, but rather a position with a certain range. It can also be described as a position that "allows the pin 62 to be in the first position." Therefore, when the inner cylinder 61 is in the non-switching position, it maintains the state where the pin 62 is in either the first or second position.

[0102] In this way, when the pressing cam 46 is in the first state, when the action of "the inner cylinder 61 moving from the non-switching position to the second end side, the pin 62 being moved to the position where the protrusion 622 passes point P by the inner cylinder 61 pushing the protrusion 622, and then the inner cylinder 61 returning to the non-switching position" is performed, the pressing cam 46 switches to the second state. Furthermore, the end point P of the second end side of the second cam surface 604 and the first stop surface 606 is located at the second end side compared to the end point Q of the second end side of the first cam surface 603. Therefore, when the above action is performed while the pressing cam 46 is in the second state, since the protrusion 622 passes point Q, the pressing cam 46 switches to the first state.

[0103] On the other hand, when the pressing cam 46 is in the first state, when an action is performed such as "moving the inner cylinder 61 from the non-switching position to the second end side, thereby moving the protrusion 622 to a position that passes position Q but does not pass point P, and then the inner cylinder 61 returns to the non-switching position", the pressing cam 46 switches to the second state. However, when the pressing cam 46 is in the second state, even if an action is performed such as "moving the inner cylinder 61 from the non-switching position to the second end side, thereby moving the protrusion 622 to a position that passes position Q but does not pass point P, and then the inner cylinder 61 returns to the non-switching position", the pressing cam 46 does not switch to the first state.

[0104] The position of the inner cylinder 61 that holds the protrusion 622 at the second end compared to position P is the first switching position of the inner cylinder 61. The first switching position of the inner cylinder 61 can also be described as a position where the third cam surface 613 is located at the second end compared to the second cam surface 604. The position of the inner cylinder 61 that holds the protrusion 622 at a position closer to the second end compared to position Q but closer to the first end compared to position P is the second switching position of the inner cylinder 61. The second switching position of the inner cylinder 61 can also be described as a position where the fourth cam surface 614 is located at the second end compared to the first cam surface 603, but the third cam surface 613 is located at the first end compared to the second cam surface 604.

[0105] Next, the configuration of the push-button cam 46 will be described. The push-button cam 46 is mounted on the housing 31 via the base 32. In its second state, the push-button cam 46 allows the locking link 45 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position, while in its first state, it does not allow the locking link 45 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position. Specifically, in the second state, the entire push-button cam 46, including the pin 62, is outside the movement path of the locking link 45 when it moves from the locked position to the unlocked position. Furthermore, in the first state, the first end of the pin 62 is within the movement path of the cam pin engagement portion 451 of the locking link 45 when it moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0106] When the push-button cam 46 is configured in this way, in the second state, the locking link 45 can move from the locked position to the unlocked position without obstruction by the push-button cam 46. On the other hand, in the first state, the locking link 45 cannot move from the locked position to the unlocked position because the end of the first end of the pin 62 interferes with the cam pin engagement portion 451 of the locking link 44. Furthermore, it is preferable that the direction of movement of the locking link 45 is intersecting the axial direction of the push-button cam 46 and is approximately perpendicular to it, so that when the cam pin engagement portion 451 of the locking link 45 contacts the pin 62, the pin 62 does not move in the axial direction of the push-button cam 46.

[0107] Furthermore, the push-button cam 46 is configured such that, when the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position, the cam arm 612 of the inner cylinder 61 is pushed towards the first end by the cam engagement portion 382 of the rotating member 38a, thereby moving to the first switching position. When the push-button cam 46 is configured in this way, each time an action is performed in which "the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position by the driving force of the first motor 37, and then returns to the neutral position by the force of the rotating member force spring 39", the push-button cam 46 alternately switches between the first state and the second state.

[0108] <Action of the door locking device>

[0109] (The action of switching between locked and unlocked states)

[0110] Next, the operation of the door locking device 10a will be explained. Figures 5A to 9B This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the door locking device 10a. Furthermore, Figure 5A , Figure 6A , Figure 7A , Figure 8A, Figure 9A This is a diagram showing the door locking device 10a as viewed from the inside of the vehicle. Additionally, Figure 5B , Figure 6B , Figure 7B , Figure 8B , Figure 9B This is a diagram showing the door locking device 10a viewed from the outside of the vehicle.

[0111] As described above, the locking mechanism 24 of the door locking device 10a is configured to include a locking lever 44, a locking link 45, a drive lever 41, an opening link 34, and an opening link force spring 42. Furthermore, the locking mechanism 24 is configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state via the driving force of the second electric motor 43. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The locked state is shown. Figure 6A and Figure 6B The unlock status is displayed. For example... Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the door locking device 10a is in a locked state where the locking lever 44, locking link 45, and driving lever 41 are in the corresponding locked positions, and the opening link 34 is in a locked position due to the force of the opening link force spring 42. Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, the unlocked state of the door locking device 10a is when the locking lever 44, locking link 45 and driving lever 41 are in the unlocked corresponding positions, and the opening link 34 is in the unlocked position by the force of the opening link force spring 42.

[0112] The locking lever 44 and the unlocking linkage 34 are connected via the locking linkage 45, the driving lever 41, and the unlocking linkage force spring 42. Therefore, when the locking lever 44 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position under the driving force of the second motor 43, the unlocking linkage 34 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. This switches the door locking device 10a from the unlocked state to the locked state. Conversely, when the locking lever 44 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position under the driving force of the second motor 43, the unlocking linkage 34 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position. This switches the door locking device 10a from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0113] (Manual latch release action)

[0114] The manual latch release action is the action of switching the latch mechanism 20 from a latched state to a latch-released state by manually operating the external door handle 914 or the internal door handle 915 when the door locking device 10a is in the unlocked state. The door locking device 10a has a manual operation mechanism 21 that switches the latch mechanism 20 from a latched state to a latch-released state when the external door handle 914 or the internal door handle 915 is manually operated. The manual operation mechanism 21 is configured to include an internal opening lever 35, an internal lever 36, an external opening lever 33, and an opening linkage 34.

[0115] When the interior door handle 915 is manually operated, the interior opening lever 35 moves in conjunction with the interior door handle 915, overcoming the force of the interior opening lever's spring and moving from its initial position to its operating position. As the interior opening lever 35 moves from its initial position to its operating position, it pushes the interior lever 36, causing the interior lever 36 to move from its initial position to its operating position. As the interior lever 36 moves from its initial position to its operating position, it pushes the exterior opening lever 33, causing the exterior opening lever 33 to move from its initial position to its operating position. Additionally, when the exterior door handle 914 is manually operated, the exterior opening lever 33 moves in conjunction with the exterior door handle 914, moving from its initial position to its operating position.

[0116] With the opening linkage 34 in the unlocked position, when the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the opening linkage 34 pushes the lifting lever 203 via the release lever 40, causing the lifting lever 203 to move from the initial position to the operating position. As a result, since the latch 202 moves from the latched position to the latch-out position, the latch mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch-out state. Similarly, when the locking mechanism 24 is in the unlocked state (with the opening linkage 34 in the unlocked position), if the internal door handle 915 or the external door handle 914 is manually operated, the latch mechanism 20 of the door locking device 10a switches from the latched state to the latch-out state.

[0117] When the opening linkage 34 is in the locked position, even if the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the opening linkage 34 does not contact the release lever 40. In other words, the position where the external opening lever 33 does not contact the release lever 40 even when it moves from the initial position to the operating position is the locked position of the opening linkage 34. Therefore, when the locking mechanism 24 is in the locked state (when the opening linkage 34 is in the locked position), even if the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position due to manual operation of the internal door handle 915 or the external door handle 914, the lifting lever 203 does not move from the initial position to the operating position. Therefore, in this case, the latching mechanism 20 does not switch from the latching state to the latch-out state.

[0118] (Electric latch release action)

[0119] The electric latch release action is the action of switching the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch released state by the driving force of the first motor 37. Figure 7A and Figure 7B This diagram illustrates the electric latch release operation. By driving the first motor 37, the rotating member 38a is moved from the neutral position to the latch release corresponding position. When the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the latch release corresponding position, the release lever engagement portion 381 of the rotating member 38a pushes against the rotating member engagement portion 401 of the release lever 40. As a result, the release lever 40 moves from the initial position to the operating position. During this period, the lifting lever engagement portion 402 of the release lever 40 pushes against the lifting lever 203. As a result, the lifting lever 203 moves from the initial position to the operating position. Therefore, the latch mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch released state.

[0120] (The switching action between DL unset state and DL set state)

[0121] Next, the operation of switching between the DL unset state and the DL set state will be explained. The door locking device 10a is configured to alternately switch between the DL unset state and the DL set state. Figure 8A and Figure 8B This diagram shows the DL setting state of the door locking device 10a. Figure 9A and Figure 9B This diagram illustrates the action of moving the inner cylinder 61 of the push-button cam 46 from the non-switching position to the first switching position. The DL setting state is a state that restricts the switching of the locking mechanism 24 from the locked state to the unlocked state; more specifically, it is a state in which the locking mechanism 24 does not switch from the locked state to the unlocked state even when the second motor 43 is driven.

[0122] When the locking link 45 is in the corresponding locked position and the push-button cam 46 is in the second state (see reference). Figure 5A , Figure 5B () is the locked state of the locking mechanism 24 and the DL is not set. In this state, when the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position by the driving force of the first motor 37, as Figure 9A and Figure 9B As shown, because the cam engagement portion 382 of the rotating member 38a pushes the cam arm 612 of the inner cylinder 61 of the pressing cam 46, the inner cylinder 61 moves from the initial position to the first switching position. Then, when the drive of the first motor 37 stops (when the energization of the first motor 37 stops), the rotating member 38a returns to the neutral position by the force of the rotating member force spring 39. Furthermore, the inner cylinder 61 of the pressing cam 46 returns to the non-switching position by the force of the pin force spring 63.

[0123] The push-button cam 46 alternately switches between the first and second states each time the inner cylinder 61 performs the action of "moving from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returning to the initial position". Therefore, when in the locked state and the DL is not set, the push-button cam 46 switches from the second state to the first state when the above action is performed. Furthermore, as... Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, when the pressing cam 46 is in the first state, the first end of the pin 62 is located on the movement trajectory of the cam pin engagement portion 451 when the locking link 45 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position. Therefore, even if the second motor 43 drives it, the locking link 45 cannot move from the locked position to the unlocked position because the cam pin engagement portion 451 of the locking link 45 interferes with the pin 62 of the pressing cam 46. Therefore, the locking mechanism 24 remains in the locked state.

[0124] When the door locking device 10a is in the DL setting state, that is, when the pin 62 of the push-type cam 46 is in the first position, when the first motor 37 is activated to move the rotating member 38a from the neutral position to the cam actuation position, and then the operation of the first motor 37 is stopped (the power supply to the first motor 37 is stopped), the push-type cam 46 switches from the first state to the second state, and the door locking device 10a switches from the DL setting state to the DL unsetting state.

[0125] In this way, when the locking mechanism 24 is in the locked state, by driving the first motor 37 to move the rotating member 38a from the neutral position to the cam actuation position, and then stopping the driving of the first motor 37, the inner cylinder 61 of the push-type cam 46 is moved from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returned to the non-switching position. Furthermore, each time this action is performed, the door locking device 10a switches from the DL unset state to the DL set state, or from the DL set state to the DL unset state.

[0126] As described above, when the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the latch-release position by the driving force of the first motor 37, the latch mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch-released state. Furthermore, since the rotation direction when moving from the neutral position to the cam actuation position is opposite to the rotation direction when moving from the neutral position to the latch-released position, switching the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-released state and alternating between the DL-unset state and the DL-set state can be achieved by switching the rotation direction of the driving force of the first motor 37. Therefore, since it is not necessary to separately provide a driving force source for switching the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-released state and a driving force source for alternating between the DL-unset state and the DL-set state, an increase in the number of components in the door locking device 10a can be prevented or suppressed.

[0127] Furthermore, the switching between the locked and unlocked states of the locking mechanism 24 is performed by the driving force of a second motor 43, which is independent of the first motor 37. Therefore, the switching from the latched state to the unlocked state of the latch mechanism 20 is not limited by whether the locking mechanism 24 is in the locked state. That is, even if the locking mechanism 24 is in the unlocked state, by causing the first motor 37 to output rotational power in a predetermined direction (the direction in which the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the corresponding unlocked position), the latch mechanism 20 can be switched from the latched state to the unlocked state immediately.

[0128] <Manual DL without setting an action>

[0129] Furthermore, the door locking device 10a is configured such that, when in the DL setting state, it can be switched from the DL setting state to the DL not setting state by manual operation of the key lock cylinder 916. Details are as follows.

[0130] The door locking device 10a includes a key lever 47, a key switch lever 48, and a key crank 49. The key lever 47 is a component that engages with the plug of the key lock cylinder 916 for integral rotation with the plug (inner cylinder) of the key lock cylinder 916. The key switch lever 48 is rotatably supported on the housing 31. The key switch lever 48 can move to a neutral position, an unlocking position, and a locking position by rotating relative to the housing 31. The neutral position is the middle position of the movable range of rotation of the key switch lever 48. The unlocking position is the position after rotating from the neutral position in a predetermined direction. The locking position is the position after rotating from the neutral position in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction. Furthermore, the key switch lever 48 moves from the neutral position to the unlocking position or the locking position in conjunction with the operation of the key lock cylinder 916 from the outside of the vehicle.

[0131] The key crank 49 has a first arm 491 that engages freely with the key switch lever 48 and a second arm 492 that engages freely with the crank engagement portion 617 of the push-button cam 46. Furthermore, the key crank 49 is rotatably supported on the housing 31 and can move to an initial position and an operating position by rotating relative to the housing 31. The initial position allows the key switch lever 48 to be in a neutral position and allows the pin 62 of the push-button cam 46 to be in a non-switching position. When the key switch lever 48 moves from the neutral position to the unlocking position, the key crank 49 is pushed by the key switch lever 48 and moves from the initial position to the operating position. And, when the key crank 49 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the second arm 492 pushes the crank engagement portion 617 of the push-button cam 46, causing the inner cylinder 61 to move from the non-switching position to the second switching position. However, the key crank 49 is configured such that the inner cylinder 61 does not move past the second switching position to the first switching position.

[0132] With this configuration, when the double locking mechanism 22 is in the DL setting state, and the key lock cylinder 916 is manually operated, the movement of the bolt of the key lock cylinder 916 is transmitted to the key crank 49 via the key lever 47 and the key switch lever 48, causing the key crank 49 to move from the initial position to the operating position. Furthermore, since the second arm 492 of the key crank 49 pushes the cam arm 612 of the push-type cam 46, the inner cylinder 61 moves from the non-switching position to the second switching position. Thus, the push-type cam 46 switches from the first state to the second state. Therefore, the locking link 45 becomes capable of moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0133] Furthermore, even when the key crank 49 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the inner cylinder 61 of the push-type cam 46 will not move past the second switching position to the first switching position. Therefore, when the push-type cam 46 is in the second state, even if the key lock cylinder 916 is manually operated, the push-type cam 46 will not switch to the first state. That is, when the double locking mechanism 22 is in the DL unset state, it will not switch from the DL unset state to the DL set state. In this way, when the double locking mechanism 22 is in the DL set state, when the key lock cylinder 916 is operated, the door locking device 10a switches to the DL unset state, but when the double locking mechanism 22 is in the DL unset state, even if the key lock cylinder 916 is operated, it will not switch from the DL unset state to the DL set state.

[0134] <Second Implementation Method>

[0135] Next, the door locking device 10b according to the second embodiment will be described. The door locking device 10b according to the second embodiment includes a child protection mechanism 23 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as child protection mechanism 23) which is operated by the driving force of a driving force source. The child protection mechanism 23 is a mechanism that can restrict the latching mechanism 20 from switching from a latched state to a latch-off state by manual operation of the internal door handle 915. Figures 10A to 11B This diagram illustrates the structure and operation of the door locking device 10b according to the second embodiment. Furthermore, for structures identical to those in the first embodiment, the same symbols may be used, and descriptions may be omitted.

[0136] The door locking device 10b is configured to switch the latching mechanism 20 from a latched state to a latch-off state via the driving force of the first motor 37. Furthermore, the door locking device 10b is configured to alternately switch the child protection mechanism 23 from a child protection unset state (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the CP unset state) to a child protection set state (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the CP set state) via the driving force of the first motor 37. The CP unset state of the child protection mechanism 23 allows the latching mechanism 20 to switch from a latched state to a latch-off state via manual operation of the interior door handle 915. The CP set state restricts (disallows) the latching mechanism 20 from switching from a latched state to a latch-off state via manual operation of the interior door handle 915.

[0137] The door locking device 10b includes an external opening lever 33, an opening linkage 34, an internal opening lever 35, a rotating member 38b, a cam rod 51, a push-button cam 46, and a child safety bar 50. Furthermore, the child safety mechanism 23 is configured to include the rotating member 38b, the cam rod 51, the child safety bar 50, and the push-button cam 46. The internal opening lever 35 is an example of the sixth actuating member of the present invention in the second embodiment. The external opening lever 33 is an example of the fifth actuating member of the present invention in the second embodiment.

[0138] The rotating member 38b includes a cam rod engagement portion 383. The cam rod engagement portion 383 has a protruding structure that protrudes in the axial direction of the rotating member 38b to the side opposite to the release rod engagement portion 381. Furthermore, except that the cam engagement portion 382 is replaced by the cam rod engagement portion 383, the rotating member 38b of the second embodiment uses the same structure as the rotating member 38a of the first embodiment.

[0139] The cam rod 51 is configured to move the inner cylinder 61 of the push-type cam 46 from a non-switching position to a first switching position in conjunction with the movement of the rotating member 38b from a neutral position to a cam actuation position. The cam rod 51 has a rotating member engagement portion 511 and a cam arm engagement portion 512. The cam rod 51 is rotatably supported on the housing 31 coaxially with the rotating member 38b. However, the cam rod 51 and the rotating member 38b can rotate independently of each other.

[0140] The child safety bar 50 is an example of the first actuating member of the present invention in the second embodiment. The child safety bar 50 includes a cam pin engagement portion 501 and an inner rod engagement portion 502. The cam pin engagement portion 501 is configured to engage with the end of the second end side of the pin 62 of the push-button cam 46 in a freely engaging manner. The inner rod engagement portion 502 is configured to engage with the inner rod 36 in a freely engaging manner. The child safety bar 50 is rotatably supported on the housing 31. By rotating relative to the housing 31, the child safety bar 50 can be moved to the CP unset position (see reference). Figure 10A , Figure 10B ) and CP setting location (refer to Figure 11A , Figure 11B The child safety bar 50 can move. The CP set position is the position at one end of its movable range, and the CP unset position is the position at the other end of its movable range. Furthermore, the child safety bar 50 is always elastically stressed towards the CP set position by a force-applying spring (not shown).

[0141] The push-button cam 46 uses the same construction as the push-button cam 46 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the length of the portion protruding from the end face of the second end of the outer cylinder 60 at the end of the second end of the pin 62 is different from the length of the portion protruding from the end face of the second end of the outer cylinder 60 when the pin 62 is in the first position (when the push-button cam 46 is in the first state – see reference 46). Figure 11A and Figure 11B Compared to the case where the second position is in which the push-button cam 46 is in the second state (see reference...) Figure 10A and Figure 10B The lower part is longer. Furthermore, the push-button cam 46 is configured to allow the child safety bar 50 to be in the CP set position when in the first state. Additionally, the push-button cam 46 is configured to hold the child safety bar 50 in the CP unset position when in the second state (or, in other words, to prevent movement from the CP unset position to the CP set position).

[0142] Specifically, the push-button cam 46 is configured such that, in the first state, the end of the second end of the pin 62 is located on the extension line of the movement trajectory of the cam pin engagement portion 501 when the child safety bar 50 moves from the CP unset position to the CP set position, and crosses the CP set position. Therefore, when the push-button cam 46 is in the first state, the child safety bar 50 can be located in the CP set position. Furthermore, it can be said that the CP set position of the child safety bar 50 is the position where the cam pin engagement portion 501 of the child safety bar 50 contacts the pin 62 of the push-button cam 46 in the first state.

[0143] The push-button cam 46 is configured such that, in the second state, the end of the second end of the pin 62 is located within the movement trajectory of the cam pin engagement portion 501 when the child safety bar 50 moves from the CP unset position to the CP set position, and near the CP unset position. Therefore, when the push-button cam 46 is in the second state, the child safety bar 50 cannot move from the CP unset position to the CP set position. Furthermore, it can be said that the CP unset position of the child safety bar 50 is the position where the cam pin engagement portion 501 of the child safety bar 50 contacts the pin 62 of the push-button cam 46 in the second state.

[0144] Furthermore, the push-button cam 46 is configured such that, when switching from the first state to the second state, it pushes the cam pin engagement portion 501 of the child safety bar 50, thereby moving the child safety bar 50 from the CP set position to the CP unset position. Specifically, the movement trajectory of the pin 62 of the push-button cam 46 when it moves from the first position to the second position is approximately parallel to and overlaps with the movement trajectory of the cam pin engagement portion 501 of the child safety bar 50 when it moves from the CP set position to the CP unset position.

[0145] The internal rod 36 is rotatably supported on the housing 31. By rotating relative to the housing 31, the internal rod 36 can move to the CP unset position, the CP set position, and the operating position.

[0146] The CP-unset position of the internal lever 36 corresponds to the initial position of the internal lever 36 in the first embodiment, and the operating position corresponds to the operating position in the first embodiment. When the internal lever 36 is in the CP-unset position, when the internal opening lever 35 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the internal lever 36 is pushed by the internal opening lever 35, thereby moving from the CP-unset position to the operating position. Furthermore, the internal lever 36 pushes the external opening lever 33, thereby moving the external opening lever 33 from the initial position to the operating position. Therefore, when the opening linkage 34 is in the unlocked position, the latching mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch-released state. Moreover, the initial position of the internal opening lever 35 is an example of the initial position of the sixth operating member of the present invention, and the operating position of the internal opening lever 35 is an example of the operating position of the sixth operating member of the present invention. Additionally, the initial position of the external opening lever 33 is an example of the initial position of the fifth operating member of the present invention, and the operating position of the external opening lever 33 is an example of the operating position of the fifth operating member of the present invention.

[0147] Furthermore, to achieve the aforementioned actions, the inner rod 36 is configured to move between the unset CP position and the active position when the child safety bar 50 is in the unset CP position. Specifically, the inner rod 36 is provided with an engagement hole 363 into which the inner rod engaging portion 502 of the child safety bar 50 is inserted. The engagement hole 363 includes a portion extending in an arc shape around the rotation center of the inner rod 36. Therefore, the inner rod 36 can move relative to the child safety bar 50 within the range of the engagement hole 363.

[0148] The CP setting position of the inner lever 36 is the position where the inner lever 36 is not engaged with the inner opening lever 35 and the outer opening lever 33. Specifically, the CP setting position of the inner lever 36 is outside the movement trajectory of the inner opening lever 35 when it moves from the initial position to the operating position, and it is also outside the movement trajectory of the outer opening lever 33 when it moves from the initial position to the operating position. When the inner lever 36 is in the CP setting position, even if the inner opening lever 35 moves from the initial position to the operating position, the inner lever 36 will not move to the operating position because the inner opening lever 35 does not push against the inner lever 36. Therefore, in this case, since the outer opening lever 33 is not pushed by the inner lever 36, the latching mechanism 20 remains in the latched state.

[0149] However, when the external door handle 914 is manually operated, the external opening lever 33 moves from the initial position to the operating position in conjunction with the movement of the external door handle 914. Therefore, when the opening linkage 34 is in the unlocked position, and the external door handle 914 is manually operated, regardless of whether the child safety bar 50 is in the CP set position or the CP unset position, the latching mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch released state.

[0150] Furthermore, when the push-button cam 46 is in the second state, since the child safety bar 50 is held in the CP unset position, the latching mechanism 20 can be switched from the latched state to the latch-off state by manually operating the interior door handle 915. Thus, when the push-button cam 46 is in the second state, the child safety mechanism 23 is in the CP unset state. On the other hand, when the push-button cam 46 is in the first state, since the child safety bar 50 is held in the CP set position by the force of the force spring, the latching mechanism 20 cannot be switched from the latched state to the latch-off state by manually operating the interior door handle 915. Thus, when the push-button cam 46 is in the first state, the child safety mechanism 23 is in the CP set state.

[0151] When the rotating member 38b moves from the neutral position to the cam actuation position, the cam rod engagement portion 383 pushes the rotating member engagement portion 511 of the cam rod 51, causing the cam rod 51 to rotate. Furthermore, when the cam rod 51 rotates, the cam arm engagement portion 512 pushes the cam arm 612 of the press-type cam 46, causing the inner cylinder 61 to move from the non-switching position to the first switching position. Afterwards, when the drive of the second motor 43 stops, the inner cylinder 61 of the press-type cam 46 becomes capable of moving to the non-switching position. Moreover, each time the inner cylinder 61 of the press-type cam 46 performs the action of "moving from the non-switching position to the first switching position and then returning to the non-switching position," the press-type cam 46 alternately switches between the first state and the second state. Therefore, each time the above actions are performed, the child protection mechanism 23 alternately switches between the CP unset state and the CP set state.

[0152] Similar to the first embodiment, when the rotating member 38b moves from the neutral position to the latch-out position by the driving force of the first motor 37, the latching mechanism 20 switches from the latched state to the latch-out state. Furthermore, since the rotational direction when moving from the neutral position to the cam actuation position and the rotational direction when moving from the neutral position to the latch-out position are opposite to each other, the switching of the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-out state and the alternation of the CP unset state and CP set state of the child protection mechanism 23 can be achieved by switching the rotational direction of the driving force of the first motor 37. Therefore, since it is not necessary to separately provide a driving force source for switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-out state and a driving force source for alternating between the CP unset state and the CP set state, an increase in the number of components can be prevented or suppressed.

[0153] Furthermore, the switching between the locked and unlocked states of the locking mechanism 24 is performed by the driving force of a second motor 43, which is separate from the first motor 37. Therefore, the switching from the latched state to the unlocked state of the latch mechanism 20 is not limited by whether the locking mechanism 24 is in the locked state. That is, even if the locking mechanism 24 is in the unlocked state, the latch mechanism 20 can be immediately switched from the latched state to the unlocked state by driving the first motor 37 to rotate in a predetermined direction.

[0154] <Summary of Implementation Methods> (1)

[0156] The vehicle door locking devices 10a and 10b according to this embodiment include:

[0157] The latching mechanism 20 is configured to switch from a latched state that does not allow the door 90 to be opened to a latched unlocked state that allows the door 90 to be opened.

[0158] The first actuating component (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) is configured to be movable to a first position and a second position. In the first position, the latching mechanism 20 is allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state by manual operation of the manual operating component (interior door handle 915) provided on the door 90. In the second position, even if the manual operating component (interior door handle 915) is manually operated, the latching mechanism 20 is not allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state.

[0159] A limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) is configured to switch between a first state and a second state. In the first state, it restricts the first actuating member (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) from moving from the second position to the first position or holds the first actuating member in the second position. In the second state, it holds the first actuating member in the first position or allows the first actuating member to move from the second position to the first position.

[0160] Rotating components 38a and 38b are capable of being moved by the driving force of a first driving force source (first motor 37) to a latch release corresponding position and a limiting mechanism switching position. The latch release corresponding position is the position after rotating from the neutral position to a predetermined direction, and the limiting mechanism switching position is the position after rotating from the neutral position to the opposite direction to the predetermined direction. When moving from the neutral position to the latch release corresponding position, the rotating component switches the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch release state. And each time moving from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position, the rotating component alternately switches the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) to the first state and the second state.

[0161] According to this embodiment, when the rotating members 38a and 38b move from the neutral position to the latch-out position by the driving force of the first driving force source (first motor 37), the latch mechanism 20 switches from the latch-out state to the latch-out state regardless of whether the vehicle door locking devices 10a and 10b are in the unlocked or locked state. Therefore, the latch mechanism 20 can be switched from the latch-out state to the latch-out state with a single drive of the first driving force source (first motor 37).

[0162] Furthermore, when the rotating members 38a and 38b move from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position (cam actuation position) by the driving force of the first driving force source (first motor 37), the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) alternately switches between the state where the first limiting member (pin 62) is in the limiting position and the state where it is in the allowable position. Moreover, since the rotation direction of the rotating members 38a and 38b when moving from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position (cam actuation position) is opposite to the rotation direction when moving from the neutral position to the corresponding latch release position, the switching of the latch mechanism 20 from the latch state to the latch release state and the switching of the state of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) can be achieved by switching the direction of the driving force of the first driving force source (first motor 37). Therefore, since there is no need to separately provide a driving force source for switching the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-off state and a driving force source for switching the state of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46), it is possible to prevent or suppress an increase in the number of components of the vehicle door locking devices 10a and 10b. (2)

[0164] The following configuration can be applied: the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) includes a switching member (inner cylinder 61) movable to a non-switching position and a switching position, and is configured such that each time the switching member (inner cylinder 61) moves from the non-switching position to the switching position, the limiting mechanism is alternately switched between the first state and the second state.

[0165] When the rotating components 38a and 38b move from the neutral position to the switching mechanism operating position (cam operating position), the switching component (inner cylinder 61) moves from the non-switching position to the switching position. (3)

[0167] The following configuration can be applied: the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) includes a limiting member (pin 62) that can move to a limiting position and an allowable position. The limiting position is a position that restricts the first actuating member (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) from the second position to the first position, or a position that holds the first actuating member (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) in the second position. The allowable position is a position that allows the first actuating member (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) to move from the second position to the first position, or a position that holds the first actuating member (locking link 45, child safety bar 50) in the first position.

[0168] Each time the switching member (inner cylinder 61) moves from the non-switching position to the switching position, the limiting mechanism is alternately switched between the state where the limiting member (pin 62) is in the limiting position and the state where it is in the allowable position.

[0169] With this configuration, by moving the rotating members 38a and 38b from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position (cam action position), the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) can be switched from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state. (4)

[0171] The following configuration can be applied: the vehicle door locking devices 10a and 10b have a second actuating member (release lever 40), which is configured to move from the initial position (initial position) to the actuating position (acting position) of the second actuating member in conjunction with the movement of the rotating members 38a and 38b from the neutral position to the corresponding position of the latch release. Furthermore, the second actuating member is configured to move from the initial position (initial position) to the actuating position (acting position) of the second actuating member in conjunction with the manual operation of the manual operation member (interior door handle 915). Moreover, the second actuating member is configured to switch the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-released state by moving from the initial position (initial position) to the actuating position (acting position).

[0172] With this configuration, by rotating the rotating members 38a and 38b from the neutral position to the corresponding latch-out position, the latch mechanism 20 can be switched from the latch-locked state to the latch-out state. (5)

[0174] The following configuration can be applied: The vehicle door locking device 10a includes:

[0175] The third actuating member (external opening lever 33) is configured to move from its initial position (initial position) to its actuating position (actual position) by being manually operated by at least one of the manual operating member (external door handle 914) located on the outer side of the door 90 and the manual operating member (internal door handle 915) located on the inner side of the door 90; and

[0176] A fourth actuating member (opening link 34) is connected to the third actuating member (external opening link 33) in a manner movable to a locked position and an unlocked position, and cooperates with the first actuating member (locking link 45) such that when the first actuating member (locking link 45) is in the first position, the fourth actuating member is in the unlocked position, and when the first actuating member (locking link 45) is in the second position, the fourth actuating member is in the locked position. The fourth actuating member is configured such that, in the locked position... When the third actuating member (external opening lever 33) moves from the initial position (initial position) to the actuating position (actuating position), the latching mechanism 20 is not switched from the latched state to the latch-released state. When the fourth actuating member is in the unlocked position, the latching mechanism 20 is switched from the latched state to the latch-released state when the third actuating member (external opening lever 33) moves from the initial position (initial position) to the actuating position (actuating position).

[0177] When the fourth actuating member (opening linkage 34) is in the locked position, the door locking device 10a for vehicles is in a locked state, which prevents the latching mechanism 20 from being switched from the latched state to the latch-released state by manual operation of the manual operating members (external door handle 914, internal door handle 915). Furthermore, this configuration constitutes a dual locking mechanism 22 comprising a limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) and a first actuating member (locking linkage 45).

[0178] When the first limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) is in the limiting position (first position), the first actuating member (locking link 45) is not allowed to move from the second position (locking corresponding position) to the first position (unlocking corresponding position). That is, the dual locking mechanism 22 is in the DL setting state. On the other hand, when the first limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) is in the allowable position (second position), the first actuating member (locking link 45) is allowed to move from the second position (locking corresponding position) to the first position (unlocking corresponding position). That is, the dual locking mechanism 22 is in the DL unsetting state. In other words, the dual locking mechanism 22 is in the DL setting state. In this way, by moving the first limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) to the limiting position and the allowable position, the dual locking mechanism 22 can be alternately switched between the DL unsetting state and the DL setting state.

[0179] Furthermore, the actions of switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latched-out state and alternating between the dual locking mechanism 22 and the DL unset state and the DL set state can be performed by a first driving force source (first motor 37) and a rotating member 38a that rotates by the driving force of the first driving force source (first motor 37). Therefore, in the vehicle door locking device 10a equipped with the dual locking mechanism 22, it is not necessary to separately configure a driving force source for performing the action of switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latched-out state and a driving force source for performing the action of alternating between the dual locking mechanism 22 and the DL unset state. Therefore, in the vehicle door locking device 10a equipped with the dual locking mechanism 22, it is possible to prevent or suppress the increase in the number of components. (6)

[0181] The following structure can be applied: the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) is a press-type cam, which includes: a main body (outer cylinder 60), a limiting member (pin 62) capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body (outer cylinder 60), and a switching member (inner cylinder 61) capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body (outer cylinder 60).

[0182] The restricted position of the limiting member (pin 62) is the position where at least a portion of the limiting member (pin 62) enters the inner side of the movement trajectory of the first actuating member (locking link 45) when the first actuating member (locking link 45) moves from the second position to the first position, and the allowed position of the limiting member (pin 62) is the position where the limiting member (locking link 45) is located outside the movement trajectory.

[0183] With this configuration, by moving the first limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46), it is possible to switch between a DL unset state, which allows the first actuating member (locking link 45) to move from the second position (locking corresponding position) to the first position (unlocking corresponding position), and a DL set state, which does not allow (restricts) the first actuating member (locking link 45) to move from the second position (locking corresponding position) to the first position (unlocking corresponding position). (7)

[0185] The following configuration can be applied: the vehicle door locking devices 10a and 10b have a second driving force source (second motor 43) that is separate from the first driving force source (first motor 37).

[0186] The first actuating member (locking link 45) is configured to move to the first position and the second position by the driving force of the second driving force source (second motor 43).

[0187] With this configuration, the switching between the locked and unlocked states of the locking mechanism 24 of the door locking device 10a is performed by the driving force of a second driving force source (second motor 43) that is independent of the first driving force source (first motor 37). Therefore, when switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-off state, it is unaffected by whether the door locking device 10a for the vehicle is in the locked or unlocked state. That is, by causing the first driving force source (first motor 37) to output a driving force in a predetermined direction (the direction in which the rotating member 38a moves from the neutral position to the corresponding latch-off position), the latching mechanism 20 can be switched from the latched state to the latch-off state immediately, regardless of whether the locking mechanism 24 is in the unlocked or locked state. (8)

[0189] The following configuration can be applied: The vehicle door locking device 10b is equipped with:

[0190] The fifth actuating member (external opening rod 33) is configured to switch the latching mechanism 20 from the latching state to the latching release state by moving from the initial position (initial position) of the fifth actuating member to the actuating position (actuating position) of the fifth actuating member.

[0191] The sixth actuating member (internal opening lever 35) is configured to move from its initial position (initial position) to its actuating position (acting position) when the manual operating member (external door handle 914) located on the outside of the door 90 is manually operated; and

[0192] The seventh actuating member (internal lever 36) is movable to a third, fourth, and fifth position. It is configured such that, when the seventh actuating member is in the third position, it moves in conjunction with the movement of the sixth actuating member (internal opening lever 35) from its initial position to its operating position to the fourth position, thereby causing the fifth actuating member (external opening lever 33) to move from its initial position to its operating position. When the seventh actuating member is in the fifth position, it does not move in conjunction with the movement of the sixth actuating member (internal opening lever 35) from its initial position to its operating position, thus preventing the fifth actuating member (external opening lever 33) from moving from its initial position to its operating position.

[0193] The first actuating member (child safety bar 50) cooperates with the seventh actuating member (inner bar 36) such that when the first actuating member is in the restricted position, the seventh actuating member (inner bar 36) is in the fifth position, and when the first actuating member is in the permitted position, the seventh actuating member (inner bar 36) is in the third position.

[0194] The limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) cooperates with the first actuating member (child safety bar 50) such that when the limiting member is in the limiting position, the first actuating member (child safety bar 50) is in the limiting position, and when the limiting member is in the permissible position, the first actuating member (child safety bar 50) is in the permissible position.

[0195] With this configuration, in the vehicle door locking device 10b equipped with the child safety mechanism 23, the actions of switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-off state and alternating between the child safety mechanism 23 and the CP unset state and the CP set state can be performed by a first driving force source (first motor 37) and a rotating member 38b that is rotated by the driving force of the first driving force source (first motor 37). Therefore, it is not necessary to separately configure a driving force source for switching the latching mechanism 20 from the latched state to the latch-off state and a driving force source for alternating between the CP unset state and the CP set state of the child safety mechanism 23. Therefore, in the vehicle door locking device 10b equipped with the child safety mechanism 23, it is possible to prevent or suppress the increase in the number of components. (9)

[0197] The following structure can be applied: the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46) is a press-type cam, which includes: a main body (outer cylinder 60), a limiting member (pin 62) capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body (outer cylinder 60), and a switching member (inner cylinder 61) capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body (outer cylinder 60).

[0198] The permitted position of the limiting member (pin 62) is the position in which the first actuating member (child safety bar 50) is held in the permitted position by the limiting member (pin 62) abutting against the first actuating member (child safety bar 50), and the restricted position of the limiting member (pin 62) is the position in which the first actuating member (child safety bar 50) is allowed to move from the permitted position to the restricted position.

[0199] According to this configuration, in the door locking device 10b of a vehicle equipped with a child protection mechanism 23, by moving the first limiting member (pin 62) of the limiting mechanism (press-type cam 46), it is possible to switch between a CP unset state, which allows the eighth actuating member (child protection bar 50) to move from the limiting position (CP set position) to the allowing position (CP unset position), and a CP set state, which does not allow (restricts) the eighth actuating member (child protection bar 50) to move from the limiting position (CP set position) to the allowing position (CP unset position).

[0200] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0201] For example, the above embodiments show a configuration where the opening link 34 pushes the lifting rod 203 via the release rod 40, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the opening link 34 may directly push the lifting rod 203.

[0202] Industrial utilization potential

[0203] The vehicle door locking device of the present invention can be used in automobiles and other vehicles.

Claims

1. A door locking device for a vehicle, wherein, have: A latching mechanism configured to switch from a latched state that prevents the door from being opened to a latched-out state that allows the door to be opened; A first actuating member is configured to be movable to a first position and a second position. In the first position, the latching mechanism is allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state by manual operation of a manual operating member provided on the door. In the second position, the latching mechanism is not allowed to switch from the latched state to the latched state even if the manual operating member is manually operated. A limiting mechanism is configured to switch between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first actuating member is restricted from moving from the second position to the first position or is held in the second position. In the second state, the first actuating member is held in the first position or is allowed to move from the second position to the first position. as well as A rotating component is capable of being moved by a first driving force source to a latch release position and a limiting mechanism switching position. The latch release position is a position after rotating from the neutral position in a predetermined direction, and the limiting mechanism switching position is a position after rotating from the neutral position in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. When moving from the neutral position to the latch release position, the rotating component switches the latch mechanism from the latched state to the latch release state. Each time the rotating component moves from the neutral position to the limiting mechanism switching position, it alternately switches the limiting mechanism to the first state and the second state.

2. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 1, wherein, The limiting mechanism includes a switching member capable of moving to a non-switching position and a switching position, and is configured such that each time the switching member moves from the non-switching position to the switching position, the limiting mechanism is alternately switched between the first state and the second state. When the rotating member moves from the neutral position to the switching position of the limiting mechanism, it causes the switching member to move from the non-switching position to the switching position.

3. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 2, wherein, The limiting mechanism includes a limiting member that is movable to a limiting position and a permissible position. The limiting position is a position that restricts the first actuating member from moving from the second position to the first position, or a position that holds the first actuating member in the second position. The permissible position is a position that allows the first actuating member to move from the second position to the first position, or a position that holds the first actuating member in the first position. Each time the switching member moves from the non-switching position to the switching position, the limiting mechanism is alternately switched between the state where the limiting member is in the limiting position and the state where the limiting member is in the allowing position.

4. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 3, wherein, The device includes a second actuating member configured to move from an initial position to an operating position in conjunction with the movement of the rotating member from the neutral position to the position corresponding to the latch release. Furthermore, the second actuating member is configured to move from the initial position to the operating position in conjunction with the manual operation of the manual operating member. The second actuating member is configured to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the latch-released state by moving from the initial position to the operating position.

5. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 4, wherein, have: The third actuating member is configured to move from its initial position to its actuating position by being manually operated by at least one of the manual operating members located on the outside of the vehicle door and the manual operating members located on the inside of the vehicle door. as well as A fourth actuating member is connected to the third actuating member in a manner that allows it to move to a locked position and an unlocked position, and cooperates with the first actuating member such that when the first actuating member is in the first position, the fourth actuating member is in the unlocked position, and when the first actuating member is in the second position, the fourth actuating member is in the locked position. The fourth actuating member is configured such that, when the fourth actuating member is in the locked position, if the third actuating member moves from its initial position to its actuating position, it does not switch the latching mechanism from the latched state to the latch-released state; and when the fourth actuating member is in the unlocked position, if the third actuating member moves from its initial position to its actuating position, it switches the latching mechanism from the latched state to the latch-released state.

6. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 5, wherein, The limiting mechanism is a push-button cam, which includes: a main body, a limiting member capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body, and a switching member capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body. The restricted position of the restricting member is the position where at least a portion of the restricting member enters the inner side of the movement trajectory of the first actuating member when the first actuating member moves from the second position to the first position, and the permitted position of the restricting member is the position where the restricting member is located outside the movement trajectory.

7. The vehicle door locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, It has a second driving force source that is separate and independent from the first driving force source. The first actuating component is configured to move to the first position and the second position by the driving force of the second driving force source.

8. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 3, wherein, have: The fifth actuating member is configured to switch the latching mechanism from the latching state to the latching release state by moving from the initial position of the fifth actuating member to the actuating position of the fifth actuating member; The sixth actuating member is configured to move from its initial position to its actuating position when the manual operating member located on the outside of the vehicle door is manually operated; and A seventh actuating component is movable to a third, fourth, and fifth position. When the seventh actuating component is in the third position, it moves to the fourth position in conjunction with the movement of the sixth actuating component from its initial position to its operating position, thereby causing the fifth actuating component to move from its initial position to its operating position. When the seventh actuating component is in the fifth position, it does not move in conjunction with the movement of the sixth actuating component from its initial position to its operating position, thus preventing the fifth actuating component from moving from its initial position to its operating position. The first actuating member cooperates with the seventh actuating member such that when the first actuating member is in the restricted position, the seventh actuating member is in the fifth position, and when the first actuating member is in the permitted position, the seventh actuating member is in the third position. The limiting member of the limiting mechanism cooperates with the first actuating member such that when the limiting member is in the limiting position, the first actuating member is in the limiting position, and when the limiting member is in the allowing position, the first actuating member is in the allowing position.

9. The vehicle door locking device according to claim 8, wherein, The limiting mechanism is a push-button cam, which includes: a main body, a limiting member capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body, and a switching member capable of linear reciprocating relative to the main body. The allowed position of the limiting member is a position in which the first actuating member is held in the allowed position by the limiting member abutting against the first actuating member, and the limiting position of the limiting member is a position in which the first actuating member is allowed to move from the allowed position to the limiting position.

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