Door latch device

Abstract

To miniaturize a door latch device capable of automatically opening a door, while suppressing vibration and noise generation which may be caused when the door is opened.SOLUTION: A door latch device 10 comprises: a base 13B which has an insertion groove 14d; a fork 21 which is pivoted on a fork shaft 22 on one side of the insertion groove 14d; a claw 25 which is pivoted on a claw shaft 26 on the other side of the insertion groove 14d; an open lever 31 which is arranged at an interval with the claw 25 in the axial direction of the claw shaft 26; and a drive mechanism 36 which rotates the open lever 31. A fork restriction part 31c restricts the fork 21 from rotating toward an open position through the rotation of the open lever 31, and after a claw operation part 31f rotates the claw 25 from a lock position to a non-lock position, the fork restriction part 31c releases the restriction on rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position while the claw operation part 31f restricts the rotation of the claw 25 toward the lock position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door latch device. [Background technology]

[0002] The door latch device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a fork, a claw, and a disk-shaped operating member. The fork is rotatable between an open position where the striker can be released, a latched position where the striker is held, and an over-latch position that is further away from the open position than the latched position. The claw is rotatable between an engagement position where the fork is engaged with the latched position, and an unengaged position where the engagement with the fork is released. The operating member includes a fork operating pin for rotating the fork and a claw operating pin for rotating the claw, and is rotated by a motor.

[0003] When the door is opened, the operating member is rotated by the motor approximately 180 degrees in the first direction. This rotation causes the fork operating pin to rotate the fork from the latched position to the over-latched position, and then the claw operating pin rotates the claw from the engaged position to the disengaged position. The fork operating pin then gradually rotates the fork toward the open position, and the restriction on the fork is released to rotate the fork to the open position. This, along with the elastic force of the weather strip that seals between the vehicle body and the door, suppresses the fork from suddenly rotating from the latched position to the open position, suppressing vibration of the fork due to rapid rotation and the generation of abnormal noise caused by this vibration resonating with the door, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-94346 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the door latch device of Patent Document 1, a disk-shaped operating member is disposed adjacent to the fork and claw on the same plane. Therefore, the area required for disposing the fork, claw, and operating member is large, so there is room for improvement in terms of miniaturization of the door latch device of Patent Document 1.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to reduce the size of a door latch device capable of automatically opening a door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for a locking device, the locking mechanism comprising: a base having an insertion groove into which a striker can be inserted; a fork attached to a fork shaft arranged on one side of the insertion groove in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the insertion groove extends relative to the base, the fork being rotatable between a latched position in which the striker is held and an open position in which the striker can be removed, the fork being urged from the latched position toward the open position by an urging member; a claw which is journaled on a claw shaft arranged on the other side of the insertion groove in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the insertion groove extends relative to the base and extends along the fork shaft, the claw being rotatable between an engagement position in which the fork is engaged at the latched position and an unlocked position in which the engagement with the fork is released and the rotation of the fork by the urging member is permitted; a fork restricting portion for restricting the rotation of the fork toward the open position; and a claw operating portion for rotating the claw from the engagement position to the unlocked position, the fork being journaled on the other side of the insertion groove relative to the base and arranged at a distance from the claw in the axial direction of the claw shaft. and a drive mechanism for rotating the open lever from an initial position to a first rotation position spaced apart from the initial position, a second rotation position farther from the initial position than the first rotation position, and a third rotation position farther from the initial position than the second rotation position, wherein when the open lever is in the initial position, the fork restriction portion allows the fork to rotate, and the claw operation portion maintains the claw in the locking position, and by the rotation of the open lever from the initial position to the first rotation position, Provided is a door latch device in which the fork regulating portion regulates the rotation of the fork toward the open position, and the claw operating portion rotates the claw from the engaged position to the unengaged position by rotation of the open lever from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, and the claw operating portion regulates the rotation of the claw toward the engaged position by rotation of the open lever from the second rotation position to the third rotation position while the fork regulating portion releases the regulation of the rotation of the fork toward the open position.

[0008] When the door is opened, the open lever restricts the rotation of the fork toward the open position by the fork restricting part, and then rotates the claw from the locked position to the unlocked position by the claw operating part. After that, the fork restricting part releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork toward the open position while restricting the rotation of the claw toward the locked position by the claw operating part. This allows the fork to rotate from the latched position to the open position, ensuring automatic opening of the door.

[0009] An open lever having a fork restricting portion and a claw operating portion is journaled on the other side of the same insertion groove as the claw and is disposed at a distance from the claw in the axial direction of the claw shaft. Therefore, there is no need to secure space for disposing the open lever on the same plane as the claw. In other words, by disposing the open lever three-dimensionally with respect to the fork and claw, the projected area of ​​the base for disposing the fork, claw, and open lever can be reduced as viewed from the direction in which the claw shaft extends, and therefore the door latch device can be made smaller. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the door latch device capable of automatically opening a door can be made compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of the door latch device according to the embodiment of the present invention disposed on a back door. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism as viewed from above in front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism as viewed from above on the rear side. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a plan view showing the relationship between the insertion groove, the open lever in the initial position, and the fork lever in the latched position. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a plan view showing the relationship between the insertion groove, the open lever at the restriction end position, and the fork lever at the latch position. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a perspective view showing one process of the operation of the latch mechanism and the electric opening and closing mechanism when the door is opened. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is a perspective view showing one process of the operation of the latch mechanism and the electric opening and closing mechanism when the door is closed. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a series of operations of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism when the door is opened. [Figure 12] 6 is a graph showing the movement of the latch mechanism during an opening operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the latched state of FIG. 11 . [Figure 14] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the opening operation start state of FIG. 11 . [Figure 15] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the opening operation process 1 in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the opening operation process 2 in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the opening operation process 3 in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the opening operation process 4 in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the state in which the opening operation of FIG. 11 is completed. [Figure 20] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the open state of FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the state of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism when the door closing operation is started. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, a door latch device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is disposed on a back door 4 that opens and closes a rear opening of a vehicle body 1, and holds the back door 4 in a closed state relative to the vehicle body 1 in an openable manner.

[0014] In the attached drawings, the X direction is the vehicle length direction, the direction indicated by the arrow is the front side (inside the vehicle), and the direction opposite to the arrow is the rear side (outside the vehicle). The Y direction is the vehicle width direction, and the Z direction is the vehicle height direction. The following description will be given based on a state in which the back door 4 is closed relative to the vehicle body 1.

[0015] An inverted U-shaped striker 2 held by a door latch device 10 is fixed to a vehicle body 1 by screws. A rubber weather strip 3 that seals the gap with a back door 4 is disposed at the rear end of the vehicle body 1 in the vehicle length direction.

[0016] The back door 4 includes an outer panel 5 exposed to the outside of the vehicle, and an inner panel 6 located on the front side (inside of the vehicle) of the outer panel 5 in the vehicle length direction. A bulging portion 6a that bulges toward the inside of the vehicle is formed at the lower part of the inner panel 6. The inner panel 6 is joined to the outer panel 5 below the bulging portion 6a. The back door 4 is configured to be opened and closed in the vehicle height direction, and its upper end is rotatably attached to a rotating shaft that is disposed on the vehicle body 1 and extends in the vehicle width direction. However, the back door 4 may be configured to be rotatably attached to a rotating shaft that extends in the vehicle height direction, and to be opened and closed in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] (Outline of door latch device) 1 and 2, a door latch device 10 includes a latch mechanism 20 and an electric opening / closing mechanism 30 inside a housing 12. The latch mechanism 20 and the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 are arranged in a housing 12. As shown in FIG.

[0018] The housing 12 is generally L-shaped when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and is fixed to the inner panel 6 by bolts. A main body 13A, which is the majority of the housing 12, is accommodated between the outer panel 5 and the bulging portion 6a of the inner panel 6. A base 13B, which is the remaining part of the housing 12, penetrates the bulging portion 6a and protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle.

[0019] 2 to 5, the latch mechanism 20 includes a fork 21 and a claw 25, and is disposed in the base 13B of the housing 12 shown in FIG. 1. The latch mechanism 20 is switched by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 between a latched state shown in FIG. 13 and an open state shown in FIG. 20. The latch mechanism 20 in the latched state shown in FIG. 13 holds the back door 4 in a closed state relative to the vehicle body 1 shown in FIG. 1 by holding the striker 2. The latch mechanism 20 in the open state shown in FIG. 20 allows the striker 2 to be released, and allows the back door 4 to be opened relative to the vehicle body 1 shown in FIG. 1. In a half-latched state shown in FIG. 21, which is between the latched state shown in FIG. 13 and the open state shown in FIG. 20, the latch mechanism 20 holds the back door 4 shown in FIG. 1 by holding the striker 2.

[0020] The electric opening / closing mechanism 30 includes an open lever 31, a fork lever 34, and a drive mechanism 36. The drive mechanism 36 includes a motor 37, a spindle 39, and a slider 43. The open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 are disposed on the base 13B of the housing 12. The drive mechanism 36 is disposed in the main body 13A of the housing 12. The motor 37 is connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 8 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0021] For example, when an open switch (not shown) arranged on the back door 4 shown in Fig. 1 is operated, the ECU 8 operates the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 to open, thereby switching the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state shown in Fig. 13 to the open state shown in Fig. 20. On the other hand, when the open back door 4 is closed and the latch mechanism 20 changes from the open state shown in Fig. 20 to the half-latched state shown in Fig. 21, the ECU 8 operates the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 to close, thereby switching the latch mechanism 20 to the latched state shown in Fig. 13.

[0022] In this embodiment, the fork 21 and the claw 25 constituting the latch mechanism 20, and the open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 constituting the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 are disposed with an interval in the vehicle height direction relative to the base 13B. This reduces the XY area (projected area) required for the base 13B when viewed from the vehicle height direction, thereby making the door latch device 10 smaller overall.

[0023] The housing 12, the latch mechanism 20, and the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 will be described in detail below.

[0024] (Housing configuration) 1 and 2, the housing 12 is L-shaped when viewed in the vehicle width direction and includes a main body 13A disposed inside the back door 4 and a base 13B protruding from a lower end of the main body 13A toward the front side in the vehicle length direction, outside the back door 4. The housing 12 is composed of a base plate 14, a fence block 15, a cover plate 16, and a cover 17.

[0025] The base plate 14 is made of a pressed metal plate and includes a base body 14a, a reinforcing plate portion 14b, and a cover piece 14c. Of these, the rear portion of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction and the reinforcing plate portion 14b form a part of the body 13A. The front portion of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction and the cover piece 14c form a part of the base 13B.

[0026] The base body 14a extends along the vehicle body 1, generally along the XY plane. A front portion of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction is disposed on the vehicle interior side, penetrating the bulging portion 6a of the inner panel 6. The base body 14a is provided with an insertion groove 14d, into which the striker 2 can be inserted, extending from the front end in the vehicle length direction to the rear side, so as to be positioned generally in the center in the vehicle width direction. Brackets 14e for bolting to the inner panel 6 are provided on both sides of the base body 14a in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] The reinforcing plate portion 14b protrudes upward from the rear end of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction, and extends along the outer panel 5 in the YZ plane.

[0028] The cover piece 14c protrudes upward from the front end of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction and extends along the YZ plane. The cover piece 14c is provided with an opening 14f for allowing the striker 2 to be inserted into the insertion groove 14d.

[0029] The fence block 15 is made of resin, and is disposed by being sandwiched between the base body 14a of the base plate 14 and the cover plate 16, constituting a part of the base 13B. The fence block 15 is provided with an insertion groove 15a extending in the vehicle length direction so as to correspond to the insertion groove 14d of the base body 14a.

[0030] The cover plate 16 is made of a pressed metal plate, is disposed on the upper side of the fence block 15, and constitutes a part of the base 13B. On both sides of the cover plate 16 in the vehicle width direction, brackets 16a are provided, which are disposed on top of the brackets 14e of the base plate 14 and are attached to the back door 4. The overall length of the cover plate 16 in the vehicle length direction is shorter than the overall length of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction. This ensures a space for disposing the drive mechanism 36 between the rear end of the cover plate 16 in the vehicle length direction and the reinforcing plate portion 14b of the base plate 14.

[0031] The base 13B of the housing 12 is composed of the front portion of the base plate 14, the fence block 15, and the cover plate 16. The fork 21 and the claw 25 constituting the latch mechanism 20 are arranged on the same plane on the lower part of the base 13B, i.e., on the base main body 14a of the base plate 14. The open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 constituting the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 are arranged on the same plane on the upper part of the base 13B, i.e., on the cover plate 16. In this way, by three-dimensionally arranging the open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 relative to the fork 21 and the claw 25, the projected area seen from the vehicle height direction required for the base 13B to arrange them is reduced.

[0032] The cover 17 is provided to accommodate the motor 37, spindle 39, and slider 43 that constitute the drive mechanism 36, and to cover the open lever 31 and fork lever 34 that constitute the drive mechanism 36, and the fork 21 and claw 25 that constitute the latch mechanism 20. The cover 17 is composed of a cover main body 18 and a rear cover 19.

[0033] The cover body 18 covers an upper portion from the front end of the cover plate 16 in the vehicle length direction to the reinforcing plate portion 14b of the base plate 14. The cover body 18 is provided with a connector portion 18a, a motor arrangement portion 18b, a gear arrangement portion 18c, and a spindle support portion 18d. The connector portion 18a is provided at the upper portion of the cover body 18 and at the end portion on the right side in the vehicle width direction in FIG. 2, and connects the door latch device 10 to the ECU 8. The motor arrangement portion 18b is provided at the upper portion of the cover body 18 and at the end portion on the left side in the vehicle width direction in FIG. 2, and accommodates the motor 37 of the drive mechanism 36. The gear arrangement portion 18c is provided below the motor arrangement portion 18b, accommodates the worm 38 and the worm wheel 40 of the drive mechanism 36, and rotatably supports one end of the spindle 39. The spindle support portion 18d is provided below the connector portion 18a and supports the other end of the spindle 39.

[0034] The rear cover 19 is attached to the rear side of the cover body 18 in the vehicle length direction and covers the rear opening of the cover body 18. The rear cover 19 is disposed adjacent to the slider 43 of the drive mechanism 36 and restricts the rotation of the slider 43 around the spindle 39 by the abutment of the slider 43. The rear cover 19 is also provided with a cover portion 19a that covers the motor 37, worm 38, and worm wheel 40 of the drive mechanism 36, and a switch mounting portion 19b for mounting a rotary switch 51, which will be described in detail later.

[0035] (Latch mechanism configuration) 4 to 6, the latch mechanism 20 includes a fork 21 that releasably holds the striker 2 shown in Fig. 1, and a claw 25 that releasably engages with the fork 21. The fork 21 and the claw 25 are disposed on the base body 14a of the base plate 14, and are located forward in the vehicle length direction of the motor 37, spindle 39, and slider 43 that constitute the drive mechanism 36.

[0036] The fork 21 is attached to a fork shaft 22 and is rotatable integrally with the fork shaft 22. The fork shaft 22 is disposed so as to extend in the vehicle height direction on one side in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the insertion groove 14d that extends in the vehicle length direction in the base plate 14 (the right side in FIG. 13), that is, on one side of the insertion groove 14d. The lower end of the fork shaft 22 penetrates the base body 14a of the base plate 14 and is rotatably supported by the base plate 14. The upper end of the fork shaft 22 penetrates the cover plate 16 and is rotatably supported by the cover plate 16.

[0037] The fork 21 thus configured can be rotated together with the fork shaft 22 from the open position shown in FIG. 20 in the direction A1 (clockwise) to the over-latch position shown in FIG. 16, through the half-latch position shown in FIG. 21 and the latch position shown in FIG. 13 in that order. The fork 21 can be rotated together with the fork shaft 22 from the over-latch position shown in FIG. 16 in the direction A2 (counterclockwise) to the open position shown in FIG. 20, through the latch position shown in FIG. 13 and the half-latch position shown in FIG. 21 in that order. The half-latch position shown in FIG. 21 is spaced apart from the open position shown in FIG. 20 in the direction A1. The latch position shown in FIG. 13 is located at a rotation angle farther from the open position shown in FIG. 20 than the half-latch position shown in FIG. 21. The over-latch position shown in FIG. 16 is located at a rotation angle farther from the open position shown in FIG. 20 than the latch position shown in FIG. 13.

[0038] The fork 21 is biased by a kick spring (biasing member) 23 in a direction A2 from the over-latch position shown in Fig. 16 to the open position shown in Fig. 20. One end of the kick spring 23 is engaged with the fork 21, and the other end of the kick spring 23 is engaged with the fence block 15. Rotation of the fork 21 toward the direction A2 beyond the open position shown in Fig. 20 is restricted by a stopper (not shown).

[0039] The fork 21 has a retaining groove 21a extending from the outer periphery toward the fork shaft 22. When the fork 21 is rotated to the open position shown in Fig. 20, the retaining groove 21a assumes a position in which the opening at the tip is positioned above the insertion groove 14d of the base plate 14, allowing the striker 2 to be removed. When the fork 21 is rotated to any of the latched position shown in Fig. 13, the half-latch position shown in Fig. 21, and the over-latch position shown in Fig. 16, the retaining groove 21a assumes a position in which it intersects with the insertion groove 14d, and holds the striker 2 so that it cannot be removed.

[0040] 4 to 6, the outer periphery of the fork 21 is provided with a full latch locking portion 21b and a half latch locking portion 21c to which the claw 25 can be locked. The full latch locking portion 21b is provided at the tip of the groove wall that defines the retaining groove 21a on the direction A1 side. The half latch locking portion 21c is provided at a distance in the direction A1 from the full latch locking portion 21b.

[0041] 2 and 13, the claw 25 is rotatably supported by the claw shaft 26. The claw shaft 26 is disposed on the other side of the insertion groove 14d of the base plate 14 in the vehicle width direction (the left side in FIG. 13), that is, on the other side of the insertion groove 14d opposite to the fork 21, and extends in the vehicle height direction along the fork shaft 22. The lower end of the claw shaft 26 penetrates the base body 14a of the base plate 14 and is crimped. The upper end of the claw shaft 26 penetrates the cover plate 16 and is crimped. When viewed from the vehicle height direction, the claw shaft 26 is disposed on the rear side of the fork shaft 22 in the vehicle length direction, that is, on the spindle 39 side of the drive mechanism 36. However, the claw shaft 26 may be disposed at the same position as the fork shaft 22 in the vehicle length direction. In other words, the distance from the spindle 39 to the claw shaft 26 in the vehicle length direction may be equal to or less than the distance from the spindle 39 to the fork shaft 22 in the vehicle length direction.

[0042] The claw 25 thus supported can rotate about the claw shaft 26 in a direction B1 (counterclockwise) from the locking position shown in Fig. 13, through the unlocking position shown in Fig. 16, to the overrotation position shown in Fig. 19. The claw 25 can also rotate about the claw shaft 26 in a direction B2 (clockwise) from the overrotation position shown in Fig. 19, through the unlocking position shown in Fig. 16, to the locking position shown in Fig. 13. The unlocking position shown in Fig. 16 is spaced apart in the direction B1 from the locking position shown in Fig. 13. The overrotation position shown in Fig. 19 is located at a rotation angle farther from the locking position shown in Fig. 13 than the unlocking position shown in Fig. 16.

[0043] The claw 25 is urged in direction B2 by a kick spring (urging member) 27 from the over-rotation position shown in Fig. 19 toward the locking position shown in Fig. 13. One end of the kick spring 27 is locked to the claw 25, and the other end of the kick spring 27 is locked to the fence block 15. Rotation of the claw 25 toward direction B2 beyond the locking position shown in Fig. 13 is restricted by a stopper (not shown).

[0044] 4 to 6, the claw 25 has a locking portion 25a that can be locked to the full latch locking portion 21b and the half latch locking portion 21c of the fork 21. When the claw 25 rotates to the locking position, the locking portion 25a locks the full latch locking portion 21b of the fork 21 that has rotated to the latched position shown in FIG. 13, or the half latch locking portion 21c of the fork 21 that has rotated to the half latched position shown in FIG. 21. As a result, the claw 25 restricts the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position shown in FIG. 20 against the biasing force of the kick spring 23. When the claw 25 rotates between the non-locking position shown in FIG. 16 and the over-rotation position shown in FIG. 19, the locking portion 25a cannot be locked to either the full latch locking portion 21b or the half latch locking portion 21c. As a result, the claw 25 allows the fork 21 to rotate due to the biasing force of the kick spring 23.

[0045] The claw 25 includes an opening operation receiving portion 25b that receives an opening operation by the open lever 31 of the electric opening / closing mechanism 30. The opening operation receiving portion 25b in this embodiment includes a first portion that protrudes upward from the claw 25, and a second portion that protrudes from an upper end of the first portion toward the rear in the vehicle length direction. The second portion is J-shaped when viewed from the vehicle height direction, and curves toward the fork 21. When the opening operation receiving portion 25b receives the opening operation by the open lever 31 from the fork 21 side, the claw 25 rotates from the locked position shown in FIG. 13 to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 16 against the biasing force of the kick spring 27 (see FIG. 9).

[0046] The claw 25 further includes an emergency opening operation part 25c for opening the back door 4 shown in FIG. 1 in a situation where the opening operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 is impossible, for example, due to insufficient battery capacity. The emergency opening operation part 25c is L-shaped when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and includes a first part protruding forward in the vehicle length direction and a second part protruding upward from the front end of the first part. With reference to FIG. 1, the upper end of the second part of the emergency opening operation part 25c is exposed to the outside through an opening of the base 13B protruding toward the inside of the vehicle. By pressing the upper end of the emergency opening operation part 25c from the outside of the base 13B in the vehicle width direction, the claw 25 rotates against the biasing force of the kick spring 27 toward the unlocked position shown in FIG. 16.

[0047] 2, a switch 50 for detecting the rotational position of the claw 25 is disposed on the vehicle length direction rear side of the opening operation receiving portion 25b of the claw 25. The switch 50 is attached to the cover body 18, and is operated by the opening operation receiving portion 25b when the claw 25 rotates to the locking position shown in FIG. 13. The switch 50 may be a push switch that outputs a signal when operated by the opening operation receiving portion 25b and does not output a signal when the opening operation receiving portion 25b is not operated. An input signal from the switch 50 enables the ECU 8 to determine whether the claw 25 has rotated to the locking position shown in FIG. 13.

[0048] (Configuration of electric opening and closing mechanism) 3 to 6, the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 includes an open lever 31, a fork lever 34, and a drive mechanism 36. The drive mechanism 36 includes a motor 37, a spindle 39, and a slider 43.

[0049] By rotating the spindle 39 in the forward direction by the motor 37, the slider 43 is moved along the spindle 39 in the vehicle width direction C1, and the slider 43 operates to open the open lever 31 (see FIG. 9). As a result, the open lever 31 restricts the rotation of the fork 21 via the fork lever 34, and rotates the claw 25 from the locked position shown in FIG. 13 to the over-rotation position shown in FIG. 19 via the unlocked position shown in FIG. 16, and switches the latch mechanism 20 to the open state shown in FIG. 20. Also, by rotating the spindle 39 in the reverse direction by the motor 37, the slider 43 is moved along the spindle 39 in the vehicle width direction C2, and the fork lever 34 is operated to close by the slider 43 (see FIG. 10). As a result, the latch mechanism 20 is switched from the half-latched state shown in FIG. 21 to the latched state shown in FIG. 13.

[0050] 4 to 6, the open lever 31 is made of a pressed metal plate and is rotatably supported by the shaft member 32. The shaft member 32 is attached to the cover plate 16 so as to be located on the other side in the vehicle width direction (the left side in FIG. 13) of the insertion groove 14d of the base plate 14, that is, on the other side of the insertion groove 14d which is the same side as the claw 25. The axial direction of the shaft member 32 extends in the vehicle height direction along the fork shaft 22 and the claw shaft 26. When viewed from the vehicle height direction, the shaft member 32 is disposed on the vehicle length direction front side of the claw shaft 26 and the fork shaft 22, that is, on the open end side of the insertion groove 14d of the base plate 14 relative to the claw shaft 26. However, the open lever 31 may be pivotally supported by the same claw shaft 26 as the claw 25 without using a dedicated shaft member 32.

[0051] The open lever 31 thus pivotally supported can be rotated around the shaft member 32 in a direction D1 (counterclockwise) from the initial position shown in FIG. 13 through the restriction start position (first rotation position) shown in FIG. 14 and the lock release position (second rotation position) shown in FIG. 16 to the restriction end position (third rotation position) shown in FIG. 19. The open lever 31 can be rotated around the shaft member 32 in a direction D2 (clockwise) from the restriction end position shown in FIG. 19 to the initial position shown in FIG. 13 through the lock release position shown in FIG. 16 and the restriction start position shown in FIG. 14. The restriction start position shown in FIG. 14 is spaced apart from the initial position shown in FIG. 13 in the direction D1. The lock release position shown in FIG. 16 is located at a rotation angle farther from the initial position shown in FIG. 13 than the restriction start position shown in FIG. 14. The restriction end position shown in FIG. 19 is located at a rotation angle farther from the initial position shown in FIG. 13 than the lock release position shown in FIG. 16.

[0052] The open lever 31 is biased in a direction D2 from the restriction end position shown in Fig. 19 toward the initial position shown in Fig. 13 by a coil spring (biasing member) 33. One end of the coil spring 33 is engaged with the open lever 31, and the other end of the coil spring 33 is engaged with the cover plate 16. Rotation of the open lever 31 toward the direction D2 beyond the initial position shown in Fig. 13 is restricted by a stopper (not shown) formed on the fence block 15.

[0053] The open lever 31 rotated to the initial position shown in Fig. 13 is unable to restrict the rotation of the fork 21 via the fork lever 34 or to release the engagement of the claw 25. The open lever 31 rotated to the restriction start position shown in Fig. 14 restricts the rotation of the fork 21 via the fork lever 34, but is unable to release the engagement of the claw 25. The open lever 31 rotated to the engagement release position shown in Fig. 16 restricts the rotation of the fork 21 via the fork lever 34 and releases the engagement of the fork 21 by the claw 25. The open lever 31 rotated to the restriction end position shown in Fig. 19 releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21 via the fork lever 34 and maintains the engagement of the fork 21 by the claw 25.

[0054] More specifically, the open lever 31 is disposed above the claw shaft 26 in the axial direction with a gap therebetween with respect to the claw 25. The open lever 31 includes a lever body 31a, an opening operation receiving portion 31b, a fork restricting portion 31c, and a claw operating portion 31f.

[0055] The lever body 31a is a plate-like body extending along the XY plane, and is journaled on the shaft member 32. The lever body 31a extends rearward in the vehicle length direction from the shaft member 32 toward approximately the center of the spindle 39 in the vehicle width direction, along the insertion groove 14d.

[0056] The opening operation receiving portion 31b is provided at the end portion on the rear side in the vehicle length direction, which is the tip of the lever main body 31a, and receives an opening operation by the slider 43. The opening operation receiving portion 31b is located on the motor 37 side of the lever main body 31a, protrudes upward from the side edge extending in the vehicle length direction, and extends along the XZ plane. The rear end of the opening operation receiving portion 31b in the vehicle length direction is located on the front side of the spindle 39 in the vehicle length direction with a gap therebetween. When the opening operation receiving portion 31b is pressed in the direction C1 by the slider 43, the open lever 31 rotates to open in the direction D1. When the pressure on the opening operation receiving portion 31b in the direction C1 is released, the open lever 31 rotates in the direction D2 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 33.

[0057] The fork restricting portion 31c is provided to restrict the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position shown in FIG. 20. The fork restricting portion 31c is provided near the center of the lever body 31a in the vehicle length direction and protrudes in the vehicle width direction toward the fork lever 34. When the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position shown in FIG. 13, the fork restricting portion 31c is positioned at a distance from the fork lever 34 and allows the fork lever 34 to rotate. When the open lever 31 is rotated to the restriction start position shown in FIG. 14 and the engagement release position shown in FIG. 16, the fork restricting portion 31c abuts against the fork lever 34 and restricts the rotation of the fork lever 34. When the open lever 31 is rotated to the restriction end position shown in FIG. 19, the fork restricting portion 31c releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork lever 34. More specifically, the fork restricting portion 31c includes a base portion 31d that protrudes to be flush with the lever body 31a, and a restricting main body portion 31e that protrudes upward from the tip of the base portion 31d.

[0058] 7 and 8, the restricting body 31e is generally arc-shaped when viewed from the vehicle height direction, and restricts the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position shown in FIG. 20 via the fork lever 34 by abutting against the restricting receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. The rotation trajectory Ro of the restricting body 31e caused by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1 is configured to gradually approach and then gradually move away from the restricting receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 when the fork 21 is rotated to the latch position. Therefore, the restricting body 31e is configured to gradually rotate the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 in the direction A1 via the restricting receiving portion 34d by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1, and then gradually allow the rotation toward the direction A2. The relationship between the fork restricting portion 31c and the restricting receiving portion 34d will be described in detail later.

[0059] 6, 9, and 10, the claw operating part 31f is provided to rotate the claw 25 from the locked position shown in FIG. 13 through the unlocked position shown in FIG. 16 to the overrotation position shown in FIG. 19. The claw operating part 31f is a cylindrical rod separate from the lever body 31a and protrudes downward from the rear part of the lever body 31a in the vehicle length direction. When the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position shown in FIG. 13, the claw operating part 31f is located on the fork 21 side in the vehicle width direction with a gap therebetween with respect to the opening operation receiving part 25b of the claw 25. By rotating the open lever 31 in the direction D1, the claw operating part 31f presses the opening operation receiving part 25b (see FIG. 14) and rotates the claw 25 toward the unlocked position shown in FIG. 16.

[0060] 9 and 10, the fork lever 34 is provided to rotate the fork 21 integrally via the fork shaft 22 in response to a closing operation by the slider 43 and a restricting operation by the open lever 31. The fork lever 34 is attached so as not to be rotatable relative to the fork shaft 22. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the fork lever 34 is disposed on the cover plate 16 of the base 13B so as to be adjacent to the open lever 31 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the fork lever 34 is disposed above the fork shaft 22 in the axial direction with a gap therebetween with respect to the fork 21.

[0061] The fork lever 34 thus pivoted can rotate integrally with the fork 21 when the fork 21 rotates to the open position shown in FIG. 20, the half-latch position shown in FIG. 21, the latch position shown in FIG. 13, and the over-latch position shown in FIG. 16. That is, when the fork 21 rotates to the open position shown in FIG. 20, the fork lever 34 rotates to the corresponding first corresponding position. When the fork 21 rotates to the half-latch position shown in FIG. 21, the fork lever 34 rotates to the corresponding second corresponding position. When the fork 21 rotates to the latch position shown in FIG. 13, the fork lever 34 rotates to the corresponding third corresponding position. When the fork 21 rotates to the over-latch position shown in FIG. 16, the fork lever 34 rotates to the corresponding fourth corresponding position. On the other hand, when the fork lever 34 rotates to the first corresponding position shown in FIG. 20, the fork 21 rotates to the open position. When the fork lever 34 rotates to the second corresponding position shown in FIG. 21, the fork 21 rotates to the half-latch position. When the fork lever 34 rotates to the third corresponding position shown in Fig. 13, the fork 21 rotates to the latched position. When the fork lever 34 rotates to the fourth corresponding position shown in Fig. 16, the fork 21 rotates to the over-latch position.

[0062] More specifically, the fork lever 34 is made of a hard resin capable of withstanding the operation (pressure) of the open lever 31 and the slider 43, and includes a lever body 34a, a closing operation receiving portion 34c, and a restriction receiving portion 34d.

[0063] The lever body 34a is provided with a mounting portion 34b at its end on the front side in the vehicle length direction, which is placed on the base plate 14 and is attached to the fork shaft 22 so as not to be rotatable relative to the fork shaft 22. The lever body 34a is connected to the upper end of the mounting portion 34b and extends along the XY plane. The lever body 34a is disposed above the lever body 31a of the open lever 31 and the upper end of the regulation body portion 31e of the fork regulation portion 31c.

[0064] The close operation receiving portion 34c is provided so as to protrude rearward from the end portion on the rear side in the vehicle length direction, which is the tip of the lever body 34a, and receives a close operation by the slider 43. The close operation receiving portion 34c is a plate-like portion that protrudes from the lever body 34a in the same plane and extends along the XY plane, and is located above the upper end of the open operation receiving portion 25b of the open lever 31 with a gap therebetween. The rear end of the close operation receiving portion 34c in the vehicle length direction is located on the front side of the spindle 39 with a gap therebetween. When the close operation receiving portion 34c is pushed in the direction C2 by the slider 43, the fork lever 34 rotates together with the fork 21 in the direction A1 against the biasing force of the kick spring 23. When the operation in the direction C2 by the slider 43 is released, the fork lever 34 rotates together with the fork 21 in the direction A2 due to the biasing force of the kick spring 23.

[0065] The regulated portion 34d has a tapered triangular shape when viewed from the vehicle height direction, and protrudes laterally from the lever body 34a toward the open lever 31 in the vehicle width direction and downward toward the lever body 31a in the vehicle height direction. The lower surface of the regulated portion 34d is located below the upper end of the regulated main body portion 31e of the open lever 31 and above the upper surface of the base portion 31d. Other than the regulated portion 34d and the attachment portion 34b, there is no other portion protruding downward from the lever body 34a.

[0066] The fork lever 34 is provided with a switch operation unit 34e for operating the rotary switch 51 to switch the connection state of the rotary switch 51. The rotary switch 51 outputs different signals depending on the rotation state caused by the operation of the switch operation unit 34e. Based on the input signal from this rotary switch 51, the ECU 8 shown in Fig. 1 can determine to which of the open position shown in Fig. 20, the half-latched position shown in Fig. 21, and the latched position shown in Fig. 13 the fork 21 has rotated.

[0067] Here, the relationship between the opening operation receiving portion 25b of the claw 25, the fork restricting portion 31c and the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31, and the restricting portion 34d of the fork lever 34 will be described.

[0068] Fig. 12 is a graph showing the movements of the open lever 31, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34, and the claw 25 due to the opening operation of the drive mechanism 36. The opening operation receiving portion 25b of the claw 25, the fork regulating portion 31c and the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31, and the regulating receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 are configured to realize the movements of Fig. 12.

[0069] 7, 12, and 13, when the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position, the fork restricting portion 31c is located on the insertion groove 14d of the base plate 14. When the fork 21 is rotated to the latched position, the restricting portion 34d of the fork lever 34 is located on the other side in the vehicle width direction (left side in FIG. 13) of the restricting main body portion 31e of the open lever 31 with respect to the insertion groove 14d. In other words, when the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position and the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 is rotated to the latched position, the fork restricting portion 31c is located radially inward of the fork shaft 22 with respect to the restricting portion 34d.

[0070] When the open lever 31 rotates to the initial position and the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the latched position, the rotation locus Rf of the restriction receiving portion 34d caused by the rotation of the fork lever 34 is located radially outward of the restriction main body portion 31e of the open lever 31. On the other hand, the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 is located on the rotation locus Ro of the restriction main body portion 31e caused by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1.

[0071] As a result, when the open lever 31 rotates to the initial position and the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the latched position, the rotation of the fork lever 34 does not allow the restriction receiving portion 34d to come into contact with the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31. In other words, the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31 allows the rotation of the fork 21 including the fork lever 34. Also, the rotation of the open lever 31 allows the fork restriction portion 31c to come into contact with the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34.

[0072] Furthermore, when the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position and the claw 25 is rotated to the locking position, the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31 is positioned at a distance in the direction D2 from the opening operation receiving portion 25b of the claw 25 at the locking position. Therefore, in this state, the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31 cannot operate the claw 25 at the locking position.

[0073] When the open lever 31 rotates from the initial position (Pb1 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 13 to the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 14, the fork restricting portion 31c comes into contact with the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. This causes the fork restricting portion 31c to restrict the rotation of the fork 21 and the fork lever 34 toward the open position (Pd1 in FIG. 12). Meanwhile, in this state, the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31 has not yet come into contact with the opening operation receiving portion 25b of the claw 25, and does not open the claw 25 in the locking position (Pc1 in FIG. 12).

[0074] When the open lever 31 rotates from the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 14 toward the unlocked position (Pb3 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 16, the fork restricting portion 31c maintains the abutting state against the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. In other words, the restriction of the rotation of the fork 21 and the fork lever 34 toward the open position is maintained. In addition, the fork restricting portion 31c rotates the fork 21 from the latched position toward the over-latched position (Pd2 in FIG. 12) via the fork lever 34. Meanwhile, the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31 abuts against the opening operation receiving portion 25b (Pc1 in FIG. 12), rotating the claw 25 toward the unlocked position (Pc2 in FIG. 12). In other words, the timing (Pc1 in Figure 12) at which the claw operating portion 31f abuts against the opening operation receiving portion 25b and starts rotating the claw 25 is later (Δt in Figure 12) than the timing (Pd1 in Figure 12) at which the fork regulating portion 31c of the open lever 31 abuts against the regulating receiving portion 34d and starts rotating the fork lever 34.

[0075] 8 and 19, the rotation locus Ro of the restriction main body portion 31e caused by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1 is a direction gradually moving away from the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. When the open lever 31 rotates to the restriction end position, the fork restriction portion 31c is located radially outward of the fork shaft 22 than the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. Therefore, the restriction receiving portion 34d cannot come into contact with the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31 due to the rotation of the fork lever 34. That is, in this state, the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31 allows the rotation of the fork lever 34 including the fork 21.

[0076] As a result, when the open lever 31 rotates from the unlocked position (Pb3 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 16 toward the restriction end position (Pb4 in FIG. 12) shown in FIG. 19, the fork restriction portion 31c gradually rotates the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 from the over-latch position (Pd2 in FIG. 12) through the latch position toward the open position. After that, the fork restriction portion 31c moves away from the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 (Pb4 in FIG. 12) and releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21. As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates toward the open position due to the biasing force of the kick spring 23 (Pd4 in FIG. 12). Meanwhile, the claw operating portion 31f of the open lever 31 maintains the abutting state against the opening operation receiving portion 25b and rotates the claw 25 to the over-rotation position (Pc3 in FIG. 12). That is, the claw operating portion 31f maintains the restriction on the rotation of the claw 25 toward the locking position shown in FIG.

[0077] The drive mechanism 36 is provided to rotate the open lever 31 from the initial position shown in Fig. 13 to the restriction start position shown in Fig. 14, the lock release position shown in Fig. 16, and the restriction end position shown in Fig. 19 (opening operation). The drive mechanism 36 of this embodiment also has the function of rotating the fork 21 via the fork lever 34 from the half latch position shown in Fig. 21 to the latched position shown in Fig. 13 (closing operation).

[0078] 2 to 5, the motor 37 is a drive source for rotating the spindle 39 to move the slider 43. The motor 37 is a DC motor capable of rotating in both forward and reverse directions. In the vehicle length direction, the motor 37 is disposed in the motor mounting portion 18b of the cover body 18 so as to be located on the rear side of the spindle 39, that is, on the opposite side of the spindle 39 from the claw 25. The output shaft of the motor 37 protrudes downward so as to protrude into the gear mounting portion 18c of the cover body 18. A worm (first gear) 38 is attached to the output shaft so as to be rotatable integrally therewith.

[0079] The spindle 39 has a helical screw thread 39a and is rotated by the motor 37. A worm wheel (second gear) 40 that meshes with the worm 38 to receive the driving force of the motor 37 is attached to the end of the spindle 39 where the motor 37 is located so as to be rotatable together with the worm wheel (second gear) 40, and a ball bearing 41 is also arranged thereon. A sliding bearing 42 is arranged at the end of the spindle 39 opposite the motor 37.

[0080] The worm wheel 40 and the ball bearing 41 are disposed in the gear arrangement portion 18c of the cover body 18, and the sliding bearing 42 is disposed in the spindle support portion 18d of the cover body 18. As a result, the spindle 39 extends in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the fork shaft 22 and the claw shaft 26, and is rotatably supported. The spindle 39 is located at the same height as the cover plate 16, which is the upper end of the base 13B, and is disposed at a distance from it on the rear side in the vehicle length direction.

[0081] The slider 43 transmits the rotational force of the spindle 39 generated by the driving force of the motor 37 to the latch mechanism 20 via the open lever 31 and the fork lever 34, switching the latch mechanism 20 between the latched state shown in FIG. 13 and the open state shown in FIG.

[0082] 4 to 6, the slider 43 includes a slider body 43a having a screw hole 43b formed therein to be screwed onto the screw thread 39a of the spindle 39. The slider body 43a comes into contact with the rear cover 19 shown in Fig. 2, thereby restricting the rotation of the slider 43 around the spindle 39. As a result, the slider 43 moves in a direction C1 toward the claw 25 side when the spindle 39 rotates forward, and moves in a direction C2 toward the fork 21 side when the spindle 39 rotates backward.

[0083] The slider 43 includes an opening operation part 43c for operating the open lever 31 and a closing operation part 43d for operating the fork lever 34. The opening operation part 43c and the closing operation part 43d are both rectangular prism-shaped, protrude forward in the vehicle length direction from the slider body 43a, and are arranged at a distance from each other vertically (see FIG. 3). That is, the opening operation part 43c and the closing operation part 43d are arranged adjacent to each other in the vehicle height direction, and the closing operation part 43d is located above the opening operation part 43c. The opening operation part 43c is provided on the fork 21 side of the slider body 43a in the vehicle width direction so as to be located at the same height as the opening operation receiving part 31b of the open lever 31. The opening operation part 43c comes into contact with the opening operation receiving part 31b of the open lever 31 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C1, and does not come into contact with the closing operation receiving part 34c of the fork lever 34 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C2. The closing operation portion 43d is provided on the claw 25 side of the slider body 43a in the vehicle width direction so as to be located at the same height as the closing operation receiving portion 34c of the fork lever 34. The closing operation portion 43d abuts against the closing operation receiving portion 34c of the fork lever 34 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C2, and does not abut against the opening operation receiving portion 31b of the open lever 31 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C1. In other words, the opening operation portion 43c and the closing operation portion 43d are disposed adjacent to each other on the left and right in the vehicle width direction, and the opening operation portion 43c is located to the right of the closing operation portion 43d. This ensures a long stroke from the neutral position (Pa1 in FIG. 12) of the slider 43 to the opening operation completion position (Pa2 in FIG. 12), improving the freedom of design.

[0084] The slider 43 further includes a switch operation unit 43e for operating the switch 52 at a portion located on the rear side of the closing operation unit 43d in the vehicle length direction. Referring to FIG. 2, the switch 52 is attached to the cover body 18 so as to be located above the switch operation unit 43e of the slider 43 in the neutral position shown in FIGS. 13, 20, and 21. Here, the neutral position is a position where neither the opening lever 31 is operated by the opening operation unit 43c nor the fork lever 34 is operated by the closing operation unit 43d. The switch 52 is operated by the switch operation unit 43e when the slider 43 moves to the neutral position. As the switch 52, a push switch that outputs a signal when operated by the switch operation unit 43e and does not output a signal when not operated by the switch operation unit 43e can be used. The ECU 8 can determine whether the slider is moved to the neutral position based on an input signal from the switch 52.

[0085] (Switching of latch mechanism by electric opening and closing mechanism) Next, switching of the latch mechanism 20 by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 to 20. FIG.

[0086] In a state in which the back door 4 is closed with respect to the vehicle body 1 shown in Fig. 1, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the latch position and is locked by the claw 25 rotated to the locking position as shown in Fig. 13. The open lever 31 rotates to the initial position by the biasing force of the coil spring 33. The slider 43 is located in a neutral position where neither the open lever 31 nor the fork lever 34 is operated.

[0087] When an open switch (not shown) of the back door 4 shown in Fig. 1 is operated, the ECU 8 shown in Fig. 1 causes the motor 37 to rotate the spindle 39 in the forward direction. This causes the slider 43 to start moving in a direction C1 from the neutral position (Pa1 in Fig. 12) toward the opening operation completion position (Pa2 in Fig. 12). In this state, the fork 21, the fork lever 34, the claw 25, and the open lever 31 are maintained in the latch position, the locking position, and the initial position.

[0088] By the movement of the slider 43 in the direction C1, the opening operation portion 43c of the slider 43 abuts against the opening operation receiving portion 31b, starting the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1 (Pb1 in FIG. 12). Then, as shown in FIG. 14, when the open lever 31 rotates to the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 12), the fork restricting portion 31c abuts against the restriction receiving portion 34d and presses the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 in the direction A1 (Pd1 in FIG. 12). As a result, the rotation of the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 toward the open position is restricted, and the fork 21 gradually rotates toward the over-latch position.

[0089] 15, as the open lever 31 continues to rotate toward the unlocked position, the claw operating portion 31f comes into contact with the opening operation receiving portion 25b to rotate the claw 25 toward the unlocked position (Pc1 in FIG. 12). Also, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 continues to rotate toward the over-latch position.

[0090] 16, the open lever 31 is rotated to the unlocked position, so that the claw 25 rotates to the unlocked position (Pc2 in FIG. 12), and the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the over-latch position (Pd2 in FIG. 12).

[0091] Next, as shown in Fig. 17, the open lever 31 is further rotated in the direction D1 toward the restriction end position by the slider 43, whereby the claw 25 is further rotated toward the overrotation position. Also, the fork restricting portion 31c of the open lever 31 gradually separates from the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 is gradually rotated toward the latch position side in the direction A2 by the elastic force of the weather strip 3 shown in Fig. 1 and the biasing force of the kick spring 23 shown in Fig. 4.

[0092] Next, as shown in FIG. 18, the rotation of the open lever 31 positions the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 at the end of the fork restriction portion 31c. When the open lever 31 rotates beyond this position to the restriction end position (Pb4 in FIG. 12), the abutment of the fork restriction portion 31c against the restriction receiving portion 34d is released as shown in FIG. 19. This releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 by the open lever 31 (Pd3 in FIG. 12). As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the open position (Pd4 in FIG. 12) due to the elastic force of the weather strip 3 shown in FIG. 1 and the biasing force of the kick spring 23 shown in FIG. 4. Also, the claw 25 is rotated to the overrotation position by the open lever 31 (Pc3 in FIG. 12).

[0093] The ECU 8 detects the rotation of the fork 21 and the fork lever 34 to the open position by a signal from the rotary switch 51 shown in Fig. 2, and reverses the motor 37. As a result, the slider 43 starts to move from the opening operation completion position (Pa3 in Fig. 12) toward the neutral position (Pa4 in Fig. 12) to C2.

[0094] As a result, as shown in Fig. 20, the open lever 31 rotates in direction D2 from the restriction end position (Pb5 in Fig. 12) to the initial position (Pb6 in Fig. 12) by the biasing force of the coil spring 33. The claw 25 rotates in direction B2 from the overrotation position (Pc4 in Fig. 12) to the locking position (Pc5 in Fig. 12) by the biasing force of the kick spring 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the open lever 31. The fork 21 including the fork lever 34 is maintained in a state rotated to the open position by the biasing force of the kick spring 23 shown in Fig. 4.

[0095] In the open state of the back door 4 shown in Fig. 1, the open lever 31 rotates to the initial position, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the open position, and the claw 25 rotates to the latching position, as shown in Fig. 20. When the back door 4 shown in Fig. 1 is closed in this state, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the half-latched position, as shown in Fig. 21. The ECU 8 detects this state by a signal from the rotary switch 51 shown in Fig. 2, and reverses the motor 37 to move the slider 43 in the direction C2 from the neutral position toward the closing operation completion position (closing operation).

[0096] In the closing operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, as shown in Fig. 10, the slider 43 moves in the direction C2, causing the closing operation portion 43d of the slider 43 to come into contact with the closing operation receiving portion 34c, thereby rotating the fork lever 34 and the fork 21 in the direction A1. Then, when the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the over-latch position, the slider 43 is moved in the direction C1 to the neutral position. As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the latch position by the biasing force of the kick spring 23 shown in Fig. 4, and is locked by the claw 25 in the locking position, resulting in the latched state shown in Fig. 13.

[0097] In the closing operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, the open lever 31 is maintained in a state rotated to the initial position. The claw 25 momentarily rotates toward the unlocked position against the biasing force of the kick spring 27 shown in FIG. 4 only when the full latch locking portion 21b of the fork 21 passes by.

[0098] The door latch device 10 configured in this manner has the following features.

[0099] When the door is opened, the open lever 31 restricts the rotation of the fork 21 to the open position by the fork restricting portion 31c, and then rotates the claw 25 from the locked position to the unlocked position by the claw operating portion 31f. After that, the fork restricting portion 31c releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position while the claw operating portion 31f restricts the rotation of the claw 25 toward the locked position. This allows the fork 21 to be rotated from the latched position to the open position, so that the back door 4 can be automatically opened reliably.

[0100] The open lever 31 having the fork restricting portion 31c and the claw operating portion 31f is journaled on the other side of the same insertion groove 14d as the claw 25, and is disposed at a distance from the claw 25 in the axial direction of the claw shaft 26. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a space for disposing the open lever 31 on the same plane as the claw 25. In other words, by disposing the open lever 31 three-dimensionally with respect to the fork 21 and the claw 25, the projected area of ​​the base 13B for disposing them can be reduced when viewed from the vehicle height direction in which the claw shaft 26 extends. As a result, the door latch device 10 can be made smaller.

[0101] The fork lever 34 is attached to the fork 21 with a gap in the axial direction of the fork shaft 22, and is provided with a restriction receiving portion 34d against which the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31 abuts. This improves the degree of freedom in designing the shape and arrangement of the restriction receiving portion 34d, and reduces the size and rotation range of the open lever 31, thereby enabling the door latch device 10 to be made more compact. More specifically, while the rotation angle range of the operating member in the conventional door latch device was 180 degrees, in this embodiment, the rotation angle range of the corresponding open lever 31 can be reduced to 23 degrees.

[0102] The fork restricting portion 31c is located radially inward of the fork shaft 22 relative to the restricted portion 34d when the open lever 31 is in the initial position shown in Fig. 13, and is located radially outward of the fork shaft 22 relative to the restricted portion 34d when the open lever 31 is in the restricted end position shown in Fig. 19. In either state, the fork restricting portion 31c cannot come into contact with the restricted portion 34d due to rotation of the fork lever 34. With this configuration, the rotation range of the open lever 31 can be reduced, so that the required area of ​​the base 13B can be significantly reduced and the door latch device 10 can be made more compact.

[0103] When the fork 21 is in the latched position shown in Fig. 13, the restricted portion 34d is located on the other side of the insertion groove 14d. In other words, the fork lever 34 is located on one side of the insertion groove 14d, but the restricted portion 34d is located on the other side of the insertion groove 14d where the claw 25 and the open lever 31 are located. Since the restricted portion 34d is provided closer to the claw 25, the open lever 31 including the fork restricting portion 31c that abuts against the restricted portion 34d can be made smaller.

[0104] The motor 37, the spindle 39, and the slider 43 are disposed on the opposite side of the open end of the insertion groove 14d with respect to the claw 25, and the open lever 31 is journaled on the open end side of the insertion groove 14d rather than the claw shaft 26. This ensures the full length of the lever body 31a of the open lever 31, and the driving force of the motor 37 that operates the operation receiving portion 31b of the open lever 31 by the slider 43 can be reduced. Therefore, the open lever 31 can be reliably rotated from the initial position shown in FIG. 13 to the restriction end position shown in FIG. 19 by the slider 43. Therefore, the claw 25 can be rotated toward the non-locking position shown in FIG. 16 without causing any malfunction, and the fork 21 can be reliably rotated from the latch position shown in FIG. 13 to the open position shown in FIG. 20. In addition, even if the slider 43 is moved forward and backward by the spindle 39, which has a limited operating range, the rotation stroke of the open lever 31, that is, the movement distance of the fork restriction portion 31c and the claw operation portion 31f, can be sufficiently long. Therefore, the fork 21 and the claw 25 can be operated at an appropriate timing and by an appropriate amount, improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0105] By rotating the open lever 31 from the restriction start position shown in Fig. 14 to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 16, the fork restricting portion 31c rotates the fork 21 from the latched position shown in Fig. 14 to the over-latch position shown in Fig. 16. Also, the claw operating portion 31f rotates the claw 25 from the locked position shown in Fig. 14 to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 16. In other words, with the pressure contact of the fork 21 by the kick spring 23 released, the claw 25 is rotated by the claw operating portion 31f from the locked position shown in Fig. 14 to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 16. Therefore, the driving force of the motor 37 required for rotating the claw 25 can be reduced.

[0106] Moreover, by rotating the open lever 31 from the unlocked position shown in Fig. 16 to the restriction end position shown in Fig. 19, the fork restricting portion 31c gradually rotates the fork 21 from the over-latch position shown in Fig. 16 through the latched position shown in Fig. 17 toward the open position shown in Fig. 18, and then releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21. Therefore, the elastic force of the weather strip 3 that seals between the vehicle body 1 and the back door 4 can be used to prevent the fork 21 from suddenly rotating from the latched position to the open position, thereby suppressing vibration and abnormal noise of the fork 21.

[0107] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

[0108] The open lever 31 may be configured to directly operate the fork 21 without the fork lever 34. In other words, the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 may have a configuration without the fork lever 34.

[0109] The shape and arrangement of the fork control portion 31c of the open lever 31 can be changed as necessary as long as it is configured such that it cannot abut against the control receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 when rotated to the initial position shown in Figure 13 and when rotated to the control end position shown in Figure 19.

[0110] The shape and arrangement of the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 can be changed as necessary as long as it is located on the rotation trajectory Ro of the fork restriction portion 31c of the open lever 31 when the fork 21 is rotated to the latched position shown in Figure 13.

[0111] The drive mechanism 36 may be a general spur gear as long as it can transmit the driving force of the motor 37 to the spindle 39. The drive mechanism 36 may be modified as necessary as long as it can perform the opening operation of the open lever 31. The drive mechanism 36 may be configured to perform only the opening operation and not to perform the closing operation of the fork 21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Vehicle body 2 Striker 3 Weather strip 4. Backdoor 5 Outer Panel 6 Inner Panel 6a Bulge 8 ECU 10 Door latch device 12. Housing 13A Main Unit 13B Base 14 Base plate 14a Base body 14b Reinforcement plate 14c Cover piece 14d Insertion groove 14e Bracket 14f opening 15 Fence Block 15a Insertion groove 16 Cover plate 16a Bracket 17 Cover 18 Cover body 18a Connector part 18b Motor placement section 18c Gear arrangement section 18d Spindle support 19 Rear cover 19a Cover part 19b Switch mounting part 20 Latch mechanism 21. Fork 21a Retaining groove 21b Full latch locking part 21c Half latch locking part 22 Fork shaft 23 Kick spring (biasing member) 25 kroner 25a Locking part 25b Opening operation receiver 25c Emergency opening operation section 26 Claw shaft 27 Kick spring 30 Electric opening / closing mechanism 31 Open Lever 31a Lever body 31b Opening operation receiver 31c Fork control part 31d base 31e Regulatory Body 31f Claw operation part 32 Shaft member 33 Coil spring 34 Fork lever 34a Lever body 34b Mounting part 34c Close operation receiver 34d Regulated Part 34e Switch operation section 36 Drive mechanism 37 Motor 38 Warm 39 Spindle 39a thread 40 Worm Wheel 41 Ball bearings 42 Plain bearing 43 Slider 43a Slider body 43b screw hole 43c Opening operation part 43d Close operation part 43e Control unit 50 Switch 51 Rotary Switch 52 Switch

Claims

1. A base having an insertion groove into which a striker can be inserted; a fork attached to a fork shaft arranged on one side of the insertion groove in a direction intersecting a direction in which the insertion groove extends relative to the base, the fork being rotatable between a latched position that holds the striker and an open position from which the striker can be released, the fork being urged from the latched position toward the open position by an urging member; a claw that is disposed on the other side of the insertion groove in a direction intersecting the direction in which the insertion groove extends relative to the base, is journaled on a claw shaft that extends along the fork shaft, and is rotatable between an engagement position where the claw engages the fork at the latch position and an unlocked position where the engagement with the fork is released and the fork is allowed to rotate by the biasing member; an open lever having a fork restricting portion for restricting the rotation of the fork toward the open position and a claw operating portion for rotating the claw from the locking position to the unlocking position, the open lever being pivotally supported on the other side of the insertion groove relative to the base and disposed at a distance from the claw in the axial direction of the claw shaft; a drive mechanism that rotates the open lever from an initial position to a first rotation position spaced apart from the initial position, a second rotation position farther from the initial position than the first rotation position, and a third rotation position farther from the initial position than the second rotation position; Equipped with When the open lever is in the initial position, the fork restricting portion allows the fork to rotate, and the claw operating portion maintains the claw in the locking position, When the open lever rotates from the initial position to the first rotation position, the fork restricting portion restricts the rotation of the fork toward the open position, By rotating the open lever from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, the claw operating portion rotates the claw from the locking position to the unlocking position, A door latch device in which, by rotating the open lever from the second rotation position to the third rotation position, the claw operating portion restricts the rotation of the claw toward the engaging position, while the fork restricting portion releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork toward the open position.

2. The fork is attached to the fork shaft so as to be integrally rotatable therewith, A fork lever is attached to the fork shaft so as to be adjacent to the open lever and spaced apart from the fork in the axial direction of the fork shaft, and is rotatable integrally therewith, The fork lever is provided with a restriction receiving portion against which the fork restricting portion abuts.

2. The door latch device according to claim 1.

3. When the open lever is in the initial position, the fork restricting portion is located radially inward of the restricting portion of the fork shaft and cannot come into contact with the restricting portion by rotation of the fork lever, When the open lever is in the third rotation position, the fork restricting portion is located radially outward of the restricting portion of the fork shaft and cannot come into contact with the restricting portion due to rotation of the fork lever.

3. The door latch device according to claim 2.

4. 4. The door latch device according to claim 3, wherein when the fork is in the latched position, the restriction receiving portion is located on the other side of the insertion groove and is located on a rotation locus of the fork restriction portion caused by rotation of the open lever.

5. The drive mechanism includes: A motor is disposed on an opposite side of the claw from an open end of the insertion groove in a direction in which the insertion groove extends; a spindle extending in a direction intersecting the insertion groove and rotated by the motor; a slider that is threadedly engaged with the spindle so as to be movable forward and backward and that operates the open lever; Equipped with The open lever is a lever body that is journaled on the open end side of the insertion groove relative to the claw shaft and extends along the insertion groove toward the spindle; an operation receiving portion provided at a tip portion of the lever body and receiving an operation by the slider; The door latch device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

6. the fork is rotatable from the open position through the latched position to an over-latched position that is farther from the open position than the latched position; the claw is rotatable from the locking position through the unlocking position to an overrotation position farther from the locking position than the unlocking position, When the open lever rotates from the first rotation position to the second rotation position, the fork restricting portion rotates the fork from the latched position to the over-latched position against the biasing force of the biasing member, By rotating the open lever from the second rotation position to the third rotation position, the claw operating unit rotates the claw from the non-engagement position to the over-rotation position, and the fork restricting unit gradually rotates the fork from the over-latch position through the latch position toward the open position, and then releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork. The door latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images