Door latch device

Abstract

To improve the operability of an emergency opening operation part of a door latch device capable of automatically opening a door.SOLUTION: A door latch device 10 comprises: a base plate 14 which has a bottom plate 14e protruding from a door panel 7 into a cabin; a cover plate 16 which is arranged at an interval with the bottom plate 14e; a fork 21 which is fitted to a fork shaft 22 arranged on one side of an insertion groove 14f in a vehicle width direction, a claw 25 which is pivoted on a claw shaft 26 arranged on the other side of the insertion groove 14f in the vehicle width direction; and an electric opening mechanism 30 and an emergency operation part 25c which electrically rotate the claw 25 from a lock position to a non-lock position. The emergency operation part 25 has an arm part 25d protruding to the side of an open end 14m of the insertion groove 14f and an operation part body 25 provided at the arm part 25d on the side of an open end 14m of the insertion groove 14f.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

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 an electric opening mechanism. The electric opening mechanism, which includes a motor, rotates the claw from a locked position to a non-locked position, causing the fork to rotate from a latched position to an open position. This allows the striker of the vehicle body to be disengaged from the fork, and the back door on which the door latch device is disposed can be opened relative to the vehicle body.

[0003] The door latch device of Patent Document 1 further includes an emergency operation unit for manually opening the back door from inside the vehicle cabin when the electric opening operation by the motor is not possible. The emergency operation unit is integrally provided with the claw, and is disposed on a portion of the door latch device that protrudes from the back door into the vehicle cabin and is exposed inside the vehicle cabin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2008-13935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the door latch device of Patent Document 1, the emergency operation unit is located near the inner panel of the back door, so depending on the shape of the inner panel, it may be difficult to operate the emergency operation unit. Therefore, the door latch device of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of the operability of the emergency operation unit.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of an emergency opening operating portion in a door latch device capable of automatically opening a door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a base plate having a storage portion disposed so as to penetrate a door panel and protrude into a vehicle interior, the base plate having an insertion groove formed in a bottom plate of the storage portion, the insertion groove extending in a direction intersecting the door panel and into which a striker can be inserted; a cover plate for closing an opening of the storage portion; a fork disposed on one side in a width direction of the insertion groove and rotatable between a latched position for holding the striker and an open position from which the striker can be removed; and a claw shaft having ends supported by the base plate and the cover plate, the fork being supported in the latched position so as to be positioned on the other side in the width direction of the insertion groove. and an unlatching position where the engagement with the fork is released; an electric release mechanism which electrically rotates the claw from the engaged position to the unlatching position; and an emergency operation unit which is provided on the claw and which can manually rotate the claw from the engaged position to the unlatching position, wherein the emergency operation unit has an arm portion which protrudes toward an open end side of the insertion groove which is farthest from the door panel, and an operation unit main body which is provided on the arm portion on the open end side of the insertion groove and which is arranged in a portion of the accommodating unit which is farther from the door panel.

[0008] The emergency operating unit provided on the claw has an operating unit main body that is provided on the open end side of the insertion groove of the arm portion and is located in a portion of the housing portion away from the door panel. This allows a gap (distance) required for manual operation to be secured between the door panel and the operating unit main body. Therefore, when operating the operating unit main body of the emergency operating unit, the door panel does not become an obstacle that gets in the way of the operation. In other words, the operation of the emergency operating unit is hardly affected by the shape of the door panel. Therefore, when the claw cannot be electrically opened by the electric opening mechanism, the emergency operating unit can be easily and reliably operated from inside the vehicle cabin. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The present invention can improve the operability of an emergency opening operating portion in a door latch device capable of automatically opening a door. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a door latch device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door latch device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism as viewed from above in front. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the latch mechanism and the electric opening / closing mechanism as viewed from above on the rear side. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 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 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 closed. FIG. [Figure 10] 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 11] 6 is a graph showing the movement of the latch mechanism during an opening operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the latched state of FIG. 10 . [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the restriction start state of FIG. 10 . [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the unlocked state of FIG. 10 . [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the restriction end state of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the open state of FIG. [Figure 17] 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. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the operating state of the latch mechanism and the electric release mechanism in an emergency operation state. [Figure 19] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a door latch device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a latch mechanism and an electric opening / closing mechanism according to a second embodiment, as viewed from above the front. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a door latch device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a latch mechanism and an electric opening / closing mechanism according to a third embodiment, as viewed from above the front. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (First embodiment) Referring to FIG. 1, a door latch device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is disposed on a back door 5 that opens and closes a rear opening of a vehicle body 1, and holds the back door 5 in a closed state relative to the vehicle body 1 in an openable manner.

[0013] In the attached drawings, the X direction is the vehicle length direction (the direction in which the insertion groove 14f extends), the direction indicated by the arrow is the front side (the vehicle interior side), and the direction opposite to the arrow is the rear side (the vehicle exterior side). The Y direction is the vehicle width direction (the width direction of the insertion groove 14f), and the Z direction is the vehicle height direction. The following description will be given based on a state in which the back door 5 is closed relative to the vehicle body 1.

[0014] The vehicle body 1 is equipped with a cargo bed panel 2 extending along the XY plane. An inverted U-shaped striker 3 held by a door latch device 10 is fixed to the cargo bed panel 2 by means of screws. A rubber weather strip 4 is disposed at the rear end of the cargo bed panel 2 in the vehicle length direction to seal the gap with the back door 5.

[0015] The back door 5 includes an outer panel 6 exposed to the outside of the vehicle, and an inner panel (door panel) 7 located on the front side (inside of the vehicle) of the outer panel 6 in the vehicle length direction. A bulging portion 7a that bulges toward the inside of the vehicle is formed at the lower part of the inner panel 7. The bulging portion 7a forms an inclined portion 7b at the lower part of the inner panel 7 that is inclined toward the loading platform panel 2 as it moves toward the rear side in the vehicle length direction. The inner panel 7 is joined to the outer panel 6 below the inclined portion 7b.

[0016] The back door 5 is configured to be opened and closed in the vehicle height direction, and has an upper end rotatably attached to a rotating shaft extending in the vehicle width direction disposed on the vehicle body 1. However, the back door 5 may be configured to be rotatably attached to a rotating shaft extending in the vehicle height direction, and to be opened and closed in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] (Outline of door latch device) 1 to 3, a door latch device 10 includes a latch mechanism 20 and an electric opening / closing mechanism (electric opening mechanism) 30 inside a housing 12. The latch mechanism 20 and the electric opening / closing mechanism (electric opening mechanism) 30 are disposed in the 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 7 by bolts. A main body 13A, which is the majority of the housing 12, is accommodated between the outer panel 6 and the bulging portion 7a of the inner panel 7. A base 13B, which is the remaining part of the housing 12, penetrates the inclined portion 7b and protrudes forward in the vehicle length direction.

[0019] 4 to 6, 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. 12 and an open state shown in FIG. 16. The latch mechanism 20 in the latched state shown in FIG. 12 holds the back door 5 in a closed state relative to the vehicle body 1 shown in FIG. 1 by holding the striker 3. The latch mechanism 20 in the open state shown in FIG. 16 is capable of releasing the striker 3, and allows the back door 5 to be opened relative to the vehicle body 1 shown in FIG. 1. In a half-latched state shown in FIG. 17, which is between the latched state shown in FIG. 12 and the open state shown in FIG. 16, the latch mechanism 20 holds the back door 5 shown in FIG. 1 by holding the striker 3.

[0020] The electric opening / closing mechanism 30 includes an open lever 31, a fork lever 34, and a drive mechanism 36. The open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 are disposed on the base 13B of the housing 12. The drive mechanism 36 includes a motor 37, a spindle 39, and a slider 43, and 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 to 3.

[0021] For example, when an open switch (not shown) arranged on the back door 5 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. 12 to the open state shown in Fig. 16. On the other hand, when the open back door 5 is closed and the latch mechanism 20 changes from the open state shown in Fig. 16 to the half-latched state shown in Fig. 17, 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. 12.

[0022] 1 to 4, 12, and 18, the claw 25 is integrally provided with an emergency operation unit 25c for manually opening the back door 5 from inside the vehicle compartment when electric opening operation by the motor 37 is not possible. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, even in a mode in which the base 13B protruding from the inner panel 7 toward the vehicle interior is covered by the bulge 7a, the emergency operation unit 25c can be easily operated.

[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 to 3, the housing 12 is L-shaped when viewed in the vehicle width direction and includes a main body 13A disposed within the back door 5 and a base 13B protruding from a lower end of the main body 13A to the outside of the back door 5 (inside the vehicle compartment). The housing 12 is composed of a base plate 14, a fence block 15, a cover plate 16, and a cover 17.

[0025] 2, 5, and 6, 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. The base body 14a has a storage portion 14d formed in a front portion in the vehicle length direction. The rear portion of the base body 14a in the vehicle length direction from the storage portion 14d and the reinforcing plate portion 14b form a part of the main body 13A. The storage portion 14d and the cover piece 14c of the base body 14a form a part of the base 13B.

[0026] The base body 14a extends generally along the XY plane, which is the direction in which the loading platform panel 2 extends. The base body 14a includes a storage section 14d that is disposed so as to penetrate the inclined portion 7b of the inner panel 7 and protrude into the vehicle interior. The storage section 14d is defined by a bottom plate 14e, a pair of side plates 14g, and a cover piece 14c. The upper end and the rear side in the vehicle length direction of the storage section 14d are open.

[0027] An insertion groove 14f into which the striker 3 can be inserted is provided in the bottom plate 14e of the storage portion 14d so as to be located approximately in the center in the vehicle width direction. The insertion groove 14f extends from the end of the bottom plate 14e on the front side in the vehicle length direction toward the inner panel 7 on the rear side in the vehicle length direction. In other words, the insertion groove 14f extends in a direction intersecting the inner panel 7. The end of the insertion groove 14f farthest from the inner panel 7 is an open end 14m, and the end closest to the inner panel 7 is a closed end 14n. The width direction of the insertion groove 14f coincides with the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 1.

[0028] The pair of side plates 14g of the storage section 14d are triangular, protruding upward from both sides of the bottom plate 14e in the vehicle width direction (the width direction of the insertion groove 14f), and extending along the XZ plane. The pair of side plates 14g are each provided with an opening 14h so as to correspond to the upper end of the protruding portion 25f of the emergency operation portion 25c of the claw 25. The opening 14h is a groove extending downward from the upper end of the side plate 14g, and is provided at the front end of the side plate 14g in the vehicle length direction. The opening 14h is open in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the vehicle length direction in which the back door 5 is closed. The upper ends of the pair of side plates 14g are further provided with brackets 14i for bolting to the inner panel 7.

[0029] 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 YZ plane in which the outer panel 6 extends.

[0030] The cover piece 14c is provided at the front end in the vehicle length direction of the bottom plate 14e of the accommodation portion 14d, and extends along the YZ plane. The cover piece 14c protrudes upward from the plate body 16a of the cover plate 16, and covers and conceals the lower parts of the open lever 31 and the fork lever 34. The cover piece 14c is provided with an opening 14j for allowing the striker 3 to be inserted into the insertion groove 14f.

[0031] The cover piece 14c is provided with a protective portion 14k that protrudes along the operation protrusion 25g of the emergency operation portion 25c of the claw 25 and covers the operation protrusion 25g when viewed from the front side in the vehicle length direction. The protective portion 14k is provided on the same plane as the cover piece 14c and protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the side plate 14g located on the left side in FIG. 5. The outer end of the protective portion 14k in the vehicle width direction is located outside the outer end of the operation protrusion 25g in the vehicle width direction. The upper end of the protective portion 14k is located above the upper end of the operation protrusion 25g, and the lower end of the protective portion 14k is located below the lower end of the operation protrusion 25g. However, the protective portion 14k may be provided on the cover plate 16.

[0032] The fence block 15 is made of resin, and is sandwiched between the base body 14a and the cover plate 16 of the base plate 14, 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 14f of the base body 14a. A space (not shown) for rotatably arranging the fork 21 is provided on one side in the width direction of the insertion groove 15a (the right side in FIG. 5). A space (not shown) for rotatably arranging the claw 25 is provided on the other side in the width direction of the insertion groove 15a (the left side in FIG. 5).

[0033] 1 and 5, the fence block 15 is provided with an opening 15b located on the inside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the opening 14h of the base plate 14. The opening 15b communicates with a space of the fence block 15 in which the claw 25 is disposed. Here, the opening 15b is provided only on the left side of the fence block 15 in FIG. 5 where the claw 25 is disposed, and is not provided on the right side in FIG. 5. Therefore, the right side of the fence block 15 blocks one of the pair of openings 14h of the base plate 14 where the fork 21 is disposed.

[0034] 3, 5, and 6, the cover plate 16 is made of a pressed metal plate. The cover plate 16 is disposed above the fence block 15 so as to close an opening 14p on the upper end side of the storage section 14d defined by the bottom plate 14e, the side plate 14g, and the cover piece 14c in the base plate 14, and constitutes a part of the base 13B. The cover plate 16 includes a plate body 16a and a pair of brackets 16b.

[0035] The plate body 16a is disposed with a gap in the vehicle height direction relative to the bottom plate 14e of the base plate 14, and extends along the XY plane so as to be parallel to the bottom plate 14e. The plate body 16a extends rearward in the vehicle length direction from the cover piece 14c of the base plate 14. The overall length of the plate body 16a in the vehicle length direction is shorter than the overall length of the bottom plate 14e 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.

[0036] The brackets 16b are provided on both sides of the plate body 16a in the vehicle width direction. The brackets 16b are disposed on the brackets 14i of the base plate 14 and are attached to the back door 5.

[0037] The base 13B of the housing 12 is composed of the storage portion 14d of the base plate 14, the fence block 15, and the cover plate 16. Referring to Fig. 1, the base 13B extends along the bed panel 2. Meanwhile, the base 13B is attached in a state inclined with respect to the inclined portion 7b of the bulging portion 7a. In other words, the upper part of the base 13B is mostly covered by the bulging portion 7a of the inner panel 7.

[0038] 4 to 6, the fork 21 and claw 25 constituting the latch mechanism 20 are arranged on the same plane at the bottom of the base 13B, i.e., on the bottom plate 14e of the base plate 14. The open lever 31 and fork lever 34 constituting the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 are arranged on the same plane at the top of the base 13B, i.e., on the plate body 16a of the cover plate 16. By three-dimensionally arranging the open lever 31 and the fork lever 34 relative to the fork 21 and claw 25, the projected area seen from the vehicle height direction required for arranging them on the base 13B is reduced.

[0039] 1 to 3, the cover 17 is provided to arrange 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.

[0040] 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. 3, 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. 3, 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] (Latch mechanism configuration) 5 to 7, the latch mechanism 20 includes a fork 21 that releasably holds the striker 3 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 bottom plate 14e 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.

[0043] 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 (the right side in FIG. 12 ) in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to an insertion groove 14f that extends in the vehicle length direction in the base plate 14, that is, on one side of the insertion groove 14f. 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.

[0044] The fork 21 thus configured can be rotated together with the fork shaft 22 from the open position shown in FIG. 16 in the direction A1 (clockwise) to the over-latch position shown in FIG. 14, through the half-latch position shown in FIG. 17 and the latch position shown in FIG. 12 in that order. The fork 21 can also be rotated together with the fork shaft 22 from the over-latch position shown in FIG. 14 in the direction A2 (counterclockwise) to the open position shown in FIG. 16, through the latch position shown in FIG. 12 and the half-latch position shown in FIG. 17 in that order. The half-latch position shown in FIG. 17 is spaced apart from the open position shown in FIG. 16 in the direction A1. The latch position shown in FIG. 12 is located at a rotation angle farther from the open position shown in FIG. 16 than the half-latch position shown in FIG. 17. The over-latch position shown in FIG. 14 is located at a rotation angle farther from the open position shown in FIG. 16 than the latch position shown in FIG. 12.

[0045] The fork 21 is biased by a kick spring (biasing member) 23 in a direction A2 from the over-latch position shown in Fig. 14 to the open position shown in Fig. 16. 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. 16 is restricted by a stopper (not shown).

[0046] 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. 16, the retaining groove 21a assumes a position in which the opening at the tip is positioned above the insertion groove 14f of the base plate 14, allowing the striker 3 to be removed. When the fork 21 is rotated to any of the latched position shown in Fig. 12, the half-latch position shown in Fig. 17, and the over-latch position shown in Fig. 14, the retaining groove 21a assumes a position in which it intersects with the insertion groove 14f, and holds the striker 3 so that it cannot be removed.

[0047] 5 to 7, the outer periphery of the fork 21 is provided with a full latch locking portion 21b and a half latch locking portion 21c capable of locking the claw 25. The full latch locking portion 21b is provided at the tip of the groove wall defining 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.

[0048] 3, 4, and 12, the claw 25 is rotatably supported by the claw shaft 26. The claw shaft 26 is disposed on the other side in the vehicle width direction (the left side in FIG. 12) of the insertion groove 14f of the base plate 14, that is, on the other side of the insertion groove 14f 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 rearward of the fork shaft 22 in the vehicle length direction, that is, on the spindle 39 side of the drive mechanism 36.

[0049] The claw 25 thus supported can rotate about the claw shaft 26 in a direction B1 (counterclockwise) from the locked position shown in Fig. 12, through the unlocked position shown in Fig. 14, to the overrotated position shown in Fig. 15. The claw 25 can also rotate about the claw shaft 26 in a direction B2 (clockwise) from the overrotated position shown in Fig. 15, through the unlocked position shown in Fig. 14, to the locked position shown in Fig. 12. The unlocked position shown in Fig. 14 is spaced apart in the direction B1 from the locked position shown in Fig. 12. The overrotated position shown in Fig. 15 is located at a rotation angle farther from the locked position shown in Fig. 12 than the unlocked position shown in Fig. 14.

[0050] The claw 25 is urged in direction B2 by a kick spring (urging member) 27 from the over-rotation position shown in Fig. 15 toward the locking position shown in Fig. 12. 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. 12 is restricted by a stopper (not shown).

[0051] 5 to 7, 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. The locking portion 25a is provided on the rear side of the claw shaft 26 in the vehicle length direction. 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. 12, or the half latch locking portion 21c of the fork 21 that has rotated to the half latched position shown in FIG. 17. This causes the claw 25 to restrict the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position shown in FIG. 16 against the biasing force of the kick spring 23. When the claw 25 rotates between the non-locking position shown in FIG. 14 and the over-rotation position shown in FIG. 15, 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.

[0052] 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 is provided on the rear side of the claw shaft 26 in the vehicle length direction, similar to the locking portion 25a. 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 to the rear side 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 an opening operation by the open lever 31 from the fork 21 side, the claw 25 rotates from the locking position shown in FIG. 12 to the non-locking position shown in FIG. 14 against the biasing force of the kick spring 27 (see FIG. 8).

[0053] The claw 25 further includes an emergency opening operation part 25c for manually opening the back door 5 shown in Fig. 1 from inside the vehicle compartment 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 operation part 25c is provided on the front side in the vehicle length direction from the claw shaft 26, that is, on the opposite side of the claw shaft 26 from the locking part 25a and the opening operation receiving part 25b. More specifically, the emergency operation part 25c is L-shaped when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and includes an arm part 25d and an operation part main body 25e.

[0054] The arm portion 25d is rod-shaped with a square cross section, and protrudes further forward in the vehicle length direction from the front side of the claw shaft 26 of the claw 25. The arm portion 25d extends to the vicinity of the cover piece 14c, which is the front end in the vehicle length direction of the bottom plate 14e of the base plate 14. In other words, the arm portion 25d protrudes toward the open end 14m side of the insertion groove 14f that is farthest from the door panel 7 shown in FIG.

[0055] The operation unit body 25e is disposed in the housing portion 14d of the base plate 14 at a portion furthest from the door panel 7. That is, the operation unit body 25e is provided at the front end in the vehicle length direction, which is the end of the arm portion 25d on the open end 14m side of the insertion groove 14f. The operation unit body 25e includes a protrusion 25f connected to the arm portion 25d and an operation projection 25g connected to the protrusion 25f.

[0056] Protrusion 25f is rod-shaped with a square cross section, and protrudes upward from the front end of arm portion 25d in the vehicle length direction toward cover plate 16. With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, protrusion 25f penetrates fence block 15 and extends to the vicinity of cover plate 16. An upper end of protrusion 25f is exposed inside the vehicle compartment through opening 14h of base plate 14 and opening 15b of fence block 15.

[0057] The operation protrusion 25g protrudes in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the protrusion 25f, which is the end of the protrusion 25f on the cover plate 16 side. The operation protrusion 25g penetrates the opening 15b of the fence block 15 and the opening 14h of the base plate 14, and protrudes into the vehicle compartment. With reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and 12, the operation protrusion 25g is arc-shaped with the axis of the claw shaft 26 as the center when viewed from the vehicle height direction, and extends in a curved manner toward the claw shaft 26 in the vehicle length direction. Between the tip of the operation protrusion 25g and the inner panel 7, a gap D sufficient for an adult's finger to be inserted is secured. When viewed from the front side in the vehicle length direction, the operation protrusion 25g is completely covered and hidden by the protective part 14k of the base plate 14.

[0058] In the latched state shown in FIG. 12, the tip of the operating protrusion 25g is touched with a finger, and the operating protrusion 25g is pushed in such a way that it is immersed in the accommodation portion 14d of the base plate 14. As a result, the claw 25 is rotated in the direction B1 (vehicle width direction) from the locked position shown in FIG. 12 through the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14 to the over-rotation position shown in FIG. 18 against the urging force of the kick spring 27. As a result, the lock of the fork 21 by the claw 25 can be released, and the fork 21 can be rotated in the direction A2 by the urging force of the kick spring 23, and the back door 5 shown in FIG. 1 can be opened in the open state shown in FIG. 16. At this time, the claw 25 does not interfere with the open lever 31, which will be described later in detail. Therefore, the open lever 31 is maintained in a stationary state in the initial position shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 18.

[0059] 3 and 5, 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. 12. 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. 12.

[0060] (Configuration of electric opening and closing mechanism) 4 to 7, 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.

[0061] 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. 8). 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. 12 to the over-rotated position shown in FIG. 15 via the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14, and switches the latch mechanism 20 to the open state shown in FIG. 16. 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 closed by the slider 43 (see FIG. 9). As a result, the latch mechanism 20 is switched from the half-latched state shown in FIG. 17 to the latched state shown in FIG. 12.

[0062] 5 to 7, 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. 12) of the insertion groove 14f of the base plate 14, that is, on the other side of the insertion groove 14f 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 14m side of the insertion groove 14f 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.

[0063] 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. 12 to the restriction end position shown in FIG. 15, passing through the restriction start position shown in FIG. 13 and the lock release position shown in FIG. 14 in that order. 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. 15 to the initial position shown in FIG. 12, passing through the lock release position shown in FIG. 14 and the restriction start position shown in FIG. 13 in that order. The restriction start position shown in FIG. 13 is spaced apart from the initial position shown in FIG. 12 in the direction D1. The lock release position shown in FIG. 14 is located at a rotation angle farther from the initial position shown in FIG. 12 than the restriction start position shown in FIG. 13. The restriction end position shown in FIG. 15 is located at a rotation angle farther from the initial position shown in FIG. 12 than the lock release position shown in FIG. 14.

[0064] The open lever 31 is biased in a direction D2 from the restriction end position shown in Fig. 15 toward the initial position shown in Fig. 12 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. 12 is restricted by a stopper (not shown) formed on the fence block 15.

[0065] The open lever 31 rotated to the initial position shown in Fig. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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 14f.

[0068] 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 protrudes upward from the side edge of the lever main body 31a located on the motor 37 side, and extends along the XZ plane. 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.

[0069] The fork restricting portion 31c is provided to restrict the rotation of the fork 21 toward the open position shown in FIG. 16. 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. 12, the fork restricting portion 31c is positioned with a gap 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. 13 and the engagement release position shown in FIG. 14, 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. 15, the fork restricting portion 31c releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork lever 34.

[0070] More specifically, as shown most clearly in FIG. 7, the fork restricting portion 31c includes a base portion 31d that protrudes flush with the lever body 31a, and a restricting main body portion 31e that protrudes upward from the tip of the base portion 31d. The restricting main body portion 31e is generally arc-shaped when viewed from the vehicle height direction. The rotation trajectory of the restricting main body portion 31e caused by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1 gradually approaches and then gradually moves away from the restricted receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34 when the fork 21 is rotated to the latch position. Therefore, the restricting main body portion 31e gradually rotates the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 in the direction A1 via the restricted receiving portion 34d by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1, and then gradually allows the fork 21 to rotate in the direction A2. The relationship between the fork restricting portion 31c and the restricted receiving portion 34d will be described in detail later.

[0071] 7 and 8, the claw operating part 31f rotates the claw 25 from the locked position shown in FIG. 12 through the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14 to the overrotation position shown in FIG. 15. 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 rotates to the initial position shown in FIG. 12, 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 and rotates the claw 25 toward the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14.

[0072] 8 and 9, 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. With reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, 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.

[0073] 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. 16, the half-latch position shown in Fig. 17, the latched position shown in Fig. 12, and the over-latch position shown in Fig. 14. That is, when the fork 21 rotates to the open position shown in Fig. 16, the half-latch position shown in Fig. 17, the latched position shown in Fig. 12, and the over-latch position shown in Fig. 14, the fork lever 34 rotates to the corresponding first corresponding position, second corresponding position, third corresponding position, and fourth corresponding position, respectively. On the other hand, when the fork lever 34 rotates to the first corresponding position shown in Fig. 16, the second corresponding position shown in Fig. 17, the third corresponding position shown in Fig. 12, and the fourth corresponding position shown in Fig. 14, the fork 21 rotates to the corresponding open position, half-latch position, latch position, and over-latch position, respectively.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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 protrudes in the same plane from the lever body 34a and is located above and spaced from the upper end of the open operation receiving portion 25b of the open lever 31. 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.

[0077] 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 protrudes 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.

[0078] 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. 16, the half-latched position shown in Fig. 17, and the latched position shown in Fig. 12 the fork 21 has rotated.

[0079] 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.

[0080] Fig. 11 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. 11.

[0081] 12, when the open lever 31 is rotated to the initial position, the fork restricting portion 31c is located on the insertion groove 14f 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. 12) of the restricting main body portion 31e of the open lever 31 with respect to the insertion groove 14f. 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.

[0082] 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 trajectory 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 trajectory of the restriction main body portion 31e caused by the rotation of the open lever 31 in the direction D1.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] When the open lever 31 rotates from the initial position (Pb1 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 12 to the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 13, 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. 11). 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. 11).

[0086] When the open lever 31 rotates from the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 13 toward the unlocked position (Pb3 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 14, the fork restricting portion 31c maintains its contact with the restriction receiving portion 34d of the fork lever 34. In other words, the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21 and the fork lever 34 toward the open position is maintained. The fork restricting portion 31c also rotates the fork 21 from the latched position toward the over-latched position (Pd2 in FIG. 11) 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. 11), rotating the claw 25 toward the unlocked position (Pc2 in FIG. 11). In other words, the timing (Pc1 in Figure 11) 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 11) 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.

[0087] The rotation trajectory 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 shown in FIG. 15, 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.

[0088] As a result, when the open lever 31 rotates from the unlocked position (Pb3 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 14 toward the restriction end position (Pb4 in FIG. 11) shown in FIG. 15, the fork restriction portion 31c gradually rotates the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 from the over-latch position (Pd2 in FIG. 11) 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. 11) 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. 11). 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. 11). That is, the claw operating portion 31f maintains the restriction on the rotation of the claw 25 toward the locking position shown in FIG.

[0089] The drive mechanism 36 is provided to rotate the open lever 31 from the initial position shown in Fig. 12 to the restriction start position shown in Fig. 13, the lock release position shown in Fig. 14, and the restriction end position shown in Fig. 15 (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. 17 to the latched position shown in Fig. 12 (closing operation).

[0090] 3 to 6, 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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. 12 and the open state shown in FIG.

[0094] 5 to 7, 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. 3, 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.

[0095] The slider 43 includes an opening operation part 43c that operates the open lever 31, and a closing operation part 43d that operates 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 with a gap between them vertically.

[0096] The opening operation portion 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 portion 31b of the open lever 31. The opening operation portion 43c abuts against the opening operation receiving portion 31b of the open lever 31 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C1, but does not abut against the closing operation receiving portion 34c of the fork lever 34 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C2.

[0097] The close 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 close operation receiving portion 34c of the fork lever 34. The close operation portion 43d comes into contact with the close operation receiving portion 34c of the fork lever 34 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C2, but does not come into contact with the open operation receiving portion 31b of the open lever 31 when the slider 43 moves in the direction C1.

[0098] 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. 3, 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 FIG. 12 and FIG. 16 to FIG. 18. 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.

[0099] (Switching the latch mechanism) Next, switching of the latch mechanism 20 by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 to 16. FIG.

[0100] In a state in which the back door 5 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. 12. 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.

[0101] When an open switch (not shown) of the back door 5 shown in Fig. 1 is operated, the ECU 8 shown in Fig. 1 causes the motor 37 to rotate the spindle 39 in the normal direction. This causes the slider 43 to start moving in a direction C1 from the neutral position (Pa1 in Fig. 11) toward the opening operation completion position (Pa2 in Fig. 11). 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.

[0102] As the slider 43 moves in the direction C1, the opening operation portion 43c of the slider 43 comes into contact with the opening operation receiving portion 31b, causing the open lever 31 to start rotating in the direction D1 (Pb1 in FIG. 11). Then, as shown in FIG. 13, when the open lever 31 rotates to the restriction start position (Pb2 in FIG. 11), the fork restricting portion 31c comes into contact with the restriction receiving portion 34d and presses the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 in the direction A1. As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 is restricted from rotating toward the open position, and gradually rotates toward the overlatch position.

[0103] 14, 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 (Pc1 in FIG. 11), rotating the claw 25 to the unlocked position (Pc2 in FIG. 11). Also, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the over-latch position (Pd2 in FIG. 11).

[0104] Next, as the open lever 31 continues to rotate toward the restriction end position, the fork restriction 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 to A2 by the elastic force of the weather strip 4 shown in Fig. 1 and the biasing force of the kick spring 23 shown in Fig. 5. The claw 25 is rotated toward the overrotation position by the claw operating portion 31f.

[0105] Next, as shown in Fig. 15, when the open lever 31 rotates to the restriction end position (Pb4 in Fig. 11), the abutment of the fork restriction portion 31c with the restriction receiving portion 34d is released. This releases the restriction on the rotation of the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 by the open lever 31 (Pd3 in Fig. 11). As a result, the fork 21 including the fork lever 34 rotates to the open position (Pd4 in Fig. 11). Also, the claw 25 is rotated to the overrotation position by the open lever 31 (Pc3 in Fig. 11).

[0106] 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. 3, and reverses the motor 37. As a result, the slider 43 starts to move from the opening operation completion position (Pa3 in Fig. 11) toward the neutral position (Pa4 in Fig. 11) C2.

[0107] 16, the open lever 31 rotates in direction D2 from the restriction end position (Pb5 in FIG. 11) to the initial position (Pb6 in FIG. 11) by the biasing force of the coil spring 33. The claw 25 rotates in direction B2 from the overrotation position (Pc4 in FIG. 11) to the locking position (Pc5 in FIG. 11) 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.

[0108] On the other hand, when the latch mechanism 20 cannot be opened by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, the operation protrusion 25g of the emergency operation part 25c is operated in the vehicle width direction from inside the vehicle cabin so as to be pushed into the accommodation part 14d of the base plate 14. This allows the claw 25 to rotate from the locked position shown in FIG. 12 to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 14, and then to the over-rotation position shown in FIG. 18. As a result, the lock of the fork 21 by the claw 25 is released, and the fork 21 rotates from the latched position shown in FIG. 12 to the open position shown in FIG. 16 due to the biasing force of the kick spring 23. Thus, the back door 5 shown in FIG. 1 can be opened.

[0109] In the open state of the back door 5 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. 16. When the back door 5 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. 17. The ECU 8 detects this state by a signal from the rotary switch 51 shown in Fig. 3, 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).

[0110] In the closing operation by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, as shown in Fig. 9, 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, causing the fork lever 34 and the fork 21 to rotate 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. 5, and is locked by the claw 25 in the locking position, resulting in the latched state shown in Fig. 12.

[0111] 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. 5 only when the full latch locking portion 21b of the fork 21 passes by.

[0112] The door latch device 10 configured in this manner has the following features.

[0113] The emergency operation part 25c of the claw 25 is provided on the open end 14m side of the insertion groove 14f of the arm part 25d, and has an operation part body 25e arranged in a part of the storage part 14d away from the door panel 7. This allows a gap (distance D) necessary for manual operation to be secured between the door panel 7 and the operation part body 25e. Therefore, when the operation part body 25e of the emergency operation part 25c is operated, the door panel 7 does not become an obstacle and interfere with the operation. In other words, the operation of the emergency operation part 25c is hardly affected by the shape (bulge part 7a) of the door panel 7. Therefore, when the claw 25 cannot be electrically opened by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, the emergency operation part 25c can be easily and reliably operated from inside the vehicle. In other words, the operability of the emergency operation part 25c can be improved.

[0114] Of a pair of side plates 14g protruding upward from both sides of the bottom plate 14e of the base plate 14, an opening 14h is provided on the side on which the claw 25 is arranged so as to correspond to the operating unit main body 25e. In other words, the opening 14h opens in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the vehicle length direction in which the back door 5 is closed. Therefore, for example, when closing the back door 5, it is possible to prevent luggage in the vehicle compartment from interfering with the exposed emergency operating unit 25c and performing the same operation as the opening operation, and therefore it is possible to prevent the back door 5 from being unintentionally opened.

[0115] Since the opening 14h is provided in the base plate 14, not in the cover plate 16, space can be secured for the cover plate 16. This improves design freedom, for example by arranging the open lever 31 and the fork lever 43 that constitute the electric opening / closing mechanism 30 on the cover plate 16. In addition, since there is no need to secure space for the opening 14h in the cover plate 16, the projected area of ​​the cover plate 16 as viewed from the vehicle height direction can be reduced, and the door latch device 10 can be made smaller in size.

[0116] The emergency operating portion 25c of the claw 25 includes an operating protrusion 25g that protrudes into the vehicle interior from the opening 14h of the base plate 14. The operating protrusion 25g is positioned at a distance D from the door panel 7 that allows the operating protrusion 25g to be operated. Therefore, the claw 25 can be easily opened by a finger without using a tool such as a screwdriver. The back door 5 can be quickly opened in an emergency.

[0117] Claw 25 can be rotated from the locked position to the unlocked position against the biasing force of kick spring 27 by pushing operating protrusion 25g into base plate 14. In this way, manual opening of claw 25 is extremely easy, which prevents erroneous operation by the user in an emergency.

[0118] The base plate 14 includes a protective portion 14k that protrudes along the operation protrusion 25g. This prevents baggage in the vehicle cabin that has moved due to vibrations while driving from interfering with the operation protrusion 25g and performing the same operation as the opening operation, thereby preventing the back door 5 from being unintentionally opened.

[0119] Other embodiments and various modifications of the present invention will be described below, but in these descriptions, points that are not particularly mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the drawings referred to below, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

[0120] Second embodiment 19 and 20, the door latch device 10 of the second embodiment differs from the door latch device 10 of the first embodiment in that the configurations of the emergency operating portion 25c of the claw 25 and the cover plate 16 are changed.

[0121] Specifically, the operation unit body 25e of the emergency operation unit 25c includes a guide protrusion 25h at the upper end of the protrusion 25f. The guide protrusion 25h is a plate extending along the YZ plane and protrudes upward from the upper end of the protrusion 25f and the front end in the vehicle length direction. The emergency operation unit 25c of the second embodiment does not include the operation protrusion 25g shown in Figures 2 and 5. Therefore, the base plate 14 does not include the protection portion 14k shown in Figures 3 and 5.

[0122] The cover plate 16 is provided with a guide groove (opening) 16c through which the guide protrusion 25h of the claw 25 is inserted to protrude upward. The guide groove 16c is provided to correspond to the upper side of the guide protrusion 25h in the vehicle length direction. The guide groove 16c is formed by a notch that is recessed from the front end of the cover body 18 in the vehicle length direction to the rear side and extends in the vehicle width direction. The front side of the guide groove 16c in the vehicle length direction is covered by the cover piece 14c of the base plate 14.

[0123] In the door latch device 10 of the second embodiment configured in this manner, when the latch mechanism 20 cannot be opened by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, a tool such as a screwdriver is inserted through the opening 14h of the base plate 14, penetrates the opening 15b of the fence block 15, and presses the upper end of the protruding portion 25f of the emergency operation portion 25c. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the claw 25 can be rotated from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the unlocked fork 21 can be rotated from the latched position to the open position. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the back door 5 shown in FIG. 1 can be manually opened.

[0124] Third embodiment Referring to Figures 21 and 22, the door latch device 10 of the third embodiment differs from the door latch device 10 of the first embodiment in that the configurations of the emergency operating portion 25c of the claw 25, the cover plate 16, and the cover 17 have been changed, respectively.

[0125] Specifically, the cover plate 16 is provided with a guide groove (opening) 16c, similar to the second embodiment shown in FIG.

[0126] The operating portion body 25e provided in the emergency operating portion 25c of the claw 25 has a guide protrusion 25h at the upper end of the protrusion 25f, similar to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 20. The guide protrusion 25h extends upward so as to penetrate the guide groove 16c of the base plate 14 and protrude into the vehicle compartment. The upper end of the guide protrusion 25h also functions as an operating protrusion 25i. In other words, the operating protrusion 25i is provided by extending the guide protrusion 25h upward.

[0127] The cover body 18 of the cover 17 is provided with an exposed portion 18f that exposes the operating protrusion 25i of the claw 25 so that it can be operated from inside the vehicle cabin, on a cover portion 18e that covers the base 13B. The exposed portion 18f is formed by a recess that is recessed from the front end of the cover portion 18e in the vehicle length direction to the rear side and extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0128] On the other hand, the fence block 15 of the third embodiment does not have the opening 15b shown in Fig. 5 on the left side in Fig. 22. Therefore, when viewed from the left side in the vehicle width direction, the opening 14h of the base plate 14 is blocked.

[0129] In the door latch device 10 of the third embodiment configured as described above, when the latch mechanism 20 cannot be opened by the electric opening / closing mechanism 30, the exposed operating protrusion 25i of the claw 25 is operated in the vehicle width direction without using a tool such as a screwdriver. This allows the claw 25 to be rotated from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the unlocked fork 21 to be rotated from the latched position to the open position, just like in the first embodiment. This allows the back door 5 shown in FIG. 1 to be manually opened just like in the first embodiment.

[0130] The guide groove 16c of the cover plate 16 and the exposed portion 18f of the cover 17 are open in the vehicle height direction perpendicular to the vehicle length direction in which the back door 5 is closed. The operation direction of the operation protrusion 25i is the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the vehicle length direction in which the back door 5 is closed. Therefore, for example, when closing the back door 5, it is possible to prevent baggage in the vehicle compartment from interfering with the operation protrusion 25i of the protruding emergency operation part 25c, and performing the same operation as the opening operation, and therefore it is possible to prevent the back door 5 from being unintentionally opened. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1. Vehicle body 2 Cargo Panel 3. Striker 4 Weather strip 5 Backdoor (Door) 6 Outer Panel 7 Inner panel (door panel) 7a Bulge 7b Slope 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 Storage section 14e bottom plate 14f Insertion groove 14g side plate 14h opening 14i Bracket 14j opening 14k protection part 14m open end 14n closed end 14p aperture 15 Fence Block 15a Insertion groove 15b opening 16 Cover plate 16a Plate body 16b Bracket 16c Guide groove (opening) 17 Cover 18 Cover body 18a Connector part 18b Motor placement section 18c Gear arrangement section 18d Spindle support 18e Cover part 18f exposed part 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 25 kroner 25a Locking part 25b Opening operation receiver 25c Emergency Control Unit 25d Arm section 25e Operation unit body 25f protrusion 25g operating protrusion 25h Guide protrusion 25i operation protrusion 26 Claw shaft 27 Kick spring (biasing member) 30 Electric opening / closing mechanism (electric opening 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 section 50 Switch 51 Rotary Switch 52 Switch D interval X Vehicle length direction (direction in which the insertion groove extends) Y Vehicle width direction (insertion groove width direction) Z Vehicle height direction

Claims

1. a base plate having a housing portion disposed to penetrate a door panel and protrude into a vehicle interior, the housing portion having a bottom plate formed with an insertion groove extending in a direction intersecting the door panel and into which a striker can be inserted; A cover plate that closes the opening of the storage portion; a fork that is disposed on one side in a width direction of the insertion groove and is rotatable between a latch position that holds the striker and an open position that allows the striker to be released; a claw that is pivotally supported by a claw shaft whose ends are supported by the base plate and the cover plate so as to be positioned on the other side of the width direction of the insertion groove, and that is rotatable between an engagement position where the fork is engaged with the latch position and an unengaged position where the engagement with the fork is released; an electric release mechanism that electrically rotates the claw from the locked position to the unlocked position; an emergency operation unit provided on the claw and capable of manually rotating the claw from the locking position to the unlocking position; Equipped with The emergency operation unit includes: an arm portion protruding toward an open end side of the insertion groove farthest from the door panel; an operation unit main body provided on the arm portion at the open end side of the insertion groove and disposed in a portion of the accommodation portion away from the door panel; A door latch device having a

2. The housing portion has a pair of side plates protruding toward the cover plate on both sides of the bottom plate in a width direction of the insertion groove, The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the side plate on which the claw is disposed is provided with an opening corresponding to the operating portion body.

3. The door latch device according to claim 2 , wherein the operation portion main body includes an operation protrusion protruding in a width direction of the insertion groove into the vehicle interior through the opening.

4. 4. The door latch device according to claim 3, wherein the operation protrusion is positioned at a distance from the door panel that allows the operation protrusion to be operated.

5. the operation unit body includes a protrusion protruding from the arm portion toward the cover plate, The door latch device according to claim 3 , wherein the operating protrusion protrudes from an end of the protruding portion on the cover plate side.

6. 4. The door latch device according to claim 3, wherein the claw has a locking portion that locks the fork on the closed end side of the insertion groove, sandwiching the claw shaft relative to the emergency operating portion, and is biased by a biasing member from the non-locking position toward the locking position, and is rotated from the locking position to the non-locking position against the biasing force of the biasing member by a pushing operation of the operating protrusion into the accommodating portion.

7. The door latch device according to claim 3 , wherein the base plate or the cover plate has a protective portion that protrudes along the operating protrusion.

8. The door latch device according to claim 2 , wherein the operation portion main body includes a protrusion that protrudes from the arm portion toward the cover plate and is exposed to the interior of the vehicle compartment through the opening.

9. the operation unit body includes a protrusion protruding from the arm portion toward the cover plate, The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover plate is provided with an opening through which a tip of the protrusion protrudes into the vehicle interior.

10. a cover for covering the cover plate; The door latch device according to claim 9, wherein the cover is provided with an exposure portion that exposes a tip of the protrusion.

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