Door latch device

Abstract

To facilitate part replacement work in an existing door latch device.SOLUTION: An open link 20 includes a lever body 21 and an inertia lever portion 22. Between the lever body 21 and the inertia lever portion 22, there are provided a torsion coil spring 23 which shifts the inertia lever portion to a second non-operating position when the inertia lever portion 22 rotates to a first non-operating position and maintains the inertia lever portion 22 in an operating position relative to the lever body 21, and a contact protrusion 21c and a convex portion 22d which prevent the inertia lever portion 22 placed in the second non-operating position from moving to an operating position. A pole lever 14a which releases an engagement state of a pole 14 with a latch 12 is provided with a protrusion 14b which abuts against the inertia lever portion 22 to return the same to the operating position when a door handle is opened with a return stroke amount while the inertia lever portion 22 is located in the second non-operating position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door latch device configured such that the door will not be inadvertently opened even when an impact force is applied to the vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of door latch device, there has already been provided one that constitutes an open link including a lever body and an inertia lever portion. In this door latch device, during normal use, the inertia lever portion is maintained in an operating position with respect to the lever body by the biasing force of a biasing means. In this state, when the lever body is disposed at the unlock position, if the door handle is operated to open, the inertia lever portion abuts against the pole lever, and the pole lever is operated to release, so that the engagement state of the pole with respect to the latch is released. On the other hand, when an impact force is applied to the vehicle, the inertia lever portion rotates with respect to the lever body against the biasing force of the biasing means and is disposed at a non-operating position. In this state, even when the lever body is disposed at the unlock position, the inertia lever portion does not abut against the pole lever, and it is possible to prevent the door from being inadvertently opened.

[0003] In this type of door latch device, a protruding portion for return is provided on a housing that houses the inertia lever portion. This protruding portion for return is for returning the inertia lever portion to the operating position again when, after the inertia lever portion is disposed at the non-operating position, a predetermined operation, for example, the door handle is operated to open with a preset return stroke amount. Thereby, it becomes possible to open the door urgently even after the inertia lever portion is disposed at the non-operating position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, even in existing door latch devices, if the open link is replaced, it is possible to configure the device to prevent the door from being inadvertently opened. However, in order to return the inertial lever part arranged in the non-operating position to the operating position, it is also necessary to replace the housing itself. Since a large number of parts are arranged in the housing, there is a concern that the replacement work will become extremely complicated.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a door latch device that can facilitate the replacement work for an existing door latch device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, a door latch device according to the present invention includes an open link that changes between an unlocked state and a locked state and operates when a door handle is operated to open, and a pole lever that releases the engagement state of the pole with respect to the latch when an operating force is applied via the open link. The open link is a door latch device capable of transmitting the operating force to the pole lever when the door handle is operated to open in the unlocked state. The open link is displaced to an unlock position corresponding to the unlocked state and a lock position corresponding to the locked state, and a lever body that moves with the opening operation of the door handle, an inertial lever portion that is movable between an operating position and a non-operating position with respect to the lever body, and a release biasing member that biases the inertial lever portion to be maintained in the operating position with respect to the lever body. The inertial lever portion can transmit the operating force to the pole lever only when the lever body is disposed at the unlock position and the door handle is operated to open in a state where the inertial lever portion is disposed at the operating position. The pole lever is provided with a protruding portion that abuts against the inertial lever portion and returns it to the operating position when the door handle is operated to open with a preset return stroke amount in a state where the inertial lever portion is disposed at the non-operating position.

[0008] Further, in the present invention, in the above-described door latch device, the inertial lever portion is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever body and is disposed so as to be movable along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position. Between the lever body and the inertial lever portion, there are provided a shift mechanism that shifts the inertial lever portion along the shift axis to a predetermined second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion rotates to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever body, and a limiting mechanism that prevents the inertial lever portion from moving to the operating position when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position.

[0009] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein the restriction mechanism is provided on the lever main body and the inertial lever portion, and has rotation block portions that face each other in the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position.

[0010] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein the restriction mechanism is provided on the lever main body and the inertial lever portion, and has shift block portions that face each other along the shift axis when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position.

[0011] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein the shift mechanism is in a power storage state when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the operating position with respect to the lever main body, and has a shift biasing member that shifts the inertial lever portion to the second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion moves to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body.

[0012] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein the biasing member for release is a torsion coil spring configured around the rotation axis, and also functions as the shift biasing member.

[0013] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein when the door handle is opened with a return stroke amount in a state where the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position, the protrusion abuts against the inertial lever portion, thereby sliding the inertial lever portion against the biasing force of the shift biasing member and returning the inertial lever portion to the operating position via the first non-operating position.

[0014] Further, the present invention is the above-described door latch device, wherein the shift block portion is provided with inclined surfaces that move the inertial lever portion to the first non-operating position by sliding against each other as the inertial lever portion abuts against the protrusion.

[0015] Further, the present invention provides, in the door latch device described above, a support shaft portion provided on either one of the lever main body and the inertial lever portion, and an insertion portion having an insertion hole provided on the other one of the lever main body and the inertial lever portion. By externally mounting the insertion portion around the support shaft portion through the insertion hole, the lever main body and the inertial lever portion are disposed to be relatively rotatable. Between the support shaft portion and the insertion portion, an engagement mechanism is provided that allows the support shaft portion to be attached to and detached from the insertion hole when the inertial lever portion is in a predetermined attachment / detachment position with respect to the lever main body, while preventing the support shaft portion from being attached to and detached from the insertion hole when disposed in the operation position and the non-operation position.

[0016] Further, the present invention provides, in the door latch device described above, the inertial lever portion is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever main body, and is disposed to be movable along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operation position. The open link is configured to transmit its operating force to the pole lever by moving along a virtual operation plane including the axis of the support shaft portion when the door handle is operated to open. The engagement mechanism includes a protruding engagement portion provided on the support shaft portion and an insertion notch provided on the insertion portion. The protruding engagement portion is provided along a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, and the insertion notch has a size that allows the protruding engagement portion to be inserted therethrough. When the inertial lever portion is disposed in the operation position with respect to the lever main body, the insertion notch extends in a direction non-perpendicular to the operation plane.

[0017] Moreover, in the present invention, in the above-described door latch device, the inertial lever portion is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever main body, and is disposed so as to be movable along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position. Between the lever main body and the inertial lever portion, there is provided a shift mechanism for shifting the inertial lever portion to a predetermined second non-operating position along the shift axis when the inertial lever portion rotates to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body, and a restriction mechanism for preventing the inertial lever portion from moving to the operating position when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position. The shift mechanism includes a shift biasing member that is in a power storage state when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the operating position with respect to the lever main body, and that shifts the inertial lever portion to the second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion moves to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body. The lever main body is provided with the support shaft portion, and the inertial lever portion is provided with the insertion portion. The lever main body is provided with a seating surface at a position that is one end portion of the support shaft portion, where the end portion of the shift biasing member abuts, and an engaging claw that is provided at a position facing the seating surface and that enables the shift biasing member to be mounted between the engaging claw and the seating surface. The inertial lever portion is provided with a biasing force receiving surface for disposing the shift biasing member in a power storage state between the inertial lever portion and the seating surface when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the operating position with respect to the lever main body.

[0018] Moreover, in the present invention, in the above-described door latch device, the seating surface is configured such that the contact area with the shift biasing member is larger than that of the engaging claw.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, since the protruding portion for returning the inertial lever portion to the operating position is provided on the pole lever, it is not necessary to replace the housing, and it is possible to facilitate the replacement work for the existing door latch device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the door latch device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, for convenience, the respective directions are specified in a state of being mounted on a vehicle.

[0022] Figures 1 to 4 show a door latch device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Although not shown in the figures, the door latch device exemplified here is mounted on a side door of a front hinge disposed on the right side of a four-wheel vehicle, and is provided on the vehicle according to an opening operation of a door handle and a locking / unlocking operation by a remote control key or a lock knob. By changing the engagement state with a striker (not shown), the opening and closing control of the side door is performed. In this door latch device, a latch unit 10 is provided inside a case 1.

[0023] The latch unit 10 includes a latch 12 rotatably disposed via a latch shaft 11 and a pole 14 rotatably disposed via a pole shaft 13. The latch shaft 11 and the pole shaft 13 each extend substantially horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the latch shaft 11 is provided at a portion above the vehicle with respect to the striker entry groove 2 provided in the case 1, and the pole shaft 13 is provided at a portion inside the vehicle with respect to the latch shaft 11 at a portion below the vehicle with respect to the striker entry groove 2. With respect to the striker entry groove 2, when the side door is closed with respect to the vehicle, the striker enters relatively from the left side in FIG. 1, which is the inner side of the vehicle.

[0024] The latch 12 has a striker contact portion 12a and a hook portion 12b, and is biased in the release direction (clockwise in FIG. 2) by the spring force of a latch spring (not shown) and is disposed at the engagement standby position. The engagement standby position is a state in which the hook portion 12b retracts upward with respect to the striker entry groove 2, while the striker contact portion 12a is disposed on the inner side (right side in FIG. 2) of the striker entry groove 2. When the side door is closed and the striker enters the striker entry groove 2, the striker contacts the striker contact portion 12a, so that the latch 12 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 against the spring force of the latch spring, and the hook portion 12b is disposed in a state of crossing the opening side portion of the striker entry groove 2.

[0025] The pole 14 is configured to prevent the latch 12 from rotating in the release direction by engaging with the hook portion 12b of the latch 12 when the hook portion 12b of the latch 12 is disposed in a state crossing the striker entry groove 2. This pole 14 is biased in the direction of engaging with the latch 12 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) by the spring force of a pole spring (not shown). When the striker enters the striker entry groove 2 and the hook portion 12b of the latch 12 is disposed to cross the striker entry groove 2, the pole 14 engages with the hook portion 12b by the spring force of the pole spring, and this state is maintained.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, a pole lever 14a is integrally provided on the pole 14. The pole lever 14a extends from a portion of the pole shaft 13 located on the front side of the vehicle with respect to the pole 14 toward the inner side of the vehicle and then bends toward the front side of the vehicle. When the pole lever 14a is moved upward against the spring force of the pole spring, the pole 14 rotates clockwise in FIG. 2, so that the engagement state between the pole 14 and the latch 12 can be released.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 8, an open link 20 is disposed at a portion below the pole lever 14a inside the case 1. The open link 20 is disposed so as to be movable up and down by the operations of the outside handle lever 30 and the inside handle lever 40, and is rotatable about an axis along the left - right (inside - outside direction) of the vehicle by the operation of the lock unit 50, and is provided in the case 1 so as to be arranged at an unlock position and a lock position described later.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the outside handle lever 30 is rotatably disposed by an outside lever shaft 31 along the front and rear of the vehicle. The outside lever shaft 31 is provided at a portion outside the vehicle with respect to the pole shaft 13. Although not shown in the figure, an outside door handle (door handle) of the side door is linked to an end portion of the outside handle lever 30 located on the outside of the vehicle via an outside cable 32. An open lever 33 is disposed at an end portion 30a of the outside handle lever 30 located on the inside of the vehicle so as to be linkable. The open lever 33 is rotatably disposed by an open lever shaft 34 along the front and rear of the vehicle. The open lever shaft 34 is provided at a portion inside and below the outside lever shaft 31 of the vehicle. An engaging end portion 33a located on the inside of the vehicle of the open lever 33 is engaged with a rotation center portion (an engaging hole 21e described later) of the open link 20.

[0029] When the outside door handle is operated to open, the outside handle lever 30 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 via the outside cable 32, and accordingly, the open lever 33 rotates clockwise in FIG. 2. When the open lever 33 rotates clockwise, the open link 20 moves upward via the engaging end portion 33a. When the opening operation of the outside door handle is stopped from this state, the open lever 33 rotates counterclockwise by the spring force of the return spring 35, and the open link 20 and the outside handle lever 30 each return to their original states.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the inside handle lever 40 is rotatably disposed at a portion below the open link 20 by an inside lever shaft 41 along the left and right (inside and outside direction) of the vehicle, and a front end portion 40a located on the front side thereof faces the lower end surface of the open link 20. Although not shown in the figure, an inside door handle (door handle) of the side door is linked to an end portion of the inside handle lever 40 below the inside lever shaft 41 via an inside cable 42.

[0031] When the inside door handle is operated to open, the inside handle lever 40 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3 via the inside cable 42, and the open link 20 moves upward via the front end portion 40a of the inside handle lever 40. At this time, as the open link 20 moves upward, the open lever 33 rotates clockwise in FIG. 2. When the opening operation of the inside door handle is stopped, the open lever 33 rotates counterclockwise by the spring force of the return spring 35, and the open link 20 and the inside handle lever 40 return to their original states respectively.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the lock unit 50 includes a lock lever 52 that rotates around the axis of a lock shaft 51 along the left - right (inside - outside direction) of the vehicle, and engages with the open link 20 via an engagement piece 52a of the lock lever 52. This lock unit 50 includes an actuator unit 53 and a lock cable 54 that are linked to the lock lever 52. The actuator unit 53 operates according to the locking operation and unlocking operation of a remote control key owned by the vehicle user to rotate the lock lever 52. The lock cable 54 transmits the locking operation and unlocking operation of a lock knob (not shown) provided on the side door to the lock lever 52 to rotate it.

[0033] In this lock unit 50, when the remote control key or the lock knob is operated to unlock, the lock lever 52 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3 via the actuator unit 53 or the lock cable 54. On the other hand, when the remote control key or the lock knob is operated to lock, the lock unit 50 is in a state where the lock lever 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3 via the actuator unit 53 or the lock cable 54.

[0034] As the open link 20 described above, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 15, a configuration including a lever main body 21, an inertial lever portion 22, and a torsion coil spring (release biasing member, shift biasing member) 23 is applied. In the drawings showing the open link 20, for the sake of convenience, dots in different modes are applied to the lever main body 21 and the inertial lever portion 22 respectively to clarify their shapes.

[0035] The lever body 21 has a main body base portion 21a and a support shaft portion 21b at its lower end, and also has a contact projection portion (rotation block portion, shift block portion) 21c and an engagement projection portion 21d that project upward from the main body base portion 21a. The main body base portion 21a is provided with an engagement hole 21e into which the engagement end portion 33a located on the inner side of the vehicle in the above-described open lever 33 is inserted and engaged. The engagement hole 21e is an irregularly shaped hole that penetrates the main body base portion 21a along the left-right direction (inside-outside direction) of the vehicle, and is engaged with the engagement end portion 33a in a state where it can rotate relative to the engagement end portion 33a and relative movement in the vertical direction is impossible. The support shaft portion 21b is cylindrical and projects rearward from a portion of the main body base portion 21a located on the rear side of the vehicle. Two protruding engagement portions 21f (engagement mechanisms) are provided at the protruding end portion of the support shaft portion 21b. The two protruding engagement portions 21f project radially from positions that are mutually offset by 180° in the circumferential direction of the support shaft portion 21b. In the present embodiment, when the contact projection portion 21c and the engagement projection portion 21d extend upward from the main body base portion 21a, one protruding engagement portion 21f extends outward upward from the support shaft portion 21b, and the other protruding engagement portion 21f extends inward downward from the support shaft portion 21b. A seating surface 21g facing the rear side of the vehicle is provided at a portion around the support shaft portion 21b in the main body base portion 21a, and an engagement claw 21h is provided at a portion below the seating surface 21g. The seating surface 21g is a flat surface provided so as to be substantially orthogonal to the axis (shift axis) SC of the support shaft portion 21b. The engagement claw 21h is for temporarily holding the torsion coil spring 23 between it and the seating surface 21g. In the present embodiment, the engagement claw 21h is provided so as to extend rearward along the support shaft portion 21b from the seating surface 21g and then bend upward. As is clear from the figure, the seating surface 21g protrudes on both sides of the engagement claw 21h so that the contact area with the torsion coil spring 23 is larger than that of the engagement claw 21h, and is provided in a range exceeding approximately 180°. In the illustrated example, when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle, the seating surface 21g is continuously provided in a range corresponding to the position from 3 o'clock to 12 o'clock of a clock around the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b.

[0036] The contact projection 21c projects upward from a portion above the engagement hole 21e in the main body base portion 21a. A regulation projection (shift block portion) 21j is provided on the contact projection 21c. The regulation projection 21j is provided so as to project outward from the upper end portion of the contact projection 21c toward the outside of the vehicle. The engagement projection 21d projects upward from a portion located on the front side of the vehicle in the main body base portion 21a, and has a lock engagement portion 21k at its upper end portion. The lock engagement portion 21k is a protruding portion that projects outward. This lock engagement portion 21k is always maintained in a state of being engaged with the engagement piece 52a of the lock lever 52 described above by the spring force of the lock engagement spring 52b (see FIG. 3).

[0037] When the outside door handle or the inside door handle is opened, the above lever main body 21 moves upward along a virtual operation plane P including the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b and along the vertical direction as the engagement end portion 33a of the open lever 33 moves upward (see FIG. 7). When the lock lever 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3 in accordance with the locking operation of the remote control key or the lock knob, the lever main body 21 rotates about the engagement hole 21e via the engagement piece 52a and the lock engagement portion 21k, and is arranged in a tilted lock position as shown in FIG. 6 (locked state). On the other hand, when the lock lever 52 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3 in accordance with the unlocking operation of the remote control key or the lock knob, the lever main body 21 rotates in the opposite direction about the engagement hole 21e by the spring force of the lock engagement spring 52b, and is arranged in a substantially upright unlocked position as shown in FIG. 5 (unlocked state). The lock position and the unlocked position of the lever main body 21 respectively correspond to the locked state and the unlocked state of the open link 20. That is, when the lever main body 21 is arranged in the lock position, the open link 20 is in the locked state, and when the lever main body 21 is arranged in the unlocked position, the open link 20 is in the unlocked state.

[0038] The inertial lever part 22 has an insertion part 22b at a lower rear part of the lever base part 22a, and has an inertial mass part 22c and a convex part (rotation block part, shift block part) 22d at an inner side part of the lever base part 22a. The lever base part 22a is formed in a thick plate shape extending vertically along the front-rear direction. The insertion part 22b protrudes from the lever base part 22a along a direction substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The insertion part 22b is provided with an insertion hole 22e, two insertion notches (engagement mechanisms) 22f, and a spring receiving surface (biasing force receiving surface) 22g. The insertion hole 22e is a circular through hole formed to have a size capable of rotatably inserting the support shaft part 21b of the lever main body 21. The two insertion notches 22f are notches formed along the radial direction from the insertion hole 22e, and are provided at positions shifted from each other by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction. These insertion notches 22f can allow the two protruding engagement parts 21f to be inserted when the support shaft part 21b is inserted into the insertion hole 22e. In the present embodiment, when the lever base part 22a is arranged along the vertical direction, one insertion notch 22f extends inward upward from the insertion hole 22e, and the other insertion notch 22f extends outward downward from the insertion hole 22e. The spring receiving surface 22g is provided at a lower part of the surface facing the seating surface 21g, and is inclined gradually rearward downward.

[0039] The inertial mass portion 22c is for configuring the upper end portion of the inertial lever portion 22 to have a larger mass than the lower end portion, and protrudes inward and outward from the upper end portion of the lever base portion 22a, respectively. At the upper end of the portion on the inner side of the lever base portion 22a in the inertial mass portion 22c, a substantially flat pressing contact surface 22h is formed. The convex portion 22d protrudes inward from the portion on the front side of the vehicle relative to the inertial mass portion 22c. The convex portion 22d is provided with an inclined protrusion 22j and an inclined surface 22k on the inner side portion. The inclined protrusion 22j is a protruding portion that is inclined so as to gradually move inward upward. The inclined surface 22k is provided on the portion on the front side and the upper side relative to the inclined protrusion 22j, and is inclined so as to gradually move inward upward. The inclination angle of the inclined surface 22k is formed to be steeper than the inclination angle of the inclined protrusion 22j. As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed on the lever body 21 by inserting the support shaft portion 21b into the insertion hole 22e and arranging the insertion portion 22b to face the seating surface 21g. The inertial lever portion 22 disposed on the lever body 21 is rotatable around the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b with respect to the lever body 21 and movable along the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b, and further, it is possible to arrange the upper end portion to be inclined rearward with the lower end portion as the center.

[0040] That is, as shown in Fig. 13, when the inertial lever portion 22 is in a state where the axis of the insertion hole 22e is substantially parallel to the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b and the inertial mass portion 22c is arranged substantially along the vertically upward direction with respect to the lever main body 21, it becomes the operating position. At this operating position, the inertial mass portion 22c is in a state of being close to and facing the portion of the contact protrusion 21c located on the outer side of the vehicle. At this time, the convex portion 22d of the inertial lever portion 22 is arranged between the contact protrusion 21c and the engagement protrusion 21d on the front side of the regulation protrusion 21j of the lever main body 21, and the contact protrusion 21c and the convex portion 22d face each other in the direction of the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b. Further, the insertion notch portion 22f formed in the inertial lever portion 22 is in a state of being inclined with respect to the above-described virtual operating plane P. Therefore, compared with the case where the insertion notch portion 22f is provided along the left-right direction, the dimension along the left-right (inner-outer) direction of the insertion portion 22b can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of the accommodation space.

[0041] On the other hand, when the inertial lever portion 22 rotates clockwise as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the lever main body 21, as shown in Fig. 14, the inclined protrusion 22j of the convex portion 22d deviates from between the contact protrusion 21c and the engagement protrusion 21d of the lever main body 21 and can move to a position beyond the regulation protrusion 21j (the first non-operating position). When the inclined protrusion 22j of the convex portion 22d rotates to a position beyond the regulation protrusion 21j, the inertial lever portion 22 can move rearward along the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b with respect to the lever main body 21. That is, as shown in Fig. 15, when the inertial lever portion 22 moves rearward along the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b, the inertial mass portion 22c at the upper end portion is in a state of being inclined rearward (the second non-operating position). At this time, the contact protrusion 21c and the convex portion 22d are arranged so as to face each other in the circumferential direction around the support shaft portion 21b.

[0042] The torsion coil spring 23 is interposed between a seating surface 21g provided on a main body base portion 21a of the lever main body 21 in a state of being wound around a support shaft portion 21b and an insertion portion 22b of the inertial lever portion 22. One end thereof is linked to the lever main body 21, and the other end is linked to the inertial lever portion 22. When viewed from the rear side, the torsion coil spring 23 rotationally biases the inertial lever portion 22 counterclockwise around the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b with respect to the lever main body 21, and biases the insertion portion 22b of the inertial lever portion 22 rearward along the axis SC direction of the support shaft portion 21b with respect to the lever main body 21.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, in order to attach the inertial lever portion 22 to the lever main body 21, first, the torsion coil spring 23 is temporarily held in a state of being held on the support shaft portion 21b. That is, the torsion coil spring 23 is disposed between the seating surface 21g and the engaging claw 21h of the lever main body 21. From this state, after passing the insertion portion 22b of the inertial lever portion 22 through the support shaft portion 21b through the insertion hole 22e, if the inertial lever portion 22 is rotated about the axis SC of the support shaft portion 21b, the torsion coil spring 23 can be attached between the seating surface 21g of the lever main body 21 and the spring receiving surface 22g of the inertial lever portion 22. At this time, the seating surface 21g is provided on the lever main body 21 in a range exceeding 180°. Therefore, the torsion coil spring 23 can be temporarily held in a stable posture. Thereafter, if one end of the torsion coil spring 23 is linked to the lever main body 21 and the other end is linked to the inertial lever portion 22, when viewed from the rear side, the inertial lever portion 22 is biased counterclockwise with respect to the lever main body 21. Therefore, if the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed on the most front side with respect to the lever main body 21 against the spring force along the axis of the torsion coil spring 23, the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the operating position by the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23. At this time, the torsion coil spring 23 is in a state of being bent, that is, a state of storing power, between the seating surface 21g of the lever main body 21 and the insertion portion 22b of the inertial lever portion 22.

[0044] As described above, when the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the operating position, the inclined protrusion 22j of the convex portion 22d is disposed between the contact protrusion 21c and the engagement protrusion 21d on the front side of the regulating protrusion 21j of the lever body 21, and the contact protrusion 21c and the convex portion 22d face each other in the axial direction SC of the support shaft portion 21b. Therefore, the inertial lever portion 22 is maintained at the operating position against the spring force along the axis of the torsion coil spring 23. The insertion notch portion 22f formed in the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed in a posture inclined with respect to the above-described virtual operating plane P. Therefore, the dimension along the left-right (inside-outside) direction of the insertion portion 22b can be made smaller than the case where the insertion notch portion 22f is orthogonal to the operating plane P, which is advantageous in terms of the accommodation space.

[0045] The open link 20 configured as described above is attached to the latch unit 10 in a state where the support shaft portion 21b of the lever body 21 extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the operating position, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8. The latch unit 10 with the open link 20 attached thereto is mounted on the vehicle in a state of being disposed in the case 1.

[0046] During normal use, the inertial lever portion 22 is maintained at the operating position by the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, when the lever body 21 is disposed at the unlock position, that is, when the open link 20 is in the unlocked state, the pressing contact surface 22h of the inertial lever portion 22 faces the lower surface of the pole lever 14a. Accordingly, when the lever body 21 moves upward by an opening operation of the outside door handle or an opening operation of the inside door handle, the pole lever 14a moves upward when the pressing contact surface 22h comes into contact, and the engagement state of the pole 14 with respect to the latch 12 is released, making it possible to open the side door.

[0047] On the other hand, when the remote control key or the lock knob is locked from the above operation position, the lock lever 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, so that the lever body 21 and the inertia lever portion 22 are integrated and tilted forward, and the open link 20 is in a locked state. In this locked state, as shown in FIG. 6, since the pressing contact surface 22h of the inertia lever portion 22 is arranged in front of the pole lever 14a, even if the lever body 21 moves upward by an opening operation of the outside door handle or an opening operation of the inside door handle, the inertia lever portion 22 does not contact the pole lever 14a, and the engagement state of the pole 14 with respect to the latch 12 is maintained. As a result, when the door latch device is in the locked state, even when the outside door handle or the inside door handle is operated, the side door cannot be opened with respect to the vehicle and remains closed.

[0048] When an impact force mainly in the left-right (inside-outside) direction is applied to a vehicle equipped with the above-described door latch device due to a side collision or the like, the inertia lever portion 22 with the upper end portion becoming the inertia mass portion 22c rotates with respect to the lever body 21 against the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23 and reaches the first non-operating position. When the inertia lever portion 22 reaches the first non-operating position, the inertia lever portion 22 moves to the second non-operating position with respect to the lever body 21 by the spring force along the axis of the torsion coil spring 23. As a result, the abutting protrusion 21c and the convex portion 22d overlap each other in the circumferential direction, and the inertia lever portion 22 does not return to the operating position via the first non-operating position due to the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23. Therefore, from this state, as shown in FIG. 15, even if the open link 20 is in the unlocked state and the lever body 21 moves upward by an opening operation of the outside door handle or an opening operation of the inside door handle, the pressing contact surface 22h does not contact the pole lever 14a, and the engagement state of the pole 14 with respect to the latch 12 is maintained. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the side door is inadvertently opened immediately after an impact force is applied to the vehicle.

[0049] Moreover, in the above state, due to the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23, the inertial lever portion 22 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the rear side of the vehicle, and the front end surface of the inclined protrusion 22j is maintained in a state of facing the regulating protrusion 21j. Therefore, the inertial lever portion 22 does not move forward with respect to the lever main body 21. That is, after the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the second non-operating position with respect to the lever main body 21, even if the outside door handle or the inside door handle moves in the same direction as the opening operation due to the influence of an impact force or the like applied to the vehicle thereafter, the inertial lever portion 22 does not move to the first non-operating position and does not return to the operating position. As a result, it becomes possible to more reliably prevent the side door from being inadvertently opened.

[0050] Here, as described above, even after the inertial lever portion 22 is once disposed at the second non-operating position, an emergency situation may occur in which it is necessary to open the side door. Therefore, the above door latch device is provided with a mechanism for returning the inertial lever portion 22 disposed at the second non-operating position to the operating position. That is, in the above door latch device, a protrusion 14b is integrally provided on the pole lever 14a constituting the latch unit 10. The protrusion 14b is provided at a portion above the inertial lever portion 22 disposed at the second non-operating position in the pole lever 14a, and is configured to be able to return the inertial lever portion 22 to the operating position when the opening operation of the outside door handle or the opening operation of the inside door handle is performed with a larger stroke amount than usual in a state where the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the second non-operating position.

[0051] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 16, the protruding portion 14b protrudes outward from a portion located outside the pole lever 14a, and its lower portion is inclined so as to gradually rise upward toward the outside, and is also inclined so as to gradually rise upward toward the front of the vehicle. In this door latch device, when the outside door handle or the inside door handle performs an opening operation with a larger stroke amount than usual in a state where the inertial lever portion 22 is disposed at the second non-operating position, the open link 20 moves upward, and thus the inertial mass portion 22c of the inertial lever portion 22 abuts against the protruding portion 14b. When the open link 20 further moves upward in this state, due to the inclination action of the protruding portion 14b, the inertial lever portion 22 rotates outward of the vehicle with respect to the lever main body 21 against the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23, and the contact state between the regulating protrusion 21j and the front end surface of the inclined protrusion 22j is released when it is disposed at the first non-operating position. As described above, the convex portion 22d is provided with an inclined surface 22k. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 17, according to this door latch device, when the open link 20 moves upward, the inertial lever portion 22 smoothly moves to the first non-operating position along the inclined surface 22k, and there is no possibility of causing a situation where an excessive external force is applied to the inertial lever portion 22 or the lever main body 21.

[0052] When the contact state between the regulating protrusion 21j and the front end surface of the inclined protrusion 22j is released, the inertial lever portion 22 moves toward the front side of the vehicle against the spring force along the axis of the torsion coil spring 23 due to the inclination action of the protruding portion 14b. After that, when the convex portion 22d moves to the front side of the regulating protrusion 21j, the inertial lever portion 22 returns to the operating position by the spring force in the rotational direction of the torsion coil spring 23. Thereby, it becomes possible to urgently open the side door by performing the above-described operation while preventing a situation where the side door is inadvertently opened immediately after an impact force is applied to the vehicle. Moreover, if the open link 20 is positioned with respect to the latch unit 10, the inertial lever portion 22 can be surely brought into contact with the protruding portion 14b, so that the inertial lever portion 22 disposed at the second non-operating position can be more surely returned to the operating position.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, a door latch device mounted on the side door of a four-wheel vehicle is exemplified. However, it may of course be mounted on other types of vehicles. In this case, the door does not necessarily have to be provided on the side of the vehicle, and the hinge axis does not necessarily have to be along the vertical direction.

[0054] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example is given in which the inertial lever portion 22 moves to the second non-operating position after rotating to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever body 21. However, in the present invention, it is sufficient that the inertial lever portion 22 is arranged at the first non-operating position, and it does not necessarily have to move to the second non-operating position.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the support shaft portion 21b is provided on the lever body 21 and the insertion portion 22b is provided on the inertial lever portion 22. However, it is also possible to provide the support shaft portion 21b on the inertial lever portion 22 and the insertion portion 22b on the lever body 21.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 10 Latch unit 12 Latch 14 Pole 14a Pole lever 14b Protrusion 20 Open link 21 Lever body 21b Support shaft portion 21c Contact protrusion (rotation block portion, shift block portion) 21f Protruding engagement portion 21g Seating surface 21h Engagement claw 21j Regulation protrusion 22 Inertial lever portion 22b Insertion portion 22d Convex portion (rotation block portion, shift block portion) 22e Insertion hole 22f Insertion notch 22g Spring receiving surface 22j Inclined protrusion 22k Inclined Plane 23 Coil Spring SC Axis (Shift Axis) P Operating Plane

Claims

1. An open link that changes between an unlocked state and a locked state and operates when the door handle is operated to open, and a pole lever that releases the engagement state of the pole with respect to the latch when an operating force is applied via the open link. The open link is a door latch device that can transmit its operating force to the pole lever when the door handle is operated to open in the unlocked state, The open link includes a lever body that is displaced to an unlock position corresponding to the unlocked state and a lock position corresponding to the locked state and moves with the opening operation of the door handle, an inertial lever portion that is movable to an operating position and a non-operating position with respect to the lever body, and a release biasing member that biases the inertial lever portion to be maintained at the operating position with respect to the lever body. The inertial lever portion can transmit its operating force to the pole lever only when the lever body is disposed at the unlock position and the door handle is operated to open while being disposed at the operating position, The pole lever is provided with a protrusion that contacts the inertial lever portion and returns it to the operating position when the door handle is operated to open with a preset return stroke amount while the inertial lever portion is disposed at the non-operating position. A door latch device characterized by this.

2. The inertial lever portion is rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever body and is disposed so as to be movable along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position, Between the lever body and the inertial lever portion, there are provided a shift mechanism that shifts the inertial lever portion along the shift axis to a predetermined second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion rotates to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever body, and a restriction mechanism that prevents the inertial lever portion from moving to the operating position when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position. The door latch device according to Claim 1, characterized by this.

3. The restriction mechanism is provided on the lever body and the inertial lever portion, and has rotation block portions that face each other in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position. The door latch device according to Claim 2, characterized by this.

4. The limiting mechanism is provided on the lever main body and the inertial lever portion, and has shift block portions that face each other along the shift axis when the inertial lever portion is disposed at the second non-operating position. The door latch device according to claim 2, characterized in that.

5. When the inertial lever portion is disposed at the operating position with respect to the lever main body, the shift mechanism is in a power storage state, and when the inertial lever portion moves to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body, the inertial lever portion is shifted to the second non-operating position. The door latch device according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a biasing member for shifting.

6. The biasing member for release is a torsion coil spring configured around the rotation axis, and also functions as the biasing member for shifting. The door latch device according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. When the door handle is opened with a return stroke amount in a state where the protruding portion is disposed at the second non-operating position of the inertial lever portion, the protruding portion abuts on the inertial lever portion, thereby resisting the biasing force of the biasing member for shifting. The door latch device according to claim 6, characterized in that the inertial lever portion is slid and returned to the operating position via the first non-operating position.

8. The shift block portion is provided with an inclined surface that moves the inertial lever portion to the first non-operating position by sliding against each other as the inertial lever portion abuts on the protruding portion. The door latch device according to claim 4, characterized in that.

9. A support shaft portion is provided on either the lever main body or the inertial lever portion, and an insertion portion having an insertion hole is provided on the other of the lever main body and the inertial lever portion. By externally mounting the insertion portion around the support shaft portion through the insertion hole, the lever main body and the inertial lever portion are relatively rotatably arranged. Between the support shaft portion and the insertion portion, when the inertial lever portion is at a predetermined attachment / detachment position with respect to the lever main body, detachment / attachment of the support shaft portion with respect to the insertion hole is allowed, while when disposed at the operating position and the non-operating position, a locking mechanism that prevents detachment / attachment of the support shaft portion with respect to the insertion hole is provided. The door latch device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. The inertial lever part is rotatably arranged about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever main body, and is movably arranged along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position. When the door handle is operated to open, the open link moves along a virtual operating plane including the axis of the support shaft part, so that its operating force can be transmitted to the pole lever. The engagement mechanism has a protruding engagement part provided on the support shaft part and an insertion notch provided on the insertion part. The protruding engagement part is provided along a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the insertion notch has a size that allows the protruding engagement part to be inserted therethrough. The door latch device according to claim 9, characterized in that when the inertial lever part is arranged at the operating position with respect to the lever main body, the insertion notch extends in a direction non-perpendicular to the operating plane.

11. The inertial lever part is rotatably arranged about a predetermined rotation axis with respect to the lever main body, and is movably arranged along a predetermined shift axis when rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position. Between the lever main body and the inertial lever part, there are provided a shift mechanism for shifting the inertial lever part to a predetermined second non-operating position along the shift axis when the inertial lever part rotates to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body, and a limiting mechanism for preventing the inertial lever part from moving to the operating position when the inertial lever part is arranged at the second non-operating position. The shift mechanism has a shift biasing member that is in a power storage state when the inertial lever part is arranged at the operating position with respect to the lever main body, and shifts the inertial lever part to the second non-operating position when the inertial lever part moves to the first non-operating position with respect to the lever main body. The support shaft part is provided on the lever main body, and the insertion part is provided on the inertial lever part. On the lever main body, there are provided a seating surface where the end of the shift biasing member abuts at a position that is one end of the support shaft part, and an engagement claw provided at a position facing the seating surface and allowing the shift biasing member to be mounted between the seating surface and the engagement claw. The door latch device according to claim 9, wherein the inertial lever portion is provided with a biasing force receiving surface that, when disposed at the operating position with respect to the lever body, disposes the shift biasing member in a stored energy state between the seating surface.

12. The door latch device according to claim 11, wherein the seating surface is configured such that the contact area with the shift biasing member is larger than that of the engaging claw.

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