Door lock device

Abstract

To suppress large movement of a cable for switching a latch mechanism from a latched state to an unlatched state when a door handle is operated, while suppressing an increase in cost.SOLUTION: A door lock device of the present disclosure includes a latch mechanism that is selectively switched between a latched state in which a latch rotatably supported by a housing holds a door closed, and an unlatched state in which the latch allows the door to be opened, a cable having one end engaged with the door handle and the other end engaged with the housing, an outer tube member through which the cable is inserted and whose base end is engaged with the door handle, a holding member that holds the free end of the outer tube member, and an open lever that is rotatably supported by the housing via a rotating shaft and that rotatably supports the holding member around an axis extending parallel to the rotating shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a door lock device that holds a vehicle door in a closed state and allows the door to be opened in response to an opening operation of a door handle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle door lock device that is disposed on the interior side of a panel member that forms the exterior surface of a vehicle door is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This door lock device includes a latch mechanism that can be switched between a latched state in which the latch holds the door closed and an unlatched state in which the latch allows the door to be opened, and an open lever having one end connected to a cable that transmits the movement of the door handle. When a user operates the door handle to move from its initial position to a door open position and pull the cable, the open lever moves from its initial position to an actuated position, thereby switching the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state. Furthermore, when the door handle is not operated, the open lever is held in its initial position by an open lever return spring, thereby holding the latch mechanism in the latched state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-117104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional door lock device described above, when the latch mechanism is switched from the latched state to the unlatched state, the cable pulled in response to the operation of the door handle may move significantly (violate) and hit other components, etc. To prevent such cable movement (violate), it is conceivable to provide a cable guide, etc., but this would increase the number of parts, resulting in increased costs.

[0005] Therefore, the main object of the present disclosure is to provide a door lock device that can prevent large movement (fluttering) of the cable used to switch the latch mechanism from a latched state to an unlatched state when the door handle is operated, while minimizing cost increases. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The door lock device of the present disclosure is a door lock device that holds a vehicle door in a closed state and allows the door to be opened in response to a door handle being opened, and includes: a housing; a latch mechanism that includes a latch rotatably supported by the housing and selectively forms a latched state in which the latch holds the door in a closed state and an unlatched state in which the latch allows the door to be opened; a cable having one end engaged with the door handle and the other end engaged with the housing; an outer tube member through which the cable is inserted and whose base end is engaged with the door handle; a retaining member that holds the free end of the outer tube member; and an open lever that is rotatably supported by the housing via a rotating shaft and supports the retaining member rotatably around an axis extending parallel to the rotating shaft, and that, when the cable is pulled by the door handle being opened, rotates in a predetermined direction around the rotating shaft in response to movement of the outer tube member to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state.

[0007] In the door lock device disclosed herein, when the cable is pulled by opening the door handle, the outer tubular member moves from the door handle side toward the housing side. The open lever then rotates in a predetermined direction around a rotation axis in response to the movement of the outer tubular member, switching the latch mechanism from a latched state to an unlatched state. At this time, the holding member that holds the outer tubular member rotates relative to the open lever around an axis extending parallel to the rotation axis. This allows the outer tubular member to rotate relative to the open lever, allowing the cable pulled by the door handle to move toward the door handle while effortlessly restricting large movement (fluttering) of the cable. As a result, there is no need for a cable guide, etc., which reduces costs and makes it possible to suppress large movement of the cable used to switch the latch mechanism from a latched state to an unlatched state when the door handle is operated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a vehicle door to which a door lock device of the present disclosure is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a door lock device of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of a door lock device of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing an open lever and a holding member of the door lock device of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view showing an open lever and a holding member of the door lock device of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing an open lever and a holding member of the door lock device of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a door lock device according to the present disclosure; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a door lock device according to the present disclosure; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a door lock device according to the present disclosure; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle door 1 to which a door lock device 10 according to the present disclosure is applied. The door 1 is a front door for the driver's seat or passenger seat of the vehicle, and includes a door main body 2 forming the lower half of the door 1 and a door sash 3 forming the upper half of the door 1 and guiding the window glass. In addition to an outer panel 4, the door main body 2 also includes an inner panel (not shown) fixed to the inside (compartment side) of the outer panel 4, and a resin trim (not shown) fixed to the passenger side surface of the inner panel. The door 1 is a swing door that can rotate from a fully closed position to a half-open position (half-open position) and then to a fully open position, with the front end portion rotatably supported by the vehicle body (not shown) as a fulcrum. The half-open position is a position slightly moved toward the open position from the fully closed position.

[0011] The door 1 also includes an outside door handle 5 attached to the outer panel 4 so as to be tuggable or rotatable, and an inside door handle 6 attached to the trim so as to be tuggable or rotatable. The outside door handle 5 and the inside door handle 6 are biased to their initial positions by a spring or the like (not shown). A vehicle user can open the door 1 by manually operating the outside door handle 5 or the inside door handle 6 to move them from their initial positions to a door open position. The door 1 may be a rear seat door of the vehicle, a panel door (press door), or a sashless door.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the door lock device 10 is disposed in the interior space of the door 1 defined by an outer panel 4 and an inner panel (not shown). More specifically, the door lock device 10 is fixed to, for example, the inner panel so as to be located below the outside door handle 5 within the interior space. The door lock device 10 is connected to the outside door handle 5 via a flexible cable (inner cable) 7 and an outer tubular member (outer casing) 8. The cable 7 is inserted through the outer tubular member 8, and the cable 7 and the outer casing transmit the movement of the outside door handle 5 from its initial position to the door open position to the door lock device 10.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the door lock device 10 includes a latch housing 11, an actuator housing 12 connected perpendicularly to the latch housing 11, and a latch mechanism 14 housed within the latch housing 11. The latch mechanism 14 is capable of selectively establishing a fully latched state in which the door 1 is held in a fully closed position, a half-latched state in which the door 1 is held in a half-closed position slightly moved toward the open side from the fully closed position, and an unlatched state in which the door 1 can be opened. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the latch mechanism 14 includes a latch 15, a pawl 16, a pawl lift lever 17, an open lever 18, and an open link 19.

[0014] The latch 15 of the latch mechanism 14 is rotatable around a rotation shaft 15a extending from a base member (not shown) that forms the latch housing 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the latch 15 includes a notch 150 that can engage with a striker 9 fixed to the vehicle body, and first and second claws 151, 152 that define the notch 150. The first claw 151 of the latch 15 is formed with a full latch engagement portion (full latch engagement surface) 153, and the second claw 152 of the latch 15 is formed with a half latch engagement portion (half latch engagement surface) 154 and an open engagement portion (open engagement surface) 156. The full latch engagement portion 153, the half latch engagement portion 154, and the open engagement portion 156 are formed on the latch 15 so as to be aligned in this order in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3. The latch 15 is biased by a latch spring (not shown) around the rotation shaft 15a relative to the latch housing 11 in a direction that releases the striker 9 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3).

[0015] The latch 15 can be selectively moved to a full latched position (see FIG. 3), a half latched position, and an unlatched position by rotating about the rotation shaft 15a. At the full latched position, the striker 9 on the vehicle body is held by the notch 150 of the latch 15, thereby holding the door 1 in a fully closed position. The half latched position is a position rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 by a predetermined angle from the full latched position. At the half latched position, the striker 9 on the vehicle body is held by the notch 150 of the latch 15, holding the door 1 in a half closed position. The unlatched position is a position rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 by a further predetermined angle from the half latched position. At the unlatched position, the striker 9 is released from the notch 150 of the latch 15, allowing the door 1 to open.

[0016] Pole 16 is rotatable around rotation shaft 16a extending from the base member so as to extend parallel to rotation shaft 15a of latch 15, and includes an engagement portion 160 as shown in Fig. 3. Pole lift lever 17 is fitted to pole 16 and is rotatable integrally with pole 16 around rotation shaft 16a. By rotating integrally around rotation shaft 16a, pole 16 and pole lift lever 17 can selectively move between an engaged position shown in Fig. 3 and a retracted position (see Fig. 8).

[0017] In this embodiment, the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 are biased clockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation axis 16a relative to the latch housing 11 by a pole spring (not shown) so as to be positioned at the engaged position. When the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 are in the engaged position, the engaging portion 160 of the pole 16 is positioned inside (upper side in FIG. 3) the rotation trajectory of the full latch engaging portion 153 and the half latch engaging portion 154 of the latch 15. This allows the engaging portion 160 of the pole 16 to engage with the full latch engaging portion 153 or the half latch engaging portion 154 of the latch 15, so that the pole 16 can hold the latch 15 in the full latch position or the half latch position.

[0018] Furthermore, the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 move to the retracted position by rotating together around the rotation shaft 16a in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 3 by a predetermined angle. When the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 move to the retracted position, the engaging portion 160 of the pole 16 is positioned outside (below in Fig. 3, etc.) the rotation trajectory of the full latch engaging portion 153 and the half latch engaging portion 154 of the latch 15. This allows the latch 15, biased by the latch spring, to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 3, i.e., to move to the unlatched position, releasing the striker 9 from the notch 150 and allowing the door 1 to open.

[0019] The open lever 18 is a relatively long plate having a through hole 180 formed in the center in the longitudinal direction, and a rotation shaft 18a extending from the base member in parallel to the rotation shafts 15a and 16a is inserted into the through hole 180. As a result, the open lever 18 is rotatably supported around the rotation shaft 18a by the base member, i.e., the latch housing 11. The open lever 18 is also biased clockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a relative to the latch housing 11 by an open lever spring (not shown).

[0020] The open link 19 is connected to an engaging portion 181 formed on one end (the right end in FIG. 3 ) of the open lever 18 so as to be rotatable relative to the open lever 18. The open link 19 can move toward and away from the pole lift lever 17 in conjunction with the open lever 18 rotating about the rotation shaft 18a. Furthermore, the open link 19 can be moved between a locked position and an unlocked position shown in FIG. 3 by rotating relative to the open lever 18. In this embodiment, the open link 19 is selectively moved to either the locked position or the unlocked position by an actuator (not shown) housed in the actuator housing 12.

[0021] When the open link 19 is in the locked position and the open lever 18 rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a, the open link 19 approaches the pole lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the open lever 18 and comes into contact with the pressed portion 170 of the pole lift lever 17. As a result, by rotating the open lever 18 counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a by a predetermined angle, the pressed portion 170 of the pole lift lever 17 is pressed upward in Fig. 3, and the pole 16 and pole lift lever 17 can be rotated (moved) counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the rotation shaft 16a from the engaged position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the pole spring.

[0022] Furthermore, the open link 19 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position by rotating a predetermined angle clockwise in Fig. 3. When the open link 19 is in the unlocked position and the open lever 18 rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a, the open link 19 approaches the pawl lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the open lever 18, but does not come into contact with the pressed portion 170 of the pawl lift lever 17. Therefore, when the open link 19 is in the unlocked position, even if the open lever 18 is rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a by a predetermined angle, the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 are held in the engaged position without moving to the retracted position.

[0023] Meanwhile, the other end (the left end in FIG. 3) of the open lever 18 supports a holding member (clip) 20 rotatably around an axis 20a (see FIG. 5) extending parallel to the rotation axis 18a. The holding member 20 holds the outer tubular member 8, which transmits the movement of the outside door handle 5 to the door lock device 10 together with the cable 7. In this embodiment, the holding member 20 is made of resin or the like, and includes an annular base 21, a snap-fit ​​engaging portion 22, and a pair of protrusions 23, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6.

[0024] The snap-fit ​​engaging portion 22 of the holding member 20 extends from the rear surface (lower surface) of the base 21 along the axis 20a and is rotatably engaged with a support hole 182 formed in the other end of the open lever 18. A pair of protrusions 23 extend from the front surface (upper surface) of the base 21 so as to be spaced apart radially from the axis 20a and extend parallel to the axis 20a on the opposite side from the snap-fit ​​engaging portion 22. A fitted portion 24 into which the outer tube member 8 is fitted (fixed) is formed between the pair of protrusions 23. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of each protrusion 23 is formed in a convex curved shape, more specifically, a cylindrical shape, and functions as a guided surface 25. However, the outer peripheral surface of each protrusion 23 may be a convex curved surface other than a cylindrical surface.

[0025] 3, the outer tube member 8 includes a flexible tube 80, a hollow first cap member (casing cap) 81 fixed to the base end (upper end) of the tube 80, and a hollow second cap member (second casing cap) 82 fixed to the free end (lower end) of the tube 80. The overall length of the outer tube member 8, i.e., the overall length of the tube 80 with the first and second cap members 81, 82 attached to both ends, is set to be shorter than the overall length of the cable 7. The first and second cap members 81, 82 are both made of resin or the like.

[0026] A first cap member 81 on the base end side (upper end side) of the outer tubular member 8 is engaged (fixed) to the outside door handle 5, and an upper end (one end) of the cable 7 protruding from the first cap member 81 is engaged (fixed) to the outside door handle 5. In addition, a second cap member 82 on the free end side (lower end side) of the outer tubular member 8 is fitted into the fitted portion 24 of the holding member 20 described above, and is rotatable around the axis 20a with respect to the open lever 18. Furthermore, a lower end (other end) of the cable 7 protruding downward from the second cap member 82 is engaged (fixed) to a cable bracket 110 fixed (integrated) to the latch housing 11.

[0027] That is, the first cap member 81 on the upper end side of the outer tubular member 8 is engaged with the outside door handle 5 disposed above the door lock device 10, and the second cap member 82 on the lower end side of the outer tubular member 8 opens downward. As a result, even if rainwater or the like enters the interior space of the door 1 defined by the outer panel 4 and the inner panel, the rainwater or the like can be effectively prevented from entering the first cap member 81 and the tube 80 through the gap between the first cap member 81 and the cable 7, or from entering the second cap member 82 and the tube 80 through the gap between the second cap member 82 and the cable 7. As a result, it is possible to omit a waterproof structure or a sealing structure from the outer tubular member 8, thereby reducing the costs of the outer tubular member 8 and, ultimately, the door lock device 10.

[0028] The latch housing 11 also includes a pair of guide walls (guide portions) 111, 112 that guide the holding member 20. The pair of guide walls 111, 112 are formed on the latch housing 11 so as to face each other at a distance corresponding to the distance between the pair of guided surfaces 25 of the holding member 20, and define a track (space or groove) 115 for the holding member 20 along which the opening lever 18 moves as it rotates around the rotation shaft 18a. The guide walls 111, 112 each have an inner wall surface that contacts the guided surfaces 25 of the protrusions 23 of the holding member 20. The inner wall surface of the guide wall 111 is formed in a concave curved shape, more specifically, a concave cylindrical shape, while the inner wall surface of the guide wall 112 is formed in a convex curved shape, more specifically, a cylindrical shape. However, the inner wall surfaces of the guide walls 111, 112 may be concave or convex curved surfaces other than cylindrical surfaces.

[0029] Next, the operation of the door lock device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0030] When the vehicle door 1 is in a fully closed state, as shown in FIG. 3, the engaging portion 160 of the pawl 16 engages with the full-latch engaging portion 153 of the latch 15. The latch 15 is urged counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation shaft 15a by the latch spring, and the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 are urged clockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation shaft 16a by the pole spring so as to be positioned at the above-mentioned engaged position. As a result, the latch 15 is held in the fully latched position shown in FIG. 3, and the striker 9 is held in the notch 150. As a result, the latch mechanism 14 forms a fully latched state that holds the door 1 in a fully closed position. At this time, the open lever 18 is urged clockwise in FIG. 3 around the rotation shaft 18a by the open lever spring, and is held in the initial position shown in FIG.

[0031] On the other hand, when the vehicle user performs an opening operation on the outside door handle 5 so as to move it from the initial position to the door open position, the upper end of the cable 7 is pulled by the outside door handle 5, as shown in Fig. 7. As a result, the length of the cable 7 located in the range from the first cap member 81 of the outer tubular member 8 to the lower end of the cable 7 fixed to the cable bracket 110 (latch housing 11) is shortened, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 7. As a result, the second cap member 82 on the free end side (lower end side) of the outer tubular member 8 moves from the initial position (see the dotted line in Fig. 7) toward the lower end side of the cable 7, from the outside door handle 5 side toward the latch housing 11 side, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 7. Then, in response to the movement of the second cap member 82, the open lever 18 rotates around the rotation shaft 18a in the counterclockwise direction (predetermined direction) in Fig. 7.

[0032] When the open lever 18 rotates counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 18a in FIG. 7, the open link 19 approaches the pawl lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the open lever 18, as shown in FIG. 8. If the open link 19 is in the locked position, the open link 19 presses the pressure-receiving portion 170 of the pawl lift lever 17 upward in FIG. 8, moving (rotating) the pawl 16 and pawl lift lever 17 from the engaged position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the pawl spring. As a result, the latch 15 is biased by the latch spring to move to the unlatched position, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8. As a result, the striker 9 is released from the notch 150, and the latch mechanism 14 establishes an unlatched state that allows the door 1 to open.

[0033] Furthermore, in the door lock device 10, when the outside door handle 5 is opened, the cable 7 is pulled, causing the outer tubular member 8 to move and the open lever 18 to rotate about the rotation axis 18a, and the holding member 20 that holds the second cap member 82 of the outer tubular member 8 to rotate about the axis 20a that extends parallel to the rotation axis 18a relative to the open lever 18. This allows the outer tubular member 8 to rotate relative to the open lever 18, and allows the cable 7, which is pulled by the outside door handle 5, to move toward the outside door handle 5, while also naturally restricting large movements (fluttering) of the cable 7.

[0034] Furthermore, the retaining member 20 is guided by a pair of guide walls 111, 112 formed on the latch housing 11 so as to move along a predetermined track 115 as the open lever 18 rotates around the rotation shaft 18a in the counterclockwise direction (predetermined direction) in Figure 7 etc. This makes it possible to keep the range of movement of the outer tube member 8 in response to the rotation of the open lever 18 roughly constant, and to effectively prevent the cable 7 from moving significantly when the outside door handle 5 is operated.

[0035] After the latch 15 moves to the unlatched position in response to the movement of the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 to the retracted position, when the user returns the outside door handle 5 to its initial position, the tension on the cable 7 by the outside door handle 5 is released, and the open lever 18 is biased clockwise in the figure by the open lever spring around the rotation shaft 18a and returned to its initial position, as shown in FIG. 9 . In addition, the open link 19 moves away from the pressed portion 170 of the pawl lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the open lever 18, thereby releasing the pressure on the pawl lift lever 17. As a result, the biasing force of the pawl spring rotates the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 clockwise in FIG. 9 from the retracted position to the engaged position, and the engaging portion 160 of the pawl 16 engages with the open engaging portion 156 of the latch 15, which is in the unlatched position. As a result, the latch 15 is held in the unlatched position shown in the figure.

[0036] In the door lock device 10, an actuator (not shown) housed in the actuator housing 12 moves the open link 19 toward or away from the pressed portion 170 of the pawl lift lever 17, thereby selectively moving the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 between an engaged position and a retracted position. In the door lock device 10, regardless of the position of the open link 19, an actuator (not shown) housed in the actuator housing 12 can move (rotate) the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 from the engaged position to the retracted position, thereby switching the latch mechanism 14 to an unlatched state. Furthermore, when the inside door handle 6 of the door 1 is operated to open, the movement of the inside door handle 6 from its initial position to the door open position is transmitted to the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 via an interlocking mechanism (not shown), thereby moving the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 from the engaged position to the retracted position.

[0037] As described above, the door lock device 10 includes the latch housing 11, the latch mechanism 14, the cable 7, the outer tubular member 8, the open lever 18, and the retaining member 20. The latch mechanism 14 includes the latch 15 rotatably supported by the latch housing 11, and selectively establishes a latched state in which the latch 15 holds the door 1 closed, and an unlatched state in which the latch 15 allows the door 1 to be opened. One end of the cable 7 is engaged (fixed) to the outside door handle 5, and the other end is engaged (fixed) to the latch housing 11. The cable 7 is inserted into the outer tubular member 8, and the first cap member 81 on the base end side of the outer tubular member 8 is engaged (fixed) to the outside door handle 5. The second cap member 82 on the free end side of the outer tubular member 8 is retained by the retaining member 20. The open lever 18 is rotatably supported by the latch housing 11 via a rotation shaft 18a, and also rotatably supports the holding member 20 around a shaft 20a extending parallel to the rotation shaft 18a. When the cable 7 is pulled by opening the outside door handle 5, the open lever 18 rotates around the rotation shaft 18a in a predetermined direction in response to the movement of the outer cylindrical member 8, switching the latch mechanism 14 from a latched state to an unlatched state.

[0038] That is, in the door lock device 10, when the cable 7 is pulled by the outside door handle 5 being operated to open it, the outer tubular member 8 moves from the outside door handle 5 side toward the latch housing 11 side. Then, the open lever 18 rotates in a predetermined direction around the rotation axis 18a in response to the movement of the outer tubular member 8, switching the latch mechanism 14 from a latched state to an unlatched state. At this time, the holding member 20 that holds the outer tubular member 8 rotates relative to the open lever 18 around an axis 20a that extends parallel to the rotation axis 18a.

[0039] This allows the outer tube member 8 to rotate relative to the open lever 18, and allows the cable 7 pulled by the outside door handle 5 to move toward the outside door handle 5 while naturally restricting large movements (fluttering) of the cable 7. As a result, there is no need to provide a cable guide or the like to restrict the movement of the cable 7, so it is possible to suppress large movements of the cable 7, which switches the latch mechanism 14 from a latched state to an unlatched state when the outside door handle 5 is operated, while suppressing increases in costs.

[0040] In addition, the latch housing 11 is configured such that the holding member 20 moves in response to the rotation of the open lever 18 around the rotation shaft 18a in a predetermined direction. It includes a pair of guide walls (guide portions) 111, 112 that guide the holding member 20 so that it moves along the track 115. This makes it possible to keep the movable range of the outer tube member 8 in accordance with the rotation of the open lever 18 roughly constant, and to effectively prevent the cable 7 from moving significantly when the outside door handle 5 is operated.

[0041] Furthermore, the holding member 20 includes a guided surface 25 that is a convex curved surface, and the pair of guide walls 111, 112 of the latch housing 11 each have an inner wall surface (curved surface) that contacts the guided surface 25 of the holding member 20. This makes it possible for the pair of guide walls 111, 112 of the latch housing 11 to guide the holding member 20 so that it moves smoothly along a predetermined track 115.

[0042] Furthermore, the holding member 20 has guided surfaces 25 that contact the corresponding inner wall surfaces (curved surfaces) of the pair of guide wall portions 111, 112, and includes a pair of projections 23 that face each other at a distance. Furthermore, the outer tube member 8 includes a tube 80 and a second cap member 82 that is fixed to the free end (end) of the tube 80 and is fitted between the pair of projections 23 of the holding member 20. This allows the pair of projections 23, each having a guided surface 25, to have the function of holding the outer tube member 8, making it possible to reduce the size of the holding member 20. However, the configuration of the holding member 20 is not limited to the above. In other words, the configuration of the holding member 20 may be any configuration as long as it holds the outer tube member 8 and is rotatably supported by the open lever 18.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment is merely a specific form of the invention described in the Summary of the Invention, and does not limit the elements of the invention described in the Summary of the Invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The invention of the present disclosure can be used in the door lock device manufacturing industry, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Door, 5 Outside door handle (door handle), 7 Cable, 8 Outer cylinder member, 9 Striker, 10 Door lock device, 11 Latch housing (housing), 111, 112 Guide wall portion (guide portion), 14 Latch mechanism, 15 Latch, 15a Rotating shaft, 16 Pawl, 16a Rotating shaft, 17 Pawl lift lever, 18 Open lever, 18a Rotating shaft, 19 Open link, 20 Retaining member, 20a Shaft, 23 Protrusion, 25 Guided surface, 80 Tube, 81 First cap member, 82 Second cap member.

Claims

1. A door lock device that holds a vehicle door in a closed state and allows the door to be opened in response to an opening operation of a door handle, Housing and a latch mechanism including a latch rotatably supported by the housing, the latch selectively forming a latched state in which the latch holds the door closed and an unlatched state in which the latch allows the door to be opened; a cable having one end fastened to the door handle and the other end fastened to the housing; an outer tubular member through which the cable is inserted and whose base end is engaged with the door handle; a holding member for holding the free end of the outer cylindrical member; an open lever that is rotatably supported by the housing via a rotation shaft, that rotatably supports the holding member around an axis extending parallel to the rotation shaft, and that rotates around the rotation shaft in a predetermined direction in response to movement of the outer cylindrical member when the cable is pulled by the opening operation of the door handle, thereby switching the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state; A door lock device comprising:

2. The door lock device according to claim 1, The housing includes a guide portion that guides the retaining member so that the retaining member moves along a predetermined trajectory as the open lever rotates around the rotation axis in the predetermined direction.

3. The door lock device according to claim 2, the holding member includes a guided surface having a convex curved shape, The guide portion of the housing has a pair of curved surfaces that contact the guided surfaces of the holding member.

4. The door lock device according to claim 3, the holding member includes a pair of projections that face each other at a distance and have the guided surfaces that contact the corresponding curved surfaces of the guide portion, The outer cylindrical member includes a tube and a cap member fixed to an end of the tube and fitted between the pair of protrusions.

Images