Door lock device

Abstract

To suppress an increase in size of a door lock device even when an additional function is added to the door lock device.SOLUTION: A door lock device of the present disclosure includes: an actuator that is driven by a driving force from a first motor to switch a latch mechanism to an unlatched state; an additional mechanism that has a second motor, a driven member that is positioned spaced apart from the second motor, and a transmission member that transmits a driving force from the second motor to the driven member; a housing that accommodates the actuator and the additional mechanism; a base plate that is positioned inside the housing; a first space that is defined on a front side of the base plate by the housing and the base plate and in which components of the actuator having the first motor and the second motor of the additional mechanism are disposed; and a second space that is defined on a back side of the base plate by the housing and the base plate and in which the transmission member of the additional mechanism is disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

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. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a door lock device including a latch mechanism, an open link, an active lever, and a motor is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The open link of this door lock device is movable between a mechanical link position that allows the latch mechanism to be switched to an unlatched state and a mechanical link cut position that prevents the latch mechanism from being switched to an unlatched state. The active lever moves to the mechanical link position to hold the open link in the mechanical link position, and moves to the mechanical link cut position to hold the open link in the mechanical link cut position. The active lever moves from the mechanical link cut position to the mechanical link position when the inside door handle is operated. When the inside door handle is operated with the active lever in the mechanical link cut position, the motor moves the active lever from the mechanical link cut position to the mechanical link position. In this door lock device, a switch that determines whether the active lever is in the mechanical link position or the mechanical link cut position is positioned away from the active lever. The active lever and the switch are connected via a control lever that rotates in conjunction with the active lever. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-123428 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional door lock device described above, the control lever is positioned so as to straddle other components in order to connect the active lever and the switch, which are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, if an additional function is to be added to the door lock device, the element for providing the additional function must be positioned so as not to interfere with the control lever, etc., which may result in an increase in the size of the door lock device.

[0005] Therefore, a main object of the present disclosure is to add additional functions to a door lock device while suppressing an increase in size of the door lock device. [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, and includes: a latch mechanism that selectively forms a latched state that holds the door in a closed state and an unlatched state that allows the door to be opened; an actuator that includes a first motor and switches the latch mechanism to the unlatched state by a driving force from the first motor and allows the latch mechanism to be switched to the unlatched state by a manual operation; an additional mechanism that provides an additional function and includes a second motor, a driven member that is arranged spaced apart from the second motor, and a transmission member that transmits the driving force from the second motor to the driven member; a housing that accommodates the actuator and the additional mechanism; a base plate that is arranged inside the housing; a first space that is defined on the front side of the base plate by the housing and the base plate and in which components of the actuator including the first motor and the second motor of the additional mechanism are arranged; and a second space that is defined on the back side of the base plate by the housing and the base plate and in which the transmission member is arranged.

[0007] In the door lock device of the present disclosure, a base plate is disposed within a housing that accommodates an actuator that can switch the latch mechanism to an unlatched state and an additional mechanism that provides additional functions. A first space is defined within the housing on the front side of the base plate, and a second space is defined on the back side of the base plate. Components of the actuator, including a first motor, and a second motor of the additional mechanism are disposed within the first space within the housing. A transmission member of the additional mechanism is disposed within the second space on the back side of the base plate. This allows the transmission member of the additional mechanism to be disposed within the housing without interfering with the components of the actuator, even if the driven member of the additional mechanism is disposed away from the second motor. This minimizes the increase in the thickness of the housing compared to when the transmission member is disposed across the components of the actuator. This allows the door lock device to be equipped with additional functions without increasing in size. [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 diagram illustrating a latch mechanism of a door lock device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a child lock mechanism as an additional mechanism of a door lock device of the present disclosure; [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the child lock mechanism of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the child lock mechanism of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the child lock mechanism of FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a housing of the door lock device of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a housing of the door lock device of 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 of the present disclosure is applied. The door 1 is a rear door for a rear seat of a 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 compartment 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 able to pull or rotate, and an inside door handle 6 attached to the trim so as to be able to pull or rotate. 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 moving the outside door handle 5 or the inside door handle 6 from the initial position to the door open position. The door 1 may be 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 an outside door handle 5 and the like within the interior space. The door lock device 10 is connected to the outside door handle 5 via a flexible cable 7 and to the inside door handle 6 via a flexible cable 87. The cable 7 transmits the movement of the outside door handle 5 from its initial position to the door open position to the door lock device 10, and the cable 8 transmits the movement of the inside door handle 6 from its initial position to the door open position to the door lock device 10. The door lock device 10 may also be connected to the outside door handle 5 or the inside door handle 6 via a rod.

[0013] 2, the door lock device 10 includes a latch housing 11, an actuator housing 12 connected perpendicularly to the latch housing 11, a latch mechanism 14 housed in the latch housing 11, and an actuator 20 housed in the actuator housing 12. The latch mechanism 14 is capable of selectively forming 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 that is slightly moved toward the open side from the fully closed position, and an unlatched state in which the door 1 is allowed to open.

[0014] The actuator 20 switches the door lock device 10 between a mechanically linked state (unlocked state) and a mechanically linked cut state (locked state), and can also switch the latch mechanism 14 to the unlatched state without manual operation. The mechanically linked state is a state in which the latch mechanism 14 is allowed to be switched to the unlatched state by manual operation of the outside door handle 5 or the inside door handle 6. The mechanically linked cut state is a state in which the latch mechanism 14 is not allowed to be switched to the unlatched state by manual operation of the outside door handle 5 or the inside door handle 6.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, the latch mechanism 14 includes a latch 15, a pawl 16, a pawl lift lever 17, an outside open lever 18, and an open link 19. The latch 15 is rotatable around a 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. A full latch engagement portion (full latch engagement surface) 153 is formed in the first claw 151 of the latch 15, and a half latch engagement portion (half latch engagement surface) 154 and an open engagement portion (open engagement surface) 156 are formed in the second claw 152 of the latch 15. 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 shaft portion 15a relative to the latch housing 11 in a direction that releases the striker 9 (counterclockwise in FIG. 3).

[0016] 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 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.

[0017] Pole 16 is rotatable about shaft 16a extending from the base member so as to extend parallel to 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 about shaft 16a. Pole 16 and pole lift lever 17 rotate integrally about shaft 16a, allowing them to selectively move between an engaged position and a retracted position shown in Fig. 3.

[0018] In this embodiment, the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 are biased clockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 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.

[0019] Furthermore, the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 move to the retracted position by rotating together around the 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 rotational 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., allows the latch 15 to move to the unlatched position.

[0020] The outside open lever 18 is a relatively long plate having a through hole 180 formed in the center in the longitudinal direction, and a shaft 18a extending from the base member in parallel to the shafts 15a and 16a is inserted into the through hole 180. As a result, the outside open lever 18 is supported by the base member, i.e., the latch housing 11, so as to be rotatable about the shaft 18a. The outside open lever 18 is also biased clockwise in FIG. 3 about the shaft 18a relative to the latch housing 11 by an open lever spring (not shown). Furthermore, an engagement portion 181 is formed at one end (the right end in FIG. 3) of the outside open lever 18, and the above-mentioned cable 7 is connected to the other end of the outside open lever 18.

[0021] The open link 19 is connected to the engaging portion 181 of the outside open lever 18 so as to be rotatable relative to the outside open lever 18. The open link 19 can move toward and away from the pawl lift lever 17 in conjunction with the outside open lever 18, which rotates about the shaft portion 18a. Furthermore, the open link 19 can be moved between a mechanical link position and a mechanical link cut position shown in FIG. 3 by rotating relative to the outside open lever 18. In this embodiment, the open link 19 is selectively moved to either the mechanical link position or the mechanical link cut position by an actuator 20 in the actuator housing 12.

[0022] When the vehicle user operates the outside door handle 5 to move from the initial position to the door open position while the open link 19 is in the mechanical link position, the outside open lever 18 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 18a in response to the movement of the cable 7. The open link 19 approaches the pole lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the outside open lever 18 and comes into contact with the pressed portion 170 of the pole lift lever 17. As a result, by manually operating the outside door handle 5 and rotating the outside open lever 18 counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 18a by a predetermined angle, the pressed portion 170 of the pole lift lever 17 is pressed upward in FIG. 3, and the pawl 16 and the pole lift lever 17 can be rotated (moved) counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 16a against the biasing force of the pole spring from the engaged position to the retracted position. As a result, the latch 15 biased by the latch spring is allowed to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 3, i.e., to move to the unlatched position, thereby releasing the striker 9 from the notch 150 and allowing the door 1 to open.

[0023] After the latch 15 has moved to the unlatched position, when the vehicle user returns the outside door handle 5 to its initial position, the cable 7 connected to the outside door handle 5 returns to its original position, and the outside open lever 18 is biased by the open lever spring around the shaft 18a in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 and returns to its initial position. In addition, the open link 19 moves away from the pressed portion 170 of the pole lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the outside open lever 18, releasing the pressure on the pole lift lever 17. As a result, the biasing force of the pole spring causes the pole 16 and pole lift lever 17 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 3 from the retracted position to the engaged position, and the engaging portion 160 of the pole 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 FIG.

[0024] Furthermore, the open link 19 moves from the mechanical link position to the mechanical link cut position by rotating a predetermined angle clockwise in FIG. 3. When the open link 19 is in the mechanical link cut position and the outside open lever 18 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 18a, the open link 19 approaches the pawl lift lever 17 in conjunction with the rotation of the outside 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 mechanical link cut position, even if the outside open lever 18 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 18a by a predetermined angle, the pawl 16 and pawl lift lever 17 are held in the engaged position without moving to the retracted position. In other words, when the open link 19 is in the mechanical link position, switching the latch mechanism 14 to the unlatched state by manually operating the outside door handle 5 is prohibited.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the actuator 20 includes a first motor M1, a rotating member 21, a rotation biasing member 22, a blocking member 23, a biasing member 24, an active lever 25, an open link biasing member 26, a control lever 27, a release lever 28, and multiple switch levers 29a, 29b, and 29c. The first motor M1 is controlled by an electronic control device (not shown) to generate rotational torque (driving force) in both forward and reverse directions. The rotating member 21 is a worm wheel that can rotate in forward and reverse directions around a shaft 121 and is meshed with a worm gear attached to the rotating shaft of the first motor M1. The worm gear of the first motor M1 and the rotating member 21 are reversibly driven. The rotating member 21 also has first, second, third, and fourth engagement portions (all not shown). The rotation biasing member 22 is a torsion coil spring that biases the rotation member 21 around the shaft portion 121 toward a predetermined neutral position when the first motor M1 is stopped from rotating.

[0026] By operating the first motor M1, the rotating member 21 can be rotated about the shaft 121 from the neutral position to any one of a first rotation position, a second rotation position, and a third rotation position against the biasing force of the rotation biasing member 22. The first rotation position is a position where the rotating member 21 is rotated counterclockwise from the neutral position by a first angle in FIG. 2. The second rotation position is a position where the rotating member 21 is rotated clockwise from the neutral position by a second angle in FIG. 2. The third rotation position is a position where the rotating member 21 is rotated clockwise from the neutral position by a third angle in FIG. 2 that is smaller than the second angle.

[0027] The blocking member 23 is movable back and forth between a retracted position and a blocking position, and when the rotational member 21 rotates from the neutral position to the third rotational position due to the rotational torque from the first motor M1, the blocking member 23 moves to the blocking position and engages with the third and fourth engagement portions of the rotational member 21. This prevents the rotational member 21 from rotating beyond the third rotational position toward the second rotational position. In addition, the biasing member 24 biases the blocking member 23 toward the retracted position.

[0028] The active lever 25 is rotatable around the shaft 125 and is rotatable in forward and reverse directions between a mechanical link cut position (first position) and a mechanical link position (second position). The active lever 25 is biased by a detent spring (not shown) toward the mechanical link cut position or the mechanical link position that is closer. The active lever 25 also includes a first engagement portion 251, a second engagement portion 252, and a third engagement portion 253 that are each engageable with a first engagement portion (not shown) of the rotating member 21.

[0029] When the active lever 25 is located at the mechanical link cut position and the rotating member 21 rotates from the neutral position toward the first rotation position, the first engagement portion 251 of the active lever 25 is pressed by the first engagement portion of the rotating member 21, causing the active lever 25 to rotate toward the mechanical link position. When the active lever 25 is closer to the mechanical link position than the mechanical link cut position, the active lever 25 is held at the mechanical link position by the biasing force of the detent spring. Furthermore, when the active lever 25 is located at the mechanical link position and the rotating member 21 rotates from the neutral position toward the third rotation position, the second engagement portion 252 of the active lever 25 is pressed by the first engagement portion of the rotating member 21, causing the active lever 25 to rotate toward the mechanical link cut position. When the active lever 25 is closer to the mechanical link cut position than the mechanical link position, the active lever 25 is held at the mechanical link cut position by the biasing force of the detent spring.

[0030] Furthermore, the third engagement portion 253 of the active lever 25 engages with the blocking member 23 when the active lever 25 moves from the mechanical link cut position to the mechanical link position, and moves the blocking member 23 from the retracted position to the blocking position against the biasing force of the biasing member 24. As a result, when the active lever 25 is located at the mechanical link position, the blocking member 23 is held at the blocking position. On the other hand, when the active lever 25 is located at the mechanical link cut position, the third engagement portion 253 does not engage with the blocking member 23, and the blocking member 23 is held at the retracted position by the biasing force of the biasing member 24.

[0031] The active lever 25 also interfaces with the open link 19 of the latch mechanism 14 via an open link biasing member 26. The open link biasing member 26 is a torsion coil spring having a pair of arms extending substantially parallel from both ends. The pair of arms of the open link biasing member 26 are elastically deformable so as to increase the distance between them, and elastically hold the engaged portion 190 of the open link 19. When the active lever 25 rotates to the mechanical link position, the open link biasing member 26 biases the open link 19 to move it to the mechanical link position, and when the active lever 25 rotates to the mechanical link cut position, the open link biasing member 26 biases the open link 19 to move it to the mechanical link cut position.

[0032] That is, according to the actuator 20, the first motor M1 rotates the rotating member 21 from the neutral position to the first rotation position to rotate the active lever 25 to the mechanical link position, thereby moving the open link 19 to the mechanical link position. Also, according to the actuator 20, the first motor M1 rotates the rotating member 21 from the neutral position to the third rotation position to rotate the active lever 25 to the mechanical link cut position, thereby moving the open link 19 to the mechanical link cut position.

[0033] Furthermore, the active lever 25 engages with one end of the control lever 27. The control lever 27 rotates around a shaft 127 in conjunction with the active lever 25. The tip of the control lever 27 engages with the operator of the position switch SW0, and turns the position switch SW0 open (OFF) or closed (ON) according to the operation of the active lever 25. This makes it possible to determine from the output of the position switch SW0 whether the active lever 25 is in the mechanical link position or the mechanical link cut position, i.e., whether the door lock device 10 is in the mechanical link state or the mechanical link cut state.

[0034] The release lever 28 is rotatable around the shaft 128 (see FIG. 8) and has an engaging portion 281 engageable with the second engaging portion of the rotating member 21 and a pressing portion 282 engageable with the pole lift lever 17 of the latch mechanism 14 (see FIG. 4 for both). When the rotating member 21 rotates from the neutral position past the third rotation position toward the second rotation position, the engaging portion 281 of the release lever 28 engages with the second engaging portion of the rotating member 21 and is pressed by the second engaging portion. When the engaging portion 281 is pressed by the rotating member 21, the release lever 28 rotates around the shaft 128 counterclockwise in FIG. 2, and accordingly the pressing portion 282 of the release lever 28 presses the second pressed portion formed on the pole lift lever 17 upward in FIG. 3.

[0035] As a result, the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 rotate (move) counterclockwise in Fig. 3 around the shaft 16a from the engaged position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the pawl spring. As a result, the latch 15 biased by the latch spring is allowed to rotate counterclockwise in Fig. 3, i.e., to move to the unlatched position, and the striker 9 is released from the notch 150, allowing the door 1 to open. In other words, the actuator 20 can switch the latch mechanism 14 to the unlatched state by rotating the rotating member 21 from the neutral position to the second rotation position using the driving force from the first motor M1.

[0036] Additionally, the actuator 20 includes a plurality of switch levers 29a, 29b, and 29c that are rotatable about corresponding shafts 129a, 129b, and 129c, respectively, and that are linked to corresponding switches SW1, SW2, and SW3. The plurality of switch levers 29a, 29b, and 29c include a courtesy lever that engages with the latch 15 of the latch mechanism 14 to determine whether the latch 15 is in the fully latched position, a key switch lever, and the like.

[0037] An inside open lever 30 is also disposed within the actuator housing 12 that accommodates the actuator 20 described above. The inside open lever 30 is rotatable around the shaft 125, similar to the above-described active lever 25, and is connected to the inside door handle 6 of the door 1 via the above-described cable 8. The inside open lever 30 is also biased around the shaft 125 by a spring (not shown) toward a predetermined initial position. When a vehicle user operates the inside door handle 6 to move from the initial position to the door open position, the inside open lever 30 is pulled by the cable 8 and rotates clockwise in FIG. 2 around the shaft 125, pressing against the release lever 28.

[0038] The release lever 28 is pressed by the inside open lever 30 and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 around the shaft 128, and as a result, the pressing portion 282 of the release lever 28 presses the second pressed portion formed on the pole lift lever 17 upward in FIG. 3. This causes the pole 16 and pole lift lever 17 to rotate (move) counterclockwise in FIG. 3 around the shaft 16a from the engaged position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the pole spring. As a result, the latch 15 biased by the latch spring is allowed to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 3, i.e., to move to the unlatched position, and the striker 9 is released from the notch 150, allowing the door 1 to open.

[0039] Furthermore, a child lock mechanism 50 is disposed within the actuator housing 12. The child lock mechanism 50 provides a child lock function (additional function) for prohibiting the door 1 from being opened when a rear seat occupant (e.g., a small child) of the vehicle mistakenly operates the inside door handle 6. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the child lock mechanism 50 includes a second motor M2, a sector gear 51, a link plate (transmission member) 52, and a bush (driven member) 53.

[0040] The second motor M2 is controlled by an electronic control device (not shown) in response to the operation of, for example, a child lock switch installed near the driver's seat of the vehicle, so as to generate rotational torque (driving force) in both forward and reverse directions. The sector gear 51 is rotatable around a shaft 127, similar to the control lever 27 described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the sector gear 51 has a plurality of teeth 51t and a connecting shaft 51s. The plurality of teeth 51t are arranged along the arc-shaped outer periphery of the sector gear 51 and mesh with a worm gear attached to the rotary shaft of the second motor M2. The connecting shaft 51s extends from the main body of the sector gear 51 so as to be spaced apart from the shaft 127 relative to the plurality of teeth 51t and to extend parallel to the shaft 127.

[0041] The link plate 52 is formed in the shape of a thin, narrow plate made of metal or the like, and a connecting hole 52h is formed at one end of the link plate 52, into which the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51 is rotatably fitted. A connecting shaft 52s extends from the other end of the link plate 52 so as to extend parallel to the shaft 127 and the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51. The bushing 53 has a connecting hole 53h and an engaging portion 53e. The connecting shaft 52s of the link plate 52 is rotatably fitted into the connecting hole 53h. The engaging portion 53e extends from the main body of the bushing 53 at a position spaced from the connecting hole 53h so as to extend parallel to the shaft 127, the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51, and the connecting shaft 52s of the link plate 52. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in order to detect whether the child lock mechanism 50 is activated, a switch SW5 (see Figure 4) that opens or closes depending on the movement of the link plate 52 is arranged on the back side of the sector gear 51.

[0042] When the rotation of the second motor M2 is stopped, the child lock mechanism 50 is in the unlocked state shown in Fig. 4. In the unlocked state, the engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53 abuts against the pressed portion 283 of the release lever 28 and is located on the rotation trajectory (see the dashed line in Fig. 4) of the pressing portion 301 of the inside open lever 30. When the child lock mechanism 50 is in the unlocked state and the vehicle user operates the inside door handle 6 to move it from the initial position to the door open position, the inside open lever 30 is pulled by the cable 8 and rotates clockwise in the drawing about the shaft 125, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0043] When the inside open lever 30 rotates around the shaft 125 in the clockwise direction in the figure, the pressing portion 301 of the inside open lever 30 abuts against the engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53 of the child lock mechanism 50, which is located on the rotation trajectory. As a result, the release lever 28 is pressed by the pressing portion 301 of the inside open lever 30 via the engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53, and rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5 around the shaft 128, and accordingly the pressing portion 282 of the release lever 28 presses upward the second pressed portion formed on the pole lift lever 17. As a result, the pole 16 and the pole lift lever 17 rotate (move) from the engaged position to the retracted position, allowing the latch 15 to move to the unlatched position, thereby releasing the striker 9 from the notch 150 and allowing the door 1 to open.

[0044] After the latch 15 has moved to the unlatched position, the vehicle user returns the inside door handle 6 to its initial position, which releases the tension on the cable 8. As a result, the inside open lever 30 is biased by the spring to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 5 around the shaft 125 and return to its initial position. Furthermore, as the inside open lever 30 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5, the release lever 28 is pressed by a part of the inside open lever 30 and returns to its initial position shown in FIG. 4.

[0045] Furthermore, when the child lock mechanism 50 is in the unlocked state and the vehicle user turns on the child lock switch, the electronic control device controls the second motor M2 to rotate in a predetermined first direction. As a result, the sector gear 51 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 127 as shown in FIG. 6 . Furthermore, as the sector gear 51 rotates, the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51 moves diagonally downward in FIG. 6 , and the link plate 52 also moves diagonally downward accordingly. That is, the sector gear 51 converts the rotational motion of the second motor M2 into linear motion of the link plate 52. As the link plate 52 moves, the bushing 53 moves diagonally downward together with the link plate 52 from between the inside open lever 30 and the release lever 28, and moves out of the rotational path of the pressing portion 301. As a result, the child lock mechanism 50 is in the locked state as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0046] When the child lock mechanism 50 is in the locked state, even if the inside door handle 6 is operated by the vehicle user and the inside open lever 30 rotates clockwise around the shaft 125 in the drawing, the pressing portion 301 of the inside open lever 30 does not abut against the engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53, nor does it abut against any portion of the bushing 53 other than the engaging portion 53e or the release lever 28, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the release lever 28 does not rotate around the shaft 128 and is held in the initial position. Therefore, when the child lock mechanism 50 is in the locked state, even if the inside door handle 6 is operated by the vehicle user, the pawl 16 and the pawl lift lever 17 are held in the engaged position so that the striker 9 is not released from the notch 150, thereby making it possible to prohibit the door 1 from opening.

[0047] Furthermore, when the child lock mechanism 50 is in the locked state and the child lock switch is turned off by the vehicle user, the electronic control device controls the second motor M2 to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction. This causes the sector gear 51 to rotate clockwise around the shaft 127 in FIG. 7. Furthermore, as the sector gear 51 rotates, the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51 moves diagonally upward in FIG. 7, and the link plate 52 also moves diagonally upward accordingly. This causes the bush 53 to move onto the rotational trajectory of the pressing portion 301 between the inside open lever 30 and the release lever 28, and the child lock mechanism 50 again establishes the unlocked state shown in FIG. 4.

[0048] Next, the structure of the actuator housing 12 of the door lock device 10 will be described. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 2, showing the actuator housing 12 of the door lock device 10. As shown in Figure 8, the actuator housing 12 includes a housing main body 12a, a cover 12b that covers an opening of the housing main body 12a, and a base plate 120 that is disposed within a space defined by the housing main body 12a and the cover 12b (inside the actuator housing 12).

[0049] 9, the base plate 120 has a surface area of, for example, about 50-70% of the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a, and is fixed to the housing main body 12a so as to cover at least the upper half of the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1. The back surface of the base plate 120 is fixed to the housing main body 12a so as to face the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a at a distance slightly larger than the thickness of the link plate 52 of the child lock mechanism 50.

[0050] As a result, inside the actuator housing 12, a first space 201 is formed between the inner surface of the cover 12b (the top surface of the actuator housing 12) and the surface of the base plate 120, a second space 202 is formed between the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a (actuator housing 12) and the back surface of the base plate 120, and a third space 203. The third space 203 is located below the first and second spaces 201, 202 when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1. Furthermore, the height of the second space 202 (the distance between the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a and the back surface of the base plate 120) is sufficiently smaller than the height of the first space 201 (the distance between the inner surface of the cover 12b and the surface of the base plate 120).

[0051] The base plate 120 is also formed with a shaft 121 that rotatably supports the rotating member 21, a shaft 127 that rotatably supports the control lever 27 and the sector gear 51 of the child lock mechanism 50, a shaft 128 that rotatably supports the release lever 28, and shafts 129a, 129b, and 129c that rotatably support the corresponding switch lever 29a, 29b, or 29c. The shafts 121, 127, 128, and 129a-129c are all protrusions having a cylindrical outer circumferential surface that are formed integrally with the base plate 120, and extend from the base plate 120 so as to protrude parallel to each other toward the cover 12b within the first space 201.

[0052] Furthermore, the base plate 120 is formed with a mounting seat MS1 for the first motor M1, a mounting seat MS2 for the second motor M2, and mounting seats SS0, SS1, SS2, and SS3 for the switches SW0, SW1, SW2, and SW3. These mounting seats MS1, MS2, and SS0-SS3 are formed on the base plate 120 so as to be included in the upper half of the actuator housing 12 when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the first and second motors M2 and the switches SS0-SS3 from being exposed to water. In this embodiment, the mounting seat MS2 for the second motor M2 is formed on the base plate 120 so as to be located above the mounting seat MS1 for the first motor M1 when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1. This means that the second motor M2 is located above the first motor M1 when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1 (see FIG. 2).

[0053] 8 and 9, the housing main body 12a is formed with a shaft 125 that rotatably supports the active lever 25 and the inside open lever 30. The shaft 125 is a protrusion that is integrally formed with the housing main body 12a and has a cylindrical outer circumferential surface, and extends from the housing main body 12a so as to protrude parallel to the shafts 121, 127, 128, 129a-129c toward the cover 12b within the third space 203. In addition, the housing main body 12a is formed with a guide portion for the blocking member 23, a support portion for the biasing member 24, and the like, so as to be positioned within the third space 203.

[0054] 8, the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51 of the child lock mechanism 50 is inserted from the first space 201 into the second space 202 through an opening 120o formed in the base plate 120. The link plate 52 is disposed in the second space 202, and the connecting shaft 51s of the sector gear 51 is rotatably fitted into the connecting hole 52h of the link plate 52 within the second space 202. When the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1, the link plate 52 extends from the upper side to the lower side, and is slidably supported by the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a (the inner surface of the actuator housing 12) and the back surface of the base plate 120.

[0055] Furthermore, the connecting shaft portion 52s of the link plate 52 is rotatably fitted into the connecting hole 53h of the bushing 53 below the shaft portion 128 formed in the base plate 120 and within the second space 202. This allows the driving force (moving force) from the second motor M2 located above the door 1 when the door lock device 10 is attached to the door 1 to be transmitted via the link plate 52 to the lower bushing 53 located away from the second motor M2. The engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53 protrudes parallel to the shaft portion 128 toward the cover 12b within the third space 203. This allows the engaging portion 53e of the bushing 53 to abut against the pressed portion 283 of the release lever 28 supported by the shaft portion 128.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 9 , the base plate 120 is formed with an endless guide portion 120g that protrudes from the rear surface of the base plate 120 toward (without contacting) the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a. The guide portion 120g guides the link plate 52 to move linearly in response to the rotation of the sector gear 51 and also guides the bushing 53 to move parallel to the rotation. This stabilizes the operation of the child lock mechanism 50 and enables the bushing 53 to maintain a constant position between the unlocked state and the locked state (before the inside door handle 6 is operated). However, the guide portion 120g does not necessarily have to be endless and may be divided into multiple portions. The guide portion that guides the link plate 52 and the bushing 53 may be formed on the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a.

[0057] As described above, the door lock device 10 holds the vehicle door 1 in a closed state and allows the door 1 to be opened, and includes a latch mechanism 14, an actuator 20, and a child lock mechanism 50 as an additional mechanism. The latch mechanism 14 selectively establishes a latched state that holds the door 1 in a closed state and an unlatched state that allows the door 1 to be opened. The actuator 20 includes a first motor M1, switches the latch mechanism 14 to the unlatched state by the driving force from the first motor M1, and allows the latch mechanism 14 to be manually switched to the unlatched state. The child lock mechanism 50 includes a second motor M2, a bush (driven member) 53 disposed spaced apart from the second motor M2, and a link plate (transmission member) 52 that transmits the driving force from the second motor M2 to the bush 53 to move the bush 53, and provides a child lock function.

[0058] The actuator 20 and the child lock mechanism 50 are housed within an actuator housing 12, and a base plate 120 is disposed within the actuator housing 12. Furthermore, within the actuator housing 12, a first space 201 is defined on the front side of the base plate 120, and a second space 202 is defined on the back side of the base plate 120. The components of the actuator 20, including the first motor M1, and the second motor M2 of the child lock mechanism 50 are disposed within the first space 201 within the actuator housing 12, and the link plate 52 of the child lock mechanism 50 is disposed in the second space 202 on the back side of the base plate 120. This allows the link plate 52 of the child lock mechanism 50 to be disposed within the actuator housing 12 without interfering with the components of the actuator 20, even if the bushing 53 of the child lock mechanism 50 is disposed below and spaced apart from the second motor M2 on the upper side. Furthermore, an increase in the thickness of the actuator housing 12 can be suppressed compared to when the link plate 52 is disposed so as to straddle the components of the actuator 20. As a result, it is possible to add a child lock function to the door lock device 10 while preventing the door lock device 10 from becoming larger.

[0059] The actuator 20 also includes multiple levers, namely, a control lever 27, a release lever 28, and multiple switch levers 29a, 29b, and 29c. The control lever 27, the release lever 28, and the multiple switch levers 29a, 29b, and 29c are rotatably supported by shafts 127, 128, 129a, 129b, and 129c, respectively, extending from the base plate 120 toward the first space 201. This eliminates any portion protruding from the base plate 120 toward the second space 202, thereby minimizing the height of the second space 202, i.e., the distance between the bottom surface of the housing main body 12a and the back surface of the base plate 120. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent an increase in the thickness of the actuator housing 12, which would otherwise be caused by adding a child lock function (additional function), and thus an increase in the size of the door lock device 10.

[0060] Furthermore, the link plate 52 of the child lock mechanism 50 is slidably supported by the back surface of the base plate 120 and the bottom surface (inner surface) of the housing main body 12a that faces the back surface. This makes it possible to restrict movement (fluttering) of the link plate 52 in the height direction of the second space 202 while suppressing an increase in the height of the second space 202 and, in turn, the thickness of the actuator housing 12.

[0061] An inside open lever 30 that rotates in a predetermined direction in response to manual operation of the inside door handle 6 of the door 1 is disposed in the third space 203 within the actuator housing 12. The actuator 20 further includes a release lever 28 that is driven by a driving force from the first motor M1 to switch the latch mechanism 14 from a latched state to an unlatched state. The release lever 28 is pressed by the inside open lever 30 that rotates in a predetermined direction via a bushing 53 of the child lock mechanism 50, thereby switching the latch mechanism 14 from the latched state to the unlatched state. The child lock mechanism 50 then moves the bushing 53 from between the inside open lever 30 and the release lever 28 via the link plate 52 by a driving force from the second motor M2 so that the inside open lever 30 cannot press the release lever 28.

[0062] This makes it possible to provide a child lock function that allows the latch mechanism 14 to be switched to an unlatched state by the driving force from the first motor M1, while preventing the latch mechanism 14 from being switched to an unlatched state by the driving force from the second motor M2. However, it goes without saying that the additional mechanism added to the door lock device 10 is not limited to the child lock mechanism 50. In addition, in the door lock device 10, at least one of the control lever 27 and the multiple switch levers 29a, 29b, 29c may be disposed in the second space 202. Furthermore, the door lock device 10 may be applied to, for example, a front door of the passenger seat in addition to the rear seat door 1.

[0063] 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]

[0064] The invention of the present disclosure can be used in the door lock device manufacturing industry, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 Door, 10 Door lock device, 12 Actuator housing, 12a Housing body, 12b Cover, 120 Base plate, 121, 125, 127, 128, 129a, 129b, 129c Shaft portion, 14 Latch mechanism, 20 Actuator, 25 Active lever, 27 Control lever, 28 Release lever, 29a, 29b, 29c Switch lever, 30 Inside open lever, 50 Child lock mechanism, 51 Sector gear, 52 Link plate (transmission member), 53 Bush, 201 First space, 201 Second space, M1 First motor, M2 Second motor.

Claims

1. A door lock device that holds a vehicle door in a closed state and allows the door to be opened, a latch mechanism that selectively establishes a latched state that holds the door closed and an unlatched state that allows the door to be opened; an actuator including a first motor, the actuator switching the latch mechanism to the unlatched state by a driving force from the first motor, and allowing the latch mechanism to be manually switched to the unlatched state; an additional mechanism that provides an additional function, the additional mechanism including a second motor, a driven member disposed apart from the second motor, and a transmission member that transmits a driving force from the second motor to the driven member; a housing that accommodates the actuator and the additional mechanism; a base plate disposed inside the housing; a first space defined by the housing and the base plate on a surface side of the base plate, in which components of the actuator including the first motor and the second motor of the additional mechanism are disposed; a second space defined on a rear side of the base plate by the housing and the base plate, and in which the transmission member is disposed; A door lock device comprising:

2. The door lock device according to claim 1, the actuator includes a plurality of levers; A plurality of shaft portions extend from the base plate toward the first space, The plurality of levers are rotatably supported by the corresponding shaft portions of the base plate.

3. The door lock device according to claim 1 or 2, The transmission member is slidably supported by the rear surface of the base plate and the inner surface of the housing that faces the rear surface.

4. The door lock device according to claim 1 or 2, An inside open lever is disposed within the housing and rotates in a predetermined direction in response to manual operation of an inside door handle of the door, the actuator includes a release lever that is driven by the driving force from the first motor to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state; the release lever is pressed by the inside open lever, which rotates in the predetermined direction via the driven member of the additional mechanism, to switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state, The additional mechanism is a child lock mechanism that moves the driven member from between the inside open lever and the release lever using the driving force from the second motor via the transmission member so that the inside open lever cannot press the release lever.

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