Side door lock and motor vehicle

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a side door lock and a motor vehicle. The side door lock comprises a latch component, a pawl assembly, an electric unlocking assembly, a first manual unlocking assembly and a safety pull rod. The electric unlocking assembly is configured to cooperate with the pawl assembly to release the latch component. The first manual unlocking assembly is configured to selectively cooperate with the pawl assembly to release the latch component. The safety pull rod has a first position and a second position. When the safety pull rod is in the first position, the first manual unlocking assembly is allowed to drive the pawl assembly to act. When the safety pull rod is in the second position, the first manual unlocking assembly is not allowed to drive the pawl assembly to act.

Description

Side door locks and motor vehicles Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a side door lock and a motor vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of vehicle electrification and intelligence, electric door locks have become widespread on vehicle hoods and doors. The reliability of locking and the real-time speed of unlocking are the biggest challenges faced by technicians when using electric door locks.

[0003] Electric door locks typically include multiple safety components, such as inward-opening lever safety and outward-opening lever safety. When an electric door lock is to be unlocked, the inward-opening lever safety and the outward-opening lever safety must first be changed from the locked state to the unlocked state before it can be unlocked electrically. This makes the unlocking process of an electric door lock complicated.

[0004] In addition, these side door locks require a relatively complex structure to realize the state changes of the inward and outward opening levers, which affects the stability of the side door locks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a side door lock and a motor vehicle.

[0006] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a side door lock is provided, comprising: a latch member configured to rotate about a first axis and including at least a locked position and an unlocked position; a pawl assembly for cooperating with the latch member and for at least holding the latch member in the locked position; an electrically unlocking assembly for cooperating with the pawl assembly to release the latch member; a first manually unlocking assembly for selectively cooperating with the pawl assembly to release the latch member; and a safety lever configured to rotate about a sixth axis and having a first position and The second position; wherein, when the safety lever is in the first position, the first manual unlocking component is allowed to drive the pawl component to move; when the safety lever is in the second position, the first manual unlocking component is not allowed to drive the pawl component to move; wherein, the electric unlocking component includes a first motor and a worm gear assembly drivenly connected to the first motor, the worm gear assembly is configured to drive the safety lever from the first position to the second position, or drive the safety lever from the second position to the first position, wherein the worm gear assembly can rotate the safety lever in the same direction when driving it from the first position to the second position as it rotates when driving it from the second position to the first position.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the worm gear assembly includes a worm gear component and a safety drive member, one end of which is rotatably connected to the worm gear component, and the other end of which extends outward from the worm gear component.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the safety lever includes a first mating portion and a second mating portion, and the safety drive member selectively engages with the first mating portion or the second mating portion to push the safety lever to rotate in different rotational directions.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, when the safety lever is in a first position, the safety drive member can cooperate with a first mating part to drive the safety lever from the first position to a second position.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the first mating portion includes a first groove formed on the side of the safety lever, and the opening of the first groove faces the worm gear assembly.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the first groove includes a first upper sidewall and a first lower sidewall; when the safety lever is in the first position, the other end of the safety drive member can contact the first upper sidewall, and as the worm gear member rotates further, the other end of the safety drive member can slide along the inner sidewall of the first groove and cooperate with the first lower sidewall to push the safety lever from the first position to the second position.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the safety lever is formed with a protrusion for forming a first upper sidewall of the first groove, and when the other end of the safety drive member engages with the first lower sidewall, the protrusion contacts the first side surface of the safety drive member.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the first side surface is formed as a concave arc surface.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, when the safety lever is in the second position, the safety drive member can cooperate with the second mating part to drive the safety lever from the second position to the first position.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the second mating portion includes a second groove formed on the side of the safety lever, and the opening of the second groove faces the worm gear assembly.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the second groove includes a second upper sidewall; when the safety lever is in the second position, the other end of the safety drive member can contact the second upper sidewall to push the safety lever from the second position to the first position.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the safety lever is formed with a protrusion for forming a second lower sidewall of the second groove, and when the other end of the safety drive member engages with the second upper sidewall, the protrusion contacts the second side surface of the safety drive member.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the second side surface is formed as an outwardly convex arc surface.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, when the safety lever is in a first position, the upper end of the safety lever is away from the worm gear assembly, and the lower end of the safety lever is close to the worm gear assembly; when the safety lever is in a second position, the upper end of the safety lever is close to the worm gear assembly, and the lower end of the safety lever is away from the worm gear assembly.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, a first retaining ring is provided on the worm gear component of the worm gear assembly. The first retaining ring is used to restrict the safety drive member in an initial position, and when the safety drive member leaves the initial position, the first retaining ring is used to reset the safety drive member to the initial position.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the safety drive member is provided with two columnar portions, and the two ends of the first retaining spring are used to clamp the columnar portions; wherein the two ends of the first retaining spring are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

[0022] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the electric unlocking assembly includes: an operating lever component that cooperates with the worm gear assembly to drive the operating lever component to rotate by the rotation of the worm gear assembly, wherein when the operating lever component rotates, it can actuate the pawl assembly.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of the present disclosure, the operating lever component includes an operating lever groove feature, the lower end of the safety lever is provided with an arc-shaped groove, one end of the safety unlocking lever is slidably and rotatably disposed in the arc-shaped groove of the safety lever, and the other end of the safety unlocking lever is slidably and rotatably disposed in the operating lever groove feature of the operating lever component.

[0024] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, when the safety lever is in the first position, the first manual unlocking component can drive the safety unlocking lever and drive the operating lever component to rotate through the safety unlocking lever; when the safety lever is in the second position, the first manual unlocking component cannot drive the safety unlocking lever.

[0025] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, one end of the safety unlocking rod is provided with a limiting post, and the safety pull rod is provided with a second retaining spring, which cooperates with the limiting post to restrict one end of the safety unlocking rod to approximately the middle position of the arcuate groove of the safety pull rod.

[0026] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, the lower end of the safety lever is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the two ends of the second snap ring are used to clamp the limiting post and the limiting protrusion, wherein the two ends of the second snap ring are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

[0027] According to at least one embodiment of the side door lock of this disclosure, when the first motor rotates in a first direction, the electric unlocking component drives the pawl component to unlock the side door lock; when the first motor rotates in a second direction, the electric unlocking component drives the safety lever to actuate, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0028] The side door lock according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a second position detection device for detecting the position of the safety lever.

[0029] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a motor vehicle is provided, which includes the aforementioned side door lock. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a latch component and a pawl assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the latch component and pawl assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle.

[0033] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric lock assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric lock assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle.

[0036] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a partial structure of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figures 8 to 10 are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of a safety lever from a first position to a second position according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figures 11 to 13 are schematic diagrams of the movement of a safety lever driven from a second position to a first position according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of a lock cylinder lever according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The present disclosure will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the latch member and pawl assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure from one angle. Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the latch member and pawl assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the side door lock of this disclosure may include components such as a lock body 100, a bolt member 200, a pawl assembly 300, and an electric unlocking assembly 400. The lock body 100 may be formed as the housing of the side door lock, and may include structures such as a back plate or a cover. Components such as the bolt member 200 and the pawl assembly 300 may be mounted on the back plate or the cover. The bolt member 200 is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100, and the axis of rotation of the bolt member 200 relative to the lock body 100 is a first axis A1. When the bolt member 200 rotates, the bolt member 200 can include at least a locked position and an unlocked position.

[0043] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in one specific embodiment, the latch member 200 can be located in a locked position, a partially locked position, or an unlocked position. When the latch member 200 is driven to rotate, it can move to one of the locked, partially locked, or unlocked positions.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the latch component 200 is in the locked position. When the latch component 200 rotates counterclockwise, it can sequentially be in the half-locked position and the unlocked position. Conversely, when the latch component 200 is in the unlocked position and rotates clockwise, it can sequentially be in the half-locked position and the locked position. When the latch component 200 is in the locked position, the side door lock is in the locked state; when the latch component 200 is in the unlocked position, the side door lock is in the unlocked state.

[0045] The counterclockwise movement of the latch component 200 (i.e., the unlocking process) can be achieved by the elastic force of the return spring. The clockwise movement of the latch component 200 (i.e., the locking process) can be achieved by the pushing force applied to the latch component 200 by the striker, or by the electric locking mechanism pulling the latch component 200. The electric locking mechanism can be implemented using existing technology, which will not be described in detail here.

[0046] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the pawl assembly 300 is used to cooperate with the latch member 200 and at least hold the latch member 200 in the locked position. For example, the pawl assembly 300 can hold the latch member 200 in both the locked and partially locked positions. The pawl assembly 300 may include components such as a first pawl member 310, a second pawl member 320, and a sliding pawl member 330.

[0047] The first pawl component 310 is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100. The axis of rotation of the first pawl component 310 relative to the lock body 100 is the second axis A2. The second axis A2 may be parallel to or approximately horizontal to the first axis A1. The second pawl component 320 is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100. The axis of rotation of the second pawl component 320 relative to the lock body 100 is the third axis A3. The third axis A3 is disposed parallel to or approximately parallel to the second axis A2, and the third axis A3 is spaced apart from the second axis A2. The first pawl component 310 can hold the bolt component 200 in the locked position, and the second pawl component 320 can hold the bolt component 200 in the semi-locked position.

[0048] The second pawl component 320 can be driven and rotated by the electric unlocking assembly 400 to unlock the side door lock. As shown in Figure 2, when the second pawl component 320 is driven to rotate counterclockwise, it can drive the sliding pawl component 330 and the first pawl component 310 to move, thereby unlocking the side door lock. The second pawl component 320 includes a first groove feature 321 and a second groove feature 322. The rotation axis of the first pawl component 310 is slidably disposed within the first groove feature 321. Therefore, the first pawl component 310 does not affect the rotation of the second pawl component 320.

[0049] The sliding pawl component 330 includes a first shaft feature 331. The first shaft feature 331 is slidably disposed within a second groove feature 322. When the second pawl component 320 rotates, it can drive the sliding pawl component 330 to slide. Thus, the sliding pawl component 330 can disengage from between the first pawl component 310 and the limiting component 340, allowing the first pawl component 310 to rotate counterclockwise. The first pawl component 310 releases the locking tongue component 200. The locking tongue component 200 disengages from the locked position and moves towards the semi-locked position.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, the sliding pawl component 330 can drive the first pawl component 310 to rotate. When the second pawl component 320 rotates counterclockwise, the first axis feature 331 of the sliding pawl component 330 can move along the tangent direction of the circumference centered on the third axis A3. At this time, the sliding pawl component 330 will push the first pawl component 310 to rotate counterclockwise.

[0051] The reverse movement of the first pawl component 310, the second pawl component 320, and the sliding pawl component 330 can be achieved by a return spring. During the unlocking process of the side door lock, the second pawl component 320 is driven to rotate counterclockwise. When the second pawl component 320 is allowed to rotate clockwise and reset, it can rotate clockwise and reset under the reset force provided by the return spring.

[0052] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric lock assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] The electrically operated unlocking assembly 400 is used to cooperate with the pawl assembly 300 so that the pawl assembly 300 can release the latch member 200. The electrically operated unlocking assembly 400 of this disclosure can drive the second pawl member 320 of the pawl assembly 300 to rotate counterclockwise, thereby unlocking the side door lock.

[0054] The electrically operated unlocking assembly 400 disclosed herein includes a first motor 410 and a worm gear assembly 420 drivenly connected to the first motor 410. The worm gear assembly 420 may include a worm gear component 421 and a safety drive member 422. One end of the safety drive member 422 is rotatably connected to the worm gear component 421. The other end (free end) of the safety drive member 422 extends outward from the worm gear component 421. A worm is provided on the output shaft of the first motor 410. The worm can cooperate with the worm gear component 421 so that the rotation of the worm causes the worm gear component 421 to rotate.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5, the safety actuator 422 includes a first side surface 422A and a second side surface 422B. The first side surface 422A is formed as the upper surface of the safety actuator 422, and the second side surface 422B is formed as the lower surface of the safety actuator 422. Preferably, the first side surface 422A is formed as a concave arc surface, and the second side surface 422B is formed as a convex arc surface, so that the safety actuator 422 is generally formed as a curved rod-shaped component.

[0056] A first retaining ring 423 is provided on the worm gear component 421 of the worm gear assembly 420. The first retaining ring 423 is used to restrict the safety drive member 422 in the initial position. When the safety drive member 422 leaves the initial position, the first retaining ring 423 is used to reset the safety drive member 422 to the initial position.

[0057] The first retaining spring 423 can be a torsion spring. This torsion spring can be sleeved on the shaft of the worm gear component 421. The two ends of the first retaining spring 423 are arranged approximately parallel to each other. The safety drive member 422 is provided with two columnar portions 422C. The two ends of the first retaining spring 423 clamp the columnar portions 422C, thereby enabling the first retaining spring 423 to restrain the safety drive member 422 in its initial position.

[0058] The worm gear component 421 rotates relative to the lock body 100 about a fourth axis A4 (see Figure 6). The axis of rotation of the safety actuator 422 relative to the lock body 100 is a fifth axis A5 (see Figure 5). The fourth and fifth axes are arranged parallel or substantially parallel. The worm gear component 421 has a tangent plane passing through the fifth axis. This tangent plane is tangent to a cylindrical surface centered on the fourth axis. The fourth axis is located on one side of the tangent plane. The other end of the safety actuator 422 is located on the other side of the tangent plane. At this time, there is an angle between the safety actuator 422 and the tangent plane (the line connecting one end of the safety actuator 422 to the other end forms an angle with the tangent plane). The angle value can change with the rotation of the safety actuator 422.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the columnar portion 422C can be the same as the distance between the two ends of the first retaining spring 423. At this time, the distance between the two ends of the first retaining spring 423 is at its minimum. When the safety drive member 422 rotates, the distance between the two ends of the first retaining spring 423 will increase as the included angle changes. At this time, the two ends of the first retaining spring 423 will tend to retract inwards, thereby causing the safety drive member 422 to tend to return to its initial position.

[0060] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric lock assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure from another angle. Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a partial structure of a side door lock according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric unlocking assembly 400 of the present disclosure can operate a lever component 430. The lever component 430 cooperates with a worm gear assembly 420 to drive the lever component 430 to rotate through the rotation of the worm gear assembly 420. When the lever component 430 rotates, it can push the pawl assembly 300 to actuate.

[0061] The operating lever component 430 includes a first arm feature 431, a second arm feature 432, a third arm feature 433, and an operating lever groove feature 434. The first arm feature 431, the second arm feature 432, and the third arm feature 433 are all formed as the arm portion of the operating lever component 430. The first arm feature 431 can cooperate with the cam structure 421A on the worm gear component 421, so that when the worm gear component 421 rotates, it can drive the operating lever component 430 to rotate.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, when the worm gear component 421 rotates clockwise, it can push the operating lever component 430 to rotate counterclockwise. Conversely, as shown in Figure 5, when the worm gear component 421 rotates counterclockwise, it can push the operating lever component 430 to rotate clockwise. Therefore, the second arm feature 432 of the operating lever component 430 can push the second pawl component 320 to rotate. At this time, in the view directions of Figures 2 and 3, the second pawl component 320 will rotate counterclockwise, thereby unlocking the side door lock. The operating lever component 430 of this disclosure can rotate counterclockwise under the action of the return spring (view direction of Figure 5).

[0063] The side door lock disclosed herein may include a first manual unlocking component 500. The first manual unlocking component 500 is used to cooperate with a pawl assembly 300 to release the bolt member 200. The first manual unlocking component 500 can be configured to drive the second pawl member 320 of the pawl assembly 300 to rotate. As shown in FIG5, the first manual unlocking component 500 is an outward-opening lever assembly, which may include components such as an outward-opening lever 510 and an outward-opening transmission rod 520. The outward-opening lever 510 is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100, and one end of it can be connected to the side door outward-opening handle. When the side door outward-opening handle is pulled, the outward-opening lever 510 can generate a clockwise rotational movement. The outward-opening transmission rod 520 is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100. One end of the outward-opening transmission rod 520 cooperates with the other end of the outward-opening lever 510, thereby, when the outward-opening lever 510 rotates clockwise, it can push the outward-opening transmission rod 520 to rotate counterclockwise.

[0064] The safety lever 600 is configured to rotate about a sixth axis A6 (see Figure 6) and has a first position and a second position. When the safety lever 600 is in the first position, the first manual unlocking component 500 is allowed to drive the pawl assembly 300. When the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the first manual unlocking component 500 is not allowed to drive the pawl assembly 300.

[0065] Figures 8 to 10 are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of a safety lever according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, driven from a first position to a second position. Figures 11 to 13 are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of a safety lever according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, driven from a second position to a first position.

[0066] Referring to Figures 8 to 13, the worm gear assembly 420 is configured to drive the safety lever 600 from a first position to a second position, or from a second position to a first position.

[0067] The lower end of the safety lever 600 has an arc-shaped groove 610. One end of the safety unlocking lever 700 is slidably and rotatably disposed within the arc-shaped groove 610 of the safety lever 600. The other end of the safety unlocking lever 700 is slidably and rotatably disposed within the operating lever groove feature 434 of the operating lever component 430. Thus, when the safety lever 600 is driven and rotated, it can drive the safety unlocking lever 700 to produce a horizontal displacement.

[0068] When the safety lever 600 is in the first position, the outward-opening transmission rod 520 of the first manual unlocking assembly 500 can drive the safety unlocking rod 700 (i.e., the other end of the safety unlocking rod 700 is within the motion envelope of the outward-opening transmission rod 520), and drive the operating lever component 430 to rotate via the safety unlocking rod 700. When the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the first manual unlocking assembly 500 cannot drive the safety unlocking rod 700. At this time, the other end of the safety unlocking rod 700 is outside the motion envelope of the outward-opening transmission rod 520.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, a limiting post 710 is provided at one end of the safety unlocking lever 700, and a second retaining spring 601 is provided on the safety pull rod 600. The second retaining spring 601 cooperates with the limiting post 710 to restrict one end of the safety unlocking lever 700 to approximately the middle position of the arcuate groove 610 of the safety pull rod 600.

[0070] More preferably, a limiting protrusion 620 is provided at the lower end of the safety lever 600. The two ends of the second snap ring 601 are used to clamp the limiting post 710 and the limiting protrusion 620. The two ends of the second snap ring 601 are arranged approximately parallel to each other. The second snap ring 601 can be a torsion spring. The torsion spring is sleeved on the rotating shaft of the safety lever 600. The second snap ring 601 has the same / similar working principle as the first snap ring 423, which will not be described in detail here.

[0071] The specific structure of the safety lever 600 and its cooperation with the worm gear assembly 420 will be explained below with reference to Figures 8 to 13.

[0072] As shown in Figures 8 to 13, the safety lever 600 of this disclosure includes a first mating portion 630 and a second mating portion 640. The safety drive member 422 selectively engages with either the first mating portion 630 or the second mating portion 640 to push the safety lever 600 to rotate in different directions.

[0073] When the safety lever 600 is in the first position, the safety drive member 422 can engage with the first mating part 630 to drive the safety lever 600 from the first position to the second position. The first mating part 630 includes a first groove 630A. The first groove 630A is formed on the side of the safety lever 600. The opening of the first groove 630A faces the worm gear assembly 420.

[0074] The first groove 630A includes a first upper sidewall 631 and a first lower sidewall 632. When the safety lever 600 is in the first position, the other end of the safety drive member 422 contacts the first upper sidewall 631 (as shown in Figure 9). At this time, since the safety lever 600 is in the first position, it cannot continue to rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, as the worm gear component 421 rotates further, the safety drive member 422 will slide along the inner sidewall of the first groove and engage with the first lower sidewall 632 (as shown in Figure 10).

[0075] The safety lever 600 has a protrusion 650. The protrusion 650 forms the first upper sidewall 631 of the first groove. In the state shown in FIG10, when the other end of the safety drive member 422 engages with the first lower sidewall 632, the protrusion 650 contacts the first side surface of the safety drive member 422, causing the included angle of the safety drive member 422 to increase, thereby pushing the safety lever 600 to rotate clockwise (in the direction shown in FIG8 to FIG10) and move from the first position to the second position.

[0076] The state shown in Figure 11 indicates that the safety lever 600 is in the second position. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, when the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the safety drive member 422 can cooperate with the second mating part 640 to drive the safety lever 600 from the second position to the first position.

[0077] The second mating portion 640 includes a second groove 640A. The second groove 640A is formed on the side of the safety lever 600. The opening of the second groove 640A faces the worm gear assembly 420. The second groove 640A is located above the first groove 630A. The portion between the first groove 630A and the second groove 640A is the aforementioned protrusion 650. The second groove 640A includes a second upper sidewall 641 and a second lower sidewall 642. When the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the other end of the safety drive member 422 contacts the second upper sidewall 641 to push the safety lever 600 to rotate counterclockwise and move from the second position to the first position. That is, when the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the other end of the safety drive member 422 can pass over the first groove 630A and does not engage with the first groove 630A, but directly engages with the second groove 640A.

[0078] The protrusion 650 is used to form the second lower sidewall 642 of the second groove 640A. When the other end of the safety drive member 422 engages with the second upper sidewall 641, the protrusion 650 contacts the second side surface 422B of the safety drive member 422.

[0079] Generally speaking, when the safety lever 600 is in the first position, its upper end is away from the worm gear assembly 420, and its lower end is close to the worm gear assembly 420. When the safety lever 600 is in the second position, its upper end is close to the worm gear assembly 420, and its lower end is away from the worm gear assembly 420. This facilitates the engagement of the safety lever 600 with the safety drive component 422.

[0080] Based on the above structure, when the side door lock of this disclosure is in operation, when the first motor 410 rotates in the first direction, the worm gear component 421 of the electric unlocking assembly 400 will rotate counterclockwise (in the direction shown in Figure 5), and drive the pawl assembly 300 to move through the operating lever component 430, thereby unlocking the side door lock. When the first motor 410 rotates in the second direction, the worm gear component 421 of the electric unlocking assembly 400 will rotate clockwise (in the direction shown in Figure 5). At this time, the safety drive component 422 will drive the safety lever 600 to move, realizing the switching between the locked and unlocked states of the safety lever 600. At the same time, when the safety lever 600 is in the first position, the safety lever 600 is in the unlocked state. At this time, the side door lock can be opened by the outward opening lever 510. In addition, when the safety lever 600 is in the second position, the safety lever 600 is in the locked state, and the side door lock cannot be opened by the outward opening lever 510.

[0081] Based on the above structure, the side door lock in this disclosure can be unlocked directly via an electric unlocking component. This electric unlocking component can also switch the state of the safety lever 600. Simultaneously, the electric unlocking component performs both functions in both forward and reverse rotation. Accordingly, when the side door lock is electrically unlocked, the engaged or disengaged state of the safety lever 600 is not affected.

[0082] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the lock cylinder lever according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figures 4 and 14, the side door lock of the present disclosure may further include a lock cylinder lever 101. Thus, the side door lock can be installed on the side door corresponding to the driver's seat. Accordingly, the side door lock of the present disclosure can be opened and closed by a key. When the lock cylinder 102 rotates, it drives the lock cylinder lever 101 to move, and the lock cylinder lever 101 drives the safety lever 600, causing the safety lever 600 to be in a first position or a second position. Further, when it is necessary to open the side door lock, the safety lever 600 can be driven to the first position, and then the side door lock can be unlocked by the first manual unlocking component 500. When it is necessary to close the side door lock, the safety lever 600 can be driven to the second position. Thus, even if the first manual unlocking component 500 is pulled, the side door lock cannot be unlocked.

[0083] Referring again to Figure 6, the side door lock of this disclosure may also have an electric child safety function. The side door lock of this disclosure also includes a child safety component 800. When the child safety component 800 is in the locked state, the side door lock cannot be unlocked by the second manual unlocking component 900. When the child safety component 800 is in the unlocked state, the side door lock can be unlocked by the second manual unlocking component 900.

[0084] The second manual unlocking assembly 900 disclosed herein may include an inward-opening lever. The inward-opening lever is rotatably disposed on the lock body 100. The inward-opening lever has the same axis of rotation as the operating lever assembly 430. The inward-opening lever can selectively engage with the third arm feature 433 of the operating lever assembly 430 to selectively drive the operating lever assembly 430 to rotate.

[0085] The child safety control assembly 800 may include a second motor 810. The second motor 810 is mounted on the lock body. A worm gear is mounted on the output shaft of the second motor 810. The worm gear can mesh with a child safety control worm wheel 820, and the rotation of the worm gear causes the child safety control worm wheel 820 to rotate.

[0086] The pediatric safety worm gear 820 has an arc-shaped hole. One end of the pediatric safety connecting rod 830 is rotatably and slidably disposed within the arc-shaped hole of the pediatric safety worm gear 820. The inner pull rod has an elongated hole. The other end of the pediatric safety connecting rod 830 is rotatably and slidably disposed within the elongated hole.

[0087] As shown in the view of Figure 7, when the child safety linkage 830 is driven to move to the right (e.g., to the right end of the elongated slot), the inward-opening lever can be connected to the operating lever component 430. Specifically, when the inward-opening lever is driven to rotate clockwise, it can drive the operating lever component 430 to rotate clockwise, thus unlocking the side door lock. When the child safety linkage 830 is driven to move to the left (e.g., to the left end of the elongated slot), the clockwise rotation of the inward-opening lever will not drive the operating lever component 430 to rotate clockwise. Therefore, the side door lock cannot be opened by the inward-opening lever, thus realizing the child safety function.

[0088] In another embodiment, the child safety linkage 830 of this disclosure can be manually operated and moved, thereby enabling the child safety function of this disclosure to be manually turned on or off.

[0089] In a preferred embodiment, the side door lock may further include a first position detection device. This first position detection device may be a limit switch, which detects the position of the child safety worm gear 820. When the child safety component is in the engaged state, the limit switch can be driven and closed. Therefore, the controller can prevent the unlocking movement of the first motor based on the closed state of the limit switch. That is, the side door lock cannot be unlocked by the electric unlocking component 400 at this time. In other words, the vehicle controller can disable or enable the electric unlocking function based on the state of the child safety component.

[0090] In another preferred embodiment, the side door lock may further include a second position detection device, which may be a limit switch. The position of the safety lever is detected by the limit switch. When the safety lever is in the locked state, the limit switch can be driven and closed. Thus, the controller can prevent the unlocking movement of the first motor based on the closed state of the limit switch. That is, the side door lock cannot be unlocked by the electric unlocking assembly 400 at this time. The vehicle controller can disable or enable the electric unlocking function based on the state of the safety lever.

[0091] The side door disclosed herein operates with independent electric and manual unlocking functions. Even in the event of a power outage following a vehicle collision, it can be safely unlocked via the inward-opening lever, thus improving overall vehicle safety.

[0092] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a motor vehicle is provided, including the aforementioned side door lock. The side door lock is used to control the locking and unlocking of the side door of the motor vehicle.

[0093] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make other changes or modifications based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A side door lock characterized by, include: A locking tongue component, the locking tongue component being configured to rotate about a first axis, and including at least a locked position and an unlocked position; A pawl assembly for engaging with the latch member and for at least holding the latch member in the locked position; An electrically operated unlocking assembly, which is used to cooperate with the pawl assembly so that the pawl assembly can release the locking tongue component; A first manual unlocking component, which selectively engages with the pawl assembly to allow the pawl assembly to release the locking tongue component; and A safety lever is configured to rotate about a sixth axis and has a first position and a second position; wherein, when the safety lever is in the first position, the first manual unlocking component is allowed to drive the pawl assembly; when the safety lever is in the second position, the first manual unlocking component is not allowed to drive the pawl assembly. The electric unlocking assembly includes a first motor and a worm gear assembly that is drively connected to the first motor. The worm gear assembly is configured to drive the safety lever from a first position to a second position, or from a second position to a first position. The worm gear assembly can rotate the safety lever in the same direction when driving it from the first position to the second position as it rotates when driving it from the second position to the first position.

2. The side door latch of claim 1, wherein The worm gear assembly includes a worm gear component and a safety drive component. One end of the safety drive component is rotatably connected to the worm gear component, and the other end of the safety drive component extends outward from the worm gear component.

3. The side door latch of claim 2, wherein The safety lever includes a first mating part and a second mating part; the safety drive component selectively engages with the first mating part or the second mating part to push the safety lever to rotate in different directions.

4. The side door latch of claim 3, wherein When the safety lever is in the first position, the safety drive member can cooperate with the first mating part to drive the safety lever from the first position to the second position.

5. The side door latch of claim 4, wherein, The first mating part includes a first groove formed on the side of the safety lever, and the opening of the first groove faces the worm gear assembly.

6. The side door latch of claim 5, wherein The first groove includes a first upper sidewall and a first lower sidewall; when the safety lever is in the first position, the other end of the safety drive member can contact the first upper sidewall, and as the worm gear component rotates further, the other end of the safety drive member can slide along the inner sidewall of the first groove and cooperate with the first lower sidewall to push the safety lever from the first position to the second position.

7. The side door latch of claim 6, wherein The safety lever has a protrusion that forms the first upper sidewall of the first groove. When the other end of the safety drive is engaged with the first lower sidewall, the protrusion contacts the first side surface of the safety drive.

8. The side door latch of claim 7, wherein, When the safety lever is in the second position, the safety drive member can cooperate with the second mating part to drive the safety lever from the second position to the first position.

9. The side door latch of claim 8, wherein, The second mating part includes a second groove formed on the side of the safety lever, and the opening of the second groove faces the worm gear assembly.

10. The side door latch of claim 9, wherein, The second groove includes a second upper sidewall; when the safety lever is in the second position, the other end of the safety drive member can contact the second upper sidewall to push the safety lever from the second position to the first position.

11. The side door latch of claim 10, wherein, The protrusion is used to form the second lower sidewall of the second groove. When the other end of the safety drive is engaged with the second upper sidewall, the protrusion contacts the second side surface of the safety drive.

12. The side door latch of claim 1, wherein When the safety lever is in the first position, the upper end of the safety lever is away from the worm gear assembly, and the lower end of the safety lever is close to the worm gear assembly; when the safety lever is in the second position, the upper end of the safety lever is close to the worm gear assembly, and the lower end of the safety lever is away from the worm gear assembly.

13. The side door latch of claim 1, wherein The worm gear assembly has a first retaining ring on the worm gear component. The first retaining ring is used to limit the safety drive member in the initial position, and when the safety drive member leaves the initial position, the first retaining ring is used to reset the safety drive member to the initial position.

14. The side door latch of claim 13, wherein, The safety drive component is provided with two columnar parts, and the two ends of the first retaining spring are used to clamp the columnar parts, wherein the two ends of the first retaining spring are arranged approximately parallel to each other.

15. The side door latch of claim 1, wherein, The electrically unlocking component includes: An operating lever component is provided, which cooperates with the worm gear assembly to drive the operating lever component to rotate through the rotation of the worm gear assembly. When the operating lever component rotates, it can push the pawl assembly to move.

16. The side door latch of claim 15, wherein, The operating lever component includes an operating lever groove feature. The lower end of the safety lever has an arc-shaped groove. One end of the safety unlocking lever is slidably and rotatably disposed in the arc-shaped groove of the safety lever. The other end of the safety unlocking lever is slidably and rotatably disposed in the operating lever groove feature of the operating lever component.

17. The side door latch defined in claim 16, wherein When the safety lever is in the first position, the first manual unlocking component can drive the safety unlocking lever, and drive the operating lever component to rotate through the safety unlocking lever. When the safety lever is in the second position, the first manual unlocking component cannot drive the safety unlocking lever.

18. The side door latch defined in claim 17, wherein One end of the safety unlocking rod is provided with a limiting post, and a second retaining spring is provided on the safety pull rod. The second retaining spring cooperates with the limiting post to restrict one end of the safety unlocking rod to approximately the middle position of the arc groove of the safety pull rod.

19. The side door latch of claim 18, wherein, The lower end of the safety lever is provided with a limit protrusion, and the two ends of the second retaining spring are used to clamp the limit post and the limit protrusion, wherein the two ends of the second retaining spring are arranged approximately parallel to each other.

20. A motor vehicle characterized by Includes the side door lock as described in any one of claims 1-19.

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