阅读说明：本技术 车辆门闩锁装置 (Vehicle door latch device ) 是由 长冈智治 藤原宏彰 于 2017-10-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：得到工作声音优异的动力拉紧机构用的动力单元。门闩锁装置具备闩锁单元(12)和动力单元(14)。闩锁单元(12)具有与撞针(15)卡合的闩锁(16)、与闩锁(16)卡合的棘爪(17)、使闩锁(16)从半锁紧位置向全锁紧位置位移的第一拉紧杆(25),闩锁单元(12)安装于车门的端部。动力单元(14)具有电动机(67)、线缆卷筒(68)、减速机构(69)、及将它们收纳的闭锁型壳体(63)。在向电动机的供给电压为9伏时,动力单元(14)的壳体的正上方300毫米处的工作声音为42.2～40.9分贝,在供给电压为12伏时,所述工作声音为47.5～43.9分贝,在供给电压为16伏时,所述工作声音为49.7～46.5分贝。减速机构(69)具备蜗轮及斜齿轮。(A power unit for a power take-up mechanism excellent in operating sound is obtained. A door latch device is provided with a latch unit (12) and a power unit (14). The latch unit (12) has a latch (16) that engages with the striker (15), a pawl (17) that engages with the latch (16), and a first tension lever (25) that displaces the latch (16) from the half-latched position to the fully-latched position, and the latch unit (12) is attached to an end portion of the vehicle door. The power unit (14) has a motor (67), a cable drum (68), a speed reduction mechanism (69), and a lock case (63) that houses the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism. The operating sound is 42.2-40.9 decibels at 300mm directly above the housing of the power unit (14) when the supply voltage to the motor is 9 volts, 47.5-43.9 decibels when the supply voltage is 12 volts, and 49.7-46.5 decibels when the supply voltage is 16 volts. The speed reduction mechanism (69) is provided with a worm wheel and a helical gear.)

1. A vehicle door latch mechanism having:

a latch unit attached to an end portion of a vehicle door, the latch unit including a latch including a half-latch stepped portion defining a half-latch position and a full-latch stepped portion defining a full-latch position, the latch being rotated from an unlock position toward the full-latch position by engagement with a striker, a pawl that restricts unlocking rotation of the latch by engagement with the half-latch stepped portion and the full-latch stepped portion, and a first tension lever that displaces the latch from the half-latch position to the full-latch position by rotation;

a cable that rotates the first tension bar; and

a power unit which is attached to the door separately from the latch unit, and which includes a motor, a cable drum which winds and unwinds the cable, a speed reduction mechanism which transmits power of the motor to the cable drum, and a lock-type case which houses the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism,

an operating sound at 300mm directly above the housing of the power unit is 42.2-40.9 db at a supply voltage of 9 v to the motor, 47.5-43.9 db at a supply voltage of 12 v, and 49.7-46.5 db at a supply voltage of 16 v, wherein,

the speed reduction mechanism has a worm wheel and a helical gear.

2. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the motor has a brush arm, and a damper is attached to the brush arm.

3. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the vehicle door latch device includes a connecting piece for connecting the housing and an inner door panel of a vehicle door, and a damping rubber interposed between the housing and the connecting piece.

4. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

the housing has:

a main body having a drive system accommodating chamber formed on an indoor side for accommodating the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism, and a back space formed on an outdoor side;

an outer cover that closes the drive system accommodation chamber; and

and a rear cover for closing the rear space.

5. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

the speed reduction mechanism has a large-diameter gear and a small-diameter gear which are coaxially formed integrally, the motor has a cylindrical worm formed on an output shaft, the cable drum has a drum gear on an outer peripheral surface,

the large-diameter gear is a worm wheel meshed with the cylindrical worm, and the small-diameter gear is a helical gear meshed with the drum gear.

6. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

and when the ambient temperature is-40 to 80 ℃ and the supply voltage to the motor is 9 to 16V, the traction force of the power unit to the end part of the cable on the latch unit side is 315.5 to 1144N.

Technical Field

The present application is based on japanese application No. 2017-139726 filed on 7/19/2017, and claims priority based on the application. The entirety of this application is incorporated by reference into this application.

The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch device, and more particularly to a vehicle door latch device including a power take-up mechanism (POWERED CINCHING MECHANISM) for displacing a latch from a half-latched position to a full-latched position.

Background

Conventionally, a vehicle door latch device including a power release mechanism that can open a door by releasing restriction of a latch by motor power is known (patent document 1). Further, there is also known a vehicle door latch device including a power take-up mechanism (also referred to as a power close mechanism) for changing a latch from a half-lock position to a full-lock position (patent document 2).

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2002-295095

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-98628

Disclosure of Invention

Conventionally, a power unit of a power release mechanism requiring only a small output is often provided integrally with a latch unit including a latch and a pawl. In contrast, in many cases, the power unit of the power take-up mechanism, which requires a large output, is disposed near the center of the door separately from the latch unit.

The latch unit is mounted in a narrow limited space at the rear end portion of the door farthest from the rotation shaft, and therefore is subjected to many design restrictions. In contrast, the power unit of the separately provided power take-up mechanism has an extremely high degree of freedom in design. However, in a high-class automobile, the operating sound is also large, and the operating sound is suppressed by a sound-proof and sound-absorbing material that is used in a large amount in a door.

The vehicle door latch device of the present invention has: a latch unit attached to an end portion of a vehicle door, the latch unit including a latch including a half-latch stepped portion defining a half-latch position and a full-latch stepped portion defining a full-latch position, the latch being rotated from an unlock position to the full-latch position by engagement with a striker, a pawl that restricts unlocking rotation of the latch by engagement with the half-latch stepped portion and the full-latch stepped portion, and a first tension lever that displaces the latch from the half-latch position to the full-latch position by rotation; a cable that rotates the first tension bar; and a power unit which is mounted to the door separately from the latch unit, and which includes a motor, a cable drum that winds and unwinds one end of the cable, a speed reduction mechanism that transmits power of the motor to the cable drum, and a lock-type case that houses the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism. The working sound is 42.2-40.9 decibels at 300mm directly above the housing of the power unit when the supply voltage to the motor is 9 volts, 47.5-43.9 decibels when the supply voltage is 12 volts, and 49.7-46.5 decibels when the supply voltage is 16 volts. The speed reduction mechanism has a worm wheel and a helical gear.

According to the present invention, the operating sound of the power unit can be suppressed to a good level, and the cost can be suppressed to a low cost.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present application.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an indoor side view showing a state in which a vehicle door latch device according to the present invention is mounted to an inner door panel of a vehicle door.

Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the vehicle door latch device.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the latch unit in a fully latched state of the vehicle door latch mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a rear side perspective view of the latch unit and the operation unit of the vehicle door latch device.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of the power take-up mechanism showing a standby state of the vehicle door latch mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a portion of the power take-up mechanism and reset lever showing the fully latched condition of the vehicle door latch mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a front side perspective view of the main case of the housing of the operation unit.

Fig. 8 is a side view of various components stored in the side storage portion of the main box.

Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of the L-shaped bracket, the power lever, and the tension lever.

Fig. 10 is a rear side perspective view of the L-shaped bracket, the power lever, and the tension lever.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the tension bar.

Fig. 12 is a front view of the clutch lever.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the open link.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of the power lever.

Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the inner door panel and the soundproof and sound-absorbing cover.

Fig. 16 is a control block circuit diagram.

Fig. 17 is an indoor side view of the power unit with the drive system cover removed.

Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the housing of the power unit.

Fig. 19 is an outdoor side perspective view of the main body of the housing of the power unit.

Fig. 20 is an outdoor side perspective view of a driving unit of the power unit.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the connecting piece of the main body and the damper rubber.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of a motor of the power unit.

Fig. 23 is a conceptual diagram illustrating connection of components of the vehicle door latch device in which a fixed rotation shaft is indicated by a black circle.

Description of the reference symbols

10 … vehicle door latch apparatus, 11 … inner door panel, 12 … latch unit, 13 … operating unit, 14 … power unit, 15 … striker, 16 … latch, 16a … striker engagement slot, 16b … half latch step, 16c … full latch step, 16d … latch arm, 17 … pawl, 17a … engagement end, 17b … pawl pin, 18 … latch, 18a … striker entry passage, 18b … guide slot, 19 … latch shaft, 20 … pawl shaft, 21 … cover plate, 21a … cut-out passage, 22 … back plate, 23 … bracket, 23a … fixed transverse plane, 24b … fixed longitudinal plane, 24 … housing, 24a … main box, 24b … side receiver, 24c … box cover, 25 c … first tension bar, 25a … one end, 25b … other end, … movable linkage push-on pin, … push-press, … movable linkage, … push-on …, … push-latch lever, …, 30 … clutch lever, 30a … bearing surface, 31 … stop shaft, 32 … clutch spring, 33 … guide pin, 34 … tension spring, 35 … emergency lever, 35a … bend, 35b … link arm, 36 … shaft, 37 … reset lever, 38 … shaft, 39 … reset spring, 40 … motor, 41 … worm, 42 … gear, 42a … cam slot, 42b … axle, 43 … open lever, 43a … cam arm, 44 … open shaft, 45 … driven pin, 46 … open spring, 47a … open link, 47a … link hole, 48 … sensing sensor, 49 … remote control transmitter, 50 … lock cylinder, 51 … auxiliary door open lever, 52 … link rod, 52a … lower end, 3653 open handle, 54 open handle, … inner rod 3654 a …, … abutment portion, … inner shaft …, … cable mounting shaft …, 3659, … cable mounting shaft …, … fixing plate 3660, 62 … sound-proof sound-absorbing cover, 63 … casing, 64 … main body, 64a … drive system housing chamber, 64b … back side space, 64c … space, 65 … outside cover, 66 … back side cover, 67 … motor, 68 … cable reel, 68a … reel gear, 68b … cam projection, 69 … speed reducing mechanism, 70 … secondary gear, 70a … central shaft, 70b … large diameter gear, 70c … small diameter gear, 71 … supporting shaft, 72 … cylindrical worm, 73 … cable, 74 … reel sensor, 75 … connecting piece, 76 … damping rubber, 77 … brush arm and 78 damper 78 ….

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be applied to a general swing type door, but can also be applied to a slide type door. Fig. 1 shows a vehicle door latch device 10 of the present invention and a metal inner door panel 11 of a vehicle door on which the vehicle door latch device 10 is mounted. Fig. 1 illustrates the center and rear portions of the inner door panel 11, and the front portion is omitted.

The vehicle door latch device 10 includes: a latch unit 12 fixed to a rear end portion of a vehicle door (inner door panel 11); an operation unit 13 provided in series on the back side of the latch unit 12; and a power unit 14 for supplying power for tightening the door to the operation unit 13 to fully lock the door. Note that the latch unit 12 may be integrally expressed as the latch unit 12 without strictly distinguishing and distinguishing the latch unit 12 from the operation unit 13.

The latch unit 12 is disposed at a rear end portion of the door farthest from the rotation shaft so that a front surface side shown in fig. 3 faces the vehicle rear side. The latch unit 12 includes a latch 16 that engages with the striker 15 on the vehicle body side, and a pawl 17 that maintains the engagement state of the latch 16 and the striker 15. The latch 16 and the pawl 17 are accommodated in a latch body 18 made of synthetic resin and rotate about a latch shaft 19 and a pawl shaft 20, respectively.

When the door is moved in the door closing direction by a sufficient manual door closing force, the striker 15 relatively enters the striker entry passage 18a formed in the latch body 18 and abuts against the striker engagement groove 16a of the latch 16 at the unlock position shown by the imaginary line in fig. 3. The striker 15 rotates the latch 16 from the unlock position to the full lock direction (counterclockwise direction) against the elastic force of a latch spring (not shown). When the latch 16 reaches the half-lock position, the engagement end 17a of the pawl 17, which is biased in the counterclockwise rotation direction (the direction in which the pawl 17 engages with the latch 16) by the elastic force of the pawl spring (not shown), can engage with the half-lock stepped portion 16b of the latch 16 that defines the half-lock position. When the latch 16 reaches the full lock position, the engagement end 17a of the pawl 17 can engage with the full lock step portion 16c of the latch 16 defining the full lock position. When the engagement end 17a of the pawl 17 engages with the full-lock stepped portion 16c, the latch 16 is held at the full-lock position, and the door is held in the closed state.

As shown in fig. 2, a metal cover plate 21 is fixed to the front side of the latch body 18. The cover plate 21 is formed with a cutout passage 21a corresponding to the striker entry passage 18 a. When the door is a normal swing door, the latch shaft 19 and the pawl shaft 20 extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the striker entry passage 18a and the notch passage 21a are set to be horizontal.

As shown in fig. 4, an upper metal back plate 22 and a lower metal L-shaped bracket 23 are fixed to the back surface side of the latch 18 (fig. 9 and 10). In fig. 4, the back plate 22 is substantially covered by the case 24 of the operation unit 13. The back plate 22 and the bracket 23 may be formed as a single metal plate. The bracket 23 includes a fixed lateral plane 23a parallel to the thickness direction of the door and a fixed longitudinal plane 23b parallel to the door panel, and the lower portion of the case 24 is fixed to the fixed longitudinal plane 23 b.

A first tension rod 25 (fig. 11) extending substantially horizontally is disposed between the latch body 18 and the fixed transverse plane 23a of the bracket 23, and a lower end of a second tension rod 27 is connected to one end 25a of the first tension rod 25 by a connecting pin 26. A passive pin 28 is provided at the other end 25b of the first tension bar 25. As described later, the driving force from the power unit 14 is transmitted to the passive pin 28, and the passive pin 28 is pushed downward by the driving force and moves.

As shown in fig. 5, a movable shaft 29 is provided at the center in the vehicle width direction of the first tension bar 25. The movable shaft 29 is fixed to the first tension bar 25. A clutch lever 30 (fig. 12) is disposed below the first tightening lever 25, and the clutch lever 30 is axially locked to a stationary body such as the fixed horizontal plane 23a of the bracket 23 or the cover plate 21 by a locking shaft 31. The clutch lever 30 is biased in the clockwise direction in fig. 5 by a clutch spring 32 (fig. 4).

The clutch lever 30 has a substantially horizontal bearing surface 30a, and the movable shaft 29 of the first tension lever 25 is supported from below by the bearing surface 30 a. The movable shaft 29 is a movable shaft that is placed only on the bearing surface 30a and is not pivotally supported by a stationary member such as the latch 18 or the bracket 23. The first tension lever 25 operates on the principle of a lever, the passive pin 28 corresponds to a point of force, the connecting pin 26 corresponds to a point of action, and the movable shaft 29 (bearing surface 30a) corresponds to a fulcrum. When the driven pin 28 that becomes the "force point" is pushed down by the driving force from the power unit 14, the first tension lever 25 rotates counterclockwise about the "fulcrum" and moves the second tension lever 27 upward.

A guide pin 33 is provided on the upper portion of the second tension rod 27. The guide pin 33 is slidably engaged with a vertical guide groove 18b formed on the front surface side of the latch 18. A latch pressing portion 27a is provided at the upper end of the second tension lever 27. When the latch pressing portion 27a moves upward, it can come into contact with the latch arm 16d of the latch 16 at the half-lock position, and thereby the latch 16 can be rotated to the full-lock position.

In the door-open state, the first tension lever 25 is biased in the clockwise rotation direction in fig. 5 by the elastic force of the tension spring 34 (fig. 4), and is held at the standby position in fig. 5. In the standby state of fig. 5, the latch arm 16d of the latch 16 is positioned on the side of the latch pressing portion 27a of the second tension lever 27, and is in a non-facing state with respect to the latch pressing portion 27 a. In the state of fig. 5, when the door is moved in the door closing direction by the manual door closing force and the latch 16 is rotated to the half-latched position, the latch arm 16d of the latch 16 moves to the vicinity above the latch pressing portion 27 a. Further, when the semi-locked state is established, the power unit 14 is activated to rotate the first tightening lever 25 counterclockwise and move the second tightening lever 27 upward. Thereby, the latch pressing portion 27a of the second tension lever 27 abuts against the lower surface of the latch arm 16d of the latch 16 at the half-lock position, the latch 16 is rotated to the full-lock position, and the door can be closed by the motor power. This is referred to as a POWERED take-up mechanism (POWERED CINCHING MECHANISM).

As described above, the movable shaft 29 of the first tension lever 25 is supported only by the horizontal bearing surface 30a of the clutch lever 30 from below. This feature greatly facilitates the disconnection of the power transmission circuit between the power unit 14 and the second tension bar 27. That is, the power transmission circuit can be disconnected by taking off the function as the "fulcrum" from the movable shaft 29 (bearing surface 30a) as the "fulcrum" of the lever. The power transmission circuit can be cut off extremely easily by rotating the clutch lever 30 counterclockwise in fig. 5 and losing the support of the movable shaft 29. At this time, since the frictional force when the bearing surface 30a is separated from the movable shaft 29 is much smaller than the frictional force when the latch pressing portion 27a is separated laterally from the latch arm 16d, the clutch lever 30 can be rotated in the opening direction by a very small operation force.

Above the other end 25b of the first tension lever 25, the panic lever 35 is axially stopped by the shaft 36 on the back side of the latch body 18. The bent portion 35a of the panic lever 35 faces the abutment portion 30b of the clutch lever 30. The panic lever 35 is biased in the counterclockwise direction in fig. 5 by a spring (not shown), and when rotated clockwise against the spring force, can rotate the clutch lever 30 in the disengaging direction (counterclockwise direction in fig. 5).

As shown in fig. 6, the connecting pin 26 at the lower portion of the second tension bar 27 also connects the rotating end of the return lever 37, and the base portion of the return lever 37 is axially stopped by the cover plate 21 by the shaft 38. The shaft 38 is not coaxial with the movable shaft 29. The axial center of the movable shaft 29 preferably coincides with the axial center of the shaft 38 in the vehicle front-rear direction when the first tension lever 25 is in the standby position, but need not coincide completely. The return lever 37 is biased in the clockwise rotation direction in fig. 6 by a return spring 39 (fig. 4). When the movable shaft 29 of the first tension lever 25 loses its function as a "fulcrum", the return lever 37 rapidly moves the second tension lever 27, which has moved upward, to the lower standby position by the elastic force of the return spring 39, and the latch 16 can be unlocked and rotated instantaneously.

When the clutch lever 30 is released from contact with the panic lever 35, the clutch lever rotates clockwise by the elastic force of the clutch spring 32, and the bearing surface 30a moves downward of the movable shaft 29 of the first tension lever 25 which has lost the "fulcrum", and returns to the standby state shown in fig. 5. In the standby state of fig. 5, the bearing surface 30a of the clutch lever 30 preferably faces the movable shaft 29 with a slight gap. This allows the clutch lever 30 to be smoothly returned by the elastic force of the clutch spring 32. When the first tension lever 25 is rotated counterclockwise by the power unit 14, the movable shaft 29 of the first tension lever 25 moves downward by the amount of the clearance and comes into contact with the bearing surface 30a to function as a "fulcrum".

As shown in fig. 7, the housing 24 of the operation unit 13 includes an L-shaped main case 24a and a case cover 24c (fig. 2) that closes the side housing portion 24b of the main case 24 a. The side housing portion 24b extends parallel to the fixing vertical plane 23b of the bracket 23, and the main components shown in fig. 8 are housed in the side housing portion 24b and covered with a box cover 24 c.

The side storage portion 24b is provided with an electric motor 40 for opening the door, which is extremely small compared to the power unit 14. The worm wheel 42 is engaged with the cylindrical worm 41 of the motor 40. The worm wheel 42 is axially stopped by a wheel shaft 42b extending in the thickness direction of the door to the main box 24a, and a cam groove 42a is engraved on the wheel surface thereof.

In the vicinity of the worm wheel 42, the open lever 43 is axially stopped by the open shaft 44 to the main case 24 a. In fig. 8, a follower pin 45 is implanted in a cam arm 43a extending leftward of the opening lever 43, and the follower pin 45 is slidably engaged with the cam groove 42 a.

The worm wheel 42 is normally held at the position of fig. 8 by the elastic force of a return spring, not shown, and when the worm wheel is rotated clockwise by the power of the motor 40, the open lever 43 is pushed out by the cam groove 42a and is rotated counterclockwise against the elastic force of the open spring 46.

In fig. 8, an open link 47 (fig. 13) extending in the vertical direction is disposed at a position overlapping the contact arm 43b extending to the right of the open lever 43. A coupling hole 47a is provided in a lower portion of the open link 47, and a distal end of a coupling arm 35b (fig. 5) of the panic lever 35 is inserted through the coupling hole 47a and coupled to the coupling hole 47 a. When the open link 47 is moved upward, the panic lever 35 performs clockwise rotation in fig. 5.

A curved contact portion 47b is provided near the center of the open link 47 in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the curved abutment portion 47b faces the end of the abutment arm 43b extending rightward of the open lever 43 in fig. 8. When the open lever 43 is rotated counterclockwise in fig. 8 by the driving force of the motor 40, the open link 47 moves upward.

The upper surface of the curved abutment portion 47b of the open link 47 is opposed to the pawl pin 17b provided at the end of the pawl 17. When the open link 47 moves upward, the pawl 17 rotates clockwise in fig. 3 against the elastic force of a pawl spring (not shown) and is disengaged from the latch 16, and the door can be opened.

The motor 40 that disengages the pawl 17 from the latch 16 by power is disposed in the side housing portion 24b of the housing 24 that is closed by the box cover 24c, and therefore its operating sound is shielded and suppressed to a good sound pressure. Further, since the power of the motor 40 is transmitted via the cam groove 42a formed in the gear 42 and the follower pin 45 provided in the open lever 43, a good sound pressure and sound quality can be achieved.

The open lever 43 (open link 47) of the present invention is opened and rotated (opened and moved) by the driving force of the motor 40 in principle. The motor 40 is activated based on a sensing signal from a sensing sensor 48 provided at a door handle of a vehicle door or the like, or an open signal from a remote control transmitter 49 held by a driver. Therefore, in the vehicle door latch device 10 according to the present invention, a so-called "lock mechanism" for switching between the locked state and the unlocked state, which is necessary in the conventionally known vehicle door latch device, is omitted, and the structure is very simplified. That is, since the motor 40 can be operated only by a specific person, a cutting mechanism for cutting off the power transmission path, such as a so-called "lock mechanism", can be omitted.

2 safety measures are implemented in preparation for the malfunction of the motor 40 or its power transmission path. The first is a countermeasure based on the door lock cylinder 50. The door lock cylinder 50 is provided in a metal outer door panel (not shown) of the door. The conventional door lock cylinder 50 is connected to a "lock mechanism" that is not provided in the present invention, and is used for switching the "lock mechanism" between the locked state and the unlocked state. In contrast, in the present invention, the door lock cylinder 50 is coupled to the auxiliary open lever 51, and the auxiliary open lever 51 is provided in the side housing portion 24b of the housing 24. The top of the connecting rod 52 is engaged with the auxiliary open lever 51, and the lower end 52a of the connecting rod 52 is connected to the vertical insertion groove 47c of the open link 47 with a vertical play.

Thus, even in an unexpected situation, by rotating the door lock cylinder 50 using an appropriate key plate, the open link 47 can be moved upward via the link rod 52, the pawl 17 can be disengaged from the latch 16, and the door can be opened.

The second measure is to provide an inside open handle 53 on the inside surface of the door, and to connect an inside lever 54 provided in the side housing portion 24b of the case 24 to the inside open handle 53. The inside lever 54 is rotated clockwise about the inside shaft 55 in fig. 8 by the door opening operation of the inside open handle 53. When the contact portion 54a of the inside lever 54 contacts the lower end of the open link 47, the open link 47 moves upward, the pawl 17 is disengaged from the latch 16, and the door can be opened.

In the above configuration, there is also an important feature in a configuration in which the lower portion of the open link 47 is supported by the connecting arm 35b of the panic lever 35. In the normal use mode, the clutch lever 30 is operated via the panic lever 35 every time the open link 47 that is moved upward by the power of the motor 40 is moved upward, and the "fulcrum" of the first tension lever 25 is released. Therefore, even if the second tension lever 27 is stopped in a state of moving upward to the fully locked position due to an obstacle of the power unit 14, when the motor 40 is started by the operation signal, the "fulcrum" of the first tension lever 25 is released at the same time, and therefore, the second tension lever 27 is quickly returned to the lower standby position by the elastic force of the return spring 39, and the unlocking rotation of the latch 16 is performed without interfering with the second tension lever 27.

Further, since the open link 47 is supported by the panic lever 35, the structure is simplified and the design can be made rational.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the power lever 57 is axially stopped at the lower portion of the fixed vertical plane 23b of the bracket 23 by the mounting shaft 56 extending in the door thickness direction. The power rod 57 is coupled to the power unit 14 via a cable 58. An abutment pin 59 extending in the door thickness direction is attached to the power lever 57, and the abutment pin 59 is engageable with the passive pin 28 of the first tension lever 25 to face the passive pin. When the power lever 57 is rotated by the power of the power unit 14, the contact pin 59 presses the passive pin 28, and the first tension lever 25 is rotated counterclockwise in fig. 5 to move the second tension lever 27 upward. Thereby, the latch 16 rotates from the half-lock position to the full-lock position, and the door is closed.

As shown in fig. 1, the power unit 14 is disposed at a position overlapping the access hole 60 of the inner door panel 11 in the width direction of the door, and is locked to the inner door panel 11 by a plurality of fixing plates 61. After the stopping of the inward door panel 11 of the power unit 14 is completed, the manhole 60 is covered with a soundproof sound-absorbing cover 62.

The power unit 14 is a sound-proof/vibration-proof type power unit, and by the multiplier effect with the sound-proof/sound-absorbing cover 62, it is possible to ensure an excellent sound pressure/sound quality level compared to a case where the power unit 14 is disposed on the back side of the metal surface of the inner door panel 11 so as to overlap with the metal surface of the inner door panel 11 in the width direction of the door.

As best shown in fig. 18, the housing 63 of the power unit 14 includes a main body 64 made of resin, an outer cover 65 made of resin that closes a drive system housing chamber 64a formed inside the main body 64, and a rear cover 66 that closes a rear space 64b (fig. 19) formed outside the main body 64. The outer cover 65 and the inner cover 66 are fixed to the main body 64 in a watertight manner with a waterproof seal member (not shown) interposed therebetween.

A motor 67 serving as a power source, a cable drum 68 for winding and unwinding the cable 58, and a speed reduction mechanism 69 for transmitting the power of the motor 67 to the cable drum 68 are housed in the drive system housing chamber 64a of the main body 64. The first tightening lever 25 is operated by rotating the power lever 57 of the operation unit 13 by winding the cable 58 with the cable drum 68.

As shown in fig. 17, the motor 67 is disposed below the drive system housing chamber 64a such that an output shaft of the motor 67 extends in the horizontal direction. The speed reduction mechanism 69 and the cable drum 68 are disposed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction on one side of the drive system accommodating chamber 64 a. The motor 67, the speed reduction mechanism 69, and the cable drum 68 are arranged in an L-shape as a whole. Thus, a space 64c in which the movable member is not disposed is formed above the other side of the drive system accommodation chamber 64 a. The utilization space 64c forms a back space 64b on the back side (inside) of the main body 64.

The secondary gear 70, which is a main component of the speed reduction mechanism 69, is integrally molded with resin, and a support shaft 71 formed on the main body 64 is inserted through a hollow center shaft 70a and is axially locked to the main body 64. The large-diameter gear 70b of the secondary gear 70 is a worm gear that meshes with a cylindrical worm 72 attached to the output shaft of the motor 67. The small-diameter gear 70c coaxial with the large-diameter gear 70b is a helical gear (a cylindrical gear having a helical tooth direction). A helical gear-shaped drum gear 68a meshing with the small-diameter gear 70c is engraved on the outer peripheral surface of the cable drum 68.

In the power unit 14 of the vehicle door latch device 10 used for a general hinged door, when the ambient temperature is 23 degrees and the supply voltage is 12 volts as the traction force at the outer end of the cable 58 (the end on the latch unit 12 side or the end connected to the operation unit 13), an output of about 615N (newtons) is required. The output of the power unit 14 is about 315.5 to 1144N when the ambient temperature is-40 to 80 degrees and the supply voltage is 9 to 16 volts. Further, if the speed reduction mechanism 69 using a worm gear and a helical gear is used, the output of the motor 67 of the power unit 1 can be set to about 210N under the same conditions.

No movable member is disposed in the back space 64b of the main body 64. In the present embodiment, a wiring board (not shown) connected to the cable 73 is disposed in the rear space 64 b. The cable 73 includes a power line to the motor 67 and a signal line of a drum sensor 74 that detects a rotational position of the cable drum 68. The spool sensor 74 operates by coming into contact with the cam projection 68b of the cable spool 68, and detects the initial position of the cable spool 68 (the position where the cable is drawn out).

When the latch 16 is in the semi-latched position, the motor 67 rotates the cable spool 68, pulling and winding the cable 58. When the latch 16 is in the fully latched position, the motor 67 is reversed to rotate the cable drum 68 in the reverse direction, thereby drawing the cable 58. When the cable drum 68 is reset to the initial position, the cam protrusion 68b contacts the drum sensor 74 to stop the motor 67, and the power unit 14 is in the initial state.

Since the rear side space 64b where no movable member is provided is covered with the rear side cover 66, the noise deadening and sound deadening properties of the operating sound of the movable member provided in the drive system accommodating chamber 64a on the opposite side of the rear side space 64b are improved.

A plurality of connecting pieces 75 are provided on the outer periphery of the main body 64 of the power unit 14, and the connecting pieces 75 are fixed to the end portions of the fixing plates 61 via damper rubbers 76 (fig. 21). Therefore, the vibration of the power unit 14 can be effectively absorbed.

The motor 67 of the power unit 14 is a brush-attached DC motor. As shown in the schematic diagram of fig. 22, dampers 78 are attached to the pair of brush arms 77, respectively. Dampers 78 are provided at the bent portions of the brush arms 77, respectively. As shown in the drawing, it is preferable to provide 2 dampers 78 for 1 brush arm 77, whereby the reduction of the operating sound of the motor 67 can be achieved.

As described above, by implementing a plurality of sound-proof, vibration-proof, and vibration-damping measures for the power unit 14 of the present invention, it is possible to favorably reduce the operating sound for a conventional product having an equivalent output. As an example, the operation sound of the power unit 14 alone was measured by stopping the power unit 14 to a fixing member (equivalent to the inner door panel 11) and attaching no member corresponding to the soundproof and sound-absorbing cover 62. A microphone (LA-5111, manufactured by Kogyo Seikagaku corporation) for measurement was disposed at a position 300mm directly above the power unit 14.

The operating sound of the power unit 14 of the present embodiment ranges from 42.2 to 40.9 db at an ambient temperature of 23 degrees and a voltage of 9 v, from 47.5 to 43.9 db at a voltage of 12 v, and from 49.7 to 46.5 db at a voltage of 16 v.

Although several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

1. A vehicle door latch mechanism having:

a latch unit attached to an end portion of a vehicle door, the latch unit including a latch including a half-latch stepped portion defining a half-latch position and a full-latch stepped portion defining a full-latch position, the latch being rotated from an unlock position toward the full-latch position by engagement with a striker, a pawl that restricts unlocking rotation of the latch by engagement with the half-latch stepped portion and the full-latch stepped portion, and a first tension lever that displaces the latch from the half-latch position to the full-latch position by rotation;

a cable that rotates the first tension bar; and

a power unit which is attached to the door separately from the latch unit, and which includes a motor, a cable drum which winds and unwinds the cable, a speed reduction mechanism which transmits power of the motor to the cable drum, and a lock-type case which houses the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism,

an operating sound at 300mm directly above the housing of the power unit is 42.2-40.9 db at a supply voltage of 9 v to the motor, 47.5-43.9 db at a supply voltage of 12 v, and 49.7-46.5 db at a supply voltage of 16 v, wherein,

the speed reduction mechanism includes a large-diameter gear and a small-diameter gear that are coaxially formed integrally, the motor includes a cylindrical worm formed on an output shaft, the cable drum includes a drum gear on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the large-diameter gear is a worm gear that meshes with the cylindrical worm, and the small-diameter gear is a helical gear that meshes with the drum gear.

2. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the motor has a brush arm, and a damper is attached to the brush arm.

3. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the vehicle door latch device includes a connecting piece for connecting the housing and an inner door panel of a vehicle door, and a damping rubber interposed between the housing and the connecting piece.

4. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

the housing has:

a main body having a drive system accommodating chamber formed on an indoor side for accommodating the motor, the cable drum, and the speed reduction mechanism, and a back space formed on an outdoor side;

an outer cover that closes the drive system accommodation chamber; and

and a rear cover for closing the rear space.

5. The vehicle door latch apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

and when the ambient temperature is-40 to 80 ℃ and the supply voltage to the motor is 9 to 16V, the traction force of the power unit to the end part of the cable on the latch unit side is 315.5 to 1144N.