阅读说明：本技术 包括具有优化的打开功能和降低的复位噪音的动力释放机构的闭合闩锁组件 (Closure latch assembly including a powered release mechanism with optimized opening function and reduced reset noise ) 是由 弗朗西斯科·昆博 卢卡·比加齐 于 2021-05-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供了一种用于车辆门的动力闩锁组件和构造该动力闩锁组件的方法。动力闩锁组件包括掣爪,该掣爪构造成在棘轮保持位置与棘轮释放位置之间移动,在该棘轮保持位置处,掣爪将棘轮保持在撞销捕获位置,在该棘轮释放位置处,掣爪将棘轮释放至撞销释放位置。掣爪释放杆使掣爪在棘轮保持位置与棘轮释放位置之间移动。动力致动器能够被通电以控制掣爪释放杆的运动,其中,在掣爪到达棘轮释放位置时,动力致动器自动断电而无需硬止挡特征件。(A power latch assembly for a vehicle door and a method of constructing the power latch assembly are provided. The power latch assembly includes a pawl configured to move between a ratchet holding position, where the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capture position, and a ratchet release position, where the pawl releases the ratchet to the striker release position. A pawl release lever moves the pawl between a ratchet hold position and a ratchet release position. The powered actuator can be energized to control movement of the pawl release lever, wherein the powered actuator is automatically de-energized without the need for a hard stop feature when the pawl reaches the ratchet release position.)

1. A power latch assembly (10) for a vehicle door (12), said power latch assembly (10) comprising:

a ratchet (30), the ratchet (30) configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position;

a pawl (32), the pawl (32) configured to move between a ratchet holding position where the pawl (32) holds the ratchet (30) in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position where the pawl (32) releases the ratchet (30) to move the ratchet (30) to the striker releasing position;

a pawl release lever (34), the pawl release lever (34) configured to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl (32) from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position;

a power release actuator (50), the power release actuator (50) configured to move the pawl release lever (34) between the home position and the pawl release position to move the pawl (32) from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position; and

an activation/deactivation device (70), the activation/deactivation device (70) configured to be in operable communication with the pawl release lever (34), the activation/deactivation device (70) being in an activated state when the pawl release lever (34) is in the home position, the power release actuator (50) being selectively energizable in the activated state, the activation/deactivation device (70) changing from the activated state to a deactivated state in response to movement of the pawl (32) to the ratchet release position, the power release actuator (50) being automatically de-energized in the deactivated state.

2. A power latch assembly (10) according to claim 1 further comprising a drive gear (54) driven by said power release actuator (50), the drive gear (54) being in operable driving engagement with a driven gear (56), the driven gear (56) having a release cam (58) secured to the driven gear (56), the release cam (58) is configured to engage a cam drive surface (60) of the pawl release lever (34), to move the pawl release lever (34) between the home position and the pawl release position in response to the driven gear (56) being driven by the drive gear (54) from a driven gear home position, the release cam (58) is configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever (34) after the pawl release lever (34) reaches the pawl release position.

3. A power latch assembly (10) as set forth in claim 2 wherein said release cam (58) travels along a first radius of curvature (r1) relative to an axis of rotation (a) of said driven gear (56) in response to movement of said driven gear (56), said pawl release lever (34) having a lost motion cam surface (78) extending from said cam drive surface (60), said lost motion cam surface (78) having a second radius of curvature (r2) relative to said axis of rotation (a), said first radius of curvature (r1) being substantially the same as said second radius of curvature (r2) or smaller than said second radius of curvature (r2) such that said release cam (58) moves along said lost motion cam surface (78) relative to said pawl release lever (34).

4. A power latch assembly (10) according to claim 3 wherein the pawl release lever (34) remains stationary as the release cam (58) moves along the lost motion cam surface, preventing the pawl release lever (34) from moving beyond the pawl release position.

5. A power latch assembly (10) according to either of claims 3 and 4 wherein the activation/deactivation means (70) is maintained in the deactivated state when the pawl release lever (34) is in the pawl release position.

6. A power latch assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the pawl release lever (34) has a lug (76), the lug (76) being configured to engage the activation/deactivation means (70) to entrain the activation/deactivation means (70) to change the activation/deactivation means (70) between the activated and deactivated states.

7. A power latch assembly (10) according to claim 6 wherein the lug (76) moves into engagement with the activation/deactivation means (70) to move the activation/deactivation means (70) to the activated condition when the pawl release lever (34) is returned towards the home position.

8. The power latch assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a magnet (80) and a sensor (82), said magnet (80) being fixed to said pawl (32), said sensor (82) being configured to be in operable communication with said magnet (80) to detect when said pawl (32) is in said ratchet release position, said sensor (82) being configured to be in operable communication with said power release actuator (50) to automatically reverse the direction of movement of said power release actuator (50) after detecting that said pawl (32) is in said ratchet release position, thereby allowing said pawl release lever (34) to return to said home position.

9. A power latch assembly (10) according to claim 2 wherein the driven gear (56) returns to its original position without the use of a hard stop.

10. A power latch assembly (10) according to claim 9 wherein the return of the driven gear (56) to the driven gear home position does not require the use of a sensor to detect the position of the driven gear (56).

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to automotive door latches and, more particularly, to a powered door latch assembly equipped with a power release/power return motor controller to regulate the energization and de-energization of a powered motor.

Background

This section provides background information related to automotive door latches and is not necessarily prior art to the concepts associated with the present disclosure.

A vehicle closure panel, such as a side door for a vehicle passenger compartment, is hinged to swing between an open position and a closed position, and includes a latch assembly mounted to the vehicle door. The latch assembly functions in a known manner to latch the door when the door is closed, lock the door in its closed position, and unlatch and release the door to allow the door to be subsequently moved to its open position. As is also known, latch assemblies are configured to include a latch mechanism for latching a vehicle door, a lock mechanism that interacts with the latch mechanism for locking the vehicle door, and a release mechanism that interacts with the lock mechanism for unlocking and unlatching the vehicle door. These mechanisms may be power operated and/or manually operated via inside and outside door handles to provide a desired level of standard features. In known latch assemblies, if the latch mechanism is both power and mechanically actuatable, the ability to utilize both a power release and return mechanism and a mechanical release and return mechanism is utilized to continue to coexist so that the user can actuate the latch mechanism at any time using either a powered mechanism or a mechanical mechanism. Thus, the latch mechanism can be unlatched at any time by user actuation via power or mechanical actuation of the inside and outside door handles.

During powered actuation of the latch mechanism, i.e., during the release and reset operations, it is known to regulate powered movement of one or more gears driven by the motor via a hard stop feature and through a sensor configured to communicate directly with the driven gear. Such a hard stop feature may be integrally formed with the housing of the latch mechanism, may be fixed to the housing of the latch mechanism, or to some other latch component. When the gear or a feature associated with the gear, including a lever associated with the latch mechanism, is in direct physical contact with the hard stop feature, it typically signals the motor and de-energizes it. During the impact of the gear or feature with the hard stop feature, undesirable noise may be generated. Further, the energization/deenergization of the motor may be facilitated via detecting the position of the driven gear with a sensor. However, when the motor is de-energized, the driven gear may continue to rotate via inertia, and thus, the position of the driven gear relative to the sensor in communication therewith may be different than desired.

Accordingly, there remains a need to develop alternative devices for latch mechanisms used in vehicle side door latches that regulate the energization and de-energization of the power motor without generating noise due to stop features associated with the power motor, and which also result in accurate, repeatable, and reliable positioning of the driven gear and associated latch components.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, but is not intended to be a comprehensive and exhaustive list of features of the disclosure or the full scope of the disclosure.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a power latch assembly for motor vehicle closure applications that overcomes at least those disadvantages discussed above associated with known power latch assemblies.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a power latch assembly for motor vehicle closure applications having a motor that can be de-energized without the need for a hard stop feature, resulting in a noise reduced operation.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a power latch assembly for motor vehicle closure applications that results in accurate, repeatable and reliable positioning of the driven gear and associated latch components.

In accordance with the above objects, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a power latch assembly for a vehicle door including a ratchet configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position. The power latch assembly includes a pawl configured to move between a ratchet holding position, where the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capture position, and a ratchet release position, where the pawl releases the ratchet to the striker release position. The pawl release lever is configured to selectively move the pawl between a ratchet holding position and a ratchet release position. The powered actuator can be energized to control movement of the pawl release lever to move the pawl from the ratchet hold position to the ratchet release position, wherein the powered actuator is automatically de-energized without the need for a hard stop feature when the pawl reaches the ratchet release position.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the power latch assembly further includes an activation/deactivation device configured to be in operable communication with the pawl release lever. The activation/deactivation device is configured to be in an activated state in which the power release actuator may be selectively energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position. The activation/deactivation device is configured to move to a deactivated state in response to the pawl moving to the ratchet release position, in which the power release actuator is automatically de-energized, thereby eliminating the need for a hard stop feature to stop movement of the latch member.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the power latch assembly further includes a drive gear driven by the power release actuator, wherein the drive gear is in meshing engagement with a driven gear having a release cam secured thereto. The release cam is configured to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear from the driven gear home position. The release cam is configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position, whereby, in conjunction with de-energizing the power release actuator, a hard stop feature is not required to stop movement of the latch member.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the release cam is configured to travel along a first radius of curvature relative to an axis of rotation of the driven gear in response to movement of the driven gear. The pawl release lever has a lost motion cam surface extending from the cam drive surface. The lost motion cam surface has a second radius of curvature relative to the rotational axis, wherein the first radius of curvature is substantially the same as the second radius of curvature such that the release cam moves along the lost motion cam surface relative to the pawl release lever.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the pawl release lever may remain stationary as the release cam moves along the lost motion cam surface, thereby preventing the pawl release lever from moving beyond the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the activation/deactivation device may remain in a deactivated state when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the pawl release lever may be provided with a tab configured to trigger the activation/deactivation device to change the activation/deactivation device between the activated and deactivated states.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the lug may be configured to return to engagement with the activation/deactivation device to move the activation/deactivation device to the activated state when the pawl release lever returns toward the home position.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the power latch assembly may further include a magnet secured to the pawl and a sensor configured to be in operative communication with the magnet to detect a position of the pawl, such as when the pawl is in a ratchet release position. The sensor is configured to be in operative communication with the power release actuator to automatically reverse a direction of movement of the power release actuator after detecting that the pawl is in the ratchet release position, thereby allowing the pawl release lever to return to the home position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the driven gear returns to the driven gear original position without using a hard stopper, thereby reducing the possibility of noise generation.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the driven gear returns to the driven gear original position without using a sensor to detect the position of the driven gear, thereby reducing complexity and cost.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the activation/deactivation device may be provided as one of a switch or proximity sensor that is physically activatable/deactivatable, the switch or proximity sensor being configured to determine when the pawl release lever is in a home position and to determine when the pawl release lever is in a pawl release position, wherein the activation/deactivation device is configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator to allow the power release brake to be energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position and to be automatically de-energized when the pawl release lever is moved to the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the activation/deactivation device may be configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator via an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), wherein the ECU signals the power release actuator when the pawl release lever reaches its pawl release position to automatically reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator to allow the pawl release lever to return to its original position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a sensor may be configured to determine when the pawl is in the ratchet release position, wherein the sensor is configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator, such as via the ECU, to automatically reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator after detecting movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position, thereby allowing the pawl release lever to return to the home position.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a power latch assembly for a vehicle door includes a ratchet configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position. The pawl is configured to move between a ratchet holding position where the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position where the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position. The pawl release lever is configured to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl from a ratchet holding position to a ratchet release position. The power release actuator is configured to move the pawl release lever between a home position and a pawl release position to move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position. A drive gear is driven by the power release actuator, wherein the drive gear is configured for operable driving engagement with a driven gear having a release cam secured thereto. The release cam is configured to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear from the driven gear home position. The release cam is configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position, thereby preventing unnecessary over travel of the pawl release lever and eliminating the need for a hard stop feature to stop movement of the pawl beyond a desired ratchet release position, which ultimately results in quiet, noise-reduced operation of the power latch assembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of constructing a power latch assembly for a vehicle door is provided. The method comprises the following steps: the ratchet is configured to move between and be biased toward a striker capture position and a striker release position. The pawl is configured to move between a ratchet holding position where the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position where the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position. The pawl release lever is configured to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl from a ratchet holding position to a ratchet release position. The power release actuator is configured to be energized to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position to move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position. The power release actuator is configured to be de-energized when the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position to stop the pawl at the ratchet release position without the use of a hard active stop.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include: configuring an activation/deactivation device in operable communication with the pawl release lever; and configuring the activation/deactivation device to allow the power release device to be energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position and to de-energize the power release device in response to movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include: the activation/deactivation means is provided as a switch having a closed position in which the power release means can be energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position, and an open position in which the power release means is de-energized when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include providing the activation/deactivation device as a proximity sensor configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in a home position, the power release device may be energized when the pawl release lever is detected in the home position, and the proximity sensor is configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in a pawl release position, the power release device being de-energized when the pawl release lever is detected in the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include: configuring an electronic control unit in operable communication with the proximity sensor and the power-operated actuator; and the ECU is configured to receive a signal from the proximity sensor indicating that the pawl release lever is in its pawl release position and to send a signal to the power release actuator to reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator in response to the pawl release lever being in its pawl release position, thereby allowing the pawl release lever to return to its home position.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include: providing a drive gear to be driven by a power release actuator; and configuring the drive gear to be in operable driving engagement with a driven gear having a release cam secured thereto; and configuring the release cam to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever from the home position to the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear; and the release cam is configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position and as the driven gear moves relative to the pawl release lever.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a power latch assembly for a vehicle door, the power latch assembly comprising: a ratchet configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position; a pawl configured to move between a ratchet holding position at which the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position at which the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position; a power release actuator operably coupled to the pawl to move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position; and an activation/deactivation device configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator, the activation/deactivation device being in an activated state when the power release actuator is in the reset position, in which the power release actuator can be selectively energized, the activation/deactivation device changing from the activated state to the deactivated state in response to the power release actuator transitioning from the reset position to the release position, wherein the pawl moves to the ratchet release position, and in the deactivated state the power release actuator is automatically de-energized. In a related aspect, the power release actuator is not in a stalled condition when the power release actuator is automatically de-energized. In a related aspect, the power release actuator is displaced from the hard stop, or from a position in contact with the hard stop, when the power release actuator is automatically de-energized. In a related aspect, when the power release actuator is automatically de-energized, inertia of the power release actuator is eliminated before movement of the power release actuator is stopped by contact of the power release actuator with the hard stop.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a motor vehicle having a side door equipped with a power latch assembly embodying the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a power latch assembly embodying the teachings of the present disclosure, the power latch assembly being intended to be shown in operative communication with various components of a side door, with some components removed for clarity only;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another power latch assembly embodying the teachings of the present disclosure, with the pawl of the power latch assembly shown in a ratchet holding position;

FIG. 3A is a schematic side view of the power latch assembly as shown in FIG. 3 with various components removed for clarity only;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the power latch assembly of FIG. 3 shown in an initial stage of actuation with various components removed for clarity only;

FIG. 4B is a schematic side view of the power latch assembly as shown in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the power latch assembly of FIG. 3 shown in a final stage of actuation with the pawl moved to a ratchet release position;

FIG. 5A is another perspective view of the power latch assembly of FIG. 3 shown in the final stage of actuation with the pawl moved to the ratchet release position with various components removed for clarity only;

FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of the power latch assembly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the power latch assembly similar to FIG. 5A, FIG. 6 showing the cam driven to an override position along the pawl release lever;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the power latch assembly of FIG. 3 shown in an initial stage of a reset operation;

FIG. 7A is a view similar to FIG. 7 from a different perspective;

FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of the power latch assembly as shown in FIG. 7A; and

fig. 8 is a method of constructing a power latch assembly according to another illustrative aspect.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Detailed Description

One or more example embodiments of a latch assembly of the type well suited for use in a motor vehicle closure system will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies will not be described in detail since they will be easily understood by those skilled in the art.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Unless specifically stated to the order of execution, the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their execution in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements (e.g., "between" and "directly between", "adjacent" and "directly adjacent", etc.) should be interpreted in the same manner. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "below," "lower," "upper," "top," "bottom," and the like, may be used herein to facilitate describing one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated angle or rotated at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Referring initially to fig. 1, there is shown a non-limiting example of a power latch assembly, hereinafter simply latch assembly 10, the latch assembly 10 being mounted in a closure panel, such as but not limited to a door shown as a passenger-side swing door 12 of a motor vehicle 14. The latch assembly 10 includes a latch mechanism 16, the latch mechanism 16 being configured to releasably latch and retain a striker pin 18 mounted to a sill portion 20 of a vehicle body 22 when the swing door 12 is closed. The latch assembly 10 may be selectively actuated via an inside door handle 24, an outside door handle 26, and a key fob 28 (fig. 2). As will be described in detail, the latch assembly 10 is configured to be operated by power in both normal use conditions and normal conditions, wherein the inside door handle 24 remains mechanically disengaged when in the child-lock condition, while the outside door handle 26 remains mechanically disengaged during normal use conditions, such that the inside door handle 24 and the outside door handle 26 are generally ineffective for mechanical actuation of the latch mechanism 16 during the child-lock condition and during normal use. However, by way of example and not limitation, since it may be desirable to override the child-lock state of the rear passenger door, the inside door handle 24 may be selectively mechanically coupled within the latch mechanism 16 via selective actuation, for example by a vehicle driver or passenger having access to an actuation device (not shown), such as a button near the vehicle driver, and the outside door handle 26 may be configured to be automatically mechanically coupled with the latch mechanism 16 via a mechanical override release system (not shown) in the event of a crash, such that the latch mechanism 16 may be manually and mechanically actuated via the inside door handle 24 and the outside door handle 26, when desired, and thereafter, the inside door handle 24 and the outside door handle 26 may be selectively and automatically returned to their respective normal use positions, as will be discussed in further detail below.

Referring to fig. 2, there is shown a non-limiting embodiment of the latch assembly 10 and the latch mechanism 16 housed in the housing 29, with some parts removed for clarity, the latch assembly 10 having: ratchet 30 and pawl 32; a latch release mechanism having a release lever, also referred to as a primary pawl release lever or simply pawl release lever 34; an inside door release mechanism and an outside door release mechanism having a common inside/outside release lever, hereinafter simply referred to as release lever 36 by way of example and not limitation, operatively connected to the inside door handle 24 and the outside door handle 26 for selective mechanical operation; a power release actuator system 38 for controlling powered actuation of the latch mechanism 16; and a power lock actuator 40 having a locking mechanism 42 and an electric lock motor 44. The ratchet 30 is movable between a striker capture position (as shown in fig. 2 and 3) in which the ratchet 30 holds the striker 18 and the swing door 12 in a closed position, and a striker release position (fig. 1 and 5) in which the ratchet 30 allows the striker 18 to be released from a fishmouth 19 provided by a latch housing of the latch assembly 10 to allow the swing door 12 to move to an open position. A ratchet biasing member 46, such as a spring, is provided to normally bias the ratchet 30 toward its striker releasing position. Pawl 32 is movable between a ratchet holding position, in which pawl 32 holds ratchet 30 in its striker capturing position, and a ratchet release position, in which pawl 32 allows ratchet 30 to move to its striker releasing position. A pawl biasing member 48, such as a suitable spring, is provided to normally bias the pawl 32 toward its ratchet holding position.

Pawl release lever 34 is operatively connected (directly or indirectly via another component such as an intermediate pawl release lever or a secondary pawl release lever, and shown as an example and not limitation as being directly) to pawl 32 and is movable between an extended position, also referred to as a pawl release position, in which pawl release lever 34 moves pawl 32 to its ratchet release position, and a non-extended position, also referred to as a home position, in which pawl release lever 34 allows pawl 32 to be in its ratchet holding position. A release lever biasing member 49, such as a suitable spring, may be provided to normally bias pawl release lever 34 toward its home position.

Pawl release lever 34 may be moved to its pawl release position by several components, such as, for example, by a power release actuator system 38, by release lever 36. The power release actuator system 38 includes: a first motor, also referred to as a first actuator or power release motor 50, the power release motor 50 having an output shaft 52; a drive gear, also referred to as a power release gear, shown by way of example and not limitation as a power release worm 54 mounted on the output shaft 52; and a driven gear, also referred to as a power release gear 56. The power release worm 54 is configured for operable driving engagement with the power release gear 56 and, if desired, may be configured for direct meshing engagement with the power release gear 56. A power release cam, hereinafter referred to as cam 58, is connected in fixed relation to power release gear 56 for common rotation with power release gear 56 and is rotatable between a pawl release range position and a pawl non-release range position. In FIG. 2, the cam 58 is in a position within the pawl non-release range, while in FIG. 5B, the cam 58 is in a position within the pawl release range, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. Power release gear 56 is operatively driven by power release worm 54 to drive cam 58, which cam 58 in turn drives pawl release lever 34 from its home position to its pawl release position via engagement with cam drive surface 60 of pawl release lever 34.

The power release actuator system 38 may be used as part of a conventional passive keyless entry feature. For example, when a person approaches the vehicle 14 with the electronic fob 28 (fig. 2) and actuates the outside door handle 26, both the presence of the fob 28 and the outside door handle 26 have been actuated (e.g., via electronic communication between an electronic switch 62 (fig. 2, where the inside door handle 24 can also be actuated via an electronic switch 63) and a latch Electronic Control Unit (ECU), shown at 64, that at least partially controls the operation of the latch assembly 10). In turn, the latch ECU 64 actuates the power release actuator system 38 to cause the power release motor 50 to act on the pawl release lever 34 to release the latch mechanism 16 and convert the latch assembly 10 into an unlatched operating condition to facilitate subsequent opening of the vehicle swing door 12. The power release actuator system 38 may be alternately enabled (e.g., alternately enabled via communication between the proximity sensor 66 and a latch ECU 64 that controls, at least in part, operation of the latch assembly 10), for example, as a component of a proximity sensor-based entry feature (e.g., radar-based proximity detection) when a person approaches the vehicle 14 with the electronic fob 28 (fig. 2) and actuates the proximity sensor 66 (based on identification of proximity of an object, such as touching/swiping/hovering/gesture or hand or finger, etc.) such as a capacitive sensor or other touch/non-touch based sensor. Conversely, upon detection of a normal use condition, such as by way of example and not limitation, the presence of the electronic fob 28, the latch ECU 64 actuates the power release motor 50 of the power release actuator system 38 to release the latch mechanism 16 and transition the latch assembly 10 into the unlatched operating condition to facilitate subsequent opening of the vehicle door 12, as discussed above.

To facilitate noise reduction of the latch assembly 10 during release and reset operations, and to enhance the optimal functioning of the latch assembly 10, including repeatable, reliable, and accurate performance and positioning of the components of the latch assembly between repeated use, positioning includes precisely controlling the driven gear 56, the driven gear 56 ultimately responsible for driving the pawl release lever 34, which in turn ultimately responsible for moving the pawl 32 from its ratchet holding position to its ratchet release position, an activation/deactivation device having an activated state and a deactivated state is configured to be in operative communication with the pawl release lever 34 to selectively and desirably regulate the supply of power to the power release actuator 50, wherein the activation/deactivation device may include, by way of example and without limitation, a sensor or switch 70, the sensor or switch 70 is configured to toggle or move between a closed position corresponding to an activated state and an open position corresponding to a deactivated state. By regulating the power supply to the power release actuator 50, the driven gear 56 rotates only when needed, and its unwanted over-travel or under-travel is minimized or eliminated. To further facilitate noise reduction and optimal function of latch assembly 10, including repeatable, reliable, and accurate performance and positioning of the latch assembly components, including precise control of the position of driven gear 56, cam 58 and pawl release lever 34 are configured to produce only the intended, desired movement of pawl release lever 34, with a lost motion linkage 72 disposed between cam 58 and pawl release lever 34. Lost motion linkage 72 limits the range of motion of pawl 32 so that pawl 32 does not move beyond its intended ratchet release position and, therefore, a hard stop feature is not required to stop travel of pawl 32, eliminating a potential source of noise. Lost motion link 72 allows relative movement between cam 58 and pawl release lever 34 when pawl release lever 34 reaches its pawl release position and pawl 32 reaches its ratchet release position such that cam 58 may continue to rotatably move to over travel position 74 while pawl release lever 34 remains stationary or substantially stationary as pawl release lever 34 moves to the pawl release position and brings pawl 32 to the ratchet release position (which means pawl release lever 34 is hardly moved to the extent that release cam 58 moves such that pawl release lever 34 may move about 1 degree per 10 degrees of movement of release cam 58). Thus, pawl release lever 34 and pawl 32 neither require nor benefit from a hard stop feature, thus eliminating noise that would otherwise be generated by a collision with a hard stop feature.

Lost motion connection 72 is established via release cam 58 being out of engagement with cam drive surface 60 and moving along lost motion cam surface 78 of pawl release lever 34. The release cam 58 is configured to travel along a constant first radius of curvature r1 relative to the axis of rotation a of the driven gear 56 in response to movement of the driven gear 56. The lost motion cam surface 78 extends from the cam drive surface 60 and has a second radius of curvature r2 relative to the axis of rotation a. The first radius of curvature r1 along which the outermost surface of the release cam 58 travels is the same or substantially the same as the second radius of curvature r2 of the lost motion cam surface 78. Thus, as the release cam 58 moves along the lost motion cam surface 78 (fig. 5B and 6), the release cam 58 moves along the lost motion cam surface 78 relative to the pawl release lever 34, wherein the pawl release lever 34 remains stationary or substantially stationary in the pawl release position.

In the embodiment illustrated in fig. 3-7A, a secondary pawl release lever 34 'is disposed between pawl release lever 34 and pawl 32, wherein secondary pawl release lever 34' is directly engaged with pawl release lever 34 and pawl 32, thereby transferring movement of pawl release lever 34 to pawl 32 to move pawl 32 between a ratchet hold position and a ratchet release position, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, movement of pawl release lever 34 causes simultaneous movement of secondary pawl release lever 34'.

By way of example and not limitation, switch 70 is shown secured to a surface 29', such as housing 29. Switch 70 is positioned relative to pawl release lever 34 such that when pawl release lever 34 is in its home position (FIG. 3) where power release actuator 50 may be selectively energized, switch 70 is held in the closed position (the activated position) by either tab 76 of pawl release lever 34 being in triggering engagement with switch 70 or in triggering close proximity to switch 70. Switch 70 is also positioned such that switch 70 moves to an off position (deactivated state) in response to movement of lug 76 of pawl release lever 34 out of engagement with or out of close proximity to the activation of switch 70, wherein secondary pawl release lever 34', if included, is moved by pawl release lever 34 to a pawl release position (fig. 5 and 5A) in which power release actuator 50 is automatically and temporarily de-energized in response to switch 70 being opened while power release actuator 50 is in the release position. As shown in fig. 5B, when the sensor or switch 70 has detected that the power release actuator 50 is released in a released state or position, the motor 50 is not in a stalled state, or in other words, the motor 50 is not operated to force a portion of the release chain, such as the gear 56, against a hard stop without moving the gear 56. Conversely, motor 50 is deactivated and gear 56 may continue to rotate due to a reduction in inertia to be dissipated in power release actuator 50 without hard abutting contact with a stop surface. As shown in fig. 5B, the lug 58 is displaced from an intermediate hard stop surface, shown schematically as one of the extension arms of the pawl release lever 34, and a hard stop 58B provided on the latch housing is shown schematically acting on the lug 58 through the pawl release lever 34, as shown in fig. 7. In another possible configuration, the hard stop configuration may be configured as another extending tab on the opposite side of the gear, for example as tab 57 as shown in fig. 2, which tab 57 may contact or activate switch 83 during the release position of gear 56, but which tab 57 may contact hard stop 59a which may extend from the latch housing under the following circumstances: in this case, the inertia of the power actuator 50, for example the inertia of the gear 56, is not completely dissipated before the lugs 57 come into contact with the hard stops 59 after a certain continued angular rotation of the gear 56. Other configurations of hard stops for the powered actuator 50 are possible. For example, a hard stop configuration may optionally be provided as a backup in the event of a failure of the sensors 70, 81, 83. Thus, the travel of pawl release lever 34 stops at the pawl release position, except for a few degrees of possible over travel due to inertia. It is contemplated herein that activation/deactivation device 70 may be provided via any desired type of binary switch having "on" and "off" positions corresponding to the closed and open positions, respectively, and a sensor having an activated state to indicate that pawl release lever 34 is in the closed position and a deactivated state to indicate that pawl release lever 34 is in the open position. Such switches may include limit switches, including, for example, a lever 71 that may be triggered to move between a closed position and an open position, push button switches, rotary switches, and the like. Such sensors may include proximity sensors configured to be triggered by the close proximity of sensing tab 76, where the detection means may be inductive, capacitive, photoelectric, or otherwise. Thus, lug 76 is configured to trigger activation/deactivation device 70 to change between the closed and open positions in response to pawl release lever 34 being in the home and pawl release positions, respectively.

To further facilitate operation of the latch assembly 10 without the need for a hard stop feature, a magnet 80 as illustrated in fig. 5A may be secured to the pawl 32, and a sensor 82 may be configured in operable communication with the magnet 80 to detect when the pawl 32 is in the ratchet release position, such that the magnet 80 and the sensor 82 cooperate with one another as one type of proximity sensor, wherein other types of proximity sensors are contemplated herein. Sensor 82 is configured to be in operative communication with power release actuator 50, for example via ECU 64, to automatically reverse the direction of movement of power release actuator 50 after pawl 32 is detected in the ratchet release position, thereby allowing pawl release lever 34 to return to the home position. In another possible configuration, the position or state of powered actuator 50 may be determined by sensing the position of sensed gear 56 directly rather than sensing the position of pawl release lever 34, such as by: providing a hall sensor magnet 81 integral with the gear 56 (e.g., extending from the face of the gear 56) causes: the magnetic field of the magnet 81 is detected by a hall sensor (not shown) located adjacent to the gear 56 when the power actuator 50 is in the release position, and the magnetic field of the magnet remains within the detection range of the hall sensor and is further detected when the gear 56 moves past the initial release position due to inertia present after the motor 50 is de-energized when the magnetic field of the magnet 81 is first detected. In another possible configuration, the position of the gear 56 may be sensed directly, for example by: providing a sensor such as switch 83 for sensing the position of the lug 57 integral with the gear 56 enables: when the powered actuator 50 is in the release position, the switch 83 is activated or deactivated when the gear 56 is in the release position, and the switch 83 continues to be activated or deactivated when the gear 56 moves past the initial release position due to inertia after the switch 83 detects the motor 50 being de-energized when the gear 56 is in the release position. As seen in fig. 2, the switch 83 will be configured to be continuously activated after the gear 56 has rotated clockwise and continues to rotate due to inertia when the motor 50 has stopped in response to the detected activation of the switch 83. When pawl release lever 34 returns toward the home position, tab 76 returns into engagement with switch 70 to move switch 70 to the closed position. The driven gear 56 returns to the driven gear original position during the reverse movement of the power release actuator 50 without using a hard stop and without using a sensor to detect the position of the driven gear 56. It should be appreciated that the activation/deactivation device 70 may be configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator 50, such as via the ECU 64, to automatically reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator 50. For example, after detecting that pawl release lever 34 is in the pawl release position and/or activation/deactivation device 70 is in its off position, the direction of movement of power release actuator 50 may be reversed, allowing pawl release lever 34 to return to its original position. When pawl release lever 34 is returned to its original position and/or activation/deactivation device 70 is returned to its closed position, power release actuator 50 may be commanded de-energized in response to ECU 64 receiving a signal from activation/deactivation device 70 and ECU 64 sending a corresponding de-energizing signal to power release actuator 50.

According to another aspect, as shown in fig. 8, a method 1000 of constructing a power latch assembly 10 for a vehicle door 12 is provided. The method 1000 includes a step 1100, the step 1100 configuring the ratchet 30 to move between and be biased toward a striker capture position and a striker release position. Additionally, another step 1150 includes configuring pawl 32 to move between a ratchet holding position where pawl 32 holds ratchet 30 in the striker capture position and a ratchet release position where pawl 32 releases ratchet 30 to move ratchet 30 to the striker release position. Another step 1200 includes configuring pawl release lever 34 to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move pawl 32 from a ratchet holding position to a ratchet release position. Another step 1250 includes configuring power release actuator 50 to move pawl release lever 34 between the home position and the pawl release position to move pawl 32 from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position. Also, another step 1300 includes configuring power release actuator 50 to be de-energized when pawl release lever 34 reaches the pawl release position to stop pawl 32 at the ratchet release position without the use of a hard active stop.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include a step 1350, the step 1350 configuring the activation/deactivation device to be in operable communication with the pawl release lever; and configuring the activation/deactivation device to allow the power release device to be energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position and to de-energize the power release device in response to movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include step 1400, the step 1400 providing the activation/deactivation device as a switch having a closed position when the pawl release lever is in the home position, where the power release device may be energized, and an open position when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position, where the power release device is de-energized.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include step 1450, the step 1450 providing the activation/deactivation device as a proximity sensor configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in a home position, the power release device may be energized when the pawl release lever is detected in the home position, and the proximity sensor configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position, the power release device being de-energized when the pawl release lever is detected in the pawl release position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include a step 1500 of configuring an electronic control unit in operable communication with the proximity sensor and the power-operated actuator; and the ECU is configured to receive a signal from the proximity sensor indicating that the pawl release lever is in its pawl release position and to send a signal to the power release actuator to reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator in response to the pawl release lever being in its pawl release position, thereby allowing the pawl release lever to return to its home position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include step 1550, the step 1550 providing the drive gear to be driven by the power release actuator; and configuring the drive gear to be in operable driving engagement with a driven gear having a release cam secured thereto; and configuring the release cam to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever from the home position to the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear; and the release cam is configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position and as the driven gear moves relative to the pawl release lever.

The foregoing description of embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but are interchangeable where applicable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The various elements or features of a particular embodiment may also be varied in a number of ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Embodiments of the invention may be understood with reference to the following numbered paragraphs:

1. a power latch assembly for a vehicle door, the power latch assembly comprising:

a ratchet configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position;

a pawl configured to move between a ratchet holding position at which the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position at which the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position;

a pawl release lever configured to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position;

a power release actuator configured to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position to move the pawl from the ratchet hold position to the ratchet release position; and

an activation/deactivation device configured to be in operable communication with the pawl release lever, the activation/deactivation device being in an activated state when the pawl release lever is in the home position, the power release actuator being selectively energizable in the activated state, the activation/deactivation device changing from the activated state to a deactivated state in response to movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position, the power release actuator being automatically de-energized in the deactivated state.

2. The power latch assembly of paragraph 1, further comprising a drive gear driven by the power release actuator, the drive gear in operable driving engagement with a driven gear, the driven gear having a release cam fixed to the driven gear, the release cam configured to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear from a driven gear home position, the release cam configured to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position.

3. The power latch assembly of paragraph 2, wherein the release cam travels along a first radius of curvature relative to the axis of rotation of the driven gear in response to movement of the driven gear, the pawl release lever having a lost motion cam surface extending from the cam drive surface, the lost motion cam surface having a second radius of curvature relative to the axis of rotation, the first radius of curvature being substantially the same as the second radius of curvature such that the release cam moves along the lost motion cam surface relative to the pawl release lever.

4. The power latch assembly of paragraph 3, wherein the pawl release lever remains stationary as the release cam moves along the lost motion cam surface, thereby preventing the pawl release lever from moving beyond the pawl release position.

5. The power latch assembly of paragraph 1, wherein the activation/deactivation device remains in the deactivated state when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position.

6. The power latch assembly of paragraph 1, wherein the pawl release lever has a tab configured to trigger the activation/deactivation device to change the activation/deactivation device between the activated and deactivated states.

7. The power latch assembly of paragraph 6, wherein the lug moves into engagement with the activation/deactivation device to move the activation/deactivation device to the activated state when the pawl release lever returns toward the home position.

8. The power latch assembly of paragraph 1, further comprising a magnet secured to the pawl and a sensor configured to be in operable communication with the magnet to detect when the pawl is in the ratchet release position, the sensor configured to be in operable communication with the power release actuator to automatically reverse the direction of movement of the power release actuator after detecting that the pawl is in the ratchet release position to allow the pawl release lever to return to the home position.

9. The power latch assembly of paragraph 2 wherein the driven gear returns to the driven gear home position without the use of a hard stop.

10. The power latch assembly of paragraph 9 wherein the driven gear returns to the driven gear home position without the use of a sensor to detect the position of the driven gear.

11. A power latch assembly for a vehicle door, the power latch assembly comprising:

a ratchet configured to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and biased toward the striker release position;

a pawl configured to move between a ratchet holding position at which the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position at which the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position;

a pawl release lever configured to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position;

a power release actuator configured to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position to move the pawl from the ratchet hold position to the ratchet release position; and

a drive gear driven by the power release actuator, the drive gear in operable driving engagement with a driven gear having a release cam fixed to the driven gear, the release cam configured to engage a cam driving surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear from a driven gear home position, the release cam configured to be lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position.

12. The power latch assembly of paragraph 11, further comprising a switch configured to be in operable communication with the pawl release lever, the switch being in a closed position when the pawl release lever is in the home position, the power release actuator being selectively energizable in the closed position, the switch moving to an open position in response to movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position, the power release actuator being automatically de-energized in the open position.

13. The power latch assembly of paragraph 12, wherein the pawl release lever has a tab configured to engage the switch to place the switch in the closed position and the tab is configured to disengage the switch to place the switch in the open position.

14. The power latch assembly of paragraph 13 wherein the lug returns to engagement with the switch to move the switch to the closed position when the pawl release lever returns toward the home position.

15. A method of constructing a power latch assembly for a vehicle door, the method comprising:

the method comprises the following steps: configuring a ratchet to move between a striker capture position and a striker release position and to be biased toward the striker release position;

the method comprises the following steps: configuring a pawl to move between a ratchet holding position at which the pawl holds the ratchet in the striker capturing position and a ratchet releasing position at which the pawl releases the ratchet to move the ratchet to the striker releasing position;

the method comprises the following steps: configuring a pawl release lever to move between a home position and a pawl release position to selectively move the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet release position;

the method comprises the following steps: configuring a power release actuator to be energized to move the pawl release lever between the home position and the pawl release position to move the pawl from the ratchet hold position to the ratchet release position; and

the method comprises the following steps: the power release actuator is configured to be de-energized when the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position to stop the pawl at the ratchet release position without the use of a hard active stop.

16. The method of paragraph 15, further comprising the steps of: configuring an activation/deactivation device in operable communication with the pawl release lever and in operable communication with the power release actuator; and configuring the activation/deactivation device to allow the power release device to be energized when the pawl release lever is in the home position and de-energize the power release device in response to movement of the pawl to the ratchet release position.

17. The method of paragraph 16, further comprising providing the activation/deactivation device as a switch having a closed position when the pawl release lever is in the home position, where the power release device is energizable, and an open position when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position, where the power release device is de-energized.

18. The method of paragraph 16, further comprising providing the activation/deactivation device as a proximity sensor configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in the home position, the power release device being energizable upon detecting the pawl release lever is in the home position, and the proximity sensor configured to detect when the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position, the power release device being de-energized upon detecting the pawl release lever is in the pawl release position.

19. The method of paragraph 18, further comprising the steps of: configuring an electronic control unit in operable communication with the proximity sensor and the power-operated actuator; and configuring the electronic control unit to receive a signal from the proximity sensor indicating that the pawl release lever is in a pawl release position of the pawl release lever and to send a signal to the power release actuator to reverse a direction of movement of the power release actuator in response to the pawl release lever being in the pawl release position of the pawl release lever to allow the pawl release lever to return to an original position of the pawl release lever.

20. The method of paragraph 15, further comprising the steps of: providing a drive gear to be driven by the power release actuator; and configuring the drive gear to be in operable driving engagement with a driven gear having a release cam secured thereto; and configuring the release cam to engage a cam drive surface of the pawl release lever to move the pawl release lever from the home position to the pawl release position in response to the driven gear being driven by the drive gear; and configuring the release cam to lost motion relative to the pawl release lever after the pawl release lever reaches the pawl release position and as the driven gear moves relative to the pawl release lever.