阅读说明：本技术 闩锁 (Latch lock ) 是由 乌佐丘库·奥凯克 萨巴·森特 于 2021-05-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种闩锁,该闩锁包括：壳体；棘齿,该棘齿安装至壳体,以用于将撞销以可释放的方式固定在槽中；捕获部,该捕获部安装至壳体,以用于将副撞销以可释放的方式固定；以及联动件,该联动件将捕获部连接至棘齿；其中,棘齿和捕获部经由联动件而彼此串联地运动。(The present invention relates to a latch comprising: a housing; a ratchet mounted to the housing for releasably securing the striker in the slot; a catch portion mounted to the housing for releasably securing the secondary striker; and a linkage connecting the catch to the ratchet; wherein the ratchet and the catch move in series with each other via the link.)

1. A latch (25), the latch (25) for a closure panel (12) of a vehicle (10), the latch comprising:

a housing (37);

a ratchet (24 '), said ratchet (24 ') being mounted to said housing for releasably securing the striker in the slot (3 ');

a catch portion (24a) mounted to the housing for releasably securing a secondary striker (26 a); and

a linkage (60), the linkage (60) connecting the catch to the ratchet;

wherein the ratchet and the catch move in series with each other via the link.

2. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the housing is mounted to the closure panel and the striker and the secondary striker are mounted to a body (9) of the vehicle.

3. The latch of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the striker pin is separate from the secondary striker pin.

4. The latch of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the striker pin is integral with the secondary striker pin.

5. The latch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a pivot (62) of the catch is aligned with an axis (50) of the ratchet.

6. The latch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the link having a first end (70) and a second end (72) such that the first end is connected to the catch at the pivot and the second end is connected to a connection (66) on the ratchet.

7. The latch according to claim 6, wherein the connecting portion is coupled to the second end by a pin (64).

8. The latch according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a surface (76) of the secondary striker is disengaged from an adjacent surface (74) of the catch (24a) when the secondary striker is restrained by the catch.

9. The latch according to claim 8, wherein the hook (68) of the catch portion restrains the secondary striker when the primary striker is restrained by the ratchet.

10. A latch according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a tie-down mechanism (2), the tie-down mechanism (2) being for providing a force assisting the closing operation of the closure panel during movement of the door.

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to door systems for motor vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to opening systems to operate vehicle doors.

Background

This section provides background information related to door systems for motor vehicles that is not necessarily prior art to the inventive concepts associated with the present disclosure.

Many pickup trucks include a passenger cab having a rear seat positioned behind a front seat to accommodate additional passengers. These pickup trucks typically include a third or fourth rear door located directly behind a front door that is used to assist passengers as they enter and exit the rear seats. The rear door also provides convenient access to the space behind the front seats during loading and unloading of items. In some pick-up trucks, the front and rear doors swing open in opposite directions to each other, which historically has been referred to as a "clamshell design".

The trend in vehicle design is to improve accessibility, and accessibility may be provided by eliminating the B-pillar and/or minimizing appropriate support portions of the vehicle body (e.g., for sliding cargo doors). Unfortunately, on vehicles without a B-pillar, the roof of the vehicle tends to shift upward (i.e., bend upward) during a frontal collision. Such bending can place excessive loads on the latch, causing the latch to be undesirably unlatched during a collision, especially if the lack of proper support portions of the B-pillar or body is minimized.

A typical solution to account for bending is to add catch pins, however, some latch packages do not allow enough space for these pins. Furthermore, the kinematics of the door swing may not allow the use of the catch pin to work as needed during a collision.

While current door systems are adequate to meet all regulatory requirements and provide the desired level of comfort and convenience, there remains a need to continue to develop advanced technologies and provide alternative devices and features that provide enhanced safety, comfort and convenience to the user. In particular, additional equipment may thereby be provided to enhance and thus address the safety issues involved with the operation of conventional equipment.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general overview of the inventive concepts associated with the present disclosure. Accordingly, this section is not intended to be construed as a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all features, aspects, objects, and/or advantages associated with the inventive concepts that are further described and illustrated in the following detailed description and drawings.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a latch system for a closure panel of a vehicle.

In one aspect, provided is a latch for a closure panel of a vehicle, the latch comprising: a housing; a ratchet mounted to the housing for releasably securing the striker in the slot; a catch portion mounted to the housing for releasably securing the secondary striker; and a linkage connecting the catch to the ratchet; wherein the ratchet and the catch move in series with each other via the link.

In a second aspect, provided is a method of opening a latch for a closure panel of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: releasing a ratchet mounted to a housing of the latch so that the ratchet is not constrained by the striker; moving the ratchet in series with a catch so as to free the catch from the secondary striker, the catch being mounted to the housing such that movement of the catch is coupled to movement of the ratchet by a linkage; and unlatching the latch by displacing the striker from the ratchet and simultaneously also displacing the secondary striker from the catch.

In a third aspect, provided is a method of closing a latch for a closure panel of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: entering the striker into a slot of a ratchet mounted to a housing of the latch to restrain the striker when latched; moving the ratchet in series with a catch so as to constrain the secondary striker by the catch, the catch being mounted to the housing such that movement of the catch is coupled to movement of the ratchet by a linkage; and releasably latching the latch by inhibiting further movement of the ratchet in combination with inhibiting further movement of the catch through the linkage such that the striker is restrained by the ratchet and simultaneously the secondary striker is also restrained by the catch.

In other aspects, provided are: a tie-down mechanism having a tie-down arm configured to operate the ratchet from the partially closed position to the fully closed position; the tie arm is coupled to the ratchet via the tie rod arm; the tie-pull arm is coupled to the striker through the tie-pull arm; the tie arm is coupled to the catching portion via the tie arm; a plurality of catching portions such that each of the catching portions is configured to restrain a corresponding one of the plurality of secondary striker pins; the ratchet is a master ratchet and the catch is a slave ratchet; and the latch further includes a controller for operating a corresponding actuator to assist movement of the primary ratchet.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are provided to illustrate selected at least one non-limiting embodiment associated with the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1a is a side view of a motor vehicle;

FIG. 1b is an alternative embodiment of the vehicle of FIG. 1 a;

2a, 2b, 2c, 2d show alternative operational views of the door of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3a, 3b are side views of an exemplary embodiment of a latch of the motor vehicle of FIG. 1 including a tie-down mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a latching system for the motor vehicle of FIG. 1;

fig. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10a, 10b are alternative views and operational states of the latch of fig. 4;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the latch of FIG. 10b in a latched condition;

FIG. 12 is another embodiment of the latch of FIG. 4; and

fig. 13a, 13b are example operations of the latch of fig. 4.

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

Detailed Description

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. To this end, example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the intended scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one 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 are not described in detail.

In the following detailed description, as an illustrative example, the expression "latch assembly" will be used to generally refer to any power-operated latching device suitable for use with a vehicle closure panel to provide at least a power release and/or tie-down feature. In addition, the expression "door" will be used to denote any of the following elements: the elements are movable between an open position and at least one closed position to respectively open and close access to an internal compartment of a motor vehicle, and thus include, but are not limited to, decklids, tailgate, liftgates, engine covers, and sunroofs in addition to sliding or pivoting side passenger doors of the motor vehicle, to which the following description will make explicit reference by way of example only.

Referring to fig. 1, a vehicle 10 includes two primary doors 12 (one shown) and one or more secondary (e.g., rear or third) doors 14 located directly behind the two primary doors 12 to provide access to a passenger compartment 16. As schematically shown in fig. 1a, the vehicle 10 is configured to have a B-pillar free door configuration with no B-pillar positioned between the front door 12 and the rear door 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 10 may be an automobile or a utility vehicle such as a truck, as desired, with the sub-door 14 hinged to the vehicle body 9. Referring to fig. 1b, a vehicle 10 is shown as a utility vehicle, such as a minivan, the vehicle 10 having a sliding sub-door 14 mounted on the vehicle body 9 via a sliding track 11'. Referring again to fig. 1a, front/main door 12 is mounted along a-pillar 17 (e.g., hinge 11) and rear door 14 is mounted along C-pillar 18 (e.g., hinge 11), so that a B-pillar is not required between a-pillar 17 and C-pillar 18. The main door 12 and the sub-door 14 can open in opposite or alternating directions (e.g., hinged and sliding in relation to fig. 3a and 3b) to allow a person to comfortably enter and exit the rear portion of the passenger compartment 16. In addition, when both the main door 12 and the sub-door 14 are opened, it is possible to easily load and unload articles into and from the rear portion of the passenger compartment 16.

A handle assembly, generally indicated at 22, is fixedly secured to the doors 12, 14 and is disposed adjacent a front vertical edge 24 of the doors. The handle assembly 22 may each be operatively coupled to a corresponding (e.g., upper) door latch 26, 28 of the handle assembly 22 by a link 33a (e.g., Bowden cables), wherein the door latches 26, 28 are hereinafter referred to as a first latch 26 and a second latch 28 of a plurality of latches 25 (e.g., two or more latches), and the link 33a is hereinafter referred to collectively as the link 33. Further, the latches 26, 28 may be referred to as a pair of latches 25. The handle 22 may be used to operate their respective latches 25 via simultaneous operation of the respective links 33. As described further below, the latches 26, 28 may be mounted on the body 9 of the vehicle 10 in conjunction with respective strikers 26 ', 28' of the latches 26, 28 that are mounted on the doors 12, 14. Alternatively, the latches 26, 28 may be mounted on the doors 12, 14 and the strikers 26 ', 28' may be mounted on the body 9, as desired.

For example, in the actuation of the latch 25 (see fig. 3a, 3b, e.g., the configuration of the latch assembly 23 '), the handle 22 may have a microswitch provided on the handle 22 to detect actuation of the handle 22, and the handle 22 may be directly or indirectly electrically coupled (as shown by the dashed-line link 33 in fig. 1a, 1 b) via a controller (e.g., a latch controller 36 coupled to an actuator 36, such as an electric motor) to control operation of the latch 25 to perform a power release operation to actuate the release lever to move the ratchet pawl 25' from the ratchet 24 'holding position to the ratchet 24' releasing position (see fig. 3a, 3 b).

Referring to fig. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, the doors 12, 14 are shown independently in various open and closed states, which is accomplished by operation of respective latches 26, 28 of the doors 12, 14.

Referring to fig. 4, another embodiment of the latch 25 is shown and described by way of example using the reference numbers (e.g., 26', etc.) of the latch 26 of the door 12. However, it is recognized that the latch 25 shown in fig. 4 may also be used to describe a corresponding similar latching component 23' of the latch 28 of the door 14. Typically, the latch 25 (generally referred to as either of the latches 26, 28) has a housing 37, the housing 37 having a housing portion 37a connected to the housing 37. The housing portion 37a has a pivot 62, the pivot 62 for connecting with the catch 24a having a hook portion 68, the hook portion 68 for interacting with the secondary striker 26 a. In other words, the catch portion 24a pivots about the pivot 62 so as to position the hook portion 68 toward the secondary striker 26a or away from the secondary striker 26a (see fig. 9). Based on the position of the catch portion 24a about the pivot 62, the catch portion 24a will function to restrain the secondary striker 26a with the hook portion 68 (see fig. 4), or the catch portion 24a will function to make the secondary striker 26a free from the hook portion 68 (see fig. 9). As an illustrative example, as shown in dashed outline in fig. 1a, the latch 25 may be provided on a bottom rocker panel of the vehicle 10 and/or on a top rocker panel of the vehicle 10, on a top portion and/or a bottom portion of the doors 12, 14, or may be provided on one of the doors 12, 14 for engagement with a primary striker 26' and a secondary striker 26a provided on the other of the doors 12, 14.

Referring again to fig. 9, a linkage 60 is shown, the linkage 60 being connected at one end 70 (e.g., about pivot 62) to the catch 24a and at the other end 72 (see fig. 4) to the ratchet 24'. End 72 may be coupled to ratchet 24' at connection 66 via pin 64. During operation, ratchet teeth 24 'rotate about shaft 50 (shaft 50 connected to housing 37), thereby causing end 72 of link 60 to move in unison with the movement of ratchet teeth 24'. As the end 72 moves, the end 70 of the linkage 60 rotates about the pivot 62. Since the catch portion 24a is connected to the end 70, when the link rotates about the pivot 62, the catch portion 24a also rotates about the pivot 62. Therefore, the ratchet 24 'and the catch portion 24a rotate together, so that the striker 26' becomes free from the groove 3 'of the ratchet 24' and the sub-striker 26a becomes free from the hook portion 68 of the catch portion 24 a. When unconstrained, the striker 26' and secondary striker 26a are removed from the vicinity of the latch 25 when the door 12 is opened (see fig. 2b, 2 d). Conversely, when restrained, the striker 26' and secondary striker 26a are adjacent to the vicinity of the latch 25 when the door 12 is closed (see fig. 2a, 2 c). As shown in fig. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, the doors 12, 14 and their corresponding latches 26, 28 may operate independently of each other. Further, it is recognized that the latches 26, 28 may each have their respective catch 24a, the linkage 60, and the connection 66 to the ratchet 24' of the latches 26, 28.

Referring to fig. 5, 8, a universal latch 25 (e.g., representative of latches 26, 28) is shown in a locked state such that the doors 12, 14 are in a closed position (see the example of fig. 2 a). The hook 68 of the catch 24a may optionally remain disengaged from (e.g., adjacent to but not in direct contact with) the secondary striker 26a, such that the path of the secondary striker 26a (e.g., when attempting to open a door) is constrained by the hook 68. Furthermore, the ratchet 24 ' may engage the striker 26 ' in the slot 3 ' to maintain the latch 25 in the locked state. Further, it is appreciated that the pivot 62 of the catch 24a may be aligned with the shaft 50 of the ratchet 24' (see centerline axis CL of fig. 7).

Fig. 6 illustrates the latch 25 in a front perspective view, with the latch 25 in a locked state such that the secondary striker 26a (e.g., the path of the secondary striker 26a) is restrained by the hook portion 68 of the catch portion 24a, while the secondary striker 26a is disengaged from the catch portion 24a (e.g., not in contact with the hook portion 68 or otherwise spaced from the hook portion 68). Fig. 7 shows a rear perspective view of the latch 25 in the locked state. Referring to fig. 11, an example of the secondary striker 26a restrained but disengaged (i.e., spaced apart by a distance d) from the hook portion 68 of the catch portion 24a is shown. In other words, the outer surface 72 of the secondary striker 26a remains spaced apart (distance d) from the adjacent surface 74 of the hook 68 and does not contact the adjacent surface 74 of the hook 68.

Fig. 10a, 10b show the latch 25 in an unlatched/unlocked state such that the striker 26 ' is not restrained by the ratchet 24 ' and the secondary striker 26 ' is not restrained by the catch 24 a.

When the main door 12 is closed (see fig. 2a, 4) such that the striker 26 'is restrained by and engaged with the ratchet teeth 24' and the secondary striker 26a is restrained (e.g., but disengaged — not in contact) by the catch 24a, upon actuation of the handle assembly 22 (or other unlatching mechanism coordinated by the actuator 36, once controlled, e.g., via activation of the FOB or the like), the ratchet teeth 24 'and catch 24a move, e.g., rotate, in unison such that the striker 26' and secondary striker 26a are free, resulting in unlatching of the latch 25 (see fig. 2d, 9) to cause opening of the door 12. Thus, the striker 26 'and the secondary striker 26a (mounted on the vehicle body 9) of the door 12 are releasably restrained by the corresponding ratchet 24', catch 24a to releasably retain the door 12 in the closed position.

As discussed further below, the latch 25 may include a tie down feature as described with reference to fig. 3a and 3b by way of example. It is appreciated that the actuator 36 (e.g., electric motor) may be operated to achieve the tie-down function via: via operation of the door handle 22, via operation of a key fob, via operation of one or more controls (e.g., buttons) located inside the vehicle 10, and/or via one or more position sensors for sensing when the door 12 is positioned in the tie-down position (e.g., based on a position sensor, such as a hall effect sensor, sensing that the ratchet 24' has reached the secondary ratchet position).

Referring to fig. 3a and 3b, an example of a latch 25 including a latching member 23 ' (e.g., ratchet 24 ', pawl 25 ', optional tie down mechanism 2) is shown. Note that the catch portion 24a and the secondary striker 26a are removed for illustrative purposes only. In this manner, the tie mechanism 2 of the latch 25 may be used to forcibly provide some form of force to assist in the opening operation (e.g., fully open, partially open, etc.) of the doors 12, 14 and/or some form of force to assist in the closing operation (e.g., fully open, partially open, etc.) of the doors 12, 14 during deployment during opening/closing of the doors 12, 14. For example, an actuator (not shown) may be coupled to tie-pull arm 20 'via link 33, and also to one or more latching members 23' (e.g., ratchet 24 'and/or pawl 25'). As such, the tie arm 20 'may be actuated to operate the latch 25 from a partially closed position (e.g., a secondary latch position) to a fully closed position (e.g., a primary latch position) because the tie arm 20' may be coupled to the ratchet 24 'via the tie arm 21'. It is also appreciated that the link 33 may be provided as a rigid link, rather than as a flexible link involving a cable. For example, the link 33 may be implemented as a sector gear (or other series of rigid members) connected to the tie rod arm 20 'and/or the tie rod 21' at one end of the link 33. It is also appreciated that the tie-pull arm 20 'may be configured to act directly on the striker 26' or the secondary striker 26a as needed to perform a tie-pull operation on the latch 25.

Referring again to fig. 3a, 3b, the latch 25 includes a plurality of latch elements 23 '(e.g., ratchet 24', tie rod 21 'and pawl 25'), the latch elements 23 'being configured to cooperate with the striker pin 26' to retain the striker pin 26 'within the slot 3' when the doors 12, 14 are in a closed position (e.g., locked) or to drive the striker pin 26 'out of the slot 3' when the doors 12, 14 are in an open position (e.g., as part of a door opening or icebreaking function). The fishmouth or slot 3 ' is dimensioned to receive the striker 26 ' in the fishmouth or slot 3 ', in other words, the slot 3 ' of the latch 25 is configured for receiving a retainer (e.g., the striker 26 '). As shown, the slot 3' has an open top end and a closed bottom end. The latching elements 23 'with respect to the ratchet 24' and pawl 25 'are pivotally secured to the frame plate 14' of the housing 37 via respective shafts 50, 52. Tie arm 20' pivots about pivot 54. Ratchet 24 ' includes an arm 30 ' and an arm 32 ', with arm 30 ' and arm 32 ' being spaced apart to define a generally U-shaped slot between arms 30 ' and 32 ' (e.g., between a hook portion of arm 30 ' and a lip of arm 32 ' extending laterally beyond the hook portion). Note that in fig. 3b, the latch 25 with associated ratchet 24 ' is shown in a fully or primary closed position (e.g., to facilitate retention of the striker pin 26 ' within the slot 3 ').

Referring to fig. 3a and 3b, the latch member 23' may include a plurality of biasing elements (e.g., springs), such as each of: a ratchet biasing element (not shown) that biases ratchet 24 ' to rotate about axis 50 to drive striker pin 26 ' out of slot 3 ' (and thereby move doors 12, 14 toward the open position); a pawl biasing element (not shown) that biases pawl 25 ' to rotate about shaft 52 to maintain ratchet 24 ' in the closed position (i.e., limit rotation of ratchet 24 ' about shaft 52 under the influence of the ratchet biasing element); a tie-biasing element (not shown) that can bias the tie-rod 21 'to rotate about the shaft 50 toward an untethered position of the ratchet 24'; and a link biasing element (not shown) that biases link 33 back toward the untethered position of ratchet teeth 24'. During operation of the tie mechanism 2, actuation of the link 33 moves the attached tie rod 21 ' and attached tie arm 20 ', causing the ratchet 24 ' to rotate about the shaft 50 toward and into the tie position C, positioning the striker 26 ' in the fully closed position in the slot 3 ' of the latch 25 (see fig. 3 b).

In view of the foregoing, it is appreciated that the vehicle 10 may be implemented with B-pillar free doors 12, 14, the B-pillar free doors 12, 14 having a latch 25 positioned at the top of the doors 12, 14. During a collision, the roof 9a (see fig. 1a) may bend, causing a higher than normal load than the doors 12, 14 with B-pillars (recognizing that the presence of the B-pillars may resist bending of the roof 9 a). In this way, the latch 25, including the secondary striker 26a and the catch 24a, provides increased coupling (i.e., releasable) between the doors 12, 14 and the vehicle body 9.

As discussed above, the arrangement of ratchet teeth 24 'and in-line (e.g., slaved to the primary ratchet teeth 24') catches 24a is advantageous. The catch portion 24a is also movable together with the ratchet 24', and can function as a secondary catch portion 24a by restricting the opening of the doors 12, 14 by the secondary striker 26 a. It is appreciated that the secondary striker pin 26a may be separate (e.g., a separate striker ring) from the striker pin 26 '(see fig. 4), or the secondary striker pin 26a may be configured as one integral striker pin 26 a' (e.g., a single striker ring), see fig. 12.

Furthermore, the catch 24a can be mounted together with the existing latch housing 37 to a separate housing part 37a separate from the vehicle body 9. The ratchet 24 ' is connected to the catch portion 24a via the link 60 by means of a connecting portion 66 (e.g., a pin 64) such that both the catch portion 24a and the ratchet 24 ' rotate/move in series relative to the striker pin 26 '/secondary striker pin 26 a. In addition, shaft 50 and pivot 62 may be aligned (or otherwise closely aligned with each other) to help minimize lost motion at shaft 50/pivot 62.

In operation, when the doors 12, 14 are closed, the striker 26 ' contacts the ratchet 24 ', and the ratchet 24 ' rotates and moves the catch 24a (e.g., the auxiliary ratchet 24a) in series (via the link 60). At the same time, the secondary striker 26a also enters the catch portion 24a, and the catch portion 24a rotates about the secondary striker 26a so as to restrain the secondary striker 26a (e.g., no contact between the adjacent surfaces 72, 74, see fig. 11).

Similarly, if the primary ratchet 24 ' is released (e.g., by movement of the pawl 25 ', see fig. 3a, 3b) and the striker 26 ' leaves the slot 3 ' of the ratchet 24 ', the secondary striker 26a will leave the catch 24a (e.g., not in contact with the catch 24 a). In other words, primary ratchet 24 'and secondary ratchet 24a are connected to rotate in series, for example, in response to a pawl 25', such as a single pawl 25 ', disengaging from primary ratchet 24'. In other words, primary ratchet 24 'and secondary ratchet 24a are connected to inhibit rotation of the other ratchet, e.g., in response to a single pawl 25' remaining engaged with primary ratchet 24. Thus, a single pawl 25 'is provided to retain the primary and secondary ratchet teeth 24' and 24a, and a single actuation of the pawl 25 'is required to cause both the primary and secondary ratchet teeth 24' and 24a to move simultaneously from the locked position (see, e.g., fig. 6) to the released position (see, e.g., fig. 10 b). A latch 25 is provided having a single frame plate 14 ', the frame plate 14 ' for mounting to one of the vehicle doors 12, 14 and the vehicle body 10, and the frame plate 14 ' for mounting a primary ratchet 24 ' and a secondary ratchet 24a coupled to one another for synchronous rotation, wherein the primary ratchet 24 ' and the secondary ratchet 24a are for engaging with a striker pin 26 ', 26a, respectively, mounted to the other of the vehicle door and the vehicle body 10 or to the other vehicle door, such that release of the primary ratchet 24 ' and the secondary ratchet 24a from a locked condition to an unlocked condition causes the vehicle door to move away from the vehicle body and/or the other vehicle door. Thus, two striker pins that can be releasably engaged with the latch 25 may be provided between the doors 12, 14 and the vehicle body 10 or between two doors, such as, for example, between the door 12 and the door 14. Generally, the alignment of the secondary striker 26a in the capture portion 24a (e.g., restrained by the hook portion 68) is offset (provides restraint) when the doors 12, 14 are closed, such that in the event of a collision, the force generated by the secondary striker 26a on the capture portion 24a will generate a closing moment to hold the capture portion 24a in place (i.e., restrain the secondary striker 26a by the hook portion 68). It is appreciated that the catch 24a and ratchet 24' may both cooperate to inhibit the doors 12, 14 from opening during a collision.

For example, the latch 25 may be configured to have a master ratchet 24' and one or more (e.g., a plurality of) slave catches 24 a. For example, the latch 25 may have a plurality of catch portions 24a, such that each of the catch portions 24a is configured to restrain a respective one of a plurality of secondary striker pins 26 a. For example, the catch portions 24a may be mounted on the housing 37a adjacent to each other. It is also recognized that the plurality of capture portions 24a may not be aligned with one another, i.e., none of the plurality of capture portions 24a are positioned on the same pivot 62. It is appreciated that the striker pin 26' and one or more secondary striker pins 26a may be separate (see fig. 9) or may be integral with one another as a single piece (see fig. 12). It is appreciated that the plurality of secondary striker pins 26a may be separate or may be integral with one another as desired.

It is appreciated that ratchet 24 'may be referred to as primary ratchet 24' such that operation of latch 25 causes: in movement of the master ratchet 24 '(e.g., electronically controlled as an electronic latch by controller 36, under the influence of a biasing element when pawl 25' is released, etc.), movement of the slave ratchet 24a is based on movement of the master ratchet 24 ', e.g., coordinated by a linkage connecting the master ratchet 24' to one or more slave ratchets 24 a.

Referring to fig. 4 and 13a, an example operation 100 of opening a latch 25 for a closure panel 12, 14 of a vehicle 10 is shown, the method comprising the steps of: releasing 102 the ratchet 24 ' mounted to the housing 37 of the latch 25 so that the ratchet 24 ' is not constrained by the striker pin 26 '; moving 104 the ratchet 24 'in series with the catch 24a so that the catch 24a is free from the secondary striker 26a, the catch 24a being mounted to the housing 37 (e.g., housing portion 37a) such that movement of the catch 24a is coupled to movement of the ratchet 24' by the link 60; and releasing the latch 25 from the latch 106 by displacing the striker 26 'from the ratchet 24' and simultaneously also displacing the sub-striker 26a from the catch 24 a.

Referring to fig. 4 and 13b, an example operation 200 of closing the latch 25 for the closure panels 12, 14 of the vehicle 10 is shown, the method comprising the steps of: the striker 26 ' is brought 202 into the slot 3 ' of the ratchet 24 ', the ratchet 24 ' being mounted to the housing 37 of the latch 25 so as to constrain the striker 26 ' when latched; moving 204 the ratchet 24 'in series with the catch 24a so that the secondary striker 26a is restrained by the catch 24a, the catch 24a being mounted to the housing 37 so that movement of the catch 24a is coupled to movement of the ratchet 24' by the link 60; and releasably latching 206 the latch 25 by inhibiting further movement of the ratchet 24 '(e.g., by engaging the pawl 25') in combination with inhibiting further movement of the catch 24a by the link 60 such that the striker 26 'is restrained by the ratchet 24' and simultaneously the secondary striker 26a is also restrained by the catch 24 a.

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

1. a latch (25) for a closure panel (12) of a vehicle (10), the latch comprising:

a housing (37);

a ratchet (24 '), said ratchet (24 ') being mounted to said housing for releasably securing the striker in the slot (3 ');

a catch portion (24a) mounted to the housing for releasably securing a secondary striker (26 a); and

a linkage (60), the linkage (60) connecting the catch to the ratchet;

wherein the ratchet and the catch move in series with each other via the link.

2. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein the housing is mounted to the closure panel and the striker pin and the secondary striker pin are mounted to a body (9) of the vehicle.

3. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein the striker pin is separate from the secondary striker pin.

4. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein the striker pin is integral with the secondary striker pin.

5. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein the catch pivot (62) is aligned with the ratchet shaft (50).

6. The latch of paragraph 1, further including the link having a first end (70) and a second end (72) such that the first end is connected to the catch at the pivot and the second end is connected to a connection (66) on the ratchet.

7. The latch of paragraph 6/5, wherein the connecting portion is coupled to the second end portion by a pin (64).

8. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein a surface (76) of the secondary striker disengages from an adjacent surface (74) of the catch (24a) when the secondary striker is restrained by the catch.

9. The latch of paragraph 8/7, wherein the catch portion hook (68) restrains the secondary striker when the primary striker is restrained by the ratchet.

10. The latch according to paragraph 1, further comprising a tie down mechanism (2), the tie down mechanism (2) for providing a force assisting the closing operation of the closure panel during door movement.

11. The latch of paragraph 10, the tie mechanism having a tie arm 20 ', the tie arm 20' being configured to operate the ratchet from a partially closed position to a fully closed position.

12. The latch of paragraph 11, wherein the tie arm is coupled to the ratchet via a tie rod arm 21'.

13. The latch of paragraph 11, wherein the tie arm is coupled to the striker pin via a tie rod arm.

14. The latch of paragraph 11, wherein the tie arm is coupled to the catch via a tie rod arm.

15. The latch of paragraph 1, further comprising a plurality of catches, such that each of the catches is configured to restrain a respective one of a plurality of secondary striker pins.

16. The latch of paragraph 1, wherein the ratchet is a master ratchet and the catch is a slave ratchet.

17. The latch of paragraph 16, wherein the latch further includes a controller (36), the controller (36) for operating a corresponding actuator to assist movement of the primary ratchet.

18. A method of opening a latch for a closure panel of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

releasing a ratchet mounted to a housing of the latch so that the ratchet is free from a striker;

moving the ratchet in series with a catch so as to free the catch from a secondary striker, the catch being mounted to the housing such that movement of the catch is coupled to movement of the ratchet by a linkage; and

unlatching the latch by displacing the striker from the ratchet while also displacing the secondary striker from the catch.

19. A method of closing a latch for a closure panel of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

entering a striker into a slot of a ratchet mounted to a housing of the latch to restrain the striker when latched;

moving the ratchet in series with a catch such that a secondary striker is restrained by the catch, the catch being mounted to the housing such that movement of the catch is coupled to movement of the ratchet by a linkage; and

the latch is releasably latched by inhibiting further movement of the ratchet in combination with inhibiting further movement of the catch by the linkage such that the striker pin is restrained by the ratchet and simultaneously the secondary striker pin is also restrained by the catch.

20. The method of paragraph 19, wherein when restrained, the striker pin engages the slot of the ratchet and the secondary striker pin disengages from the catch by not contacting the catch.