JP-7856492-B2 - Vehicle tailgate latch mechanism

Inventors

• 小笠原 巧士
• 横田 佳明

Assignees

• 株式会社ハイレックスアクト

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20220603

Claims (8)

1. A latch device attached to the back door of a vehicle, having a first portion exposed from the back door and a second portion housed within the back door, A meshing mechanism that engages with the striker of the aforementioned vehicle, A manual engagement release unit for manually releasing the engagement of the engagement mechanism with the striker, Motor and, A power-operated gear release unit is connected to the motor and has a gear transmission path that transmits the power of the motor to the gear mechanism, and releases the gear mechanism from meshing with the striker using the power of the motor. The power-operated gear disengagement unit includes a manual cutting unit for manually cutting the gear transmission path, The manual engagement release unit has at least one main manual operation unit provided in the first part, and the manual cutting unit has a sub-manual operation unit provided in the second part. The gear transmission path has a first gear and a second gear that mesh with each other. The manual cutting unit has a lever member that moves the first gear to release the engagement between the first gear and the second gear. A latching device wherein the lever member has a holding member that holds the first gear after moving the first gear .
2. The latch device according to claim 1, comprising a housing for the meshing mechanism, wherein the housing has first and second openings, and the at least one main manual operating section has first and second main manual operating sections, the first main manual operating section is operable through the first opening, and the second main manual operating section is operable through the second opening.
3. The latch device according to claim 2, wherein, when the back door is closed, the first main manual operating section is positioned in front of the vehicle than the second main manual operating section, the first main manual operating section is located inside the housing, and the second main manual operating section penetrates the housing.
4. The latching mechanism comprises a latch capable of engaging with the striker and a ratchet capable of engaging with the latch, and the at least one main manual operating part is provided on the ratchet, according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. The latch device according to claim 1, wherein the lever member has a plurality of contact portions that contact the first gear at different locations, and the lever member releases the meshing of the first gear and the second gear by raising the plurality of contact portions and lifting the first gear.
6. The latch device according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of contact portions are provided on both sides of the rotation axis of the first gear.
7. The latch device according to claim 5, wherein the lever member has a rotating shaft with the sub-manual operating part at one end, the rotating shaft extends in a direction different from the rotating shaft of the first gear, and the plurality of contact parts rotate around the rotating shaft of the lever member and rise as the sub-manual operating part rotates.
8. The latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-manual operating section has a slit on its operating surface.

Description

This invention relates to a latching device for a vehicle's tailgate. Some vehicle tailgate latching mechanisms are known to have a motor that uses power to fully latch a half-latched latch. This mechanism is called a power-cinching mechanism. The motor is also used to open the tailgate. In cases where the motor cannot open the tailgate for any reason, an emergency mechanism may be provided to allow manual opening. Patent Document 1 discloses a latching mechanism that allows manual opening by removing the motor mounting bolts and disengaging the motor from the sector gear. Patent Document 2 discloses a latching mechanism that allows manual opening by manually lifting a worm gear and disengaging the pinion gear on the motor's output shaft from the worm gear. After disengaging the pinion gear and worm gear, manual opening becomes possible by operating a ratchet. Patent No. 4454509U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/087298A1 This is a side view of the first and second latch devices attached to the vehicle's tailgate.This is an exploded side view of the first and second latching devices.This is a functional relationship diagram of the main elements of the first latching device.This is a perspective view of the first latching device.This is an exploded perspective view of the first latching device.This is an exploded perspective view of the engagement mechanism of the first latch device.This is an exploded perspective view of the upper part of the partition plate of the first latch device.This is a diagram showing the configuration of the gear transmission path of the first latching device.This is an exploded side view of the vicinity of the manual cutting section of the first latch device.This is a perspective view of the first housing of the first latching device.This is a perspective view of the ratchet of the first latching device.This is a perspective view of the third gear and the disengagement member of the first latching device.This is a perspective view of the lever member of the first latching device.This is a perspective view of the meshing mechanism and gear transmission path of the second latching device.This is a plan view of the engagement mechanism and memory lever of the second latching device. Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention applies to two types of latch devices for back doors (first and second latch devices 1, 101). Of the first and second latch devices 1, 101, only the first latch device 1 has a scinting function that uses motor power to pull the striker S into the engagement mechanism 31. The second latch device 101 does not have a scinting function. Depending on the vehicle model and grade, only one of the first latch device 1 or the second latch device 101 may be installed in a single vehicle. For convenience, in this specification, the first latch device 1 and the second latch device 101 will be referred to as a set of latch devices. However, it should be noted that the first latch device 1 and the second latch device 101 may be manufactured and distributed separately. In the following description, terms such as "clockwise direction," "counterclockwise direction," and "top view" are defined as an upward view unless otherwise specified. The term "upward view" means looking from above in a direction perpendicular to the cover plate 2 which is on the horizontal plane. In the diagram, the X direction represents the vehicle width direction, the Y direction represents the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and the Z direction represents the vertical direction. These are defined assuming the cover plate 2 is in a horizontal plane. Figure 1(a) shows a side view of the first latch device 1 mounted on the back door D, and Figure 1(b) shows a side view of the second latch device 101 mounted on the back door D. Figure 2(a) shows an exploded side view of the first latch device 1 with the cover plate 2 in a horizontal plane, and Figure 2(b) shows an exploded side view of the second latch device 101 with the cover plate 2 in a horizontal plane. The first and second latch devices 1, 101 each include an engagement unit 3, an engagement release unit 6, and a cover plate 2. Mounting portions 21 for attaching the first and second latch devices 1, 101 to the back door D are provided on both sides of the cover plate 2 (see also Figure 4). The first and second latch devices 1, 101 are attached to the back door D by inserting bolts (not shown) through holes in the mounting portions 21. The engagement unit 3 and the engagement release unit 6 are adjacent to each other and supported on one surface 23 of the cover plate 2. During manufacturing, various components can be attached to one surface 23 of the cover plate 2, thus improving manufacturability. The engagement unit 3 and cover plate 2 are exposed from the back door D. Part of the disengagement unit 6 is exposed from the back door D, while the rest is housed within the back do