Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Strattec Security Corporation

Ian Martin

Frank Joseph Arabia, Jr

Michael Strole

Colby Lenn Bellew

Lloyd Walker Rogers, Jr

Howard Kuhlman

Douglas Dombrowski

Donald Michael Perkins

Joseph M Johnson

Michael Antonio Ciavaglia

John R Rice

Joseph P Fannon

William L Priest

Thomas A Dzurko

Theodore J Lindsay

Artur Jerzy Ostrowski

Frank J Arabia, Jr

Michael G Wygle

Ann P McCarthy-Garland

Sergio Vega

Ann P Mccathy-Garland

Lloyd W Rogers Jr

A cinching latch assembly for latching a striker includes a forkbolt biased to rotate about a first pivot point between a primary latched position, a secondary latched position, and a fully released position. The cinching latch assembly also includes a detent biased to rotate about a second pivot point to engage with the forkbolt in at least one position of the forkbolt, and a lift lever biased to rotate about a third pivot point, the lift lever having a first end to lift up on the striker during at least one position of the striker within the latch assembly. The cinching latch assembly also includes a cinch lever that, during a powered cinching operation, lowers the lift lever away from the striker prior to the forkbolt moving from the fully released position to the secondary latched position.

Cinching latch assembly

A latch assembly includes a forkbolt biased to rotate in a first direction about a first pivot point, and a detent biased to rotate in a second direction about a second pivot point, the detent configured to engage with the forkbolt in at least two different positions. The latch assembly further includes a tertiary catch biased to rotate in the first direction. The detent is configured to engage a portion of the tertiary catch and rotate the tertiary catch when the detent is rotated in the first direction.

Latch assembly

A powered latch includes a forkbolt pivotable about a first axis between a latched position for retaining a striker and an unlatched position for releasing the striker. A detent lever is pivotable about a second axis and engageable with the forkbolt to secure the forkbolt in the latched position. The latch further includes a powered actuator and a power release lever rotatable about a third axis by the powered actuator to release the detent lever from the forkbolt. The power release lever is manually movable along the third axis from a first position to a second position. Movement of the power release lever from the first position to the second position is operable to release the detent lever.

Powered latch mechanism with manual release

An adjustable cinching striker assembly for installation on a vehicle. The adjustable striker assembly includes a mounting frame for selectively mounting the adjustable striker assembly to the vehicle, and a striker moveably coupled to the mounting frame. A motor is coupled to the striker for moving the striker with respect to the mounting frame from an uncinched position to a cinched position, movement of the striker defining a cinching direction. The cinched position is adjustable with respect to the mounting frame.

Cinching striker with adjustment mechanism

A vehicle pivoting closure assembly has a concealed power actuator remotely operated by a controller to open and close a closure or liftgate. A hinge member of the power actuator is engaged pivotally to a vehicle structure about a hinge axis, and rigidly to the closure. An armature extends pivotally from an elongated linear moving rack about a rack pivot axis and to the hinge member. The armature also pivotally engages the hinge member about a secondary pivot axis disposed parallel to the hinge axis and rack pivot axis. The rack is driven by a pinion gear train powered by a motor through a clutch. The hinge, the rack, the gear train and the motor are all supported by a reinforcement tray forming a modular engaged to the vehicle structure. The tray isolates the extreme dynamic loads placed upon the hinge by the motor, thereby eliminating the need to further reinforce the vehicle structure.

Vehicle pivoting closure power operating assembly

A power operating system for opening and closing a vehicle liftgate has a pair of drive units supported on the vehicle roof and connected to the liftgate for opening and closing the liftgate. Each drive unit includes a housing having a curved track and a curved gear rack that is bodily movable endwise in the housing and guided by the curved track, the rack also serving as the drive link between the housing and the liftgate. The combined rack and drive link is extended and retracted by a pinion gear that is journalled interiorly in the housing and engages the teeth of the curved gear rack. The pinion gear is rotated by the output shaft of the motor, which in turn is fastened to the side of the housing. The motor is a reversible electric motor and is adapted to be operably coupled to the vehicle ECU unit and preferably includes an internal transmission and electrically operated clutch controlled by the ECU unit.

Vehicle liftgate power operating system

A vehicle door latch (,) with a power child security lock comprises an enclosure (,) and several components mounted on or in the enclosure. First is a latching assembly (,) disposed in the enclosure and adapted to move between an unlatched configuration and a latched configuration. There is also an inside latch handle assembly (,) disposed adjacent the latching assembly (,). The inside latch handle assembly (,) transfers motion to the latching assembly in response to an actuator to move the latching assembly to the unlatched configuration. A child security lock assembly (,) for the inside latch handle assembly (,) includes a lock pin (,) that is moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the lock pin (,) engages the inside latch handle assembly (,) to prevent any motion transfer to the latching assembly (,). In the unlocked position, the lock pin (,) disengages the inside latch handle assembly (,) to allow motion transfer to the latching assembly (,). The child security lock assembly (,) also includes a motor assembly (,) disposed adjacent the lock pin (,), and a linkage (,) interconnecting the lock pin and the motor assembly wherein the motor assembly controls movement of the lock pin.

Vehicle door latch

A door latch (10) with a cinching mechanism (16) having a manual override (18). The door latch (10) includes an enclosure (12) and a latching mechanism (14) disposed in the enclosure. The latching mechanism (12) has a fork bolt (20) moveable between an unlatched position, a secondary latched position, and a primary latched position. The cinching mechanism (16) has a cinching gear (24) that can drive the fork bolt (20) to the primary latched position. The cinching mechanism (16) also has a gear lever (30) to drive the cinching gear (24). A motor driven cable (34), in turn, drives the gear lever (30). A conduit (44) extends over part of the cable (34). The conduit (44) is attached to a conduit lever (46), which, in turn attaches to the enclosure (12). The manual override (18) includes a pivoting connection (50) that interconnects the conduit lever (46) and the enclosure (12) to allow the conduit lever and the conduit (44) to pivot with respect to the enclosure selectively between a fixed position and a loose position. The override (18) also includes a detent (52). The detent (52) can either engage the conduit lever (46) and retain it in a fixed position, or disengage the conduit lever to allow the conduit lever and the conduit (44) to pivot. If the conduit (44) is allowed to pivot, the latching mechanism (14) can unlatch even if the cinching mechanism (16) fails to operate after it drives the fork bolt (20) to the primary latched position.

Door latch

A cable actuator assembly operates a door latch that has inside lock and latch operating levers that are coupled by a cam and follower arrangement and rotate in opposite directions. The cable actuator assembly includes a cable assembly and an actuator assembly. The cable assembly has a sheath and a core that slides in the sheath. The actuator assembly has an anchor fixed on a base and a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on the base. The sheath is attached to the anchor at one end and to the inside operating lever of the door latch at the opposite end with slack. The core is attached to the bell crank lever at one end and to the inside lock operating lever at the opposite end. The bell crank lever is rotated by a handle to rotate the inside lock and latch operating levers so as to unlock and unlatch the door latch in sequence.

Cable actuator system

A vehicle door latch is provided having unlock latched and unlatched positions, the door latch having at least one locking/unlocking actuator for moving the latch between locked latched and unlocked latched positions, and the door latch having a freewheeling transfer lever operatively connected to at least one release handle, the transfer lever being provided for moving the door latch to the unlatched position. The door latch has a feature to allow the locking/unlocking actuator to move the latch from the locked latched position to the unlocked latched position while the door release handle is previously or simultaneously actuated, by subsequent release of the door release handle without reactivation of the locking/unlocking actuator.

A child-proof door latch including a selector switch accessable from the door's exterior for enabling or disabling the functioning of a cable-driven latch of the type where a sheath about the cable pushes on the latches trigger to actuate the latchbolt. The selector switch includes a slot which controls the anchoring or movement of the end of the cable which, in turn, permits or prevents the tensioning of the cable sufficiently to straighten the sheath thereabout for actuating the trigger.

Child-proof door latch

A vehicle door latch and handle mechanism including a cable-driven door latch wherein a sheath encasing a cable pushes on a trigger in the latch mechanism to actuate a latchbolt and cause it to disengage a striker. Tensioning of the cable causes the sheath thereabout to straighten and push upon the trigger for the latch.

A vehicle door latch has a fork bolt lever that is latched by a detent lever. The detent lever is operated by an intermittent lever that is operated by a transfer lever that is actuated by inside and outside door handles via operating levers. The door latch includes a locking lever that disconnects the door handle from the intermittent lever when it is in the locked position. The door latch also includes an anti-theft feature in the form of an electrically actuated 'dead bolt' lock that is engaged and disengaged solely by a key lock cylinder. The door latch further includes an override feature that unlocks the door latch mechanically in the event of electrical power failure.

A vehicle access door is operatively mounted for powered fore and aft sliding movement between open and closed positions. A power module disposed internally of the vehicle has motor driven cable reels mounted on a space frame having door pull cables wound thereon routed by forward and rear cable guide assemblies into operative connection with the access door. The rear cable guide assembly is an adjustable two part guide pulley assembly in which a first housing part is adjustably carried by the space frame and the second housing part is adjustably mounted on the first housing part so that the assembly can be subsequently fitted and attached to production vehicles having a wide build tolerance in the support structure for the module and the rear cable guide assembly. The adjustment provided by the rear cable guide assembly assures high quality fits with good sealing of the pull cable access opening and positions the pull cable in an external guide channel to eliminate frictional wear between these components.

Growing community of inventors

Waterford, MI, United States of America

Ian Martin