Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Randy Ferrara

Carl D May

Ian J Dow

According to the invention, a vehicle body has a latch assembly for latching and unlatching a pivotally movable closure panel carrying a striker. The latch assembly has first and second throats for alternately receiving the striker and a latching means adapted for alternate assembly to capture the striker in the first throat and alternately in the second throat. In accordance with the invention, a forkbolt lever is pivotally supported on a housing and is adapted for alternate assembly being mountable for rotation to capture the striker either in the first throat or alternately in the second throat. The detent lever is pivotally supported on a housing and is adapted for alternate assembly being mountable for rotation to selectively engage the forkbolt lever for capturing the striker either in the first throat or alternately in the second throat. The latch assembly may be alternately assembled for releasing the striker and unlatching the hood either by pulling a cable on a left side of the vehicle for a left-hand version or by pulling a cable on a right side of the vehicle for a right-hand version.

Dual throat latch assembly

A luggage compartment lid openable upon release of the deck lid latch and a release handle mounted in the operator compartment and connected to the latch by a cable for remotely releasing the latch upon operator actuation of the release handle. A drive gear is rotatably mounted on the latch to release the latch upon rotation of the drive gear. An actuator gear is also rotatably mounted on the latch and has gear teeth meshing with gear teeth of the drive gear. The actuator gear is connected to the cable so that operator actuation of the release handle rotates the actuator gear and the drive gear to release the latch. A shift bar is located inside the luggage compartment and is operable to selectively shaft the actuator gear away from the drive gear so that the gear teeth are disengaged and operator actuation of the release handle is thereby disconnected from the latch so that the deck lid cannot be opened without the use of a key to operate the conventional key cylinder release of the deck lid.

Growing community of inventors

Mt. Clemens, MI, United States of America

Randy Ferrara