Power-actuated motor-vehicle door latch with antitheft feature

Abstract

A motor-vehicle door latch for use on a vehicle door having inside and outside handles and inside and outside locking elements has a first housing part that contains a latch fork engageable in a locking position with a door bolt to retain same and lock the door, a lock pawl engageable in a retaining position with the fork to retain same in the locking position, an outside operating lever connected to the outside handle, an outside locking lever connected to the outside locking element, and an unlocking lever connected to the outside locking lever and operable to unlock the door. A second housing part contains an inside operating lever connected to the inside handle, an inside locking lever connected to the inside locking element, a coupling device pivoted coaxially with the inside locking lever and having one arm connected to the unlocking lever of the first housing part and another arm, and a central actuating unit. This unit includes an actuator, a spindle, a nut on the spindle displaceable between an unlock, a lock, and an antitheft position, and a slide displaceable jointly with the nut between the lock and unlock positions and connected to the other arm of the coupling device. An antitheft coupling is engageable between the nut, the coupling device, and the inside locking lever for coupling the inside locking lever to the coupling device and therethrough to the unlocking lever in the lock and unlock positions of the nut and for decoupling the inside locking lever from the coupling device in the antitheft position of the nut.