Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~31 ~ ~ 9~ - i
.
TRUNK LID LOCK WITH RE.IOTr RELEASE
BACKGROUND AND SU~RY OF THE I~rvE~Io~
This invention relates to a remote mechanical release
mechanism and particularly to one adapted for reieasing the
deck (i.e. trunk) lid of a passenger car motor vehicle.
As a convenience feature, motor vehicle manufacturers
often equip their products wit~ remote release mechanisms
for the vehicle's trunX lid. This feature enables the trunk
lid to be released from inside the passenger compartment so
that the driver does not have to remove the keys from the
ignition and exit the vehicle to unlatch the deck lid
externally. Various designs for such devices are presently
known. Althougn remote release ~echanisms according to the
prior art perform satisfactorily, there is a continuin~
desire to reduce their oomplexity, size and cost, while
providing acceptable operating and durability
characteristics.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved
deck lid lock with remote release is provided which is
compact and has very few moving parts as compared with many
designs according to the prior art. The simplicity of the
subject device is achieved, in part, through combining the
functions of a solenoid armature and a release latch element
into a single multifunctional component.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
to which this invention relates from the subsequent
1,
~e
- ~ 3 ~
description of the preferred em~odi~Qnts and the appended
claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA'~INGS
Figure 1 is a side-elevational view of a deck lid lock
with remote release according to a prior art design.
Figure 2 is a side-elevational view of an improved deck
lid lock with remote release according to the present
invention which is partially cut away showing the various
internal co~ponents thereof.
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines
3-3 of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional ~iew taken along
lines 4-4 of Figure 2.
,
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE I~ .NTIo~
Figure 1 illustrates a deck lid lock with remote
release according to a prior art design which is designated
by reference number 10. Lock 10 is illustrated herein to
provide a background for describing the advantages of the
design according to the present invention. Lock lO includes
base plat~e 12 which supports the re~aining components of the
lock. Base plate 12 is mounted to either the deck lid or
the vehicle body! depending on the particular application.
Solenoid assem~ly 14 includes a longitudinally movable
armature 16 having a radially flared head 1~. Spring 2Q
biases armature 16 to the extended position as shown in
- 13~7~ 1
E'igure 1. In accordance with conventional design practices,
the application of current to windings 22 of solenoid
assembly 14 causes armature 16 to be attracted to pole piece
24, and overcomes the biasing force applied by spring 20.
Latch dog 26 is rotata~le about pin 28 and includes arm 30
which is engaged by head 18 upon retraction o~ armature 16.
Latch dog 26 further includes hook-shaped arm 32 and arm 34.
Deck lid lock latch plate 36 is rotatable about pin 38
and includes an elongated arm 40 which engages the hooked
portion of latch dog arm 32, as shown in Figure l, and also
includes notch 42 which engages lock bar 44 affixed to the
vehicle decX lid (or the vehicle rear compartment
structure). Key cam 46 is journaled for rotation within
base plate 12 and includes a central slot 48 which receives
a similarly shaped bar which extends from the deck lid lock
cylinder (not shown). Key cam 46 includes a projecting cam
tab 50 which acts on latch dog arm 34 when key cam 46 is
rotated clockwise from the position shown in -Figure l.
Torsion spring 52 is wrapped around pin 38 and has ends
engaging latch plate 36 and latch dog 26, urgin,g both of
them to rotate in a counterclockwise direction.
Figure 1 illustrates the orientation and cooperation of
the elements of lock 10 when the deck lid is in a closed and
locked condition. Latch plate 36 is maintain~d in the
position shown through engagement between latch plate arm 40
and latch dog arm 3~. When it is desired to releas2 the
deck lid remotely, voltage is applied to ;conductors
~ 3~ 8 t~3
communicating with winding 22 thus energizing the solenoid
and causing armature 16 to be retracted. This movement
causes engagement between head 18 and latch dog arm 30,
urging latch dog 26 to rotate in a clockwise direction.
This motion releases latch plate arm 40 enabling it to
rotate in a counterclockwise direction until lock bar 44 is
released, and thus enabling the deck lid to be opéned. -
When the deck lid is closed, lock bar 44 acts on latchpl~te 36 causing arm 40 to re-engage latch dog arm 32, thus
returning the components to the orientation shown in Figure
1. When the user releases the deck lid externally using a
~ey, key cam 46 is rotated which causes cam tab 50 to engage
latch dog arm 34 which in turn causes latch dog 26 to rotate
clockwise, thus releasing latch plate 36, as previousIy
explained.
Figure 1 further illustrates additional components
which are conventionally provided with deck lid-lock 10,
such as electrical connector 54 enabling convenient
connection to the vehicle wiring harness~ Lock condition
s~iitch 56 is used to provide a warning that the deck lid is
in a released condition which is indicated through contact
between an-element of the switch and latch plate 36 when the
plate is rotated to its counterclockwise (released)
position.
Now with reference to Figures 2 through 4, an improved
deck lid lock with remote release according to the present
invention is shown which is generally designate~ by
13~7~3
reference number 60. Lock lO may be affixed to the
vehicle~s rear compartment structure to engage lock bar 44
attached to the deck lid, or the positioning of these
components may be reversed, depending on the application.
Deck lid lock 60 includes base plate 6Z which ~orms a
structural support ~or the remaining components o~ the lock.
Solenoid 63 includes windinys 64 which surrounds pole piece
66 which is rigidly affixed to base plate 62~ ;
Armature 68 is pivotable about pivot axis 69 defined by
projecting tabs 70 and 71, and is movabl fxom its normal
position shown in Figure 2, to a counterclockwise displaced
release position. Armature 68 includes a pair of legs 72
and 74 which are disposed about opposite sides of the pivot
axis 69. Legs 72 and 74 are designed such that they provide
a center of gravity location for armature 68 which is at or
near axis 69. This balancing renders lock 60 relatively
insensitive to inertial inputs which has been ~ound to
produce inadvertent lock release in some lock designs. Ieg
72 de~ines.dimple 76 which cooperates with pole piece 66 to
define a tapered working air gap. Armature leg 74 defines
engaging edge 80 and spring engaging notch ~2.
Latch plate 86 is rotatable about pin 88 between the
normal engaged position shown in full lines in Figure 2, and
the released position shown in phantom lines. Latch plate
86 has a pair of legs 90 and 92 de~ining notch 94 which
traps lock bar 44, as ~reviously explained in con~unction
with the prior art structure shown in Figure l. Arm 96
~31
,
engages armature engaging edge ~o ~.~en ar-lature 68 is in the
position shown in Figure 2. Energy absorber 97 is made from
an elastomer and is carrie~ by latch plate arm 96 and
contacts the side surface o base plate 62 when the arm
moves at high velocity fro~ the phanto~ line position to the
full line position. Torsion spring 98 has extending arms 99
and 101 which engage base plate 62 and latch -plate 86
respectively to bias the latch plate in the countercloc~wise
direction about pin 88. Latch plate ar~ 96 de~ines a lower
notch 102 engagable with armature engaging edge 80.
Key cam 106 is journaled for rotation within base plate
62 and includes a radially p.oj~cting cam tab 10~ and
rectangularly-shaped slot 110 which engages a similarly
shaped rod extending from the trunk lid lock cylinder (not
shown). Torsion spring 112 wraps around key cam 106 and
engages the key cam at end 11~. Spring end 116 projects
into and engages spring engaging no,ch 82, thus biasing key
cam 106 in a counterclockwise direction and armature 68 in a
clockwise direction. . f
Figure 2 illustrates (in the full-line position of
latch plate 86) the orientation and cooperation of elements
when the.deck lid is closed and loc~ed. In that condition,
latch plate 86 engages lock bar 44 and is maintained in the
position shown through engagement between latch plate notch
102 and armature engaging edge 80. When it is desired to
release the deck lid remo~ely, voltage is applied to
windings coil 64, causing armature 68 to be attracted toward
13~7~ 1
pole piece 66. This attraction causes armature 68 to
overcome the biasing force applied by spring ~12, thus
moving the armature to its counterc ockwise position~ Upon
this movement of armature 68, it becomes disengaged from
latch plate arm 96, enabling the arm to rotate in a
counterclockwise direction in response to the biasing
applied by spring 98. When latch plate 86 reaches the
phantom-line position shown in ~igure 2, lock bar 44 is
released which enables the deck lid to be opened.
Release o~ the deck lid through external actuation of
the latch cylinder causes key cam 106 to rotate in a
clockwise direction such that cam tab 108 acts directly on
armature 68, moving it coun.erclockwise to a position to
release latch plate arm 96.
When the deck lid is closed, do~nward motion of lock
bar 44 acts on latch plate legs 90 and 92, urging latch
plate 86 to rotate in a clockwise direction. When latch
plate arm 96 engages the upper surface of leg 74, the
armature i5 moved counterclockwise against the .urging of l
spring 112. Continued rotation causes latch platelnotch 102
to engage armature engaging edge 80 causing the armature to
return to the full-line position sho~n in Figure 2. Energy
absorber 97 serves to reduce the rebound velocity of arm 96
when it reaches its extreme clockwise position ~o ensure
proper engagemen~ with armature edge 80.
As is evident from the appended figures and above
description, deck lid lock 60 is less complex and has fewer
13~7~
.
components than deck lid lock 10. This reduction in
complexity is achieved primarily through the elimination of
a separate latch dog element 26 shown in Pigure l. Instead,
armature 68 shown in Figure 2 performs the functions of both
latch dog 26 and armature 16 of the prior art structure
shown in Figure 1.
Deck lid lock 60 is very compact which is attributable
to the dual function operation of armature 68 and du~ to the
positioning of solenoid 63. Latch plate arm 96 is of a
length dictated by the force output of solenoid 63, since
the frictional engagement between armature edge 80 and latch
plate notch 102 which must be overcome by the solenoid
decreases with the length of the arm. Given that the arm 96
establishes a minimum size of lock 60, solenoid 63 is
efficientl~ packaged adjacent latch plate 86 and on the same
side of armature 89 as the latch plate.
While the above description constitutes the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated
that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation
and change without departing from the proper scope and fair
meaning of the accompanying claims.
