Latch for vehicle doors

Claim 2

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, a pawl operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement from a normal position to an operated position when manually actuated, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots rEgistering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said pawl in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when said locking lever is in said unlocked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the pawl to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when said locking lever is in said locked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respect to said pawl upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the pawl from the latching element, and cancelling means operable to move said locking lever to said unlocked position when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed in said locked position, the improvement in said latch comprising, means acting on said locking lever and serving to move the latter to an impulsed position in response to manual movement of said actuator from said normal position to said operated position but only when said locking lever first has been moved to said locked position, means preventing return of said locking lever from said impulsed position to said locked position when said actuator is thereafter manually released for return from said operated position to said normal position, and said cancelling means being disabled with respect to said locking lever when the latter is in said impulsed position and incapable of moving and returning said locking lever toward said unlocked position during movement of said latching element from said unlatched position to said latched position.

Claim 3

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, a pawl operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement from a normal position to an operated position when manually actuated, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said pawl in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when in said coupling position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the pawl to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when in said uncoupling position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respect to said pawl upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the pawl from the latching element, and cancelling means normally operable to move said locking lever to said unlocked position and said connector to said coupling position when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed in said locked position, the improvement in said latch comprising, biasing means acting on said locking lever and serving to move the latter to an impulsed position in response to manual movement of said actuator from said normal position to said operated position but only when said locking lever first has been Moved to said locked position, means preventing return of said locking lever from said impulsed position to said locked position when said actuator is thereafter manually released for return from said operated position to said normal position, said locking lever, when in said impulsed position, being located to keep said connector in said uncoupling position and to render said cancelling means ineffective to move the locking lever when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position.

Claim 4

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, a pawl operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement from a normal position to an operated position when manually actuated, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said pawl in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when in said coupling position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the pawl to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when in said uncoupling position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respect to said pawl upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the pawl from the latching element, and cancelling means normally operable to move said locking lever to said unlocked position and said connector to said coupling position when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed in said locked position, the improvement in said latch comprising, biasing means acting on said locking lever and serving to move the latter to an impulsed position in response to manual movement of said actuator from said normal position to said operated position but only when said locking lever first has been Moved to said locked position, means preventing return of said locking lever from said impulsed position to said locked position when said actuator is thereafter manually released for return from said operated position to said normal position, said locking lever, when in said impulsed position, being located to keep said connector in said uncoupling position and to render said cancelling means ineffective to move the locking lever when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position.

Claim 5

A latch as defined in claim 2 in which said slot in said locking lever is curved and is formed intermediate its ends with an inwardly projecting edge portion which engages said connector when said locking lever is in said locked position and said actuator is in said normal position and prevents movement of said locking lever from said locked position to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means, said connector being moved within said curved slot and past said edge portion when said actuator is moved to said operated position thereby to allow said curved slot to ride along said connector and free said locking lever for movement to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means.

Claim 6

A latch as defined in claim 3 in which said elongated slot includes an elongated portion and also includes a pocket portion located near one end of said elongated portion and opening into the latter portion, said pocket portion being positioned to register with said connector when said actuator is in said operated position and said locking lever in said impulsed position whereby said connector may enter into said pocket portion when said actuator is returned to said normal position and may move relative to said actuator during such return so as to leave said locking lever in said impulsed position.

Claim 7

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, a pawl operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement from a normal position to an operated position when manually actuated, said actuator being biased to return toward said normal position when manually released, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said pawl in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when said locking lever is in said unlocked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the pawl to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when said locking lever is in said locked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respect to said pawl upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the pawl from the latching element, the improvement in said latch comprising, a cancelling member connected to said locking lever and movable to an active position when said locking lever is moved to said locked position, kick-out means operable, when said cancelling member is in said active position and as said latching element is turned from said unlatched position to said latched position, to engage and move said cancelling member to cause the latter to return said locking lever to said unlocked position, means biasing said locking lever to turn beyonD said locked position to an impulsed position when said actuator is manually moved from said normal position to said operated position after said locking lever has been first moved to said locked position, said slot in said locking lever being shaped to free said locking lever for movement to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means and to allow said connector to move with said actuator when the latter is moved to said operated position, said locking lever being connected to said cancelling member to move the latter to an inactive position with respect to said kick-out means as an incident to movement of said locking lever to said impulsed position whereby the kick-out means fails to engage said cancelling member and turn said locking lever to said unlocked position when said latching element is turned to said latched position with said locking lever disposed in said impulsed position, and said slot in said actuator being shaped to allow said connector to move relative to said actuator when the latter is returned from said operated position to said normal position thereby to prevent the connector from shifting the locking lever out of said impulsed position as an incident to the return of the actuator.

Claim 8

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, a pawl operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement from a normal position to an operated position when manually actuated, said actuator being biased to return toward said normal position when manually released, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said pawl in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when said locking lever is in said unlocked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the pawl to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when said locking lever is in said locked position, sliding within said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respect to said pawl upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the pawl from the latching element, the improvement in said latch comprising, a cancelling member connected to said locking lever and movable to an active position when said locking lever is moved to said locked position, kick-out means operable, when said cancelling member is in said active position and as said latching element is turned from said unlatched position to said latched position, to engage and move said cancelling member to cause the latter to return said locking lever to said unlocked position, means biasing said locking lever to turn beyonD said locked position to an impulsed position when said actuator is manually moved from said normal position to said operated position after said locking lever has been first moved to said locked position, said slot in said locking lever being shaped to free said locking lever for movement to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means and to allow said connector to move with said actuator when the latter is moved to said operated position, said locking lever being connected to said cancelling member to move the latter to an inactive position with respect to said kick-out means as an incident to movement of said locking lever to said impulsed position whereby the kick-out means fails to engage said cancelling member and turn said locking lever to said unlocked position when said latching element is turned to said latched position with said locking lever disposed in said impulsed position, and said slot in said actuator being shaped to allow said connector to move relative to said actuator when the latter is returned from said operated position to said normal position thereby to prevent the connector from shifting the locking lever out of said impulsed position as an incident to the return of the actuator.

Claim 9

A latch as defined in claim 5 in which said slot in said locking lever is curved and is formed intermediate its ends with an inwardly projecting edge portion which engages said connector when said locking lever is in said locked position and said actuator is in said normal position and prevents movement of said locking lever from said locked position to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means, said connector being moved within said curved slot and past said edge portion when said actuator is moved to said operated position thereby to allow said curved slot to ride along said connector and free said locking lever for movement to said impulsed position under the influence of said biasing means.

Claim 10

A latch as defined in claim 6 in which said elongated slot includes an elongated portion and also includes a pocket portion located near one end of said elongated portion and opening into the latter portion, said pocket portion being positioned to register with said connector when said actuator is in said operated position and said locking lever in said impulsed position whereby said connector may enter into said pocket portion when said actuator is returned to said normal position and may move relative to said actuator during such return so as to leave said locking lever in said impulsed position.

Claim 11

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, latching mechanism selectively operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement between normal and operated positions, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said latching mechanism in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when said locking lever is in said unlocked position, sliding within a first portion of said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the latching mechanism to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when said locking lever is in said locked position, sliding within a second portion of said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respecT to said latching mechanism upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the latching mechanism from the latching element, and cancelling means normally operable to move said locking lever to said unlocked position when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed out of said unlocked position, the improvement in said latch comprising, means including said elongated slot and said connector for disabling said cancelling means and preventing said locking lever from moving toward said unlocked position as said latching element is turned from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed out of said unlocked position and with said actuator disposed in said operated position.

Claim 12

A latch having a base, a latching element mounted on said base to move between latched and unlatched positions, latching mechanism selectively operable to hold said latching element in said latched position and releasable to free the latching element for movement to said unlatched position, a manually operable actuator formed with an elongated slot and mounted on said base for movement between normal and operated positions, a locking lever disposed side-by-side with said actuator and mounted on said base for movement between unlocked and locked positions, said locking lever also being formed with a slot with portions of the two slots registering with one another in all positions of said actuator and said locking lever, a connector extending through the two slots and slidable within said elongated slot between positions coupling and uncoupling said actuator with said latching mechanism in response to movement of said locking lever between said unlocked and locked positions, said connector, when said locking lever is in said unlocked position, sliding within a first portion of said slot in said locking lever in response to movement of said actuator to said operated position and engaging the latching mechanism to release the latter from said latching element, said connector, when said locking lever is in said locked position, sliding within a second portion of said slot in said locking lever and making an idle movement with respecT to said latching mechanism upon movement of said actuator to said operated position whereby the actuator free-wheels without releasing the latching mechanism from the latching element, and cancelling means normally operable to move said locking lever to said unlocked position when said latching element is moved from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed out of said unlocked position, the improvement in said latch comprising, means including said elongated slot and said connector for disabling said cancelling means and preventing said locking lever from moving toward said unlocked position as said latching element is turned from said unlatched position to said latched position with said locking lever disposed out of said unlocked position and with said actuator disposed in said operated position.