Electric lock release

Claim 2

A locking mechanism for an automoative deck lid comprising: a housing; a latch element pivotably supported by said housing and having first and second positions for respectively releasing and securing the deck lid; bias means for urging said latch element toward said first position; a detent element pivotably supported by said housing and operable in one position thereof to retain said latch element in said second position; cooperable shoulder and finger means associated with said latch and detent elements respectively for retaining and releasing said latch element relative to said second position, said shoulder means provided with a concave seat having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of rotation of said finger means; wedging means coactive with said finger means for urging said latch element toward said first position, said wedging means comprising a relatively small convex and reversely curved portion formed on a radius of curvature tangentially connected to the radius of curvature of said seat at one end thereof and defining a crown therewith; stop means on said latch element at the end of said concave seat opposite said crown engageable with said detent element to precisely locate said finger means on said seat proximate said crown when said latch is in said second position; and actuator means including a plunger coactive with said detent element and operable to move the latter to release said latch element.

Claim 3

The mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing means includes cradle defining means for locatably receiving said actuator means, wherein said actuator means includes a solenoid supported by said cradle defining means, and wherein said plunger is slidably movable into and out of said solenoid.

Claim 4

The mechanism as recited in claim 2 wherein said actuator means includes spring means having one end connected to said housing and an opposite end connected to said plunger for normally urging said plunger out of said solenoid.

Claim 5

The mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a manually operable cam rotatably supported by said housing and operatIvely cooperable with said detent element for releasing said latch from said second position.

Claim 6

The mechanism as recited in claim 1 wherein said detent element is comprised of first and second arm portions disposed on opposite sides thereof, and wherein said finger means comprises a convexly and arcuately shaped portion formed on one edge of one of said arm portions.

Claim 7

A locking mechanism for an automotive deck lid or the like comprising: a housing; latch and detent members; pivots supporting said latch and detent members in said housing, said latch member being movable on its pivot between bolt engaging and bolt releasing positions, said latch and detent members having cooperable shoulder and finger portions adapted to interengage to hold said latch member in the bolt engaging position, said shoulder having a concavely shaped inner seating portion of relatively large diameter and an outer wedging portion defined by a reversely formed curve of relatively small diameter, the intersection of one end of said seating portion being tangentially connected to said wedging portion and defining a crown in said shoulder, said shoulder also having a finger locating portion disposed adjacent to said seating portion, said finger portion having an end of relatively small radius, the end of said finger portion normally seating on the concave inner portion of said shoulder adjacent to said crown when said latch is in the bolt engaging position, and a portion of said detent member adjacent to said finger portion normally seating on said locating portion of said shoulder to maintain said normal seating relationship between said end of said finger and said crown; first means for moving said detent member to release said latch member comprising a solenoid actuator having a retractable plunger and lost motion connection means between said plunger and said detent member permitting said plunger to have a relatively long free travel from an extended position to a retracted position during which said plunger gains speed and inertia, said lost motion connection means being operative to engage the plunger with said detent member as the plunger approaches a fully retracted position, final movement of said plunger to the fully retracted position after engagement with said detent member being operative to rock the latter on its pivot to move the end of said finger outwardly on the seating portion of said shoulder past said crown to engage the end radius of said finger portion with said wedging portion of said shoulder; and bias means coactive with said latch and detent members for applying pressure between said wedging portion of said shoulder and said end radius of said finger portion tending to move said latch to a bolt releasing position.

Claim 8

A locking mechanism for an automotive deck lid or the like comprising: a housing; latch and detent members; pivots supporting said latch and detent members in said housing, said latch member being movable on its pivot between bolt engaging and bolt releasing positions, said latch and detent members having cooperable shoulder and finger portions adapted to interengage to hold said latch member in the bolt engaging position, said shoulder having a concavely shaped inner seating portion of relatively large diameter and an outer wedging portion defined by a reversely formed curve of relatively small diameter, the intersection of one end of said seating portion being tangentially connected to said wedging portion and defining a crown in said shoulder, said shoulder also having a finger locating portion disposed adjacent to said seating portion, said finger portion having an end of relatively small radius, the end of said finger portion normally seating on the concave inner portion of said shoulder adjacent to said crown when said latch is in the bolt engaging position, and a portion of said detent member adjacent to said finger portion normally seating on said locating portion of said shoulder to maintain said normal seating relationship between said end of said finger and said crown; first means for moving said detent member to release said latch member comprising a solenoid actuator having a retractable plunger and lost motion connection means between said plunger and said detent member permitting said plunger to have a relatively long free travel from an extended position to a retracted position during which said plunger gains speed and inertia, said lost motion connection means being operative to engage the plunger with said detent member as the plunger approaches a fully retracted position, final movement of said plunger to the fully retracted position after engagement with said detent member being operative to rock the latter on its pivot to move the end of said finger outwardly on the seating portion of said shoulder past said crown to engage the end radius of said finger portion with said wedging portion of said shoulder; and bias means coactive with said latch and detent members for applying pressure between said wedging portion of said shoulder and said end radius of said finger portion tending to move said latch to a bolt releasing position.

Claim 9

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the radius of the concave shoulder of said latch member, when the latter is in the bolt engaging position and engaged by said detent member, extends substantially through the radius center of said finger portion and the pivot center of said detent member.

Claim 10

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein the concave seating portion of said shoulder faces substantially squarely on the pivot mounting of said detent member when said latch member is in the bolt engaging position and engaged by said detent member.

Claim 11

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 6 wherein said housing has mounting supports formed in one piece therewith for holding and accurately positioning said solenoid actuator and holes therein for accepting the pivots for said latch and detent members and for accurately positioning the same relative to each other and to said mounting supports, whereby to accurately determine the point at which said plunger engages said detent member to disengage the latter from said latch member.

Claim 12

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein said housing has sepaRate base and cover portions, and including means on and cooperative with said pivots and said mounting supports for holding said base and cover portions securely together.

Claim 13

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 9 wherein said housing has separate base and cover portions and wherein portions of said mounting supports and the ends of said pivots are staked to said base and cover portions to hold the latter securely together.

Claim 14

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 9 including means at least a part of which is formed in one piece with and is a part of said housing for holding and positioning said pivots and said solenoid actuator accurately with respect to each other, whereby to determine and control the point at which said plunger terminates its free travel and actuates said detent member to release said latch member.

Claim 15

A locking mechanism for an automotive deck lid or the like comprising a housing; a pair of spaced pivots in said housing; a latch member mounted on one of said pivots for movement between engaging and releasing positions; a detent member mounted on the other of said pivots and coactive with said latch member to selectively engage and release the latter; yieldable means urging said detent member normally to the latch engaging position; a solenoid actuator coactive with said detent member to operate the same against the action of said yieldable means to the latch releasing position, said solenoid actuator having a rectractable plunger and lost motion connection means between said plunger and said detent member permitting said plunger to have a relatively long free travel from an extended position to a retracted position during which said plunger gains speed and inertia, said lost motion connection means being operative to engage the plunger with said detent member as the plunger approaches a fully retracted position, final movement of said plunger to the fully retracted position after engagement with said detent member being operative to rock the latter on its pivot to move the same out of engagement with said latch member; and mounting and locating means at least part of which is formed in one piece with and is a part of said housing for holding and positioning said pivots and said solenoid actuator accurately with respect to each other, whereby to determine and control the point at which said plunger terminates its free travel and actuates said detent member to release said latch member.

Claim 16

A locking mechanism for an automotive deck lid or the like comprising a housing; a pair of spaced pivots in said housing; a latch member mounted on one of said pivots for movement between engaging and releasing positions; a detent member mounted on the other of said pivots and coactive with said latch member to selectively engage and release the latter; yieldable means urging said detent member normally to the latch engaging position; a solenoid actuator coactive with said detent member to operate the same against the action of said yieldable means to the latch releasing position, said solenoid actuator having a rectractable plunger and lost motion connection means between said plunger and said detent member permitting said plunger to have a relatively long free travel from an extended position to a retracted position during which said plunger gains speed and inertia, said lost motion connection means being operative to engage the plunger with said detent member as the plunger approaches a fully retracted position, final movement of said plunger to the fully retracted position after engagement with said detent member being operative to rock the latter on its pivot to move the same out of engagement with said latch member; and mounting and locating means at least part of which is formed in one piece with and is a part of said housing for holding and positioning said pivots and said solenoid actuator accurately with respect to each other, whereby to determine and control the point at which said plunger terminates its free travel and actuates said detent member to release said latch member.

Claim 17

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein said housing has separate base and cover portions, and wherein said mounting and locating means includes mounting supports for said solenoid actuator on and formed in one piece with one of said base and cover portions, and wherein said pivots and mounting supports are staked to at least one of said base and cover portions to hold the latter securely together.

Claim 18

The locking mechanism as set forth in claim 13 wherein said housing has separate base and cover portions, and wherein said mounting and locating means includes mounting supports for said solenoid actuator on and formed in one piece with one of said base and cover portions and holes formed in said base and cover portions accepting and closely fitting terminal portions of said pivots, said mounting supports and the terminal portions of said pivots being staked to at least one of said base and cover portions to hold the same securely together.