Vehicular trunk lid latch assembly

Claim 2

For use with an automotive trunk lid having a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall thereof, a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening for rotating said cam member in response to manual key actuation of said lock cylinder assembly, an abutment edge formed on the extended end of said shaft, first and second latching levers separately pivotally mounted in said housing, respective cooperative latching surfaces formed on said first and second latching levers, first spring means operatively connected between said first and second latching levers for retaining said latching surfaces together when in a latched condition and for urging said latching surfaces apart when in an unlatched condition, a camming lever having a cam surface and an abutment edge formed thereon and being pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted to have said cam surface positioned intermediate said cam member and said first latching lever, and second spring means urging said abutment edge of said camming lever into contact with said abutment edge of said shaft, said camming lever thereby being adapted to being pivoted away from said abutment edge of said shaft by said cam member against the force of said second spring means to sequentially pivot said first latching lever in response to rotation of said cam member by said lock cylinder assembly via said shaft, until such time as said lock cylinder assembly and said shaft are removed from said trunk lid after which said second coil spring will rotate said camming lever out of the path of said cam member, thereby preventing the unlatching of said latching levers from outside said trunk lid via rotation of said cam member.

Claim 3

For use with an automotive trunk lid having a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall thereof, a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, first and second levers pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, first spring means mounted on said first pivot pin and operatively connected between said first and second levers for urging said first and second levers in opposite rotational directions, said first lever being urged into contact with a surface of said shaft, a cam surface formed on said first lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said second lever for being engaged by a surface of said first lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface, a third lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said second and third levers, second spring means mounted on said second pivot pin and operatively connected between said second and third levers for urging said second and third levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action.

Claim 4

For use with an automotive trunk lid having a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall thereof, a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, first and second levers pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, first spring means mounted on said first pivot pin and operatively connected between said first and second levers for urging said first and second levers in opposite rotational directions, said first lever being urged into contact with a surface of said shaft, a cam surface formed on said first lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said second lever for being engaged by a surface of said first lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface, a third lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said second and third levers, second spring means mounted on said second pivot pin and operatively connected between said second and third levers for urging said second and third levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action.

Claim 5

For use with an automotive trunk lid including a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall thereof, a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, a camming lever and a first latching lever pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, a first coil spring mounted on said first pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and operatively connected between said camming lever and said first latching lever for urging said camming lever and said first latching lever in opposite rotational directions, a cam surface formed on said camming lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said first latching lever for being engaged by a surface of said camming lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface, a second latching lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said first and second latching levers, a second coil spring mounted on said second pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and operatively connected between said first and second latching levers for urging said first and second latching levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action, a surface of said camming lever being urged by said first coil spring into contact with said shaft until such time as said lock cylinder assembly and said shaft are removed from said trunk lid after which said first coil spring will rotate said camming lever out of the path of said cam member thereby preventing the unlatching of said latching surfaces from outside said trunk lid via rotation of said cam member.

Claim 6

For use with an automotive trunk lid including a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall thereof, a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, a camming lever and a first latching lever pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, a first coil spring mounted on said first pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and operatively connected between said camming lever and said first latching lever for urging said camming lever and said first latching lever in opposite rotational directions, a cam surface formed on said camming lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said first latching lever for being engaged by a surface of said camming lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface, a second latching lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said first and second latching levers, a second coil spring mounted on said second pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and operatively connected between said first and second latching levers for urging said first and second latching levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action, a surface of said camming lever being urged by said first coil spring into contact with said shaft until such time as said lock cylinder assembly and said shaft are removed from said trunk lid after which said first coil spring will rotate said camming lever out of the path of said cam member thereby preventing the unlatching of said latching surfaces from outside said trunk lid via rotation of said cam member.

Claim 7

For use with an automotive trunk lid and a separate fixed striker member, a latching arrangment comprising a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall of said trunk lid and a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, said latch assembly including a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, a camming lever and a first latching lever pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, a first coil spring mounted on said first pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and bent to connect against respective edges of said camming lever and said first latching lever for urging said camming lever and said first latching lever in opposite rotational directions, a cam surface formed on said camming lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said first latching lever for being engaged by a second surface of said camming lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface caused by manual rotation of said lock cylinder assembly and, hence, of said shaft, a second latching lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said first and second latching levers, said latching surfaces being engaged upon rotation of said second latching lever upon contact by said fixed striker member during a manual closing operation of said trunk lid, a second coil spring mounted on said second pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and bent to connect against respective edges of said first and second latching levers for urging said first and second latching levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action, a third surface of said camming lever being urged by said first coil spring into contact with and retained against said shaft prior to any manually-actuated camming action and until such time as said lock cylinder assembly and said shaft are removed from said trunk lid, permitting said first coil spring to rotate said camming lever out of the path of said cam member thereby preventing the unlatching of said latching surfaces from outside said trunk lid via rotation of said cam member.

Claim 8

For use with an automotive trunk lid and a separate fixed striker member, a latching arrangment comprising a lock cylinder assembly mounted on an outer wall of said trunk lid and a latch assembly comprising a housing mounted on an inner wall of said trunk lid, said latch assembly including a cam member rotatably mounted in said housing and having a rectangular opening formed therein, a shaft operatively extending from said lock cylinder assembly and through said rectangular opening, a camming lever and a first latching lever pivotally mounted on a first pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, a first coil spring mounted on said first pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and bent to connect against respective edges of said camming lever and said first latching lever for urging said camming lever and said first latching lever in opposite rotational directions, a cam surface formed on said camming lever for at times being engaged by said cam member, an extension formed on said first latching lever for being engaged by a second surface of said camming lever in response to camming action between said cam member and said cam surface caused by manual rotation of said lock cylinder assembly and, hence, of said shaft, a second latching lever pivotally mounted on a second pivot pin secured to a wall of said housing, respective cooperating latching surfaces formed on said first and second latching levers, said latching surfaces being engaged upon rotation of said second latching lever upon contact by said fixed striker member during a manual closing operation of said trunk lid, a second coil spring mounted on said second pivot pin and having the ends thereof extended and bent to connect against respective edges of said first and second latching levers for urging said first and second latching levers apart once said latching surfaces are caused to separate in response to said camming action, a third surface of said camming lever being urged by said first coil spring into contact with and retained against said shaft prior to any manually-actuated camming action and until such time as said lock cylinder assembly and said shaft are removed from said trunk lid, permitting said first coil spring to rotate said camming lever out of the path of said cam member thereby preventing the unlatching of said latching surfaces from outside said trunk lid via rotation of said cam member.