Patent · US Expired

Electric/manual door lock operating mechanism

US4093289A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 5, 1977
Grant dateJun 6, 1978
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 5, 1997

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T292/57
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A vehicle door lock operating mechanism wherein a reversible electric motor 6 drives a pivotally mounted sector gear 10 through a centrifugal clutch 7 and reduction gears 8, 9 and 32. The sector gear is coupled to the pivotal actuating lever 2 of a lock mechanism 1 by means (ex. slot 13 and guide pin 14) which permit the free travel or play of the actuating lever over a distance equal to its stroke between the locked and unlocked positions. A manual operating knob 3 is also coupled to the lever 2, and a spring 15 biases the sector gear 10 back into a neutral or middle position whenever the motor 6 is deenergized, whereby low force manual operation may be performed independently of the sector gear and reduction gears. The centrifugal clutch, when disengaged in response to the motor deenergization, enables the spring 15 to easily drive the sector gear back into its neutral position.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.