A door latch assembly is positionable between an unlatched position, an intermediate position, and a latched position. The door latch assembly includes a housing, a drive mechanism disposed within the housing, a rotor pivotally coupled to the housing and disposed therein, and a catch assembly pivotally coupled to the housing and disposed therein. The rotor has an outer surface which forms at least two notches. A bearing is rotatably coupled to the catch assembly. In the unlatched position, the bearing is located in contact with the outer surface but not within either of the at least two notches. In the intermediate position, the bearing is located in a first notch and in the latched position the bearing is located in a second notch.

A motor vehicle lock includes a lock latch, at least one pawl, an electric drive arrangement, and a drive controller. The drive controller controls the drive arrangement to carry out an opening movement that adjusts an adjusting arrangement of the lock from a starting position to a raising position of the adjusting arrangement, in which the adjusting arrangement raises the pawl. A clutch arrangement is arranged between an actuating lever and the pawl, wherein, in an intermediate position, the adjusting arrangement shifts, in the opening movement, the clutch arrangement out of the disengaging state into the engaging state, before the adjusting arrangement raises the pawl when the raising position is reached. In an unlocking routine, the controller controls the drive arrangement to start the opening movement, and, responsive to an intermediate position criterion representative being met, modifies the control such that the adjusting arrangement does not reach the raising position.

A motor vehicle lock includes a lock latch, at least one pawl, an electric drive arrangement, and a drive controller. The drive controller controls the drive arrangement to carry out an opening movement that adjusts an adjusting arrangement of the lock from a starting position to a raising position of the adjusting arrangement, in which the adjusting arrangement raises the pawl. A clutch arrangement is arranged between an actuating lever and the pawl, wherein, in an intermediate position, the adjusting arrangement shifts, in the opening movement, the clutch arrangement out of the disengaging state into the engaging state, before the adjusting arrangement raises the pawl when the raising position is reached. In an unlocking routine, the controller controls the drive arrangement to start the opening movement, and, responsive to an intermediate position criterion representative being met, modifies the control such that the adjusting arrangement does not reach the raising position.

A lock mechanism for a vehicle latch includes a cable link. Also included is a pawl release link, the cable link and the pawl release link switchable between an engaged condition and a disengaged condition, the engaged condition allowed manual release of the vehicle latch, the disengaged condition preventing release of the vehicle latch. Further included is an electrically driven gear operatively coupled to the cable link and the pawl release link to reset the cable link and the pawl release link to the disengaged condition.

A lock mechanism for a vehicle latch includes a cable link. Also included is a pawl release link, the cable link and the pawl release link switchable between an engaged condition and a disengaged condition, the engaged condition allowed manual release of the vehicle latch, the disengaged condition preventing release of the vehicle latch. Further included is an electrically driven gear operatively coupled to the cable link and the pawl release link to reset the cable link and the pawl release link to the disengaged condition.

A door latch for a motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a pawl, a release lever, and a clutch selectively engaged by a magnetic field. Further, when the clutch is engaged, motion of the release lever is transmitted to the pawl via the clutch. A method is also disclosed.

A bi-directional door opening structure includes a front door configured to be rotatably opened with respect to a front hinge part positioned in a roof of a vehicle, a rear door configured to be rotatably opened with respect to a rear hinge part positioned in the roof of the vehicle, and a drive unit positioned in the roof at a point where the front door and the rear door are adjacent to each other, and configured to apply an opening force to the front door and the rear door, wherein the drive unit includes a spindle unit configured to open at least one of the front door and the rear door, which has been unlocked by a driving force applied from a driving part, and a differential gear configured to deliver the driving force between the spindle unit and the driving part.

A bi-directional door opening structure includes a front door configured to be rotatably opened with respect to a front hinge part positioned in a roof of a vehicle, a rear door configured to be rotatably opened with respect to a rear hinge part positioned in the roof of the vehicle, and a drive unit positioned in the roof at a point where the front door and the rear door are adjacent to each other, and configured to apply an opening force to the front door and the rear door, wherein the drive unit includes a spindle unit configured to open at least one of the front door and the rear door, which has been unlocked by a driving force applied from a driving part, and a differential gear configured to deliver the driving force between the spindle unit and the driving part.

Disclosed are lock mechanisms for latch assemblies of vehicle compartment hoods, methods for making or using such lock mechanisms, and motor vehicles equipped with a multi-pull latch and lock system for releasably locking a hood assembly. A lock mechanism includes a gear that couples a closure latch to a latch release mechanism. The gear moves between a latched position, whereat the closure latch secures the closure in a closed position, and an unlatched position, whereat the gear transfers activation forces from the release mechanism to disengage the closure latch from the closure. A pawl is movable between a locked position, whereat the pawl engages and locks the gear in the latched position, and an unlocked position, whereat the pawl disengages the gear. An actuator is operatively engaged with a vehicle door to automatically move the pawl to the unlocked position responsive to movement of the door to an open position.

A motor vehicle lock including a detent mechanism with a catch and a pawl. The motor vehicle lock may include a drive train arrangement with a drive element. The catch may be pivoted between an open position, a primary closed position and a secondary closed position, disposed between the open position and the primary closed position. When the pawl is in an engaged state, it blocks the catch in the primary closed position and in the secondary closed position and may be raised into a release state to release the catch. A predefined drive direction is assigned to the drive element and during a cinching sequence, by driving the drive element in the predefined drive direction, the drive train arrangement may engage and drive the catch in the closing direction into its primary closed position, or into an overtravel position beyond the primary closed position.