Motor-driven door latch for vehicle

Abstract

A motor-driven door latch for a vehicle includes a catch part which is caught on a striker mounted on the vehicle to lock a door for a vehicle to a vehicle body or is released from the striker so that the door can be opened from the vehicle body; a door locking and releasing part which includes a main motor and applies torque to the catch part through the main motor to allow the catch part to be locked to or released from the striker; and a pop-up part including an auxiliary motor and applying torque to the catch part so that the door for the vehicle is popped up from a vehicle body, so that the door for the vehicle is popped up from a vehicle body after the door for the vehicle is released from vehicle body.

Claims

1. A motor-driven door latch for a vehicle having a vehicle body, the motor-driven door latch comprising: a catch part configured to catch a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a door locking and releasing part including a main motor and configured to apply torque to the catch part through the main motor to allow the catch part to be locked to or released from the striker; and a pop-out part including an auxiliary motor configured to apply torque to the catch part so that a door of the vehicle is popped out from the vehicle body after the catch part is released from the striker, wherein the catch part comprises: a catch having a locking groove configured to catch or release the striker and a catch gear integrally formed on one side of the catch, the catch and the catch gear fixed together and rotatably movable, and a pawl configured to: limit a rotation of the catch when in close contact with the catch, or allow the catch to be freely rotatable, wherein the door locking and releasing part comprises: the main motor configured to rotate in a clockwise direction and an anticlockwise direction, the main motor comprising: a first drive gear, a first driven gear engaged with the first drive gear, a pawl release lever coupled to the pawl and configured to be rotated together with the pawl, and an operating lever engaged with the first driven gear and configured to: receive the torque through the first driven gear, and rotate the pawl release lever in order to bring the pawl in close contact with the catch or separate it from the catch, wherein the auxiliary motor includes a second drive gear configured to apply the torque to the catch through a gear mechanism of the pop-out part between the second drive gear and the catch gear integrally formed on the catch, and wherein the gear mechanism of the pop-out part comprises: a second driven gear engaged with the second drive gear, and a third driven gear engaged with the second driven gear and simultaneously engaged with the catch gear of the catch.

2. The motor-driven door latch of claim 1, further comprising: two seating protrusions formed at the pawl release lever; and a pressurizing protrusion provided at the operating lever, wherein the pressurizing protrusion is seated on the seating protrusions and is configured to press and rotate the pawl release lever.

3. The motor-driven door latch of claim 2, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

4. The motor-driven door latch of claim 3, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

5. The motor-driven door latch of claim 1, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

6. The motor-driven door latch of claim 5, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

7. A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a vehicle door attached to the vehicle body; a striker mounted on the vehicle body; a catch part configured to catch the striker; a door locking and releasing part including a main motor and configured to apply torque to the catch part through the main motor to allow the catch part to be locked to or released from the striker; and a pop-out part including an auxiliary motor configured to apply torque to the catch part so that the vehicle door is popped out from the vehicle body after the catch part is released from the striker, wherein the catch part comprises: a catch having a locking groove configured to catch or release the striker and a catch gear integrally formed on one side of the catch, the catch and the catch gear fixed together and rotatably installed, and a pawl configured to: limit a rotation of the catch when in close contact with the catch, allow the catch to be freely rotatable, wherein the door locking and releasing part comprises: the main motor rotate in a clockwise direction and an anticlockwise direction, the main motor comprising: a first drive gear, a first driven gear engaged with the first drive gear, a pawl release lever coupled to the pawl and configured to be rotated with the pawl, and an operating lever engaged with the first driven gear and configured to: receive the torque through the first driven gear, and rotate the pawl release lever in order to bring the pawl in close contact with the catch or to separate it from the catch, wherein the auxiliary motor includes a second drive gear configured to apply the torque to the catch through a gear mechanism of the pop-out part between the second drive gear and the catch gear integrally formed on the catch, and wherein the gear mechanism of the pop-out part comprises: a second driven gear engaged with the second drive gear, and a third driven gear engaged with the second driven gear and simultaneously engaged with the catch gear of the catch.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising: two seating protrusions formed at the pawl release lever; and a pressurizing protrusion provided at the operating lever, wherein the pressurizing protrusion is seated on the seating protrusions and is configured to press and rotate the pawl release lever.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

11. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

13. A motor-driven door latch for a vehicle having a vehicle body, the motor-driven door latch comprising: a catch part configured to catch a striker mounted on the vehicle body to lock a door of the vehicle; a door locking and releasing part including a main motor and configured to apply torque to the catch part through the main motor to allow the catch part to be locked to or released from the striker; and a pop-out part including an auxiliary motor configured to apply torque to the catch part so that a door of the vehicle is popped out from the vehicle body after the catch part is released from the striker, wherein the catch part comprises: a catch having a locking groove configured to catch or release the striker and a catch gear integrally formed on one side of the catch, the catch and the catch gear fixed together and rotatably movable, and a pawl configured to: limit a rotation of the catch and to be separated from the catch to, or allow the catch to be freely rotatable, wherein the door locking and releasing part comprises: the main motor configured to rotate in a clockwise direction and an anticlockwise direction, the main motor comprising: a first drive gear, a first driven gear engaged with the first drive gear, a pawl release lever coupled to the pawl and configured to be rotated together with the pawl, and an operating lever engaged with the first driven gear and configured to receive the torque through the first driven gear to rotate the pawl release lever, wherein the motor-driven door latch further comprises two seating protrusions formed at the pawl release lever such that the pawl is in close contact with the catch or is separated from the catch, wherein the auxiliary motor includes a second drive gear configured to apply the torque to the catch through a gear mechanism of the pop-out part between the second drive gear and the catch gear integrally formed on the catch, and wherein the gear mechanism of the pop-out part comprises: a second driven gear engaged with the second drive gear, and a third driven gear engaged with the second driven gear and simultaneously engaged with the catch gear of the catch.

14. The motor-driven door latch of claim 13, wherein the motor-driven door latch further comprises a pressurizing protrusion provided at the operating lever, wherein the pressurizing protrusion is seated on the seating protrusions and is configured to press and rotate the pawl release lever.

15. The motor-driven door latch of claim 14, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

16. The motor-driven door latch of claim 15, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

17. The motor-driven door latch of claim 13, further comprising a door latch controller configured to detect an operation of a handle or a button installed at the door for the vehicle and to apply an operation signal to the main motor.

18. The motor-driven door latch of claim 17, wherein the door latch controller is configured to apply the operation signal to the auxiliary motor after the main motor is operated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These drawings are for reference purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present invention to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a front view of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a catch part of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing coupling state of a pawl and a pawl release lever of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a door locking and releasing part and a pop-out part of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 6 is an operational explanatory diagram of the door locking and releasing part of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 7 is an operational explanatory diagram of the pop-out part of the motor-driven door latch for the vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(9) The following reference symbols can be used in conjunction with the drawings: 1: first base plate 2: second base plate 10: catch part 11: catch 12: pawl 20: door locking and releasing part 21: main motor 22: first driven gear 23: pawl release lever 24: operating lever 30: pop-out part 31: auxiliary motor 32: second driven gear 35: third driven gear

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(10) The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.

(11) As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

(12) The drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

(13) Since size and thickness of each component illustrated in the drawings are arbitrarily represented for convenience in explanation, the present invention is not particularly limited to the illustrated size and thickness of each component and the thickness is enlarged and illustrated in order to clearly express various parts and areas.

(14) In the following description, dividing names of components into first, second and the like is to divide the names because the names of the components are the same as each other and an order thereof is not particularly limited.

(15) Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

(16) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a motor-driven door latch for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include, a catch part 10 which is caught on a striker mounted on the vehicle to lock a door for a vehicle to the vehicle body or is released from the striker so that the door can be opened from the vehicle body; a door locking and releasing part 20 which applies torque to the catch part 10 to allow the catch part 10 to be locked to or released from the striker; and a pop-out part 3o applying torque to the catch part 10 to pop out the door for the vehicle from vehicle body after the door for the vehicle is released from the vehicle body by the door locking and releasing part 20.

(17) The catch part 10 may include a catch 11, which is rotatably mounted on one side of a first base plate 1 and has a locking groove 111 which the striker mounted on the vehicle body is inserted into or separated from and a catch gear 112 formed at one side thereof; and a pawl 12, which is mounted on the first base plate 1 to be rotatable and is in close contact with the catch 11 to limit the rotation of the catch 11 or separated from the catch 11 to allow the catch 11 to be freely rotatable.

(18) The door locking and releasing part 20 may include a main motor 21, which is mounted on a second base plate 2, rotatable in a clockwise and anticlockwise directions, and includes a first drive gear 211; a first driven gear 22 engaged with the first drive gear 211; a pawl release lever 23 which is disposed with the first base plate 1 interposed therebetween and coupled to the pawl 12 to be integrally rotated (referring to FIG. 4); and an operating lever 24, which is engaged with the first driven gear 22 and rotates while receiving a torque from the first driven gear 22 to rotate the pawl release lever 23.

(19) The pop-out part 3o may include an auxiliary motor 31 mounted on the first base plate 1 and provided with a second drive gear 311; a second driven gear 32 engaged with the second drive gear 311; and a third driven gear 35 engaged with the second driven gear 32 and simultaneously engaged with the catch gear 112.

(20) When the user operates a release handle or a button mounted on the door, a door latch controller detects this to apply an operation signal to the main motor 21 to operate the main motor 21.

(21) Referring to FIG. 6, the first drive gear 211 and the first driven gear 22 rotate respectively by driving the main motor 21, the operating lever 24 engaged with the first driven gear 22 is rotated to rotate the pawl release lever 23, and the pawl 12 rotates together by the rotation of the pawl release lever 23 and is spaced from the catch 11, so that the catch 11 can freely rotate, which allows the door locked to the vehicle body to be released.

(22) The pawl release lever 23 may be provided with two seating protrusions 231 and the operating lever 24 may be provided with a pressurizing protrusion 241 which is seated on the seating protrusions 231 to press and rotate the pawl release lever 23.

(23) Further, the door latch controller applies an operation signal to the auxiliary motor 31 to drive it.

(24) Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the second drive gear 311, the second driven gear 32 and third driven gear 35 rotates sequentially, the torque of the third driven gear 35 is transmitted to the catch gear 112 so that the catch 11 is forcibly rotated, which causes the door for the vehicle released from the vehicle body is popped out from the vehicle body.

(25) Therefore, since the passenger can hold the door for the vehicle popped out by hand and easily open the door, there is no need to mount a conventional outside handle and associated parts to the door for the vehicle, so that it is possible to reduce the number of parts, weight and cost and improve an appearance and marketability of the vehicle.

(26) While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.