Abstract: The instant invention is used in combination with a door-post surface and a motor-vehicle door latch having a pivotable latch element. It is a bolt assembly having a metal plate unitarily formed with a pair of flat coplanar flanges each formed with a mounting hole and a holding portion projecting laterally from the flanges. A mass of a durable plastic material generally covers at least the flanges of the plate and forms an outside surface engaging the door-post surface and an inside surface turned away from the door-post surface. The bolt is formed at the holding portion with a transversely open recess adapted to receive the latch element. The flanges have raised portions extending to and exposed at the outside surface for direct contact with the door-post surface but otherwise are wholly imbedded beneath the inside and outside surfaces of the mass at the flanges.

Abstract: A power actuator used in combination with a motor-vehicle door latch movable between a locked and unlocked position has a housing, a reversible electric motor in the housing having a rotatable output shaft defining an axis, and an input gear on the shaft. A threaded output spindle spaced from the shaft in the housing carries an output gear out of mesh and out of engagement with the input gear. A nut is threaded on the spindle. An actuating element couples the nut with the latch to switch it between its positions. A support pivotal in the housing about the axis carries a pair of coupling gears in mesh with and flanking the input gear. The support is rockable about the axis from a central position in which neither of the coupling gears meshes with the output gear into a pair of end positions in each of which a respective one of the coupling gears meshes with the output gear and couples same to the input gear.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt has a housing formed with a laterally open recess in which the bolt is receivable and a pivotal latch fork formed with a fork seat and with at least one detent and pivotal on the housing between locked, semilocked, and unlocked positions. A support link pivotal on the housing carries a latch pawl pivotal in the locked and semilocked positions of the fork into and out of a holding position engaging the detent and preventing pivoting of the fork into the unlocked position. A crank is rotatable adjacent the fork between an outer position relatively far from the fork and an inner position relatively close to the fork and through an open-ready intermediate position between the inner and outer positions and close to the outer position. This crank is connected by a link to the support link for pivoting the support link and retaining pawl as the crank rotates.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has inside and outside locking elements and an actuator having an electric motor having a threaded output spindle and a drive nut threaded directly on the spindle and displaceable by the motor between unlocked, locked, and antitheft positions. An inside lever assembly includes a first inside lever pivoted on the housing and connected directly to the inside locking element for displacement jointly with the inside locking element between locked and unlocked positions and a second inside lever pivoted on the first inside lever and coupled to the actuator drive nut for pivotal displacement jointly therewith between unlocked, locked, and antitheft positions. A spring braced between the first and second levers urges abutments on them into engagement with each other so that when the abutments are spaced apart the spring is loaded.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch has a housing, a latch fork pivotal on the housing about a latch-fork axis, engageable in a latched position with a door bolt to retain same and lock the door, and having a latching surface offset from the latch-fork axis, a main latching lever pivotal on the housing adjacent the fork about a main-lever axis substantially parallel to the latch-fork axis, and a secondary latching lever pivotal on the main lever about a secondary-lever axis substantially parallel to the latch-fork axis and having an outer end formed with a surface engaging the latch-fork surface in the latched position. A pair of stops define for the latching levers in the latched position of the latch fork a normal position with the surface in surface contact and an actuated position with the surfaces only in line contact. Thus to open the door the main lever is pivoted from the normal position to the actuated position and thereafter the latching-lever surface is slid off the latch-fork surface.

Abstract: A power door-lock actuator has a housing adjacent the lock, a reversible electric motor in the housing having an output shaft extending along a motor axis, and an input gear fixed on the output shaft and rotatable thereby about the motor axis. A threaded spindle extending in the housing along a spindle axis adjacent the motor axis carries an output gear and a nut threaded on the spindle is movable along the spindle axis on rotation of the spindle between a pair of axially offset positions. A link connected between the nut and the lock can move the lock between its locked and unlocked positions on displacement of the nut between its end positions. A manual actuator, for instance an inside door-lock button, is coupled to the nut for manually displacing the nut between its end positions. A rocker pivotal about the shaft axia at the input gear carries a pair of connecting gears flanking and meshing with the input gear.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for use on a vehicle door having a handle and a locking element has a housing, a latch fork pivotal on the housing and engageable in a locking position with a door bolt to retain same and lock the door, an operating lever pivoted on the housing and connected to the handle, a locking lever pivoted on the housing and connected to the respective locking element, and an actuating lever operatively engageable with the fork to release same from the locking position. A link coupled to the locking lever is displaceable thereby between a position coupling the operating lever to the actuating lever for displacement of the fork out of the locking position by actuation of the operating lever and a position decoupling the operating lever from the actuating lever. Thus in the decoupling position actuation of the operating lever will not unlock the door.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle latch has an actuating lever displaceable between a position in which a respective door of the vehicle is locked and a position in which the respective door is unlocked. A locking knob connected to the lever is accessible from inside the vehicle to displace the lever between its positions. The actuator has a housing mounted directly on the door latch and formed with at least one longitudinally directed abutment face, a motor in the housing, a nut longitudinally displaceable in the housing by the motor between unlocked, locked, and antitheft positions, and a slide in the housing movable by the nut between locked and unlocked positions and formed with a recess receiving a portion projecting from the lever. At least one flexible arm extends longitudinally from the slide and has a head formed with a face directed longitudinally opposite the abutment face of the housing.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for use on a vehicle door having inside and outside handles and inside and outside locking elements has a first housing part that contains a latch fork engageable in a locking position with a door bolt to retain same and lock the door, a lock pawl engageable in a retaining position with the fork to retain same in the locking position, an outside operating lever connected to the outside handle, an outside locking lever connected to the outside locking element, and an unlocking lever connected to the outside locking lever and operable to unlock the door. A second housing part contains an inside operating lever connected to the inside handle, an inside locking lever connected to the inside locking element, a coupling device pivoted coaxially with the inside locking lever and having one arm connected to the unlocking lever of the first housing part and another arm, and a central actuating unit.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle door latch for use on a vehicle door having inside and outside handles and inside and outside locking elements has a housing, a latch fork pivotal on the housing and engageable in a locking position with a door bolt to retain same and lock the door, inside and outside operating levers pivoted on the housing and connected to the respective handles, and inside and outside locking levers pivoted on the housing and connected to the respective locking elements. An actuating lever operatively engageable with the fork can release same from the locking position and a link coupled to the locking levers is displaceable thereby between a position coupling the outside operating lever to the actuating lever for displacement of the fork out of the locking position by actuation of the outside operating lever and a position decoupling the outside operating lever from the actuating lever. Thus in the decoupling position actuation of the outside operating lever will not unlock the door.

Abstract: A standard power-type motor-vehicle latch assembly comprises a door latch having an actuating lever displaceable between a position in which a respective door of the vehicle is locked and a position in which the respective door is unlocked, a locking knob connected to the lever and accessible from inside the vehicle to displace the lever between its positions, a power actuator having a housing, a motor in the housing, and an actuating element movable by the motor between a pair of positions, and a linkage interconnecting the element with the lever for operation of the latter by the former. The actuator housing is mounted directly on the door latch and the level is integrally formed with an actuating arm having an end projecting from the latch into the actuator housing and forming part of the linkage. The element is formed with a seat receiving the arm end and also forming part of the linkage.

Abstract: A standard motor-vehicle door latch includes a latch housing adapted to be secured to a motor-vehicle door adjacent an edge thereof that is substantially only exposed when the door is open, an opening lever adapted to be coupled to an inside door handle and pivoted on the housing, and door opening mechanism on the housing actuatable by the lever to unlatch the door. A child-safety cutout comprises a shaft pivotal in the housing between a freeing position and a locking position and having an outer end exposed through the housing at the door edge and an inner end and an element on the inner end operatively engageable with the opening lever for preventing actuation of the door-opening mechanism by the opening lever in the locking position and for permitting such actuation in the freeing position.

Abstract: A motor-vehicle latch assembly comprises a locking bolt secured to a doorpost, a mounting plate secured to a door and provided with a pivot and formed therearound with a bearing surface, a locking fork formed with a pivot hole fitted over the pivot, having a side directly confronting the bearing surface, and engageable with the bolt on closing of the door, and an elastomeric cladding covering the fork including the interior of the hole in contact with the bolt and the side of the bolt in contact with the bearing surface. The cladding engages the bearing surface and eliminates play and metal-to-metal contact at this region.

Abstract: The door-lock system for a motor vehicle has mechanical motor vehicle door locks in all motor vehicle doors and the trunk lid, a mechanical lock cylinder in the motor vehicle door lock of the driver's door and a remotely operable electronic operating mechanism with a transmitter acting as an electronic key, a receiver and decoder as well as a power supply. The motor vehicle door locks in the doors have at least one locked configuration and an additional theft preventative configuration as well as a central lock mechanism drive with control positions for engagement and/or disengagement of the theft preventative configuration. The central lock mechanism drive is operable by the electronic operating mechanism. The decoder and the receiver of the electronic operating mechanism are independent components which are connected only electrically. The receiver is located otside, e.g. in the driver's door, and only operates from the outside by a transmitter.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt according to this invention has a housing formed with a horizontally open recess in which the bolt is receivable, a latch fork formed with a fork seat and with at least one detent, and a fork pivot on the housing supporting the fork for pivoting between a locked and a semilocked position with the seat directed vertically away from the fork pivot and the bolt engaged in the seat and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter and exit seat and recess. An operating plate pivotal on the housing about an axis substantially parallel to the fork pivot carries the pivot of latch pawl which is pivotal on the link plate into and out of a position engaging the detent and thereby retaining the fork in the semilocked position. A motor connected to the operating plate can pivot same about its axis and, when the pawl is engaged with the detent, pivot and fork into the locked position.

Abstract: A bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle latch wherein the assembly is secured to a doorpost and coacts with a latch fork according to the invention has a metallic U-shaped yoke having an inner flange adapted to be secured to the doorpost and an outer flange spaced therefrom, forming a fork-receiving space therewith, and having an outer surface turned away from the inner flange. A metallic bolt is fixed to the two flanges and extends generally perpendicularly therebetween. A nonmetallic resilient sleeve surrounds the bolt between the flanges and a nonmetallic cover overlies at least the outer surface of the outer flange.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt has a housing formed with a horizontally open recess in which the bolt is receivable, a latch fork formed with a fork seat, and a fork pivot to one vertical side of the recess on the housing supporting the fork for pivoting between a locked position with the seal directed vertically away from the fork pivot and the bolt engaged in the seat and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter and exit seat and recess. A latch pawl is pivotal on the housing into and out of a position retaining the fork in the locked position. A retaining dog formed with a dog seat is carried on a dog pivot to the vertical side of the recess on the housing opposite the fork pivot for pivoting between a retaining position with the dog seat directed vertically away from the dog pivot and the bolt engaged in the dog seat as well as in the fork seat, and a freeing position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the recess.

Abstract: A security system has a key including a transmitter for emitting a coded signal and a receiver for the signal and connected to a latch of the vehicle for unlocking a door secured by the latch only when the coded signal is received. A column bolt is displaceable in a housing fixed around the steering column between a locking position preventing the column from rotating and a freeing position. A barrel rotatable in the housing is formed with an axially open pocket generally complementary to the key. A switch is actuatable in one end position of the barrel for starting the vehicle and a locking pin is displaceable in the barrel and engageable into the pocket and into a lateral recess of the key when same is fitted in the pocket. A lever can engage in the recess of the barrel in the other of the end positions and can also engage in this other end position with the pin to push same into the pocket and into the recess of the key therein.

Abstract: A bolt assembly for a motor-vehicle latch wherein the assembly is secured to a doorpost and coacts with a latch fork according to the invention has a metallic U-shaped yoke having an inner flange adapted to be secured to the doorpost and an outer flange spaced therefrom, forming a fork-receiving space therewith, and having an outer surface turned away from the inner flange. A metallic bolt is fixed to the two flanges and extends generally perpendicularly therebetween. A nonmetallic resilient sleeve surrounds the bolt between the flanges and a nonmetallic cover overlies at least the outer surface of the outer flange.

Abstract: A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt has an outer housing part formed with a recess in which the bolt is receivable and provided with a latch fork pivotal between a locked position securing the bolt in the recess and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the recess and with a latch pawl pivotal on the outer housing part into and out of a position retaining the fork in the locked position. A middle housing part lying on the outer housing part carries a releasing mechanism connected to the pawl for moving same into and out of its position retaining the fork in the locked position, a locking mechanism connected to the releasing mechanism for preventing same from operating the pawl to release the fork, and locking and opening levers respectively connected to the locking and releasing mechanisms and connectable respectively to the outside door lock and outside door handle for operating the respective mechanisms.