Abstract: A latch assembly for a vehicle includes a latch housing, a ratchet, a main pawl, and a cinch mechanism including a cinch pawl and a cinch link lever. When the ratchet moves to a secondary striker capture position, the cinch pawl moves into a blocking position to hold the ratchet. The cinch pawl is actuatable by a cinch lever to move the ratchet to a cinched striker capture position and the main pawl to ratchet checking position. The cinch pawl may be blocked by a stop feature formed in the latch housing in the secondary striker capture position, which resists an opening force exerted on the ratchet. The cinch pawl may be coupled to the cinch link lever, and the cinch link lever may pivot about the same post as the ratchet designed to resist high loads.

Abstract: A closure latch assembly for a decklid configured to provide a power release operation and a power cinch operation. The closure latch assembly includes a latch mechanism, a latch cinch mechanism, a drive mechanism, and a power actuator. The power actuator interacts with the drive mechanism to provide a power release of the latch mechanism and a power cinch of the latch cinch mechanism.

Abstract: A closure latch assembly includes a latch module having a ratchet and a pawl, with the ratchet being moveable between a striker capture position and a striker release position and the pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position, whereat the ratchet is maintained in the striker capture position, the a ratchet release position, whereat the ratchet is biased toward the striker release position. An actuator module including a power actuator is operably coupled to a drive gear. The drive gear has an actuation feature fixed thereto. A latch release mechanism operably couples the actuation feature to the pawl, wherein rotation of the drive gear via energization of the power actuator causes the latch release mechanism to move the pawl between the ratchet holding position and the ratchet release position.

Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure system having first and second closure members each movable between open and closed positions and method of operation are provided. The assembly includes a primary latch mechanism that has a primary actuation group to control actuation of the first closure member. The latch assembly also includes a secondary latch mechanism that has a secondary actuation group operable to control actuation of the second closure member. A controller unit is coupled to the primary and secondary actuation groups and determines which of the primary actuation group and the secondary actuation group to actuate and controls actuation of at least one of the primary actuation group and the secondary actuation group accordingly. The primary and secondary latch mechanisms, primary and secondary actuation groups, and controller unit are all integrated into the housing.

Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure panel of a motor vehicle and corresponding method of operation are provided. The latch assembly includes a latch housing for attachment to the closure panel and contains an actuation group to latch and unlatch the closure panel. An electronic control circuit that has a latch controller is disposed within the latch housing and is coupled to the at least one actuation group. The electronic control circuit includes a motor voltage and current sensing circuit for sensing a motor current and a motor voltage of a remote electric motor disposed remotely from the latch housing. The latch controller monitors and controls the actuation group and determine at least one of a motor rotational position and a motor speed of the remote electric motor based on at least one of the motor current signal and the motor voltage signal and controls the remote electric motor accordingly.

Abstract: An active hinge including a body bracket for attachment to a vehicle body. A hood bracket is provided for rotational attachment to a vehicle hood. An actuator is provided for selectively transitioning the active hood hinge from a normal mode where the rotation of the hood bracket is restricted, to an active pedestrian mode where the rotation of the hood bracket is unrestricted.

Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure panel of a vehicle includes a power release actuator, a pawl, a ratchet, and a multi-stage geartrain. The multi-stage geartrain includes a first compound gear and a second sector gear in meshed engagement with the compound gear. The sector gear includes an arm extending radially therefrom. In a rest position, a gap is defined between the arm and a cam surface of a pawl. Actuation of the power release actuator actuates the multi-stage geartrain and pivots the arm through the gap and into contact with the pawl. During pivoting through the gap, inertia is increased and the arm contacts the pawl with an impulse force. Continued rotation of the arm causes further rotation of the pawl and release of the ratchet. The arm is disposed within an axial height defined by the multi-stage geartrain, and torque applied to the arm increases during rotation.

Abstract: A closure latch assembly for installation in a vehicle door and method of construction thereof is provided. The closure latch assembly has at least one ratchet, a primary pawl, and an auxiliary pawl. At least one ratchet is moveable between a striker capture position and a striker release position. The primary pawl is moveable between a closed position and an open position. The auxiliary pawl is moveable between a closed position and an open position. An auxiliary pawl release lever is moveable between a rest position, whereat the auxiliary pawl is located in its closed position and the primary pawl is located in its closed position, and an engaged position, whereat the auxiliary pawl is moved to its open position and the primary pawl is moved to its open position.

Abstract: A locking device for a vehicle door, in particular for a motor-vehicle bonnet, comprising a first inhibiting pawl prestressed into an inhibiting position, wherein a rotary latch can be arrested in a locking position by the first inhibiting pawl located in its inhibiting position, and a second inhibiting pawl prestressed into an inhibiting position, wherein the rotary latch can be arrested in a safety-catch position by the second inhibiting pawl located in its inhibiting position. The first and second inhibiting pawls can be transferred from their respective inhibiting position into a release position by a common actuating means.

Abstract: A carrier module for a motor vehicle door assembly having inner and outer panels defining an internal door cavity between the inner and outer panels, with the inner panel having a central opening bounded by an inner periphery and at least one access opening remote from the central opening is provided. The carrier module includes a wall having an outer periphery sized to close off the opening in the inner panel, wherein the wall has at least one access port configured to register with the at least one access opening. Further, the carrier module includes at least one cover configured to close off the at least one access port, wherein the cover is readily removable to allow access to a component within the cavity.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a closure latch assembly for a vehicle door, and more particularly to a closure latch assembly for a vehicle door equipped with a powered reset feature. To this end, the present disclosure relates to the use of a power actuator to actuate an actuatable mechanism in a power-on state, and an electronic reset circuit mechanism to reset the actuatable mechanism when the power actuator is in a power-off state. The electronic reset circuit mechanism is coupled to an electric motor associated with the power actuator.

Abstract: A closure latch assembly having a latch mechanism is provided. The latch mechanism includes a ratchet and a pawl assembly pivotally supported for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl assembly is positioned to hold the ratchet in its striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl assembly is located to permit movement of the ratchet to its striker release position. The pawl assembly has a carrier and a pawl configured for rotation relative to one another about a pawl pin and a roller carried by the carrier. The roller is disposed between the pawl and the ratchet for selective rolling movement therebetween. The roller is disposed into abutment with a closing surface of the ratchet while the pawl assembly is in the ratchet holding position and is spaced from closing surface while the pawl assembly is in the ratchet releasing position.

Abstract: A friction based counterbalance mechanism for coupling with a closure panel of a vehicle to assist in opening and closing of the closure panel, the counterbalance mechanism including: a first housing having a first pivot connection mount for connecting to one of a body of the vehicle and the closure panel; an extension member coupled to the first housing at one end and being extendable and retractable with respect to a second housing coupled adjacent to the first housing along an axis, the second housing for connecting by a second pivot connection mount to the other of the body and the closure panel; a sliding friction mechanism having: a shaped sleeve mounted on an exterior surface of the extension member, the shaped sleeve providing an exterior friction surface; and a resilient friction element mounted to the second housing in a fixed location on the axis, the resilient friction element positioned between second housing and the shaped sleeve and biased into contact with the exterior friction surface; wherei

Abstract: A powered actuation mechanism for operating a closure panel device coupled to a closure panel of a vehicle, the closure panel operated between a closed position and a partially open position, the mechanism including: a motor operatively coupled to a control member; a lever body mounted at a pivot end to a body of the vehicle by a first pivot connection and coupled at an output end to a closure panel device by a second pivot connection, the lever body for driving the closure panel device; the control member having a control connection coupling the control member to the lever body, the control connection moveable between the first pivot connection and the second pivot connection such that the lever body has an opening to provide a releasable engagement of the control connection between the lever body and the control member.

Abstract: A door assembly for a motor vehicle comprised of an outer door panel and an inner door panel interconnected to define a door panel structure having an internal door cavity. A collapsible carrier module is configured to be oriented in a collapsed arrangement to facilitate installation into the door cavity through an opening in the inner door panel. The collapsible carrier module can be moved from its collapsed arrangement into an expanded arrangement upon installation within the door cavity to facilitate subsequent mounting to the door panel structure. The collapsible carrier module includes a barrier configured to close off the opening in the inner panel.

Abstract: A latch for a vehicle hood and method of construction thereof is provided. The latch includes a housing; a ratchet pivotally mounted on the housing and a pawl pivotally mounted on the housing for pivoting between a first position in locked engagement with the ratchet and a second position out of locked engagement with the ratchet, with the pawl being biased into the first position. A pawl lever is pivotally mounted on the housing to engage the pawl and rotate the pawl from the first position to the second position. A double pull lever having an abutment surface is pivotally mounted on the pawl lever. A safety catch member is pivotally mounted on the housing, wherein the safety catch member selectively engages the abutment surface of the double pull lever to pivot the safety catch member from a locked first position to an unlocked second position.

Abstract: A closure latch assembly for a vehicle door includes a latch mechanism and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism includes a lock link pivotable between unlock and lock positions, and dual cam arrangement which functions in coordination with rotation of a power lock gear to establish a first locked state where a first cam holds the lock link its lock position and a second locked state where a second cam holds the lock link in its lock position. An unlocked state is established when neither of the first and second cams engage the lock link in its unlock position.

Abstract: A non-contact obstacle detection (NCOD) system for a motor vehicle and a method of operating the non-contact obstacle detection system are disclosed. The NCOD system includes a main electronic control unit adapted to connect to a power source. At least one non-contact obstacle sensor is coupled to the main electronic control unit for detecting obstacles near a closure member of the vehicle. The control unit is configured to detect an obstacle and cease movement of the closure member in response to the obstacle being detected. Additionally, the control unit is configured to release a latch and apply power to a motor in response to the obstacle not being detected. The control unit is also configured to determine whether the closure member is in a full open position, and continue to apply power to a motor coupled to the closure member if the closure member is not in the full open position.

Abstract: A closure latch for a vehicle door is provided. The closure latch includes an emergency lock actuator to permit a person to lock the door in the event that the power lock actuator is unusable. The latch also includes an ‘impatient passenger’ feature, which permits the doors to be unlocked using the remote keyless-entry feature on the key fob even in a situation where an ‘impatient passenger’ had prematurely lifted the door handle of the vehicle. In some prior art latches, such an action by an ‘impatient passenger’ would prevent the drive motor on the latch from unlocking the latch, thereby necessitating the owner to press the unlock button on the key fob a second time. There is some overlap in the components that used for the ‘impatient passenger’ feature and the components used for the emergency lock actuator, thereby reducing cost and complexity of the latch.

Abstract: A vehicle defining an opening with a closure panel adapted to cover the opening generally includes a window in the closure panel. Furthermore, a rear window defrosting wire is often mounted to the window. A user interface system is disclosed to include a capacitive switch wire having a portion mounted to the window proximate to, and overlapping with, the rear window defrosting wire, and a capacitive switch control unit connected to the capacitive switch wire and adapted to interpret a change a capacitance near the terminus of the capacitive switch wire as a command request. The system includes a projector and a controller adapted to control the projector to project an image onto the window proximate to the terminus of the capacitive switch wire, receive an indication of receipt of the command request and transmit a command to cause a state change in an element of the vehicle.