Abstract: A power latch assembly for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle includes a ratchet configured for movement between striker capture and striker release positions, wherein the ratchet is biased toward the striker release position, and a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position, whereat the pawl maintains the ratchet in the striker capture position, and a ratchet releasing position, whereat the pawl releases the ratchet to the striker release position. A powered actuator is energizable to move in a first direction to move the pawl under a first release torque from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position and the powered actuator is energizable to move in a second direction to move the pawl under a second release torque from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position, wherein the second release torque is greater than the first release torque.

Abstract: A gear arrangement comprising: a housing having a gear axis and a housing stop, the housing stop having a first and second abutment; a rotatable member mounted on the gear axis having a first side having a first stop and a second having a second stop, the first stop is positioned between the first abutment and the second abutment; and a gear mounted on the gear axis having a first gear side, and a second gear side having a gear stop, the gear stop is engageable and disengageable with the second stop during rotation of the gear about the gear axis, the rotatable member positioned between the housing and the gear; wherein said rotation of the gear is hindered while the gear stop and the second stop are engaged when the first stop enters into engagement with either the first abutment or the second abutment.

Abstract: A door latch system is provided for a motor vehicle having a front door having a forward portion configured for sealed engagement with an A-pillar and a rear door having a rearward portion configured for sealed engagement with a C-pillar, the front and rear doors being configured for movement relative to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle to bring respective rearward and forward portions into sealed engagement with one another to close off a B-pillarless opening bounded by the vehicle body. The door latch system includes a retractable striker assembly and/or retractable ratchet assembly attached to one of the front and rear doors and includes a respective retractable striker and/or retractable ratchet movable between extended and retracted positions.

Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure panel of a vehicle, the latch assembly including: a housing; a ratchet and pawl pivotally coupled to the housing, the ratchet for interaction with a striker such that one of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on the closure panel and the other of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on a body of the vehicle; a presentment mechanism mounted to the housing having one or more presentment members, such that the one or more presentment members is driven for influencing a position of the ratchet during presentment of the striker out of a slot of the ratchet to a presentment position; and an actuator for engaging with the presentment mechanism to effect the driven of the one or more presentment members.

Abstract: A power latch assembly for a vehicle door and method of construction thereof is provided. The power latch assembly includes a pawl configured for movement between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl maintains a ratchet in a striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl releases the ratchet to a striker release position. A pawl release lever moves the pawl between the ratchet holding position and the ratchet releasing position. A powered actuator is energizable to control movement of the pawl release lever, wherein upon the pawl reaching the ratchet releasing position, the powered actuator is automatically de-energized without a hard stop feature.

Abstract: A gear arrangement comprising: a housing having a gear axis and a housing stop, the housing stop having a first abutment and an second abutment spaced apart from one another about the gear axis; a rotatable member mounted on the gear axis, the rotatable member having a first member side having a first member stop and a second member side having a second member stop, the first member side opposite the second member side, such that the first member stop is positioned between the first abutment and the second abutment; and a gear mounted on the gear axis, the gear having a first gear side, and a second gear side having a gear stop, the first gear side opposite the second gear side, such that the gear stop is engageable and disengageable with the second member stop during rotation of the gear about the gear axis, the rotatable member positioned between the housing and the gear; wherein said rotation of the gear is hindered while the gear stop and the second member stop are engaged when the first member stop enter

Abstract: A release cable assembly having a release cable and an inertial locking device is provided. The release cable includes a cable wire configured to operably interconnect a release handle to a moveable latch release component of a latch assembly. The inertial locking device is configured to normally permit translational movement of the cable wire, via actuation of the release handle, to move the latch release component from a latched position to an unlatched position when the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration that is less than a predetermined acceleration threshold. When the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration exceeding the predetermined acceleration threshold, the inertial locking device prevents translational movement of the release cable, thereby preventing unintentional movement of the latch release component from the latched position to the unlatched position.

Abstract: A latch assembly for a closure panel of a vehicle, the latch assembly including: a housing; a ratchet and pawl pivotally coupled to the housing, the ratchet for interaction with a striker such that one of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on the closure panel and the other of the latch assembly and the striker being mounted on a body of the vehicle; a presentment mechanism mounted to the housing having one or more presentment members, such that the one or more presentment members is driven for influencing a position of the ratchet during presentment of the striker out of a slot of the ratchet to a presentment position; and an actuator for engaging with the presentment mechanism to effect said driven of the one or more presentment members.

Abstract: A release cable assembly having a release cable and an inertial locking device is provided. The release cable includes a cable wire configured to operably interconnect a release handle to a moveable latch release component of a latch assembly. The inertial locking device is configured to normally permit translational movement of the cable wire, via actuation of the release handle, to move the latch release component from a latched position to an unlatched position when the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration that is less than a predetermined acceleration threshold. When the inertial locking device is exposed to an acceleration exceeding the predetermined acceleration threshold, the inertial locking device prevents translational movement of the release cable, thereby preventing unintentional movement of the latch release component from the latched position to the unlatched position.

Abstract: A latch including a ratchet moveable between a latched position and a released position, with the ratchet being biased to the released position. A pawl being moveable between a ratchet-engaged position in which the pawl checks the movement of the ratchet and a ratchet-disengaged position, with the pawl being biased to the ratchet-engaged position. An electromechanical actuator having an output member for moving the pawl to the ratchet-disengaged position with the actuator output member moving between a start position and an end position and vice versa. A snowload lever being moveable between a pawl-disengaged position and a pawl-engaged position, wherein, in the pawl-engaged position, the snowload lever blocks the actuator output member from returning to the start position.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention is directed to a closure latch for a vehicle door. 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: In one aspect, the invention is directed to a closure latch for a vehicle door. 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: An automotive door lock having a lock mechanism (3) for releasably engaging a striker (4), and a release mechanism (5) interacting with the lock mechanism (3) to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has a control member (18) which interacts with the lock mechanism (3), is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has an actuating member (31) activated selectively to move the control member (18), in a forward movement, from the rest position to the work position; and, during a return movement of the control member (18) to the rest position, the control member (18) and the actuating member (31) are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

Abstract: A latch comprises a ratchet moveable between a latched position and a released position with the ratchet being biased to the released position. A pawl is moveable between a ratchet-engaged position in which the pawl checks the movement of the ratchet and a ratchet-disengaged position with the pawl being biased to the ratchet-engaged position. An electromechanical actuator has an output member for moving the pawl to the ratchet-disengaged position with the actuator output member moving between a start position and an end position and vice versa. A snowload lever is moveable between a pawl-disengaged position and a pawl-engaged position, wherein, in the pawl-engaged position, the snowload lever blocks the actuator output member from returning to the start position.

Abstract: An automotive door lock having a lock mechanism (3) for releasably engaging a striker (4), and a release mechanism (5) interacting with the lock mechanism (3) to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has a control member (18) which interacts with the lock mechanism (3), is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has an actuating member (31) activated selectively to move the control member (18), in a forward movement, from the rest position to the work position; and, during a return movement of the control member (18) to the rest position, the control member (18) and the actuating member (31) are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

Abstract: A vehicle door lock (1) having a fork (2) which rotates about a first axis (A) between a release position and at least one lock position engaging a fixed striker (15), and a latch (3) which rotates about a second axis (B), is loaded elastically towards the fork (2), and has a catch portion (25) which clicks onto a tooth (11) of the fork (2) to lock the fork (2) releasably in the lock position. The fork (2) is defined by a main body (6) made of rigid material, and by an outer coating (7) made of relatively yielding material and having, adjacent to the tooth (11), a slot (33) defining a peripheral edge (34) which flexes inwards of the slot (33) when struck by the catch portion (25) of the latch (3) engaging the tooth (11) of the fork (2).

Abstract: An automotive door lock having a lock mechanism (3) for releasably engaging a striker (4), and a release mechanism (5) interacting with the lock mechanism (3) to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has a control member (18) which interacts with the lock mechanism (3), is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has an actuating member (31) activated selectively to move the control member (18), in a forward movement, from the rest position to the work position; and, during a return movement of the control member (18) to the rest position, the control member (18) and the actuating member (31) are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

Abstract: An automotive door lock having a lock mechanism (3) for releasably engaging a striker (4), and a release mechanism (5) interacting with the lock mechanism (3) to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has a control member (18) which interacts with the lock mechanism (3), is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has an actuating member (31) activated selectively to move the control member (18), in a forward movement, from the rest position to the work position; and, during a return movement of the control member (18) and the actuating member (31) are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

Abstract: A vehicle door lock (1) having a fork (2) which rotates about a first axis (A) between a release position and at least one lock position engaging a fixed striker (15), and a latch (3) which rotates about a second axis (B), is loaded elastically towards the fork (2), and has a catch portion (25) which clicks onto a tooth (11) of the fork (2) to lock the fork (2) releasably in the lock position. The fork (2) is defined by a main body (6) made of rigid material, and by an outer coating (7) made of relatively yielding material and having, adjacent to the tooth (11), a slot (33) defining a peripheral edge (34) which flexes inwards of the slot (33) when struck by the catch portion (25) of the latch (3) engaging the tooth (11) of the fork (2).