VEHICLE DOOR LATCH DEVICE

摘要

In a vehicle door latch device, a first outside lever is pivotally mounted via a pivot shaft, and second outside lever is connected to an outside handle on an outer panel of a door via a motion-transmitting member to move toward the inside of a vehicle. Usually, turning of the second outside lever for disengaging a latch from a striker is transmitted to the first outside lever. If the second outside lever is impacted by an external force, the outer panel is deformed to move the second outside lever inward of the vehicle with respect to the first outside lever. But release turning of the second outside lever cannot be transmitted to the first outside lever. Even if the door is deformed by the external force, the door is still closed.

主权项

1. A vehicle door latch device comprising:
a stationary member fixed in a door; an engagement portion configured to engage with a striker of a vehicle body; a pivot shaft; a first outside lever pivotally mounted to the stationary member via the pivot shaft; biasing means mounted to the stationary member to surround the pivot shaft; a motion-transmitting member coupled to an outer handle on an outer panel of the door; a second outside lever biased by the biasing means toward an outside of a vehicle and configured to move toward an inside of the vehicle, an outer end of the second outside lever being connected to the outside handle via the motion-transmitting member to turn in a releasing direction with operation of the outside handle; and a release lever connected to an inner end of the first outside lever and configured to disengage the engagement portion from the striker; wherein turning of the second outside lever can be transmitted to the first outside lever in a usual operation, and if an external force is applied to the second outside lever, the second outside lever moves relatively to the first outside lever against a force of the biasing means toward the inside of the vehicle to disable the turning of the second outside lever in the releasing direction to be transmitted to the first outside lever.