摘要 |
An automotive door lock assembly comprises a lock/unlock mechanism and an electric actuator which actuates the lock/unlock mechanism. At an initial stage of a door unlocking operation of the electric actuator, a passive lever is shifted from an engaged position where a lock/unlock lever and a sub-lever are engaged to move together to a disengaged position where the engagement between the lock/unlock lever and the sub-lever is canceled. When the passive lever is shifted to the disengaged position, the sub-lever can be quickly shifted to the unlock position by the force of a spring prior to shifting of the lock/unlock lever to the unlock position from the lock position by the electric actuator. With this arrangement, the electric actuator can be made of a relatively low power electric motor, and the lock/unlock mechanism can be quickly shifted to a door unlocking condition upon manipulation of a door handle.
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