IP Library Granted Patent US 7,255,383
Granted Patent B2
US 7,255,383 · App. 11/194,362 · Granted Aug 14, 2007

Vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,255,383
App. No.
11/194,362
Granted
Aug 14, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus includes: a striker provided in one of a vehicle main body and a door of a vehicle; a door latch module provided in one of the door and the vehicle main body so as to freely engage with and disengage from; a latch disengaging module capable of electrically disengaging the door latch module; a control module capable of controlling the latch disengaging module; and a door-open operating module capable of mechanically disengaging the door latch module by another transmitting module other than the latch disengaging module, especially, the door-open operating module is located at one of a lower side of a seat cushion of an occupant seat and a floor member opposing to the occupant seat.

Claims (25)

1. A vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus, comprising:

a door latch module provided in a door or a vehicle main body for engaging and disengaging the door and the vehicle main body;

a latch disengaging module for electrically disengaging the door latch module;

a door-open operating module provided at one of a lower side of a seat cushion of an occupant seat or a floor member opposing the occupant seat, the door-open operating module for mechanically disengaging the door latch module; and

a vehicle state detection section for detecting whether an occupant is on an occupant seat or not,

wherein the occupant seat comprises a seat cushion and a slide apparatus capable of moving the seat cushion forward and backward,

wherein the slide apparatus is provided with a driving module capable of moving the seat cushion forward and backward, and

wherein when the vehicle state detection section detects that the occupant is not on the occupant seat, the vehicle state detection section causes the driving module to move the occupant seat to a position where the occupant seat covers the door-open operating module.

2. The vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the occupant seat comprises: a seat cushion; a slide apparatus freely moving the seat cushion forward and backward, capable of fixing seat cushion at an appropriate position and capable of moving to a frontmost position covering the door-open operating module; and a walk-in module always biasing the seat cushion to a front side; and

wherein the occupant seat freely moves to the frontmost position of the slide apparatus by activating the walk-in module when the occupant gets off from the vehicle.

3. The vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle state detection section actuates the driving module when the vehicle state detection section detects that the door latch module is changed from an unlocked state to a locked state from outside the vehicle.

4. The vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle state detection section causes the driving module to move the occupant seat to the position where the occupant seat covers the door-open operating module when the vehicle state detection section detects that the occupant is outside the vehicle.

5. A vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle state detection section is located in the seat cushion and detects that the occupant is not on the occupant seat when no load is applied to the vehicle state detection section.

6. A vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the vehicle state detection section comprises a pressure detection type sensor.

7. The vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the seat cushion of the occupant seat is provided with a cover which covers the door-open operating module to block access to the door-open operating module.

8. The vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the seat cushion of the occupant seat is provided with a cover which covers the door-open operating module to block access to the door-open operating module.

9. A vehicular electrical disengaging door latch apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the seat cushion of the occupant seat is provided with a cover covering the door-open operating module.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2011
From: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026337/0765 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 1, 2011
From: OHI SEISAKUSHO CO., LTD.
To: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025865/0964 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2005
From: IWATA, TAKEHARU; GOTOU, SHINGO; HAMAGUCHI, OSAMU; INOUE, JIRO; OKAWA, SHINTARO
To: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.; MITSUI MINING AND SMELTING CO., LTD.; OHI SEISAKUSHO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 016541/0070 →