IP Library Granted Patent US 12,037,818
Granted Patent B2
US 12,037,818 · App. 17/459,795 · Granted Jul 16, 2024

Door latch device

Inventors: Shintaro Okawa (Kanagawa, JP); Yasuyuki Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
E05B77/34E05B79/04E05B81/06E05B81/54E05B85/02B60J5/04E05B81/16E05B81/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,037,818
App. No.
17/459,795
Granted
Jul 16, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A door latch device includes: electric components; a machine mechanism; a circuit board; a case; a first cover forming a first housing space in which a motor and the machine mechanism are housed; a second cover forming a second housing space in which the circuit board is housed; and an external waterproof seal disposed between the case and the second cover and waterproofs the second housing space. Further, the case includes: a recessed part forming a part of the second housing space; a surrounding wall surrounding the recessed part; and a seal groove formed along an outer circumference of the surrounding wall and in which the external waterproof seal is disposed, the second housing space is formed by covering the recessed part by the second cover, and an entire circumference between the recessed part and the second cover is waterproofed by the external waterproof seal.

Claims (40)

1. A door latch device that is disposed on a door of a vehicle, and is configured to latch and unlatch a striker disposed on a main body side of the vehicle to close and open the door, the door latch device comprising:

electric components including a motor;

a machine mechanism configured to be driven by the motor;

a circuit board electrically connected to the electric components;

a case;

a first cover forming a first housing space in which the motor and the machine mechanism are housed by covering one surface of the case;

a second cover forming a second housing space in which the circuit board is housed by covering another surface of the case; and

an external waterproof seal that is disposed between the case and the second cover, and waterproofs the second housing space against outside,

wherein the case includes:

a recessed part forming a part of the second housing space;

a surrounding wall surrounding the recessed part; and

a seal groove formed along an outer circumference of the surrounding wall and in which the external waterproof seal is disposed,

wherein the second housing space is formed by covering the recessed part by the second cover,

wherein an entire circumference between the recessed part and the second cover is waterproofed by the external waterproof seal, and

wherein the door latch device further includes:

a pin hole that is disposed in the case to establish communication between the first housing space and the second housing space;

a pin that is erected from the circuit board to project into the first housing space through the pin hole;

a pin holder that is fitted into the pin hole to support the pin with respect to the circuit board by covering a periphery of a base of the pin; and

an internal waterproof seal that is fitted into the pin hole so that the internal waterproof seal is disposed between the pin hole and the pin holder fitted into the pin hole, and waterproofs a space between the first housing space and the second housing space.

2. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the second cover includes a seal pressing projection that presses the external waterproof seal.

3. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein an osmosis membrane holder to which an osmosis membrane filter is attached is disposed in a range surrounded by an abutting part of the external waterproof seal on the second cover.

4. The door latch device according to claim 3 , wherein the osmosis membrane holder and the osmosis membrane filter are disposed in a space under the circuit board in the second housing space.

5. The door latch device according to claim 1 , comprising:

a pin hole that is disposed in the case to establish communication between the first housing space and the second housing space; and

a coupler to which a harness connector is connected, wherein

the coupler includes:

a terminal wall disposed on the first cover; and

a pin that is erected from the circuit board to project from a hole of the terminal wall through the pin hole.

6. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein

the circuit board housed in the second housing space is disposed on an upper part of the case that is above a striker entry groove that the striker enters, and

a waterproof cover is provided, which covers a boundary part between the case and the first cover, and the second cover from above.

7. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first housing space is partitioned into a mechanism region in which the machine mechanism is disposed, and a remaining region which is a region other than the mechanism region of the first housing space, and

the second housing space is disposed on a back side of the remaining region across the case.

8. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the second housing space is disposed on a forward upper part when an orientation of the vehicle is regarded as a reference.

9. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein an overlap groove for causing lower ends of the external waterproof seal to be overlapped and disposed is formed in the seal groove.

10. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein projection pairs projecting from opposing sides of the seal groove are formed at a plurality of points in the seal groove.

11. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal waterproof seal and the pin holder are an integrated molding made of a same material.

12. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal waterproof seal and the pin holder are integrated with each other by a joining unit including bonding and welding.

13. The door latch device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal waterproof seal is disposed to cover a periphery of the pin and overlap the pin holder.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 26, 2026
From: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
To: HI-LEX ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 074954/0366 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2021
From: OKAWA, SHINTARO; WATANABE, YASUYUKI
To: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057315/0483 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2019-141667 · Jul 31, 2019 · national
JP 2019-191955 · Oct 21, 2019 · national
WO PCT/JP2019/041979 · Oct 25, 2019 · international
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020018060 · Apr 28, 2020
Related Publication 20220025678A1 · Jan 27, 2022