DOOR LATCH DEVICE

1 . A door latch device comprising:

an open link configured to change to an unlocked state and a locked state and operate upon opening operation of a door handle; and

a pawl lever configured to release an engagement state of a pawl with a latch when an operation force is applied via the open link,

the open link being configured to transmit the operation force to the pawl lever when opening operation of the door handle is performed in the unlocked state,

the open link including:

a lever body configured to displace to an unlock position corresponding to the unlocked state and a lock position corresponding to the locked state and configured to move according to opening operation of the door handle;

an inertial lever portion configured to move to an operating position and a non-operating position relative to the lever body; and

a releasing bias member configured to bias the inertial lever portion so that the inertial lever portion is maintained at the operating position relative to the lever body,

the inertial lever portion being configured to transmit the operation force to the pawl lever only when opening operation of the door handle is performed while the lever body is arranged at the unlock position and the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position,

wherein the pawl lever is provided with a protruding portion configured to abut on the inertial lever portion to return the inertial lever portion to the operating position when opening operation of the door handle is performed with a preset return stroke while the inertial lever portion is arranged at the non-operating position.

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

the inertial lever portion is arranged so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis relative to the lever body and arranged so as to be movable along a predetermined shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position, and

a shift mechanism and a restriction mechanism are provided between the lever body and the inertial lever portion,

wherein the shift mechanism is configured to shift the inertial lever portion to a predetermined second non-operating position along the shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is rotated to the first non-operating position relative to the lever body, and

wherein the restriction mechanism is configured to prevent movement of the inertial lever portion to the operating position when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the second non-operating position.

3 . The door latch device according to claim 2 , wherein the restriction mechanism includes a first rotation blocking portion provided at the lever body and a second rotation blocking portion provided at the inertial lever portion, the first rotation blocking portion and the second rotation blocking portion being configured to face each other in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the second non-operating position.

4 . The door latch device according to claim 2 , wherein the restriction mechanism includes a first shift blocking portion provided at the lever body and a second shift blocking portion provided at the inertial lever portion, the first shift blocking portion and the second shift blocking portion being configured to face each other along the shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the second non-operating position.

5 . The door latch device according to claim 2 , wherein the shift mechanism includes a shifting bias member configured to

have a spring force storage state when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position relative to the lever body and

shift the inertial lever portion to the second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion is moved to the first non-operating position relative to the lever body.

6 . The door latch device according to claim 5 , wherein the releasing bias member is a torsion spring constituted around the rotation axis, and also functions as the shifting bias member.

7 . The door latch device according to claim 6 , wherein the protruding portion is configured to abut on the inertial lever portion when opening operation of the door handle is performed with a return stroke while the inertial lever portion is arranged at the second non-operating position, slide the inertial lever portion against a biasing force of the shifting bias member, and return the inertial lever portion to the operating position through the first non-operating position.

8 . The door latch device according to claim 4 , wherein the second shift blocking portion is provided with an inclined surface configured to bring the inertial lever portion into slide contact with the protruding portion during abutment of the inertial lever portion on the protruding portion, and move the inertial lever portion to the first non-operating position.

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

one of the lever body and the inertial lever portion is provided with a support shaft portion, and the other of the lever body and the inertial lever portion is provided with an insertion portion having an insertion hole, the insertion portion being externally mounted around the support shaft portion through the insertion hole so that the lever body and the inertial lever portion are arranged to be relatively rotatable, and

an engagement mechanism is provided between the support shaft portion and the insertion portion, the engagement mechanism being configured to

permit attachment and detachment of the support shaft portion to and from the insertion hole when the inertial lever portion is at a predetermined attachment/detachment position relative to the lever body, and

block attachment and detachment of the support shaft portion to and from the insertion hole when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position and the non-operating position.

10 . The door latch device according to claim 9 , wherein

the inertial lever portion is arranged so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis relative to the lever body and arranged so as to be movable along a predetermined shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position,

the open link moves along a virtual operation plane including an axis of the support shaft portion when opening operation of the door handle is performed to allow transmission of the operation force to the pawl lever,

the engagement mechanism includes a protruding engagement portion that is provided at the support shaft portion and an insertion cutout portion that is provided in the insertion portion, the protruding engagement portion being provided in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, the insertion cutout portion having a size large enough to allow insertion of the protruding engagement portion, and

when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position relative to the lever body, the insertion cutout portion extends in a direction not perpendicular to the operation plane.

11 . The door latch device according to claim 9 , wherein

the inertial lever portion is arranged so as to be rotatable about a predetermined rotation axis relative to the lever body and arranged so as to be movable along a predetermined shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is rotated to a predetermined first non-operating position,

wherein a shift mechanism and a restriction mechanism are provided between the lever body and the inertial lever portion,

wherein the shift mechanism is configured to shift the inertial lever portion to a predetermined second non-operating position along the shifting axis when the inertial lever portion is rotated to the first non-operating position relative to the lever body, and

wherein the restriction mechanism is configured to prevent movement of the inertial lever portion to the operating position when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the second non-operating position,

wherein the shift mechanism includes a shifting bias member configured to

have a spring force storage state when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position relative to the lever body and

shift the inertial lever portion to the second non-operating position when the inertial lever portion is moved to the first non-operating position relative to the lever body,

wherein the lever body is provided with the support shaft portion, and the inertial lever portion is provided with the insertion portion,

wherein the lever body includes

a seating surface that is provided at one end of the support shaft portion, where an end of the shifting bias member abuts on the seating surface, and

an engagement claw that is provided at a position facing the seating surface and configured so that the shifting bias member is mounted between the seating surface and the engagement claw, and

wherein the inertial lever portion is provided with a biasing force receiving surface configured to arrange the shifting bias member so as to have the spring force storage state, between the biasing force receiving surface and the seating surface, when the inertial lever portion is arranged at the operating position relative to the lever body.

12 . The door latch device according to claim 11 , wherein the seating surface is configured to have a contact area with the shifting bias member larger than the engagement claw.