US 7,467,815 B2
Snow load lever with two part pawl lever construction
Christopher L. Larsen, Toronto (Canada); Jeffrey R. F. Domenchini, Etohicoke (Canada); and Keith A. Morgan, Toronto (Canada)
Assigned to Intier Automotive Closures Inc., Newmarket, Ontario (Canada)
Appl. No. 10/498,164
PCT Filed Dec. 10, 2002, PCT No. PCT/CA02/01912
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jun. 09, 2004,
PCT Pub. No. WO03/054332, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 03, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2005/0040658 A1, Feb. 24, 2005
Int. Cl. E05C 3/06 (2006.01); E05C 3/16 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 292—201  [292/216; 292/DIG. 23] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle latch comprising:
a ratchet moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, said ratchet being urged under a first spring pressure of a first spring to move to said unlatched position;
a pawl moveable between an engaged position and a released position, said pawl being urged under a second spring pressure of a second spring to move to said engaged position holding said ratchet in said latched position;
a pawl lever engaging said pawl, said pawl lever moveable between a ready position and a pulled position for moving said pawl from said engaged position to said released position, said pawl lever being urged under a third spring pressure of a third spring to said ready position, wherein said pawl lever and said pawl are mounted on a common pivot; and
a load lever moveable to and away from a blocking position, in said blocking position said load lever engaging said pawl lever thereby maintaining said pawl lever in said pulled position and at the same time said pawl lever engaging and maintaining said pawl in said released position, said load lever moving to said blocking position in response to a fourth spring pressure of a fourth spring as said pawl lever is urged to said pulled position, said load lever cooperating with said ratchet and moving from said blocking position in response to said ratchet reaching said unlatched position thereby allowing said pawl lever to move from said pulled position to said ready position and said pawl to move from said released position to said engaged position.