JP7703470B2 - Vehicle latch device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle latch device.

The vehicle latch device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a fork that can engage with a striker attached to the bonnet, a claw lever that locks the fork in the locked position, and a torsion spring that biases the fork to the unlocked position and has a wound portion that is inserted into the rotating shaft of the fork. By providing a flange portion at the tip of the rotating shaft of the fork, the position of the torsion spring in the radial direction is restricted and it is prevented from coming off in the axial direction.

The vehicle latch device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is fixed to a base on which the fork and claw lever are rotatably attached, and includes a set plate for regulating the axial position of the fork and claw lever. This set plate is provided with a peripheral wall that surrounds the torsion spring, and an arm extending from the wound portion of the torsion spring is engaged with the peripheral wall, thereby regulating the radial position of the torsion spring and preventing it from coming loose in the axial direction.

JP 2020-180493 A JP 2021-059874 A

In the vehicle latch devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a risk that the weight will increase due to the flange and peripheral wall portions that are used to regulate the position of the torsion spring.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle latch device that can regulate the position of the torsion spring while minimizing weight increases.

The present invention provides a vehicle latch device comprising: a base having a groove into which a striker enters; a fork rotatably attached to a fork shaft provided on the base and engageable with the striker; a claw lever rotatably attached to the base and engaging with the fork to maintain the engagement between the fork and the striker; and a torsion spring that biases the fork in a direction to release the striker, the base having a spring retaining piece provided on a part of the base and retaining an upper end of a wound portion of the torsion spring on the side opposite the base in the axial direction.

According to the present invention, the spring retaining piece is provided on a part of the base, so the torsion spring can be retained on the base while suppressing the increase in weight compared to when a flange is provided on the fork shaft or a peripheral wall is provided on the set plate.

The vehicle latch device of the present invention allows the torsion spring to be held in place on the base while minimizing weight gain.

1 is a front perspective view of a vehicle latch device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle latch device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle latch device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a front view of a vehicle latch device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of a portion indicated by an arrow VI in FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a front view showing the relationship between the fork, the claw lever, and the set plate of the vehicle latch device. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by an arrow VIII in FIG. 5 .

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle latch device 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a latch device) according to the present invention. The latch device 1 locks and unlocks, for example, the bonnet or trunk, which is an opening and closing body of an automobile. In the following explanation, a case where the opening and closing body is a bonnet will be explained. In the following explanation, the direction in which the striker 2 enters the entry groove 11a in the base 10 described below will be referred to as the up-down direction, the vehicle body width direction perpendicular to the up-down direction will be referred to as the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 4), and the plate thickness direction of the base 10 perpendicular to the up-down direction and the width direction will be referred to as the thickness direction.

A striker 2 with a concave circular cross section protrudes from the front end of the bonnet (not shown) (see Figure 4). When the bonnet is closed, the latch device 1 catches and engages the tip of the striker 2 that enters the interior, thereby locking the bonnet in the closed position.

The latch device 1 has a base 10, a fork 20, a claw lever 30, a set plate 40, a torsion spring 50, and a safety hook 60.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the base 10 is, for example, a metal plate member. The base 10 is fixed to the vehicle body. The base 10 has a base main body portion 11, first and second side wall portions 12, 13, and first and second mounting pieces 14, 15. The base main body portion 11 is formed with a groove portion 11a into which the striker 2 enters.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the first and second side walls 12, 13 rise from both widthwise ends of the base body 11 toward the front side in the thickness direction (the direction of the arrows in Figure 1). The first and second mounting pieces 14, 15 extend outward in the width direction from the ends of the first and second side walls 12, 13 on the front side in the thickness direction and are attached to the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 4, the base body 11 and the first and second side walls 12, 13 form a concave storage section S that opens forward (to the front). In other words, the first and second mounting pieces 14, 15 protrude laterally from the opening edge of the storage section S.

The fork 20, claw lever 30, set plate 40, and torsion spring 50 are stored in the storage section S. The first and second mounting pieces 14, 15 are provided with mounting holes 14a, 14b, and 15a for mounting fixing members such as bolts that secure the latch device 1 to the vehicle body.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the groove 11a is formed in the center of the width of the base body 11, extends in the vertical direction, and is open at the top. The groove 11a extends to near the center of the base body 11 in the vertical direction. The base body 11 has a first base hole 11b on one side of the groove 11a in the width direction, a second base hole 11c on the other side, and a third base hole 11d below the groove 11a.

1 and 4, the rotating shaft (fork shaft) 21 of the fork 20 is inserted into the first base hole 11b from the front side and the tip is crimped and fixed to the base body 11. The fork shaft 21 has a small diameter part inserted into the fork hole 21a and the first insertion hole 41a described later, and a large diameter part around which the wound part 51 of the torsion spring 50 is arranged and has a larger diameter than the small diameter part. Due to the step between the small diameter part and the large diameter part, the fork 20 is sandwiched between the base body 11 and the large diameter part, and is prevented from slipping out of the fork shaft 21. In addition, the rotating shaft (claw shaft) 31 of the claw lever 30 is inserted into the second base hole 11c from the front side and the tip is crimped and fixed to the base body 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotating shaft (hook shaft) 61 of the safety hook 60 is inserted into the third base hole 11d from the back side and the tip is crimped and fixed.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, below the second base hole 11c of the base body 11, a protrusion 11e is provided by cutting the base body 11 toward the back side. The protrusion 11e engages with the safety hook 60 and functions as a stopper that restricts the rotation of the safety hook 60. An extension 11f that extends downward is provided at the bottom end of the base body 11. A fork position sensor 9 that detects the position of the fork 20 is attached to the front side of the extension 11f.

As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the base 10 has a spring retaining piece 16 that extends inward in the width direction from the vertical center of the first mounting piece 14 and holds the wound part 51 of the torsion spring 50. In this embodiment, the spring retaining piece 16 extends to near the outer diameter of the fork shaft 21, and the tip 16a is inclined in an arc shape following the shape of the fork shaft 21.

As shown in FIG. 5, the spring retaining piece 16 only needs to be able to retain the wound portion 51, and the amount of protrusion D1 from the first mounting piece 14 is set to be at least longer than the spring wire diameter D2 of the wound portion 51. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the tip 16a of the spring retaining piece 16 may be straight or perpendicular to the width direction.

Referring to FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the axial length (dimension in the thickness direction) of the fork shaft 21 is set so that the top surface 21b of the fork shaft 21 and the front surface 16b of the spring retaining piece 16 are approximately aligned. The axial length of the fork shaft 21 is set so that the fork shaft 21 and the spring retaining piece 16 overlap in the thickness direction. The fork shaft 21 regulates the radial position of the torsion spring 50 and cooperates with the spring retaining piece 16 to prevent the torsion spring 50 from slipping out in the axial direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the spring retaining piece 16 is formed by cutting and raising the first side wall portion 12, and is integral with the first mounting piece 14. Referring also to Figure 1, in this embodiment, the thickness-wise end face of the mounting piece 14 (the front side in the thickness direction in Figure 1) and the spring retaining piece 16 are flush with each other. The spring retaining piece 16 is formed by cutting and raising the first side wall portion 12 at the same time as the first mounting piece 14 is formed by bending, which reduces manufacturing costs.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 6, the first side wall 12 where the spring retaining piece 16 is cut and raised has an opening 17 that penetrates the first side wall 12 in the width direction. The vertical dimension D3 of the opening 17 is set to be smaller than the winding diameter D4 of the winding portion 51 of the torsion spring 50.

Figure 7 shows the relationship between the fork 20, claw lever 30, and set plate 40 of the latch device 1, with the base 10 and torsion spring 50 indicated by dashed double-dashed lines.

Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the fork 20 is, for example, a metal plate member. The fork 20 restrains and releases the striker 2. The fork 20 is rotatably attached to a fork shaft 21 provided on the base main body 11. The fork shaft 21 is disposed on one side in the width direction relative to the groove 11a of the base main body 11. The fork 20 is formed with a fork hole 21a through which the fork shaft 21 passes, a U-shaped notch 22 that meshes with the striker 2 and intersects with the groove 11a, and a recess 23 into which the claw 33 of the claw lever 30 engages.

As shown in FIG. 7, the fork 20 can rotate between a locked position where the striker 2 is restrained and an unlocked position where the striker 2 is released. The fork 20 rotates about the central axis (hereinafter also referred to as the first rotation axis) O1 of the fork shaft 21. The posture of the fork 20 in the unlocked position is a state in which the fork 20 in FIG. 7 is rotated approximately 30° in the clockwise direction X1. The fork 20 is formed with a spring engagement hole 24 that holds one end of the torsion spring 50. The spring engagement hole 24 is located on the opposite side of the fork shaft 21 from the spring holding piece 16 in the width direction.

The claw lever 30 is, for example, a metal plate member. The claw lever 30 engages with the fork 20 to keep the striker 2 restrained. The claw lever 30 is rotatably attached to a claw shaft 31 provided on the base 10. The claw shaft 31 is disposed on the other widthwise side of the groove 11a of the base main body 11.

Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the claw lever 30 has a claw lever body 32, a claw hole 31a, a claw portion 33, a spring connection portion 34, and an unlocking portion 35. The claw lever body 32 extends in the vertical direction. The claw shaft 31 is inserted into the claw hole 31a. The claw portion 33 is provided in the vertical middle of the claw lever body 32.

The spring connection part 34 is located at the upper end of the claw lever main body 32. The spring connection part 34 is located on the opposite side of the fork shaft 21 from the spring retaining piece 16 in the width direction. The spring connection part 34 holds the other end of the torsion spring 50. The lock release part 35 is located at the lower end of the claw lever main body 32. A wire (not shown) is connected between the lock release part 35 and the lock release lever (not shown) on the passenger compartment side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the claw lever 30 rotates between a locked position where it engages with the fork 20 in the locked position to hold the fork 20 in the locked position, and an unlocked position where it does not engage with the fork 20. The claw lever 30 rotates about the central axis O2 of the claw shaft 31 (hereinafter also referred to as the second rotation axis).

Referring to Figures 3 and 7, the set plate 40 is, for example, a metal plate member. The set plate 40 is arranged overlapping the front side (opposite the base body 11) of the fork 20 and the claw lever 30. As shown in Figure 5, the fork 20 and the claw lever 30 are sandwiched between the base body 11 and the set plate 40. The set plate 40 extends in the width direction and is arranged across the fork shaft 21 and the claw shaft 31, and the set plate 40 prevents the fork shaft 21 and the claw shaft 31 from coming off.

More specifically, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the set plate 40 has a first flat plate portion 41 that prevents the fork shaft 21 from slipping out, a second flat plate portion 42 that prevents the claw shaft 31 from slipping out, a connecting portion 43 that connects the first flat plate portion 41 and the second flat plate portion 42, and a protruding portion 44 that protrudes in the thickness direction from the lower end of the connecting portion 43. A first insertion hole 41a is formed in the first flat plate portion 41, through which the fork shaft 21 is inserted. A second insertion hole 42a is formed in the second flat plate portion 42, through which the claw shaft 31 is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the contact surface of the first flat plate portion 41 with the fork 20 and the contact surface of the second flat plate portion 42 with the claw lever 30 are located on approximately the same plane. This allows the set plate 40 to suppress rattling of the fork 20 and the claw lever 30 in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the torsion spring 50 has a winding portion 51 wound in a coil shape, and first and second arms 52, 53 drawn out from a lower end 51a on the rear side (axially toward the base 10) and an upper end 51b on the front side (axially opposite the base 10) of the winding portion 51. The tip 52a of the first arm 52 of the torsion spring 50 is inserted into the spring engagement hole 24 of the fork 20, and the tip 53a of the second arm 53 is engaged with the spring connection portion 34 of the claw lever 30.

As shown in FIG. 7, the torsion spring 50 applies a biasing force to the fork 20 that elastically biases the fork 20 in the unlocked position direction (clockwise direction) X1 around the first pivot axis O1, and applies a biasing force to the claw lever 30 that elastically biases the claw lever 30 in the locked position direction (counterclockwise direction) X2 around the second pivot axis O2. As a result, in this embodiment, the biasing member that applies a biasing force to the fork 20 and the claw lever 30 is composed of a single torsion spring 50, which reduces the number of parts compared to when multiple biasing members are used.

8, the winding portion 51 is held between the first flat plate portion 41 and the spring retaining piece 16 in a state in which the region 51c on the opposite side of the winding portion 51 from the spring retaining piece 16 (the claw lever 30 side, i.e., the left side in FIG. 8) is compressed in the thickness direction (the axial direction in which the axis of the winding portion 51 extends). That is, the tip portion 53a of the second arm portion 53 is engaged with the spring connecting portion 34, so that the region 51c of the winding portion 51 is compressed, the axial length of the region 51d on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the winding portion 51 (the right side in FIG. 8) is expanded, and the winding portion 51 is more pressed against the spring retaining piece 16. In this embodiment, the region 51c on the opposite side of the winding portion 51 from the spring retaining piece 16 is a region on the inner side in the width direction of the first rotation axis O1, and the region 51d on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the winding portion 51 is a region on the outer side in the width direction of the second rotation axis O1. In addition, the winding portion 51 is arranged around the fork shaft 21 at an incline such that the axial upper end 51b falls toward the spring retaining piece 16 in the width direction due to the reaction force from the second arm portion 53.

As shown in FIG. 8, the torsion spring 50 is disposed so as to surround the fork shaft 21 on one widthwise side of the groove 11a of the base 10. The radius D5 of the winding diameter of the winding portion 51 is set to be larger than the radius D6 of the fork shaft 21, and the winding portion 51 is inserted into the fork shaft 21.

As shown in FIG. 8, the radius D5 of the winding portion 51 is set to be larger than the dimension D7 from the center of the first insertion hole 41a of the set plate 40 (the first rotation axis O1 of the fork 20) to the end face 41c of the set plate 40 on the spring retaining piece 16 side (the first side wall portion 12 side).

As shown in FIG. 8, the region 51d on the first side wall 12 side of the lower end portion 51a (base end portion contacting the set plate 40) on the base 10 side in the axial direction of the winding portion 51 is located outside the end face 41c on the spring retaining piece 16 side (first side wall 12 side) of the set plate 40. Therefore, the base end portion 51a of the winding portion 51 is located closer to the base 10 side (lower side in FIG. 8) than the contact surface 41b of the set plate 40, and the inner periphery of the winding portion 51 is pressed against the end face 41c on the first side wall 12 side of the set plate 40.

As shown in Figures 3 and 8, even if the radial position of the winding portion 51 shifts outward in the width direction, the portion of the winding portion 51 on the first side wall portion 12 side fits into the opening 17 of the first side wall portion 12, thereby preventing the winding portion 51 from coming off the fork shaft 21. In addition, by providing the opening 17, the engagement margin between the spring retaining piece 16 and the winding portion 51 can be made wider, that is, the width direction length of the spring retaining piece 16 can be increased, thereby further preventing the winding portion 51 from coming off the fork shaft 21.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the safety hook 60 has a generally V-shape with an operating portion 62 at one end and a hook 63 at the other end. The middle of the safety hook 60 is rotatably attached to a hook shaft 61 provided on the base 10 on the rear side of the base 10. The safety hook 60 is elastically biased in the clockwise direction X1 by, for example, a tension coil spring 64, and is held so that the hook 63 abuts against the stopper 11e to close the opening of the groove portion 11a of the base 10.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the bonnet is closed, the claw portion 33 of the claw lever 30 engages with the recess 23, so that the fork 20 is held in a position where the notch 22 engages with the striker 2 and intersects with the groove 11a. From the locked state, for example, when the unlock lever (not shown) is operated to pull the wire to the left, the claw lever 30 rotates in the clockwise direction X1 around the claw shaft 31 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 50.

The claw portion 33 of the claw lever 30 disengages from the recessed portion 23 of the fork 20, and the biasing force of the torsion spring 50 causes the fork 20 to rotate in the clockwise direction X1 around the fork shaft 21. The rotation of the fork 20 presses the striker 2 in a direction (upward) in which it disengages from the groove portion 11a, pushing up the bonnet.

When the fork 20 rotates by its rotation stroke and the engagement between the notch 22 of the fork 20 and the striker 2 is released, the striker 2 moves upward. As a result, the bonnet is pushed up further. The fork 20 is elastically biased in the clockwise direction X1 by the torsion spring 50, so that the entrance of the groove 11a is kept open.

When a hand is inserted through the gap between the lifted-up bonnet and the vehicle body and the operating part 62 of the safety hook 60 is pulled upward, the safety hook 60 rotates in the counterclockwise direction X2 and its hook 63 moves to the left, releasing the groove 11a. This allows the striker 2 to disengage from the groove 11a, so that the bonnet can be opened by lifting the tip of the bonnet that is integrated with the striker 2. When the hand is released from the operating part 62 of the safety hook 60, the biasing force of the tension coil spring 64 causes the safety hook 60 to rotate in the clockwise direction X1, returning the hook 63 to its position of closing the groove 11a.

When the tip of the bonnet is pushed down to close it, the striker 2 collides with the inclined tip of the hook 63 of the safety hook 60, causing the safety hook 60 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction X2 against the biasing force of the tension coil spring 64 and enter the open groove 11a. The striker 2 then collides with the notch 22 of the fork 20, causing the fork 20 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction X2 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 50, and engages with the notch 22, causing the fork 20 to further rotate in the counterclockwise direction X2.

When the claw portion 33 of the claw lever 30 slides against the end face of the fork 20 and engages with the recess 23 due to the rotation of the fork 20, the notch portion 22 of the fork 20 intersects with the groove portion 11a, and the striker 2 is trapped in the space surrounded by the notch portion 22 and the groove portion 11a and is in a locked state. At this time, the safety hook 60 rotates in the clockwise direction X1 due to the biasing force of the tension coil spring 64, and the opening at the upper end of the groove portion 11a is closed by the hook 63.

The vehicle latch device 1 according to the above embodiment provides the following advantages:

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the spring retaining piece 16 is provided on a part of the base 10, more specifically, on the first side wall portion 12, so the torsion spring 50 can be retained on the base 10 while suppressing the increase in weight compared to when a flange portion is provided on the fork shaft 21 or a peripheral wall portion is provided on the set plate 40.

As shown in FIG. 8, the torsion spring 50 is held between the spring retaining piece 16 and the set plate 40 with the region 51c of the winding portion 51 opposite the spring retaining piece 16 in a compressed state, so that the winding portion 51 of the torsion spring 50 is elastically pressed against the set plate 40 and the spring retaining piece 16. This prevents the torsion spring 50 from slipping out in the axial direction and moving in the radial direction, making it easier to prevent the torsion spring 50 from falling off the base 10 compared to when the region 51c of the winding portion 51 of the torsion spring 50 opposite the spring retaining piece 16 is held by the spring retaining piece 16 in an uncompressed state.

The torsion spring 50 is arranged so that the winding portion 51 surrounds the fork shaft 21, so that the radial position of the torsion spring 50 can be more reliably regulated, and the torsion spring 50 is prevented from coming off the base 10.

The torsion spring 50 biases the claw lever 30 in the direction of engaging with the fork 20, so the weight of the vehicle latch device 1 can be prevented from increasing compared to when a separate biasing member is provided to bias the claw lever 30.

The torsion spring 50 has a second arm 53 that extends from the wound portion 51 to the opposite side of the spring retaining piece 16 (the left side in FIG. 7) and engages with the claw lever 30, so that the torsion spring 50 is held to the base 10 by the claw lever 30 in addition to the spring retaining piece 16. This makes it possible to prevent the wound portion 51 from shifting radially so as to come off the spring retaining piece 16.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second arm 53 is pulled out from the axial upper end 51b side of the wound portion 51, so that when the torsion spring 50 is assembled to the base 10, the side of the wound portion 51 opposite the spring retaining piece 16 (the left side in FIG. 5) is compressed in the axial direction. This increases the axial length of the wound portion 51 on the spring retaining piece 16 side (the first side wall portion 12 side, i.e., the right side in FIG. 5). As a result, the wound portion 51 is more easily pressed against the spring retaining piece 16, and the torsion spring 50 is prevented from coming off the base 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, the radius D5 of the wound portion 51 of the torsion spring 50 is set to be larger than the dimension D7 from the center O1 of the first through hole 41a of the set plate 40 to the end face 41c on the spring retaining piece 16 side (first side wall portion 12 side) of the set plate 40. More specifically, the radius D5 is set to be larger than the dimension D7 from the center O1 of the first through hole 41a to the end face 41c on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the set plate 40.

As a result, in the assembled state, the region 51d on the spring retaining piece 16 side (the first side wall portion 12 side, i.e., the right side in FIG. 5) of the base end portion 51a of the winding portion 51 that contacts the set plate 40 is located outside the end face 41c on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the set plate 40. Therefore, the region 51d on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the winding portion 51 extends further toward the base 10 than the contact face 41b of the set plate 40 and engages with the edge of the end face 41c on the spring retaining piece 16 side of the set plate 40. As a result, the radial and axial positions of the torsion spring 50 are restricted, and the axial length of the fork shaft 21 for restricting the position of the torsion spring 50 can be shortened, and the vehicle latch device 1 can be made lighter.

If the radius D5 is smaller than the dimension D7 from the center O1 of the first insertion hole 41a to the end face 41c of the set plate 40 on the spring retaining piece 16 side, the winding portion 51 is positioned on the contact surface 41b of the set plate, making it difficult to regulate the radial position of the winding portion 51.

As shown in FIG. 8, the spring retaining piece 16 is formed flush with the first mounting piece 14, so when the first mounting piece 14 is bent and formed relative to the storage section S of the base 10, the spring retaining piece 16 can be formed at the same time, reducing the number of processing steps and thereby reducing costs.

In this embodiment, the spring retaining piece 16 is formed by cutting and raising the first side wall portion 12 of the base 10, but this is not limited to the configuration. For example, the spring retaining piece 16 may be formed by cutting and raising a part of the base main body portion 11 of the base 10, or a rib that is provided continuously on the side wall portion.

In this embodiment, the torsion spring 50 is assembled in a state in which the region 51c of the wound portion 51 opposite the spring retaining piece 16 is compressed, and the wound portion 51 on the opposite side to the spring retaining piece 16 (left side in FIG. 5) is compressed in the axial direction, causing the wound portion 51 on the spring retaining piece 16 side (right side in FIG. 5) to expand and be pressed against it. However, this is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the wound portion 51 is held between the spring retaining piece 16 and the base 10 (in this embodiment, the set plate 40).

In this embodiment, the configuration in which the winding portion 51 is held between the end surface 41c of the set plate 40 on the first side wall portion 12 side and the spring retaining piece 16 has been described, but this is not limited thereto, and the winding portion 51 may be held between the contact surface 41b of the set plate 40 and the spring retaining piece 16, or may be held between the front surface of the fork 20 and the spring retaining piece 16 without providing a set plate 40.

In this embodiment, the axial length of the fork shaft 21 extends to the thickness direction position of the spring retaining piece 16, but this is not limited thereto. In a configuration in which the winding portion 51 is held between the end face 41c on the first side wall portion 12 side of the set plate 40 and the spring retaining piece 16, the radial position can be regulated, so the axial length of the fork shaft 21 may be shorter. For example, the axial length of the fork shaft 21 may be a length that does not reach the bottom surface (lower surface in FIG. 8) of the spring retaining piece 16 in the thickness direction, and the claw shaft 31 may be used.

In this embodiment, the torsion spring 50 applies an elastic biasing force to both the fork 20 and the claw lever 30, but this is not limited to the above, and biasing members for biasing the fork 20 and the claw lever 30 may be provided separately.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

1 vehicle latch device 2 striker 10 base 11a groove portion 14 first attachment piece (attachment piece)
16 Spring holding piece 20 Fork 21 Fork shaft 30 Claw lever 31 Claw shaft 40 Set plate 41a First insertion hole (insertion hole)
41c End surface 50 Torsion spring 51 Winding portion 53 Second arm portion D5 Radius D7 Dimension S Storage portion

Claims (8)

A base having a groove into which the striker enters;
a fork rotatably attached to a fork shaft provided on the base and engageable with the striker;
a claw lever rotatably attached to the base and engaging with the fork to maintain an engaged state between the fork and the striker;
a torsion spring that biases the fork in a direction in which the striker is released,
The base is a vehicle latch device having a spring retaining piece provided at a part of the base and holding an upper end of the winding portion of the torsion spring opposite the base in the axial direction. The vehicle latch device according to claim 1, wherein the torsion spring is held by the spring retaining piece in a state where the side of the winding portion opposite the spring retaining piece is compressed in the axial direction. The vehicle latch device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the torsion spring is arranged so that the wound portion surrounds the fork shaft. The vehicle latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the torsion spring biases the claw lever in a direction to engage with the fork. The vehicle latch device according to claim 4, wherein the torsion spring is pulled out from the upper end side of the axial direction of the winding portion, extends on the opposite side to the spring retaining piece, and has an arm portion that engages with the claw lever. A set plate is provided which is fixed to the base in a state in which the fork and the claw lever are sandwiched between the set plate and the base,
The set plate is provided with an insertion hole for inserting the rotation shaft of the fork,
6. A vehicle latch device according to claim 1, wherein a radius of the wound portion of the torsion spring is set to be larger than a dimension from a center of the insertion hole to an end face of the spring retaining side of the set plate. The vehicle latch device according to claim 6, wherein the radius of the wound portion of the torsion spring is set to be larger than the dimension from the center of the insertion hole to the end face of the spring retaining side of the set plate. The base includes a storage section formed in a concave shape to store the fork, and an attachment piece protruding laterally from an opening edge of the storage section,
The vehicle latch device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the spring retaining piece is integrally formed with the mounting piece.

Images