JP7736250B2 - Vehicle door lock device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle door lock device with anti-theft measures.

Vehicle door lock devices have long been equipped with anti-theft measures to prevent the doors from being opened by unauthorized means. One known method of unauthorized deactivation involves forcibly inserting a metal tool, such as a flathead screwdriver, into the gap between the outer door panel and the window glass, and then striking the tip of the tool against the top surface of the housing of the vehicle door lock device, destroying it and operating the locking mechanism inside the housing, thereby allowing the door to be opened unauthorizedly.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle door lock device that prevents the above-mentioned fraudulent activities by providing a synthetic resin protective cover to protect the upper surface of a synthetic resin housing that houses a locking mechanism that can be switched between an unlocked state and a locked state. The upper cover portion of the protective cover is shaped to include an apex that protrudes above the vehicle from the upper surface of the housing and an inclined surface that extends at an angle from the apex, and the top is convex in shape so that the vertical thickness of the apex exceeds the vertical thickness of the inclined surface. This prevents the tampering tool from remaining in a specific position on the upper cover portion, even if a metal tampering tool such as a flathead screwdriver is inserted through the gap between the outer panel of the door and the window glass and the force of the tampering tool acts on the upper cover portion of the protective cover. This makes the protective cover less susceptible to damage and improves theft prevention capabilities.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a vehicle door lock device that, in order to prevent the above-mentioned fraudulent activities, provides a metal protector on the top surface of a synthetic resin housing (which in Patent Document 2 is composed of a casing and a cover) that houses a locking mechanism that can be switched between an unlocked state and a locked state. The protector covers and protects the entire top surface of the housing, making the top surface of the housing less susceptible to damage even if a metal tampering tool is inserted through the gap between the outer panel of the door and the window glass, thereby improving theft prevention.

Patent No. 6250975 Patent No. 6361042

However, while the vehicle door lock device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a protective cover that provides some degree of deterrence against attacks from tampering tools, if a tampering tool is pushed in with great force while in contact with the protective cover, the synthetic resin protective cover has a limited strength to withstand the pushing force of the tampering tool, making it insufficient for more reliable anti-theft measures.

In addition, the vehicle door lock device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a metal protector that covers and protects the entire top surface of the housing, making it more resistant to attacks by tampering tools than protectors made of synthetic resin. However, because the protector's top surface is flat, if a metal tampering tool inserted through the gap between the door's outer panel and the window glass comes into contact with the top surface of the protective cover, the tip of the tampering tool will remain on the top surface of the protector, which could cause deformation of the protector's top surface, making it insufficient for more reliable anti-theft measures.

In light of the above-mentioned issues, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle door lock device that improves theft prevention by making it difficult for tampering tools to destroy the upper part of the housing.

According to the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows.
The vehicle door lock device comprises: an engaging unit including an engaging mechanism that holds the door in a closed position by engaging with a striker on the vehicle body side; a housing that houses a locking mechanism that can be switched between an unlocked state that allows the engaging mechanism to be released from the engagement state between the engaging mechanism and the striker, and a locked state that prevents the engagement from being released; and a metal anti-theft cover that covers the upper surface of the housing, wherein the anti-theft cover has inclined surfaces that slope downward from the rear end to the front end and from the top end toward the exterior of the vehicle, and has an anti-theft upper covering portion that does not have a flat surface in the horizontal direction.

A vehicle door lock device comprising: an engagement unit including an engagement mechanism that holds the door in a closed position by engaging with a striker on the vehicle body; a housing that houses a locking mechanism that can be switched between an unlocked state in which the engagement between the engagement mechanism and the striker can be released, and a locked state in which the engagement cannot be released; a metal protective cover having an upper covering portion that covers the top surface of the housing; and a metal anti-theft cover that covers the upper covering portion of the protective cover and has a thickness greater than that of the protective cover, wherein the anti-theft cover has an inclined surface that slopes downward from the rear end to the front end and from the top end toward the exterior of the vehicle, and has no horizontally flat surface.

Preferably, a gap is provided between the upper covering portion of the protective cover and the upper anti-theft covering portion of the anti-theft cover.

Preferably, the side end surface of the anti-theft covering portion of the anti-theft cover is adjacent to the inner panel of the door.

According to this invention, a metal anti-theft cover is provided on top of the housing that houses the locking mechanism. The cover has slopes that slope downward from the rear end of the door to the front end and from the top end toward the outside of the vehicle, and does not have any horizontally flat surfaces. Therefore, even if the tip of a tampering tool is brought into contact with the top surface of the anti-theft cover with great force, the tampering tool slides over the top surface of the anti-theft cover and is guided in the downward direction, minimizing deformation of the anti-theft cover. As a result, the top of the housing is not damaged, improving anti-theft performance.

1 is a rear perspective view of a vehicle door lock device according to the present invention, viewed obliquely from the vehicle exterior side. 1 is a front perspective view of a vehicle door lock device as seen obliquely from the vehicle exterior side; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle door lock device as viewed obliquely from the front outside of the vehicle; 2 is a side view of the upper half of the vehicle door lock device as seen from outside the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a side view of the upper half of the vehicle door lock device as seen from the vehicle interior side. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle door lock device. 2 is a front view of the upper half of the vehicle door lock device as seen from the front. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 4. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 4.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and also includes appropriate modifications of the embodiment that would be obvious to a person skilled in the art.

The vehicle door lock device 1 is attached to the inside rear end of the front door D (hereinafter referred to as the door) of an automobile and comprises an engagement unit 2 having an engagement mechanism for holding the door in a closed position, and an operation unit 3 assembled to the engagement unit 2. By connecting to a door handle (not shown) for opening the door, which is located inside or outside the vehicle, the engagement mechanism is released based on the operation of the door handle, allowing the closed door to be opened.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the engagement unit 2 has a synthetic resin body 4 that is fixed inside the door. This body 4 houses an engagement mechanism including a latch 5 that can engage with a striker on the vehicle body (not shown), and a ratchet 6 that can engage with the latch 5. When the door is closed, the latch 5 rotates and engages with the striker, and the ratchet 6 rotates and engages with the latch 5, thereby holding the door in the closed position.

The operation unit 3 is attached to the front of the body 4 and has a synthetic resin housing 7 that is roughly L-shaped in plan view as shown in Figure 6. A parts storage section 72 (described below) in the housing 7 contains a lock lever 8 and other levers that constitute a locking mechanism that can be switched between locked and unlocked states by operating a key cylinder (not shown) for locking and unlocking operations located on the exterior side of the door, and by power from a motor (not shown). When the lock lever 8 is in the unlocked state, the door handle can be operated to open the door, allowing it to be opened. When the lock lever 8 is in the locked state, the door handle cannot be operated to open the door, preventing it from being opened.

The housing 7 has a body cover 71 that covers the front side of the body 4, and a parts storage section 72 that is connected to the body cover 71 and is perpendicular to the body cover 71 in a plan view. The parts storage section 72 is positioned so that the side facing the interior of the vehicle faces the door inner panel D. A roughly cylindrical key cylinder connecting section 73 that protrudes toward the exterior of the vehicle is provided at the rear and top of the parts storage section 72. The side of the parts storage section 72 facing the inner panel D is closed by a synthetic resin cover 7A (see Figures 8-10) that forms part of the housing 7.

A waterproof cover 9 made of synthetic resin is provided above the component storage section 72 in the housing 7 to prevent rainwater and other water from entering the housing 7. A metal protective cover 10 is provided on the top surface of the waterproof cover 9. Furthermore, a metal anti-theft cover 11 is provided on the top surface of the protective cover 10.

The waterproof cover 9 covers the entire upper area of the component storage section 72 in the housing 7 and is attached so as to sandwich it from both the inside and outside of the vehicle, preventing rainwater from entering the component storage section 72 through the joint 72a at the top of the component storage section 72 (the joint between the component storage section 72 and the cover 7A (see Figures 8-10)).

The protective cover 10 is made of a metal plate approximately 0.5 mm thick. The protective cover 10 is integrally formed with an upper covering portion 101 that covers the entire top surface of the component storage portion 72 of the housing 7 via the waterproof cover 9; a front covering portion 102 that covers the upper half of the front surface of the component storage portion 72 of the housing 7 via the waterproof cover 9; an outer covering portion 103 that covers the upper half of the exterior side of the component storage portion 72 of the housing 7 via the waterproof cover 9; an inner covering portion 104 that covers the upper part of the interior side of the component storage portion 72 via the waterproof cover 9; and a key cylinder connecting covering portion 105 that is connected to the rear end of the upper covering portion 101 and covers the key cylinder connecting portion 73 of the housing 7 from above. The protective cover 10 is fixed to the top of the component storage portion 72 of the housing 7 with screws 12 and 13.

The upper covering portion 101 of the protective cover 10 forms a first inclined surface 101a at the top, a second inclined surface 101b continuing from the front end of the first inclined surface 101a, a third inclined surface 101c continuing from the vehicle exterior side of the first inclined surface 101a, a fourth inclined surface 101d continuing from the front end of the key cylinder connecting covering portion 105 and the third inclined surface 101c, and a fifth inclined surface 101e continuing from the vehicle exterior side of the fourth inclined surface 101d; and does not form a flat surface facing horizontally.

The first inclined surface 101a forms the top surface of the upper covering portion 101, and slopes downward toward the front from the rear end connected to the key cylinder connecting covering portion 105. It has a triangular shape in plan view, with its width in the vehicle interior and exterior directions gradually increasing toward the front.

The second inclined surface 101b slopes downward from its rear end, which connects to the front end of the first inclined surface 101a, at a steeper slope than the downward slope of the first inclined surface, and its front end connects to the upper end of the front covering portion 102.

The third inclined surface 101c slopes downward toward the front from its rear end, which connects to the key cylinder connecting cover 105, and slopes downward from its upper end, which connects to the first inclined surface 101a, toward the exterior of the vehicle, with its lower end connecting to the upper end of the outer cover 103.

The fourth inclined surface 101d slopes downward toward the front, starting from the rear end that connects to the front end of the key cylinder connecting cover portion 105.

The fifth inclined surface 101e slopes downward from the point where it connects to the fourth inclined surface 101d toward the exterior of the vehicle, and its lower end connects to the upper end of the outer sheath portion 103.

The front covering portion 102 covers the forward-facing surface of the waterproof cover 9, thereby protecting the upper half of the front surface of the housing 7 from being attacked and destroyed by tampering tools.

The outer covering portion 103 covers the surface of the waterproof cover 9 facing the exterior of the vehicle, thereby protecting the upper half of the housing 7 from being attacked and destroyed by tampering tools.

The anti-theft cover 11 is formed from a metal plate approximately 2 mm thick, which is thicker than the protective cover 10. It is fixed to the housing 7 via the protective cover 10 so as to cover the entire upper covering portion 101 of the protective cover 10 and the upper part of the outer covering portion 103. Preferably, the anti-theft cover 11 is fixed to the protective cover 10 by welding. The anti-theft cover 11 is integrally formed with an anti-theft upper covering portion 111 that covers the upper covering portion 101 of the protective cover 10, and an anti-theft outer covering portion 112 that covers the upper part of the outer covering portion 103 of the protective cover 10.

The upper anti-theft covering portion 111 of the anti-theft cover 11 has a shape substantially similar to that of the upper covering portion 101 of the protective cover 10, and has a first anti-theft slope 111a at the top, a second anti-theft slope 111b that connects to the front end of the first anti-theft slope 111a, a third anti-theft slope 111c that connects to the outside of the first anti-theft slope 111a, a fourth anti-theft slope 111d that connects to the rear end of the third anti-theft slope 111c, and a fifth anti-theft slope 111e that connects to the outside of the fourth anti-theft slope 111d, and does not have any horizontally flat surfaces.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, the anti-theft cover 11 in this embodiment is attached to the top of the housing 7 via the protective cover 10 so that the side end surface 111f of the anti-theft upper covering portion 111 facing the interior of the vehicle is close to the inner panel D of the door. This prevents the top of the housing 7 from being attacked by tampering tools inserted from inside the vehicle, further improving theft prevention capabilities.

The first anti-theft slope 111a overlaps the first slope 101a of the protective cover 10, forming the uppermost surface of the anti-theft covering portion 111. It slopes downward toward the front from the rear end of the protective cover 10 adjacent to the key cylinder connecting covering portion 105, forming a triangular shape whose width in the vehicle interior/exterior directions gradually increases toward the front in a plan view, as shown in Figure 6.

The second anti-theft slope 111b overlaps the second slope 101b of the protective cover 10 and slopes downward from its rear end, which connects to the front end of the first anti-theft slope 111a, toward the front at a steeper gradient than the downward gradient of the first anti-theft slope 111a.

The third anti-theft slope 111c overlaps the third slope 101c of the protective cover 10 and slopes downward toward the front from the rear end of the anti-theft cover 11. It also slopes downward from its upper end, which connects to the first anti-theft slope 111a, toward the exterior of the vehicle, and its lower end connects to the upper end of the outer anti-theft coating 112. Note that, as shown in Figure 9, a gap G1 is normally provided between the third slope 101c of the protective cover 10 and the third anti-theft slope 111c of the anti-theft cover 11.

The fourth inclined surface 111d overlaps the fourth inclined surface 101d of the protective cover 10 and slopes downward toward the front from the rear end of the anti-theft cover 11. Note that, as shown in Figure 8, a gap G2 is normally provided between the fourth inclined surface 101d of the protective cover 10 and the fourth inclined surface 111d of the anti-theft cover 11.

The fifth anti-theft slope 111e overlaps the fifth slope 101e of the protective cover 10 and slopes downward from the point where it connects to the fourth anti-theft slope 111d toward the outside of the vehicle, with its lower end connecting to the upper end of the outer anti-theft coating part 112.

Next, we will explain the effect of the anti-theft cover 11 in the event that a metal tampering tool is tampered with and inserted into the door through the gap between the outer door panel and the window glass.

When a tampering tool is inserted into the door, the tip of the tampering tool comes into contact with the upper anti-theft covering portion 111 of the metal anti-theft cover 11 located at the top of the component storage portion 72 of the vehicle door lock device 1, i.e., one of the inclined surfaces, the first anti-theft inclined surface 111a to the fifth anti-theft inclined surface 111e.

For example, as shown in Figure 4, when the tip of tampering tool A abuts against the first anti-theft slope 111a from directly above, the tip of tampering tool A slides downward in the direction of arrow x1 and ultimately slides down the fifth anti-theft slope 111e and is guided to the front of the component storage section 72. Furthermore, when the tip of tampering tool A abuts against the fourth anti-theft slope 111d from directly above, the tip of tampering tool A slides downward in the direction x2 and is ultimately guided into the anti-theft outer coating 112 on the outside of the vehicle.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the tip of tampering tool A abuts against the third anti-theft slope 111c from directly above, the tip of tampering tool A slides downward in the direction of arrow x3 and is ultimately guided toward the anti-theft outer coating 112 on the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the tip of tampering tool A abuts against the fifth anti-theft slope 111e from directly above, the tip slides downward in the direction of arrow x4 and is ultimately guided toward the anti-theft outer coating 112 on the outside of the vehicle.

As described above, even if tampering tool A is tampered with and inserted into the door, the metal anti-theft cover 11 not only receives the insertion of tampering tool A but also guides the tip of tampering tool A forward of the component storage section 72 in the housing 7 or toward the outside of the vehicle so that the tip of tampering tool A does not remain in the inserted position. This means that the cover is not easily deformed by the attacking force of tampering tool A. This prevents the upper part of the component storage section 72 in the housing 7 from being destroyed and the locking mechanism from being tampered with, improving theft prevention.

Furthermore, in the vehicle door lock device 1 of the above embodiment, the upper part of the housing 7 is doubly covered with a metal protective cover 10 and a metal anti-theft cover 11, thereby significantly improving anti-theft performance. Furthermore, by providing a gap between the upper covering portion 102 of the protective cover 10 and the upper anti-theft covering portion 111 of the anti-theft cover 11, even if the upper anti-theft covering portion 111 of the anti-theft cover 11 is deformed by tampering tool A, the deformation is not directly transmitted to the upper covering portion 101 of the protective cover 10. This means that the device can withstand the attack force of tampering tool A, thereby further improving anti-theft performance.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but various modifications and changes can be made to this embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention, as follows:

(a) The waterproof cover 9 and the protective cover 10 are omitted.
(b) The end of the upper anti-theft covering part 111 of the anti-theft cover 11 on the vehicle interior side is extended downward, and the protective cover 10 is fitted between the extended part and the outer anti-theft covering part 112. If the protective cover 10 is omitted, the upper part of the waterproof cover 9 is fitted in.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle door lock device 2 Interlocking unit 3 Operation unit 4 Body 5 Latch 6 Ratchet 7 Housing 71 Body cover portion 72 Parts storage portion 72a Joint portion 73 Key cylinder connecting portion 7A Cover 8 Lock lever (lock mechanism) 9 Waterproof cover 10 Protective cover 101 Upper covering portion 101a First inclined surface 101b Second inclined surface 101c Third inclined surface 101d Fourth inclined surface 101e Fifth inclined surface 102 Front covering portion 103 Outer covering portion 104 Inner covering portion 105 Key cylinder connecting covering portion 11 Anti-theft cover 111 Anti-theft upper covering portion 111a First anti-theft inclined surface 111b Second anti-theft inclined surface 111c Third anti-theft inclined surface 111d Fourth anti-theft inclined surface 111e Fifth anti-theft inclined surface 111f Side end surface 112 Anti-theft outer coating 12, 13 Screw A Tamper-evident tool

Claims (3)

an engagement unit including an engagement mechanism that holds the door in a closed position by engaging with a striker on the vehicle body side;
a housing that accommodates a locking mechanism that is switchable between an unlocked state that allows the engagement state between the meshing mechanism and the striker to be released and a locked state that prevents the engagement state from being released;
a metal protective cover having an upper covering portion that covers the upper surface of the housing;
a metal anti-theft cover that covers the upper covering portion of the protective cover and has a plate thickness greater than that of the protective cover;
The vehicle door lock device is characterized in that the anti-theft cover has an inclined surface that slopes downward from the rear end to the front end and from the top end of the door toward the outside of the vehicle, and has an anti-theft upper covering portion that does not have a horizontal flat surface. 2. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1 , wherein a gap is provided between the upper covering portion of the protective cover and the upper anti-theft covering portion of the anti-theft cover. 3. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-theft cover has a side end surface attached to the upper part of the housing via the protective cover so as to be adjacent to an inner panel of the door.