JP7773404B2 - Vehicle door lock device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle door lock device.

A vehicle door lock device is provided on a vehicle door. The vehicle door lock device comprises a handle mechanism including an outer handle, and a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism comprises a fork that engages and disengages with a striker on the vehicle body, and a claw lever. The latch mechanism can be switched from a latched state to an unlatched state by the occupant operating the outer handle. In the latched state, the claw lever holds the fork in a position where it is engaged with the striker. In the unlatched state, the claw lever releases the fork's hold, and the fork disengages from the striker. Unlatching allows the door to be opened.

Patent Document 1 states that in the event of a collision, the inertia acting on the vehicle can cause the outer handle to move in the same way as when operated by a passenger, that is, move outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the door. This movement can cause the latch to be released.

The vehicle door lock device described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a stopper member that prevents the movement of the rod that transmits the movement of the outer handle to the latch mechanism when inertia acts on the vehicle during a collision. This stopper member is intended to prevent the latch from being released due to movement of the outer handle caused by inertia during a collision.

JP 2009-243102 A

During a collision, particularly a side collision, the door is deformed by the collision load. The vehicle door lock device described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of preventing the latch from being released due to such door deformation.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle door lock device that can prevent the latch from being released due to door deformation caused by collision load input.

One aspect of the present invention is a handle mechanism including a handle base arranged inside an outer panel of a vehicle door and an outer handle movably held by the handle base; a latch mechanism including a lever for releasing the latch; a rod having a connection part connected to an upper part of the handle base at one end and an engagement part engageable with the lever at the other end, the rod transmitting the operation of the outer handle to the lever; and an opposing part opposing a first direction, which is a direction in which the outer panel and an inner panel of the door face each other, relative to the handle base, and the rod extends from the connection part toward the opposing part in the first direction. a second portion extending from the first portion in a second direction intersecting the first direction and along the opposing portion , the second portion being capable of contacting the opposing portion when the outer panel is deformed in the first direction toward the inner panel; and a third portion extending downward from the second portion and connected to the engagement portion, the third portion of the rod being rotatable around the axis of the connection portion, the third portion of the rod extending at an angle toward a lower portion of the handle base and comprising an inclined portion capable of contacting the handle base when the outer panel is deformed in the first direction toward the inner panel .

During a collision, particularly a side collision, the outer panel of the door is deformed by the impact of the collision load. Depending on the door design, which is long in the vehicle longitudinal direction, or the vehicle weight, the impact of the collision load may cause the outer panel to deform so that the upper part of the handle base approaches the inner panel and rotates downward. When the outer panel begins to deform due to the impact of the collision load, the second part of the rod quickly contacts the opposing part, and the first part of the rod bears the impact of the collision load. In addition, the lower end of the inclined part of the rod, or a part connected to the lower end of the inclined part, quickly contacts the lower part of the handle base, and the inclined part of the rod bears the impact of the collision load. In other words, the inclined parts of the first and third parts of the rod are sandwiched between the handle base and the opposing part, restricting the relative displacement of the handle base with respect to the opposing part. This restriction on displacement prevents the upper part of the handle base from rotating downward while approaching the inner panel, which would cause the rod to move downward and displace the lever. As a result, it is possible to prevent the latch from being released due to deformation of the outer panel caused by the input of a collision load.

When assembling a vehicle door lock device, the handle base with the rod attached is attached to the outer panel, and then the latch mechanism is attached. At this time, because the rod's engagement portion is not engaged with the latch mechanism lever and can rotate under its own weight, the rod's engagement portion may slip below the handle base, making it difficult to engage the rod's engagement portion with the latch mechanism lever. In contrast, when the rod's engagement portion is not engaged with the latch mechanism lever, as the rod rotates under its own weight relative to the handle base, the lower end of the rod's inclined portion, or the portion connected to the lower end of the inclined portion, abuts the lower part of the handle base. This prevents the rod's engagement portion from slipping below the handle base due to rotation under the rod's own weight. Therefore, when the handle base including the rod is attached to the narrow door space between the outer panel and inner panel and then the latch mechanism is subsequently installed, the rod's engagement portion and the latch mechanism lever can be easily assembled.

The inclined portion of the rod may protrude further toward the handle base than the engagement portion.

Compared to when the inclined portion of the rod is located closer to the opposing portion than the engaging portion, this configuration ensures that when the rod rotates and the lower end of the inclined portion or the portion connected to the lower end of the inclined portion abuts the handle base during assembly of the vehicle door lock device, the engaging portion of the rod is located closer to the opposing portion. This ensures ease of assembly of the rod and the open lever of the latch mechanism.

The lower end of the inclined portion may face the inner end of the lower part of the handle base that is closest to the facing portion.

With this configuration, when assembling the vehicle door lock device, when the rod rotates and the lower end of the inclined portion or the portion connected to the lower end of the inclined portion abuts against the handle base, the engaging portion of the rod is positioned near the inner end of the handle base. This ensures ease of assembly of the rod and the open lever of the latch mechanism.

The inner end of the handle base may have a recess recessed in a direction away from the latch mechanism, and the third portion of the rod may have a descending portion connected to the inclined portion via a bent portion and extending in a direction away from the handle base, with the bent portion facing the recess in the handle base.

With this configuration, when the outer panel begins to deform due to the input of a collision load, the bent portion fits into the recess in the handle base, preventing the rod from moving downward. This prevents the latch from being released due to deformation of the outer panel caused by the input of a collision load. Furthermore, when assembling the vehicle door lock device, if the rod rotates due to its own weight, the bent portion fits into the recess in the handle base. This prevents the rod from rotating relative to the handle base, ensuring ease of assembly of the rod and the open lever of the latch mechanism.

There is a gap between the second part and the opposing part.

This configuration ensures the rod performs the required operation under normal conditions.

The first portion of the rod may extend in a direction perpendicular to the opposing portion.

This configuration allows the first portion of the rod to reliably support the collision load when the outer panel begins to deform due to the collision load. As a result, the upper part of the handle base can be more reliably prevented from rotating downward while approaching the inner panel.

The second portion of the rod may extend in a direction parallel to the opposing portion.

This configuration ensures that the opposing portion can reliably absorb the collision load acting through the first portion of the rod when the outer panel begins to deform due to the collision load. As a result, the upper portion of the handle base can be more reliably prevented from rotating downward while approaching the inner panel.

The first direction may be the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, the second direction may be the vehicle length direction of the vehicle, the second portion of the rod may extend toward the rear in the vehicle length direction, and the third portion of the rod may be connected to the rear end of the second portion in the vehicle length direction.

With this configuration, the majority of the rod is located rearward in the vehicle length direction of the door, ensuring ease of assembly of the vehicle door lock device.

The latch mechanism may include a base portion disposed inside the inner panel and a protruding portion protruding in the vehicle width direction from a rear portion of the base portion in the vehicle length direction toward the outer panel, the base portion including the opposing portion, and the second portion of the rod may be located closer to the base portion than the tip of the protruding portion.

With this configuration, the base part of the latch mechanism also serves as the opposing part, minimizing the number of parts required.

The vehicle door lock device of the present invention can prevent the latch from being released due to door deformation caused by collision load input.

1 is a view of a side door of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle door lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a side door of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle door lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 . A view of the steering mechanism and rod from the inside of the vehicle width direction. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle door lock device. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle door lock device. 2 is a view of the vehicle door lock device as seen from above in the vehicle height direction. FIG. 1 is a view of a vehicle door lock device as seen from the front side in the vehicle length direction. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing a state in which the vehicle door lock device is being assembled;

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction indicate the vehicle length direction, vehicle width direction, and vehicle height direction, respectively.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a vehicle door lock device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with a vehicle door 2, constitutes a door structure 3. In this embodiment, the door 2 is a rear side door. The present invention can also be applied to vehicle doors other than rear side doors.

The door 2 comprises an outer panel 4, an inner panel 5, and an end panel 6. The outer panel 4 and the inner panel 5 face each other in the vehicle width direction (first direction). The outer panel 4, the inner panel 5, and the end panel 6 of the door 2 define a closed space 7 (see also Figures 3 and 4). In the following description, the terms "inside" and "outside" may be used to refer to the surfaces of the outer panel 4, the inner panel 5, and the end panel 6 that face the closed space 7, and "outside" to refer to the surfaces opposite the closed space 7.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the vehicle door lock device 1 includes a handle mechanism 10, a latch mechanism 20, and a rod 30, and is located on the rear side of the door 2 in the vehicle length direction.

(Handle mechanism)
1 to 3, the handle mechanism 10 includes a handle base 11 disposed inside the outer panel 4 (inside the closed space 7) and an outer handle 12 disposed outside the outer panel 4. Both the handle base 11 and the outer handle 12 are disposed along the vehicle length direction.

Referring also to Figure 5A, the outer handle 12 is movably held by the handle base 11. That is, the first end 12a of the outer handle 12, protruding from the front side in the vehicle length direction (second direction), penetrates the outer panel 4 and is rotatably supported by the handle base 11, and the second end 12b of the outer handle 12, protruding from the rear side in the vehicle length direction, also penetrates the outer panel 4 and is supported by the handle base 11 so as to be movable back and forth in the vehicle width direction. Under normal circumstances, when the occupant rotates the outer handle 12 outward in the vehicle width direction (door opening operation), the latch mechanism 20 switches from a latched state to an unlatched state, allowing the door 2 to be opened.

Referring to Figures 5A, 5B, and 8, the handle base 11 is provided with a support shaft 16 at the rear side in the vehicle length direction and at the upper side in the vehicle height direction. A lever arm 14 equipped with a counterweight 13 is rotatably supported on this support shaft 16. The held portion (connection portion) 30a of the rod 30 is inserted into the rod holding portion 14a at the upper end of the lever arm 14 and is held in a rotatable state.

The lever arm 14 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A1 in FIG. 8 in conjunction with the movement of the second end 12b of the outer handle 12 during the door-opening operation. This rotation causes the rod holding portion 14a to move downward in the vehicle height direction, which in turn causes the rod 30 to descend downward in the vehicle height direction. As the rod 30 descends, an engagement portion 30c (described below) on the rod 30 presses down and rotates an open lever 25 (described below) on the latch mechanism 20 downward. As a result, the latch mechanism 20 switches from a latched state to an unlatched state. A coil spring 15 that elastically biases the lever arm 14 is attached to the support shaft 16. As shown in FIG. 8, the coil spring 15 biases the lever arm 14 to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow A2 (opposite to the aforementioned arrow A1), i.e., the direction opposite to the direction in which the latch mechanism 20 switches from a latched state to an unlatched state.

(latch mechanism)
3, 4, and 8 to 11, the latch mechanism 20 is disposed inside the inner panel 5 (inside the closed space 7). The latch mechanism 20 includes a base portion 21 and a protruding portion 22. The base portion 21 is disposed so as to extend in the vehicle length direction along the inside of the inner panel 5. The protruding portion 22 protrudes in the vehicle width direction from a rear portion of the base portion 21 in the vehicle length direction toward the outer panel 4. The protruding portion 21 is disposed along the inside of the end panel 6. The base portion 21 and the protruding portion 22 are formed by a casing 23 having a split structure.

The protrusion 22 houses a fork 24 (shown only in Figure 8) that engages and disengages with a striker (not shown) on the vehicle body, and a claw lever (not shown).

The base portion 21 is provided with an open lever 25 for releasing the latch. The base portion 21 also houses a mechanism (not shown) including elements such as a link and a motor for switching the latch mechanism 20 between an unlocked state and a locked state. Normally, when the latch mechanism 20 is in the unlocked state, pressing down the open lever 25 by operating the outer handle 12 switches the latch mechanism 20 from the latched state (a state in which the claw lever holds the fork 24 in a position where it is engaged with the striker) to the unlatched state (a state in which the claw lever releases the hold of the fork 24 and the fork 24 disengages from the striker). On the other hand, when the latch mechanism 20 is in the locked state, pressing down the open lever 25 by operating the outer handle 12 does not switch the latch mechanism from the latched state to the unlatched state.

(rod)
The rod 30 in this embodiment is a steel round bar having a diameter of 4.0 to 6.0 mm that is bent into a shape described below.

Referring to Figure 8, the rod 30 transmits the operation of the outer handle 12 of the handle mechanism 10 to the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20. Specifically, under normal circumstances, when the outer handle 12 is operated to open the door, the rod 30 moves downward in the vehicle height direction as the lever arm 14 of the handle mechanism 10 rotates in the direction of arrow A1, and the engagement portion 30h presses down the open lever 25.

Referring to Figures 5A, 5B, and 8, as already explained in relation to the handle mechanism 10 and latch mechanism 20, a lever arm 14 is rotatably supported on the upper side of the handle base 11 in the vehicle height direction, and a rod holding portion 14a provided at the upper end of the lever arm 14 holds a held portion (connection portion) 30a of a rod 30. In other words, in this embodiment, one end of the rod 30 is connected via the lever arm 14 to the upper part of the handle base 11 in the vehicle height direction.

The rod 30 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 to 11.

The rod 30 comprises a held portion (connection portion) 30a, a first portion 30b, a second portion 30d, a third portion 30d, an engaging portion 30h, and an insertion portion 30i. The held portion 30a is located at one end of the rod 30, and the engaging portion 30h and insertion portion 30i are located at the other end.

As clearly shown in Figures 8 to 11, the held portion 30a extends linearly in the vehicle length direction and is inserted into the rod holding portion 14a of the lever arm 14 from the front side in the vehicle length direction. The held portion 30a is rotatably held by the rod holding portion 14a. This allows the rod 30 to rotate around the axis of the held portion 30a.

The first portion 30b is connected to the front end of the retained portion 30a in the vehicle length direction. The first portion 30b extends linearly in the vehicle width direction from the retained portion 30a toward the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. In particular, the first portion 30b extends in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface 21a of the base portion 21 in the vehicle width direction. This inner surface 21a faces the handle base 11 in the vehicle width direction and is an example of a facing portion of the present invention. When multiple ribs protrude from the surface, as in the base portion 21 of this embodiment, the inner surface 21a can also be defined as an imaginary surface consisting of the tips of the multiple ribs.

The second portion 30c is connected to the inner end of the first portion 30b in the vehicle width direction. The second portion 30c extends rearward in the vehicle length direction from the first portion 30b. In other words, the second portion 30c extends from the first portion 30b in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and parallel to the inner surface 21a.

A gap G is provided between the second portion 30c of the rod 30 and the latch mechanism 20, more specifically, the inner surface 21a of the base portion 21. This gap G ensures the required operation of the rod 30 under normal conditions. The gap G is set to 5 to 15 mm, for example 10 mm.

As shown most clearly in Figure 10, the second portion 30c of the rod 30 is located closer to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20 than the tip of the protrusion 22 of the latch mechanism 20, more specifically, closer to the inner surface 21a, which is an example of the opposing portion of the present invention as described above.

The third portion 30d is connected to the rear end of the second portion 30c in the vehicle length direction. The third portion 30d as a whole extends downward in the vehicle height direction from the second portion 30c. The lower end of the third portion 30d is connected to the engagement portion 30h.

The third portion 30d has a diagonal portion 30e and a descending portion 30f, which are connected via a bent portion 30g.

One end of the inclined portion 30e is connected to the second connection portion 30c, and the other end is connected to the descending portion 30f. Referring to Figure 11, when viewed from above in the vehicle height direction, the inclined portion 30e extends linearly and inclined downward from the rear end of the second portion 30c in the vehicle length direction toward the lower portion of the handle base 11. Here, referring to Figure 5A, the lower portion of the handle base 11 refers to the portion lower than halfway of the overall height H of the handle base 11 excluding the lever arm 14 including the counterweight 13, and the portion higher than halfway is the upper portion.

More specifically, the lower end of the diagonal portion 30e faces the inner end 11e, which is the lower part of the handle base 11 that is located at the innermost position in the vehicle width direction (toward the inner surface 21a of the base portion 21). Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, the handle base 11 includes a handle base main body 11a, a pivot support portion 11b that supports the first end 12a of the outer handle 12, and an insertion portion 11c through which the second end 12b of the outer handle 12 is inserted, with a lever arm 14 rotatably attached to the upper part of the insertion portion 11c. A protrusion 11d that protrudes more inward in the vehicle width direction than the remaining portions is provided on the rear side of the handle base main body 11a in the vehicle length direction and on the front side of the insertion portion 11c in the vehicle length direction, and the inner end of this protrusion 11d is the inner end 11e. Furthermore, referring to Figures 5B and 10, a notch 11f is provided on the rear side of the protruding portion 11d of the handle base 11 in the vehicle length direction to ensure space for arranging the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20, which protrudes furthest outward in the vehicle width direction.

Referring to Figures 5A and 10, when viewed from above in the vehicle height direction, the inclined portion 30e extends linearly and inclines toward the front in the vehicle length direction as it approaches the handle base 11. When viewed from the front in the vehicle length direction with reference to Figure 11, there is a gap between the lower end of the inclined portion 30e and the inner end 11e of the handle base 11. This gap ensures the movement required of the rod 30 under normal conditions.

One end of the descending portion 30f is connected to the inclined portion 30e via a bent portion 30g, and the other end is connected to the engagement portion 30h. Referring to Figures 5A, 5B, and 11, the descending portion 30f extends linearly inward in the vehicle width direction and downward in the vehicle height direction, away from the handle base 11. In other words, the inclination angle of the descending portion 30f is different from the inclination angle of the inclined portion 30e. As a result, a bent portion 30g is formed between the inclined portion 30e and the descending portion 30f.

An engagement portion 30h is connected to the lower end of the descending portion 30f in the vehicle height direction. The engagement portion 30h extends linearly rearward in the vehicle length direction from the descending portion 30f to above the open lever 25 and is slightly inclined downward in the vehicle height direction. As can be seen from Figure 8, when the rod 30 descends downward in the vehicle height direction, the engagement portion 30h presses down and rotates the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20.

The insertion portion 30d is connected to the lower end of the engagement portion 30h in the vehicle height direction. The insertion portion 30d extends linearly downward from the engagement portion 30h in the vehicle height direction. The insertion portion 30d is inserted into the open lever 25 so that the rod 30 can be raised and lowered relative to the open lever 25.

(Behavior of vehicle door lock device during collision)
If the rod 30 does not have the above-described shape, the vehicle door lock device 1 will behave as follows in the event of a collision, particularly a side collision.

The outer panel 4 of the door 2 is deformed by the input of a collision load. Depending on the design of the door 2, which is long in the vehicle longitudinal direction, or the vehicle weight, the input of a collision load may cause the outer panel 4 to deform so that the upper part of the handle base 11 rotates downward while approaching the inner panel 5, as conceptually shown by arrow B in Figure 3. When the upper part of the handle base 11 rotates as indicated by arrow B in Figure 3, the rod 30 moves downward and the open lever 25 is pushed down. As a result, the latch mechanism 20 may switch from a latched state to an unlatched state, causing the door 2 to open.

In contrast, in the vehicle door lock device 1 of this embodiment, when the outer panel 4 begins to deform due to the input of a collision load, the second portion 30c of the rod 30 quickly abuts against the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20, more specifically, the inner surface 21a of the base portion 21, and the first portion 30b of the rod 30 bears the input of the collision load. Furthermore, the bent portion 30g or the descending portion 30f at the lower end of the diagonal portion 30e of the rod 30 quickly abuts against the lower portion of the inner end portion 11e of the handle base 11, and the diagonal portion 30e of the rod 30 bears the input of the collision load. In other words, the first portion 30b of the rod 30 and the diagonal portion 30e of the third portion 30d are sandwiched between the handle base 11 and the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20, restricting the relative movement of the rod 30 with respect to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. This restriction of movement causes the upper part of the handle base 11 to rotate downward while approaching the inner panel 5, thereby preventing the rod 30 from moving downward in the vehicle length direction. Preventing the rod 30 from descending also prevents the rod 30 from pushing down the open lever 25. As a result, it is possible to prevent the latch from being released due to deformation of the outer panel 4 caused by the input of a collision load.

(Behavior of vehicle door lock device during assembly)
Assuming that the rod 30 does not have the above-described shape, when the vehicle door lock device 1 is assembled in the closed space 7 of the door 2, the rod 30 behaves as follows.

When installing the handle base 11, rod 30, and latch mechanism 20 in the closed space 7 of the door 2, first the handle base 11 with the rod 30 attached is attached to the outer panel 4, and then the latch mechanism 20 is attached through the service hole 5a (see Figure 2) in the inner panel 5. At this time, the rod 30 is rotatable relative to the handle base 11, and a notch 11f is formed in the handle base 11 at a position opposite the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20 to ensure installation space. Therefore, when the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 is not engaged with the open lever 25, the rod 30 enters the notch 11f, and as shown by the dashed line in Figure 12, the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 enters below the handle base 11, allowing the rod 30 to rotate under its own weight to an angular position near the outer panel 4. In this case, the casing 23 of the latch mechanism 20 interferes with the handle base 11, or the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20 interferes with the outer panel 4, making it difficult to insert the insertion portion 30i of the rod 30 into the open lever 25 and engage it with the engagement portion 30h.

In contrast, the rod 30 of this embodiment includes a third portion 30d having an inclined portion 30e that extends obliquely toward the bottom of the handle base 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 , when the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 is not engaged with the open lever 25, as the rod 30 rotates relative to the handle base 11 under its own weight, at least one of the bent portion 30g at the lower end of the inclined portion 30e and the descending portion 30f connected to the inclined portion 30e abuts against the bottom of the inner end 11e of the handle base 11. This prevents the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 from penetrating below the handle base 11 and becoming positioned near the outer panel 4 due to the rotation of the rod 30 under its own weight. Therefore, after the handle base 11 including the rod 30 is installed in the narrow door between the outer panel 4 and the inner panel 5, the rod 30 and the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20 can be easily assembled.

As mentioned above, the inclined portion 30e of the rod 30 protrudes closer to the handle base 11 than the engaging portion 30h. Therefore, when the lower end or descending portion 30f of the inclined portion 30e of the rod 30 abuts against the handle base 11 during assembly of the vehicle door lock device 1, the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 is positioned closer to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20, compared to when the inclined portion 30e of the rod 30 is positioned closer to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20 than the engaging portion 30h. This ensures ease of assembly of the rod 30 and the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20.

As mentioned above, the lower end of the inclined portion 30e faces the inner end 11e, which is the part of the lower part of the handle base 11 closest to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. Therefore, when assembling the vehicle door lock device 1, when the rod 30 rotates and the lower end of the inclined portion 30e or the descending portion 30f abuts against the handle base 11, the engaging portion 30h of the rod 30 is positioned near the inner end 11e of the handle base 11. This ensures ease of assembly between the rod 30 and the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20.

As mentioned above, the first portion 30b of the rod 30 extends in a direction perpendicular to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. Therefore, when the outer panel 4 begins to deform due to the collision load input, the first portion 30b of the rod 30 can reliably support the collision load input. As a result, the upper portion of the handle base 11 can be more reliably prevented from rotating downward while approaching the inner panel 5.

As mentioned above, the second portion 30c of the rod 30 extends in a direction parallel to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. Therefore, when the outer panel 4 begins to deform due to the collision load input, the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20 can reliably absorb the collision load input acting via the first portion 30b of the rod 30. As a result, the upper portion of the handle base 11 can be more reliably prevented from rotating downward while approaching the inner panel 5.

As described above, the second portion 30c of the rod 30 extends rearward in the vehicle length direction, and the third portion 30d of the rod 30 extends downward in the vehicle height direction from the second portion 30c, with the third portion 30d connected to the engagement portion 30h. Therefore, most of the rod 30 is positioned rearward in the vehicle length direction of the door 2. This rearward positioning of the rod 30 prevents the rod 30 from interfering with the latch mechanism 20 when placing the latch mechanism 20 in the closed space 7 through the service hole 5a (see Figure 2) in the inner panel 5 during assembly of the vehicle door lock device 1. This ensures ease of assembly of the vehicle door lock device 1.

As mentioned above, the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20 also functions as the opposing portion of the present invention, that is, the portion against which the rod 30 abuts when the outer panel 4 begins to deform due to the input of a collision load. This reduces the number of parts required compared to when a separate part is provided to function as the opposing portion. However, a part other than the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20 may serve as the opposing portion, or a separate part may be provided to function as the opposing portion.

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

For example, the bent portion 30g of the rod 30 may be arranged to face a recess 11h in the handle base 11 shown in Figures 5A and 5B, in which the second end 12b of the insertion hole 11g through which the second end 12b of the outer handle 12 is inserted is not located. The height of this recess 11h in the vehicle height direction is shorter than the length of the third portion 30d in the vehicle height direction. The recess 11h is an example of a recess of the present invention that is formed in the inner end 11e of the handle base 11 and is recessed in a direction away from the latch mechanism 20. However, the recess 11h may be defined by a hole wall on the lower side in the vehicle height direction and hole walls on both sides in the vehicle length direction, with the upper side in the vehicle height direction being open.

This allows the bent portion 30g, a portion of the lower side of the inclined portion 30e, and a portion of the upper side of the descending portion 30f to enter the recess 11h of the handle base 11 when the rod 30 rotates relative to the handle base 11. Therefore, when the outer panel 4 begins to deform due to a collision load, the bent portion 30g enters the recess 11h of the handle base 11, and the descending portion 30f interferes with the hole wall defining the recess 11h from above, restricting the downward movement of the rod 30 relative to the base portion 21 of the latch mechanism 20. This prevents the rod 30 from descending, reliably preventing the rod 30 from pushing down the open lever 25. Furthermore, when the rod 30 rotates relative to the handle base 11 under its own weight during assembly of the vehicle door lock device 1, the bent portion 30g enters the recess 11h, causing the descending portion 30f to interfere with the hole wall of the recess 11h. In other words, part of the third section 30d of the rod 30 engages with the insertion hole 11g. This prevents the rod 30 from rotating relative to the handle base 11, ensuring ease of assembly between the rod 30 and the open lever 25 of the latch mechanism 20.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle door lock device 2 door 3 door structure 4 outer panel 5 inner panel 5a service hole 6 end panel 7 closed space 10 handle mechanism 11 handle base 11a handle base body 11b shaft support portion 11c insertion portion 11d protrusion 11e inner end portion 11f cutout portion 11g insertion hole 11h recess 12 outer handle 12a first end portion 12b second end portion 13 counterweight 14 lever arm 14a rod holding portion 15 coil spring 16 support shaft 20 latch mechanism 21 base portion 21a inner surface (facing portion)
22 Protrusion 23 Casing 24 Fork 25 Open lever 30 Rod 30a Held portion (connection portion)
30b First portion 30c Second portion 30d Third portion 30e Diagonal portion 30f Descending portion 30g Bent portion 30h Engagement portion 30i Insertion portion G Gap A1 Rotation direction of lever arm A2 Opposite direction to rotation of lever arm B Movement of upper portion of handle base during collision

Claims (9)

a handle mechanism including a handle base disposed inside an outer panel of a vehicle door and an outer handle movably held by the handle base;
a latch mechanism having a lever for releasing the latch;
a rod having a connection portion connected to an upper portion of the handle base at one end and an engagement portion engageable with the lever at the other end, the rod transmitting the movement of the outer handle to the lever;
a facing portion facing the handle base in a first direction, which is a direction in which the outer panel and the inner panel of the door face each other,
The rod is
a first portion extending from the connecting portion toward the opposing portion along the first direction;
a second portion extending from the first portion in a second direction intersecting the first direction and along the facing portion , the second portion being capable of contacting the facing portion when the outer panel is deformed in the first direction toward the inner panel ;
a third portion extending downward from the second portion and connected to the engagement portion, the third portion being rotatable about the axis of the connection portion;
The third portion of the rod extends at an angle toward the lower portion of the handle base and has an inclined portion that can abut against the handle base when the outer panel deforms in the first direction toward the inner panel . The vehicle door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion of the rod protrudes further toward the handle base than the engagement portion. A vehicle door lock device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower end of the inclined portion faces the inner end of the lower part of the handle base that is closest to the opposing portion. The inner end of the handle base is provided with a recess recessed in a direction away from the latch mechanism,
the third portion of the rod includes a descending portion that is connected to the inclined portion via a bent portion and extends in a direction away from the handle base,
the bent portion faces the recess of the handle base;
4. The vehicle door lock device according to claim 3. The vehicle door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a gap exists between the second portion and the opposing portion. A vehicle door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first portion of the rod extends in a direction perpendicular to the opposing portion. A vehicle door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second portion of the rod extends in a direction parallel to the opposing portion. the first direction is a width direction of the vehicle, and the second direction is a length direction of the vehicle,
the second portion of the rod extends rearward in the vehicle length direction,
the third portion of the rod is continuous with the rear end of the second portion in the vehicle length direction.
The vehicle door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The latch mechanism includes:
a base portion disposed inside the inner panel;
a protruding portion protruding from a rear portion of the base portion in the vehicle length direction toward the outer panel in the vehicle width direction,
the base portion includes the opposing portion,
The vehicle door lock device according to claim 8, wherein the second portion of the rod is located closer to the base portion than the tip of the protrusion.