An electromechanical push to close latch has a pawl positioned for linear movement in a housing, with the pawl being biased to the outward extended position. An electric motor operates a cam to change the position of the pawl thereby retracting it into the housing. An electronic circuit board contro
An electromechanical push to close latch has a pawl positioned for linear movement in a housing, with the pawl being biased to the outward extended position. An electric motor operates a cam to change the position of the pawl thereby retracting it into the housing. An electronic circuit board controls the operation of the electric motor under the direction of an outside control signal. The circuit board also senses the position of the pawl to stop the operation of the motor when the pawl is fully retracted. The pawl mounting can be reconfigured for the pawl to extend and thereby operate in a plurality of selectable directions.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. An electromechanical push to close latch, comprising: a housing; a ramp ended pawl slidable within said housing between a retracted position and an extended position, said pawl being engageable with a striker when in said extended position; a biasing spring operating on said
What is claimed is: 1. An electromechanical push to close latch, comprising: a housing; a ramp ended pawl slidable within said housing between a retracted position and an extended position, said pawl being engageable with a striker when in said extended position; a biasing spring operating on said pawl to bias it to the extended position and permitting push to close operation thereof; a motor; a microprocessor connected to said motor to control the operation thereof; at least one gear connected to said motor and rotated thereby when said motor rotates; a cam connected to be rotated by said at least one gear, said cam rotating to retract said pawl against said biasing spring operation; and a circuit board to which said motor and said microprocessor are mounted; wherein said housing has a first housing portion containing said motor and microprocessor mounted circuit board; and wherein said housing has a second housing portion containing said pawl and said biasing spring; also including at least one sensor to determine when said pawl is in said retracted position; wherein when said at least one sensor determines when pawl is in said retracted position said motor stops rotating, whereby said cam stops rotating and holds said pawl in said retracted position against said biasing spring force; wherein said motor rotates to place said cam in a non-operative position, including at least a second sensor to determine when said cam has reached said inoperative position, said non-operative position permitting said pawl to move between said retracted and extended positions; and wherein said at least one gear is an output gear having a central hub wherein said cam is mounted on said output gear hub, and wherein said first sensor includes a larger arc-shaped hole through said output gear and said second sensor includes a smaller arc-shaped hole through said output gear. 2. The latch of claim 1 wherein said pawl is elongate having an open channel in the top face thereof, said biasing spring operating therein, and wherein said pawl has a cam cavity in the bottom face thereof, said cam operating within said cam cavity. 3. The latch of claim 2 wherein said second housing portion is re-orientable for the left-hand, right-hand and outward end operation of said pawl. 4. The latch of claim 3 wherein said cam includes a base flange, an upstanding hub extending upward from said flange and a cam plug projecting from said cam hub, and wherein said ouput gear hub includes a plurality of radially outwardly extending evenly spaced ribs onto which said cam is mounted, said cam having receiving slots and being re-orientable on said output gear for said left-hand, right-hand and outward end operation of said pawl. 5. The latch of claim 4 also including a plurality of reduction gears connecting said motor to said output gears, wherein some of said reduction gears are positioned above said circuit board, and another is positioned below said circuit board, and wherein said output gear is positioned below said circuit board, with said cam hub extending into said circuit board and said cam plug operating above said circuit board. 6. A re-orientable, electromechanical push to close latch, comprising: a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion, said second housing portion being selectably re-orientable with respect to said first housing portion facilitating a selectable three-position direction operation of said latch; and a pawl operating within said second housing portion for retraction into and extension there out of, said pawl operating to move in one of said three position directions relating to said second housing portion re-orientation for left-hand, right-hand and outward end operation of said pawl with respect to said first housing orientation; a motor mounted within said first housing portion having a rotating output shaft; and at least one output gear connecting the output shaft of said motor to said pawl, wherein when said motor rotates said output gear rotates and said pawl is retracted into said second housing portion. 7. The latch of claim 6, wherein said pawl has a striker engaging end and a top face and a bottom face, including: a cam cavity in the bottom face of said pawl, said cam cavity having a curved wall proximate said pawl striker engaging end and a straight wall opposite thereof; and a cam positioned on said output gear to rotate therewith and extending to engage said pawl cam cavity, wherein as said output gear rotates, said cam rotates in said cam cavity to move said pawl. 8. The latch of claim 7, also including: a circuit board and a microprocessor mounted thereon, said microprocessor controlling the operation of said motor whereby through the operation of said cam said pawl is moved between two states these being a retracted state and an in-operative state; wherein said pawl striker engaging end is ramped and wherein said pawl top face includes an open channel therein; wherein said latch also includes a biasing spring operating within said pawl open channel to bias said pawl outwardly of said housing where in the in-operative state said pawl is free to move under the force of said biasing spring inward and outward as a push to close pawl. 9. The latch of claim 8, also including a plurality of reduction gears, said output gear being the output of said reduction gear plurality; and wherein the operation of said microprocessor is affected by the rotational position of the output gear and the cam positioned thereon, wherein said latch also includes position sensors and at least one position sense element on said output gear. 10. The latch of claim 9, wherein said position sensors are infrared sensors and wherein said position sense element is a position sense hole through said gear. 11. The latch of clam 10, wherein said pawl is elongate shaped, and said gear has a spline hub upon which said cam is positioned, said cam being re-oriented on said gear with respect to said sense hole when said second housing portion and said pawl are re-oriented for left-hand, right-hand, and outward end operation. 12. The latch of claim 11, wherein said cam has an upstanding hub which positions over said gear spline hub, and a projecting finger which extends from said hub, said projecting finger extending into said cam cavity to act against said straight wall surface. 13. The latch of claim 12, wherein said infrared sensors operate a signal through said gear sense hole and off of said cam hub to sense when said output gear is in a selected position, and wherein said plurality of reduction gears include a plurality of spur gears with pinion gear members. 14. The latch of claim 13, wherein said circuit board is positioned within said housing first portion with said motor and a plurality of said gear reduction gears operating above said circuit board, and said output gear operating below said circuit board. 15. The latch of claim 14, wherein said circuit board has a plurality of openings for a spur gear pinion to extend through, and for said cam mounted on said output gear to extend through.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (29)
Kowalewski Thomas Joseph ; Danko Daniel William, Automotive vehicle storage compartment release mechanism.
Baudu Pierre Andre Marcel,FRX ; Gonidec Patrick,FRX ; Rouyer Pascal Gerard,FRX ; Vauchel Guy Bernard,FRX, Device for closing and locking the shutters of a thrust reverser.
Payson, John B.; Garlisch, John A.; Robinson, Brock E.; Kaczmarz, Kenneth A.; Mavromatis, Jesse, Method and system for data control in electronic locks.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.