BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-140895, filed on Jul. 20, 2017. This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates to a vehicle door latch apparatus that enables a one-motion operation.

Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, a vehicle door latch apparatus has a mechanism that enables a so-called one-motion operation. According to the one-motion operation, even when a locking mechanism, which can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state, is in the locked state, the locking mechanism is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state by a door opening operation of the inside handle that is provided on the inner side of a door, and the door is opened. From the viewpoint of anti-theft capability, this vehicle door latch apparatus includes, in addition to the above-mentioned mechanism, a double locking mechanism (the “idle mechanism” in the document 1) that can be switched between a double unlocked state (“the connected state” in the document 1) that allows the one-motion operation and a double locked state (the “disconnected state” in the document 1) that prevents the one-motion operation.

PRIOR-ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

[Patent document 1] JP2001-182409A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples of the present invention.

Problem to be Solved

However, in the vehicle door latch apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the component for switching the double locking mechanism between the double unlocked state and the double locked state (the “engagement pin81”) and the component for switching the locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state by the one-motion operation (the “outer arm35A” of ratchet lever35) are different components. Therefore, this vehicle door latch apparatus has the problem that its configuration is complicated.

In view of the above-mentioned technical problem, the present invention aims at providing a vehicle door latch apparatus that has a simple configuration to allow and to prevent a one-motion operation.

Means of Solving the Problem

In order to solve the technical problem, the technical means of the present invention comprises: a locking mechanism that can switch between an unlocked state in which a door can be opened by operation of an outside handle that is provided on an outer side of the door and a locked state in which the door cannot be opened by the operation of the outside handle; a first inside lever that performs a releasing operation by an operation of an inside handle that is provided on an inner side of the door; a second inside lever that can be linked to and unlinked from the release operation of the first inside lever and a switching element that can move to a connected position and to a disconnected position, wherein the release operation of the first inside lever can be transmitted to the second inside lever in the connected position, and the release operation of the first inside lever cannot be transmitted to the second inside lever in the disconnected position. The switching element is in a double unlocked state when the switching element is in the connected position and is in a double locked state when the switching element is in the disconnected position, wherein the double unlocked state enables a one-motion operation, in which the switching element is linked to the release operation of the first inside lever in order to switch the locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state and in which the release operation of the first inside lever is transmitted to the second inside lever in order to open the door, and in the double locked state, the switching element is not linked to the release operation of the first inside lever, prevents the release operation of the first inside lever from being transmitted to the second inside lever and prevents the locking mechanism from being switched from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Preferably, when the switching element is in the connected position, the switching element abuts a part of the locking mechanism and thereby switches the locking mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Preferably, an abutting portion of the switching element is within a trajectory of rotation of an abutting portion of the first inside lever when the switching element is in the connected position, and the switching element transmits the release operation of the first inside lever to the second inside lever.

Preferably, the abutting portion of the switching element is outside of a trajectory of rotation of the abutting portion of the first inside lever when the switching element is in the disconnected position, and the switching element prevents the release operation of the first inside lever from transmitting to the second inside lever.

Preferably, the switching element is supported by the second inside lever such that the switching element is movable in a radial direction of the second inside lever.

Preferably, the switching element has a through hole, and the switching element is supported by the second inside lever by being inserted into the through hole.

Preferably, the first inside lever and the second inside lever are supported by a same shaft.

Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, the configuration can be simplified because the switching element is moveable between the connected position that allows the one-motion operation and the disconnected position that prevents the one-motion operation, and the locking mechanism is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state by the one-motion operation.

