Latch assembly for motor vehicle closure system having power release mechanism with override/reset

Abstract

A power closure latch assembly with a manually actuatable release link, vehicle door therewith and method of allowing a power actuatable closure latch assembly to be converted for selective manual actuation is provided. The release link is configured to operably communicate an actuator lever with a release lever for conjoint movement therebetween, to provide power-assisted movement of a pawl between ratchet releasing and ratchet holding positions, when the release link is in a “normal” first operating position. The release link is further configured to allow the release lever to move independently from the actuator lever when the release link is in a manually deployed “override/reset” second position to provide spring-biased movement of the pawl from the ratchet releasing position back to the ratchet holding position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A closure latch assembly for use with a closure panel in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a ratchet moveable between a striker release position whereat the ratchet is positioned to release a striker and a striker capture position whereat the ratchet is positioned to retain the striker, the ratchet being biased toward the striker release position;   a pawl moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl is positioned to hold the ratchet in the striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl is located to permit movement of the ratchet to the striker release position, the pawl being biased toward the ratchet holding position;   a power release actuator; and   a power release chain connecting the power release actuator with the pawl, the power release chain having an activated state whereat the power release actuator is in operable communication with the pawl and has a deactivated state whereat the power release actuator is out of operable communication with the pawl,   wherein the power release chain in the deactivated state allows the pawl to move from the ratchet holding releasing position to the ratchet holding position.   
     
     
         2 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a manually actuatable override/reset feature having an activated override/reset state and a deactivated rest state, wherein the power release chain is in the deactivated state in response to the manually actuatable override/reset being in the activated override/reset state. 
     
     
         3 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the power release chain comprises a bridging relation, wherein the manually actuatable override/reset feature acts to move the bridging relation. 
     
     
         4 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the bridging relation comprises a pivotal link moveable between a first position and a second position, the pivotal link being biased toward the first position, wherein the first position corresponds to the power release chain operating in the activated state and wherein the second position corresponds to the power release chain operating in the deactivated state. 
     
     
         5 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 4 , wherein in response to the manually actuatable override/reset feature moving the bridging relation from the first position to the second position, the power release chain is automatically moved from the activated state to the deactivated state. 
     
     
         6 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 4 , wherein movement of the manually actuatable override/reset from the activated override/reset state to the deactivated rest state causes the pivotal link to move from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         7 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the power release chain comprises a release lever configured in operable communication with the pawl, the release lever being biased away from the pawl; and an actuator lever configured in operable communication with the power release actuator, wherein the bridging relation is provided between the actuator lever and the release lever. 
     
     
         8 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the bridging relation comprises a biased link pivotally mounted to the release lever, wherein the biased link has a first position whereat the biased link is in communication with the actuator lever and a second position whereat the biased link is out of communication with the actuator lever. 
     
     
         9 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 1  further including a backup release lever configured in operable communication with the power release chain to move the power release chain from the activated state to the deactivated state, wherein the backup actuation lever is accessible through an access port provided in a housing of the closure latch assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the access port is positioned on a shut face of the closure panel when the closure latch is mounted to the closure panel. 
     
     
         11 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the backup actuation lever is configured for receipt of a vehicle key and for rotation in response to rotation of the vehicle key, wherein rotation of the backup actuation lever causes pivotal movement of the backup release lever. 
     
     
         12 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 3  further comprising a pawl lever disposed between the release lever and the pawl, the pawl lever being biased by a pawl lever spring to impart the bias on the pawl toward the ratchet holding position. 
     
     
         13 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a gear member operatively coupled to the power release actuator, the gear member having a cam lobe configured for abutment with the actuator lever to pivot the actuator lever and move the pawl between the ratchet holding position and the ratchet releasing position in response to selective actuation of the power release actuator. 
     
     
         14 . A closure latch assembly for use with a closure panel in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a ratchet moveable between a striker release position whereat the ratchet is positioned to release a striker and a striker capture position whereat the ratchet is positioned to retain the striker, the ratchet being biased toward the striker release position;   a pawl moveable between a ratchet holding position whereat the pawl is positioned to hold the ratchet in the striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position whereat the pawl is located to permit movement of the ratchet to the striker release position, the pawl being biased toward the ratchet holding position;   a power release actuator;   a power release chain connecting the power release actuator with the pawl, the power release chain having an activated state whereat the power release actuator is in operable communication with the pawl and has a deactivated state whereat the power release actuator is out of operable communication with the pawl; and   a backup release lever operably coupled to the power release chain, the backup release lever having a rest state and an activated state,   wherein movement of the backup release lever from the rest state to the activated state causes the power release chain to automatically move from the activated state to the deactivated state.   
     
     
         15 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the backup release lever is not configured to move the pawl to the ratchet releasing position. 
     
     
         16 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the power release chain is moved from the activated state to the deactivated state before the backup release lever is returned to the rest state from the activated state. 
     
     
         17 . The closure latch assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the backup release lever is accessible from the shut face of the closure panel. 
     
     
         18 . A method of allowing a power actuatable closure latch assembly to be converted for selective manual actuation during a power interruption to the power actuated latch assembly, the method comprising:
 providing a ratchet being moveable between a striker release position and a striker capture position;   providing a pawl being moveable between a ratchet holding position to hold the ratchet in the striker capture position and a ratchet releasing position to permit movement of the ratchet to the striker release position;   providing a power release actuator;   providing a power release chain connecting the power release actuator with the pawl, the power release chain having an activated state whereat the power release actuator is in operable communication with the pawl and has a deactivated state whereat the power release the power release actuator is out of operable communication with the pawl;   providing a backup release lever operably coupled to the power release chain; and   moving the backup release lever from a rest state to an activated state to cause the power release chain to automatically move from the activated state to the deactivated state.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further including configuring the backup release lever not to move the pawl to the ratchet releasing position. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein automatically moving the power release chain from the activated state to the deactivated state occurs before the backup release lever is returned from the activated state to the rest state.