Patent attributes
A latch device for a vehicle tailgate comprises a latch/ratchet mechanism, an open mechanism, a lock mechanism, and, an actuator for switching the lock mechanism to an unlocked state and a locked state. The lock mechanism includes a lock lever turning about a lock shaft. The actuator includes an output shaft which turns the lock lever through the lock shaft. The lock shaft is structured so that manual operational access is possible through a service hole in the tailgate or the vehicle body for turning the lock lever. One end of the output shaft penetrates a housing of the actuator to be connected to the lock shaft, and the other end of the output shaft is exposed to the outside through a shaft hole of the housing, and the manual access is applied to the other end of the output shaft.
