EP0896118B1 - Vehicle door lock with electrical locking device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to door locks motor vehicle and, more particularly, locks with electric lock.

Such locks comprise, in a known manner, a latch fork intended to cooperate with a keeper, a pawl ensuring normally locking the bolt in the closed position, a locking mechanism release of the bolt comprising a control member undergoing a actuation movement in response to actuation, by the user, from the door handle. The controller can take an active position for which he acts, during his actuation movement, on the pawl to put it in position escapement, and an inhibited position for which, during its movement actuation, it has no effect on the ratchet. The lock has, in in addition, an electrical device responding at least to a signal unlocking by moving the control member until it is reached from its active position.

We know vehicle door closing systems in which the unlock signal is generated by actuation of a lock cylinder. In other known systems, this unlocking signal is provided by electronic recognition in response to an infrared remote control signal or of radio remote control produced by the user by means of a suitable remote control.

These known systems do not give entirely satisfaction because they require the use of either a key or of a remote control, these objects occupying a hand of the user.

This is why we have proposed systems called "access to hands-free vehicle "not requiring the use of a key or remote control to unlock the lock. These systems are equipped recognition electronics fitted with a radio transmitter and designed to be able to communicate with a radio device incorporated into a watch, credit card, badge, or the like, worn by the user. Recognition electronics only produce sound unlocking signal only after identification of the correct owner.

In such systems, the transmission of the signal unlocking commanding the electrical device, on the one hand, and the actuation of the release mechanism, on the other hand, take place simultaneously.

Now the difference between the response time, relatively long, of the electrical device and that, very short, of the release is such that the control unit has completed its movement while it is still not in the active position, so that the first action of the user on the door handle does not not opening it and that said user must act on again on the door handle to open it.

This need for a double action on the door handle constitutes a drawback that the present invention proposes to remove.

The present invention therefore relates to a lock for motor vehicle door, comprising: a fork bolt intended for cooperate with a strike; a ratchet normally ensuring blocking of the bolt in the closed position and which can take an "escaped" position for which it no longer acts on said bolt; a release mechanism of the bolt comprising a control member, which, on the one hand, can take either an active position for which he acts, during his actuation movement, on the pawl to put it in position "breakaway" is an inhibited position for which, when actuation movement, it has no effect on the ratchet and, on the other hand, may be actuated in response to user actuation of the door handle; and a device electric responding at least to a unlocking signal in moving the control member from its inhibited position to reaching its active position, characterized in that the lock further comprises an opening take-up means which, when there is emission of the unlocking signal substantially at the end of the race of the actuating movement of the control member, brings the ratchet in its "escaped" position.

In a first variant, in which the control is secured to an outside opening lever of the lock, the actuating movement of the control member, in response to user actuation of the door handle takes place in the active position than in the inhibited position of said ordered. In a second variant, in which the control is secured to a locking / unlocking lever of the lock, the actuating movement of the control member, in response to user actuation of the door handle, takes place only in the active position of the control member.

In the first variant, advantageously, so known per se, the pawl has a pin and the control member is provided with a pushing surface and a recess designed in such a way that, when the control member is in the active position, the surface of thrust meets and drives said pawn during movement actuation of the control member, until putting said pawl in the "escaped" position, and that, when the control member is in inhibited position, the pawl pawl, throughout the movement actuation of said control member, remains engaged in said obviously so that the control member has no action on the pawl.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening compensation means is carried out as follows: a part of the wall delimiting the recess of the control member and the adjacent part of the perimeter surface of the pawl are shaped and positioned so as to form, respectively, a cam and cam follower cooperating with each other when the member is substantially in the end of movement position actuation, the movement of said control member by the electrical device until reaching its active driving position, thanks to the cam action of the part of the wall, the pawl of the ratchet until putting said pawl in "escaped" position. advantageously, the pushing surface connects directly to the cam part of the wall.

In the second variant, advantageously, so known per se, the control member has a pin and the mechanism release bolt has an actuating lever which is provided a pushing surface to effect the actuating movement of the control member in response to actuation by the user of the door handle, said pushing surface being designed in such a way so that, when the control member is in the active position, the thrust surface meets and drives the pawn, during the actuating movement, in contact with the pawl to move it in the escaped position, and that, when the control member is in inhibited position, the thrust surface no longer comes into contact with the pin, so that the control member has no action on the pawl.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening take-up means is carried out as follows: the lever thrust surface and the adjacent part of the around the pin of the control member are shaped and positioned so as to form, respectively, cam and element cam follower cooperating with each other when the lever actuation is substantially in the end of movement position actuation, the movement of said control member by the electrical device until reaching its active driving position, thanks to the cam action of the pushing surface, the organ pawn until placing said pawl in the "escaped" position.

Advantageously, the pin has a projecting part of on either side of the mean plane of the control member, one of the two protruding portions which can cooperate with the thrust surface of the lever, and the other projecting portion being able to cooperate with a surface of contact of the pawl to bring it to the "escaped" position.

Thus, thanks to the invention the opening of the door is obtained by a single actuation of the door handle, and this despite the difference between the response time of the mechanism release, very fast, and that of the electrical device unlocking, slower.

It is advantageous to provide that the signal unlocking is issued by electronic recognition which is electrically powered only during the action exerted on the door handle by the user, said electronics then identifying a user authorized by a radio emission exchanged according to a appropriate protocol with an electronic element carried by the user; this avoids unnecessary consumption of electrical energy. This can be achieved by a microswitch (or any other system normally open, closing of which is ordered by the opening action on the door handle, this system of control closing a power supply circuit of recognition electronics.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description, given below under indicative and not limiting, of two preferred embodiments, description made with reference to the accompanying drawing.

• la figure 1 représente une vue partielle en élévation d'une serrure selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention, l'organe de commande étant en position active, le levier d'actionnement relié à la poignée de porte étant en position de repos ;
• la figure 2 représente une vue analogue à la figure 1, montrant l'organe de commande en position inhibée et le levier d'actionnement au repos ;
• la figure 3 représente une vue analogue à la figure 1, montrant l'organe de commande en position inhibée et le levier d'actionnement en position actionnée ;
• la figure 4 représente une vue analogue à la figure 1, montrant l'organe de commande en position active et le levier d'actionnement en position actionnée;
• les figures 5 à 8 correspondent respectivement aux figures 1 à 4, mais représentent un autre mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 9 est une vue schématique partielle d'une serrure de l'art antérieur, montrant le déplacement de l'organe de commande entre les positions inhibée et active, par rapport au levier d'actionnement au repos ;
• la figure 9B montre le déplacement du levier d'actionnement de la figure 9A lorsque l'organe de commande est en position active ;
• la figure 9C montre le déplacement de l'organe de commande à partir de sa position inhibée et vers sa position active, lorsque le levier d'actionnement de la figure 9A a été préalablement déplacé en position actionnée ;
• la figure 10 est une vue analogue à la figure 9C, mais représente la serrure selon le mode de réalisation des figures 5 à 8 ; et
• la figure 11 est une vue en élévation latérale de l'organe de commande du mode de réalisation des figures 5 à 8.

On this drawing :

• Figure 1 shows a partial elevational view of a lock according to an embodiment of the invention, the control member being in the active position, the actuating lever connected to the door handle being in the rest position;
• 2 shows a view similar to Figure 1 showing the control member in the inhibited position and the actuating lever at rest;
• FIG. 3 represents a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the control member in the inhibited position and the actuation lever in the actuated position;
• FIG. 4 represents a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the control member in the active position and the actuation lever in the actuated position;
• Figures 5 to 8 correspond respectively to Figures 1 to 4, but show another embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 9 is a partial schematic view of a lock of the prior art, showing the movement of the control member between the inhibited and active positions, relative to the actuating lever at rest;
• FIG. 9B shows the movement of the actuation lever of FIG. 9A when the control member is in the active position;
• FIG. 9C shows the movement of the control member from its inhibited position and towards its active position, when the actuation lever of FIG. 9A has previously been moved to the actuated position;
• Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9C, but shows the lock according to the embodiment of Figures 5 to 8; and
• FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of the control member of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 8.

According to the first embodiment, the lock shown in Figures 1 to 4 includes a housing 1, a bolt fork 2 articulated in 3 on the housing 1, and a ratchet 4 articulated in 5 on the housing 1. The bolt 2 is intended to cooperate, in known manner, with a keep not shown. The pawl 4, in known manner, is associated with elastic means not shown urging it towards a position ensuring the locking of the bolt 2 in the closed position, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, and it can be put in the "escaped" position, against said elastic means, by a release mechanism of the bolt, controlled by a door handle (or pallet), not represented.

The bolt release mechanism comprises, in known manner, a lever 6 articulated at 7 on the housing 1, a second lever 8 articulated on the housing 1 on the same axis 7 as the first lever 6, and a substantially vertical link 9 on FIGS. 1 to 4, articulated by its lower end at 10 on an arm 8 a of the second lever 8. The link 9 constitutes the control member for the pawl 4.

The lever 6 is mechanically connected by a hinge pin 6 a , to the door handle and it is associated with elastic means urging it towards its rest position in which it has been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It comprises a projection 6 b forming a stop for the arm 8 b , opposite the arm 8 a , of the second lever 8. The latter lever is provided with elastic means, not shown, urging it in the direction applying the arm 8 b against the projection 6 b .

At its end opposite to the articulation 10, the link 9 is articulated at 11 on a second link 12 shown schematically in dashes on the drawing, forming part of a device electric locking / unlocking of known type. The link 12 is connected at 13 to a mobile part, not shown, which can take two fixed positions relative to the housing 1. One of these positions, and the corresponding position of the link 13 shown in Figures 1 and 4, are so-called unlocking positions and correspond to a so-called active angular position of the link 9; the other of these positions, and the corresponding position of the link 13 shown in the figures 2 and 3, are so-called condemnation positions and they correspond to an angular position called inhibited of the rod 9. The moving part bearing the link 13 is moved by an electric actuator, not shown, designed to respond to a condemnation signal and a unlocking signal by putting said part, and therefore the link 13, respectively, in their condemnation position (and consequently, the rod 9 in its inhibited position), and in their position unlocking (and consequently, the link 9 in its active position).

The unlocking signal can be issued by a recognition electronics, not shown, forming part of a system known per se "hands-free vehicle access" not requiring not use a key or remote control to unlock the lock. In this system, the recognition electronics are equipped of a radio transmitter and is designed to be able to communicate with a radio device incorporated into a watch, or card, or a badge, worn by the user. Recognition electronics don't produces its unlocking signal only after identification of the correct owner.

For each fixed position of the link 13, the link 9 thus forms, with the link 12 and the lever 8, a parallelogram Speak clearly. When the lever 6 is rotated in the direction of the arrow F1 by actuating the door handle, the link 9 undergoes a movement said actuation, directed upwards, during which said link 9 may or may not act on the pawl 4 to put it in "escaped" position (position shown in FIG. 4), like this will be explained later.

The link 9 has an upper end part 9 which is thinner than the rest, this reduction in thickness producing a detachment surface 14 comprising a concave curved part 14 which turns its concavity upwards (see FIG. 1) and a part plane 14 b connecting directly to said curved part 14 a and terminating said recess surface 14 on the side opposite the articulation 11. The concave part 14 a of the recess surface 14 delimits a recess 50 on the side of the face of the rod 9 facing the pawl 4.

The pawl 4 has on its face turned towards the link 9 a pin 15 projecting in the direction of said link 9.

The elements 6 to 14 constituting the bolt release mechanism, and the pin 15 of the pawl 4 are arranged together so that, when the link 9 is in the active angular position (FIGS. 1 and 4), it can, during its actuation movement, act on the pawl 4, by the action of the planar surface 14 b on the pin 15, to bring the pawl 4 breakaway position and, when in an angular position inhibited (figures 2 and 3), during its actuation movement it has no effect on the pawl 4, the pin 15 then remaining, during the entire actuation movement of the rod 9, engaged in the recess delimited downwards by the part concave 14a of the offset surface 14.

The fraction 51, located on the left in the drawing, of the concave curved part 14 a of the recess surface 14, is inclined in the direction going to the right and downwards in FIGS. 1 to 4, so as to form by relative to the axis of the actuating movement 9b (see FIG. 2) of the link 9 an angle preferably greater than 45 degrees. Thus the part 51 forms a cam cooperating with the pin 15 when (1) the rod 9 is substantially at the end of the actuation movement and that (2) it undergoes, driven by the electrical device, a pivoting movement around the axis 10 in the direction of arrow F2 (Figure 3). The cam fraction 51 is dimensioned such that, when it cooperates with the pin 15, the latter is moved upwards until the pawl 4 reaches its "escaped" position. The part of the periphery surface of the pin 15, adjacent to the cam 51 is rounded to facilitate the action of the cam 51 on the pin 15 constituting the cam follower element.

The operation of the lock shown in the figures 1 to 4 is as follows.

FIG. 1 represents the lock in a starting position in which the link 9 is in the active position (unlocked lock), and the lever 6 in the rest position. If, under these conditions, an action is exerted on the door handle, the lever 6, and therefore the lever 8, is tilted in the direction of the arrow F1, causing the hinge pin 10 and therefore the link to go up 9, which is located in the active position, will act during its movement by the cam surface 14 b on the pin 15 to pivot the pawl 4 until it reaches its "escapement" position (see Figure 4).

FIG. 2 represents the lock in a starting position in which the link 9 is in the inhibited position (locked lock) and the lever 6 in the rest position. If, under these conditions, an action is exerted on the door handle and, at the same time, the electrical device is activated by the emission of a unlocking signal produced, for example, by bringing a badge to the lock, will first lead to the situation shown in Figure 3: the action on the door handle will, as in the previous case, raise the link 9, but the tilting of the link 9 from its inhibited starting position to its position active will not be realized until later because the electrical device is slower than the release mechanism. Thus, until the end of the actuating movement of the link 9, the latter will remain in the inhibited position, so that the pin 15 will remain engaged in the recess 50 delimited by the concave part 14 a of the detachment surface 14.

When the electrical device begins to act by pulling to the right in the drawing the hinge pin 11 connecting the link 9 with the second link 12, thanks to the inclined cam conformation of the part 51 of the recess surface 14 and with the rounded shape from the adjacent surface of pawn 15, there will be no blocking of pawn 15 in the recess 50 of the rod 9 but, on the contrary, the cam effect will cause the counter 15 to be raised and, consequently, the pivoting of the ratchet 4 clockwise, until bringing said ratchet in its "escaped" position, as shown in the figure 4, for which it no longer acts on the fork bolt 2, thus authorizing opening the door.

According to the second embodiment, the elements of the lock shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, which are identical or similar to those of the first embodiment, generally bear the same reference figures increased by a hundred. The lock of the second embodiment comprises, in a manner known per se, a casing 101, a fork bolt 102 articulated at 103 on the casing 101, and a pawl 104 articulated at 105 on the housing 101. The bolt 102 is intended to cooperate, in known manner, with a keeper not shown. The pawl 104, in a known manner, is associated with elastic means, not shown, urging it towards a position ensuring the blocking of the bolt 102 in the closed position as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, and it can be put in the "escaped" position, against said means elastic, by a bolt release mechanism controlled by a door handle "or pallet", not shown.

The bolt release mechanism includes, so known, an actuating lever 108 articulated on the housing 101 on a axis 107, and a substantially vertical link 109 in FIGS. 5 to 8, articulated by its upper end 111 on a lever control 112 forming part of an electrical device for known type of conviction / unlocking.

The actuation lever 108 is mechanically connected by a hinge pin 106 to the door handle, generally by means of a rod or an opening cable, and the actuation lever 108 is associated with elastic means (not shown) urging it towards its rest position in which it has been shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. An arm 108 a of the actuating lever 108 is intended to come into abutment against a projection 101 a of the housing 101, under the action of the above-mentioned elastic means which urge the arm 108 a against the projection 101 a . Another projection 101 b is provided on the housing 101 to limit the tilting of the arm 108 a during its actuation stroke. In Figure 8, we indicated at 101 c the inlet of the lock outlet.

The control lever 112 is articulated at 113 on the housing 101 and comprises a projecting portion 112 a which is intended to be actuated by a movable part not shown, for example a part in the form of a fork, of the electrical locking / unlocking device, said control lever 112 can take two fixed positions relative to the housing 101. A so-called unlocking position of the control lever 112 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8 and corresponds to a so-called active position of the link 109 in the vertical direction ( the link 109 constitutes the pawl control member 104); the other so-called locking position of the control lever 112 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and corresponds to a so-called inhibited position of the link 109 in the vertical direction. The moving part acting on the portion 112 a of the control lever 112 is moved by an electric actuator, not shown, designed to respond to a locking signal and an unlocking signal by putting said part and therefore the portion 112 a , respectively, in their locked position (and subsequently, the link 109 in the inhibited position), and in their unlocked position (and subsequently, the link 109 in the active position).

A guide piece 110 is articulated on the same axis 105 as the pawl 104 and has a fork shape between the branches of which is housed a portion 114 a of a pin 114 which is provided on the lower end of the link 109 The pin 114 projects perpendicularly on either side of the mean plane of the link 109, the projecting portion 114 a of the pin 114 being located on the face of the link 109 which faces the pawl 104, and the projecting portion opposite 114 b of the pin 114 being located on the face of the link 109 which is turned towards the actuating lever 108. The housing of the fork of the guide piece 110 serves to guide, in a substantially vertical direction, the portion 114 a of pin 114, when the link 109 is moved between its active positions and inhibited by the control lever 112. The projecting portion 114 a of pin 114 is positioned and shaped so as to be able to come into contact with a contact surface 104 a of the pawl 104, to move it into its escaped position (position shown in FIG. 8), as will be explained below.

The guide piece 110 has, in known manner, a certain relative mobility in rotation relative to the pawl 104, so as to separate the interior opening movement from the external opening movement, to prevent the handle is moved when the interior handle is operated.

The arm 108 b , opposite the arm 108 a , of the actuating lever 108, has at its free end a thrust surface 115 which is substantially flat and oriented in the direction of part of the surface of the periphery of the projecting portion 114 b of the pin 114. Although in FIG. 11, the portions 114 a and 114 b are aligned, provision could be made for a pin 114 having portions 114 a and 114 b offset relative to each other.

The elements 106 to 115 constituting the bolt release mechanism, and the contact surface 104 a of the pawl 104 are arranged together so that, when the link 109 is in the active position (FIGS. 5 and 8), it can, during its actuation movement, act on the pawl 104, by the action of the projecting portion 114 a of the pin 114 on the contact surface 104 a of the pawl 104, to put the pawl 104 in the escaped position and that, when '' it is in the inhibited position (Figures 6 and 7), during its actuation movement, it has no effect on the pawl 104, the pin 114 then remaining, during the entire actuation movement by the actuation lever 108, retracted upwards relative to the thrust surface 115 of the actuating lever 108.

The thrust surface 115 of the arm 108 b of the actuating lever 108, is inclined leftward and downward in Figures 5 to 8, so as to form relative to the axis A of the locking movement / unlocking of the link 109, an angle  preferably between 30 ° and 60 °, when the lever 108 is at the end of the movement of the actuating movement in the direction of the arrow F1 (see FIG. 10). Thus, the pushing surface 115 forms a cam cooperating with the protruding portion 114 b of the pin 114 when the actuating lever 108 is substantially in the end of the actuating movement in the direction of the arrow F1 and the link 109 undergoes, driven by the electrical device, a substantially vertical translational movement in the direction of arrow F2. The thrust surface 115 is dimensioned such that, when it cooperates with the portion 114 b of the pin 114, the latter is moved down and to the left in FIG. 10, until the portion 114 a pin 114 comes into contact with the contact surface 104 a of the pawl 104 to bring it into its escaped position. The part of the periphery surface of the pin 114, adjacent to the cam 115, is rounded to facilitate the action of the cam 115 on the portion 114 b of the pin 114 constituting the cam follower element.

Referring now to Figures 9A to 9C, we will describe the operation of a lock according to the prior art. In FIG. 9A, the displacement of the pin 114 of the control member has been shown between its inhibited position and its active position, when the actuation lever 108 is at rest. In this position the peg 114 reaches the position shown in broken lines which is opposite a thrust surface 115 'of the arm 108 b of the operating lever 108. Then, under the action of the pivoting of the actuating lever 108 , in the direction of arrow F1, the pin 114 b of the control member undergoes a rotation about its fixed axis 111, under the action of the thrust of the thrust surface 115 'against the portion 114 b of the pin 114, to bring it into contact with the pawl 104 and push it into the escaped position. It can be seen in FIG. 9B that the thrust surface 115 ′ is substantially parallel to the direction of movement F2 of the control member between its inhibited and active positions. In FIG. 9C, the actuation lever 108 is already tilted at the end of the actuation stroke, while the pin 114 b of the control member is still in its inhibited position. When the pin 114 b moves to its active position, the pin 114 b abuts against a wall portion 115 ' a of the actuating lever 108, said wall portion 115' a being substantially perpendicular to the direction F2, so that the pin 114 b is blocked by the arm 108 b of the actuating lever 108, and cannot reach, as illustrated in broken lines, the position allowing the pawl to be put in the escaped position, because the portion 114 b of the pin 114 does not can come into contact with the thrust surface 115 'of the actuating lever 108.

The operation of the lock, shown on the Figures 5 to 8 is as follows.

FIG. 5 shows the lock in a starting position, in which the link 109 is in the active position (unlocked lock), and the actuation lever 108 is in the rest position. If, under these conditions, an action is exerted on the door handle, the lever 108 is tilted in the direction of the arrow F1 (see FIG. 8), the thrust surface 115 meeting the portion 114 b of the pin 114 of the connecting rod 109 and pivoting it around the fixed point 111 until the portion 114 of the pin 114 comes into contact with the contact surface 104 of the pawl 104 to rotate to its escapement position.

Figure 6 shows the lock in a position of departure in which the link 109 is in the inhibited position (lock locked) and lever 108 in the rest position. If in these conditions, an action is exerted on the door handle and, at the same time, the electrical device is activated by sending a signal unlocking product, for example, by approaching a badge of the lock, we will first arrive at the situation shown in Figure 7: the action on the door handle will, as in the previous case, tilt the thrust surface 115 in the direction of arrow F1, but the displacement of the rod 109 from its inhibited starting position at its active position will not be realized until later because the device electric is slower than the release mechanism. So, until the end of the actuation movement by the actuation lever 108, the rod 109 will remain in the inhibited position, so that pin 114 will remain retracted relative to the thrust surface 115.

When the electrical device begins to act by tilting down the hinge pin 111 connecting the link 109 to the control lever 112, thanks to the inclined cam conformation of the thrust surface 115 of the actuation lever 108 and to the rounded shape of the adjacent surface of the protruding portion 114 b of the pin 114, there will be no blocking of the protruding portion 114 b of the pin 114 against the arm 108 b of the actuating lever 108 but, on the contrary, the 'camming cause the sliding of the portion 114 b of the peg 114 on the inclined cam surface 115 and hence, the pivoting of the link 109 in the clockwise direction about the fixed axis 111, until bring the portion 114 a of the pin 114 against the contact surface 104 a of the pawl 104 which will pivot in its escaped position, as shown in FIG. 8, for which the pawl 104 no longer acts on the fork bolt 102, allowing thus opening the door.

Thus, thanks to the invention, an actuation is sufficient single door handle to get the opening of this last, despite the difference in response times that exists between that of the release mechanism, very fast, and that of the slower electric locking / unlocking device.

It is advantageous to provide that the electronics of recognition is electrically powered only during action exerted on the handle by the user to open the door, in order to avoid unnecessary consumption of electrical energy. This can be obtained by a microswitch (or any other control system) not shown, normally open, closing of which is ordered by an action on the door handle, this closing microswitch an electrical supply circuit, not shown, for the electronics of recognition.

Claims (11)

1. Motor vehicle door lock comprising: a forked latch (2, 102) intended to interact with a striker; a pawl (4, 104) which normally locks the latch in the closed position and which can adopt an "escapement" position for which it no longer acts on the said latch (2, 102); a latch-release mechanism comprising an operating member (9, 109) which, on the one hand, can adopt either an active position in which it acts, during its actuating movement, on the pawl (4, 104), to place it in the "escapement" position, or an inhibited position in which, during its actuating movement, it has no effect on the pawl (4, 104) and, on the other hand, may experience an actuating movement in response to actuation of the door handle by the user; and an electric device which responds at least to an unlock signal by moving the operating member (9, 109) from its inhibited position until it reaches its active position, characterized in that the lock further comprises an opening catch-up means (51, 15; 114, 115) which, when the unlock signal is transmitted more or less at the end of the actuating travel of the operating member (9, 109) brings the pawl (4, 104) into its "escapement" position.
2. Lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that the actuating movement of the operating member (9), in response to actuation of the door handle by the user, occurs both when the said operating member (9) is in the active position and when it is in the inhibited position.
3. Lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that the actuating movement of the operating member (109) in response to actuation of the door handle by the user, occurs only when the operating member (109) is in the active position.
4. Lock according to Claim 2, characterized in that the pawl (4) has a peg (15) and that the operating member (9) is equipped with a thrust surface (14b) and with a recess (50) which are designed in such a way that when the operating member (9) is in the active position, the thrust surface (14b) meets and drives the said peg (15) during the actuating movement of the operating member (9) until the said pawl (4) is brought into the "escapement" position and that when the operating member (9) is in the inhibited position, the peg (15) of the pawl (4), throughout the actuating movement of the said operating member (9), remains engaged in the said recess (50) so that the operating member (9) has no action on the pawl (4).
5. Lock according to Claim 4, characterized in that a part (51) of the wall (14) delimiting the recess (50) of the operating member (9) and the adjacent part of the surface of the periphery of the peg (15) of the pawl (4) are shaped and positioned in such a way as, respectively, to form a cam and a cam follower interacting one with the other when the operating member (9) is more or less in the end-of-actuating-movement position, the moving of the said operating member (9) by the electric device as far as its active position causing the peg (15) of the pawl (4) to be carried along, by virtue of the action of the cam of the part (51) of the wall (14), until the said pawl (4) has been placed in the "escapement" position.
6. Lock according to Claim 5, characterized in that the thrust surface (14b) connects directly to the part (51) forming the cam of the wall (14).
7. Lock according to Claim 3, characterized in that the operating member (109) has a peg (114) and the latch-release mechanism comprises an actuating lever (108) which is equipped with a thrust surface (115) for effecting the actuating movement of the operating member in response to actuation of the door handle by the user, the said thrust surface (115) being designed so that when the operating member (109) is in the active position, the thrust surface (115) meets and drives the peg (114) during the actuating movement, in contact with the pawl (104) to move it to the escapement position and so that when the operating member is in the inhibited position, the thrust surface no longer comes into contact with the peg, so that the operating member has no action on the pawl.
8. Lock according to Claim 7, characterized in that the thrust surface (115) of the lever (108) and the adjacent part of the surface of the periphery (114b) of the peg (114) of the operating member (109) are shaped and positioned in such a way as, respectively, to form a cam and a cam follower interacting one with the other when the actuating lever (108) is more or less in the end-of-actuating-movement position, the moving of the said operating member by the electric device as far as its active position causing the peg (114) of the operating member to be carried along, by virtue of the action of the cam of the thrust surface (115), until the said pawl has been placed in the "escapement" position.
9. Lock according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the peg (114) has a part projecting on each side of the mid-plane of the operating member (109), one (114b) of the two projecting portions being able to interact with the thrust surface (115) of the lever, and the other projecting portion (114a) being able to interact with a contact surface (104a) of the pawl (104) to bring it into the "escapement" position.
10. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the unlock signal is transmitted by recognition electronics which are electrically powered only when the user exerts action on the door handle, the said electronics then identifying an authorized user by a radioelectric transmission exchanged in accordance with an appropriate protocol with an electronic element worn or carried by the user.
11. Lock according to Claim 10, characterized in that the recognition electronics are powered via an operating system, such as a microswitch, which is normally open, closure of which is brought about by the opening action on the door handle, this microswitch completing the recognition-electronics power-supply circuit.

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