EP0100706A1 - Exterior control for an electric vehicle door lock - Google Patents

Abstract

This control comprises a pivoting operating lever (6), the end of which forms a tab (20) for actuating the electrical circuit of the lock and a heel (18) for cooperation with a mechanical control linkage for this lock. A barrel (14) actuated by a key carries a locking cam (32) which, on the one hand actuates a bistable relay of the general supply circuit, and on the other hand forms a stop (34) for stopping the pivoting. lever (6). This cam can be moved by means of the key to move aside the stop 34 and allow the lever to pivot until the actuation of the linkage to control the mechanical opening of the lock.

Description

Electric locks, such as those described in the French patent applications filed by the plaintiff on October 18, 1978, under No. 78 29,650, on December 5, 1972 under No. 78 36,231, on September 14, 1979 under No. 79 27580, 22.12.1981 under no.81 23916, and 2.6. 1982 under the numbers 82 09598 and 82 09599, allow the easy opening, with a reduced effort, of the doors of vehicles and are consequently called to be used more and more.

The external control of these locks generally comprises a movable operating member, resiliently recalled, which actuates the electric circuit for controlling the lock and causes it to open, and a barrel actuated by a key and integral with a locking mechanism making it possible to prohibit this opening. The lock, in its closed position, can only be opened via the electrical control circuit. Consequently, if a fault in this circuit occurs, the lock is blocked and the door can no longer be opened.

The present invention aims to remedy this drawback by providing an external control which allows, if necessary, a mechanical opening of the lock while retaining the advantages of electric locks.

The subject of this invention is in fact an external control of the above type, in which the internal end of the operating member is bent and forms, on the one hand, an actuating tab for the electrical circuit for controlling the lock. , and on the other hand a heel of cooperation with a linkage for controlling the mechanical opening of the lock, while the barrel carries a locking cam, provided with a stop for pivoting of the lever, which is separated of the heel trajectory by the rotation of the barrel, which allows the lever to cause the opening. So depending on the degree of tilt When allowed, the operating lever causes the normal electrical opening or a mechanical safety opening. As it is also the rotation of the key and the lock barrel which determines the extent of this tilting, opening is always possible.

According to another characteristic, the locking cam comprises a boss for controlling the tilting of a bistable relay for locking the lock.

Thus, the actuation key of the barrel causes the locking or unlocking of the lock, both in normal operation and in safety operation. Furthermore, in all cases it is turned in the same direction, which considerably simplifies operation.

• - la fig. 1 est une vue en coupe horizontale d'une commande extérieure selon l'invention;
• - la fig. 2 est une vue de ce même dispositif selon la flèche F, avec arrachement partiel;
• - la fig. 3 est une vue, analogue à la figure 1, de la commande en position d'ouverture de la serrure;
• - la fig. 4 est une vue, analogue à la figure 2, montrant la position de la came de condamnation lors de l'action de la clé;
• - la fig. 5 est une vue, analogue aux figures 1 et 3, du dispositif en position d'ouverture de secours.

The description below of an embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example, and represented in the appended drawings, will moreover highlight the advantages and characteristics of the invention. In these drawings:

• - fig. 1 is a view in horizontal section of an external control according to the invention;
• - fig. 2 is a view of the same device according to arrow F, with partial cutaway;
• - fig. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, of the control in the open position of the lock;
• - fig. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the position of the locking cam during the action of the key;
• - fig. 5 is a view, similar to FIGS. 1 and 3, of the device in the emergency opening position.

The external control shown in the drawings comprises a housing 1 fixed in the usual way, for example by screws 2, on the wall 4 of the vehicle door. The housing 1 contains an operating lever 6 which is pivotally mounted around an axis 8 carried by two ears, respectively 7 and 8, integral with the wall of the housing 1. A spring 10 wound around the axis 8 and resting, on the one hand on the lever 6 and, on the other hand, on the housing 1, pushes the lever 6 back into its rest position.

Preferably, the spring 10 presses on a boss of the housing which constitutes a sheath 12 for housing a lock barrel 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lever 6 is divided into two arms, respectively 15 and 16, which each pass on one side of the sheath 12 and are joined by a curved part which forms, on the one hand a heel 18 and, on the other hand, a tab 20 for actuating a switch 22 constituting a component of the electrical circuit for controlling the lock 19. The switch 22 is fixed, for example by members 23, on bosses 24 of the housing 1 It is capped with a flexible, waterproof envelope, and its rear part carries electrical connections which are embedded in a resin, or the like, to ensure its sealing.

When the tab 20, in the position shown in Figure 1, pushes the flexible casing 25, it spreads the movable part of the switch so that it is open and that the electromagnetic member for controlling the lock n is not powered.

If, the lock being closed, pressure is exerted on the lever 6 to make it tilt in the position shown in FIG. 3, against the action of the spring 10, the tab 20 releases the movable part of the switch 22 which closes the contact and allows the supply of the electromagnetic member controlling the lock. It opens.

The heel 18 cooperates with a linkage 27 connected to an internal mechanism of the lock, so as to control the latter. The linkage 27, in the exem ple of embodiment shown, is mounted in an ear 28 of the heel 18. It comprises, in this case, a dead stroke corresponding to the movement of the tab 20 and the heel 18 for the control of the switch 22, so that '' it does not come into action during normal movement of the lever.

The opening of the door can however be prohibited using a key cooperating with the barrel 14 mounted inside the sheath 12. For this purpose this barrel is extended in the door by a head 30, for example of square section, on which is fixed by means of a screw 31 a locking cam 32. The locking cam is preferably substantially flat but carries, on the one hand a stop 34 projecting in the direction of the heel 18 of the lever 6, and on the other hand a boss 36 directed towards the sheath 12. Around the head 30 the sheath 12 has two peripheral slots, respectively 37 and 38 (fig. 2), separated by two projections 39, 40. A helical spring 42 is wound around the head 30 and held radially by the projections 39, 40. The ends 43, 44 of this spring each pass through one of the slots of the sleeve, respectively 37 and 38, and each extend on one side of the boss 36 of the cam.

The spacing in normal position of the ends 43 and 44 of the spring corresponds substantially to the width of the projection 39 of the sleeve as well as to that of the boss 36 of the cam, and the spring is slightly prestressed. Consequently, when the barrel 14 is rotated by means of a key 46, this barrel drives the cam 32 into the position shown in FIG. 4, and this cam, by means of the boss 36, displaces the 'end 43, so that as soon as the key ceases its action the spring 42 automatically returns the cam 32 to its initial position.

Opposite the stop 34, the cam 32 has another boss 48 which cooperates with a switch 49 to cause the tilting of a bistable relay controlling the general supply of the lock. Depending on the direction of tilting of this relay, the action of the boss 48 thus causes the lock to be locked or, on the contrary, unlocked. In all cases, as soon as this relay has switched and the key has been removed from the barrel 14, the spring 42 recalls the cam 32 in the position shown in FIG. 2.

When the rotation of the key 46 clockwise, looking at FIG. 1, has ordered the unlocking of the lock, the lever 6 can be actuated to move the tab 20 and remove its pressure on the flexible casing 25 of the light switch. The movable part of the latter is then released, which establishes a contact and supplies the electromagnetic member for controlling the lock. However, the pivoting of the lever 6 is limited by the coming into contact of the heel 18 on the stop 34 in the position shown in FIG. 3. At this time, if the electrical circuit is operating normally, the lock is open.

If, on the contrary, the rotation of the key clockwise has caused a locking tilting, the pivoting of the lever and the release of the switch 22 have no effect on the lock. On the other hand, in all cases the rotation of the cam 32 separates the stop 34 from the trajectory of the heel 18, so that if the key, and therefore the cam, is kept in this position against the action of the spring 42, a new force can be exerted on the lever 6 and bring it into the position shown in FIG. 5, which lifts this heel 18 beyond the position of FIG. 3. The linkage 27 is then moved beyond its dead run and comes in action to cause the opening of the lock.

As soon as the door is opened the key can be removed. The spring 10 pushes the lever 6 back to its initial position.

The lock can therefore always be opened securely using the key. This key, like the locking cam, always turns in the same direction, clockwise, looking at Figures 1 and 5, so that its operation is the same in all cases.

Furthermore, the locking device, constituted by the switch 49 and the bistable relay which it controls, has only an extremely small footprint, which makes it possible to reduce the volume of the whole of the control while having a safety increased.

Of course the control lever 6 can be replaced by a button, or any other equivalent member, integral with the tab 20 and the heel 18, depending on the applications.

Claims (6)

1 - External vehicle door control equipped with an electric lock, comprising a movable operating member, resiliently recalled in the closed position of the lock, and a barrel actuated by a key, secured at its inner end with means for locking the lock, characterized in that the internal end of the operating member (6) is curved and forms, on the one hand, a tab (20) for actuating the electric circuit for controlling the lock, and on the other share a heel (18) for cooperation with a linkage (27) for mechanical control of the opening of the lock, while the barrel (14) carries a locking cam (32) provided with a stop (34) stopping the pivoting of the lever, which is moved away from the heel trajectory by the rotation of the barrel, so that the lever (6) can cause the opening. 2 - Control according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking cam (32) is resiliently returned to its initial position of stop of the lever (6). 3 - Control according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cam (32) has a boss (48) side, away from the stop (34), which controls the tilting of a bistable supply relay 1 general of the lock. 4 - Control according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the linkage (27) is connected to an ear (28) of the heel and has an inactive stroke corresponding to the control movement of the electric circuit) by the lever tab (20). 5 - Control according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the leg of the lever controls a switch (22) capped with a flexible waterproof envelope (25), which is pressed to open the switch in rest position. 6 - Control according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the stopper (34) and the boss (48) for controlling the bistable relay are placed on the cam (32) so as to come into action alternatively, the rotation of the cam separating the stop (34) from the heel of the lever when it actuates the relay.

Images