EP0147549A2 - Electrical central locking apparatus for motor vehicles and method of electrical central locking - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Electrical central locking apparatus for motor vehicles, with a locking device which is provided at each lock to be locked and which can be moved into one of two positions by in each case a centrally controllable electromechanical servo-drive (8), with at least one electrical position transmitter (12) which can be actuated by one of the servodrives (8) and is intended for switching off the servo-drive (8), and also with means for dampening the run-in of the servo-drive (8) into an end position, characterized in that the position transmitter (12), eg. a potentiometer, is designed to constantly record the positions of the servo-drive (8), that position signals from the position transmitter (12) are be fed into apparatuses (26) for determining a switch position of the servo-drive and also of the computing part (28) for recording the time interval remaining for reaching the next end position from the switch position, and that the current of the servo-drive (8), after the switch position is reached, can be controlled as a function of the time interval.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical central locking device for motor vehicles according to the preamble of claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for electrical central locking according to the preamble of claim 8.

In such a known electrical central locking system. device (DE-OS 29 11 630) is a combined with a lock cylinder switch for actuators on the driver's door. The actuators are assigned locks in the other doors, in particular a rear door. The centrally controlled locks have a rotary latch, a pawl and a locking device with a locking lever. The locking lever is connected to the actuator assigned to it, specifically to a drive rod protruding from the actuator, which moves the locking lever in one of two end positions. One end position corresponds to the unlocking position and the second end position the locking position, between which a locking stroke has to be covered. In the locking device, the drive rod can be coupled to an actuating slide which has a toothed rack, which in turn is connected to a reversible servomotor via a gear. The actuator rod can thus be moved linearly back and forth as long as it is coupled to the actuating slide. The coupling and uncoupling of the actuating slide and a possibility for locking the drive rod are not provided in the generic central locking device to be further developed according to the present invention. In the known central locking device, a microswitch is further arranged in the area of the actuating slide, specifically on a cam-like elevation, which is switched in a certain position of the actuating slide. In the special arrangement considered, this microswitch has a function which is of no further interest here in connection with an additional anti-theft device, but in principle it can also be used to emit a switching signal in an end position of the actuating slide which stops the servomotor. - The central locking is carried out in such a way that the switch which can be actuated with the key of the locking cylinder on the driver's door controls circuits for the actuators via a locking circuit and an unlocking circuit. As mentioned, the servomotors of the individual actuators can be switched off by the microswitch when the desired next end position of the drive rod has been reached. Locking or unlocking can also take place via a safety button on the inside of the door, which is connected to a safety lever on the locking device via a further rod. Finally, in the normal way through the Lock cylinder and an actuating rod acting on the locking lever are performed.

With such central locking devices, the problem arises that an end position into which the locking device has to be moved is not exactly fixed, but is subject to considerable permissible tolerances. However, only the actuation stroke is precisely defined, i.e. the locking stroke or unlocking stroke from one end position to the other end position. - In order to safely reach the end position of the locking device in any case, despite the permissible tolerance, the electromechanical actuator had to move the drive rod to the most distant end position, i.e. the servomotor must not be switched off too early. However, in other less distant end positions of such locking device devices, this meant that the actuator still carried out the locking or unlocking process near the end position with too much momentum, which in addition to stressing the mechanical elements could lead to disturbing noise. To remedy this, damping elements made of a shock-absorbing material have been provided in the actuator at the end of the movement path of the actuating slide. Such damping elements, in particular made of rubber, reduce the noise level and reduce wear, but the problem described is only incompletely solved, since only relatively small strokes of the actuating slide can be consumed by the damping element, even if an end position is present even with an unfavorable tolerance Security should be achieved.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of an electrical central locking device at the beginning mentioned type and a corresponding method for electrical central locking so that the end positions of the locking device can be reliably reached even with unfavorable tolerances, but that despite other unfavorable tolerances there is not too much kinetic energy in the central locking device that does not lead to the end or locking process is usable, but causes wear and noise.

This object is achieved for an embodiment of the central locking device with the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1.

A corresponding method is specified in the characterizing part of claim 8.

The essence of the invention is that the electromechanical actuator does not travel through its stroke independently of the locking device connected to it between two fixed end positions. Rather, starting from a first end position, taking into account the predetermined stroke, a switching position is determined in which it is possible to intervene in the circuit of the actuator, ie the servomotor, before the next end position is reached, in order to control this next end position with certainty, but in to reduce the kinetic energy in the actuator in the last movement phase in such a way that no unnecessary knocks or bumps occur in the actuator, the transmission elements or the locking control device. Reaching this switching position is signaled by the fact that the positions of the actuator are steady and not only on a fixed one Position to be recorded. In accordance with the position signals formed by the position transmitter, it can further be determined which time interval - at a given actuating speed - is still likely to expire until the next end position is reached. The current for this actuator is then controlled in accordance with this time interval in its movement phase after the switching position has been reached.

A particularly expedient measure for controlling the current through the actuator is specified in claim 2. Then three time interval areas are recorded with a discriminator, into which middle, larger and smaller time intervals are classified. Depending on the differentiation result, the current through the actuator is switched off after the switching position has been reached, maintained or reversed in its direction. Depending on the current situation, the actuator will run into the next end position only due to the momentum or inertia when the switching position is passed through, or the current will be maintained to the next end position when there is still a relatively large resistance to be overcome to reach. If, on the other hand, it is to be feared due to the situation at the switching position that the actuator runs into the end position too quickly, the movement is braked by countercurrent.

Overall, after driving through the switching position, a speed control is carried out to a reasonable extent.

In order to approach it relatively slowly in the very last subinterval of the stroke before reaching the next end position, can be provided according to claim 3 further means for control, which cause a reduced current of the actuator. The switching position suitable for the respective locking device is formed by the means specified in claim 4, preferably calculated by adding or subtracting constant stroke to the stored initial end position. The initial end position is the position that the locking device and thus the drive rod of the actuator assumed during the last electromechanical actuation or actuation by a lock cylinder or safety button. - Reaching this switching position during the current movement of the actuator is derived from the position signals continuously output by a potentiometer, which are compared with the previously determined target switching position.

Instead, the reaching of a switching position can be determined at least approximately by means of even simpler means that detection means of the current drop of the actuator are provided according to claim 5. This takes advantage of the fact that the usual locking devices easily or automatically run into the next end position after passing through a point of maximum resistance. Therefore, the current consumption of the servomotor of the actuator decreases when this point exceeds maximum resistance, which can thus be defined as a switching point. The simplified detection of this switch position is primarily intended for doors that are not themselves operated directly to control the central locking device. According to claim 6, the design of the electrical central locking device with the logic switching means enables an additional function by first detecting whether all locking mechanisms are the same Status - locking or unlocking - have accepted. With the intended use of electrical means, in particular a microcomputer, this configuration is particularly inexpensive and uncomplicated, without the need for mechanically complicated elements. This configuration thus enables locking errors to be signaled to the driver.

In addition to the latter, it is possible to recognize an intermediate position of one of the locking buttons, in particular a position between the locking and unlocking state of the locking device. When such an intermediate position is detected, a further control process can be initiated in an actuator, in particular the actuation of a special locking mechanism on a tank lock. - This further development saves assembly measures on the motor vehicle, since an additional switch is replaced here by the safety button which is already present.

The corresponding central locking method, with which the central locking is carried out quickly, reliably, gently and with little noise, are characterized in claims 8 and 9.

Depending on the definition or formation of the switching positions of the individual actuators in a system and / or the control of the currents by the actuators after the switching positions have been reached, the times at which the end positions are reached can be staggered in time. This further reduces the maximum noise level.

• Fig. 1 den wesentlichen Teil der Zentralverriegelungsvorrichtung in einer schematisierten Darstellung, und
• Fig. 2 einen Ablaufplan des Zentralverriegelungsverfahrens.

The invention is explained below with reference to a drawing with two figures. It shows:

• Fig. 1 shows the essential part of the central locking device in a schematic representation, and
• Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the central locking method.

In Fig. 1, a locking device of a lock is designated 1. The locking device can be actuated by a safety button 2 for internal safety via a safety lever 3 shown broken off. In addition, the locking device can be influenced by key actuation of a lock cylinder, not shown, via an indicated actuation rod 4. This actuating rod engages similar to another actuating rod 5 on a locking lever 6.

The actuating rod 5 is articulated on a drive rod 7 of an electromotive actuator 8. The drive rod comprises a rack 9, in which a gear 10 meshes. The gear wheel can be driven by a reversible servomotor 11, which is also connected to a potentiometer 12 designed as a signaling potentiometer.

The servomotor 11 can be supplied with a reversible actuating current via transistorized output stages 13 via lines 14, 15. Lines 16, 17 lead from the potentiometer 12 to an input circuit 18. The output stages 13 and the input circuit 18 belong to a microcomputer 19 or are controlled by such a microcomputer.

Additional signal potentiometers of electromotive actuators for other locks can be connected to additional inputs of the microcomputer at 20, 21, so that their actuators can be controlled individually. - Instead, it is also possible to supply all actuators of the actuators via a ring line.

The structure and function of the microcomputer are essentially described below based on the one locking device 8 shown, although several such locking devices belong to a central locking system.

The microcomputer includes a sequencer that determines the sequence of the operations shown below.

In a block 20 it is first determined whether all locks or locking devices are in the same position. This is done in that position signals of the locking devices are continuously fed into the microprocessor via the input circuit 18 by the potentiometer 12 and corresponding potentiometers in the other actuators.

If all locking devices are in the same position, a waiting loop 21 is activated until the preceding condition is no longer met, for example by actuating the safety button 2 or a lock cylinder on the actuating rod 4. In this case, a new position of the locking device 8 is transferred to the Microprocessor reported, the next criterion with block 22 determines whether a safety button or an associated locking device is in a new end position. If this condition applies, enter Command part 23 a command to move all locking devices into the new end position.

For this purpose, the sections shown on the right in FIG. 2 come into operation in detail, for which purpose these sections are connected via an interrupted command line 24 to an output of the command part 23.

To move to a new end position of each locking device, practically the same processes take place.

First, the new end position of the actuator or the actuated safety button stored in a memory 25 is used to determine a switching point of the actuator based on this starting end position, see block 26.

A block 27 designates a part of the sequence control which applies current to the servomotor for reaching the new end position until the switching point is reported by the associated potentiometer of the actuator. For the operations described below, this applies in particular to the actuators that were not the last to be operated manually.

For the actuators, the time interval remaining until the next end position is reached is determined in a computing part 28 when the switching point is reached. This time interval is determined on the assumption of a constant speed of the actuator at the time of the switching point. The speed can be derived from the continuously delivered position signals.

In a subsequent discriminator 29, it is determined whether the determined time interval falls within a range of large, small or medium time intervals. In the former case, the current for the servomotor is initially maintained unchanged, since it obviously has to overcome even greater mechanical resistances. In the second case of the particularly short time intervals, on the other hand, the motor is braked by countercurrent in order not to move the locking device too suddenly into the new end position. If, on the other hand, a medium time interval is determined, the current through the servomotor is simply switched off, so that the servomotor assumes the new end position due to its momentum and the momentum of the moving parts of the actuator without running in too hard.

Shortly before said end position, the potentiometer reports a further predetermined position of the actuator, from which the actuator is supplied with a reduced current, for example half of the normal current in the previous phase before reaching the switching position, in order to effectively reach the end position. This additional switching function is indicated by block 30.

According to the invention, a safe and rapid entry into the desired end position with little noise and little material wear is achieved.

Due to the continuous position report from all actuators, block 20 can also be used to determine whether there is a central locking fault because the locking devices are not all moved to the same position.

In addition, an additional function can be triggered by dispensing with an additional switch by one of the safety buttons, since block 22 reports when not all safety buttons are in an end position. For example, the safety button on the driver's door can be used to unlock a tank lock if the setting is arbitrary to half of its actuation distance, see blocks 31 and 32.If the driver's door button is completely unlocked or locked, the signal runs via a connection 33 into the On hold 21.

The staggered entry of all actuators into an end position can be achieved by varying the computing part 28 for the time intervals assigned to the individual actuators.

Claims (9)

1.Electric central locking device for motor vehicles, with a locking device provided on each lock to be locked, which can be moved into one of two positions by a centrally controllable electromechanical actuator, with at least one electrical position indicator which can be actuated by one of the actuators for switching off the actuator and with means to dampen the inlet of the actuator into an end position,
characterized,
that the position transmitter (potentiometer 12) is designed for the continuous detection of the positions of the actuator (8), that position signals of the position transmitter in means (block 26) for forming a switching position of the actuator and means (computing part 28) for forming the one for reaching the next one End position from the switching position remaining time interval can be fed and that the current of the actuator (8) can be controlled depending on the time interval after reaching the switching position. 2. Electrical central locking device according to claim 1,
marked by
a discriminator (29) for controlling the current of the actuator (8) as a function of the time interval, which switches off the current of the actuator in a medium time interval range, which initially maintains the current of the actuator in a larger time interval range and which in one smaller time interval area controls a counterflow of the actuator. 3. Electrical central locking device according to claim 2,
marked by
further means (block 30) for controlling a reduced current of the actuator (8) upon reaching a predetermined position near the next end position. 4. Electrical central locking device according to one of claims 1-3,
characterized ,
that a potentiometer (12) is mechanically coupled as a position transmitter to the actuator (8) and that the means (26) for determining the switching position are designed starting from the initial end position of the locking device (1). 5. Electrical central locking device according to one of claims 1-3,
characterized ,
that means for detecting the current drop in the actuator are provided as position transmitters shortly before reaching the end position of the locking device. 6. Electrical central locking device according to one of claims 1-5,
characterized ,
that logic switching means (blocks 20, 22) are provided for detecting whether all locking devices are in the same end position and whether a lock cylinder and / or locking button is in a new, different position, and that the logic switching means with switches (output stages 13) for switching on the electromechanical actuators in Connect. 7. An electrical central locking device according to claim 6,
characterized ,
that the logic switching means (31) are designed to recognize an intermediate position of one of the safety buttons and are coupled to means (32) for controlling an actuator of a special locking mechanism (for example for a tank lock). 8. A method for electrical central locking by detecting a new end position of a lock cylinder, switching on and / or a safety button, and by electromechanical actuators in the present new end position, detecting a predetermined position of each actuator and then switching off the actuator,
characterized ,
that after detection of the new end position of the lock cylinder and / or safety button for each actuator, a switching position spaced from an initial end position by a constant stroke is determined, in which a process controlling the current of the actuator is triggered, that when the switching position is reached, the up to When the next end position is reached, the required time interval is determined that the actuator is switched off when the determined time interval falls within a predetermined range of medium time intervals, that the current of the actuator is initially maintained when the determined time interval falls within a predetermined range of longer time intervals , and that the current direction is reversed by the actuator when the determined time interval falls within a predetermined range of smaller time interval ranges. 9. The method according to claim 8,
characterized ,
that a further predetermined position of the actuator is detected following the switching position, from which the actuator is fed with a reduced current in the working direction until the end position is reached.

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